Ingredients
1/2 cup diced bacon
2 cup water
1 pt fresh octopus, steamed until tender
2 cup slightly undercooked steamed rice
1 lb canned tomatoes
1 can okra
1/2 cup diced onions
1 diced green pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 cup diced celery
1 salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Boil bacon in water for 15 minutes, then add the rest of the
ingredients. Simmer together for ten minutes. Serve with warm
cornbread. Serves four. Helen Blanchard, Ward Cove, AK "Octopus for
Dinner," the Cabin Friend ALASKA Magazine, October, 1978
Servings: 4 servings
Alaska Octopus Gumbo Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Gumbo; Seafood; Soup
The History of Recipes
We can follow the history of meal recipes far back into antiquity, certainly as far into history as the early Egyptians, and possibly even further. Interesting though that maybe, generally, these early cookbooks were just primitive pictorial instructions for food preparation.
In an interesting twist, the oldest recipe discovered so far, according to experts in ancient history are a few ancient tablets in ancient Sumerian which recount the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making anyone who drank it feel `wonderful`. During Roman times 25BC a man called Apicius compiled a collection of documents detailing recipes prepared by the Romans. He recounts how the meals were split into starters, entrees and desserts, a style of dining still practiced today. He also informs us how the ancient Romans were skilled in the use of many herbs and spices, including a few that are still present in modern kitchens like thyme, rue and dill. During the succeeding few centuries, the powerful families of Europe competed to lay on the most extravagent banquests, and consequentially cooks and their collection of recipes became highly prized. Even so, it was during the 1800s that fine cooking and recipe collections reached a high level of popularity. The Famous Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Farmer in the USA, spent years to collating, verifying, and recording recipes that were common in the better off homes of the day. By the arrival of the 1900s, cooking books were highly popular as a result of better eduction, people having more free time and disposable income. |
We hope you enjoy this Alaska Octopus Gumbo recipe.
