Jambalaya with Chicken
    & Smoked Sausage

Ira Melony Lyon

Jambalaya is part of Cajun food, which is part of Louisiana's culture. The French had a big influence on Louisiana because of the Louisiana Purchase, so they picked up a lot of the French culture, including their spicy foods. In Louisiana, people use rice in a lot of their meals and they tend to cook in one big pan, which is what Jambalaya really is. It is mostly made of rice, which is put into the sauce uncooked so that it absorbs the sauce made up with many spices, hot peppers, tomatoes, and meat or seafood of choice.

My parents usually don't cook at all, but they each have a couple of unusual meals that they make periodically. My dad got the recipe for this jambalaya from his friend, Keith, who is originally from Louisiana. Keith and his dad are great cooks, and they own a couple of popular upscale restaurants in Maryland.

The first time I tasted this jambalaya, I thought I would never stop drinking water because it was so spicy, but I could stop eating it because it was so flavorful. I had actually helped my dad make it. I remember we had to chop a lot of ingredients, and it took a very long time to make. We made it in a really big pot and then put it in many plastic containers to freeze it. This way, it lasts a long time and it just has to be microwaved or heated up in a pan to serve.

We usually make it in the winter because it is too hot and spicy for summertime. After all the plastic containers are gone, we wait about a month or two to make another batch. My mom and sister became vegetarians not long ago, so now we have to make a separate batch for them with shrimp or crawfish, and it is still very good. When we have our family and friends over, only those who can handle spicy food can eat the jambalaya. We have to supply a lot of water at the dinner table because each person drinks about three glasses for only one plate. Now, my dad usually makes it himself since all the kids are off at college, but coming home to spicy jambalaya is a nice change from college food.