And Finally...Happy New Year!

And to ring in what will undoubtedly be the best decade yet, I've decided to begin a new KKNY tradition: New Year's Jambalaya. Pennsyltucky's pork and sauerkraut never really did it for me, and the Southern tradition of Black-Eyed Peas (or Hoppin' John) on New Year's Day hasn't really worked (in fact, I've only known about it for the last decade, and look where that's gotten everybody...). So, here's my Jambalaya recipe, based on one from the Napoleon House in New Orleans...


Jambalaya
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 pounds chicken (white meat, or a combination of white and dark), cut into small pieces
• 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
• 3 green peppers, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, minced
• 5 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 bunch green onion, sliced
• 2 16-ounce cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne (to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 cups beef or chicken stock
• 2 cups long grain rice
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

In a large pot, heat oil, then sauté chicken and sausage until the chicken loses its pink color. Add peppers, onion, garlic, celery, and green onion, and cook until soft. Add remaining ingredients--except shrimp!--cover, and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, about 30 minutes. Check spices and adjust to taste. Turn off heat and stir in shrimp. When the shrimp's cooked (it will turn opaque), serve!