[SCA-cooks] Re: File Seasoning

[Jeanne Papanastasiou]

-----Original Message-----
From: sca-cooks-admin at ansteorra.org
[mailto:sca-cooks-admin at ansteorra.org]On Behalf Of Diamond Randall
Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2003 12:21 PM
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Re: File Seasoning

Personally, I use lots of both with a nice black roo base.

A ROUX is made from flour and oil.  NEVER file.  I learned to cook in
Acadiana, Cajun country and my FIRST cooking job was at K-Paul's kitchen
with Paul Proudomme.



  It is made from the powdered dried
leaves.  I suspect that is more closely related to bay leaves as far
as any flavouring it might add, but laurel will not give the textural
results of file.

I think you're talking about Swamp Bay, which isn't TRUE bay.  It has the
same properties, but takes more leaves for flavoring.  It is what the
Cajun's use instead of BAY as Bay leaves are expensive and Swamp bay grows
like elderberry's, WILD!


I bought a huge institutional container of it at
Robert Orr/ Sysco.  The brand was Durkee.  It was labeled
as sassafras with other (unnamed) seasonings.  I have used it for
years as it does not seem to go soapy like powdered thyme and
smells just as fresh as it was originally.  The leaves do not have the
same oils as the woody parts of the tree, so Uncle Sugar did not
pull file powder from the market.

I carry only LA Fish Fry Brand and it is PURE sassafras nothing added.  If
anything IS added then it ISN'T true sassafras.  Zatarain's carry's a pure
extract which we'd add a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda for effervescence.
But we other wise drank it flat.

Remember people didn't get refrigeration in New Orleans into their homes
into the 60's.  I STILL remember buying my cold drinks as just that, COLD
DRINKS.  They cost more than regular as they were refrigerated!


 The sassafras trees grow all over the place here in Tennessee; there is
a fence row of young 10' sassafras just across the lane at Cumberland
Centre.  I wish I could find a really good sized older tree that has just
died
to get a good stock of root.

We'd dig up one side and use those roots with a special root gum to help
heal faster and rotated trees, it's not a problem.

Louisiana is FULL of sassafras trees.  We use bark for tea, roots for beer
and leaves for flavoring.

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