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MY
ROUSES
EVERYDAY
JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2017
the
Eat Right
issue
O
nce a week, I fill my grandmother’s
big kitchen table with a bunch
of folks for a Monday-night
celebration.It’s my riff on a Louisiana classic
— red beans and rice — that I’ve honed over
the years to be a low-maintenance, hearty,
easy-as-pie supper dish that can affordably
feed 10-12 folks without breaking the bank.
When my guests arrive, they sniff out the usual
aromas that come from a south Louisiana
kitchen — caramelized onions, pungent
sautéed garlic, smoked sausage browned to a
crisp, and green onions on the chopping board.
After a few minutes of visiting and milling
around,guests serve themselves and are often
confronted with the Two-Pot Tango. On
one stovetop burner is the Big Pot — where
the beans are spiked with smoked sausage
and andouille — spicy, porky goodness. Or,
there’s the Baby Pot — a smaller batch of
beans that’s every bit as tasty, but contains
no meat products whatsoever.
Meaty or vegan. Both tasty, but different.
Take your pick. Welcome to a real-life
“Goldilocks and the Three Bears” situation.
The Two-Pot Tango (TPT) started as a way
to accommodate loved ones who love good
food but (for whatever reason) don’t eat
pork. And over the years, it’s given me two
big advantages: been a big hit with guests,
and keeps me on my toes as a cook, using
a New Orleans classic to explore everyday
flavors and techniques.
Hosting: A Wide Welcome
Why offer the vegetarian option? In short:
it’s a nice thing to do, and a really easy way
to make people feel comfortable.
Whenever new guests accept a Monday
night invite, I get to ask a simple question
(“Anybody vegetarian?”) and expect one of
two answers. A quick “Nope” or a much
longer story that essentially means “Yes.”
“Well, I went to my annual physical last year and
my blood tests came in a little rich so I’m trying
to cut back and my cardiologist has recommended
that in addition to my usual medications…”
The whole 2-minute story can be condensed
to one word: “Yes.”
Why the difference in story length? There
are a million different reasons that a person
can be cutting back on eating meat.They can
include, but are not limited to: doctor’s orders,
allergies, cholesterol levels, ethical choices,
religious beliefs,or everyday flavor preferences.
As a general rule, guests don’t want to be
a bother when they come to your table. In
my experience, most folks would rather “eat
Bean There,
Done That
by
Pableaux Johnson