re: What's wrong with having tomatoes in your gumbo?

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I also put chunked sweet potatoes in mine

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Where do some of yall come up with these ingredients?

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As far as tomatoes in gumbo is concerned, I think it’s like jambalaya. It’s heavily influenced by regional and cultural exposure, or what they’ve grown up with. It makes perfect sense to me that the closer you get to New Orleans, the more you will see tomatoes being used in gumbos and jambalayas, as in difference to Lafayette, New Orleans was a major port city and regional market for goods, and so locals had access to lots of different ingredients that Cajuns did not have access or exposure to, and so as time went on you saw Cajun low country cooking evolve to a much more simple cooking not at all unlike most other low country cuisines in the world, and urban areas evolving based on what they had more access to.

Well maybe that’s my problem being I’m the bastard Irish child from the nether regions of Baton Rouge-i just don’t know any better. Like poor old Tom in The Godfather.

Truth be known, fil’e is the one ingredient you see disappearing from gumbos in general. I rarely see people using it anymore and I grew up with fresh sassafras in little mason jars in the kitchen my whole life. I don’t really know why I don’t finish with that anymore, but I don’t.

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I use file’ in just about all of my gumbos because I like it and as above I’m not a big okra guy but you are right at least in the sense that I never see it on tables anymore. Used to see a jar of file’ and a bottle of hot pepper vinegar on restaurant table and seldom do anymore.

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. It’s heavily influenced by regional and cultural exposure, or what they’ve grown up with. It makes perfect sense to me that the closer you get to New Orleans, the more you will see tomatoes being used in gumbos and jambalayas, as in difference to Lafayette

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I don't think there is any doubt we love tomatoes, especially creole, but as far as I can remember I have never eaten a gumbo with tomatoes in it. They may have pureed it so it was not visible but chunks of tomatoes, nope.

When I goto a new restaurant I asked, do y'all make your own gumbo, and if the answer is yes I more than likely order it.

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Tomatoes don't go in anything.

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Chili and marinara sauce disagree.

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Chili

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Gross

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marinara sauce disagree.

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Yeah, I guess.

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What's wrong with having tomatoes in your gumbo?

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Bub if you don't already know....you'll never know.

I get that. I only like tomatoes cooked. Can't stand raw tomatoes or raw onions for that matter.

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I’ve been a dick for 64 years so I’m experienced.

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Gave you an upvote. I like you better every day.

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What's wrong with having tomatoes in your gumbo?

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Nothing. If you like it like that, put 'em in it. Personally, I don't use 'em in my gumbo but I'd try it if a host made his that way.


Martini summed up exactly how I think...I cook things the way I like them to taste with one exception: my wife doesn't like oysters in her seafood gumbo so I don't put them. Other than that, it's what I like seasoned how I like cooked the way I like.