Me oh my oh

As I may have bitched about in a recent entry, I was drafted into making jambalaya for a potluck at work tomorrow. So I stopped at the coop for a few ingredients after work. When I got home, I ate a quick dinner and set to work on making the precious potluck feast.

First thing I did was to pull my big ten inch French knife out of its sheath and run it along my thumbnail to ensure it was sharp. A few strokes on the stones and it was ready to go. I proceeded to cut up a super-huge green pepper. It was huge and I liked how it felt as I clutched it in my hand; it was organic and so it didn't have that sticky, waxing feeling to it. Instead it was very smooth. I cut it in half and washed the pieces, carefully rubbing my fingers inside to scrape away the webbing. Next up were three ribs of celery. They snapped loudly as I jerked them from the stalk and I made short work of them. I then chopped the onion. It was a potent one and, as the sulfur-laden juices dripped, so did my eyes. Finally I diced some tomatoes to bolster the can I had. The toms were plump, they were juicy. Just holding them in my hand, they felt ready to burst. I washed them off and began chopping. With each stroke of my blade, the ripe red fruits spilled their juice and seeds and I ended up making quite a mess. With the vegetables finished, I set about preparing the meat. It was to be a batch of andouille jambalaya and I had purchased three pounds of the sausages. They ranged from five to seven inches long and, unlike the peppers, their skin was lumpy. It took several strokes to be done with my sausage but it too was soon ready.

I threw my cast iron pot onto the stove and tickled its bottom with the flames of low heat. I pulled a stick of butter from the frig and removed a couple tablespoons. Unwrapping it, the yellow solid melted quickly and I found that my fingers were all slick and greasy. With the butter a-melting, I washed my hands. When the pot was ready, I threw in the meat and browned it. It was followed by the vegetables and the seasonings. The aroma of the sage and thyme pervaded the kitchen. The herbs mingled with the meat and soon the combined scents filled the room. After putting in the rice and broth, I covered the pot and gently stuck it in the oven. And now, in less than an hour, it shall be done.