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LOUISIANA FOLKLORE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Long before appearing on the menus of New Orleans’ restaurants, the curious words “gumbo ya-ya” graced the cover of a now-classic Depression-era anthology of Louisiana folklore. The book drew from hundreds of interviews and newspaper accounts gathered by local researchers and compiled by three New Orleans writers — Lyle Saxon, Edward P. Dreyer and Robert Tallant — all in the employ of the Federal Writers’ Project, an initiative of President Franklin Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration. Known as “Mr. New Orleans,” former Times-Picayune columnist and Vieux Carré preservationist Saxon headed the agency’s Louisiana branch while Dreyer, a Tulane graduate, worked as his assistant. Tallant, later an acclaimed author of nonfiction and children’s literature, served as editor. Together, they assembled colorful accounts of the state’s vernacular culture — superstitions and tall tales, rituals and celebrations, traditional foods and occupations — complemented by the drawings of Caroline Durieux, a Newcomb College alumna and director of the Federal Art Project’s local office. The authors noted that their title derived from a South Louisiana expression meaning “everybody talks at once”: when multiple voices, like the ingredients of a gumbo, blend into one. Within New Orleans’ French-Creole community, they added, gumbo ya-ya specifically referred to gatherings of older women, sharing gossip and advice. The collected stories of Cajun loup-garous (werewolves), African American Mardi Gras Indians, Sicilian St. Joseph’s Day altars and other local traditions were published in 1945. The book remains in print today, but “gumbo ya-ya” largely lives on in the kitchens of the Gulf South, a distinctive creation that, true to its name, garners choruses of culinary accolades. - Dr. Teresa Parker Farris, Folklorist

MR. B’S GUMBO YA YA Courtesy Mr. B’s Bistro Makes 8-10 servings WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 red bell peppers, diced 2 green bell peppers, diced 2 medium onions, diced 2 celery stalks, diced 1¼ gallons (20 cups) chicken stock 1 pound andouille sausage, cut into ¼-inch slices 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning 2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 bay leaves 3½-pound chicken, roasted and boned

HOW TO PREP: In a 12-quart stockpot melt butter over low heat. Gradually add 1 cup flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add 1 more cup flour and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Add remaining cup flour and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Continue to cook roux, stirring constantly, until it is the color of dark mahogany, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add red and green bell peppers and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Add onions and celery and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Gradually add stock to roux, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent lumps. Add andouille, Creole seasoning, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, chili powder, thyme, garlic and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Simmer gumbo, uncovered, 45 minutes, skimming off any fat that accumulates and stirring occasionally. Add chicken meat and simmer 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and hot sauce. Serve over rice.

Hot sauce to taste Boiled rice to serve

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