IS GUMBO SEASON A REAL THING?

Most folks around the country have the typical four season:Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.  Winter is what most folks do while waiting for spring, spring lends itself to a renewal, summer, oh the lazy days of summer, while fall signals the coming of  the holidays.  Well where I come from, things are a bit different.  How you may ask?  Well, as with most things in Louisiana, our seasons revolve around food!  Let’s start with winter, or as many Louisianians call it, OYSTER SEASON, a time to imbibe on those salty delicacies that most folks just can’t get enough of…fried, grilled, stuffed, raw…need I go on?  Next on the calendar, we have CRAWFISH SEASON, that time of year that Louisianians hearts go ‘aflutter! Many think this phenom is known as spring fever, nope, crawfish fever…boiled, fried, etouffee, pies…get the hint?!  As the heat rises and summer sets in, we move into GULF SHRIMP SEASON…I think Bubba Gump best summed this season up, “Anyway, like I was sayin’, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey’s uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that’s about it.”  Well said my friend, I’ll have one of each!  Next up, as the waters stay warm, early fall is BLUE CRAB SEASON, ahh, how those white, glorious nuggets of rich deliciousness make us swoon…Oh Behave! And finally, as late fall fades into early winter, my favorite season of all, GUMBO SEASON…a time of year when all of the jewels aforementioned above can be swirled so lovingly into a cacophony of sheer culinary genius!  So I impart this decree to all of  you, “Break out  the gumbo pot, your favorite roux spoon and let the love making begin, gumbo love making that is, after all, a brilliant pot of gumbo is a labor or love!