"Has the smoke cleared?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said.

Mr. Big Food is making seafood gumbo for supper. And you know what that means... .

First, you make a roux.

Mr. Big Food's roux for gumbo is always deep dark red-brown. He's knows it's almost ready when the kitchen begins to fill with smoke. (I'm funnin' with y'all. The smoke pictured above is from last night's fireworks, not the kitchen.)

Mr. Big Food planned an all-American menu for this extended weekend.

Yesterday morning we broke fast with Holiday Brunch Casserole.

Last evening we dined on California BBQ'ed Beef (Sirloin Tip!) with California Ranch BBQ Sauce and Creole Potato Salad II-- veganized.

This evening it's the gumbo served with rice and wild rice. 

For Saturday Supper we'll have Traditional Southern BBQ (pig shoulder), smoked then finished in a cooking bag, with beer BBQ sauce. Miss M will have a vegan meat-substitute of some sort with the BBQ sauce.

Gumbo should be ready by about 7. I can't wait!