This is sort of a cross between soup and gumbo. I hope it's the last cold weather dish I have to make for awhile, but it's definitely going into my keeper file for next winter because everybody liked it a lot. We added hot sauce at the table, and I made a note to increase the creole seasoning a good bit next time. But we all like things really spicy. As written, it's very mild for a Cajun dish, but also very flavorful. CHICKEN GUMBO SOUP 1-1/3 c. raw white rice 1 (3-4 lb.) chicken (I used a whole one, but cut up is ok) 7 c. chicken broth 1 c. chopped celery 1 c. chopped onion 1 c. chopped ham (cooked) 3 T. hot sauce 1 tsp. creole seasoning 3/4 tsp. pepper 1/2 c. butter 3/4 c. a-p flour 4 c. milk 3/4 c. white wine Put chicken in a large pot; add broth. Bring liquid to a boil over high heat; then reduce heat and allow to simmer for approximately 40 minutes, until chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken to a plate, reserving the stock. When cool enough to handle, chop chicken into bite-sized pieces. Meanwhile, begin cooking rice according to package directions, but remove from heat 15 minutes before the recommended cooking time has expired. Drain off any remaining liquid, and set rice aside. In large pot over moderate heat, saute celery and onion in 1 tablespoon of butter for 5 minutes. Add chopped ham; cover. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until all ingredients are tender. Add all the reserved broth and the partially-cooked rice to the pot. Stir in hot sauce, creole seasoning and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, melt remaining 7 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Gradually add flour, whisking constantly, until all flour is incorporated and mixture is smooth. Continue cooking and stirring an additional minute. Gradually add milk, continuing to whisk constantly, until mixture is thick and bubbly. Add some of the stock mixture to the milk mixture, continuing to stir. (This part was very fuzzy. It didn't give any reason, but I assume some sort of tempering process was needed. With no clear instructions, I added about 1/2 cup stock and stirred for a couple of minutes.) Then add milk mixture to stock mixture. Stir in chopped chicken and wine, simmering about 15 additional minutes. A bit time-consuming and a bunch of dirty pots, but we liked it a lot more than plain chicken soup. Wonderful with fresh, hot bread and a salad! sm

I found the recipe and it sounds wonderful! I just love fennel, and I copied to try for one of the summer pot lucks that we have each month at my office. It looks like a salad that can be kept at room temperature and served that way too. Here it is: Asparagus-Fennel Pasta Salad Recipe #294400 "Asparagus delivers delightful spring flavor in this hearty side salad. Served warm, it includes a wonderful mix of fresh-tasting ingredients." by Courtly 45 min : 25 min prep : SERVES 14 1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3/4 inch pieces 2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced 1 small fennel bulb, sliced 2 tablespoons olive oil 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta 4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced 12 pitted Greek olives, sliced 1 cup minced fresh parsley Vinaigrette 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 cup crumbled feta cheese Place asparagus, onions and fennel in a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan. Drizzle with oil; toss to coat. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in a large serving bowl. Add the tomatoes, olives, parsley and roasted vegetables. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper until blended. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with feta cheese.

Thank you everyone, your complements make it worth my while to try to figure out what to do with two weeks worth of leftovers. Posted by hawk307 "------ DC: Talk about Dinners fit for a King !!! Wheeooo ! ---" Be careful Lou, behind every great king, there is a great queen who actually rules the kingdom. Posted by jasdip "----and now you have a year to plan next year's festivities.---" Yes I know, I hate to hear, "Come on dcarch! Not rib roast and duck again!" Posted by mustangs "Amazing!! How does one get on your guest list? Cathy" Marry me? LOL! Posted by jimster "It's the spectacular food we have come to expect of you, dcarch. And the photos too, are mouthwatering, even the blurred ones. ---" Thanks Jim, but truth be told, there are so many folks here cook with great panache, yet my cooking with sous vide, that requires absolutely no skills, nothing can go wrong, no overcooking or undercooking possible. Just flip a switch, "Set it, and forget it." Ann_t and FOAS, regarding Potato Latkes authenticity, what I went by was as defined by Wikipedia, under the section: Hanukkah Tradition - "Latkes need not necessarily be made from potatoes. Prior to the introduction of the potato to the Old World, latkes were, and in some places still are, made from a variety of other vegetables, cheeses, legumes, or starches, depending on the available local ingredients and foodways of the various places where Jews lived." And I did not invent the Mushroom Wild Rice Latkes recipe either, it was adapted from the KosherEye Web site The Wild Rice Latkes tasted very good because I didn't have Schmaltz, so I used the dripping from the roasted duck and rib roast, as it turned out, much tastier than Schmaltz, IMHO. It is always fun to engage your guests to go out of the regular food boxes a little. They really liked the purple Okinawan sweet potatoes, for instance. dcarch

If the salad already has fruit in it, that makes it even more tricky. I think the delicious apple fennel salad I made was just thinly sliced granny smith apples and fennel bulb, dressed in an extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Then before serving I threw in some toasted walnuts and probably some goat cheese crumbles. I may have doused it with a bit of ground fennel or the fennel leaves since I often feel fennel is somewhat bland. I googled it and found a million yummy sounding recipes online. Some used other cheeses and added celery, which is less expensive than fennel. A few used other acids, but I was on an anti-yeast diet at the time and was really into fresh squeezed lemon juice. Here's a link to a similar recipe, Raw fennel apple salad from Trader Joes I can't wait to serve prosciutto wrapped brussel sprouts some day at a party! :)