“Abundance is a hot meal ready to eat.” — Candy Paull

What does “abundance” taste like?

The smothered pork chops of the deep south and the Brooklyn home I grew up in. Chicken fried steak smothered s-l-o-w-l-y in gravy. Vegetables, too . . . like zucchini smothered in a pan with onions and garlic . . . you know what I’m talkin’ about.

Smothered and sensational dishes are the RICH foods we pine for. Especially on cold winter days, they fill us up and make us feel cared for. Every tenderized cutlet and veggie yells out the subliminal message “Eat me NOW” and we’re obliged to obey.

True, human beings don’t care much for the idea of “smothering” stuff ~ it typically means the end of a thing.

But when you throw a lid over shrimp or andouille sausage in savory liquid, you give it life.

Smothered food is hearty food.

Smothered burritos have become a favorite comfort food of mine this second winter of living in chile country. Now I seek out shredded chicken burritos smothered with cheese and green chile salsa to reboot me in the middle of the day.

And sometimes, beef brisket burritos smothered in red chile salsa.

Smothered and Sensational in Louisiana

If you’ve spent any time in Louisiana, you know how insanely off-the-hook Creole and Cajun cooking can be. Chefs of both cuisines regularly employ smothering as a cooking method in their kitchens to prepare . . .

Étouffée (meaning “suffocated”) ~ a dish of smothered shellfish served over rice.

And smothered potatoes. Smothered cabbage with bacon. Smothered duck. (Sorry Donald.)

Has all this talk of smothered awesomeness left you as . . . breathless as it has me? 

Smothered or “wet” burritos abound in the Southwest. What and where is your smothered food of choice?

PHOTO CREDIT

Featured photo, Crawfish Étouffée, Wikipedia.