Every Tuesday and Thursday when I walk up to drop Ms. O off at preschool, the baby and I spend two hours in a cute little coffee shop, I with my book and she with whatever I can find to keep her occupied.

Last Tuesday when I went up to the counter to order my usual chicken pesto panini and hazelnut latte, I had noticed a new feature soup on the menu.

Chicken Gumbo.

Now, I love gumbo. And since it is so hard to find anything remotely Cajun out here, I will try just about anything to get that spicy fix.  To my surprise the soup, which probably come from a package, was actually quite tasty.  And as a result, I also ordered it on Thursday.

By the following Tuesday I was jonesing for chicken gumbo soup.

I had spent the entire weekend looking forward to my Tuesday ‘me’ time with my new book, my panini, my latte and MY CHICKEN GUMBO SOUP!

But, it was gone.

You could literally hear the sound of my heart breaking and the disappointment on my poor tummy’s face.

I take good food very seriously.

I’m also one of those people that will refuse to go to a restaurant if they take my favorite dish off the menu. It’s not that I fear change. I just fear bad food.

Take for example White Spot’s Monty Mushroom Eggs Benny which no longer appears on the menu.

Devastated one morning over breakfast, I demanded, nicely -but with one of those ‘looks’, for my usual. The waitress replied that, although it was no longer on the menu, I, being a very important person, can still order it.

Hence, I will still eat at White Spot… for breakfast.

I digress…

The coffee shop had no Chicken gumbo Soup and no secret ninja menu.

I frowned, there was to be no Chicken Gumbo Soup that day.

“That’s fine” I said with a sneer and raised eyebrow. “I will show you” I thought.

And now I am…

I created my own Chicken Gumbo Soup, and its WAY better then theirs – Ha!

I will bring it in a thermos to have with my Panini and latte on Thursday…  gloating.

AWESOME CHICKEN GUMBO SOUP

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

1/2 cup minced celery

3 cloves of garlic minced

20 Okra pods sliced, tops cut off

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

2 tbs flour

1 (28oz) can stewed tomatoes with juice

1 tbs Cajun spice (more to taste, I like the Club House brand)

6 cups strong chicken stock

2 tsp salt (more to taste)

1 tsp of sugar

2 tbs fresh parsley

In a large pot bring heat oil and add onion, celery and garlic. Sweat until soft.

Add flour and mix until combined.

Add stewed tomatoes, hand crushed with liquid, and Cajun spice.

Add stock, salt, sugar, okra, chicken and parsley.

Bring to slow boil, reduce and simmer 20 mins.

Gloat at your local coffee shop.

*Note to Self

I am making a pesto chicken panini as you read this…