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Curating Louisiana's Creole Heritage through

engaging talks, tours, events, food and art

Curating Louisiana's Creole Heritage through

engaging talks, tours, events, food and art

Our Story

Belle Calas! Tout chaud!

Calas are rice fritters that are rooted in West African traditions. The warm delicious Creole treats were created in Louisiana by enslaved and free cooks who would sell them as street vendors in and around the French Quarter. Eventually they became a holiday treat in many homes around the city of New Orleans. Calas were eaten for special events like Christenings and first communions as well as Mardi Gras morning. They pre-date the famous beignets but are just as delightful, if not more!

Gumbo Marie's Calas Recipe

1.5 cup all purpose flour

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

4 eggs

1.5 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons syrup

2 cups cold cooked rice

1 cup powdered sugar

Frying oil. about 1.5-2 inches covering the bottom of your pot.

beat eggs, add vanilla

mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

combine wet into dry ingredients, add syrup

Add rice. Do not over stir

Drop mixture one small scoop at a time into hot oil. Flip them to ensure browning.

Drain from oil.

Sprinkle powdered sugar or a bit of honey or syrup or just eat them plain!

Enjoy

I hope you enjoy this old New Orleans Creole treat!

Please feel free to omit flavorings of cinnamon or nutmeg or perhaps you can replace them with your favorite spice!

Healing Through History

Historical Trauma X Cultural Healing

Curated by Dianne "Gumbo Marie" Healing Through History provides a space for collaborative learning about ethnic and cultural differences that define our collective history and present reality. Speakers, performers, raconteurs and healers will explore local histories, marginalized cultures, trauma-exposing stories and healing approaches to interpreting history and culture. The program promotes healing through safe, engaging, and respectful dialogue among participants. We adopt a traditional view of healing that emphasizes the power of narrative to promote well-being, balance, and harmony. Indigenous elders believe that health is connected to understanding the story of our lives, summed up in four questions: Who are we? Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? It is important to explore these questions as a collective to heal historical trauma within and between our communities.

Miss Rose- proprietor of Hank's Restaurant

Rosemary was at the heart and soul of Hank's for almost 50 years in the Treme neighborhood in New Orleans. It was here that her daughter, Dianne "Gumbo" Marie first learned how to make a rich gumbo from okra to filé. Did you know the word gumbo comes from the Bantu word kingombo and means 'okra.’

Private lectures, panel discussions and more!

Talkin up Louisiana history!

Interviewing author Kim Vaz-Deville and Historian Julie Schwartz on the tv show Future Focus.

Black Masking 3d beading art

In the Gumbo Pot

What we provide:

History and Heritage -Navigating the Creole Reboot

Learn about the rich history and heritage of our Creole community through the exhibits and educational programs offered by Gumbo Marie and partners.

Find information on Louisiana history, languages and genealogy research, curated historical events, exhibits and private tours, Creole cooking tips, recipes, history and private catering.
local arts, crafts and t-shirts
Black Masking Indian tradition Once highly secretive, a historically-rich ancestral practice within communities in New Orleans.
Black Storyville Baby Dolls founded by Dianne who continues a 113 year old Mardi Gras tradition.
Unheard Voices of LA founded in 2011 for the purpose of uncovering the history of marginalized groups throughout Louisiana and telling their stories
Recommendations for locals and visitors on what to do and where to go. See below in Lagniappe section.
you'll also find info on healing and fundraising events for cancer patients here: The Amazons Benevolent Society

Tours, talks and exhibits

Tours:

Historic Tremé and French Quarter : Delve into the building of New Orleans, the lives of early inhabitants and the creolization of our culture. Backatown, music, foodways, burial practices are explored.

Black Storyville : Walk through parts of what was once the most notorious red-light district in the country, Storyville. Hear about the cribs, the Tango Belt, backatown where Louis Armstrong spent his young life, the battlefield where the black masking Indians met up and the area where the Baby Dolls were born!

Unheard Voices of the German Coast : A multifaceted, multi-sensory historical tour that traces the lives of marginalized people who helped to shape Louisiana's culture. Learn about the connection between plantation life and New Orleans, about the builders and the importance of certain trades, hospitals and early healthcare. There is an emphasis on enslaved Africans and Creoles, free people of color, Indigenous people and women. ***Includes at least one live demonstration.

Bienvenue en Louisiane!

Community Outreach

At Gumbo Marie , we believe in giving back to our community. Through our outreach programs, we work to empower and uplift marginalized groups while promoting cultural awareness and understanding.

Discover Gumbo Marie

Rosemary's Gumbo featuring andouille sausage, roasted chicken and Fresh Gulf shrimp

Ingredients:

2 c diced onion

1 c green bell pepper chopped

1 c celery chopped

3 tbsp. chopped garlic

2 c andouille sausage

2 c cooked chicken

1 lbs. raw, peeled shrimp or other seafood (optional)

6 c rich seafood or chicken stock

Roux - 1 stick butter or 1/2 cup other fat (lard, veg oil)

1/2 c all purpose flour

Seasoning either a pre-mixed Creole seasoning OR salt, black and cayenne pepper, paprika

4 bay leaves

1 tsp filé - to add at the very end of cooking or allow guests to sprinkle their own. We added it in my Mother's recipe for over a century an it's fine. Just be careful not to add too much to the pot.

Instructions:

1-brown sausage in your gumbo pot. Remove.

2-cook chicken by either boiling, roasting or rotissiere. Chop into bite size pieces or use whole pieces bone-in. Set aside. Rosemary's preferred chicken was fresh, well seasoned then roasted and added to the gumbo in whole pieces. The bones bring great flavor to the pot!

3-In your gumbo pot melt down fat then add flour. Stir continuously over med/high to high heat until color is milk chocolate/dark chocolate brown.

4-add onion, celery and bell pepper to pot. Let vegetables cook down in hot roux until soft. Add garlic.

5-add sausage and chicken to the pot.

6-add stock. Mix in well.

7-season to taste and return to boil.

8-Add bay leaves and reduce to simmer for a minimum of 1 hour. Can simmer slowly over a couple hours if desired.

9-Add peeled shrimp or other seafood during the last 5-7 minutes of cooking.

10-taste! Re-season!

11-filé CAN be added to the pot sparingly. One tablespoon for this size gumbo. Too much and it will be tooooo thick. Guests can also just sprinkle on individual servings.

Serve over cooked rice or cold potato salad along with warm crusty bread.

Makes approx 5-7 servings

Our Story

Belle Calas! Tout chaud!

Gumbo Marie's Calas Recipe

Enjoy

Healing Through History

Historical Trauma X Cultural Healing

Welcome to the Gumbo!

Photo Gallery

Miss Rose- proprietor of Hank's Restaurant

Private lectures, panel discussions and more!

Black Masking 3d beading art

In the Gumbo Pot

What we provide:

Tours, talks and exhibits

Bienvenue en Louisiane!

Discover Gumbo Marie

Rosemary's Gumbo featuring andouille sausage, roasted chicken and Fresh Gulf shrimp

Social

Contact Us

Drop us a line!

Gumbo Marie

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