No, I am not from Louisiana, but my husband is. I had heard of Gumbo before I was married, New Orleans food sounded yummy, but I had no idea what it actually tasted like. When we were first married I tried making gumbo from a box. I didn’t think it was that bad, but apparently it wasn’t gumbo. First I had to actually taste some gumbo. There was a restaurant in Anchorage called Little New Orleans, where my husband and I loved to go. I thought it was wonderful, he thought it wasn’t too bad. Then we went to the Double Musky Inn in Girdwood. And the food there, we agreed, was fabulous. But I really didn’t try making my own gumbo until we moved to Florida, or Lower Alabama, as the area we lived is known. I actually got to go to New Orleans! I don’t really remember my first foray, but I know I started with a recipe from the Double Musky cookbook. Yes, the recipe I used came from Alaska. I have tasted quite a few gumbos and my recipe has evolved over the years. And now I have finally written it down!