Have you ever had a childhood friend that life took you on different paths but when your paths crossed it was like you'd been right there with each other every step of the way. That's how me and this guy was. My dear Fred passed away recently and I hate that we didn't spend a lot of time together but I'm glad the time we had was given. I know many people say that friends of the opposite sex can never really be just friends, but that is exactly what he was to me, and I to him. I think we both roughly got sick around the same time. I was battling an autoimmune disease and him cancer. We both had to move back to our home town of Michigan. He was so strong willed that he moved back to Maryland area because he felt like he could only get better if he did it his way. Funny, how God kept bringing us in each others life. We actually met way back in elementary. Then, my parents and I moved and I ended up in a different school. High school rolls around and now we're back together again. We both we're in band and marching band. Graduated together and even rode to the senior prom together with our dates in a limo. We ended up at Central Michigan University together where we had dance and spade battles all the time. I remember we both hadn't saw the movie The Color Purple. Oh my God did we laugh at the part when Shug called Celle ugly. We were in tears from laughing and repeating it a thousand times, "You show is ugly!" Tickled us. Everybody else couldn't believe we were laughing.
My friend had many accolades under his belt. He pledged and became a frat brother of Alpha Phi Alpha, served in the U.S. army, he became a chef and last year he got his Doctorate Degree in Medicine. He took life by the horns and ran with it. He was and still is a very special son, brother, father, cousin, and friend. Emphasis on Friend!
So, in his honor I went to his Facebook page and searched for some of the delicious looking food he prepared. He was really into the art of food and how it was presented. Unfortunately, he never posted the recipes but he had beautiful pics of his food. So I picked one that I couldn't mess up and that in true Herbi-Omini-CarniVores style is versatile to appeal to all appetites. The recipe I choose was Stuff Peppers, but with a Creole twist. I had made dirty rice the other day and had left overs. Thinking of my friend and what would a chef do to switch it up? I went and got Poblano Peppers.
To make I have a dirty rice recipe link below. The only thing I did different was I also went semi-homemade and added in Zatarain's Dirty Rice. It does already have rice in the box dinner so you can add more or just use alone, Preheat oven to 400 degrees or use your Air fryer. I cut my Poblano pepper in half and deseeded. You could add the seeds to your dirty rice if you like it spicy. I stuffed the pepper halves with the rice. Use as many peppers as you need to use up dirty rice mixture. You'll see in the photo I balled a small piece of aluminum foil and placed between the peppers to help them sit up right. I put in oven for 20 minutes. After 15 minutes passed I took them out and added shredded cheese and placed bake in oven for last 5 minutes to melt cheese.
As always switch up anyway you like. Use actual chicken livers to make dirty rice truly authentic, but if that's not your speed you could substitute meat for ground turkey, ground plant-based meat, chopped mushrooms, or even sausage. This is a good make ahead dish because dirty rice can be made in advance along with prep for peppers. Serve with a salad or green beans, sautéed asparagus, or whatever you like.
Dr. and Chef Fedrick Culberson I love and miss you my friend.
Bon Appetit'
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