Today was the last of my many birthday celebrations. After all of the previous celebration my dear friend Bob took Lee and me out for lunch at P. F. Chang's. PFC is always a treat. I know it's a chain but the food is so well prepared and just delicious. I love it that they offer brown rice. I will routinely have chicken lettuce wraps and Kung Pao chicken. The chicken is sauced perfectly with peanuts and hot chile peppers. I also have a wee bit of a chopstick fetish. I adore eating with chopsticks and the way using them slows down consumption to nibbles of meat and vegetable with rice. I think about Pearl S. Buck and her descriptions of Asian women eating so delicately bringing chopsticks with food to their pink rosebud mouths. I read those books so very long ago but the image remains. I will never eat so delicately and with the same dexterity. Do you know that some people can bring a boiled egg to their mouths with chopsticks. That is awesome. Maybe I could practice with some golf balls. Such a picture.
So you get the picture lunch with a dear friend who I don't get to see much. Of course having lunch out doesn't mean I get to skip preparing dinner for Miss Lee. We ate very late. I made a very simple dinner of barbecued shrimp and corn on the cob. Of course Lee had a piece of Julia Child's cake I made - Reine de Saba. It's a single layer chocolate cake made with butter and rum with eggs separated and whipped and gently folded into the batter. The frosting is butter, rum and semisweet chocolate melted together than whipped over a bowl of ice water to chill the chocolate mixture as it thickens to a frosting consistency. After frosting the cake I toasted almond slices and sprinkled them over the top. That cake is "over the top".
I snagged the recipe for the shrimp from a Weber grill display at Home Depot. In the recipe shrimp is marinated with barbecue sauce. After grilling the shrimp is tossed in a bag with spices. Of course I changed it or as we say "adapted" it. It is yummy and great and the shrimp stay plump and juicy on the grill as I grilled them in the shell. Of course Lee detests getting her hands messy shelling spice coated shrimp but it was all worth it. It was a pretty simple but fun meal that signaled the end of my birthday week. I think you'll like it.
Sack'Em Shrimp
1 lb large shrimp (15 - 20) shell on from Trader Joe's. The recipe calls for peeled and deveined 26-30 size shrimp. I like Trader Joe's because they are easy peel.
1/2 C barbecue sauce
1 1/2 T. chile powder
1 T. parsley flakes
2 tsp. lemon pepper
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp.onion powder
melted butter for dipping
Marinate the shrimp for an hour in barbecue sauce in the fridge. I used Hendrickson's marinade and salad dressing. In a sack place the remaining spices and toss well together. Remove shrimp from the marinade and discard the marinade. Thread shrimp on skewers and grill 3 minutes. Flip and grill another 1-2 minutes. After grilling remove the shrimp from the skewers and toss in the spice sack. Serve out of the bag. Guests can dip shrimp in the melted butter.
This was very messy but very good. I would definitely do this again. So birthday done :(. I so loved seeing and talking to everyone. Next adventure is surgery to remove and biopsy a mass on my arm. I think it's pretty harmless. Just a remnant from life as an alien in my 40's. One does need to pay for one's past.
Showing posts with label shrimp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shrimp. Show all posts
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
A Special Request
My dear friend Stephen asked me to write about my party days and wanted to see something about N'Awlins. The crazy parties were always college, immediate post college days, and celebrations at a watering hole. The parties I've hosted are primarily family occasions or a food themed event. We have fun, we laugh, we play games and it is all about good food and good times with people you really care about. I have never been an "invite the masses" person.
My family vacation has it all down for parties. We have a team of confirmed fun addicts that so enjoy each other's company, being a part of each other's lives and celebrating milestones. My sister Sue will confer with me and Rebecca (Aunt Buck) to determine the celebration. Sue will create a host of games based on the theme or honoree. She starts in April and is ready to send out teasers about the games starting weeks before vacation. I do the food and menu. I'll ponder and strategize and research and come up with a menu for the family. It is all about the taste to the max. It is incredible fun. Everyone pitches in to help which makes it even more fun. All four generations participate in some way though the youngest generation just throws themselves into the participation and the fun with looks of a little bit of shock and awe until they decide we're safe to be with and it's all good. My niece Cammy who is now 17 is the youngest of generation three. As a toddler she saw all of this craziness and merriment with a little bit of concern. Her Mom, Aunt Buck was tucking her in bed one night after a particularly vibrant evening. Cam asked Buck, "Who are those crazy people?". Buck laughed and said "Cammy, they are your family.". I hope she didn't have nightmares.
To get back to the N'Awlins theme I'll tell you about a family event that was so fun. It was Christmas time and Mimi and Bobo were staying with Sue and Tom. I invited them all up for dinner. We would be serving 14 people plus some hangers on. I decided to make a New Orleans shrimp recipe that was over the top. It was a very spicy shrimp cooked in butter and I do mean butter! We had very healthy eaters so I purchased close to 14 pounds of large shrimp. I served it with wine, salad, very crusty bread and a great dessert.
My wonderful brother-in-law Tom has always been one of my devoted fans. He is awesome in so many ways and he came into our family as an only child of a more reserved family than ours. He's been through thick and thin and he is still standing. He has a dry sense of humor and I think it's been a help through the years. Tom came to dinner and he was under the weather. Despite that he ate a little shrimp and I sent him home with shrimp to enjoy when he felt better. He loved that shrimp and I think he ate more that night. The next day everyone returned for brunch. One of the dishes was piles of hash browns - totally homemade. As people started to leave we looked for Tom and found him at the kitchen table eating ends and pieces of hash browns out of the pan. His appetite was resurrected!
Acadian Peppered Shrimp adapted from Mary Ann Firth
this recipe serves 8
3 C. butter
1/2 C. freshly ground pepper
1/2 C. freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 medium garlic cloves, minced
4 bay leaves, crumbled
4 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 T. Hungarian sweet paprika
1 T. minced fresh basil
1 T. minced fresh oregano
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground red pepper cayenne
6 lbs medium to large shrimp with shell on and head removed
Melt butter in a large heavy skillet. Add everything except the shrimp. Cook, stirring for about 20 minutes. Add shrimp and cook until just pink. Do not over cook!
I've been making this for over 20 years and it's a keeper. Okay Stephen, are you ready to cook?
My family vacation has it all down for parties. We have a team of confirmed fun addicts that so enjoy each other's company, being a part of each other's lives and celebrating milestones. My sister Sue will confer with me and Rebecca (Aunt Buck) to determine the celebration. Sue will create a host of games based on the theme or honoree. She starts in April and is ready to send out teasers about the games starting weeks before vacation. I do the food and menu. I'll ponder and strategize and research and come up with a menu for the family. It is all about the taste to the max. It is incredible fun. Everyone pitches in to help which makes it even more fun. All four generations participate in some way though the youngest generation just throws themselves into the participation and the fun with looks of a little bit of shock and awe until they decide we're safe to be with and it's all good. My niece Cammy who is now 17 is the youngest of generation three. As a toddler she saw all of this craziness and merriment with a little bit of concern. Her Mom, Aunt Buck was tucking her in bed one night after a particularly vibrant evening. Cam asked Buck, "Who are those crazy people?". Buck laughed and said "Cammy, they are your family.". I hope she didn't have nightmares.
To get back to the N'Awlins theme I'll tell you about a family event that was so fun. It was Christmas time and Mimi and Bobo were staying with Sue and Tom. I invited them all up for dinner. We would be serving 14 people plus some hangers on. I decided to make a New Orleans shrimp recipe that was over the top. It was a very spicy shrimp cooked in butter and I do mean butter! We had very healthy eaters so I purchased close to 14 pounds of large shrimp. I served it with wine, salad, very crusty bread and a great dessert.
My wonderful brother-in-law Tom has always been one of my devoted fans. He is awesome in so many ways and he came into our family as an only child of a more reserved family than ours. He's been through thick and thin and he is still standing. He has a dry sense of humor and I think it's been a help through the years. Tom came to dinner and he was under the weather. Despite that he ate a little shrimp and I sent him home with shrimp to enjoy when he felt better. He loved that shrimp and I think he ate more that night. The next day everyone returned for brunch. One of the dishes was piles of hash browns - totally homemade. As people started to leave we looked for Tom and found him at the kitchen table eating ends and pieces of hash browns out of the pan. His appetite was resurrected!
Acadian Peppered Shrimp adapted from Mary Ann Firth
this recipe serves 8
3 C. butter
1/2 C. freshly ground pepper
1/2 C. freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 medium garlic cloves, minced
4 bay leaves, crumbled
4 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 T. Hungarian sweet paprika
1 T. minced fresh basil
1 T. minced fresh oregano
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground red pepper cayenne
6 lbs medium to large shrimp with shell on and head removed
Melt butter in a large heavy skillet. Add everything except the shrimp. Cook, stirring for about 20 minutes. Add shrimp and cook until just pink. Do not over cook!
I've been making this for over 20 years and it's a keeper. Okay Stephen, are you ready to cook?
Friday, February 13, 2009
I Live With a Pirate - Arrrrrr
This is a week Lee has long awaited. She had her first cataract surgery yesterday. I must share that she is a little strange about surgery. She had to give up riding her bike so she wanted another hobby. She chose surgery not performing surgery, having surgery. She's had 5 hip surgeries, two hip dislocations, surgery on her chest combine with one of her hip surgeries. You ca see she is really pursuing her hobby most diligently. Her sight has really worsened over the last couple of years, but her opthamologist wanted her to wait until the cataracts were "ripe". She's seen him every six months and always expected to be told it was time. Finally, he said the magic words, "You need surgery." She has been very excited and spent the days leading up to surgery telling me how many more hours until she could see again. It's been moments right out of Helen Keller. I am no Annie Sullivan.
We arrived at the surgical center early and observed all of the pre-op rituals at this point we are pros. They walked her back to the OR and told me she would return in 15 minutes. Right on schedule she arrived back in the room. Shortly after we were out the door. She hadn't been able to eat before surgery so she was anxious to break the fast. We went to her favorite breakfast spot Bob Evans.
After being seated across the table from each other I got a good look at her. She had a patch over her eye with a metal mesh cup taped in place over gauze. Most attractive. After ordering, she looked at me and said, "Arrrrr". "Arrrr"?, I said. Thinking quickly I said, "Oh you're being a pirate.". Nodding, she said, "Arrrr, do you have any balloons?". She can be so strange. "Arrrr," I said back. "Do you mean doubloons?" Ever the quick one, she stopped and pondered and laughed aloud and said "Er, yes, doubloons." Quite the sharp pirate that one. I think she is half pirate half clown.
Today, she's a pirate no more. This morning we went back to the doc for the post surgical check. All is good and she sees well and her sight will continue to improve in the days ahead. So I took the former pirate home a very happy traveler of the seven seas of surgery. One to go. In honor of the pirate I made a dish from the seas for dinner - Shrimp, artichokes and spaghetti.
Shrimp, artichokes and spaghetti
1 lb. Trader Joe's 25-30 count shrimp from Argentina (They taste like lobster)
1/2 med. onion, peeled and diced small
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 10 ounce box of frozen artichoke hearts
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 T. butter
8 ounces spaghetti , Barilla Plus preferred
1 T. capers, rinsed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper, freshly ground
parmigiano reggiano cheese
1/2 C. dry white wine
In a large pot boil water for spaghetti. When it starts to boil add some salt and put the pasta in the pot to cook. When the pasta is almost done add the shrimp to cook. The shrimp just needs to cook and be heated through.
While the water comes to a boil, melt the butter in a large skillet. When the butter has melted saute the onions until transparent and add the garlic and mushrooms to cook. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Add the wine to simmer for a few minutes.
When the pasta and shrimp are cooked, drain thoroughly and add to the skillet with the capers. Check for seasoning. If you are a pirate from Texas you may want to add red pepper flakes at this point. Toss well and serve on plates that have been warmed. Grate fresh cheese on top of the spaghetti and shrimp. Enjoy!
The pirate is very anxious to get the next surgery on the schedule. Arrrrr!
We arrived at the surgical center early and observed all of the pre-op rituals at this point we are pros. They walked her back to the OR and told me she would return in 15 minutes. Right on schedule she arrived back in the room. Shortly after we were out the door. She hadn't been able to eat before surgery so she was anxious to break the fast. We went to her favorite breakfast spot Bob Evans.
After being seated across the table from each other I got a good look at her. She had a patch over her eye with a metal mesh cup taped in place over gauze. Most attractive. After ordering, she looked at me and said, "Arrrrr". "Arrrr"?, I said. Thinking quickly I said, "Oh you're being a pirate.". Nodding, she said, "Arrrr, do you have any balloons?". She can be so strange. "Arrrr," I said back. "Do you mean doubloons?" Ever the quick one, she stopped and pondered and laughed aloud and said "Er, yes, doubloons." Quite the sharp pirate that one. I think she is half pirate half clown.
Today, she's a pirate no more. This morning we went back to the doc for the post surgical check. All is good and she sees well and her sight will continue to improve in the days ahead. So I took the former pirate home a very happy traveler of the seven seas of surgery. One to go. In honor of the pirate I made a dish from the seas for dinner - Shrimp, artichokes and spaghetti.
Shrimp, artichokes and spaghetti
1 lb. Trader Joe's 25-30 count shrimp from Argentina (They taste like lobster)
1/2 med. onion, peeled and diced small
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 10 ounce box of frozen artichoke hearts
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 T. butter
8 ounces spaghetti , Barilla Plus preferred
1 T. capers, rinsed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper, freshly ground
parmigiano reggiano cheese
1/2 C. dry white wine
In a large pot boil water for spaghetti. When it starts to boil add some salt and put the pasta in the pot to cook. When the pasta is almost done add the shrimp to cook. The shrimp just needs to cook and be heated through.
While the water comes to a boil, melt the butter in a large skillet. When the butter has melted saute the onions until transparent and add the garlic and mushrooms to cook. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Add the wine to simmer for a few minutes.
When the pasta and shrimp are cooked, drain thoroughly and add to the skillet with the capers. Check for seasoning. If you are a pirate from Texas you may want to add red pepper flakes at this point. Toss well and serve on plates that have been warmed. Grate fresh cheese on top of the spaghetti and shrimp. Enjoy!
The pirate is very anxious to get the next surgery on the schedule. Arrrrr!
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