Ah, the lowly shrimp. Misunderstood, often maligned, regularly overcooked with reckless abandon by all too many closet celebrity chefs.

It doesn’t have to be that way, of course. There are ways to properly prepare this diminuitive denizens of the deep. (Yes, I’ve been reading about alliteration.) Cajun cooks seem to have learned how as well as anybody. Here’s the evidence:

Blowtorch Shrimp on Grits

• 2 cups grits
• 3/4 cup grated Parmigiana cheese
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon light olive oil
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cans (10 oz) extra-hot tomatoes and chiles
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning blend
• 1.5 to 2 lbs medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cook the grits according to directions. When ready, stir in the cheese, 1 teaspoon of the garlic, and season with black pepper. Set aside in a warm spot. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat; add oil, then sauté the peppers and remaining garlic for 3-4 minutes, with stirring. Add canned tomatoes and seasoning, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat a bit and add shrimp. Stir in, then cover for 4-5 minutes or until shrimp are just cooked. Spoon shrimp mixture over grits in festive, shallow bowls. Serve with a nice light salad or cole slaw, and lemonade or freshly brewed peach or mint tea.

Don’t like commercial Cajun seasoning? Make your own! Here’s a nice one: 8 oz salt, 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon each black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and chili powder. Stir in a teaspoon each dried thyme, dried basil, and crushed dry bay leaf. Mix well and store in an air-tight container in a dark corner of your spice cabinet; don’t refrigerate. Should last for 4-6 months.

Enjoy the (Cajun Shrimp) Heat!

Technorati : Cajun food, F4F, Fish 4 Friday, fiery food, grits, shrimp, spicy food

In a magical May in 2007, my lovely spouse traveled to Ireland to visit with me for a few days while I was toiling away “over there.” I was “stuck” there for a month, in the village of Adare, consulting my buns off for a multinational corporation. Tough work, when you can get it.

Anyways, Paula Jo fell in love with the country where “no matter where you point your camera, you shoot a picture postcard.” She even looked at houses for sale, briefly; her better sense kicked in shortly thereafter, and we didn’t relocate. Yet.

Well, now it’s time to go again! The Emerald Isle of (at least some of) my ancestors beckons, and we’re headed over for two weeks of fun, food, frivolity and full pints. When we’re not toiling over tots of the local distilled products, of course!

Plans are still not fully formed, but we do know we’ll spend a few days in the Dublin area. Every statistician who lays claim to being a “complete” professional simply has to visit Guinness. In particular, St. James’s Gate Brewery, where William Sealy Gosset toiled for years to improve their ale, using (and even inventing) tools of the statistical trade. Mr. Gosset even published under a pseudonym famous in the field: Student. I plan to buy at least a tie to commemorate the visit. Oh, and I also intend to significantly sample the products. Repeatedly. Reproducibly.

We’ll have a tour guide for the next few days, as we travel down the east coast and along the southeast regions. Waterford, Wexford, Cork and more beckon. Then we’ll locate in Adare, at our favorite “new” hotel, the Dunraven Arms. Founded in 1792, it’s the most modern hostelry in the area (sort of). We love it there!

We’ll take day trips from Adare, weather permitting, to places like the Cliffs of Moher, the Rock of Cashel and more. We’ll be thinking of you, of course, while we’re touring around. I’ll be posting here when I can get a good connection, to keep you drooling over our good fortune updated on our adventures and discoveries…

Enjoy the (Fad Saol Agat) Heat!

Technorati : Guinness, Ireland, Irish whiskey, beer, driving tours, food, photography, travel

Peaches are in season in the Texas Hill Country, and they’re quite good this year. (The crop’s a little light, a late freeze zinged quite a few orchards.) If you buy them by the bushel, you need recipes that will take some of that juicy goodness and pair it up with other tasty ingredients. Like pulled pork, for instance.

Pulled pork is one of those great substances that can be eaten alone, warm from the oven, or in sandwiches or lots of other great dishes. Most folks don’t think of putting this slow-cooked ambrosia in burritos and wraps; well, now’s your chance!

Get a good recipe for pulled pork, like maybe from Emeril Lagasse. Start it the night before you want to make burritos, and once you’ve got the meat done, let it cool out and pull it all apart. Season with your favorite Tex-Mex spices and salsa; set aside. To make a wrap, take an extra-large tortilla, place a heaping helping of meat on it, and top with Peach and Banana Relish. Roll it up and enjoy!

Oh, you don’t have the Peach and Banana Relish? Here’s the stuff you need: 2 large peaches, stoned and cut into small pieces;2 bananas, peeled and cut into small pieces; 2 tablespoons orange jam; 1/4 cup chopped red onion; 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice; 1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Mix it all together and you’re done!

To make a burrito, put the meat in a large tortilla, add some chili or salsa (your choice), roll it up and heat it in the oven. When it’s hot through, plate it and top with the Relish. Serve with a side of avocado slices and you’ll have no trouble eating plenty of fresh peaches. (Do like me, though; stop after your third one. The pain’s not worth going for four.)

I’d give you our recipe for pulled pork, but I’m sure I’d not survive the disclosure; my wife and daughter consider that formula to be Burn-Before-Reading Top Secret Stuff….

Enjoy the (Peachy Tex-Mex) Heat!

Technorati : Tex-Mex, bananas, burritos, peaches, pulled pork

Summer Research kicks off today at Texas Lutheran University, and I’m invited (again) to join the astonishingly fabulous faculty in Chemistry. It’s hard work and harder thinking, but very satisfying! (Good thing too, given the pay rate.) The only small quibble for me, I have the exact same students I had last summer.

I suppose I have to keep trying until I get it right, or something.

I’ve got the ideal living quarters for the summer too. A quiet place, out in the country; no phone, no Internet, no nothing. Just peace and quiet. And cows. And sand burrs. And poison ivy, now that I think about it. Yup, certainly ideal, if you need motivation to stay on campus and work 14 hours a day!

The Barracks, as we fondly call the north ranch house, also doesn’t have a range or oven. It does have two things that are essential, though: A small refrigerator and a bachelor-sized, 600 watt microwave.

Just like the Top Chef Masters, I’m having to work in singular and startling ways to prepare the nutritious meals I’m used to back home. Indeed, armed only with these key tools and my wits, not to mention a $10 coffee pot and a few canned, frozen and dried goods, I’m relearning how to function as if I were a student again (rather than a seriously undercompensated professor). As for the “wits” part, it’s a good thing there are lots of instructions printed on the comestibles.

Here’s one meal I’ve learned to cook in just a few minutes, and that includes the setup time. I begin with a package of breaded chicken tenderloins (or beef fingers), the kind that come (about) a dozen to the bag, and that include a couple of packages of powdered gravy mix. I also buy the pre-stomped taters, and I have a near-lifetime supply of canned Mandarin oranges (purchased at a garage sale, $2 for two cases). I also have several packages of frozen vegetables, such as limas and green peas.

From there it’s simple! Set up everything near the microwave, and measure out 1 cup of water in a heat-proof dish. Pop that puppy in the micro and hit it for two minutes, to be sure it boils. While the water’s coming up to temp, place three of the tenderloins (use beef sticks if you prefer red meat) on the largest paper plate that will fit in the tiny oven. Scoop out a generous serving of potatoes and place next to the meat. Hold off on the veggies for the moment.

When the water’s hot, put the meat and potatoes in and heat for two minutes. Pour the gravy mix in and stir to dissolve. Open the Mandarin oranges and drain. By then, the meat should be mostly hot. Put the gravy in the microwave for another 45-60 seconds, and while that’s heating, place some veggies on the plate next to the potatoes. Swap out the gravy when the bell rings, and nuke the plate of goodies for two more minutes.

You have time during the last heating to stir the gravy (so it’s smooth and just the right consistency), place on your card table dining table put out the plastic picnicware good silver. When the bell rings for the final time, put all the tasty vittles in place and dig in! Don’t forget the Dr. Pepper, er, wine; red with beef, rosé with chicken. (Screw the cap back on to keep it fresh, okay?)

Enjoy the (Home Alone, Eating) Heat!

Technorati : Dr. Pepper, beef, chicken, cooking for one, microwave, potatoes, vegetables, wine

Yummy Image From cadc.auburn.edu

The Los Angeles Times has a substantial food section, with lots of food news, articles and recipes. There’s even a nice listing of Farmers Markets, although they tend to be found in the LA Basin and don’t extend all the way over here to God’s Country.

Anyways, last week a recipe they published caught my eye: Soupe à l’oignon gratinée. That’s a snooty uppish snobbish French fancy way of saying French Onion Soup. With cheese on top; but what other kind is there, really?

The version in the Times looks quite good too. It’s a hit at CommeÇa, a restaurant in Los Angeles that seems to get the Paris taste and feel of the dish done properly. Plenty of onions, faux veal stock (typically 1:1 or 2:1 chicken broth to beef broth or stock; concentrate it by simmering if you use broth), some wine (I love cooking with wine, even if some gets accidentally spilled in the pot) and spices. Gruyere cheese is something I’ve commented on before, and apparently even the chefs on the Left Coast now know about this one. I guess I’m more well-read than I thought!

If you’ve got a rainy afternoon to kill, try making this soup. It takes about three hours to do it right, more if you make the stock from scratch. It’s worth it, though! Just don’t tell family and friends or you won’t get hardly any…

Enjoy the (High-Falutin’) Heat!

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Technorati : French onion soup, fancy food, hoity-toity, soup

CNN.com recently announced the Quest for the Best Barbeque. They’re a little late off the mark here, that Quest started long before Ulysses found out his favorite ribs joint had been burned flat at Troy, took a wrong turn and ten years later found himself in Ithaca. I’ve been to that part of New York, I know how disappointed he must have been…

But I digest, er, digress. Here in central Texas we’re sure we have the best ‘Que, so why didn’t CNN just stop here and be done with it, already. But you know the media, always gotta stir up something, even when there’s nothing there to stir.

Speaking of stirring, Chile Pepper Magazine’s most recent issue (May 2009) is their annual Barbeque and Grilling publication. (And yes, Virginia, there is a difference.) They have over 50 sauces reviewed by various experts. Take a look if you’re wanting to branch out and try some new coatings. There’s also a pile of “the best recipes” (their words) for pork, beef and chicken on the barbie.

I’m one of those who enjoy sauces on my smoked meats, unlike the “dry meat” wusses purists. I get to try different flavors to complement the meat, the wood smoke, and the textures. I found two or three items I may put into my condiments fridge; the one that stands next to the bee fridge. (My wife says if I buy one more bottle of sauce she’s gonna leave me. I’m gonna miss her.)

In other, unrelated news, it now turns out that 30 Minute Meals aren’t fast enough. Xanthe Clay has just published a new cookbook, “10 Minutes to Table,” for those who are severely ADHD about meals strapped for time. I hope it’s got lots of pictures, I don’t have time to read anything these days.

Also, it appears that a UFO saved the world. Back in 1908, in Tunguska. It’s now been proven by a Russian scientist. It might be true, but if there was such a collision, it had to be caused by potato vodka fumes confusing the pilot as they left that big Siberian barbeque bash…

Enjoy the (Smoky) Heat!

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Technorati : CNN, Chile Pepper Magazine, Friday Follies, Tunguska, Xanthe Clay, barbeque, beef, chicken, pork, sauce, vodka

Photo from “Cooking Up a Storm”

Ken Hom is one of the most prolific cookbook writers you never heard of (I bet). He’s been pumping out books on Chinese, Thai and other Asian cuisines for more than 25 years now, and he’s been featured on television cooking shows.

He even did “East Meets West” style cooking and writing before Ming Tsai! Just look at his list of books and you’ll see.

Borrowing heavily from his Thai cooking books (Ken Hom Cooks Thai, Simple Thai Cookery), I adjusted one of his recipes to fit my own tastes and to use ingredients I could easily find:

• Spicy Thai-Style Tuna Salad

This dish is great for hot weather. It’s easy to make, doesn’t require much cooking (no slaving over a hot stove!), and comes together so fast you won’t believe you’re done when you plate it!

The key ingredient is fresh tuna. Really fresh. Play around with all the other ingredients to find a taste you really enjoy. You may want more or less fish sauce or soy, or perhaps more chile zing (or less, though I wouldn’t know why you would consider that). Try serving it on a bed of fresh lettuce, or with cottage cheese, or even in a pita pocket. However you finally like it, I’m sure this salad will become one of your summer meal favorites…

Enjoy the (Snappy Tuna Salad) Heat!

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Technorati : F4F, Thai food, fish, seafood, summer meals, tuna, tuna salad

Hanna Raskin of Slashfood recently published an article about Nashville Hot Chicken, which is apparently all the rage these days. I’d call it a fad, but apparently it’s been 40+ years in the making. Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack was first, but lately others have jumped into the fray: Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack, Zingerman’s Roadhouse and more. There’s even a Festival celebrating this fiery finger food.

If you really want to know the Hot Chicken secret, though, you have to watch the video. In less than nine minutes you’ll learn everything about this smoking-hot specialty (and perhaps a bit more than you really wanted to know). How did it all start? What makes it addictive? Will it improve your love life? (Pay attention, Tom.) Are there any after-effects? Is it an effective crime-fighting tool? These questions, and more, are explored in biting detail.

I’ve found a few recipes that purport to recreate this tasty, tongue-scorching meal. I’ll be experimenting to find one that suits my taste, since I can’t go to Prince’s for some original bird. Shoot, I bet I can even make something that’ll replace the slaw dog (here in the South we say “slaw dawg” like y’all’s sposedta) as the ultimate redneck dish…

Enjoy the (Palate-Searing Fried Chicken) Heat!

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Technorati : Nashville Hot Chicken, Southern food, fiery food, fried chicken