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It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.”
— George S. Patton
I Have Lied To You: Shrimp Does Not Need High Heat!
My mantra has been that shrimp does best in a quick blast of the highest heat you can manage — hot pan, hot oven, hot grill. And admittedly it works well; the shrimp doesn’t become rubbery and chewy, and caramelized exteriors are rarely a bad thing.
But……we were in Charleston recently, and my lovely wife had a shrimp dish at Slightly North of Broad that was perfection. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, but more tender than is possible! How did they do it?
Well, I guessed gentle heat, and as my experiments over the past week have shown, I am on the right track. Give it a shot….start with a medium pan and cook some peeled shrimp for just a few minutes.
Trust me. Have I ever led you astray?
Merry Christmas!
I find this to be a lovely antidote to the aggressively anti-religion stance that so many take during the Christmas season. I am Jewish, but I see nothing wrong with recognizing that Christmas is, in fact, a religious holiday. And let’s face it, Christmas food can be fantastic! I will never forget the Serrano hams that old family friends used to serve at their Christmas parties. And a well-made egg-nog? great stuff!
However, my new favorite Christmas food (it isn’t really specific to Christmas, but I had it a few days ago at a pre-Christmas dinner, so….) is a dish I had never heard of: Soubise. Onions, rice, butter, cream and Gruyère. Fantastic!
Freedom And Food — A Rant [crossposted from Ace of Spades]
Freedom is a topic near and dear to all of our hearts, and there are few areas of our day-to-day lives that are controlled more tightly by government than what we eat and drink. The Feds have their dirty little paws Continue reading “Freedom And Food — A Rant [crossposted from Ace of Spades]”
How To Cook Spinach
Not the often tough mature spinach with the stems that are more like green-hued tree trunks. I mean the baby spinach that is nice and tender and disappears in a matter of a few minutes Continue reading “How To Cook Spinach”
Roast Turkey — Big Deal!
So…what’s the big deal about turkey? I roasted one for Thanksgiving (the first in several years) and while it’s a pleasant tasting fowl — especially when it’s loaded down with herbs and copious amounts of a butter and Chardonnay baste — it simply isn’t worth Continue reading “Roast Turkey — Big Deal!”
Real San Marzano Tomatoes: How To Identify Them
I rarely link to other blogs, but saw this via the New York Times and immediately realized that both of my readers need this information!
The Arrant Stupidity of Mark Bittman
I’m getting tired of being told what to eat. I am getting tired of the assumption, made, apparently, by all of our elected officials and now Mark Bittman, that I am too stupid and ignorant to decide for myself what is best for me and worst for me and what makes me happy. And I am most tired of being lectured to by a New York Times cook. Continue reading “The Arrant Stupidity of Mark Bittman”
July 4th, 2011
Arctic Char: Better than Salmon
I will cheerfully admit that I am bored with salmon. Oh, climb down off your pedestal and stop being critical; I have probably eaten more of the stuff than you. Remember, I lived in Northern California for too many years, and salmon is, or at least used to be plentiful, Continue reading “Arctic Char: Better than Salmon”