Category Archives: Uncategorized

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail with Sriracha Lime Dipping Sauce + 5 Easy Appetizers for Thanksgiving!

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time trav·el
noun
(in science fiction) the action of traveling through time into the past or the future.
 

I left the grocery store with fresh shrimp and all the fixings for a spicy cocktail sauce.  You would think by the way I hurriedly drove home, I had some place to be, people to entertain, a holiday to celebrate.  I didn’t.  I walked into our house, our world just as I’d left it: controlled chaos; the kids just as snotty and feverish as they were when I stepped out, and Bubba, on a work call, our baby sitting on his lap eating his hands.

“What did you get Mama? Popsicles for my throat?” C asked.

Oh f%$#! I forgot the damme popsicles.  She won’t let me forget this misstep.  She loves to remind me, repeatedly, when I mess up.  I hope she puts this persistence to a better use someday.

“Oh shoot, Goose, I forgot popsicles! How about ice cream? We have that!”  She looks me over and patiently takes her time deciding if this is ok.

“I love ice cream Mama!” G.  Thanks for helping me out buddy.

She smiles. “Ok.”  I give them each a bowl of ice cream to soothe their sore throats and turn on a show.  The stop watch starts.

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Ted Allen from Chopped is standing near me.  “Chefs, please open your baskets.  Inside you will find shrimp, Sriracha sauce and limes.  You have 30 minutes.”  I know what to make.  I feel sweaty and excited. 

Then their scratchy voices catapults me back to the present.

“Mama, I need some water!” C.  “Me too!” G.

I get them settled and return to the cold, wet, silvery blue and pale, orange shrimp sitting on the counter waiting for me.  I grab a sharp knife and make a long slit down its slippery back.  The knife slices thorough without much effort.  I peel away the paper-thin shell and remove the vein.  A few minutes later, all that remains are the tails, a pile of shells and a heap of shrimp ready for the oven.

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I pre-heat my oven to 400 degrees and toss the shrimp with a bit of olive oil, sea salt and pepper and lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet.  The smell of the shrimp, the subtle smell of the sea is intoxicating and comforting all at the same time.

I am small and standing in my grandmother’s kitchen.  Jerry is at the stove, the rest of the family chatting in the living room.  On the kitchen table shrimp and lemon wedges sit on ice with a spicy cocktail sauce nearby for dipping.  I reach for a piece of shrimp, dip it into the sauce, take a bite and reach for another.  I hear my parents and Papa laugh.  Jerry smiles.  We have shrimp and everyone is somewhat happy; it is a holiday.

“What are you making? Mmm.  I have another call.  Can you take him?” Bubba.  N smiles and coos at me.

“Hold on.”  I place the shrimp in the oven and set the timer for 8 minutes.  I place N in his high chair and hand him a banana flavored Mum Mum Rice Biscuit.  I hear the shrimp crackle.  I quickly make Ina’s cocktail sauce, replacing the hot sauce with Sriracha and adding lime zest.  Why lime? I read about cocktail sauce additions in the latest Bon Appetit.  They suggested lime and fresh horseradish.  I went with lime and prepared horseradish.

“Chefs you have 5 minutes remaining.  Who will remain and who will get chopped…”

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPP!  The oven screams at me.  I pull the shrimp from the oven and my mouth starts to water.  It looks perfectly pink, so I am guessing it is cooked through.  I pick one-off of the hot pan, dip it into the fresh cocktail sauce and take a bite.  Perfect.  The cocktail sauce is spicy, but not overly so, and the lime zest adds a nice brightness.  The roasted shrimp is warm and peppery.

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I touch the white orchid that rests in my hair just above my tight bun.  It is still there.  We sit down, my white dress flowing around my chair.  A martini glass with two shrimp, a wedge of lemon and a bit of cocktail sauce stands in front of me.  I take a bite.  Cold and fresh, it is so dam good.  I eye Bubba’s shrimp, hoping he won’t eat it.  This is the first time we break bread as husband and wife…

“Mama, the show is over!” G.

“Hold on!” Me.

I place a few shrimp and a heaping spoonful of cocktail sauce on a plate and walk upstairs to the office.  I open the door and see Bubba still on a work call.  He mutes the phone and takes a bite of the shrimp “Good.” He says, his thumb up.

“Blog worthy?” Me.

“Oh ya.” Bubba.

I smile, head downstairs and get back to my babies.

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail with Sriracha Lime Dipping Sauce

recipe adapted from Ina Garten

Serves 6-8

Ingredients for Shrimp:

2 pounds of shrimp (For the purposes of sharing this recipe and not stuffing myself with shrimp, I only purchased 1/2 pound.)

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for Sauce:

1/2 cup chili sauce ( I used Heinz, but I hear Trader Joe’s has a good chili sauce.)

1/2 cup ketchup (I used Heinz.)

3 tablespoons of prepared horseradish

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

zest of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon Sriracha sauce

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Peel and devein your shrimp, but leave the tails on. Place the shrimp on a sheet pan and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.   Spread them in one layer and roast for 8 minutes or until just pink and firm.  Set aside and allow to cool.

In a small bowl, mix together the chili sauce, ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire, Sriracha sauce and lime zest. Arrange the shrimp on a serving dish and pour the dipping sauce into a cute bowl.  Slice up a few lime and lemon wedges, if you have them, and serve with the shrimp and sauce.  Enjoy!

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5 Easy Appetizers for Thanksgiving!

Need an appetizer that will make both kids and adults happy?  Head to Whole Foods Market for their pigs in a blanket recipe with cranberry mustard dipping sauce.

I love baked brie. Gimme Some Oven’s recipe for cranberry pistachio baked brie looks and tastes like the holidays. Check it out!

Not hosting this year? Plan ahead, make parmesan rosemary crackers and bring a bottle of wine.  Your host will love you!

Stress-free and elegant appetizer? Really? Yes, it exists! Head to Williams Sonoma for their caramelized onion and apple tarts with Gruyere and thyme recipe.  The flavors sound amazing together!

Going with a cheese plate? Let Design Mom help you build a beautiful cheese board.

 

 

End of Summer Peach Pie + 5 Can’t Miss Pie Links!

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Seven peaches sit on my counter bathed in end of summer light. I am a sucker for that beautiful in between seasons light. There is something different about the light this time of year; a silent reverence for the summer that was, a peak at the fall ahead.  I love when the seasons are in transition; not boxed in or defined just yet. Anything feels possible…including making a peach pie from scratch while Bubba plays with kids. He is a good man, a good man who loves dessert.  I grab the Art of Simple Food and quickly get to work making the pie dough with fingers crossed it turns out ok.  I grab the succulent peaches and snap a few pictures.

pp001I prep the peaches, which requires a little extra work, but I don’t want skins in the pie; just the juicy, sweet flesh. I toss the peach slices with lemon juice, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Oh and I add salt, a pinch; salt and sweets just go together.

I roll out the dough cautiously and place it in my pie plate. I have a few tears in the dough. Oh well. I pinch torn pieces together with my fingertips and move on. I pour in the peach filling; the smell of the cinnamon and nutmeg are already coming together, working their magic. I place the remaining dough on top of the peach filling and crimp the sides with a fork, just like my grandmother.

Flashback to my grandmother making a pie, the late summer sun shinning through her kitchen windows. She places a layer of perfectly rolled out dough on top of the pie filling. What kind of pie was it? Dammit, I can’t remember. She begins to crimp the edges with a fork.

“Jerry can I do that?”

“Sure,” she says in her thick Boston accent.  I drag a chair from her kitchen table over to the counter. She hands me the fork.

“Take yah time. No rush.” I notice she has flour on her eyebrows. “Ok.”

Childhood flashbacks happen all the time when I am cooking, reminding me of a place I once was, a place that seems so foreign to me now.

I brush the pie lightly with water, sprinkle raw sugar all over the top, make a few slits and place it in the oven. An hour later I have homemade peach pie cooling on my countertop, resting in the end of summer light.

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After dinner, Bubba slices up the pie and tops each slice with generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.  I take a bite and feel satisfied with my work. The crust is buttery and flakey, the filling perfectly sweet and not at all soupie. I did it. I made a pie from scratch.

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Peach Pie

recipe adapted from Baking Illustrated, crust recipe slightly adapted from Art of Simple Food

Serves 6-8

Ingredients for pie crust:

1/2 cups ice-cold water

1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

12 tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Ingredients for peach filling:

7 ripe, medium size peaches

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

pinch of ground cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of salt

3-5 tbsp. potato starch or Minute tapioca ( I used potato starch. I found it at Whole Foods. Also, my peaches were very juicy so I used 5 tablespoons.  If your peaches are not super juicy, use closer to 3 tablespoons. )

raw sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 500F. Place a rimmed baking sheet inside of the oven.

In a large bowl, combine flours and salt. Using your fingertips work the cold, cubed butter into the flour for about 2 minutes.  Leave behind some large pieces of butter in the flour. Pour in the ice-cold water and stir with a fork until the dough begins to form.  You can add more water if you dough seems too dry.  Only add a little extra water if necessary. Divide the dough into 2 balls and wrap each ball in plastic.  Flatten each ball into disks.  Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour or over-night.

While the dough is resting prepare your peach filling.  Peel, half, pit and slice peaches.  For tips on prepping peaches for pie, head here.

In a medium bowl, toss the peach slices with lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and potato starch.  Set aside.

Remove 1/2 of the pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll out the dough on a cool, lightly floured surface into a 12 inch circle. For more information on rolling out pie dough, head here. Line a 9 inch pie pan (glass or ceramic) with rolled out dough. Gently press the dough into place with your fingertips. Place in the refrigerator to firm up for a bit, about 20 minutes.

Once the dough is firm, pour the peach mixture into the dough-lined pie plate. Refrigerate while you roll out the second half of the pie dough.  Once the dough is rolled out, you are ready to top your pie. Place the dough on top of the peach filling and seal with dough with your fork or this fancy method that I have yet to master! Make several small slits in the pie. Gently, brush the pie with 1 tbsp. of water and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of raw sugar.

Lower the oven temperature to 425F and place pie on baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes. Rotate pie and lower oven temperature to 375 and bake for another 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for a couple of hours. Serve at room temperature with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. The pie will last, loosely covered in aluminum foil for 2 days. Enjoy!

5 Can’t Miss Pie Links

The raspberry fields at our local farm just opened and the kids really want to pick their own. If we have any raspberries left when we get home, I’ll make Martha’s raspberry mousse pie.

I hear slab pies are easy to make and feed a lot of people. Smitten’s apple slab pie looks like the perfect dessert to serve the next time we see Bubba’s very large family.

One of my favorite things about fall is caramel apples.  I love them. Pioneer Woman’s caramel apple pie is on my must make list!

The holidays will sneak up on us like they always do. Don’t spend hours looking for a dessert recipe, ain’t nobody got time for that! This pumpkin pie with marshmallow meringue, and this chocolate salted caramel pie are sure to win over any crowd.