We're back!

And now back to our regularly scheduled blogging! Well, "regularly scheduled" may be used a bit loosely here. Still, onward and upward! The finger is nearly healed, to the point that the only reminder will be my strange fingerprint. I guess if I had any hopes of a life of crime, they're over now. I think my prints will be pretty identifiable. I'm already attempting to turn the winter blues into some great time in the kitchen. I have a ton of recipes backed up that I can't wait to share!

I thought I would start with this amazing, Southern classic of a meal I made quite successfully for the hubs and I. I realized some time ago that shrimp and grits would be a great dish for the two of us to enjoy. I don't believe that I had ever eaten grits in any form before this. But adding it up... shrimp + ground corn + cheese + bacon... didn't seem like anything I could possibly dislike.

I think what took me so long to make this recipe was that there are a million different versions that can have quite a long list of ingredients. I wanted to enjoy the recipe in a basic form the first time so that I could determine what other vegetables or flavors would add something positive. Enter Pat Conroy. One of my favorite authors, who wrote a cookbook that I received (and gave!) as a present from (and to!) my mom this year. You know what the funny thing is? This recipe is so good I'm pretty sure that next time I won't even add anything.

The only changes I made were to add cheese to the grits and scallions as a garnish - because everything is better with those two ingredients. Sorry for the fact that I only took one photo, these came together too quickly!

Shrimp and Grits
adapted from Pat Conroy's Recipes of My Life

1 c. coarse white grits (I used yellow; it was what I could find)
1 - 1 1/2 c. white cheddar cheese, grated
2 slices bacon, cut into matchsticks
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp. lemon juice
kosher salt, to taste
2 - 3 drops of hot sauce
3 - 4 scallions, sliced

Slow-cook the grits according to package directions. When cooked add the grated cheese and stir until blended. Keep warm, but set aside.

Heat a medium skillet over moderate heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan, but leave the drippings. Set the bacon aside. Next, add the shallot and cook until softened but not brown. Add the butter, and when it's melted, add the shrimp. Make sure you do not cook the shrimp until the grits are ready. When the shrimp is pink, about 3 minutes, add a pinch of salt and the lemon juice.

Serve about 1/2 c. of grits on each plate and top with shrimp. Add the reserved bacon back to the pan along with the hot sauce and swirl to create a thin sauce. Pour the sauce over the shrimp and grits and top with the scallions.

Bask in the praise of your adoring spouse/friend/family member!

Dad's 2nd Annual Crab Feast

We got word about ten days beforehand that my dad was going to be hosting a crab feast at his house in Washington, DC. At first, we didn't think there was any way we could go on such short notice. But the more we thought about it, and the more we thought about the crabs, it seemed like the perfect excuse to get away for a weekend. The idea of sitting out on the deck with a cold beer and a fresh, Maryland steamed crab was more than we could handle!

This is Dad's 2nd Annual Crab Feast. Last year he purchased the crabs already steamed. This year he decided to steam them himself. Granted, I didn't have to do any of the hard work, but I would say steaming them at home is definitely the way to go. We bought a bushel of crabs and went through them so quickly. It was definitely a success. The weather was gorgeous and the crabs were perfect.

I was hoping to get a serious tutorial on how to steam the crabs, but I got trumped by a four year-old who wanted to help! So I watched from afar. I honestly have no idea what the amount of each of the spices was. I will just list the spices, and if anyone really wants proportions I can find out. One helpful hint is to refrigerate the crabs prior to cooking so that they don't move around as much. This makes them easy to work with and makes going from live crabs to perfectly steamed crabs even easier.

We had a blast and seriously enjoyed some major crabbing! Thanks, Dad!

Dad's Maryland Steamed Crabs

vinegar

beer

Old Bay

dry mustard

celery seed

sea salt

cayenne pepper

cracked black pepper

In a large pot (at least five gallons), place a rack or some form of steamer about an inch off the bottom of the pot. Heat equal parts beer (one beer) and vinegar until steaming. Layer the crabs and spices to taste (cover one layer of crabs with spices before layering the next) on the rack. Steam until the crabs turn a nice orange color (about 25 to minutes).

Be prepared to make a mess of yourself while eating! But don't worry, they're so good you won't even care!