Peel and Eat Shrimp

Sounds fancy, huh?

Nah it's all good. Sometimes even I don't even realize how many good things are out there that are easier to make than my go-to recipes. This shrimp was the perfect appetizer, especially when they were fresh from the gulf. Lucky for us Louisvillians, we get some of the freshest seafood flown here daily. My go-to in Lou is Highland Fish Market. Any other places you have seen that have great seafood?

How to do it:
Can you boil water? Good, great first step! ;-)

This shrimp is a breeze then.

Recipe adapted from Southern Living

2.5 quarts (10  c) water
1/4 c old bay
3 lb shrimp (preferably deveined) with shell on
Lemon

Bring water and old bay to a rolling boil in large stockpot or dutch oven. Add shrimp to pot, cover and take off heat for 12-15 minutes or until shrimp are pink. Sometimes takes sooner - you don't ever want to overcook shrimp!

Then drain, place in bowl with lemon slices and cover. Place in fridge until shrimp are cooled - or if you prefer them hot, they are ready for dipping in some cocktail sauce!

It is hard to wait for these to cool down, but so worth the wait in the end.

Valentine's Day Dinner Ideas

Every year on Valentine's Day, my husband and I get fancy with cooking up a delicious meal at home. This year is the same! I am glad it is on a weekend this year, so I can take my time cooking and sipping wine in my loungewear and new apron (thanks, Miranda!). I have been perusing blogs and links for some recipe ideas. We like to do steaks with a great side or two, with an awesome appetizer to start. Each year it seems the meal gets better and better!!!!

Plus, when you go out to eat on VD there sometimes is a fixed menu. Fix your own menu!

One of my favorite pics!

Some links I am loving:

Ina's Zucchini Gratin

Kevin's Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Real Simple Green Beans

Beautiful Potatoes - How impressive are these? Probably so easy!

Roasted Root Veggies

Some appetizer ideas I have stumbled across:

French Onion and Prosciutto Stuffed Mushrooms

HOLY CRAP THESE LOOK SO GOOD!

Herbed tomato and roasted garlic tart

Fennel and Pork Sausage Rolls

Bite Size Crab Quiches

These are just a few I have been drooling over. Now to choose which ones to make. :-P

What are your Valentine's Day plans?

You Want Fries With That?

I have been MIA, and I really don't have an excuse why, other than I am lazy, so here I am again. 

Hey! 

So, here's those fries I instagrammed eleventybillion months ago. They are still awesome, though.

I don't know if you know this, but Rally's fries are the best fries ever to exist on the planet. #amirite?

UNTIL NOW.  I know the secret! I know the secret! Well, at least that's what I am telling myself.  It's all about the double fry.  Yep, you heard me. Twice fried. Better than Rally's fries #almost 

A magical invention, the Fry Baby Daddy (what?)

Quit hatin'. So we like As Seen on TV crap. As a side note: The Stufz was disappointing, but still worked.

You really don't have to use these as seen on TV items, I just am a sucker for a $10 gag gift.s. Pocket hose? The Clapper? You know who you are (everyone reading this has a ASOT item they truly, truly love, so stop denying it).

 Anywho, I cut these fries with my "Perfect Fry" but you can use a really sharp knife. These are scrubbed really good, but you can peel your potatoes if you want. I like a little skin on them. My mom always told me the nutrients were in the potato skin - but maybe that was just so I would eat everything on my plate. I was just feeding 2 people, so I used 3 large russet potatoes.

 Anyway, even if you don't have the magical Fry Baby Daddy*, you can use a dutch oven or stock pot with oil (PEANUT OIL. TRUST.) I used about a 3/4 a gallon of peanut oil.  Heat to 325 degrees. If you are using a pot, you will need to use a thermometer. If you don't own one, I bet if you went to buy a thermometer, you could use a bed bath and beyond coupon and spend a couple dollars more to buy this device, just sayin'.

Anyway - when your oil is ready, add your potatoes to the oil (be careful, that oil is on fia). For 5-7 minutes, cook at 325 degrees.  Pull out and dump onto a paper towel lined plate to drain the grease.  When all your potatoes are done, crank the heat up to 350.  When it's ready then put the already cooked fries BACK IN the oil for 3 minutes.

Drain again on some fresh paper towels on a plate - then while still pretty hot, sprinkle with sea salt or kosher salt.These potatoes are crispy on the outside, and nice and tender and creamy on the inside. 

Then, make your handsome husband/partner/bff/enemy grill some burgers and serve along side. A perfect side dish! Also, whoops about the beautiful laundry basket in the background. We use Tide with Downy, if you wanted to know. Just keepin it real.

Here's the full recipe:

Double Fried Freedom Fries

Serves 4

6 russet potatoes

1 gallon peanut oil

kosher salt or sea salt

Heat oil in fry daddy or dutch oven to 325 degrees.

Cut potatoes into strips, or your choice of fry shape

Place potatoes (usually about half) into oil.

Deep fry for 5-7 minutes.

Drain on paper towel lined plates

Repeat until all potatoes are cooked once

Increase oil heat to 350.

Put par cooked potatoes back into the oil for 3-4 minutes

Pull out - sprinkle with sea salt or kosher salt

Let me know if you tried these and if you liked them as much I do!

Update:  If you are using a large pot to make these, to fish the fries out when they are finished cooking, use a metal slotted spoon. Be really careful with the oil, it will burn you and it is no fun, even just a little.

Dinner Date and Fancy Word Friday

If you are married, in a relationship, engaged, just friends, single, with girlfriends, with guy friends, etc it is REALLY REALLY important to go out to eat with people you like spending time with. It keeps you sane. JoJo loves a good date night, and I can't ever deny him one. If only it was acceptable to wear pajamas or the elastic ankle sweats from Walmart (my go-to at home, stop judging, and you will probably find me in them if you knocked on my door for a random drop in, so don't if you are offended by them) to dinner and look chic. Maybe I'll try that one day just to say I did it… or, erhmmm, probably not. It is a treat to go out to eat, you don't have to cook unless you are eating fondue (It is totally 80s to do this but I am a huge fan), and it is worth every penny if you go to the right place.

The trick to saving money when you go out to eat is to PRE-GAME. Yes, I know you are laughing and calling me cheap - but whatever. That bottle of wine I got to pre-game is the same price as one glass of wine at the restaurant we are going to. I'm not made of money, people! And I'll have plenty of vino waiting for me when I get home from a delicious meal. I've mentioned wine in 50% of my posts so far. Have I talked about my love for a cheap decent red?

The conversation between Joey and I goes a little something like this.
"Can I take you on a date?
"Sure! "
"Where do you want to go? "
"I dunno, where do YOU want to go?"

It continues for a few minutes of text, then, I will be completely honest with you... I will tell him the restaurant I really have been wanting to go to the whole conversation, and we go there. Jackpot, I know.

We went to Mojitos, and accidentally swiped a couple seats at the bar from some people waiting longer than we were. Oops. Joey told me about it after I had blindly done it…thanks, Joe. Gotta get those bar seats!!!

Think about it though, bartenders are usually a promotion above a server (but not always), so they are probably a) really cool peeps and b)knowledgeable about the menu/a good server. Did you know I was a bartender once?  That's not the point….

Baguette, Green Apples, Manchego Cheese, Mini Pickles, Smoked Honey. Hey OH!

FANCY WORD OF THE DAY:

Charcuterie (/ʃɑrˌkuːtəˈriː/ or /ʃɑrˈkuːtəri/; northern French: [ʃaʁ.kyt.'ʁi] or southernFrench: [ʃaʁ.kytə'ʁi], from chair 'flesh' and cuit 'cooked') is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines,galantines, pâtés, and confit, primarily from pork.

(from wikipedia.com)

When you are on a date, split a meat and cheese app. Trust. They are delightful together.

 Serrano Ham. Yum.

When you go to any restaurant in the near future- get the short ribs if are on the menu. Chefs are really perfecting these. Mine were DELISH.

Joey got the filet with bleu cheese caramelized on it.

Editor Note: I wish I loved two things in life: olives and bleu cheese. Luckily, Joey loves both so I live vicariously through him and watch him enjoy both. 

The point of this post is: Go on a date with your friend, dad, mom, sister, brother, best friend you have a crush on, your enemy….who cares…just go enjoy the fruits of others labor and enjoy a well cooked restaurant meal. 

P.S. TIP YOUR SERVER. SERIOUSLY, no one likes a bad tipper.