Ingredients:

1 lb extra large shrimp (don’t use anything smaller than 21/25s)
4 cloves garlic
2 lemons
1 bunch of scallions
1 pint grape tomatoes
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp coconut oil (optional)
Parsley (to taste)
Dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
3 ears of corn (removed from cob – don’t forget to scrape out the extra tastiness – can use frozen)
1 lb pasta (whatever you like is fine – I used linguini)

Directions:

Remove shells and tails from shrimp. Boil shells and tails in a small pot with 2-3 cups of water for at least 30 minutes (I did this ahead of time right when I brought the shrimp home). Once the stock is nice and shrimpy and reduced about 50%, strain it and set aside (can be refrigerated, but get it back to room temp before using).

Combine 1/2 cup of corn kernels, garlic, handful of tomatoes and 3 tbsp olive oil in blender or mini mixer and blitz until smooth.

Boil water for pasta and slice shrimp in half lengthwise and set aside.

Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise and chop scallions (separate the white and green).

Sautee 1/2 of the remaining tomatoes, rest of corn and white parts of the scallions in 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of coconut oil until skin of tomatoes is wilted and slightly browned.

Right before putting pasta in (if not fresh, of course), add the tomato garlic mixture and juice of one lemon to the tomatoes and cook on medium/high until bubbling. Add little bits of the shrimp stock to loosen sauce. Cook for 5 or so minutes, keep adding stock as you like (make sure you’re not salting anything – shrimp stock is very briney).

When pasta is almost done, add the shrimp and toss/stir to get the cooked. It should only take 2 minutes or so. Turn off heat and add the rest of the tomatoes, scallions, parsley and juice of other lemon. Drain pasta and toss together with sauce right away.

Yum yum yum. The directions make it sound harder than it is.

Just watching him flitting around (in a manly way of course) full of energy is exhausting. When I got up this morning he was reorganizing the kitchen cabinets.

The best part? I got to plan a menu I don’t have to cook. My other co-hostess insisted on having the party catered. So I spent hours looking at pretty sounding food and didn’t have to even go inside a kitchen. Everyone wins!

Sounds like heaven. You know how people are always complaining that kids today never go outside? Like they spend 24/7 on Playstation and cell phones? Sign me up for some of that. Less go there and get things done, more click here to complete this task.

I’m supposed to be going to the grocery store right now, but my butt refuses to move off the sofa. Dog and cat are in agreement, we will not be moved.

We have dozens of chocolate chip cookies, two pies, a quiche, and three pound cakes in the kitchen right now. I’m trying to find someone to take some of this stuff since we’re leaving town in three days.

So, if you’ve got a sweet tooth and live in our neighborhood, feel free to stop by. We’re the house sending vanilla smells out into the street.

Of course I made a few changes to the recipe because I decided to make them last minute and didn’t want to go to the store for ingredients. This came about because I bought some beautiful corn but the dinner we were going to serve it at got canceled. So I had a dozen ears of corn taking up space in the fridge. Google to the rescue, as usual.

Here’s the recipe and the substitutions I made :
(Note: I doubled the recipe but it’s presented here as originally intended)

4 fresh ears of corn
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp corn meal (I used all flour)
2 tbsp cream (I used milk)
salt to taste
1 egg
dash of cayenne pepper
1 medium shallot (I used 1/3 of a sweet onion chopped very fine)

The recipe calls for grating half of the corn but I wasn’t in the mood for all that. So, Once I removed the kernels and scraped the cob for the rest of the juice, I ended up needing a little more liquid in the batter, so I doubled the milk (cream).

I quick fried these in very hot canola oil for about a minute and a half on each side. A heaping tablespoon like they use in the video is the perfect size. You don’t need a lot of oil, but make sure it’s really hot or these will soak up a lot. And be careful of explosive popping if your corn is really fresh. That moisture is dangerous and delicious.

These fritters were freaking amazing. Perfect balance of sweet and savory. The boyfriend ate about a hundred of them. Ans I had a couple cold for breakfast this morning. Yum. This recipe is definitely going in the rotation for summer. Served with a quick green salad it’s a wonderful veggie meal.

I think her baby shower will be a combination of both. Lots of stuff to pamper mommy, and even more wonderful things for the baby. After checking out some adorable and delicious baby shower edibles, I’m in full planning mode, even though the party isn’t until August.

Everything was pretty basic and easy to make, and works well as leftovers. I managed to find an 8 pound ham which was a lifesaver, so we won’t be eating the damn thing for a month.

I thought about doing the asparagus on the grill since the weather turned out so nice, but it wasn’t worth the effort for just vegetables.

Easter Dinner Menu

Honey Mustard Glazed Ham
Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus
Au Gratin Potatoes
Romain Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette

Dessert was mixed berries with fresh whipped cream.

Yes, it can be painful to shell out over a hundred bucks for a knife. But it will last forever, take sharpening well, and make the work you do with it faster and better.

And aside from being beautiful, cooking in le creuset makes the food taste better. I’ll never braise in cheap junk again.

Think about cookware like appliances. Investing in quality up front will more than pay for itself in quality and length of use.