- Just because a recipe calls for it doesn't mean you have to use it (I hate cilantro but love parsley)
- Do not ever believe the number of servings because it makes a big difference on who you are feeding
- Good cooking does not have to be or should it be difficult
- Not everything has to be made from scratch
- Great ideas come from food magazines but be daring and change them up
- Cooking for family and friends is good for the soul
Saturday was just a fantastic day. My first hummingbird appeared at the feeder, which hopefully means we're going to finally see Spring here! But the best part of the day was my adopted nephew's 1st Holy Communion. He looked just like he stepped out of GQ and it's probably the first and last time I'll see him looking angelic. There were over 100 children receiving communion in his service and probably another hundred in the afternoon. With all the friends and relatives in attendance it was standing room only and I'm sure the crowd put a dent in the wine budget.
I don't know when I've been to a better party. I really don't think I have. There were plenty of appetizers, a special Mai Tai, every booze you could imagine, kegged beer and especially for the communion boy, root beer on tap. Not to mention the company and our fantastic hosts. But the show stopper was the food truck- Chicago Pizza Boss. I am not related, I only wish I was. Obviously, they do pizza but this isn't your run of the mill stuff. Margarita, Parmesan Basil Meatball, Tri-Color, Fig and Prosciutto, hot dog, and five cheese are just some of their offerings. However, my absolute favorite was the pesto pizza. My search is over for the perfect pesto pizza on exquisite crust. Their 24 hour proofed artisan dough is the perfect base for whatever is put on top. In addition to pizzas they have deep fried ravioli, arancini (deep fried stuffed rice balls), meatball sandwiches, caprese salads, garlic fries that can be dredged in a variety of cheeses and dessert. If I hadn't stuffed myself with pesto I might have tried their Scrappy Cocoa which is deep fried Nutella and smoked bacon wrapped in pizza dough.
All of this is made with love and it shows. The couple responsible for all this are wonderful people, outgoing and gracious. Giusseppe and Antonella Badalamente have a great pride in their food and it's reflected. Check out the Chicago Pizza Boss. It's well worth the trip.
Now on to my appetizer. When you view any cooking show there are at least two mandatory rules.
First is taste your dish and the second is never make a recipe for the first time to un-expecting diners. Well I threw both of these out the window with this one. First, I had never made this recipe before and I was taking it to a large party of food afficiandos. After looking over the ingredients I thought "how could this turn out badly." Second, I didn't taste it. That's right, not one bite. I love shrimp, in shrimp scampi, de johnge, diablo, fried, in other words, hot. I don't like cold shrimp or cocktail shrimp. I could say I cheated and had my husband taste it but that's not a true indication. He did try it and said it was "Okay." Now that could mean either it was great or just pallitable.
Hod did it work out? I never, but never, had such rave reviews or recipe requests for anything I had ever made before. Even the food servers put in a request. One comment was that the shrimp were as addictive as crack. I'm letting that one slide but you get my drift.
It never hurts to go with your gut even if it hasn't tasted it yet.
Bloody Mary Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of peeled and deveined shrimp
- 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), or to taste
- Olive oil to coat bottom of skillet
- 2 shots of citrus vodka
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1 celery stalk (rib), chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 cup of chopped Vidalia, or other sweet onion
- 1 cup of chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon of hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons of horseradish
- 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), or to tastePinch of granulated sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Pat
the shrimp dry with paper towels and sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat, add shrimp and
saute just until pink, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a glass bowl with
the pan juices to cool. Add the vodka, lemon juice and lemon zest to the
shrimp. Let sit for 15 minutes.
In
a separate bowl, mix the chopped celery, onion and garlic, with the
chili sauce, hot sauce, horseradish, parsley, Cajun seasoning, and
sugar. Add the shrimp, mix and taste; season with salt and pepper and
adjust other seasonings as desired.
Transfer
to two quart sized Mason jars, seal and refrigerate 24 hours. Spoon
onto crackers, serve in a shooter glass, or on a bed of shredded lettuce
in a martini glass.
Notes: I doubled this recipe for a party of about 35 people. There was none left over. I didn't have Slap Ya Mama so I substituted Emeril's but to tell the truth it would have been great with just some paprika.
