An Update and The Things I've Learned from Apt. 6

Hello! I'm back! And I'm once again sorry for my long and mysterious absence.  Let me dust off these cobwebs and quickly catch you up on my life...

• Eric and are have been eyeballs-deep in wedding planning and prep...but we're fast approaching the big day (less than 60 days! It's so exciting and surreal and will it just hurry up and get here, thankyouverymuch!).  
• We've coordinated all the vendors we can think of (We're going to have party bus that could fit twice the amount of people we have...but that's what happens when my father insists on a the newest and nicest model. Hey, we're not complaining!).  
• We've designed, printed, and assembled our own Save the Dates and invitations.  I'm pretty dang proud of Eric's design abilities and our quick turnaround on addressing them.

• We've also designed and started working on the day-of crafts, like escort cards and their display, ceremony programs and whatnot. 
• We recently had our engagement photo shoot (only many months late, but whatever!) and are anxiously awaiting the images...! It was incredibly humid that day, so you might get some awesome pictures of my impressive sweating ability and my humidity-poofed hair (I literally felt it increasing in size as the shoot progressed). 
• My mother and aunt have gone all out on planning and preparing for the bridal shower. It's this weekend, and I am so darn excited for the food and drink (it's at one of my favorite restaurants).  I'm also eager to see the final product of my mother's crazy-hard work on dozens of giant tissue paper flowers (one of two photo backdrops....she took an idea an ran with it, DIY-style).
• I also cannot wait to find out what my bridesmaids have planned for my bachelorette celebration! It's a complete surprise to me, and the suspense is terrible!
• My mother has also become a jewelry maker and I helped her make the bracelet I will wear with my wedding dress. Let's just say we're ready for Etsy if we can increase our production capabilities (I'm sensing the cats will somehow be trained to work...)

• I've continued to teach TRX and other fitness classes at the University of Cincinnati, taking on more classes than ever this spring and summer. It's been tremendously fun, but it's been nice to teach and take fewer classes this fall. It means I get home early enough to make dinner and do something each night, even if it is a basic as hanging out with Eric. 

• A few more cookbooks have made their way into my collection, despite the lack of room on my new bookshelf. My two newest?  Piece of Cake: Home Baking Made Simple by David Muniz and David Lesniak (thanks to the marvelous Shannon!) - it has red velvet cheesecake! rhubarb and strawberry coffee cake! rhubarb pudding!  A Year of Pies: A Seasonal Tour of Home Baked Pies by Ashley English.  I have her canning and preserving book and couldn't resist the variety of innovative pies she offered, both savory and sweet.  

• I have so many recipes to share with you! My collection of food awaiting a post is astounding...and I apologize. It will happen. And hopefully my long desired revamp of this blog will also happen, with Eric's savvy aid. 
• My rhubarb obsession is still going strong. I'm going to hit you hard with rhubarb recipes and I apologize in advance if you haven't stockpiled at least 3 freezer bags full of chopped rhubarb like I did. You're going to want to make these.

• Aside from wedding, the other huge event of these past few months was my move from my apartment in Cincinnati into Eric's house in Dayton.  I hate leaving my roommate, Kayleigh, but I have to admit it's awfully nice having all your belongings in a single location. I haven't done that in almost 6 years!
• That means I have a much larger kitchen of my own to play with! 

• And a beautiful bar and liquor cabinet (a wedding gift from my family and made by my incredibly talented and generous uncle) at which I can mix cocktails in style! 
  
  
  

• I have a garden, though I tried to take it easy this year since we had to rip out nearly all the old foliage and I wasn't moving in until halfway through the summer.  But I have some pretty flowers (I only completely killed one, that's victory!) and a few herb plants.  Next year, rhubarb and tomatoes! 
  

• And I have a home with excellent ventilation and central air conditioning!!!  You have NO idea how amazingly necessary these are in the hot, humid days of July, August, and early September.  I had no idea how much of a difference it made in my mood and productivity levels!
• I'm the proud almost-mama of a ridiculous polydactyl (she has thumbs!) cat named the Fonz.  She may be a bit bipolar (bite! pet me! bite! loooooove me!), but when she snuggles onto my lap for a petting session, it just melts my heart. 
  

• I'm almost entirely unpacked and settled (there were many weeks of clutter and random piles of junk sitting everywhere...sorry, Eric!), which is a huge relief. I'm a tidy person, so I want things to be in their place. Just a few more stacks of papers...
• I've got the insatiable urge to start tackling the house's interior -- painting rooms, changing curtains, adding floor rugs, finding the perfect knicknack to put on that shelf...  It's hilarious to me, but I'm seriously excited to make this house our grown-up (but still fun and functional!) home.
• The only drawback is that I'm now commuting an hour each way to and from grad school (nope, I'm still not done, but there's more light appearing at the end of the tunnel. Maybe next spring or summer?).  I didn't think the commute would suck so much time out of my day, but it really, really does. Oof. I'll adjust, and it will get better. 

And in honor of my move, I thought I'd share a bit about my old home and my new one, including the important lessons I learned from living in Apartment #6 for 5 years...

1.  You can totally make too-small spaces work.
You just get creative with your storage.  That might mean you bring in a free-standing cabinet and an industrial grade metal shelving unit to house your food and cookware, but, by thunder, you made it work.  Until your excessive amount of food spilled out of the pantry and found a home on top of and underneath the "dining room" table (which we have never sat at). It's not a Martha Stewart-worthy solution, but it totally works.

top: the dining room/pantry/kitchen storage area of our apartment

bottom: the galley-like kitchen. outstretched arms can almost touch both walls.

and the refrigerator door cannot even open completely.

a wee kitchen where we worked marvels.

2a.  Air conditioners are clutch.
Even when you avoid turning on the AC as much as possible, there is nothing that can replace it on the days when you're dripping sweat just walking from room to room.

2b.  There is no number of fans that can compensate for AC.
Trust me.  We tried it for 4+ years.  Even draped in front of two fans, you're still overheated and sweating.  And your sinuses are constantly dry.

2c.  It's nice to be able to control the heat in your dwelling on nights when the temperature is below freezing.
It means you might not procrastinate your shower for several hours because its just too dang cold inside.

3.  Decorating your home makes you feel like a grown-up.
Alternatively, not decorating makes you feel like a poor college student just on the edge of adulthood.  Lesson for next home:  decorate!

4.  Got mold?  Use bleach!
It won't get rid of the mold, but it'll keep it at bay long enough.  Just to be safe, don't touch it without gloves. And don't remember the episodes of House where the person is almost dead from breathing in fungal spores (Aspergillis, anyone?).

5.  I can play a mean game of Tetris in the refrigerator.
It's not my favorite game to play, but, oh boy, am I good at it.
Make a note:  get bigger refrigerator in grown-up house.

6.  Neighbors are meant to be far enough away that you can't smell their cigarette smoke or hear them talking through your door.
Good thing houses have yards, even if they are tiny.

7.  Bugs can appear at any time and in any place.
The best way to attack bugs on the ceiling?  A Swiffer broom and paper towel combo.  Bonus points if you're casually talking to your roommate when you decimate a bug.  Bam.

8.  A window in the shower is a truly terrible idea.
Seriously. It's absolutely miserable in the winter.  It's fine in the summer, but just weird overall.  Lesson:  do not put a window in the shower.

9.  The lady who occasionally cleans the hallway stairs in the building has more clout with the landlady than I (or any other resident) do.
I'm fairly certain her complaints about the resident (well, resident's boyfriend) who continued to track mud up the stairs almost daily propelled the landlady into evicting that couple.  This happened within a few months of the mud trail starting.  Compare this to multiple residents complaining about no hot water in the mornings (and sometimes evenings) for a year or more, with no action taken. Bam. Beware the cleaning lady.


I've missed you, my friends, and I can't wait to be back here regularly.

I Owe You

Friends, I owe you. Big time. I know I've essentially dropped off the face of the blogging earth for a long time and I apologize profusely for that. I had every intent of finally establishing a consistent schedule for posting and of revamping this little space with new design.  I even toyed with the idea of migrating to a different platform and--I'm getting crazy here--changing my blog's name.

Alas, every good plan seems to fall by the wayside, at least for me.  And I'm a planner, so I see a lot of plans crumble before me.

Friends, I disappeared because I've been struggling to keep myself afloat in the sea of responsibilities (work, fitness classes, wedding planning, moving in with Eric, many jam-packed weeknights and weekends...you know, the usual suspects).  I over extended myself yet again.  But I think I'm finally starting to keep my head above water, and I miss this space desperately.  I miss you, though I'm so thankful for being able to continue to read your blogs and to participate in comment conversations.  I have so many recipes and so many life tidbits to share with you, even if I'm many months too late (oops. sorry!).

So I'll be back very soon, bombarding you with my over the top obsession with rhubarb this year (it's still going strong) and many more Pies and Pints creations.  And I'd like to tackle my grand renovation plans for here. If you have any thoughts on that, please share with me! I'd love to know what you think of this space or what I share.

Have a spectacular weekend, with sunshine, ice cream, and maybe even a cocktail/mocktail, depending on your tastes!

Watts Up Cocktail

Cocktails have been on my mind recently.  There's a long list of recipes I'm hoping to mix up.  And I may have just subscribed to Imbibe magazine (Oops. Though I swear I have valid reasons!).  With spring emerging in Ohio, I'm ready for margaritas galore.  In fact, I have another margarita recipe for you next week.  But for now, let jalapeno, citrus, and tequila wake up your cocktail tastebuds--surely, they're a separate category--and prepare you for a season filled with margaritas, mojitos, and all sorts of summer drinks!

For you own fun, check out these two marvelous lists of cocktails:
50 Cocktails from 50 States from TheKitchn.com (originally from the NY Times)
20 Summer Cocktails with Fresh Herbs from TheKitchn.com


Watts Up Cocktail
from Everyday Food/Martha Stewart media
Makes 1 drink

*A note in advance... While this drink is delicious as is, it would be even more drinkable should you swap the minced jalapeno for either jalapeno-infused tequila or a jalapeno simple syrup.  How to make these are below, in the "notes" section.

Ingredients:
2 oz. silver tequila
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. minced jalapeno (seeds removed)
1 tbsp. lime juice
3 oz. grapefruit juice
1/2 tsp. honey
dash of chipotle salt (combine 3 tbsp. coarse salt with 1/2 tsp. chipotle chile powder)

You'll have plenty of leftover chipotle salt.
Store it in an airtight container.
I use mine - with some additional chile powder!- on roasted sweet potatoes.

Preparation:

Combine the diced jalapeno and lime juice in a glass.  Muddle (a muddler with a flat heat, like the OXO Steel Muddler, or the side of a large spoon work best here) briefly to release some of the jalapeno's flavor and heat.  Skip muddling if you're not a fan of pepper heat.

Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and enjoy!

Notes:

--You'll have extra chipotle salt. Store it in an airtight container and sprinkle on sweet potatoes or meat. It's a good thing.  Or continue to use it as an impromptu "sour mix" for your cocktails.  You can guess which one I went with...

--The chipotle salt takes the place of the ubiquitous and typically disgusting sour mix.  Here, against lime juice and grapefruit juice, the chipotle salt is amazing and balanced.  If you don't like sour mix in your margaritas, give this salt a chance.

--It turns out, I, like most other people, don't enjoy chunks of jalapeno in my cocktail.  Next time, I will skip the chopped jalapeno and swap in some jalapeno simple syrup (about 1/2 tsp. to 1 1/2 tsp. per drink).  Or better yet, made a stock of jalapeno-infused tequila.  There will be plenty of cocktails begging for its use!

To make jalapeno simple syrup:

• Wash and slice a jalapeno into rounds.  Remove the seeds and white interior ribs if you want less heat;  keep them if you're a hot-head like me!
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm equal parts of water and granulated sugar.  Stir occasionally, until the sugar is fully dissolved.
• Add your jalapeno slices to the simple syrup, cover with a lid, turn off the heat, and remove the saucepan from the burner.  Allow to sit for 10-20 minutes.
• Pour through a strainer to remove the jalapeno slices and store in the refrigerator for approximately 2 weeks.

To make jalapeno-infused tequila:

• Wash and slice 1-2 jalapenos into rounds.  Remove the seeds and white interior ribs if you want less heat; keep them if you want lots of heat.  Remember, the heat level varies greatly between individual jalapenos.....so choose wisely!  I'm a spicy food fanatic, and even after I removed most of the seeds and ribs here, I was still surprised by how spicy my tequila was.  The next batch, however, had a lot less potency.
• Place the jalapeno slices in a glass container and add between 1/2 cup - 1 cup tequila blanco (white tequila).  Allow the mixture to sit for 20 minutes (moderately spicy) to 40 minutes (very spicy, may be almost painful).  Pour the tequila through a mesh strainer to remove the jalapeno slices.
• Store your infused tequila in a sealed glass jar to prevent it from picking up any wonky flavors from the container.  

Pies and Pints | Brussels Sprout Pizza

The tradition continues in week two of Pies and Pints!  My roommate turned me on to the glory of roasted Brussels sprouts, for which I am quite grateful.  Usually I'll saute some thinly sliced Brussels sprouts up with some bacon, dried cranberries, candied pecans.  Or--a newly discovered and newly beloved preparation from the blog Five and Spice--I'll pan roast sprout halves, adding kimchi in the last minute.  I seriously can't get over Brussels + kimchi.

But back to the pizza.  With our shared love of roasted Brussels sprouts, we thought it'd be a great idea to put them (along with some cheese) on top of a pizza.  As for the crust, we wanted to continue testing different recipes in our search for the Best Crust Recipe(s) Ever.

This week's Pies and Pints selections...

• Toppings:  Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Provelone Slices, Apple and Onion Slices, and shaved Parmesan

• Crust: Spelt Crust, adapted from Ancient Grains for Modern Meals by Maria Speck

• Beer:  Sierra Nevada's Ruthless Rye

Spelt Crust
from Ancient Grains for Modern Meals by Maria Speck
Makes 2 pizza crusts

Ingredients:
2 cups whole grain spelt flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. fine sea salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/4 cup whole milk
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large egg
coarse cornmeal for dusting the peel and pan

Preparation (by hand):
Whisk together spelt flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, milk, oil, and egg.  Beat with a fork until smooth.  Pour the ricotta mixture into the well you made in the dry ingredients.  Combine with a fork, stirring from the center and gradually incorporating the flour from the sides until a fairly moist dough comes together.

Transfer the dough to a well-floured work surface.  Lightly flour your hands and briefly knead 5 to 7 turns to get a smooth yet slightly tacky dough.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes to allow the brain in the flour to soften.

To roll out your dough, see Assembly instructions below.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Preparation:

Wash and halve each Brussels sprout, cutting it so that each half remains attached at the "base" part of the sprout. Heat about 1-2 tbsp. (depending on the amount of Brussels sprouts you are roasting) of peanut oil over medium-high heat (so a drop of water sizzles when added).  Place the sprouts in the pan, cut side down, and cook for several minutes until deeply brown.  Stir the sprouts and cook for a few more minutes (4-5), until the sprouts are just beginning to be tender and easily pierced with a knife tip.  Remove from heat to limit any additional cooking.

Assembling the Pizza:

Place your pizza stone or an upturned baking sheet in a cold oven.  Next, preheat to 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Meanwhile, unwrap your dough, transfer to a lightly floured work surface, and cut into 2 equal pieces.  Lightly flour your hands and briefly knead one piece until smooth, about 7 to 10 turns.  Roll or pat your dough out until it is between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick.

Generously dust an upturned baking sheet or pizza peel with cornmeal, so your dough doesn't stick to it and will transfer easily to the preheated stone/sheet.  Lay your dough on top of the cornmeal.

It's time to assemble the pizza!  On top of your dough, brush extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle minced garlic. Place a layer of provolone slices, then apple slices and onion slices (both made with a mandolin or very thinly sliced with a knife).  Next, add your roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted side up.

Generously dust the hot pizza stone or upturned baking sheet with cornmeal, so you prevent your pizza from cooking onto the stone/sheet.  Carefully transfer your assembled pizza onto the hot stone/sheet.  We've found that using a combination of lifitng the front edge with a spatula + sliding the remainder of the pizza onto the stone/sheet to work best.  And after a few times, you'll scatter a lot less cornmeal around the oven and floor, I promise!

Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the crust is done and cheese is browned.  Carefully slide your pizza from the pizza stone/upturned baking sheet onto a pizza peel (or wood cutting board or another upturned baking sheet), using the spatula + slide technique.  Sprinkle liberally with shaved Parmesan, cut, and dig in!

Our thoughts on this week's selections...

• The Toppings:
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Provelone Slices, Apple and Onion Slices, and shaved Parmesan
• Loved the Brussels sprouts. Roasted, almost charred...but practically flavorless without additional seasonings. Alas, none of the other toppings did much to help in this area, so I can't even say this was my favorite part of the pizza.
• Provelone, apple, and onion....not much flavor here either. Sigh.  Total bust in the flavor department.

• The Crust:
• Not something I'd ever like to revisit. I like my pizza crusts to have both a crispy, crunch crust and a chewy interior.  This spelt crust had absolutely no crunchy crust or chewy interior. Just a lot of soft and crumbly bread, almost like a very dried out quickbread (blurgh!).  
• However, the fact this dough didn't use yeast meant it came together incredibly quick, thanks to no rise time

• The Beer:
• This is one of my first opportunities to try a rye beer, and I must admit to enjoying it! 
• There's a slight tang from the rye that makes this brew different and interesting.  Paired with its medium body (not too light or heavy) and generally balanced flavors, Ruthless Rye would go well with a variety of savory foods. One I'd be happy to drink again.

Guess we failed in the toppings and crust department...but there's always next week!

Pumpkin and Pineapple Cocktail

Alright, you probably think I'm a bit of a nutter for suggesting pumpkin plus pineapple. Maybe even for suggesting pumpkin be consumed outside it's traditional fall season.  Well, give me a chance!

It's spring, that transition between dreary winter and sultry summer.  So we need an app a drink for that (obviously).  And the Pumpkin and Pineapple Cocktail is just the ticket. It's got the warmth of spices, the slightest molasses note of dark rum, and the comforting depth of pumpkin puree.  Then a little something extra comes to the party in the form of pineapple, transporting you to sunnier days and a cabana on the beach.  In other words, pumpkin + spices are lightened up and taken to a whole new realm by tropical pineapple....and the tropical pineapple is likewise altered by the earthy flavors of pumpkin + spices, which prevent it from turning into a sickly sweet bomb.

As you're sipping this cocktail, you might find yourself thinking Woah. What is that? I need another taste... And another... Okay, I like this. I really like this.  Must. Have. More.   At least that's what I did, because the flavors were so unexpected yet so fun and delicious.  Give non-fall pumpkin and unexpected flavor combinations a chance!

Pumpkin Pineapple Cocktail

from Cookie + Kate

Makes 2 drinks

Ingredients:

7 oz. pineapple juice

3 tbsp. pumpkin puree

1 tsp. honey (add more or less to taste)

1 large lemon, juiced

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground ginger

dash nutmeg (freshly grated for the best flavor)

dash allspice or cloves

3 oz. dark rum (not spiced...dark rum, like Mrs. Meyers or Gosling's)

Preparation:

Pour all ingredients into a blender and blend well.  Into two glasses, pour over ice and, if you're feeling fancy, garnish with a dash of cinnamon on top. Cheers!

It's an unusual pairing, pumpkin and pineapple, so I have to admit, I was a bit nervous this might not be something I wanted to finish drinking (the horror!). But each sip was delicious! I was intrigued by how the slightest hint of molasses from the dark rum and the spices brought two very disparate players together.  I  loved trying a combination fresh and new to me, so much so that I couldn't put my glass down!

And if you're thinking pumpkin should only be consumed in the fall, I strongly disagree.  Make some pumpkin waffles/pancakes or a pumpkin milkshake (bonus for adding pumpkin cream liquor). Stir some pumpkin puree into your smoothie or  your yogurt.  It is so good and it should be seen more outside of fall!

This and That | March 2013

St. Patrick's Day...in food and drink.
If I can make something specifically for a holiday, like Irish soda bread for St. Pat's or pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, I'm going to go overboard.  And I'm going to love it.  Soda bread has been a St. Pat's tradition, as have car bomb shots, for several years.  The potatoes baked with dill and corned beef are a newer tradition, making an appearance last year and this year with approval from the boys.

whole wheat soda bread with raisins

Guinness sausages and onions cooked in stout

baked potatoes cooked with dill and corned beef
(well, actually pastrami...but close enough)

Great Lakes Brewing Company's
Conway's Irish Ale
A favorite tradition for St. Pat's

car bomb shots

my mini-beaker shot class was too light to sink to the bottom

so it floated on top of the thick Guinness foam

This cranberry dressing and these salad greens

My new found love of brussels sprouts led me to try a raw brussels sprouts salad...which wasn't quite my favorite.  But the dressing! Easy to make (just use your blender!), a beautiful color, and that perfect mix of tangy-sweet flavor. Even though I omitted the basil in the original recipe, I was quite happy with my dressing. I may have dipped apple slices meant for my salad into the dressing during assembly and loved it.

cranberry, honey, mustard dressing

make a batch in your blender and

store it in the fridge for a week or two

I'm not much of a salad person (yet).  But I've found myself eating a salad with these greens three times this week. They have a little more flavor and texture than your average iceberg or romaine lettuce, but they don't overwhelm with flavor.  When paired with the cranberry dressing and apple slices, it's so dang tasty.

A Penzy's Spices near my apartment?!?!

This means bad, bad things for my already overwhelmed spice shelf...  but good things for me! 

That sweet curry is destined for a curried carrot cupcake recipe.  The rest is just for fun...and because I can't resist.

A dinner party

Even though I was the one calling it a dinner "party" (it was just dinner), I was so excited to plan and make dinner for Eric's band.  It seemed like I wowed them, which felt pretty great.

Wedding things are moving along

My dress - check! 

(though no pictures until the big day, so I don't ruin the surprise for Eric.  He's been told my dress is multicolored, spangled and sparkly, with feathers, polka dots, and lots of ruffles!)

Save the Dates sent - check!

Linens, plates, chairs ordered for venue - check! 

(done while sipping mimosas and bloody mary's, thanks to Buckeye Vodka and Prime Time Party Rental!)

Bridesmaid's dresses - in process, but I'm going to give it a check!

My parents are even taking dancing lessons! How sweet!

Slowly moving my things in to Eric's house and organizing them in a way that works for both of us - in the process!  It's so much crazier than you'd expect! When did I accumulate so. much. stuff.?

Up next:
Photographer
Food tasting for reception venue
Meeting with the priest/church coordinator
Florist
Cake tastings!!! (I may be more than a bit excited about this one. I'm definitely going to employ Shannon's advice, asking for another taste because I just can't decide...)

The Shrimp Scampi That Changed My Mind

I've had a mental block against eating seafood since I was five years old.  It stems from eating Long John Silvers and my thought that I could actually see the fish's gills.  Apparently my young self was very, very good at setting up barriers to certain foods...because I didn't even try shrimp until recently.

Once I tried it, I realized shrimp weren't too bad.  I wasn't eager to eat a ton of it, but I might have a few pieces every once in awhile.  But, oh, I would never, ever cook seafood in my home because of the odor. I just hate that smell.  And I'm a super sniffer, sensitive to even the tiniest hint of seafood in the air.

But then...I broke down.  I bought a bag of frozen shrimp from Trader Joe's.  They're awfully good at getting me to try new things.  Plus I think I'd already lost all my willpower during that shopping trip, which seems to happen frequently at Trader Joe's.  In a good way, of course.

That bag of frozen shrimp languished in the depths of my apartment freezer for months, slowly creeping towards the back of the freezer where it would live out the rest of its days undisturbed.

Until I came across this recipe for shrimp scampi in a cookbook I'd become quite enamored with.  I'd tried several other recipes from this book, many of which brought new ingredients or new flavors into my life.  Most were resounding successes -- Soba Noodle Salad with Roasted Mushroom and Tofu Croutons, Roasted Parsnip and Leek Soup with Pumpernickel Croutons, Cumin Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt and Lime, Baked Potatoes with Corned Beef and Dill...  It pulled me out of my winter doldrums and inspired a desire to Try New Things like never before.  Meaning I was going to make shrimp scampi with my lonely bag of frozen shrimp.

Oh, my...  So delicious.  So little time and effort.  So much sauce to savor!

Now that lonely bag of shrimp has a purpose.  And I have cooked seafood (admittedly not intensely fishy seafood) in my home. Two points to me!

Shrimp Scampi

from Cook This Now: 120 Easy and Delectable Dishes You Can't Wait to Make by Melissa Clark

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup Pernod, absinthe, or an herbal (not floral!) gin (like Tanqueray original)*

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 - 3/4 tsp. salt (to your taste level)

Hearty pinch of red pepper flakes

1/2 lb. shelled and deveined shrimp (if using frozen, thaw to room temperature)**

2 tbsp. fresh fennel fronds (the delicate leafy green portion), minced

Juice of 1 lemon, freshly squeezed

*Pernod, absinthe, and herbal gins have an anise flavor similar to that of fennel.  Since the fennel fronds have a very minor anise taste, using these liquors will bring just a hint of that anise-fennel flavor to the party without overwhelming our tastes or textures. I'll personally vouch for that, since I'm not the biggest fan of in-your-face anise, like black licorice candy.

If you don't have these liquors or really dislike even the tiniest hint of anise, don't fear! Just swap in white wine, so you add 1/2 cup white wine in total.

**I keep a bag of frozen uncooked (but already shelled and deveined) wild shrimp in my freezer.  I just pull out a handful, seal them in a plastic bag, and let them hang out in a bowl of warm tap water, which I change frequently, until the shrimp are defrosted.  Trader Joe's has some delicious and very economical frozen shrimp, or, if you're not a seafood person (which I am very close to being), you could swap in some partially or fully cooked meat, like chicken.

Preparation:

Since shrimp cooks ever so quickly and overcooked shrimp is, well, not all that edible, prep all your ingredients before starting to cook.  Once you start cooking, this goes so fast!  Now is also a good time to get whatever else you might be serving with the shrimp scampi cooking (toast, rice, pasta, etc.).

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, but not yet browned, about 1 minute.  Add the liquor, wine, salt, and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

Add the shrimp and stir frequently, until the shrimp are cooked through and pale pink, about 2-4 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp.  This really does move quickly, so keep focused on your shrimp!

Stir in the minced fennel fronds and lemon juice. Cook for 30 seconds - 1 minute and immediately transfer your shrimp out of the pan to prevent additional cooking.  If you're using pasta or rice, now is the perfect time to toss the shrimp scampi with it.

Or you can do what I did and eat it straight out of a bowl, using toast to mop up every last ounce of the glorious garlic and butter sauce.  No shame, I promise!

Notes:

This recipe is so quick and easy to prepare, it's an easy weeknight meal.  Especially if you aren't thawing the shrimp, though that doesn't take too long either (less than 20 minutes).

It is so easy to overcook shrimp, making them tough and chewy and entirely unappetizing.  Removing the shrimp from the pan immediately after adding the fennel fronds and lemon juice will remove the direct heat source (the stove and the hot pan) and limit any additional cooking to the heat contained within the shrimp (the carry over heat/cooking).  

This recipe provides a generous amount of scampi sauce, which would be divine tossed with spaghetti or angel hair pasta.  But it's also incredible when sopped up with toast.  You decide...or try both!

Since this recipe only uses the fennel fronds, it is perfect for those times when you use the fennel bulb and have no idea what to do with the fronds.  My favorite ways to enjoy fennel?  Thinly shaved with citrus segments or slowly roasted and braised until it slumps into a barely anise flavored submission. 

I am absolutely in love with this cookbook.  It's full of flavor combinations I've never tried, many rather healthy (but still delicious) recipes, and a full spectrum of savory and sweet.  Plus each recipe has a notes section where Melissa Clark offers ideas for substitutions or alternative cooking methods or what to serve it with.  And I just love her writing style.