I have a recipe for shrimp which I'm working to perfect. Here it is in it's working form: INGREDIENTS: 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup chopped onion 2 large cloves garlic, minced 1 green bell pepper, diced 1 rib celery, thinly sliced 1 can diced tomatoes, (14.5 oz) 1/2 cup dry white wine several shakes of Tabasco sauce, or to taste 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon celery seed 1 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme 2 tablespoons parsley 1 pound shrimp, shelled & deveined 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms 1/4 tsp Old Bay Seasoning PREPARATION: Melt butter in a large skillet and sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper, and celery until tender. Add tomatoes, wine, Tabasco, and seasonings. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink, about 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with pasta. Serves 2 Garlic bread is a must and, while it's simmering, keep it covered slightly to retain all the juices so you can soak them up later with the bread. This is one of my favorites.
Old Bay is good. I have actually found some 'soul seasoning' down here that is pretty nifty. Very similar to the Zaxbys fries seasoning.
In addition to flavoring seafood, the seasoning is often used as a topping on popcorn, salads, eggs, fried chicken, french fries, tater tots, corn on the cob, and potato chips. Potato chip manufacturer Herr’s produces a variety of chips spiced with the seasoning, and Utz distributes a “crab chip†variety with an Old Bay analogue spice. Interesting. I love Utz chips. I don't care too much for Herr's. I may try it on tater tots or something some time.
McCormick spice company used to be located in downtown Baltimore. When I was a kid I can remember that the whole city had a certain smell to it. It turns out that McCormick was the reason. Now they're located in Hunt Valley, outside the city and every time I go there I get reminded of Baltimore when I was a little kid. That had nothing to do with food, I just thought it was interesting.
Here is the Gulf Coast recipe for Shrimp - Put a large pot with 2 gallons of water and a bag of crab boil on the fire. Go down to the boat and get a bag of live jumbo shrimp for $3.00 a lb. Stop on the way and buy a case of beer. Drink half the beer on the way home. Get home and notice that the back yard has no mosquitoes. The fumes from the crab boil killed them all. Put out the small forest fire that the embers from the fire caused. Pour all the shrimp in the pot, heads and all. Let them cook 2 minutes, and pour all the water out. Whip up some ketchup and horseradish, about equal portions. Peel and Eat shrimp. Drink the rest of the beer. Drive back down to the store for more beer. Get arrested for DUI. Spend the night in jail reeking from stale shrimp juice on your shirt. Call your wife to bail you out of jail at 6:00AM Get home and eat the left over Shrimp for breakfast. Call in sick to work and lay around the house all day watching Wrestling. Leave the house about 5:00PM for Oysters and Beer. Repeat the cycle.
I'm going to try that. Only I live in Baltimore - so I'll substitute Crabs for Shrimp and Crack for Beer. I'll keep you informed as to my progress