Food Shopping at 7 am

Visiting the supermarket at the crack of dawn is an effective way to do a necessary chore without seeing many people.  This morning I spotted just four shoppers in my local grocery store at 7 am.  I was quick with my purchases and out of there in 10 minutes.

Effective, yes.  Inspired, no.  Back when life was simpler, I would stroll the aisles, thinking about what I might want to make for dinner.  I would notice new products, check out sales and be reminded that I was running out of yogurt.

Now the planning must be done either the night before or in the store’s parking lot before I put on my mask. Do I want to serve Roasted Chicken, Shrimp Stir-Fry (see above), Tilapia?  Do I need eggs?  Milk?  What should I get for the rest of the week? 

There is an unexpected bonus about shopping early in the morning.  A wide variety of meats, vegetable and fruit may be on sale.  I recently picked up 3 yellow bell peppers for $1 and a large boneless chicken breast, very thinly sliced and marinated in hot sauce, also for $1.  The sell-by date was the next day.  No problem for me.  We ate the chicken for dinner and held over the Shrimp Stir-Fry, which calls for those on-sale bell peppers, for tomorrow.

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Question for Mom

I bought some frozen uncooked shrimp, and when I defrosted them, there was this greenish black line along the back of each shrimp.  What is it and should I get rid of it? –Alex B.

This line is the shrimp’s digestive tract.  Yes, you want to get rid of it.  Scrape it out, either before or after cooking, using a small knife or the tip of a potato peeler.  The bigger the shrimp, the easier this line is to remove.  Do the cutting/scraping under running water, and the gritty substance will wash away.

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Mom Money-Saving Tip 106

Shrimp Risotto

Shrimp can be an expensive ingredient, so consider slicing them in half lengthwise.  That way you seemingly double the amount of shrimp you are using.  This trick works especially well with large shrimp.  Cut them after they’re cooked, rather than when they are raw, if possible, because it’s easier.

                                                         
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A New Way to Serve Shrimp

When I first learned that I didn’t have to dine out in order to eat a shrimp cocktail, my instinct was to make a shrimp cocktail at home.  When that worked, I became more adventurous, sampling and liking such exotic (to me) dishes as shrimp stir-fry, spicy grilled shrimp and shrimp tacos. 

Question for Mom

I bought some frozen cooked shrimp, and when I defrosted them, there was this dark line along the back of some of the shrimp.  What is it and should I get rid of it? –Alex B.

This line, which can be black or dark green, is the shrimp’s digestive tract.  Yes, you want to get rid of it.  Scrape it out, either before or after cooking, using a small knife or the tip of a potato peeler.  The bigger the shrimp, the easier this black line is to remove.  Do the cutting/scraping under running water, and the gritty substance will wash away.

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I Can Make That Too: Shrimp Salad in Mom’s Kitchen vs. the Restaurant Version

Shrimp Salad from Petros

For me, eating cold shrimp has always meant Shrimp Cocktail, the classic appetizer that made dining out in the 1950’s a special treat.  I make it at home occasionally when I’m feeling nostalgic, but today shrimp for me is more of an ingredient in a stir-fry, soup or casserole.

Now thanks to a Shrimp Salad I ordered at Petros, a Greek restaurant in Manhattan Beach, CA, I have new respect for cold shrimp. 

Question for Mom

I bought too much prosciutto to make your Prosciutto Panini Sandwich and I don’t know what to do with the leftovers.  Do you have any suggestions? –Fred F.

Funny. I had the same problem. I tore a few slices of prosciutto into 1- or 2-inch pieces and added them to a Shrimp Risotto and cooked the mixture for

My Favorite Freezer Food: Shrimp

I could have said croissants, bagels or leftovers, but I picked shrimp because it is so versatile. 

I used to think that shrimp cocktail was the only way to eat shrimp, but I was young and stupid then.  Because I grew up in a small town with limited grocery store options and restaurants, I didn’t think about food too much.  I just ate what was put in front of me. 

When I started cooking for myself, I never considered making shrimp cocktail.  It was a restaurant appetizer and too fancy to serve at home.

Mom Money-Saving Tip 103

shrimp / 16-20 per pound

Cooked, peeled shrimp almost always cost more than uncooked, unpeeled shrimp.  So you can save money by doing the cooking and peeling yourself.  Also, you are less likely to overcook the shrimp since you will be cooking it only once.  A shrimp stir-fry dish, for instance, will taste fresher when you start with raw shrimp.  If the shrimp are already cooked, add them to the dish at the last moment so they don’t get overcooked.

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A New Way to Cook Arborio Rice

Standing at the stove and stirring Arborio rice while everyone else is chatting is one reason a lot of people avoid making Risotto.  Most types of rice can cook by themselves, but I’ve always been told that because Arborio rice has so much starch in it, you’ve got to keep stirring until it has finished cooking.

I’m happy to report

Surprising Ingredient in These Mashed Potatoes

Lobster and Mashed Potatoes are two items I never expected to see served in the same bowl.  But there I was, standing in a buffet line, and in front of me was a big dish of mashed potatoes and a sign: Lobster Mashed Potatoes.  I couldn’t see any lobster in the potatoes, but it was 10 pm and the lighting was poor. 

Easiest-Ever Summer Dinner

It’s 96 degrees outside, and we don’t have air conditioning.  It’s dinnertime, and my thoughts are turning to what would make the perfect meal: lobster rolls.

I first met a lobster roll about 15 years ago while visiting friends in Boston.  What I remember more than the actual lobster roll is the way we obtained the lobsters.  Our friends calling a local fisherman, and 30 minutes later he knocked on their door with several freshly caught lobsters in a crate.  These friends are not gourmet cooks, but they knew just how to crack open a lobster. 

Mom Cooking Tip 147

Shrimp Cocktail

If guests show up unexpectedly at dinnertime and you don't have enough food, here’s what to do:

1) Add garlic bread (keep a loaf of French bread in the freezer; if it’s too big, cut it in half before freezing).

2) Make extra baked potatoes.

3) Serve a soup or a salad before the main course.

4) Keep a bag of shrimp in the freezer and use it to make Shrimp Cocktail as an appetizer. 

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Getting Everything on the Table at Once

Stir-Fried Rice

Lots of people think cooking is hard, but the real challenge is getting everything on the table at once.  The simplest approach is a picnic.  If everything is served cold, a lot of last-minute juggling is not required.  Just take the food out of the basket – or refrigerator – and spread it out on the tablecloth.  If you want, you can spend days preparing.  But you won’t be exhausted when it’s time to eat.

However, most diners want their meal to be served hot, and that takes planning.

Raw Shrimp vs. Cooked Shrimp: Which Is Better?

Are you extremely squeamish about peeling raw shrimp?  If so, stop reading and continue buying cooked shrimp.  But use that shrimp for Shrimp Cocktail or Shrimp Salad—dishes that don’t require cooking the shrimp any further.

If you can handle pulling the shells off raw shrimp and then cooking them, your shrimp dishes will taste much better.  The reason is simple. 

So Sick of Turkey

Shrimp Florentine

Whenever I set out to buy a Christmas turkey, I’m an optimist.  Of course I’ll be able to make use of a 16-pounder.  I tell myself, “We’re having 12 people for dinner so there won’t be many leftovers.”

Turns out that was the biggest misstatement of the year.  We’re three nights into turkey leftovers, and I can’t stand the sight of them.  I decided to freeze the rest, but the freezer is so crammed I needed to remove some things first.

That’s how Shrimp Florentine became my go-to dinner.

Cooking with Leftovers in Mind

Mom's Paella

If I’m not madly rushing to get dinner on the table with one of my quick entrees, I try to think ahead.  A large chicken, leg of lamb, pork roast or beef pot roast will provide at least 3 or maybe 4 extra meals, especially if there are just 2 or 3 of us eating.  A tray of lasagna should last for a week.

Gumbo and Garlic Bread

Normally I would think twice before recommending a mix.  However, after my whole family loved the soup that was based on a box of Zatarain's Gumbo Mix, I feel comfortable mentioning it.  We even fought over the leftovers, and that is unheard of in our house.

Question for Mom

Butterflied shrimp in middle of plate

What does it mean to butterfly shrimp?  Ethan B.

Butterflying shrimp involves cutting them almost in half lengthwise and flattening them out to look like a butterfly.  The two sides are still attached, but the shrimp looks twice as big.  Butterflying cuts down on the cooking time.  It’s a technique often used for dramatic effect when grilling shrimp.  You can also use this technique to make the serving look bigger.

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Argentine Red Shrimp: What Are They and How Do I Cook Them?

Argentine Red Shrimp, also called crustacean shellfish, are wild caught in the Southern Atlantic and have much more flavor than the average shrimp.  They are usually sold frozen in bags, 16-to-20 per pound.  Most likely they will be raw, and their tough shells, which are red, will still be attached.