Fall Weather? Stains. Supper. The Book.

Friday morning we awoke to pretty thick fog. I guess because of all the hot weather we have been having. It has been like summer for the last few days. In the afternoon we had to turn on the a/c again and I was still sweltering because the sun was pouring in the windows. I also changed into shorts and a lighter shirt. Amazing weather really. The first thing we did was head to Vincenzo’s and I found the recommended horseradish and the Kimchi. Bought myself some mascarpone too, the real Italian stuff not the version with various gums in it for preservation. Makes it taste sweet which, I suppose is OK if you want to make a dessert, but for a savoury item, no thank you. At lunchtime I finished off the Kimchi I bought in NC and splashed my shirt, now I can’t get the spots out. My Oxy Clean didn’t do the trick. I have seen a tip about the juice of spring onions (green onions) but I don’t have any handy. Another shirt I appear to have splashed with bleach (I think that’s what’s given it a couple of yellow blotches anyway) and that won’t remove either. As both shirts are fairly new, I am not a happy camper.

We bought steak for supper tonight so that I can try out the horseradish so keep your fingers crossed for me that I find it really hot and spicy. Meanwhile for Friday night I used some of our recently imported shrimp to make a Camarones a la Criolla or Creole Shrimp which is a favourite of ours. Peeling the shrimp, I was quite surprised at how large they were. We don’t normally buy the larger shrimp as they are generally too expensive. There were certainly a lot of large shrimp in the package I used for supper. It’s a simple enough recipe to do.

Some of you may have heard that there is a new book out called Cassa Storm. I am reading it right now and am about half way through. The promise of the first two books has been continued in the third and this one is definitely very exciting and full of excellent characterisations. I am enjoying it and the only reason I am not reading it right now, I am blogging instead!! The book was written by some Ninja Captain Guitarist who has a noticeable internet presence, in his saner moments he is Alex J. Cavenaugh. Once again Alex, excellent book. I will be sorry to finish it.

I assumed you would like to have the recipe once more, so here it is.

Shrimp Creole

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup celery
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tsp peanut oil
flour for thickening
ground black pepper
2 cup fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes drained
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 Bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chili powder (or Tabasco sauce) and/or fresh chillis
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup sherry
1 lb shrimp cleaned and deveined
Parmesan
cooked white rice, basmati for preference

Sauté onions, peppers, celery and garlic in hot oil until tender. Make a roux with a little flour. Add tomatoes, paste, sherry and seasoning. Simmer 45 minutes. Add shrimp and simmer for 10 mins. Just before service add Worcester sauce. Serve over rice and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Servings: 4

Have a great day