Gazpacho gives me the cold shoulder.  I immediately think thin, cold, totally uninteresting, insipid tomato soup.  Yech.   However when I came across the picture of Salmorejo with shrimp, tomato and avocado in  Sam and Sam Clark’s Moro East cookbook and read the description as being the ‘prawn cocktail of Andalucía’ I was immediately and completely intrigued. Salmorejo, go ahead, let it roll off of your tongue—is a classic chilled Córdoban soup or sauce, similar to but richer and thicker than gazpacho.  It is thickened with day old country style bread.  It is wonderful.  Heady with the flavor of ripe tomatoes and pungent olive oil, touched with garlic and laced with the herbal notes of fresh oregano I stood by my blender compulsively eating it off of a spoon.  It was delicious.  This fragrant sauce served as a bed for sweet- tasting, sustainable bay shrimp, creamy avocado, citrusy sun gold cherry tomatoes and slivers of pungent red onion.  It was a completely satisfying meal, and I will definitely make the Salmorejo sauce again soon to complement grilled vegetables, chicken or fish.

Salmorejo with Bay Shrimp, Tomato and Avocado

Adapted from Moro East, by Sam and Sam Clark

Serves 2

1 quantity of Salmorejo Sauce, see below
1 ripe avocado, sliced
A handful of cherry tomatoes cut in half
A few slivers of red onion, more if you like or none if you don’t
¾ # bay shrimp
2 tsp. fresh Oregano leaves as garnish

Salmorejo Sauce

1 pound ripe tomatoes, diced
1 garlic clove mashed with a pinch of salt
1 thick slice of country bread or leftover baguette, crust removed, diced
5 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil—Pull out your best!  This is the kind of recipe that lets that expensive olive oil shine!
1 Tbsp. Sherry Vinegar
2 tsp. fresh oregano

Put all of the Salmorejo ingredients in the blender and puree until smooth.  The sauce should be the consistency of applesauce.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Assembly:  Pour equal amounts of the Salmorejo Sauce on two plates, and garnish with the avocado, shrimp, tomato, onion and Oregano leaves.  You can drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top if you like.  Serve with flatbread, crackers or baguette.

Enjoy!

This is one of my ‘go to’ weeknight meals.  You can make this in the time it takes to call in take out.   It’s ridiculously easy, you only really need two ingredients and a pan and a stove.   The secret lies in perfectly cooked, tender shrimp.  Paired with rice it is a complete meal. It’s based on one of Melissa Clark’s recipes from the NY Times.   Seeing is believing—you’ll need to watch this to understand just how crazy simple and good it is.   To dress this recipe up, you only have to go to your spice cabinet and pick your favorite seasonings.

Enjoy!

Oh, the holidays. Or the ‘Holi-daze’ as I like to call it.  November and December are insane months for anyone in the food industry, and it is no different for me—I do my best—I start looking for gifts in August, try to stock my freezer with homemade ready-for-oven foods, but December always creeps up and bites me in the ass. My to-do list (and everyone else’s) is huge.   This week and next week are particularly hectic—4 big parties plus my usual client load. The parties this week both went well, but after two intense days in the kitchen the last thing that I want to do is cook and clean the dishes on my one day off.  That’s where this recipe kicks in—it’s quick, easy and delicious.  Dungeness crab is in season, so it is perfect for the holi-daze and so easy anyone can make it.

Spaghetti with Crab, Scallions and Mint

Adapted from ‘Urban Italian’ by Andrew Carmellini and Gwen Hyman

I decreased the amount of olive oil for this recipe and increased the amount of butter.  I also added the zest of one lemon to boost the lemon-y flavor.  Otherwise, it’s perfect!

Serves 4

1 pound spaghetti (I used fresh Ramen because I had some in the fridge, but angel hair pasta or capellini would work too.)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

6 Scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced separately (I had three in my fridge, so that is what I used.)

1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

1 cup clam broth (1 8oz bottle)

¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 small lemon)

Zest of 1 lemon

1 pound crab meat, picked over for shells and cartilage

4 Tbsp. butter

½ cup mint leaves, chopped

Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain.

In a large skillet heat the olive oil and saute the scallion whites.  You can add a clove or two of garlic if you like. Cook until softened and aromatic. Stir in the Old Bay.  Add the clam broth, lemon juice, crabmeat, lemon zest and butter.  Stir until the butter is melted.

Add the spaghetti and scallion greens to the skillet and toss to coat the spaghetti with the sauce.  Remove from the heat and toss in the mint.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve and Enjoy!  This recipe is sophisticated enough for company.  Simply round out the meal with a salad and pick up some cookies or something yummy from the bakery for dessert.

Shrimp must be one of the food world’s great luxuries. It cooks quickly, absorbs flavors well, is low fat and is a good source of protein. There are a couple of different varieties of shrimp, but I divide them into two main categories. Cocktail Shrimp and Salad Shrimp, or Big and Small. Frequently, Cocktail shrimp are bland, rubbery and less than appealing.  Haven’t you ever gone to a restaurant and been disappointed with the quality of the shrimp? I knew that they had the potential to be tender, flavorful and delicious, but I wasn’t quite sure how to get that end result. It took some searching and recipe testing, but I finally came up with a system to cook tasty big shrimp consistently. The secret lies in curing the shrimp briefly with salt and sugar. This was inspired by a recipe found in Sunset magazine, but I have also seen similar recipes in Cook’s Illustrated.

Phoebe’s Salt and Sugar Cured Shrimp
1tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 # peeled and deveined Shrimp, tails on
In our search for a more sustainable way of living it is important to purchase food that supports our long term goals for the future. When purchasing shrimp, try to avoid buying imported, farm raised shrimp, such as Tiger Prawns or Black Tiger Prawns. Instead, look for wild caught shrimp from the U.S Gulf of Mexico and U.S South Atlantic, called white or pink shrimp. U.S. farmed shrimp called ‘Pacific White Shrimp’ or ‘West Coast White Shrimp’ is also a good choice. (The Monterey Bay Aquarium website www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch has a terrific guide to sustainable and safe seafood. Check it out for more information.) If you have questions while shopping your fish market should be able to advise you.

Optional Flavorings
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. lemon zest (about 1 lemon’s worth)
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. chopped herbs–Parsley is good and adds a nice note of color while accentuating the lemon and garlic flavor. I have also experimented with basil successfully and a variety of spice rubs, so be creative.

Rinse the shrimp in a colander under cold running water. Next, toss the shrimp with the sugar and salt. Let the shrimp sit in the cure for as little as 20 minutes and up to an hour while you prepare the rest of dinner. I use this time to start cooking rice and set up the steamer for steamed vegetables. Once I have the rest of dinner underway I proceed with the shrimp recipe.
Mince the garlic and zest the lemon. Set aside. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry between two sets of paper towels. Drying the shrimp is important–it will help the shrimp to sear and seal in juices instead of steaming, so don’t skip this step. Toss the shrimp with the lemon zest, garlic, herbs and olive oil.
These shrimp are equally as good when they are pan seared, grilled or roasted in an oven. Whatever cooking method you decide upon the most important thing is to have a hot surface to cook the shrimp quickly. If you are cooking in the oven, pre heat to 425 or 450F and cook for about 5 minutes or so on at pre heated sheet pan. However, I prefer to cook these shrimp on a grill or seared in a saute pan. Heat your pan over a medium high heat and place the shrimp in a single layer in the hot pan. They should start to curl and turn pink almost immediately. The flesh will sear to a light golden brown where it has had direct contact with the pan. Turn the shrimp and sear on the second side. Remove from the pan and serve. Leftovers make a great addition to a lunchtime salad. I also like to toss leftover shrimp with a thin pasta such as angel hair. Serve with a bright, vivacious white wine such as a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

I adore this recipe for mussel gratin since.  I found it a few years ago on epicurious.com while I was doing research for cooking class for a client.  Aside from cooking and cleaning the mussels, this is a very quick dish and oh so perfect for summer with the use of basil and tomatoes.

*Tips for cooking with mussels.  First of all, purchase mussels from a reputable seafood market, one with a high turnover of perishable seafood.  Mussels can survive up to a week out of water, but start to degrade within a few days.  Once you arrive home, rinse the mussels off in a colander in the sink and discard any mussels that will not close or have broken shells. De-beard and prepare to steam.  To cook the mussels, I warm a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a stock pot and toss in a couple of cloves of crushed garlic.  When the garlic starts to sizzle and become aromatic, I toss in the mussels and add 1/2c. white wine.  Cover and steam just until the shells open.   If the mussel shell doesn’t open, toss it.  With shellfish, I follow a ‘better safe than sorry’ rule.  No one likes being sick—so when in doubt, throw it out.

*Mussels are not only a sustainable source of seafood—they are also a heart healthy, low fat source of protein, with twice the amount of iron found in beef and have high levels of omega 3’s and vitamin B 12.

Mussel Gratin (Gourmet Magazine)

Serves 4

4 lb mussels (preferably cultivated), cleaned and steamed, then shucked
2 lb plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup crème fraîche
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 oz)
2 large garlic cloves, 1 minced and 1 halved
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
15 (1/3-inch-thick) slices from a baguette
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Toss together mussels, tomatoes, basil, crème fraîche, cheese, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in an oiled 3-quart (about 13- by 9 1/2- by 2-inch) baking dish.

Rub 1 cut side of each bread slice with halved garlic and arrange bread, garlic side up, over mussel mixture in baking dish. Brush tops of bread with oil.

Bake gratin in middle of oven until bread is golden brown on top, about 15 minutes.

Serve mussels spooned over garlic toasts.