THIS WEEK'S WINNER!
Jodi Kasten! For her haunting, bittersweet memories of the New Orleans of her childhood -- with $2 illegal booze and delicious food in all corners -- and her worries about a city that has since become something much more sinister, and much more tragic. (Recipe for New Orleans Barbequed Shrimp included.)
AND HOW ABOUT A HAND FOR OUR CATEGORY WINNERS?
In the Good Hearts category, Tiamaht for her heartwarming story about being served the best gumbo of her life by stricken homeowners during her first housing recovery mission in Post-Katrina Mississippi (their house had been the 31st from the water, but after the storm, became the 3rd). (Recipe for Elaine's Gumbo included.)
In the Artistic Plating category:
Canuck Jenna Charlton stepped it up with the help of some visiting Vancouverites, whipping up a feast of grilled shrimp with pineapple slices and peppers, a mango salsa salad and steamed bok choy. The group effort looks like it paid off deliciously. (Recipe for grilled shrimp, grilled pineapple, grilled red pepper, mango salsa salad, and sesame baby bok choy included.)
In the Chinese Food category:
Kolika Elle Kirk, for her reminiscence of childhood Chinese restaurant memories -- R.I.P. Old Peking! -- and her tips on making the perfect shrimp lo mein.
In the Trying to Make Us Lose Our Appetite category:
foodguy, for his comparison between eating shrimp and eating bugs -- and making us picture flushing our dinner down the toilet -- and yet still making us want to try his delicious-looking Shrimp Dejonghe. (Recipe for Shrimp Dejonghe included.)
In the Landlocked in Colorado category:
Cyndi Baker tries to recapture the magic of a very special eatery on the beach of Puerto Vallarta -- dubbed the Oasis -- from afar. (Recipe for Shrimp Fried Rice included.)
In the Risky but Delicious category:
Linda Shiue goes for the authentic Mexican ceviche experience (made with raw seafood marinated in lime or citrus) while reliving the story of her (very photogenic) trip to Mexico. (Recipe for Ceviche de Camaron included.)
In the Catholic Guilt category:
Lisa Kuebler recounts how her mother broke her religious aversion to meat with a seafood feast on Fridays -- and how the Casa de Kuebler put their own spin on tacos. (Recipe for Tacos the Camaron included.)
In the Comfort Food category:
Lucy Mercer passes along some South Carolina low-country wisdom with her delightful-sounding (and looking) instructions for shrimp and grits. (Recipe for Breakfast-style Shrimp and Grits included.)
In the South Carolina category:
Bellwether Vance explains how the Gulf Coast shrimpers' woes began long before the oil spill -- facing competition from foreign operations with far lower cost -- and remembers her own time growing up, when local shrimp was cheap and everywhere. A moving, beautifully written entry. (Recipe for Shrimp Baked in Spicy Basil Garlic Butter included.)
In the Deceit category:
Cindy Capitani writes about that time her mom served her the best chicken she had ever eaten -- only to discover it was something considerably more crustacean. (Recipe for Shrimp Curry over Rice included.)
In the Sex category:
Paula Torrey Mamuscia compares her early shrimp experience to a great orgasm -- and gives us a delicious seafood pizza. (Recipe for Shrimp Pizza included.)
In the Trauma category:
Mamie Chen recalls her first experience eating live shrimp -- an experience that's not for the squeamish, or the PETA member. (Recipe for Drunken Shrimp included.)
In the Most Exotic category:
Paul Hinrichs combines --surprise! -- chocolate and shrimp in a mind-blowing and eye-catching recipe that's definitely worth a look. (Recipe for Raindrops on a Rose included.)
AND NOW FOR THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:
Burgers may not technically be a seasonal food -- the greatest hamburger I've ever eaten was cooked in the winter, indoors, in a pan -- but there's no denying that with Memorial Day around the corner, we’re barreling into grilling season.
So break out your white shoes for the beginning of summer and help us all get ready for months of thrilling sizzle with your best burgers. What's your spin on them? Do you go crazy with toppings? Are you a mix-stuff-into-the-patty kind of burgermeister? Or are you a traditionalist, concerned mainly with getting good meat and cooking it the right way?
Be sure to tag your posts: SKC burgers
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