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Fried Shrimp...with melted butter?

      One of the many things I love about living in Plymouth is the fantastic waterfront area filled with great restaurants and gorgeous water views.  An old favorite, Bert's, re-opened a few months ago, and so far I've been in for lunch, and dinner, both excellent.  But Bert's also has a separate sports bar above the restaurant, called The Sky Box, and this is where we headed last Friday for a bite to eat, a few beers, and to watch the Sox play the Yankees.

It was a great night overall, we killed the Yankees, with former Yankee, David 'Boomer' Wells pitching, and a final score of 17-2.  It almost felt like we were in Fenway, with the way that the Skybox is decorated. The bartenders, all quite attractive young men, wear baseball style shirts, and the menu looks like an actual ticket. Big screen TV's everywhere means there are no bad seats. We decided to settle in at the bar, ordered some nice icy cold Harpoon IPA drafts, and checked out the menu which is mostly fried seafood, sandwiches,  and salads. We decided to split two meals, a lobster salad club and fried shrimp basket.  My mouth was watering for the lobster salad sandwich. With the $15 price tag, I was envisioning a club sandwich like the one I had at Christian's in Chatham which was legendary.  Fresh, thick, sweet chunks of lobster, lightly dressed with mayo and overflowing in a sandwich with crisp bacon, ripe tomato and lettuce. 

What we got, was quite different. I doubt the lobster was fresh, as it was not big chunks, but rather a miserly amount of small, minced, and shredded pieces, add in bland tomato, rawish bacon and limp lettuce, and we were less than impressed.  On the other hand, the fried shrimp were amazing. They were big, sweet, lightly fried and just fabulous.  But, what really sent them over the top was trying them the way my friend Janet eats them.  I raised my eyebrows when she asked for a side of melted butter.  For fried shrimp? I had never heard of such a thing.  I usually go for tartar sauce, lemon and maybe an occasional dunk in cocktail sauce.  Out of curiosity, though I had to try it.  Tentatively, I dipped one of my shrimps into the butter and then decided to go for it, and really coated it well.  Something about the rich butter dripping off the hot crispy shrimp as I took a bite, was both delicious and decadent. I loved it.  It's my new favorite way to eat shrimp.

So, next time you order a plate of fried shrimp, ask for a side of melted butter, and give it a try. See if you agree.

and go Sox....the Red Sox that is. We are playing the Chicago White Sox tonight at 8. They are a formidable team, best record in all of baseball. We beat them last night, just barely, so it should be another fun battle tonight.

Have a great weekend!

:) Pam

New Guilty Pleasure--American Iron Chef!

I was on eGullet the other day and people were speculating about the new Iron Chef America.  The overwhelming attitude was, 'how dare they?'. They poked fun at the first two ingredients, pizza dough in show one, and hamburger in show two.  I found this amusing, that they were ready to dismiss it without even seeing it. I found it especially interesting, because the night before I had actually stumbled onto the show unintentionally, just as it was beginning.  I've always been intrigued by the original Iron Chef, and when visiting my friend Keri and her chef husband, Andrew, on Nantucket, we've often spent an evening sipping wine, playing cards and watching the show.  It's always more fun to watch foodie shows like that with fellow foodies, they just 'get it'. My other friends just don't understand how it can be enjoyable to watch cooking show after cooking show the way other people watch baseball. But, I suspect you know what I mean. :)  Baseball's not bad either though, and I will be watching the All Star game tonight.

But back to Iron Chef. As much as I've enjoyed watching it occasionally, it was more for the drama and entertainment as they rushed around creating spectacular dishes with an oh-so-serious face. No one smiles on Iron Chef, until they are declared the winner. I don't think it's allowed. Watching the judges eat the dishes though, is a different thing. I'm reminded at times of the show Fear Factor, simply because of the exotic, and often slimy ingredients that are used. Though I can admire their efforts, I'm not usually left with a craving for their food.

Until now.  What first caught my eye were the two chefs, Mario Batali, and Todd English. Mario I had mentioned in my previous post, had made me drool just a few days earlier as I watched him made a gorgeous pasta dish on Emeril's show. Todd English, or as my friend Andrew teasingly refers to him, as 'God' English, is a big name here in Boston. I used to live right up the street from his most famous flagship restaurant Olives, in Charlestown, and around the corner from Fig's, a more casual pizza/pastro bistro.  Both restaurants have gourmet comfort food that has resulted in multiple locations. 

So, the idea of watching what these two could do with pizza dough, was very appealing. I  poured myself a nice glass of Meridian chardonnay, and settled in on the sofa. 45 minutes later, as they presented their creations to the judges, I really was drooling. I would have been happy to try just about any of these dishes. Todd went first, and had a creative, fun appetizer that was a mozzarella balloon, blown up somehow, and settled onto a pizza topped with proscuitto and drizzled with olive oil. The judges thought the presentation was great, but didn't love the flavor as much.  Mario however, had a very different reception. They raved about everything, except his lamb chop which at medium well, all agreed was too done. But, he creatively used ground up pizza dough crumbs to thicken a soup, and turned another batch into delicate noodles, topped with mini veal and ricotta meatballs. He also made a wonton of sorts, topped with a sliver of pork fat, which was a big hit.  So, Mario won, and it just reinforced my decision to buy his new cookbook...when I can justify buying yet another cookbook that is.  :) 

Next ingredient up is hamburg, and the chefs this time are Cat Cora vs. Kerry Simon. I''m not familiar with either of them, but will be curious to check it out.   Here's a link with some cute videos.  Iron Chef America

I'm tagged.... No More Meatballs!

  Well, I'm finally back.  I bet you're all quite tired of looking at those meatballs, delicious as they are.  :)  It's amazing how quickly time goes by, it's been over a month since I posted. Life got in the way unfortunately, with some sad family illnesses.  I must thank Brenda at Culinary Fool, for 'tagging' me, which gave me a much needed nudge back.

  So, I hope everyone is well.  It's a perfect July day here in Plymouth. Sunny, and warm, with a bit of a fresh, salty ocean breeze.  Over the 4th of July weekend, I had the chance to try a newly re-opened restaurant for lunch, Bert's. It's right on the beach, and if you picture Plymouth bay like a bent arm, Bert's sits in  the elbow position. Which means that over the years the building has taken a beating from the ocean in storms.  Two years ago, a suspicious fire gutted the place, and it stood empty for months. Every time we'd drive by, we'd shake our heads, wishing for someone we knew to adopt it. We were convinced it could be a potential gold mine, and selfishly, we just wanted to go back there again. 

Fortunately, it is now in good hands. A recent dinner was excellent, my baked stuffed lobster was overflowing with rich buttery stuffing, chock full of plump little shrimp, and meltingly tender scallops. But, I really fell in love at lunch. As some of you may know, I have a bit of a thing for fish sandwiches. Ever since I moved to Plymouth almost two years ago, I've had them everywhere. Bert's is the best. They use a big, thick, fresh and flaky piece of cod, that is dipped in a cornmeal batter that manages to be light and crunchy at the same time. 

I've also fallen madly, deeply and obsessively in love with baseball, and am following stats and rumors of The Red Sox, like a total geek. But, I'm having a ball. We're in first place, ahead of the Yankees for the first time in ten years, and after the All Star break, we start our next series on Thursday against the Yankees. There really is nothing like the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. It's electrifying, and should make for some entertaining baseball this week. First pitcher up is my favorite, Bronson Arroyo. He's 6'5", skinny, and sings! His first CD, Covering The Bases, comes out tomorrow. He covers classic favorites like 'Dirty Water', and has a surprisingly great voice.

Unfortunately, my cute little digital camera that is just a few months old, has died already. I thought it was the batteries, it's not. So, there may not be pictures, at least not MY pictures here for awhile, 'til I can get it fixed.

In the meantime, onto the questions that Culinary Fool tagged me with. They concern cooking, and books, two of my favorite things.

On Food and Books...

Number of Cookbooks I've owned.... 64 actual cookbooks, and about a dozen books on food writing. Last  (cook)book I bought... Last actual cookbook I bought was Molly Steven's All About Braising, which is already well used, and paid for itself, when it inspired a feature story on braising. Favorite recipe so far, braised salmon cooked in bacon, leeks, and pinot noir. Last food book I bought... Ruth Reichl's Garlic & Sapphires, The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, which I unexpectedly adored, and immediately went out and bought her others, and raved about here. Last cookbook that was given to me... Becoming a Chef, with recipes and reflections from America's Leading Chefs. by my non-foodie friend, Janet. It was given to her, and she really didn't even care to read it, but thought I might like it.  Love her! It's a combo book really, half narrative and recipes. The next cookbook I plan to buy... Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home I was flipping channels the other night, and landed on Emeril. What kept me there was his guest Mario Batali, who was promoting his new book, and what sold me on it, was watching him make a fresh pasta dish. He made homemade fettucini, cut into wide strips, and it looked delicate, and delicious, and relatively easy. He finished it in a mushroom, roasted garlic and wine saute, and my stomach growled. Last Food book I read... Fiction: Recipe For Seduction, by Marley Gibson. I predict that this is a soon to be published book.  Marley is working on requested revisions by a major publisher. :) Non-Fiction: The Tummy Trilogy, by Calvin Trillin. A wonderful collection of his published food writing. 5 cookbooks that mean a lot to me... How do I choose? Depends on my mood. But still, there are a handfull that I turn to over and over again. In no particular order, they are, 1. Julia Child's Kitchen Wisdom I love this little book. It's a gem. It's just over 100 pages, and seats neatly by my stove for easy reference. It's like a short cut to Julia info. Basic stuff like the perfect vinaigrette, which is sublime. Omelet tricks, and a quick go-to guide for how long to cook certain cuts of beef. 2. The New Basics Cookbook This is one of my first cookbooks, and one of my most used. Great, classic recipes for just about anything you'd want to cook, but with an updated, modern twist. All time favorite recipe is the Beef Stew, with lots of red wine. 3. Heart of the Home: Notes from a Vineyard Kitchen I adore this beautiful little cookbook. It's also hand written and illustrated, and the recipes are 'comfort food by-the-sea'. Favorite recipe from here is the Chicken breasts stuffed with an achingly elegant and ridiculously easy cornbread and hazelnut stuffing. It's meant to have a pear cream sauce over it, but the first time I made it, I stood staring at the tin cans of pears for about ten minutes, debating, 'do I go with heavy syrup, light syrup or juice?' I finally made a decision, grabbed a can, got home and realized after all that, I ended up with a can of peaches instead of pears! It was too late to go back, so I just made do with peaches, and it was wonderful. Have since tried with the pears, and actually prefer the peaches. Go figure. Her other books are just as good, I have them all. 4.  The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook I love her. This woman loves life, good food and cooking, and looks like a real person, not pencil thin. So, I had a feeling her food would be good. It is divine. If you make nothing else in this, make the brownies. They are called Outrageous Brownies, and the name fits. They call for a pound or so each of chocolate and butter, and are the best I've had, ever. 5.  The Best Recipe I've had this one for years as well. It's a great reference guide, for when you want to make something, and are curious about the best way to go about it, and the science behind the technique. On meatballs, for instance, I have to say they got it right. They explain the various techniques, and how after much testing, they arrived at the 'best recipe'. Their meatball recipe calls for milk, and really does produce a rich, creamy texture and great flavor. It's interesting though, that I had a hard time picking 5, because as much as I love cookbooks, I very seldom actually use them.  If I'm in the mood to cook, I usually browse through my stack, get a feel for different recipes and then wing it, either that, or get so hungry that I need immediate gratification, and go out to eat, or order takeout! Okay, I need to tag someone, so Marley, you're it! :) Pam