I had a Bad Day(tm) yesterday. Total, woke-up-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-bed, felt cranky, tired, frustrated, annoyed, everything. I wrote some snippy emails. I ranted on my blog (see below post, which is apparently being viewed in a much more positive light than I had any suspicion it would be). I got a little upset about a problem at work.
And I really wanted to go home and be in a bad mood. I wanted to fight with Sailor Boy, to force myself to read a wretched book, to eat yucky food and pout and mope and wallow in the mud of my Bad Day(tm).
This would have been a Bad Idea(tm). Luckily, around three o’clock, I had an intense craving for shrimp. Maybe it was reading this, a guest post of Marley’s on Pam’s food blog. I don’t eat salmon (though I promise I’ll try yours, M!), but I started craving shrimp.
So when I stepped off the Metro this evening, I turned left instead of right and headed to the grocery store fish market. I picked up a pound of gulf shrimp (which they totally overcharged me for, by the way, and I’m lucky I didn’t discover that fact until this morning, as it might have completely obliterated my cure) and a few Dungeness crab clusters, went home, poured myself a lovely dirty martini (which no, I don’t usually do, but today was a special circumstance), and started making dinner.
When Sailor Boy came home, it was almost ready. He knew about my Bad Day(tm) and hadn’t had such a hot one himself, and so was understandably surprised when I told him that I was having crab, shrimp, and crispy rosemary potatoes for dinner. In the past, he has hinted around at the fact that he loves me for my crispy rosemary potatoes (and I overcooked them last night, but I think he loved me anyway).
Anyway, I cooked up the potatoes, reheated the crabs, and proceeded to make the “Shrimp My Way” recipe from How To Cook Everything. It’s delish. Get about a pound and a half of shrimp, and cover the bottom of an over-safe skillet with oil, warm on low heat, toast a few cloves of garlic in the hot oil until they are golden brown, then add 1 tsp. of cumin, 1.5 tsp. of paprika and the shrimp. Toss until everything’s coated, then cook it under your broiler until browned and bubbly. I think next time I might add a dash of something to make it a bit more sweet — chili perhaps, or maybe a bit of honey. I like my spicy a little sweet, you know? But it was good.
Then we had Hagen Dazs Dulche de Leche for dessert, and watched Young Frankenstein. And I slept for nine hours.
I’m cured.
May 27th, 2005 at 11:25 am
Sounds like a great recipe! And of course hagen daz is manna from heaven }:) I’m glad you’re having a better day today!
May 27th, 2005 at 12:01 pm
Your shrimp recipe sounds deeeelish! And I’m glad it lifted your spirits. {Hugs!}
If you’re looking for sweet and spicy, try doing the recipe just like you said, only use a tablespoon of Old Bay seasoning and maybe a teaspoon of honey…mmm…I’m drooling just imagining it. Good thing I’ve got shrimp defrosting on the counter.
Marley = )
May 27th, 2005 at 1:12 pm
It’s amazing what shrimp and a good night’s sleep will do for a person. I call it the seafood-sleep cure.
May 27th, 2005 at 1:34 pm
This shrimp recipe sounds great!
I’ve recently fallen in love with Cumin. I added it to some otherwise naked turkey meatballs the other night, and the smell/taste was amazing.
May 27th, 2005 at 3:27 pm
Gina, this might be why cats are so happy.
Marley, I think I’m going to try the honey. Either that or go out and buy some Hungarian paprika, which I hear is sweeter.
Turkey meatballs with cumin, huh, Pam? I’ll have to give that a whirl sometime…