fat free opinions on a food centric life
Gumbo with Ham Hock and Shrimp I was lucky to be involved in many projects when I was teaching requiring travel to many areas of the U.S. and what I enjoyed about each experience was that after a brain draining day of work — …
I had an urge to make paella — but not the more traditional kind made with rice — and now that I think of it, if rice isn’t in it, then it’s probably not called paella. No, I’d seen a recipe featured in Saveur some …
It’s only a matter of time once the hint of Fall teases me with cool afternoons that I start thinking of soup. I’m not partial to any kind of soup in particular as long as it’s warm and satisfying. Sometimes I long for a clear broth and others something silky and smooth. This time, I was in the mood for something chunky with a bit of richness–like clam chowder. Alas, I didn’t have clams. Seafood chowder sounded excellent too, but I wasn’t sure the tilapia I had in the freezer would be the right kind of fish for that. No, I’d have to settle for the plump pieces of shrimp I had and the sweet corn and potatoes that needed to be used instead. I just needed to find a recipe that wouldn’t take up an afternoon to prepare.
I enjoy my recipe searches because in the process I compare and contrast general quantities of ingredients, consider the variety of spices used and admire an unusual spin here and there. It’s always nice to find a version that is healthy without taking away the satisfying aspect of the dish, too. Every once in a while, I find a recipe that stuns me. In my search for Shrimp and Corn Chowder, I found a recipe that seems to be making its rounds, finding it posted at several different sites. Serving six, it calls for one quart of half-and-half, one quart of heavy cream, and one-half cup of margerine. Seriously. I just about fell out of my chair wondering why on Earth it was necessary to put that much fat into a recipe that could easily do with much lighter ingredients and avoid classifying it as diet food.
Thankfully, I found a great recipe at Nook & Pantry, and although I didn’t follow it exactly as written, my version is not too far off. Shrimp & Corn Chowder anyone?
I’d like to believe the weather we’ve been enjoying is here to stay, but I know our small slice of Paradise much too well. Instead of the often sweltering heat we experience in August, we’ve been treated to grey skies, cool, moist breezes, and yesterday, …
I’d love to say it’s salad weather here, but if you are fortunate to be a resident of San Diego, then you know that not only have we been experiencing the typical overcast weather we lovingly refer to as May Grey, but are definitely headed …