Cookin' With Cat #3

Today, we're on to part 2 of our continuing series on page 50 of the March 2009 Gourmet magazine, with Garlicky Black-Pepper Shrimp and Black-Eyed Peas - a little Louisiana for a snowy day in Wisconsin.

Like all the best recipes, this one begins by browning up some bacon:

While the bacon is cooking, chop up 4 scallions, a carrot, a celery stick, half a green pepper, and 2 cloves of garlic:

Once the bacon is done, transfer it to a plate, and sauté the vegetables for about 10 minutes in the bacon fat, along with a bay leaf, a teaspoon of dried thyme, an eighth of a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, and a quarter teaspoon of black pepper:

Add two 15-oz cans of black-eyed peas (rinsed and drained), and two cups of chicken broth, and simmer for another 5 minutes or so:

While that's simmering, season a pound of peeled shrimp with a quarter teaspoon of salt and a half teaspoon of black pepper, and sauté with 3 cloves of chopped garlic in 3 tablespoons of olive oil just until the shrimp just start to turn opaque:

Then add half a cup of white wine and simmer for a couple of minutes, until the shrimp are fully cooked:

Now, just mix together the black-eyed peas, shrimp, and the chopped up bacon from the beginning of the recipe:

Throw out the bay leaf, and serve with bread for sopping!

This turned out really well. Anita was pushing for more red pepper flakes, but the black pepper is enough to give it a good level of spiciness. The broth picked up the flavors of both the shrimp and the bacon, and is delicious. It was much too good to give any to Kaiyo, which made him a little grumpy...

Stay tuned for next time, when Cookin' With Cat brings you an impressive-looking, but easy to prepare Provençal Chicken and Tomato Roast!

This Is Your Brain On Fire

I suspect a lot of you saw this on BoingBoing, but you should really check out the free online Brain Rules DVD. It's the companion video for the book by John Medina, and it's funny, clever, and full of helpful tips to make your brain work better. Goodness knows I can use the help.

Cookin' With Cat #2

Well, I've been a terribly bad blogger, so it's time to jump back on the wagon. Kaiyo and I got so much good feedback from our last cooking adventure that we figured we'd go ahead and continue the series.

Today, we're making Monte Cubano sandwiches!

While I was home visiting my family last week, I grabbed their copy of the March 2009 Gourmet magazine, which is a real winner. Nearly every recipe in it looks like something you could actually make and eat! This sandwich from page 50 is the first thing we've tried, and it's super yummy. We're making two sandwiches here, so cut everything in half if you're not that hungry.

Start off by slicing some good bread into thick slices:

Then, spread the bottom slice of each sandwich with a little mustard:

Add sliced Swiss cheese and dill pickles:

And a few slices of ham and turkey:

Next, chop up a clove of garlic, mash it with a little salt, and mix it into a tablespoon of mayonnaise. Spread that on the other slice of bread:

Now for the fun part! Mix together an egg, a tablespoon of milk, and some salt and pepper, and soak the sandwich in the egg mixture, making sure to get both sides evenly coated:

Finally, fry the sandwiches up in a little butter, browning both sides:

These are really delicious, quick, and easy! Filling, too. We have half a sandwich left over.