"He who eats alone chokes alone." -Arabic Proverb

So for all this time I thought that I enjoyed cooking for others because it was a labor of love, a way to share an experience and be giving and nurturing towards others. But then I saw this proverb and I thought hmmm that really resonates with me...fuck it cooking for others is a way to save myself from dying a scary choking death alone. It all makes sense now. Did any of you ever see the Sex in the City episode where Miranda is afraid of choking alone in her apartment?

Ok I really do find this proverb amusing but I do truly believe in cooking for others as a way to nurture, share and give. And tonight I had the pleasure of cooking for a friend who was recently released from the hospital. I can't tell you how nervous I was just because I wanted to make her happy. She is truly the most positive person on the face of the Earth and she is that person that even when she is going through her own stuff she will still call and check on you. She can always find a way to smile and laugh and she truly takes care of everyone and everything so being given the gift to cook for her was a daunting task. She is craving spicy food so I found a recipe for Bayou Shrimp Stew and seeing as I have no experience with Southern style cooking I decided to give it a try. It was a Rachael Ray recipe so I didn't think it would have any crazy ingredients I couldn't find and sure enough I was able to get everything at one grocery store.  I thought the andouille sausage would give it a nice kick and I actually added some Creole seasoning to the bread crumb mixture to give it some added spice.



I have to say the hardest part of this recipe was peeling the 2lbs of shrimp. The recipe says it takes 20 minutes to prep this recipe and I just have to stand up and scream "liar" on that one. Between peeling the shrimp, chopping 2 onions and the bell pepper it took me closer to 40 minutes to prep this recipe. Granted I am slow with a knife so as not to take off a finger and I am also slow peeling shrimp...um just because. However, once the chopping and peeling is done the rest of the recipe really comes together quite nicely.

First make the breadcrumb mixture-melt the butter and saute the garlic. I love the smell of cooking garlic...actually in general this recipe really makes the house smell great. I think it was the herbs and the bell pepper/onion/garlic mixture. Yum! The bread crumb mixture consists of garlic, bread crumbs, herbs de Provence and salt and pepper. For those of you who are wondering herbs de Provence is a dried herb mixture of savory, fennel, basil, thyme and sometimes lavender. It is very fragrant. The bread crumb mixture will go on top of the stew once its done cooking.

Meanwhile in a dutch oven saute 12oz sliced andouille sausage for about 7 minutes and then remove from pan. Add the last 2 T of butter and saute the onions, garlic and yellow bell pepper. Add the flour and stir constantly. This makes a roux, which is a combination of butter and flour that is used to thicken sauces. However, you do definitely have to stir this constantly because it can burn easily and it will give you kind of a strangely weird nutty burnt flavor. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Add the sausage and edamame. I have never cooked with edamame before and this recipe calls for shelled frozen edamame. I do have to say its kind of hard to tell when its done so I thought mine was a little on the hard side, however I don't know if its supposed to be like that or not. Hmmm....

Finally add the shrimp and cook until they are pink and no longer translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Voila!

Here is the recipe for Bayou Shrimp Stew if you are interested:

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
• Salt and pepper
• 12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 cup frozen shelled edamame
• 2 15 ounce cans  white beans, rinsed
• 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

1. In a medium skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add half the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Stir in the bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.
2. In a Dutch oven, cook the sausage over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 7 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, remaining garlic and 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, the onions and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually stir in 2 cups water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and edamame and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the white beans and bring to a simmer. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until firm and opaque, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the seasoned crumbs over each portion.

And my random thought for the day, don't you hate when you are driving and you look over to the lane next to you and the person is driving at the exact same speed as you and you make eye contact and its awkward...