defintion heading

post- a prefix meaning: after in time/apocalyptic def: a prophetic disclosure; a revelation/princess def: a woman who is a ruler of a principality Post-Apocalyptic Princess def: A woman who became an award-winning apparel designer, found her prince, battled breast cancer, lost over 100 pounds, adored her time behind the counter in the wonderful world of retail, has more than a few neuroses, lived in L. A., moved to a little town in Maine, and is attempting to make a go of a retail shop while trying to figure out a way to get back to L.A. before she loses her mind and savings

Thursday, August 2, 2012

At Last.....

After weeks of boxes stacked in every corner of the kitchen, we've actually made some headway and have gotten back to cooking.  I'm trying to embrace our kitchen here, but it continues to provide numerous challenges....everything from a lack of storage to a workspace that is reversed from every kitchen I've ever had.  By this time you're probably well acquainted with the fact I have a few "issues", but I had no idea that not having any counter space to the left of the sink would throw my routine of prepping and washing dishes into a tailspin.  Metro shelves have solved the storage problem, colorful French posters went up on the walls, the pot rack Dan made me once again resides over the stove, and my go-to cookbooks are back on the counter.

Recently, we were invited for dinner at the home of some new friends.  The evening was an absolutely lovely gathering of seven....three of whom were artists.  We were treated to a tour of our host's stunning vegetable garden, lively conversation on everything from books to beehives, and an exquisite dinner of local fare and freshly grown veggies.  To say I am totally intimidated by the exceptional cooking we have experienced here is an understatement of Julia Child proportion. 

Still working out of boxes, I managed a Cilantro- Lime Shrimp appetizer that was easy and a nice option for a summer evening.  This is one of those dishes I love as it can be made early in the day...or even the day before if need be.  The one thing I would suggest is to buy jumbo shrimp as they do have a tendency to shrink in size.

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp

1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup orange marmalade
3 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (stems removed),
     chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled, deveined, with tail intact

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, marmalade, garlic, cilantro, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Reserve 1/3 cup of the mixture for dipping.  Combine the shrimp and remaining mixture in a large zip-lock plastic bag and marinate, turning occasionally to coat the shrimp, for 45 minutes in the refrigerator.  Drain the shrimp and lightly pat dry between paper towels.   In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat until hot.  Saute half of the shrimp until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side.  Repeat the cooking process with the remaining olive oil and shrimp.  Plate and serve hot or at room temp- erature with the reserved dipping sauce.