Cooking Up a Storm

I have been cooking up a storm and can't wait to share some recipes with you guys. Look for updates soon.

Spring-a-licious

Spring has sprung. March 20th marked the first day of spring for 2010, and I couldn't think of anything more appropriate than surrounding myself with fresh flowers. I have always longed to visit Wye Mountain during the annual Daffodil Festival. Apparently I went as a child, and have pictures to prove it, but I needed to see this as an adult. So, that's exactly what I did - along with my fiance and youngest nephew, Sawyer. Last Saturday started out as such a beautiful day, but the closer we got to our destination, the cloudier the sky became. Still, we trekked forward. We reached Wye Mountain about 3:30 - and what a site. Beautiful daffodils surrounded the area. Seven full acres of daffodils! The website says that there are over 30 different types of daffodils at the festival- but I have no green thumb, and they all looked the same to me. Families were spread across the fields taking pictures and enjoying picnics. We only had a few moments to take pictures before the rain started to come - and I couldn't leave without taking a few dozen flowers. And what a bargain! You can pick flowers (within designated areas) for only $1 a dozen. Where else can you get a dozen flowers for only $1! And did I mention that admission is free? Of course you can make a donation. After all, this is a fundraiser for the Wye United Methodist Church, which sits across the street from the festival. I found the whole day to be very affordable. When the rain got heavier, Sawyer and I stepped into an indoor area where crafts were being sold. I bought him a homemade toy fishing pole for only $1. If it weren't for the rain, we would have made our way to the refreshments area where they were selling BBQ and cobblers. We will have to try that out next time. This was such a beautiful place that we will have to make it an annual trip.

For those of you who missed it last weekend, the festival is taking place again this weekend. Gates are open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Do yourself a favor and bask in the glory of this beautiful place.

Shrimp Six Ways

Last Friday night I had a great excuse to try a restaurant that has long been on my list of places to try. It was my sister Christin's 22nd birthday, and everyone was getting together at Mike's Place in Conway. Now, this was a Friday night during Lent and my fiance is making every effort of participating in Lenten practices of abstaining from eating meat on Fridays in order to become more aware of the Catholic traditions that I grew up with. I worried that he might not be able to find anything suitable on the menu; a quick visit to the website proved me wrong. With the ample selection of seafood (an allowable meat), we had no excuse not to go. When we arrived, I was taken back by how beautiful the restaurant was: high ceilings, hardwood floors, beautiful pieces from local artists (which can be purchased), and ornate details throughout the place. They succeeded in accomplishing the New Orleans style atmosphere that they were going for. I have often heard people from the area say that if you had a special occasion to celebrate, Mike's Place was the perfect venue. They could not have been more right.

As if the ambiance weren't enough, the food was also spectacular. We started off with some Parmesan Zucchini. When we make this at home, we slice the zucchini into thin rounds. At Mike's Place, the dish came out with a french-fry look resulting in perfectly crisp, perfectly seasoned bites; the homemade ranch was a perfect accompaniment. We couldn't resist the opportunity to try some of the other appetizers. A friend ordered the Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms, noted as a house specialty. They were divine, likely the best I have ever had. We also had an opportunity to try the Shrimp and Cheese Fritters. These came out looking like huge hush puppies. That apparently is the intent. It is actually a mix of Gulf Shrimp with mixed cheeses, fresh garlic and Cajun Seasonings, lightly fried. I didn't taste much shrimp in my few bites, but it's possible my fiance got the best of it. I wasn't as excited about these as the rest of the table, but they did seem to be a hit.

While we were waiting for our main courses (and we did wait long - as can be expected with a group of 17), I decided to order something fun from the bar. The Fuzzy Leprechaun seemed like a nice choice. It was refreshing and seemed like a close relative of the Fuzzy Navel, my typical go-to drink. I also had a sip of my sister's drink, the Typhoon, which seemed like a close relative of my go-to shooter, Woo Woos. It wasn't long after our drinks came out that the waiter brought some warm rolls. And nothing passes time like fresh bread and real butter.

About an hour after we were seated, our entrees were delivered. I ordered a Create Your Own Platter with Coconut Shrimp and Shrimp Scampi sided with Smashed Potatoes and Fresh Steamed Veggies. The Coconut Shrimp was perfectly cooked with a side of coconut glaze, which I found a bit too sweet, but the shrimp was very tasty without it. The Shrimp Scampi was broiled and covered with the perfect amount of garlic butter sauce. The steamed veggies consisted of red bell peppers, squash, zucchini, and sugar snap peas. The smashed potatoes were mixed with an abundance of fresh herbs. My significant other, Brian, ordered the Ultimate Shrimp Platter consisting of Gulf Shrimp prepared 3 ways: Brantley style, marinated & grilled, and golden-fried. Brantley-style shrimp are a traditional New Orleans BBQ Shrimp served in a savory Bayou Butter, and topped with Parmesan. The marinated & grilled shrimp was Brian's favorite of the five shrimp that we tasted. It did have a great smoky flavor to it. Our least favorite of the five was the Golden-Fried, perhaps it just got lost in all the rest of the flavors. Our only complaint about the shrimp was that they were not peeled to our liking, and once they were covered in sauce and breading, trying to get the last bit of peel off was a messy task. Brian ordered a fresh salad and loaded baked potato for his sides, and when both came out with bacon, I just looked the other way. After we left, Brian did comment on how delicious the steaks looked, I suppose another trip is in store for us, one that does not fall on a Friday during Lent.

Mike's Place is somewhat of a splurge, but worth every dollar. If you are craving shrimp, and want a night in, this is a great recipe and a sixth way to enjoy shrimp:

Shrimp Saute

- 1 tbsp. butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- 2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
- 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp. minced fresh chives

Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; saute garlic 30 seconds. Add lemon juice and next four ingredients. Cook six minutes or until shrimp are done. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with parsley and chives.

Makes 4 servings

Finally . . .

So this is it. A place for me to blog about my adventures in cooking. For the past few years I have wanted to start a blog, but as with most things involving technology, I am always the last person to jump on board. And besides, what would I blog about? What do I have to offer the world that could not be found through a simple google search? Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have discovered that in fact, google does not have the answer to all things in life... blasphemous I know. Through this blog, I hope to educate, inspire, and encourage all the novice cooks out there. And as a novice myself, I hope to get some answers, too. See, I love food. I'm one of those people that could spend hours in a specialty food store reading labels and discovering new produce. It's true that not a year goes by that I don't put some unusual spice or ingredient on my Christmas list. Oh, and cookbooks - I read them from front to back. And then again. As you can imagine, I could not be happier to have been placed on the Cookbook Committee with the Junior League of Little Rock. And my job? To prepare dishes for events promoting the League's newest cookbook, Big Taste of Little Rock. I couldn't have picked a better placement! With the recent announcement that Big Taste of Little Rock had won an international award, Best Fundraising Cookbook in the World By Gourmand, I knew that this was the perfect time to start my blog. I have never cooked more out of any of my 50+ cookbooks as I have Big Taste of Little Rock - and I have to say with complete honesty, that I am impressed. I mean, really impressed. And my husband-to-be, he is impressed, too. I joke that my placement on cookbook committee is what won him over. I may be an average girl, but with the recipes in Big Taste of Little Rock, I appear to be a great cook. With that said, most of the recipes that I review on this blog will be out of Big Taste, however, this blog will not be limited to recipe reviews. It will also give occasional restaurant reviews and updates on my life in the City. Little Rock that is. Because I'm big on taste. And I'm big on Little Rock. Enjoy!