ABOUT THE FOOD DUDE - PART 2 and a Recipe for Barbecue Shrimp

I owe most of my knowledge of fine dining to The Southern Woman That I Married.

Cathey was born in New Orleans, raised in Texas, went to college in Mexico and did the Icelandic Airways/backpack in Europe thing well before I met her. Her mother Florence was a disaster in the kitchen when first married, but husband Vernon – who seldom cooked himself but knew how food was properly handled and prepared – was a patient tutor. Eventually, Florence became a better than fair cook who could successfully try her hand at just about any sort of dish. As a result of all of this, Cathey had wide exposure and an interest in recreating her culinary experiences for family and friends.

A quick story…

The first time that I visited New Orleans we stayed with Cathey’s relatives, Uncle Francis and Aunt Yvonne. I was treated to a true seafood feast. The glass-topped dining room table was covered with newspaper and piled high with boiled crab, boiled shrimp and boiled crawfish. Hot New Orleans jazz pulsed on the stereo, bottles of well-chilled Dixie Beer were available on request and the party lasted well into the Crescent City night. Uncle Francis played a mean bongo.

The next morning, I stumbled out of the guest bedroom to find medicine for an extreme case of dry mouth. There sat Yvonne, at 8:00 AM, eating cold crab. I burped, turned around, and went back to bed.

That night we went out to dinner to a restaurant in the Garden District that has become a personal favorite, Pascal’s Minale. It’s a sports bar, really. But the food is pure New Orleans wonderful. As you enter, the oyster bar is directly in front of you. Uncle Francis walked Cathey up to the bar and said, “Open for the lady.” Usually, people order a half-dozen or a dozen. Francis had signaled that this was not to be the case for his niece. Oysters were to be opened until Cathey decided that she’d had enough.

Now, the oyster openers in places like Pascal’s are professionals, none faster. But soon, as the first guy fell behind, a second opener was called in. I looked on in amazement. One dozen. Two dozen. Finally, after slurping three dozen raw oysters in a very few minutes, opened as quickly as two professionals were capable, my sweet young paramour took a deep breath, looked up and said, “Gee, I’d better save room for dinner.”

I don’t remember what Cathey had for dinner that night although I do remember being impressed that she cleaned her plate. I had Pascal’s famous barbecued shrimp. Cathey makes it at home. Now you can, too.

¾ cup butter

¾ cup margarine

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbs Worcestershire

1 – 2 tsp Tabasco

2 Tbs fresh rosemary

3 ½ Tbs coarsely cracked black pepper

2 tsp salt

3 pounds large shrimp in shells (15 – 16 per pound)

3 whole lemons, sliced

French bread

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter and margarine together. Remove from heat and add garlic, rosemary, Worcestershire, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Place shrimp in a large shallow baking dish and pour mixture over all. Tuck lemon slices in and around shrimp. Bake, turning once halfway, until tender, about 20 – 25 minutes. Serve with French bread.