My Kitchn

I'm starting to feel as if I should purchase interest in Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. This shrimp kick that I'm on has been interesting to say the least. I'm not the pickiest eater I know, but I have a "discriminating palate" and I know what I like and don't like. I don't dislike shrimp, but I have to be in a mood to eat them. I guess I'm in a mood...

The below recipe is adapted from The Kitchn's Southern-Style Pickled Shrimp. That photo is much better than mine, but my shrimp still look pretty good. And taste it too.
 

Southern Pickled Shrimp

1 Vidalia or sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup lemon juice, fresh
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup capers with juice
3/4 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Splash of hot sauce, to taste
1 1/2 pounds (41/50 count) peeled shrimp

In a saucepan, combine the onions, lemon, cider vinegar, canola oil, capers, celery seeds, sugar, salt, and hot sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes, Add the shrimp and cook for 4-6 minutes. Cover and remove from heat. Cool down and refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve chilled. Keeps for at least a week.

NOTE: Sometimes I'll add whole lemon slices and extra capers that have been fried (they pop and bloom in hot oil--it's like magic) after the shrimp have cooked but before the mixture is cooled down. Leaving the tails on is a great idea for party appetizers. Just be sure to have receptacles available for the refuse.

True Grits

Grits: You love them or you hate them. There is NO in between. I will admit this--most of the southern population has been eating mediocre grits their whole lives. Boiled in a pot with water for just a few minutes, the texture is akin to Quikrete. No wonder Notherners think we're crazy down here.

Grits are stone-ground corn (white or yellow) and the texture leaves much to be desired. Made with water and seasoned with salt and pepper, it's a staple on breakfast menus everywhere. Upscale restaurants serve them with shrimp, fish, and an up-charge of $20. [insert ironic scoff here]

A true grit lover scoffs at instant or quick-cooking grits; only long-cooking stone-ground grits are worth eating. Grits are served as a side dish for breakfast and in recent times, for dinner and are traditionally doctored up with butter, milk, cream and sometimes sugar.

The ubiquitous Southern staple: Shrimp and grits.

1 cup stone-ground grits
4 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 slices bacon, cut into lardons
1 cup sliced mushrooms
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon half-and-half
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 cup thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts
1 large garlic clove, minced

Bring milk and butter to a slow boil. Stir in grits with a whisk. Reduce the heat to the low and cook the grits until all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. The grits should have the same consistency as oatmeal (moist, not dry). If the grits become too thick, add water to thin. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Keep covered until ready to serve.

Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned and crisp, then drain on a paper towel. Add mushrooms, the lemon juice, half-and-half, parsley, green onions, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or just until mushrooms release their moisture.

Next, add the shrimp and until shrimp turn pink. Remove the skillet from the heat. Pour the grits into a serving dish. Pour the shrimp mixture over the grits. Garnish with the bacon bits.

Back On The Block

I know, I know--you're saying, "Nikki has decided to write a new blog post after a nearly 8 month hiatus..."
My previous posts were far and few between before that. I have a good excuse, I promise...
Shortly after my last post about Chick-fil-A, I went to New Orleans to participate in Mardi Gras festivities, get back to my roots (via my mother's side of the family) and reflect on career development and my next steps in order to start working full-time again.

True story: A Pat O' Brien's hurricane helps with career development reflection

 Since leaving my position at the local newspaper nearly a year and a half ago, I've been promised a lot of things and all under-delivered. Let's see... what did I get into?

• marketing for a lawn care company (the only grass I know about in-depth is wheatgrass)
• marketing consultant and recipe consultant for a local snack food company
• contract employee at a travel & tourism company

Last, but not least, I became a marketing director for Chick-fil-A. I was in heaven, it was amazing, and it was a dream job! ...Or so I thought...
Fast-forward 3 months and the store decided to "go in a different direction". I was crushed beyond belief. I sat on my couch for a week, in a daze. I needed 6 Pat O'Brien's hurricanes at this point. Before I was able to break out the fruit punch, I received an email from a woman who remembered meeting me at a party.

In the email she reintroduced herself and revealed that she is a physical therapist and she said a client of hers needed a personal chef. I called her, we talked, she gave me preliminary details and I raced to the computer to look up what a proper personal chef should have/bring to an interview.

That was a Tuesday. By Thursday, I was pulling up to a 22-acre farm within the city limits, in awe of would could be. To make a long story short, they hired me on the spot. And I think I've been dreaming ever since:

• My work schedule is 7 days on/7 days off
• I have a car to use for grocery shopping and errands
• I create lunch and dinner only. Lunch is at 2. Dinner is at 6.
• My menu, my discretion.
• Housekeepers clean the kitchen & any mess I make
• I only cook for 1 client and any of the staff that is working that day.

I feel like I'm ripping them off because it doesn't feel like work.

It feels like I was lost and they found me.

I was made to do this.