Grandma & the Texas Sheet Cake recipe

My Grandma was such a unique person, she was a pioneer in so many ways! She married my Grandfather in 1929, he was literally a "one arm house painter."

Grandpa lost his left arm when he was 19 from a misfiring shotgun. He was hunting on horseback and was in the woods alone. After the injury he passed out on his horse & the horse took him back home. He always laughed and told me" I survived WWI and blew my own arm off!" He was so funny, loved life & never let his lack of a left arm slow him down.

They lived in rural Central Texas on a farm, raised cattle & cotton. Grandpa was the county Tax Assessor & House Painter.  Grandma was a preacher! What a combination...

Grandma was such a serious soul. It was hard to get her to laugh, she was so intense about everything. She loved her family incredibly and wanted to help everyone around her. She was going to being a school teacher but felt that God wanted her to be a preacher.

She would have made a good teacher but I would have felt so sorry for those students! Grandma was a strict disciplinarian to say the least. So God knew what he was doing when he lead her down the path to preaching. Although it wasn't common in those days for a lady to preach, no one ever called Grandma ordinary!

During the 1940's they pastored a church in Beat Five, Texas. She would always tell me "I left all the dealings to the men, I just preached & prayed!" And a great preacher she was!! She could make me shake in my shoes when she preached, mostly because I was afraid she would use me for an example in her sermons.

She taught me so much about being my best, but mostly she gave me unconditional love. She taught me to cook & show hospitality to everyone who entered my home. My love of cooking & feeding others comes from years of watching my grandmothers lovingly prepare food for their families.

Grandma was a stickler on the rules. I tend to see most things as black & white, I'm sure that came from her too! I appreciate this heritage more than I can say. She shaped me into the strong woman I am today.

Thinking about the holidays always reminds me of those who are no longer with us, but when we cook their recipes they live on in our minds.  My grandma always made a Texas Sheet Cake. She was so funny, she would put pecan halves on top so there would be 20 pieces with a pecan half on each one. We all expected that cake, and as you can see in the picture, even after she was well up in age she still felt like she had to make it. She said it just wasn't a holiday dinner if she didn't!

Holiday cooking is a heritage to pass on to our children & grandchildren. Start traditions with your families now & one day they will just have to have that "Texas Sheet Cake" memory of you for the holiday's.

I am happy to share this recipe with you, it's a common one but Grandma's was just a little better! Think that may be a childlike belief...but hey it's the most wonderful time of the year.

Grandma wouldn't use store bought pecans, they had to come from a friends tree & she had to shell them herself...wonder where I get the set in my ways behavior?

Texas Sheet Cake

CAKE

1 stick margarine

1/2 c. shortening ( these two can be replaced with 2 sticks of butter)

1 cup water

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 c. buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

ICING

1/2 cup butter or margarine

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 lb ( 2 cups) powdered sugar

6 tablespoons milk

1 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For the cake, combine the butter, water and cocoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.  Add the butter mixture all at once, and stir to blend.  Whisk eggs and buttermilk together, add to the batter and mix well.  Pour the batter into a 9x13 pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Just before the cake is done, make the icing: Combine the butter, milk, and cocoa in a large, heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, mix well. Add the icing to the cake while it is still warm & pours easily then add the pecans. Grandma used halves, but I used chopped sometimes, hope she doesn't know!

Smoked Chipotle Turkey Breast

Smoked Turkey is one of my favorite meats. I love to eat it straight from the pan,& so does everyone else in our family! We smoke whole turkeys when we have lots of time, but if you want the smoked turkey experience & have less than a few hours to get it, try a half turkey breast.

Williamson Bros Bar-B-Q has a chipotle sauce that is really great. The chipotle taste is prominent but it also has a cumin and garlic note that is very pleasing. This sauce adds a smoky flavor to your meats from the inherent taste of the chipotle itself.

If you haven't tried chipotles, you should give them a chance. These little wet, wrinkled chili peppers come in a can & are packed in adobo sauce. It isn't necessary to remove the sauce, it actually adds incredible taste to any dish.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/416613-chipotle-pepper-benefits/?utm_source=popslideshow&utm_medium=a1

We marinated our half turkey bone-in breast in the refrigerator over night in a mixture of 2 tablespoons of Williamsons Spicy Chiptole BBQ sauce & 2 teaspoons of pecan flavored liquid smoke. If you have never used a smoke flavoring, you can find it in the grocery isle with the steak sauce, bbq sauce etc. I like the pecan because it doesn't overpower the other seasonings.

Injecting a mixture of half sauce & half olive oil into the breast will keep the meat moist while smoking. It's also healthier than butter, but if you need the butter...it's your call!

When you are ready to start smoking the turkey breast, remove it from the fridge & let it sit on the counter & come to close to room temperature. About 15-20 minutes will usually be enough time. While it is resting, start your wood pellets in your smoker box on your gas grill. I turn my grill to high & sit the smoker box in the back corner. Do not wet the pellets or wood.

I like to smoke my turkey breasts in an iron skillet. I do not wrap in foil, that tends to steam the meat & you don't get the results you are looking for.

After about 30 minutes the grill should have enough smoke to start the smoking process. Reduce the temperature to medium indirect heat. With the turkey breast in a well seasoned iron skillet, coat it on all sides with the sauce before placing it on the grill. 

What I like about Williamson Bros sauce is the consistency. It isn't thin, but it isn't thick & sticky. This type of sauce is the best for gas grill smoking because of the lower sugar content of the sauce.

During the smoking process I apply sauce to all the sides every 10 minutes.

Remember that you should have your grill on medium indirect heat. The temperature inside the grill should be about 300 degrees. The skillet should be sitting in the middle of the grill with no flame under it. Although this is only a breast, it can dry out quickly so keep it well marinated with sauce.

I cook my turkey breast to a temperature of 170 degrees. This usually takes about 30-45 minutes on my grill, but ever grill is different & the outside air temperature is a factor also. Just judge your doneness on that meat temperature...this is just a really great reason to go buy a cool meat thermometer!

 After it cools a little, I remove the meat from the bone, leaving the skin intact. You can remove the skin but it really adds to the taste & look of the smoked turkey.

We added Williamson Bros Spiccy Chipotle Bar-B-Q sauce to the top of the turkey breast. Simple turkey taken to another level. Healthy & delicious, we had baked sweet potatoes from the grill to complete this meal. Oh & we had salad...just hard to do on the grill! Although I am wanting to do the grilled romain lettuce so who knows...we just might do that!

Williamson Bros Bar-B-Q sauces impressed me in many different ways, but one of the things I loved was the low sugar content. Many people who are on a sugar restricted diet must avoid bbq like the plaque. Being a RN & working with diabetics I can say this sauce is a great choice for sugar & carbohydrate counts. Best part is they are really good!

Visit Willamson Bros Bar-B-Q website today!
www.williamsonbros.com

Grilled Chicken & Spinach Roulade with Williamson Bro's Honey BBQ Sauce

Contrary to popular belief we Southerners really do know how to cook things with style, even on the grill. The days of backyard cooks only producing meats that are so tough you could let the dog use them for a chew toy are over! We cook with style & class now...even if we do hang out at Bass Pro shop or Cabela's discussing the best wood pellets or wood for smoking. Also never think it's just the men doing this, we ladies are a force to be reckoned with!

To continue my review of Willamson Bros. Bar-B-Q sauces I created a new recipe to showcase their Honey BBQ sauce. After opening it & tasting it ...my cook's mind went into high gear. I like this one because as a whole, it's incredible, but the honey taste is so smooth on the tongue. It has a gentle mustard flavor, very mild but it blends so well with the honey. I taste the chili powder, garlic & spices but nothing is overwhelming to the palate.

After tasting the sauce I choose to make a chicken thigh stuffed with spinach & smokey provolone cheese. I marinated my boneless, skinless chicken thighs in pecan liquid smoke & seasoned them well with New Southern Pantry's Rustic Chef Seasoning.

I let my meats marinate overnight usually, but if you don't have that long, an hour or so will work.  Remove them from the fridge about 15 minutes before you get ready to roll them. Never put meat straight from the cold of the refrigerator on the grill. it will greatly change the cook time & make your food either under or over cooked. Neither is a good option!

Roll the chicken thighs with a stick of cheese & about 2 tablespoons of chopped spinach inside. Wrap a piece of bacon around the outside and secure with a wooden toothpick.

I cooked these on a direct medium high heat on my Weber gas grill. I cooked them about 4-5 minutes on each side then tested for temperature.They should cook to an internal temp of 180 degrees. Invest in a good stick style thermometer if you don't have one. You will need to check the temperature at least once, but probably twice. All grills cook different depending on type & also on the thickness of the thigh. 

Before placing my roulades on the grill I brushed the top side with Williamson Bro's Honey Bar-B-Q sauce. I didn't brush the bottom to prevent the initial side from sticking to the grill due to the sauce. I also brushed the bacon that is wrapped around the chicken thigh with BBQ sauce to caramelize it.

After cooking for about 4 minutes I turned the chicken over & brushed the top with sauce. You need to continue to baste the roulade while cooking to keep it moist. Chicken is so easy to dry out on the grill at this heat so don't hold back on the sauce!

These made a delicious dish out of simple chicken thighs, spinach, cheese, & bacon. So easy & so elegant looking when plated



And when you add the delicious Williamson Bros Honey BBQ sauce, it's an elegant dinner to serve for any occasion! I like to heat the BBQ sauce to serve on the table also if someone wants to add more. There is just nothing worse on warm chicken than cold sauce!

Slicing into this Chicken Roulade shows the melting cheese & the spinach. You can use any type of hard cheese in this dish. I think a cheddar with grilled red onions would be delicious. That's the fun of cooking, no rules...just try it!

Visit Willamson Bros Bar-B-Q to order this great sauce. You won't be disappointed if you like real Southern BBQ with full flavored sauces.

http://www.williamsonbros.com 

For the New Southern Pantry Rustic Chef Seasoning we used to marinate the chicken, visit our website.

http://www.newsouthernpantry.com

Southern Comfort Foods

Southerners love comfort food...wait what am I saying, we eat food for comfort! How do we define comfort food? For most of us, it's what we grew up eating. These are the dishes our Grandmothers & Mothers made everyday or maybe just on special occasions. Regardless of where you are from, you have your own definition of comfort foods.


Just saying "comfort foods" makes my mouth water for mashed potatoes & gravy, fresh green beans & new potatoes or chicken & dumplings. My Southern grandmothers were such great cooks, they put love into everything they cooked & that's the secret to comfort foods. 


Last week I found two new side dishes that have joined the ranks of our families comfort foods. I reviewed "If You Can't Stand The Heat" by Robert Medina several weeks ago. The BBQ Shrimp were beyond delicious! If you feel the need to salivate over a computer image, read my blog post about these little treasures.

Last week I tried Green Beans with Fried Sage & Cheese Grits from "If You Can't Stand The Heat".
The green beans are an easy recipe but they definetly need to be fresh if available. Green beans, bacon,butter, & more great ingredients make these delicious for sure! I had never fried fresh sage, so I may have gotten it a little overdone..notice I don't say I burned it! Regardless it was still good & had great sage taste. This recipe called for applewood bacon, this is a key ingredient. The bacon added so much flavor & the applewood was really great. Don't just use a plain bacon if you want to experience the beans at their best! It is defiantly a go to side dish for lots of meats. We had it with BBQ Chicken & Blue Cheese & Chive Smashers.
 
Blue Cheese & Chive Red Potato Smashers

Serves 4

Serving size : 1 cup
8-10 medium sized red skinned potatoes
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
2 tsp. dried chives or 2 T fresh chives, depending on what’s available
½ cup half & half
1 T butter
¼ tsp. salt (blue cheese is very salty, so taste & add more if needed)
½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper (can be omitted)

 Wash potatoes & place in a pot, I prefer the rustic look of leaving the skins on but you can peel if you want to.  Add cold water to cover the potatoes well, add the chives now to the water   Place pot on stove at high heat & bring to a boil. Boil until potatoes are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Check often because all potatoes are different depending on type & freshness.

While potatoes are cooking, in a smaller saucepan mix together the half & half, butter, & salt. Bring to a medium heat, but do not boil. Add the blue cheese & stir well to blend. Add the cracked black pepper. Turn off heat...

When the potatoes are fork tender, drain them well in a colander. I always put the drained potatoes back into the pot I cooked them in, it’s still warm & that helps keep your potatoes warm until you are ready to serve.  Just be sure the pot has no water left in it, it needs to be dry, don’t wash it out though!  

Add the cheese & milk mixture to the hot potatoes. I prefer a hand masher for these, but an electric mixer would work okay, just don’t want to over mash or they become creamed potatoes. Mash until well mixed with the milk mixture. Taste & add salt & pepper to your taste. 
To serve you can sprinkle some fresh green onions & cracked black pepper on top!

                                                                                                                                     
I must admit only a few years ago I learned to eat grits. My mom never cooked grits because her mom didn't. My dad's mom did but they were simple grits that I will admit I never acquired a taste for. Granny always added blackstrap molasses & butter to grits. Blackstrap molasses is an acquired taste & not one that a child is happy to experience. If we complained of feeling sick because we didn't want to do something, she would reach for the blackstrap...we recovered very quickly from our ailments!

This may look like chocolate but it's bittersweet blackstrap molasses!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molasses

As an adult I love molasses, blackstrap is hard to find but I buy all they have when I do find it! Granny would be so proud to know I not only enjoy it ,but according to her I should be the healthiest person on the planet!

Robert Medina's Cheese Grits from "If You Can't Stand The Heat" are why Southerners love grits!
They are decadent, full of whipping cream, butter & cheese. I didn't have whipping cream on hand so I used fat-free half & half. I will say that if using the whipping cream makes it better then I couldn't stand it. The recipe calls for sharp white cheddar cheese, I used chipotle cheddar in my grits. They were delicious, creamy & full of spicy flavor. That's what Southern cooking is...making substitutes when you don't have something in the fridge or cabinet. I am now a grit lover thanks to Bob! Now when I have to go to the gym an extra day a week I will remember it's all worth it for the grits!

Granny's Fig Preserves Cake

My Dad's mother was so much fun, that is her sitting on a rock in the middle of the river. Notice the lady in the photo with her, she has a pair of dress shoes in her hand. They were probably at a family reunion, dressed up for it & my sweet grandmother thought a wade in the river would make the day better!  Granny was the kind of grandmother that would get in trouble with our Mom's for letting us play outside in mud puddles in the rain! She was mischievous, laughed all the time & had the best sense of humor ever! She raised three sons who were all gentle, kind & wonderful men. I miss her everyday!

I was very blessed to have Grandmothers who were incredible Southern cooks. They were young brides during the Great Depression & sometimes ingredients were not always available. Going through a box of photos that belonged to my Granny, I found a hand written recipe on a yellowed scrap of paper. It was titled "Fig Cake", that got my attention right away, I love figs & if Granny thought it was worth saving..it had to be good!

Granny's Fig Preserves Cake

1 cup canola oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp white vinegar

2 cups fig preserves

1 cup chopped nuts

Bake in a tube pan or bundt pan. Rub pan with solid shortening & dust with flour.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a mixing bowl combine oil & sugar, beat at medium speed until well blended.

Add the 3 eggs to the oil & sugar mixture & beat till foamy, about 2 minutes.

In a separate large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon & baking soda.

Slowly add to the wet ingredients in the mixing bowl with mixer on low speed. After all the dry ingredients are mixed in , add the vinegar , fig preserves, & nuts.

Mix at low speed until all ingredients are blended, about 1 minute should do it, don't over beat.

Pour into the prepared pan, batter is thick so will have to be spread in pan.

Bake for 1 hour, let cook & remove from pan

Cinnamon Vanilla Glaze

1/4 cup half & half or milk

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/2 to 1 cup of powdered sugar

Heat half & half over low heat, add the cinnamon & vanilla. Mix well & turn off heat.

Add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, mixing well. 

Add more powdered sugar to create the thickness of glaze that you like.

Drizzle over warm baked cake, It will harden as it cools.

Granny didn't use the glaze, that's my recipe but I think she would have approved!

This is a delicious cake that brings back such great memories of warm toast with fig preserves spread on top. It's easy & quick, I hope you try it & let me know what you think.

Spicy Cole Slaw with Candied Jalapenos

I love cole slaw. It's so easy now that they do all the shredding for you. I know fresh chopped cabbage is better & I should tell you to use that, but sometimes we need things that are really quick & easy!

Cole slaw is one of those salads that can take on many different flavors. One of our favorites would be Spicy Cole Slaw with Candied Jalapenos. It's great with BBQ, burgers or anything off the grill.

Spicy Cole Slaw

1 package of precut slaw mix

2 tablespoons of Franks Sweet Red Chili

1/2 cup pineapple tidbits, drained well
reserve 1 tablespoon of the pineapple juice

2 tablespoons of chopped candied jalapenos (recipe below)

1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion

Mix the Frank's Sweet Red Chili sauce & 1 tablespoon of the pineapple juice.

Add this to the slaw, then add all other ingredients. 

Toss well to coat.

Will still look a little dry, but the cabbage will release moisture as it sits, so don't add more wet ingredients.

When you are ready to serve, if it looks to dry add a little more of the Franks before serving.

Place in fridge & let chill for at least 30 minutes before serving for the full flavor to develop.



Candied Jalapeno Peppers

4 large jalapeno peppers, washed well
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/8 tsp of kosher salt

Wash jalapenos & cut into rings. You can remove the seeds if you would like less heat. I enjoy the heat & left them in.

In large skillet mix water & sugar, add the salt. Bring to a low boil, mixing well.

Reduce heat to medium-high heat & add jalapenos.
Stir to coat peppers with sugar mixture, cook for 3 minutes.

Remove & let cool the peppers cool.

After they are cooled, bring sugar mixture back to medium-high heat & cook again for 3 minutes. Remove & cool.

Can be stored in fridge until ready to use in recipes. Use within a week for food safety sake!

John & Paula's Whipped Pies...oh my!

Okay, to start this blog post I will confess, I love sweets & hate to cook them. I just don't follow rules very well & baking is just full of those pesky directions. I can do it, I will do it, but I don't enjoy it as much as savory dishes. When a person who doesn't like to be pushed into a mold is told to measure 1/16th tsp of something we get a little crazy...what will 1/16th of a teaspoon really do to a dish? So when I see a dessert recipe that makes my life easier & is fun to make then I really like it! When it tastes incredible & you want to hide it from others..then you really love it!

Robert Medina's new cookbook "If You Can't Stand The Heat,A New Orleans Firefighter's Cookbook" is coming out on July 12, 2011. This great cookbook can be ordered at Barnes & Nobles or Amazon online. If you only get one cookbook this year, then this is the book to get.

The recipes are easy & they are pure Southern style, with a true Cajun flare that makes you hear Zydeco music in your head! Well, maybe I'm listening to it on You-Tube right now, but....you get the point!

Cajun & Creole food are two individual styles of cooking, although they both share many of the same foods. Creole foods are strongly influenced by the French settlers that tend to be more refined & celebrated. Cajun food is rustic, real & can accommodate changes to what is available.

Robert's cookbook includes many different foods; Enchilada's, Venison Tenderloin Marsala, Smoky Barbeque Pork Ribs, Cedar-Smoke Salmon, & Lasagna a la Lori just to start... It's not all about Cajun & Creole, just about good food cooked for those you love! That's what makes a true cook happy & that's what we like to do in the South...feed people & see them smile!

Robert's recipe for John & Paula's Whipped Pies on page 327 is my new favorite sweet addiction. It is so easy to make & looks like you worked all day making it. It's only 5 ingredients, stirs up in one bowl & pours into a graham cracker pie shell. Chill it while you sleep & it's ready to go! You will look like you worked all day on it. If you're nice, tell others how you made it, if you're not so nice...tell them it takes more than a few hours to make & let them be in awe of you! That isn't lying, it has to chill overnight doesn't it?

The recipe is for a pineapple pie, but you can make it with lots of different canned fruits or pie fillings. I am dreaming of a Chocolate Blueberry Whipped Pie in my future soon. I will resist the urge to hide it from my family...hope it works!

Mesquite Charred Corn & Poblano Salsa

This recipe is for a cold salsa made with mesquite smoked fresh corn, poblano peppers, garlic, fire roasted tomatoes, cilantro & spices. I added chipotle in adobo sauce for ours, we like it a little kicked up!

This recipe requires the following ingredients:

• 4 ears of fresh corn
• 2 large poblano peppers
• canola or olive oil
• 1 pod of garlic
• 2 Tsp mesquite liquid smoke
• 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 15oz can chopped fire roasted tomatoes, or fresh if you have them
• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (leave out if you don't like the heat!)
• 1 tsp Texas Chili Blend, or your favorite chili powder
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 cup mesquite wood chips
• salt to taste

Mesquite Charred Corn & Poblano Salsa

• Shuck & remove silks from corn, rinse corn & poblano peppers & pat dry
• Rub corn & poblano peppers with oil, place in plastic zip bag with 1 tsp mesquite liquid smoke
• Let rest in fridge for 1 hour
• Soak mesquite wood chips in hot water with 1 tsp mesquite liquid smoke added . Soak 1 hour
• Drain wood chips. Heat gas or charcoal grill to high heat. Place wood chips in smoker box.
• Rub oil on outside of garlic pod
• When smoke is present, remove garlic & poblano peppers from plastic bag & place on center of grill
• Turn center burner to medium low to char for 2 minutes on each side, this should char the flesh, if not leave it several more minutes until it is charred
• Once the pepper is black, turn off center burner & cook corn & peppers over indirect heat to continue the smoking process
• Place garlic beside corn to smoke
• Limit how much the grill is open to retain the most smoke you can.
• Smoke for 15 more minutes at low heat
• Remove from grill on to a heat proof dish & let it cool on the kitchen counter.

• When corn has cooled to touch, remove corn from the cob by standing it on the flat end in a large bowl.
• Begin with knife at the top & cut from the cob, turning after each cut.  
• Continue to cut until all corn is off

                           

• Poblano peppers will char black, then you need to remove the charred skins, veins & seeds. Try to remove as much as possible.
• Slice into small strips, then chop into bite size pieces.
• Add to corn in bowl



• Roasted garlic will squeeze out of the papery skins without much effort
• Discard the papery skins then chop or mash & add garlic to salsa



• To the corn, poblanos, & garlic, add the chopped red onions, tomatoes, cilantro,chopped chipotles in adobo sauce & seasonings
• Add salt to taste.
• Finish by squeezing the juice of the lime over the dip
• Stir well to blend
• Cover with plastic wrap & place in fridge to chill at least 1 hour for the full flavor blend.
• Serve with your favorite chips. Great on taco's or burritos. Also a great topping for taco salads

"Barbeque Shrimp" ...there should be a support group

The new cookbook by Robert Medina doesn't fail to deliver on it's promises! His "Barbeque Shrimp" is addictive. I made this recipe yesterday & just can't stop think about it!

New Orleans Barbeque Shrimp is cooked in a huge skillet at your stove top. It's like a swimming pool of delicious butter, garlic & spices for those shrimp to take their last swim.  

Start with the biggest ,freshest, head-on shrimp you can find. Colossal 10 count are the best if they are available. Don't waste your time using frozen shrimp or those who have lost their little heads. This dish should only be made with the real thing..head-on huge shrimp.  I promise you will be glad you did.




These are 10 count head-on fresh Gulf Shrimp



Rinse shrimp in cool water
then place in colander to drain.
Don't remove the heads!!
Now prepare their pool...

Add Shrimp to their swimming pool!

                                                                                   

There is something to be said for less words are more!

This meal is meant to be shared with friends. In the South when we have a crawfish or shrimp boil, we cover the tables with newspapers for easy clean-up. I think this dish calls for that too, that way everyone can feel comfortable shelling and stacking the heads and shells while eating. Must have lots of crusty french bread to dip in this wonderful pool of garlic, spices, & butter!

Please don't just scoop up those heads & shells and say good-bye yet. Throw them in a pot of boiling water and any remaining juices & make some of the best shrimp stock you ever tasted. I'm the proud owner of three quart jars full of this liquid gold, what a nice reward after this great meal!

"If You Can't Stand The Heat" will be released July 12, 2011. It is available now for pre-order at Barnes & Noble online. You don't want to miss owning this cookbook.