Monthly Archives: February 2010

Saints are World Champs!! And New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp Recipe

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Hey, guess what? THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!!!
Mama and Papa BaCon flew from St. Louis to get snowed in and watch Superbowl XLIV with us, Foxy, and some crazy, lovely D.C. folks. Black and Gold beads, the dark smell of gumbo, and friends in Saints gear filled our house while "Superbowl Mambo" streamed from the Times Picayune website, and it felt like a true N'awlins romp. To everyone who came out for the party and to those who couldn't come due to the storm/work but who were there in spirit (JKarlin, we missed you!): because of you guys, Mr. Luz and I didn't miss home when we could have missed it the most. So thanks for being there with us.
As far as the game goes, I couldn't tell you what actually happened because?I was?too amped up to think. All I know is the K. Gates song "Stand Up and Get Crunk/Black and Gold to the Superbowl"?kept blaring?on our speakers, Mr. Luz kept doing his own secondline dance through the crowd in the living room and dining room to the kitchen and back again, and I got and gave?alot of "touchdown hugs."
But there was a moment towards the end of the game when I checked the clock and saw that there were only 44 seconds left in the 4th quarter, and then it hit me full force--"Holy S***?this?changes everything-how fantastic for NOLA!" and then "Is this really happening??"? When I came to my senses after a few minutes, there weren't 25 different people, with different hometowns and even hometown teams, at our house . . . I only saw Saints fans, overcome with collective?joy-shouting, hugging, crying, and all out getting crunk (look it up).
What a surprisingly?blissful and unpredictably beautiful life?we live.??
On to the recipe! This is Mama Bacon's recipe from Southern Living for New Orleans BBQ Shrimp, and it's one of my favorite foods, though surprisingly easy. You can serve it as an appetizer by itself, or as an entree over cheese grits.? The shrimp is marinated (in Nawlin's they do shells and head on, but peeled is okay too)and then baked in a spicy, tangy lemon butter sauce with a little Worcestershire sauce for depth and garlic. We double the marinade recipe so we have plenty left over for French bread-dipping. Only make this for the people you really love, because they'll likely request it at every pot luck you attend from now till the end of time.? Though if they are anything like my friends, they are worth it.
New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp Recipe
(photo and recipe courtesy of Southern Living)
4 lbs. large unpeeled?shrimp (6 lbs. w/heads on)
1 cup Butter
1 cup Olive oil
1/2 cup Chili Sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce
2 Lemons, sliced
8 Garlic Cloves, chopped
4?Tbs. Creole Seasoning (I use Tony's Light)
4?Tbs. Lemon Juice
2?Tbs. chopped Parsley
2 tsp. Paprika
2 tsp. Oregano
2 tsp. ground Red Pepper
1 tsp. hot sauce
2 loaves French bread



Spread shrimp in a large baking dish.? Combine butter and next 12 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until butter melts, and pour over shrimp. Cover and chill 2 hours, turning shrimp every 30 minutes.

Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 minutes; turn once. Serve with bread and/or grits.

Saints are World Champs!! And New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp Recipe

Posted on by

Hey, guess what? THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!!!

Mama and Papa BaCon flew from St. Louis to get snowed in and watch Superbowl XLIV with us, Foxy, and some crazy, lovely D.C. folks. Black and Gold beads, the dark smell of gumbo, and friends in Saints gear filled our house while "Superbowl Mambo" streamed from the Times Picayune website, and it felt like a true N'awlins romp. To everyone who came out for the party and to those who couldn't come due to the storm/work but who were there in spirit (JKarlin, we missed you!): because of you guys, Mr. Luz and I didn't miss home when we could have missed it the most. So thanks for being there with us.

As far as the game goes, I couldn't tell you what actually happened because I was too amped up to think. All I know is the K. Gates song "Stand Up and Get Crunk/Black and Gold to the Superbowl" kept blaring on our speakers, Mr. Luz kept doing his own secondline dance through the crowd in the living room and dining room to the kitchen and back again, and I got and gave alot of "touchdown hugs."

But there was a moment towards the end of the game when I checked the clock and saw that there were only 44 seconds left in the 4th quarter, and then it hit me full force--"Holy S*** this changes everything-how fantastic for NOLA!" and then "Is this really happening??"  When I came to my senses after a few minutes, there weren't 25 different people, with different hometowns and even hometown teams, at our house . . . I only saw Saints fans, overcome with collective joy-shouting, hugging, crying, and all out getting crunk (look it up).

What a surprisingly blissful and unpredictably beautiful life we live.  

On to the recipe! This is Mama Bacon's recipe from Southern Living for New Orleans BBQ Shrimp, and it's one of my favorite foods, though surprisingly easy. You can serve it as an appetizer by itself, or as an entree over cheese grits.  The shrimp is marinated (in Nawlin's they do shells and head on, but peeled is okay too)and then baked in a spicy, tangy lemon butter sauce with a little Worcestershire sauce for depth and garlic. We double the marinade recipe so we have plenty left over for French bread-dipping. Only make this for the people you really love, because they'll likely request it at every pot luck you attend from now till the end of time.  Though if they are anything like my friends, they are worth it.

New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp Recipe
(photo and recipe courtesy of Southern Living)
4 lbs. large unpeeled shrimp (6 lbs. w/heads on)
1 cup Butter
1 cup Olive oil
1/2 cup Chili Sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce
2 Lemons, sliced
8 Garlic Cloves, chopped
4 Tbs. Creole Seasoning (I use Tony's Light)
4 Tbs. Lemon Juice
2 Tbs. chopped Parsley
2 tsp. Paprika
2 tsp. Oregano
2 tsp. ground Red Pepper
1 tsp. hot sauce
2 loaves French bread



Spread shrimp in a large baking dish.  Combine butter and next 12 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until butter melts, and pour over shrimp. Cover and chill 2 hours, turning shrimp every 30 minutes.

Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 minutes; turn once. Serve with bread and/or grits.
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Exotic, Interesting Food? Blah. Or, What I Do When I’m Not Cooking

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It's that time of year again--the dead, cold, dreary D.C. winter.? The time of year where I can't even think about the yummy flavor combinations that complement cilantro, and tomatoes are only for soup and marinara sauce.? All I want is an I.V. of hot chocolate--it can even be the cheapo Swissmiss kind just GIVEITTOMENOWBEFOREITOTALLYFREAKOUTMAN! And don't even think about trying to feed me a cold vegetable. What's that you say? It's organic swiss chard wrapped?with the most exquisite?white truffle and served with tears of joy? Is it cold? Then f*** off.
Needless to say, we've been eating alot of heavy, uninspired dishes in our house lately, and my mood and my waistline are paying the price. Luckily it'll be Spring again oh so soon, and then I'll be back in action. Until then, I thought I'd give you a lil taste of what I, Princess BaCon, get up to when I'm not slaving away in my kitchen.?
I channel the?rockstar, her Majesty the Queen of Deliciousness and Ass-Kicking, Lady Gaga.? As you can tell, this is a consuming?and makeup-laden affair.?? Apparently?5 wigs isn't enough, as I've exhausted each of them before March.?

In sum, when I'm not cooking I spend 45 minutes putting on eye makeup, fake hair, and crazy shoes?and then I get drunk in public.
I also get crafty.? Mr. Luz pulled a miracle, finding?our dream rowhouse?at rent we could afford.? But the kitchen was, oddly enough, my least favorite room in the house. (Perhaps that's why I drink so much when I cook?) In the before picture, we'd already pulled off all the wonderfully greasy cabinet doors, but you get the picture. And I have no idea how the linoleum got that nasty, but it felt like walking on 30 years of caked on mud. So, we woke up one morning, and over coffee decided to overhaul it. That day.

Our plan went something like this-Me: "Let's do something sort of retro, since we have all these retro appliances anyway." Mr. Luz: "Ok." Off we go to the Home Depot for robin's egg blue and vanilla paint, chrome-looking hardware, and some shiny black and white floor tiles.? TaDa!

So when I'm not cooking,?Mr. Luz and I scrub, sand, nail, paint stuff funny colors and lay floor tiles and then?I brag about our "home renovations" as if I just re-installed our entire gas line blindfolded, with one arm tied behind my back, uphill both ways.

Exotic, Interesting Food? Blah. Or, What I Do When I’m Not Cooking

Posted on by
It's that time of year again--the dead, cold, dreary D.C. winter.  The time of year where I can't even think about the yummy flavor combinations that complement cilantro, and tomatoes are only for soup and marinara sauce.  All I want is an I.V. of hot chocolate--it can even be the cheapo Swissmiss kind just GIVEITTOMENOWBEFOREITOTALLYFREAKOUTMAN! And don't even think about trying to feed me a cold vegetable. What's that you say? It's organic swiss chard wrapped with the most exquisite white truffle and served with tears of joy? Is it cold? Then f*** off.

Needless to say, we've been eating alot of heavy, uninspired dishes in our house lately, and my mood and my waistline are paying the price. Luckily it'll be Spring again oh so soon, and then I'll be back in action. Until then, I thought I'd give you a lil taste of what I, Princess BaCon, get up to when I'm not slaving away in my kitchen. 

I channel the rockstar, her Majesty the Queen of Deliciousness and Ass-Kicking, Lady Gaga. 
As you can tell, this is a consuming and makeup-laden affair.   Apparently 5 wigs isn't enough, as I've exhausted each of them before March. 


In sum, when I'm not cooking I spend 45 minutes putting on eye makeup, fake hair, and crazy shoes and then I get drunk in public.

I also get crafty.  Mr. Luz pulled a miracle, finding our dream rowhouse at rent we could afford.  But the kitchen was, oddly enough, my least favorite room in the house. (Perhaps that's why I drink so much when I cook?) In the before picture, we'd already pulled off all the wonderfully greasy cabinet doors, but you get the picture. And I have no idea how the linoleum got that nasty, but it felt like walking on 30 years of caked on mud. So, we woke up one morning, and over coffee decided to overhaul it. That day.


Our plan went something like this-Me: "Let's do something sort of retro, since we have all these retro appliances anyway." Mr. Luz: "Ok." Off we go to the Home Depot for robin's egg blue and vanilla paint, chrome-looking hardware, and some shiny black and white floor tiles.  TaDa!


So when I'm not cooking, Mr. Luz and I scrub, sand, nail, paint stuff funny colors and lay floor tiles and then I brag about our "home renovations" as if I just re-installed our entire gas line blindfolded, with one arm tied behind my back, uphill both ways.
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Rigby!

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I got to meet my new nephew, Rigby, this weekend! He was born in December, but he lives in Memphis with my best friend (and matron of honor), Melanie, and her lovely husband, Josh. I can report that Rigby is perfect in every way and has developed a killer smile (complete with a dimple).

I'm so handsome!


Mommy thinks Rigby is really cool.
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Bacon Lombardi Trophy

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It’s probably safe to assume that there were more bacon explosions being served on Super Bowl Sunday this year than in any year past.   So if you were a host, how could you make sure that your party would be the talk of the bacon world?

BBQ Addicts—the guys who invented the original bacon explosion—have discovered that a guy by the name of Ben “Sweet Lou” Krout didn’t merely figure out how to make a bacon dish worthy of a trophy; he made a bacon dish that WAS a trophy.

Behold…a Lombardi Trophy made out of bacon…the BACOMBARDI TROPHY.

For those who had the good fortune of attending Ben’s party, we’re sure this was a bigger WIN than anything Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints experienced that evening.

(via via via via)

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