Thai Shrimp Curry

If you've ever wondered what the National Wild Turkey Federation National Convention is like, I can explain it: camouflaged cacophony.  Holt and I traveled the 3 hours to Nashville last weekend to attend the  NWTF expo at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. We spent Saturday afternoon wandering around the dizzying maze of vendors decorated with taxidermy creatures, camouflage, and decoys. Between Holt's line of work and mine, you would think I was pretty well prepared for all the hunters and Duck Dynasty bandwagon fans, but I was overwhelmed.  

After passing the first mile marker, I found myself zoning out, complaining of aching feet, and visiting the adult beverage booth. Holt was in the zone, meeting people, taking mental notes, and picking up promotional material.  Sensing my boredom, he pacified me by visiting a vendor selling lab puppies, which I cooed over for awhile.   After seeing a great horned owl and bald eagle at the National Forest Service's booth, our trip through Redneck, USA was complete.  We headed downtown to drown out the sound of turkey calls ringing in our ears with some good country music at a local honky-tonk.  

Waiting in line for Tootsies, on Broadway

We experienced the local music and of course had to hit up some local restaurants.  We had dinner at the hip and packed Tavern in Midtown with some friends.  I had their Mahi sandwich and Holt thoroughly enjoyed their burger.  On a recommendation, we had lunch at the 12 South Tap Room and were very pleased.  The spot is small and eccentric but homey and delicious.  We had the queso, jerk chicken sandwich  and steak quesadillas.  Everything was excellent, including our barkeep Nancy and our brews.

Another whirlwind weekend has come and gone and left us feeling as if our weekend break was busier than our work week.  It's tempting to pick up dinner on the way home or order pizza, but thank goodness for our wok!  A few stock ingredients and you can have dinner on the table faster than Pei Wei can deliver.  

This Thai shrimp curry had carrots, shallots, garlic, and bell pepper. 

I've been posting some Asian-inspired dishes because, lucky for me, Holt is slightly obsessed with the wok.  He's my "wok-master" and thoroughly enjoys flipping its contents dangerously high in the air.  I don't mind eating curries and fried rice more frequently in exchange for a helping hand in the kitchen.

                                        

This curry was made with Gulf shrimp and a prepackaged red Thai curry paste.  I'm sure it would be even better with a homemade curry paste, but again I was taking the easy route for a weeknight meal.  This isn't a spicy curry, but sriracha sauce is a good accompaniment if you want some kick.   

Thai Shrimp Curry (modified from Emeril Lagasse's recipe)

• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 2 medium carrots, trimmed and shredded
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons thai red curry paste
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 1 can coconut milk (14 oz)
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 chopped Thai basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

In a large wok or saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.

Add the shallots, bell peppers, carrots, and garlic and stir-fry until soft, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Add sugar, then coconut milk, and bring to a boil.  

Simmer until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. 

Add shrimp and cook, stirring, until pink, about 2 minutes

Remove from heat and stir in the basil and cilantro.

Serve over jasmine rice.  

                                       

What will we WOK up next?  Just kidding, I promise I'll reach for something besides the wok soon!

Carnival's Fattened Calf...I Mean Cookie

When I hear "Mardi Gras" images of giant, brilliantly decorated floats lined with masked men tossing beads and moonpies come to mind.  And rain.  I think of rain because the last time I attended a Mardi Gras celebration was two years ago with some college buddies in New Orleans.  We drove down on Friday and fought ridiculous traffic trying to get to the hotel.  Hotels are really strict about the number of people they allow in rooms during Mardi Gras.  Since we were broke college students and all sharing one room, some of us (yours truly included) had to sneak up to the room through a service entrance.  After finally arriving in our room, we were ready to hit the streets of New Orleans.  That evening we pranced around the city meeting people, having rabbit stew at a quaint local spot, and enjoying ourselves.                                                   

Saturday it poured buckets and buckets of rain.  I think we saw part of one parade, but we were soaked to the core and basically miserable.  Saturday night the rain finally stopped, and we headed to Bourbon Street to see what all the fuss was about. Incredibly packed and chaotic, we lost track of some of our group members and our phones weren't working because of the thousands of people in the area.  The night turned into somewhat of a search-and-rescue mission as a few of our group members were lost and a few were over-served.  Sunday rolled around and we ate some Cajun food and headed home.  That weekend in New Orleans was a check off the bucket list and something I'll be happy if I never do again.  

My more fonder memories of Mardi Gras are weekends spent in Mobile with friends and family enjoying the parades and festivities.  For most people Mardi Gras is a cause to celebrate, have a great time with friends, get dressed up to attend a ball, and eat King's cake.  

                                      
                                              

It's interesting how much the media can warp the meaning of things.  That's not to say that the history of Mardi Gras isn't muddled with revelery, it is, but it's also distinctly grounded in Christianity.  

Mardi Gras literally translates to "Fat Tuesday."  Historically, Fat Tuesday is a day of indulgence in which Christians would slaughter and eat the fattened calf.  This celebration took place at the end of Carnival and just before Lent.  Carnival comes from the Latin words carne vale, "meaning farewell to flesh"or carnelevarium meaning "to take away or remove meat."  Carnival likely originated in pre-Christian times, but the reason for the celebration is debated.  Some believe these days were added to the lunar calendar to make it coincide with the solar calendar, and because the days were outside the calendar, people ignored rules and customs.  Another theory states it was a celebration of the coming spring.  Regardless of its original purpose, today, Carnival marks the period of time between the Epiphany (January 6th) and midnight on Fat Tuesday, in which Christians and nonbelievers alike feast on King's cake and ask strangers to throw them beads.  

                                
                                                              

The Epiphany, 12 days after Christmas, celebrates day when the Wise Men visited the baby Jesus.  This day is when King's Cake is traditionally served.  The cakes are made in a circle, which represents the circular routes the Wise Men took in their travels to Bethlehem in order to confuse King Herod, who was plotting to kill Jesus.  The cinnamon-swirled and icing-covered treats are an indulgence before the season of Lent, which is characterized by self-denial in preparation for Easter.  Lent is one of the oldest Christian traditions, and naturally it's different today that it was in 325 AD.  It began as a time of fasting to encourage self-examination and penitence.  Observers ate one meal a day in the evening, which did not include meat, fish, or animal products.  Gradually the rules became more relaxed and now Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the only days on which observers fast.

Lent has become even more mainstream and many observers don't fast at all, but give up something, instead.  Giving up chocolate or sweets is very common.  I've heard of people giving up fast food, Facebook, wine, lying, and being lazy.  Lent begins on Ash Wednesday when many people attend church services and get their foreheads marked with ashes.  The ashes symbolize repentance (sackcloth and ashes) and mortality. (You are dust, and to dust you will return Gen 3:19)  For the next 40 days, not including Sundays, observers part with something they enjoy, until the season ends on Easter Sunday.  

So whether you're celebrating Fat Tuesday at the bar with a hurricane, eating a moonpie at the last Mardi Gras parade, or devouring chocolate for your last night for awhile, enjoy yourself.  Tomorrow, put on your sackcloth and fast, or if you're into the mainstream stuff, part with a habit or indulgence for 40 days of self-denial.

OR you could make these awesome cookies for your sweetheart for Valentine's day.  I wanted to post these today so as not to tempt the Lent observers.  These are pretty awesome.  They're chewy and bursting with chocolate-ly coconut flavor.  They've got a little bit of everything: chocolate, coconut, nuts, oatmeal.  It may not be covered with green, purple, and gold sprinkles but it's a decadent cookie worthy of Fat Tuesday! This recipe is modified from

Laura Bush's Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies

3 cups flour

1tbsp baking powder

1tbsp baking soda

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups butter, room temp

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt

In a second bowl, beat the butter on medium until smooth

Add the sugar and brown sugar and beat another 2 minutes

Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition

Mix in the vanilla

Stir in the flour mixture, blending until just combined

Add the chocolate chips, oats, coconut flakes, and walnuts and stir until incorporated

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto a parchment-lined baking sheet

Allow plenty of room between cookies because they spread

Bake 10-12 minutes until the edges are brown and set

Allow the cookies to cool on the pan 2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack