When I was young my Irish family didn’t really like much of anything spicy, so the first time I tasted gumbo my senses were reeling. Flavors from fifty different tastes burst in my mouth like an atom bomb of food. I thought it was just some thick soup like Grammy made that had been boiled down over a couple of days as she did.

NO! This was gumbo. Real… tasty… wonderful seafood gumbo.

The term gumbo is basically a translation for the word okra. Okra was used as a thickener for the stew. There is file’ gumbo, but I think it’s a sacrilege to use file’ although some people prefer it because they think boiled okra is slimy. Trust me, you won’t taste it as slimy if you do it right.

The really wonderful thing about any gumbo is you can make it your own. This is mine… all mine! I made five gallons of this for my wedding reception of about twenty people and we ran out in about forty-five minutes, and they were begging for more.

Ceviche is one of the most widely eaten dishes in all of Central and South America as well as much of the Caribbean.  It is basically raw fish or shellfish marinated in the juice of citrus fruits, most commonly limes and lemons, and mixed with other fresh fruits and vegetables.  There are hundreds of variations of ceviche and each region puts its own signature on the dish depending on what local ingredients are most commonly available.  In the Bahamas, the famous conch salad is actually a type of ceviche and is a staple of almost every meal.  In Peru, where ceviche is the national dish, white sea bass and key limes make up the traditional base ingredients.  Shrimp are most popular in Ecuador and Panama and tomato juice is used most heavily as their marinade.  No matter where you might travel in the southern latitudes, you'll encounter some form of locally prized ceviche.

To make Blackened Catfish; In a pie plate mix together the dry ingredients. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat (until very hot!). Be sure to use a hot pad when touching the skillet. Turn on vent fan Dip each fillet into the butter and drain then dip into spice mixture and evenly coat each side. Place in hot skillet for approx 2 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily. Spice mixture can be bagged and re-used within a reasonable amount of time.

Cook lima beans according to package directions. Drain in colander; rinse under cold water to quick cool. Meanwhile, rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Brush catfish with oil and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Place in a well greased grill basket.
For a charcoal grill, place grill basket on grill rack directly over medium coals. Grill for 6 to 9 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, turning basket once halfway through grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place grill basket on grill rack directly over heat; cover and grill as above.)
Place fish on serving platter. In a large bowl toss together cooked beans, corn relish and spinach. Serve with fish.

A quick refreshing meal for a muggy summer night.

 In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add pasta, stirring constantly in the beginning to prevent it from sticking together. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. When almost smoking, add shallots and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the clams and wine. Cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until most clams have opened. Add 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Whisk in butter to thicken sauce slightly.

Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse pasta with water - this will remove the pasta's natural starches. Place pasta into the clam saute pan and mix thoroughly. Check seasoning.

Pour pasta into large serving bowl. Zest lemon over the dish, being carefull not to zest the white part of the lemon, which is bitter. Garnish with remaining parsley. Serve immediately.

So easy, so hearty & so good, here is how you make it; Melt 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of the butter in a large heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until translucent. Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 more minutes. Add the clam juice, bring to a boil, and simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. In a small pot, melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter and whisk in the flour. Cook over very low heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in a cup of the hot broth and then pour this mixture back into the cooked vegetables. Simmer for a few minutes until the broth is thickened. Add the milk and clams and heat gently for a few minutes to cook the clams. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot.

To make Shrimp Margarita; Cook a small package of Vigo yellow rice. Combine shrimp, lime juice and salt and pepper in a small bowl and let marinate. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Add shrimp and marinade and cook over high heat for 1 minute. Sprinkle shallots over shrimp and stir 10 seconds. Add tequila, cream, red peppers, and salt and pepper. Mix briefly and add avocado slices. Cook 1 minute. Put rice on individual serving plates, top with shrimp and avocado. Boil sauce for 30 seconds and spoon over shrimp and avocado. Serve with hot buttered Cuban bread and sangria.
 

Directions

Bring a large 1-gallon pot of salted water to a boil, and place the pasta in the pot. Cook for 5 minutes and then drain; pasta will be only partially cooked. As the pasta cooks, set a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions to the pan and cook until lightly caramelized and wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the red pepper flakes and saute briefly before adding the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook the sauce until reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Add the lobster to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the partially cooked pasta to the pan along with 1 cup lobster stock and continue to cook the pasta in the sauce until al dente, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the pasta with the salt and toss to combine. Garnish with fresh basil.

All my life people have called certain fish that are neither a sport fish nor important food fish “Garbage fish”, “rough fish”, or worse. I used to bow fish for Carp in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, which is a blast all by itself, but for all the disrespect that species like Carp and Suckers get, they can turn into something strangely addictive after an introduction to a smoker.

Butterflying lobster tails is the method of preparation most common in restaurants. This method results in a lobster tail that puffs out of the shell and makes for a spectacular presentation. Below are directions for butterflying 6oz lobster tails

If you are lucky enough to have fresh lobster great, otherwise defrost the lobster tails.

Grab your kitchen shears. Begin the cut with the bottom blade right under the shell. Only cut the shell and not the meat. Cut down the center all the way to the base of the tale. Grab each side of the shell and gently pry away the shell away from the meat. Continue to pry the shell away from the meat but keep the back of the meat connected to the shell. Once the meat is freed, grab the meat, squeeze the shell together to close the gap and lay the meat on top of the shell. The meat on top of the shell cut a small slit in the top of the meat. Grab the loose part of the meat and fold over the shell. Cut additional slits on the top for presentation.

Prepare lobster marinade of melted butter, a dash of paprika, a dash of garlic powder, a squirt of lemon juice and a dash of white pepper. Drizzle lobster tail with marinade.

Move the lobster tails to a pan and broil according the chart below. Baste tail with marinade half way through cooking.

Remove tails from pan, dunk in butter and enjoy!