Soy Sake Shrimp with Ginger Aioli

1/2 cup soy sauce
2 green onions, chopped
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sake or dry Sherry
1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, chopped
24 deveined peeled uncooked large shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
Cooked white rice

Combine soy sauce, green onions, 4 tablespoons oil, vinegar, sake, brown sugar, and garlic in 13×9x2-inch glass baking dish; whisk marinade to blend. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour, turning shrimp occasionally.

Blend mayonnaise and ginger in food processor until smooth. Transfer ginger aioli to small bowl and refrigerate.

Drain marinade from shrimp into small saucepan; bring to boil. Whisk 2 tablespoons boiled marinade into ginger aioli; reserve remaining boiled marinade.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; sauté until just opaque in center, about 4 minutes. Mound rice in center of plates. Arrange shrimp around rice; drizzle with ginger aioli. Serve, passing reserved boiled marinade.

Peanut Curry Noodles with Seared Shrimp & Scallops

1 package noodles (we used the refrigerated kind found by the wonton wrappers)

5 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 inches ginger root, minced or grated
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 to 1/3 cup tamari dark soy sauce
2 rounded tablespoonfuls red curry paste
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 cup light coconut milk
2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoons five-spice powder
12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 diver scallops, trimmed and patted dry
4 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces, then thinly sliced lengthwise into matchsticks
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Heat a large pot of water for noodles. When water boils, add noodles and cook according to package directions.

While noodles cook, heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil. Add garlic, ginger, red bell pepper, and pepper flakes to the pan and cook together a couple of minutes, then add peanut butter and melt it. Whisk soy into peanut butter, then stir in curry paste. Turn down the heat to low. Add sesame oil, coconut milk, and brown sugar and stir until combined. Adjust seasoning as necessary (you probably won’t need salt, but taste just in case).

Heat a small to medium skillet over high heat. Rub seafood with spice powder. Add 3 tablespoons of remaining oil to hot skillet. Place the shrimp in the pan and cook 1 minute, flip and sear the other side until just opaque. Remove shrimp to a plate and set aside. Add another 3 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and heat back up to smoking. Add the scallops and sear on both sides until opaque. Remove scallops and add to the plate of shrimp.

Drain noodles and return to pot. Add the sauce and toss thoroughly. Serve noodles on plates and top with scallions, cilantro, and seafood.

Mushrooms on Toast

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for buttering
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 pounds white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons chopped mixed herbs (Mamy loved to use fresh parsley, tarragon and chives)
• 8 thick slices of bread (Mamy prefered white bread from the bakery)
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

1. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat until it stops foaming. Add half of the shallots and cook until lightly browned. Add half of the mushrooms and sauté over medium-high heat until they’ve softened and their liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate, then repeat with the remaining butter, shallots and mushrooms. Return the reserved mushrooms to the skillet, stir in the chopped mixed herbs and sauté for another minute or two.

2. Meanwhile, toast the bread. Stir the cream into the mushroom mixture and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Butter the toast, if you like, and divide the mushroom mixture evenly over each slice; serve immediately.

Grilled skirt steak with bread salad

• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 large tomatoes, cored
• 2 pounds skirt steak
• 2 kaiser rolls, split
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

1. Preheat a grill to medium-high. In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and the cayenne.

2. Brush the tomatoes with some of the garlic oil. Grill, covered, turning once, until lightly charred, about 12 minutes; transfer to a plate.

3. Meanwhile, brush the steak and the rolls with garlic oil. Grill the rolls, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes; grill the steak, turning once, about 4 minutes total for medium-rare. Let the meat rest for 5 minutes, then thinly slice.

4. Coarsely chop the rolls and tomatoes and toss in a medium bowl; add the rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Divide the steak slices among 4 plates and top with the bread salad.

Bacon Wrapped shrimp with chipotle BBQ sauce

• 20 each Shrimp, 21-25 count, shelled, deviened
• 1/2 pound Bacon, partially cooked and cut in half
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 ounces Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons chipotle pepper in adobo
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flake
• 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
• 5 to 8 bamboo skewers

Soak bamboo skewers in water, to keep from burning during grilling.

Cook bacon partially, cut in half, and let cool on paper towel. Wrap bacon around shrimp, and skewer with bamboo through the point where bacon ends meet, to keep from unraveling. Skewer 3 to 5 shrimp per bamboo.

Combine all ingredients in blender, except bacon and shrimp, and puree. Separate the sauce in half, one for basting one for dipping.

Cook bacon wrapped shrimp on grill over medium heat. When shrimp begin to turn pink, begin basting with chipotle sauce.

Giant Bavarian Pretzels

1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
4 1/2 cups flour
2 T. light brown sugar
2 teaspoons table salt
1 large egg, separated
4 T. unsalted butter, melted
2 T. baking soda
coarse salt for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and yeast; let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Using a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, brown sugar and table salt. Mix in the egg yolk, butter and yeast mixture on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
3.In a large, shallow baking dish, combine the baking soda with 2 cups warm water. On a work surface, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Using your hands, roll out each piece into a rope about 42 inches long; dip in the baking soda mixture for 30 seconds. Using the prepared pans as a work surface, shape each rope into a pretzel.
4.In a small bowl, beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the pretzels with the egg white mixture. Sprinkle with the coarse salt and bake until deep golden, 12 to 15 minutes.