Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the birthday rule in our family — you get one meal at a restaurant of your choosing, and one homemade meal of your choosing.

What I asked, my mother for varies — Sometimes it’s a veal dish in a blue cheese sauce (It’s out of my cousins cookbook so it’s a real family affair wheh we do that one). Last year it was the barefoot Contessa white pizzas with arugula. My birthday is in August so I always get an ice cream cake.

DH Is very good at steak, so I’ll usually get that from him with twice baked potatoes. His twice-baked potatoes are second only to my mother and as she gives him tips, he’s catching up. I won’t even bother eating twice baked in a restaurant anymore. It’s Mom ‘s or DH’s or nothing.

My mother has requested I make shrimp and grits for her birthday for over 10 years now. And DH request my shrimp diavola. So apparently I’m really good at shrimp.

Both of them love a rum cake, so I’ll usually make one of those. Or, for my mom, any dessert with peanut butter and/or banana.

This makes me want to try shrimp with grits at home. I think they'd be a big hit. Do you have a fave recipe? Do you get cooked shrimp or cleaned uncooked shrimp, etc?

Yes, I've evolved my recipe over the years. As mentioned upthread for the twice-baked potatoes, I have a food Instagram, so many of my recipes are online. This one is not, so sharing below. It is rich, but it's good. I have heard from friends and family members I've shared the recipe with who've tried to "lighten it up" by using chicken stock or half and half instead of the cream that it isn't as good when they've done so. So, I'd either accept the indulgence (I make it ~twice a year at my mother's request, for her birthday and sometimes Mother's Day) or try to find another recipe that was intentionally lighter on the dairy.

1 cup grits (coarse ground cornmeal)
1⁄4 cup butter
2 cups shredded sharp/extra old cheddar cheese
1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on or off per your preference*
2 tablespoons olive oil
1⁄2 cup diced pancetta
2 tablespoons diced leeks (white parts only)
2 tablespoons diced onion
2 tablespoons white wine
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper
Green onion/chives, diced

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil. Pour in the grits, season well with salt and pepper, and stir well with a whisk. Turn down the heat to the lowest setting.** Cook the grits until all the water is absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese. Cover the pot and keep it warm until ready to serve.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and sauté until crisp.** Add diced vegetables and sauté until onions are translucent. Add shrimp and sauté for ~2 minutes, or until pink. Remove from the pan and set aside. Deglaze the pan with a little white wine. Slowly add the cream and let reduce until thickened. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Place grits onto one large serving bowl/platter, or divide onto serving plates. Put shrimp overtop the grits. Pour sauce over shrimp. Garnish with green onions. Enjoy with the rest of the white wine you had to open to deglaze the pan.

*Frozen shrimp works fine — obviously thaw it first. In that case, I use 1.5-2 standard-size bags for 3-4 people depending on appetites. You may have leftover grits, you probably wont have leftover shrimp.

**Both stages of this recipe (grits and shrimp) are prone to splatter. Have a splatter guard handy if you have one.

THANK YOU! I will make it full cream in your honor 🤣

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the birthday rule in our family — you get one meal at a restaurant of your choosing, and one homemade meal of your choosing.

What I asked, my mother for varies — Sometimes it’s a veal dish in a blue cheese sauce (It’s out of my cousins cookbook so it’s a real family affair wheh we do that one). Last year it was the barefoot Contessa white pizzas with arugula. My birthday is in August so I always get an ice cream cake.

DH Is very good at steak, so I’ll usually get that from him with twice baked potatoes. His twice-baked potatoes are second only to my mother and as she gives him tips, he’s catching up. I won’t even bother eating twice baked in a restaurant anymore. It’s Mom ‘s or DH’s or nothing.

My mother has requested I make shrimp and grits for her birthday for over 10 years now. And DH request my shrimp diavola. So apparently I’m really good at shrimp.

Both of them love a rum cake, so I’ll usually make one of those. Or, for my mom, any dessert with peanut butter and/or banana.

This makes me want to try shrimp with grits at home. I think they'd be a big hit. Do you have a fave recipe? Do you get cooked shrimp or cleaned uncooked shrimp, etc?

Yes, I've evolved my recipe over the years. As mentioned upthread for the twice-baked potatoes, I have a food Instagram, so many of my recipes are online. This one is not, so sharing below. It is rich, but it's good. I have heard from friends and family members I've shared the recipe with who've tried to "lighten it up" by using chicken stock or half and half instead of the cream that it isn't as good when they've done so. So, I'd either accept the indulgence (I make it ~twice a year at my mother's request, for her birthday and sometimes Mother's Day) or try to find another recipe that was intentionally lighter on the dairy.

1 cup grits (coarse ground cornmeal)
1⁄4 cup butter
2 cups shredded sharp/extra old cheddar cheese
1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on or off per your preference*
2 tablespoons olive oil
1⁄2 cup diced pancetta
2 tablespoons diced leeks (white parts only)
2 tablespoons diced onion
2 tablespoons white wine
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper
Green onion/chives, diced

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil. Pour in the grits, season well with salt and pepper, and stir well with a whisk. Turn down the heat to the lowest setting.** Cook the grits until all the water is absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese. Cover the pot and keep it warm until ready to serve.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and sauté until crisp.** Add diced vegetables and sauté until onions are translucent. Add shrimp and sauté for ~2 minutes, or until pink. Remove from the pan and set aside. Deglaze the pan with a little white wine. Slowly add the cream and let reduce until thickened. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Place grits onto one large serving bowl/platter, or divide onto serving plates. Put shrimp overtop the grits. Pour sauce over shrimp. Garnish with green onions. Enjoy with the rest of the white wine you had to open to deglaze the pan.

*Frozen shrimp works fine — obviously thaw it first. In that case, I use 1.5-2 standard-size bags for 3-4 people depending on appetites. You may have leftover grits, you probably wont have leftover shrimp.

**Both stages of this recipe (grits and shrimp) are prone to splatter. Have a splatter guard handy if you have one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the birthday rule in our family — you get one meal at a restaurant of your choosing, and one homemade meal of your choosing.

What I asked, my mother for varies — Sometimes it’s a veal dish in a blue cheese sauce (It’s out of my cousins cookbook so it’s a real family affair wheh we do that one). Last year it was the barefoot Contessa white pizzas with arugula. My birthday is in August so I always get an ice cream cake.

DH Is very good at steak, so I’ll usually get that from him with twice baked potatoes. His twice-baked potatoes are second only to my mother and as she gives him tips, he’s catching up. I won’t even bother eating twice baked in a restaurant anymore. It’s Mom ‘s or DH’s or nothing.

My mother has requested I make shrimp and grits for her birthday for over 10 years now. And DH request my shrimp diavola. So apparently I’m really good at shrimp.

Both of them love a rum cake, so I’ll usually make one of those. Or, for my mom, any dessert with peanut butter and/or banana.

This makes me want to try shrimp with grits at home. I think they'd be a big hit. Do you have a fave recipe? Do you get cooked shrimp or cleaned uncooked shrimp, etc?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the birthday rule in our family — you get one meal at a restaurant of your choosing, and one homemade meal of your choosing.

What I asked, my mother for varies — Sometimes it’s a veal dish in a blue cheese sauce (It’s out of my cousins cookbook so it’s a real family affair wheh we do that one). Last year it was the barefoot Contessa white pizzas with arugula. My birthday is in August so I always get an ice cream cake.

DH Is very good at steak, so I’ll usually get that from him with twice baked potatoes. His twice-baked potatoes are second only to my mother and as she gives him tips, he’s catching up. I won’t even bother eating twice baked in a restaurant anymore. It’s Mom ‘s or DH’s or nothing.

My mother has requested I make shrimp and grits for her birthday for over 10 years now. And DH request my shrimp diavola. So apparently I’m really good at shrimp.

Both of them love a rum cake, so I’ll usually make one of those. Or, for my mom, any dessert with peanut butter and/or banana.

This makes me want to try shrimp with grits at home. I think they'd be a big hit. Do you have a fave recipe? Do you get cooked shrimp or cleaned uncooked shrimp, etc?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the birthday rule in our family — you get one meal at a restaurant of your choosing, and one homemade meal of your choosing.

What I asked, my mother for varies — Sometimes it’s a veal dish in a blue cheese sauce (It’s out of my cousins cookbook so it’s a real family affair wheh we do that one). Last year it was the barefoot Contessa white pizzas with arugula. My birthday is in August so I always get an ice cream cake.

DH Is very good at steak, so I’ll usually get that from him with twice baked potatoes. His twice-baked potatoes are second only to my mother and as she gives him tips, he’s catching up. I won’t even bother eating twice baked in a restaurant anymore. It’s Mom ‘s or DH’s or nothing.

My mother has requested I make shrimp and grits for her birthday for over 10 years now. And DH request my shrimp diavola. So apparently I’m really good at shrimp.

Both of them love a rum cake, so I’ll usually make one of those. Or, for my mom, any dessert with peanut butter and/or banana.

Recipe please!!