Wednesday, February 8, 2012

The Sacred and Seafood

Wherever two people share a positive perspective seems sacred to me. Even going to the grocery store is a celebration of the sacred in the New Orleans area. Who knew that seafood could be sacred?

Nowhere else have I ever been asked what I'm making out of the jumbo shrimp that I'm purchasing at the seafood counter. "Are you making barbeque shrimp with those?" the very old gentleman with the small Band-aid on his face asked. "No, I'm trying to duplicate a dish I had at a restaurant a week ago. It was delicious; a jumbo shrimp with a piece of jalapeno, wrapped in bacon," I said."

"Look at these other shrimp. That's a good price. I might have to get a pound. Farm raised, hmmm..." he replied. "Yeah, in the United States," I observed. "How you make that again? Do you take out the shrimp vein and put in the jalapeno?" he asked. "Well you can do it that way," I agreed.

 "How do you get the bacon to cook without overcooking the shrimp," he asked."I guess you do it by broiling the shrimp or cooking them in a very hot oven. I've never done it, but I'm gonna give it a try," I said. "What restaurant was that?"  "A Mexican restaurant in Long Beach Mississippi," I answered."That sounds good," he said. Then we parted ways.

Where else would you get such spirited conversation over a pound of shrimp?