Gulf Coast living is the hurricane life. Most of my hurricane seasons growing up were spent just 70 miles away from the Gulf of Mexico. Then I decided to go to college in New Orleans, located on the gulf AND below sea level. Maybe I just love a good Hurricane Party. Well, there is really no maybe about that.
My first hurricane party was actually a Tropical Storm party. It was pretty appropriate since I was only seven when Tropical Storm Allison came to Texas. This party involved a sleeping pallet in the closet under the stairs. Pretty much the coolest thing ever when you are 7.
My first hurricane party was actually a Tropical Storm party. It was pretty appropriate since I was only seven when Tropical Storm Allison came to Texas. This party involved a sleeping pallet in the closet under the stairs. Pretty much the coolest thing ever when you are 7.
Hurricane Lili headed toward Louisiana in the fall of 2002 and we bought as much alcohol as we could find, stocked up at Whole Foods and had a giant sleepover at 900A. FANTASTIC. We watched the weather channel until the power went out and didn't go to sleep until the eye passed through. It was a cat one. Nothing to worry over.
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| This is what a hangover looks like. |
In 2005, one month after Katrina (a serious hurricane that is not to be made fun of), I was living in Texas with E (she's a BFC member) and Hurricane Rita was heading our way. Everyone lost their freaking MINDS. People in Houston kind of forgot that we weren't a city below sea level that was surrounded by levees that could breach. Subsequently, every single person in the fourth largest city in the United States, tried to GET OUT. JJ (who is the same person as E) and I just decided to make some Hurricanes with rum and everclear, take a little nap, and then head 40 miles north to my parent's house. Those 40 miles took about 4 hours. THEN we had another more formal hurricane party with Mexican Martinis and dinner at the dining room table. Our apartment in Houston never lost power.
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| Best Friends' Club. BFC por vida |
In aught 2008, the year of my marriage, Hurricane Ike was upon us. S & I hosted a hurricane party at our place. This was an amazing party.. we fired up the grill, had friends and neighbors empty their freezers and bars and head on over. And it was FANTASTIC. The next day at 7pm we lost power. Then the storm came through. THEN we didn't get power again for 9 days. So the party served its purpose since we had to empty out everything else that was left in the freezer and the refrigerator and migrate around town to different guest rooms and movie theaters to keep cool. Two trees fell on my parent's house (thankfully no one there was hurt) but we knew plenty of other people who were hurt. Having a hurricane party isn't making light of a hurricane and how dangerous it is, it's a way for people who are going to ride it out to come together and make the best of a serious situation. I'm not pro hurricane, but if there is going to be a hurricane anyway, why not have a party?
So if anyone is over in NOLA (and I know they are) waiting on Isaac today, grilling up some freezer goods and drinking bloody mary's, just know that I'm a little jealous of the good times had before the storm. I am not at all jealous of the after storm experience. Don't be idiots and you should be just fine.
In honor of the gulf coast and swirling winds, I'm going to talk Shrimp Stir Fry.
I had about a pound of 20 count shrimp. I took it out and brought it to room temp in a bowl while marinating it in the juice of 1.5 lemons, and the zest of one lemon, plus some soy sauce, fresh ground pepper and kosher sea salt.
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| Shrimp Marinade Items |
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| Marinade and Shrimp Combined in the bowl. |
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| Vegetable are good for you |
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| Action shot |
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| Yamaimo Soba |
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| These noodles take just a few minutes to cook. |
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| Bright green - ready for shrimp. |
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| Shrimp and broccoli, stirring and happy together. |
The shrimp just takes a few minutes. You can tell my the consistency when it is ready. The tails will become more pink and curl. Then you'll want to pull it off the head so they don't get too tough. Overcooked shrimp = tough and chewy. Noodles in the bowl, shrimp and broccoli on top. It's just that easy.
Here is the way I do it.
Ingredients:
2 head of broccoli
1 lb of shrimp
3 cloves of garlic (sliced)
1/2 small white onion, chopped
2 lemons
soy sauce
oyster sauce
sesame oil
grapeseed oil or EV Olive Oil
Soba Noodles or brown rice
Remove shells, tails, etc from the shrimp and marinade them in two tablespoons on lemon juice, the grated rind of one lemon, pinch of sea salt and a small pinch of fresh ground pepper. Let sit and come to room temp or if already at room temp, marinate for 10 - 15 minutes.
Put your stir fry pan on the oven to warm up. Wash your broccoli heads and cut the florets off. Make sure the broccoli is dry before you use it. Put a couple of teaspoons of oil in the pan to coat the bottom. Next add in the garlic and the onions and cook for 1- 2 minutes over medium heat. Add broccoli and oyster sauce and sesame oil to taste. Cover and let cook, stirring every so often.
Once the broccoli begins to turn bright green, add in the shrimp and stir together. Then cover for about a minute following by stirring until the shrimp is ready to come off.
Cook and prepare noodles or rice according to package instructions and put the stir fry on top.
This is a very simple and straight forward meal. Once you learn how to tell when ingredients are cooked and what they look like when they are in the different stage of cooking, it's much easier to cook at home. You can time the food with your eyes. It takes some trial and error, but that is the only way you will really learn.
For all of you party animals, here is a recipe that makes 10 - 12 servings of Rum Based Hurricanes. Share with your friends. Then you can all feel awful together the next day.
Good luck to everyone riding out the storm. Especially my beautiful sister K and all of my wonderful friends. Love y'all!
-RT
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