Par-ty DOWN!

Jake's has reopened...the sweet corn is in, it's Friday night - and here in DC, it's an August afternoon with (gasp) only 38% humidity!

It's time for a celebration, something for spicy Piskies who aren't afraid to dig in and get their hands a little messy. Meet me at the picnic tables...who is bringing the salad and bread? I'll bring a couple pies - the peaches are in (perhaps make one of them banana cream for Leonardo? Hmmm...)

Shrimp Boil à la Maryland

4 quarts water
1 12-ounces beer
1/2 cup Maryland-style seafood seasoning* (see notes)
2 tablespoons salt
8 medium red potatoes, quartered (adjust to size of potatoes)
2 large onions, peeled
6 or more garlic cloves (see directions)
2 pounds kielbasa or andoille (or a mix), cut into 2-inch slices
8 ears fresh corn, shucked and cut in half
4 pounds unpeeled shrimp, about 21 to 25 count** (see notes)
4 or more zucchini, cut into 1-inch slices if your garden is overrun with them
*
Cocktail sauce
Melted butter
Extra seafood seasoning

Peel the onions and cut into about six wedges (or cut into wedges and then peel them, be daring). Crush unpeeled garlic cloves with the heavy part of a knife, remove the peel but do not slice.

Bring the water, beer, seafood seasoning and salt to a boil in a large pot (about 12 quart capacity) over high heat. If you have a big pasta pot with a steamer insert, life will be easier. Add the potatoes and onions; cook about 8 minutes; remember to adjust the timing based on the size of your potato pieces. Add the sausage and cook about 5 minutes. If your corn is a little old - or you like it on the soft side, toss in now for about 5 minutes. Toss in the zucchini whenever you want. Actually, adjust the cooking time for everything based on your preferences, period - just count back from the item that will take the longest cooking time.

Remove the pot from heat, toss in the shrimp, cover pot, and steam until they turn just pink. Five minutes, perhaps, but remember overcooking will make them tough.

Drain the cooking liquid - or carefully remove the steamer insert of goodies - please be careful, this is very hot steam and liquid, and clumsy at times. (You might want to remove the shrimp first, so they don't overcook). Pour the goodies in a couple large serving bowls for semi-polite company. But it's more fun to just pile it on a table covered with brown paper, and a picnic table is best. Pass around the melted butter, cocktail sauce and extra seafood seasoning for those that like to doctor things up a bit (or raise their cholesterol, clear their sinuses, etc.

The only sides you need are some good, crusty or sourdough bread and a nice crisp salad. Purists don't want those extras, but it's nice to have a couple things that don't taste like the seasoning. Oh, and have plenty of paper towels and handwipes available, peeling the shrimp is messy.

*Old Bay seasoning is very good and available in most grocery stores, look for the familiar red and yellow tin. I'm partial to J.O's #1 and Wye River Original Red (you can order them from Maryland Delivered. People use Zatarain's as you head further south, it's very good and many just prefer the blend - and then this yummy stuff starts being called a low-country boil, or Frogmore Stew, or any number of regional names.

**You can really use any shellfish that suits your fancy. Mimi, we will happily add some crayfish if you'll bring it by. And don't worry too much about the size of the shrimp, and if you can actually them someplace from local waters...well, then I don't have to say any more why you should use them! If you want to serve blue crabs with this, steam them separately the traditional way with rock salt and seasoning.

Anglican Fudge Sauce

The best way to sort through Anglican fudge is with a hot fudge sundae. This is the easiest fudge sauce recipe I have ever made - and actually, one of the best. It's of the old-fashioned variety, so don't be surprised if a little of the sauce hardens when it hits your lovely Häagen-Dazs vanilla or coffee ice cream.

The type of semi-sweet chocolate you use will determine the flavor, so experiment a bit - you may need to adjust the amount of milk. But this is very good with the old standby, Nestlé Toll House chocolate chips. If you live in Chicago, try it with chopped Frango mints and heavy cream (of course,s you can you can order Frango mints from big, bad Macy's from anywhere, and pretend it's Marshall Field's).

Easy Fudge Sauce

1 cup evaporated milk (or heavy cream)
2 cups (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (use real vanilla, omit if you only have the imitation variety

Combine milk and chocolate in a heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently (a wire whisk works better than a spoon). Don't worry that the mixture looks like flecks of chocolate floating in cream at one point - it will pull together like magic (no Hail Marys required). When sauce is smooth and creamy, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour over ice cream, or ice cream and pound cake, or ice cream and a couple brownies.

This can be cooked in the microwave on medium speed; just stir it every minute or so, more after you start seeing the melted chocolate flecks. Sorry I don't have more specific instructions.

Leonardo,darling: if you use this as a knee poultice, cool it down a bit, please. No need to add a burn to your bruise.

Chocolate Soufflé for Two

This isn't a true soufflé, but it's easy and provides a direct chocolate fix. Leonardo, it heals bruised kneecaps...or helps you forget the pain.

Mock Chocolate Soufflé for Two

2/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 (1 oz.) square unsweetened chocolate
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Sweetened whipped cream

In a double boiler, heat milk, sugar, chocolate and salt until chocolate melts. Add vanilla and beat smooth. Drop in eggs and beat 1 minute with an electric mixer. (You can use a hand rotary mixer, but an immersion blender doesn't add enough air to the finished soufflé.) Cover double boiler and cook 30 minutes - do NOT remove cover as it cooks. Don't peek, or stir, or worry about what's happening. Remove top of double boiler immediately, and don't wait too long to serve - I like to top servings with whipped cream, it will melt a bit.

Serves two, but can be doubled if you have a nice, deep double boiler.

If you don't have a double boiler, you can improvise one with two saucepans - be sure the smaller one has a tight-fitting lid.

Soap for sensitive souls

Once upon a time, I was a full-time executive and and full-time caregiver. Or at least that's what I tried to be. At one point, my skin started screaming, no doubt because I wanted to do the same! I did a huge amount of research on "natural" skin care back then, and in time screened out most of the silly scares and claims. There are plenty of natural ingredients that are irritating, and plenty of synthetic ones that are just fine. And of course, some hand- or home-made products are harsher than ones you find in chain stores - you just never know.

This is a product recommendation for natural, hand-made(cold process)soaps from a small company that's just large and sensible enough to stay in business. They ship lightening-fast and use top grade ingredients, so the products are high-value (though mid-range in price). And yes, they welcome questions about what products might help sooth specific allergies or skin conditions.

If this interests you, head over to Alabu and check out the Rich Unscented Goat Milk Soap, Sara's Unscented Goat Milk Soap, and Baby Face Oil. If your skin has very dry areas, I like their Shea Butter Lotion Stick. (The Baby Face oil is great mixed with any brand of 100% aloe vera gel in the summer). They have some great scented soaps, too - vanilla, generally, doesn't irritate skin or nosy noses.

These days, I don't have to be quite as careful about skin irritants, but still use Alabu products about half the time because they work so well. I always use them after cleaning with harsh cleansers or chemical products*, or after exposure to a lot of sun and pollen.

I have no financial interest in this company, I'm just passing along a tip to other irritated or sensitive souls :-) feel free to recommend similar companies in the comment section.

*I don't really like housecleaning so tend to do a lot of things at once, and of course some products shouldn't be mixed. After a cleaning blitz, my mother once said, "go take a shower before your skin explodes from all those things you've been using."

Sunday Music: In Honor of Two Good Lives

Lovely friends and neighbors suffered the loss of sister and mother six days apart this week.

In memory of Barbara and Mama B., lights eternal. Rise in glory, rest in peace.

Lux Aeterna, John Rutter, Requiem; performed by the Monteverdi Choir Würzburg, conductor Matthias Beckert

Coffee Hour Cinnamon Rolls

I want you to take a look at this photo, and then envision a lot of very happy people the next time you volunteer for coffee hour. That's exactly what happened one Sunday at a nice little church in New York, and that's how I know about this recipe. Cinnamon. Sugar. Butter. Yum.

Now, head on over to The Pioneer Woman for easy, step-by-step directions with photos (honest, you can make these). Find out the "secret ingredients" in her glaze, and all the lovely variations people have tried and shared in the comment section.

And for those that prefer the savory to the sweet when indulging in naughty calories, I highly recommend another of the PW's recipes: Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich. All her recipes are sound, have great instructions, and use ingredients readily available in neighborhood grocery stores. And she rights darn funny commentary, too.

Now, go enjoy, and thanks for stopping by.

Sunday Music - Happy Father's Day!

The Westminster Abbey choir and congregation, Dear Lord and Father of Mankind.



Who knows, I might even get up a couple of regular posts this week...but don't alert the media quite yet.