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Wednesday, July 25, 2001
Outside the box

Food tips
   SHOPPING FOR SHRIMP

Artharamas

   Alongkot Artharamas, Mon's Thai Cuisine chef, and owner Mon Shirley had these tips for buying and cooking shrimp:

Check for firm shrimp. White shrimp are best, but can be hard to find. Choose pink (never red or brown) shrimp.

Medium-sized to large shrimp (about 21-25 shrimp per pound) are a good, all-purpose size.

When the shrimp begin to turn pink, they are done. If you are stir-frying peeled shrimp, watch for them to begin curling, and remove from heat shortly after.
   FRY WITH FRESH CRUMBS
   Fresh bread crumbs make a crisper coating on pan-fried foods than dried crumbs, since they absorb less oil. Dry bread crumbs, however, are better for stuffing and fillings because they absorb liquids.
   To make fresh crumbs, simply tear up fresh bread, with or without the crusts, and grind it in a food processor. Store fresh bread crumbs in a well-sealed plastic bag in the freezer.
   SNIFF YOUR TOMATOES
   Always give a tomato a whiff before buying. Those with the fullest aroma will have the best flavor.
   GRILL FISH IN A BASKET
   Grilling delicate whole fish can be challenging for even the best grillers, but it's worth the effort. Fish cooked on the bone is wonderfully moist and flavorful.
   To up the odds in your favor, use a fish basket. This holds the fish in a metal frame, making turning and checking the seafood effortless, and it prevents the fish from sticking to the grill and falling apart.
   KICKIN' FRIDAY'S CHIPS

   The popular restaurant chain is getting into the snack food biz. Among the products on grocery store shelves: Picante Salsa Flavor Quesadilla Snack Chips. A potential temptation for the Dorito-loving crowd, the rest of us might find the flavor a bit overpowering. The tortilla dough chips would be tasty by themselves, but the "baked-in vegetables and spices" leave munchers with a serious case of "chip breath."
   FREE FUN-FOOD BOOKLET
   A free booklet offers ideas for easy sandwiches, snacks and other dishes including "funny-face" food. The recipes are designed to pique kids' interest while teaching basic health and culinary skills.
   For a copy, send a self-addressed, stamped 6- by 9-inch envelope to French's Fun Food for Kids, 411 Park St., Upper Montclair, NJ 07043.

   SHRIMP RECIPES ONLINE
   www.baycooking.com
   For more recipes and advice on how to shell, devein and butterfly shrimp, take a (Web) page from our friends on the Chesapeake. Meals range from basic boiled shrimp to shrimp kabobs as well as oyster, crab and fish recipes.

   -Written and compiled by staff writer Leanne Libby



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