Name: Grilled Shrimp Salad
Description: Spicy grilled shrimp and vegetable salad
Accomplice: Bread and Soup

This recipe is a take off from the mouth watering seared salmon salad I had at TGIF a while ago.
I discovered shitake mushrooms which are super delicious variety of mushrooms specially when grilled.

Recipe: Marinate the shrimps with mixed herbs (thyme, rosemary, parsley) salt, chili, onion and garlic powder. I used a ready made essence here. Rub in all the ingredients well along with olive oil, add lemon juice for zest.
Marinade vegetables ( shitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, or any variety you use, onions, tomatoes, yellow squash, red capsicum, etc) the same way .
Now grill the shrimp at 350 degrees till they are smoky and caramelized. I broiled the vegetables separately for 20 mins while giving them a stir once in a while. Avoid over grilling by removing from heat as soon as they are done. You can also stir fry them over high heat in a greased wok/pan.
Serve on a layer of salad leaves, cucumber and tomatoes followed by the veges and shrimps sprinkle some freshly diced mint leaves or green onions and for colour add crumbled egg yoke.


Comments: If you wish to stir fry the veges and the shrimp try cooking them over very high temperature for not more than 15 min, while tossing them regularly. The trick is to not let water seep away from them. The right texture should be crunchy yet cooked. If your spice mix do not have salt, it'll be easier for you to retain the crunchiness of the vegetables. Always add a pinch of salt later to avoid loss of water during sauteeing or stir frying.

Sushi and sake

Wasabi's a small Japanese sushi house in Roanoke, Virginia. Chef Cruz shows his skills right in front of his patron's table. Each meal aesthetically put together, we ordered a tuna and salmon sushi with rice. The wasabi paste and the teriyaki dip complimented the fish very well. The dish came adorned with brightly coluored tuna eggs and sumptuously spiced ginger.

We also ordered Sake, mine was cold and unfiltered (i could see rice starch floating around) tasted a bit like vodka and rum mix but not that potent. S got a hot and clear Sake, more stronger and pungent than mine. We also enjoyed teriyaki chicken on screwer's to begin our meals with. The ambient music comprising of Japanese drums and bamboo flute added to the mellowed and comforting atmosphere. A memorable experience yet again.

Jumbo shrimps ocean city style!

A sinister looking Tavern, called the Pepper Tavern, tucked under one of the many hotels right in the middle of boardwalk, Ocean city, Maryland. Our off season visit here in some way made us lonesome explorer in the otherwise popular beach destination.

The menu was simple and the choice was easy, Jumbo shrimps platter being the only local choice among the regular chips and burger meals.
According to the woman who runs the place shrimps are steamed in Guinness beer along with other sauces, and served with spicy red pepper dust, lemon wedges and tomato based wasabi dip.
Typically when wine is used in cooking it is a common practice to use the same wine for drinking, so beer goes very well with these shimps.
Wasabi dip is a popular Japanese concoction made with horse radish which has a peculiar sharp taste. It is used along with a huge variety of sushi dishes. The mellow flavor of the fresh shrimps goes very well with this dip.