green papaya salad with shrimp

i'm not sure when or how it started,
but larry and i never go out for thai,
without ordering a green papaya salad.

have you had one?
they're everything i love:
crunchy,
salty
and spicy.
there are peanuts.
tomatoes and
green beans, too.
if you're lucky,
tiny flecks of fried shallots
on top.

it's my touch point for a new
thai restaurant.
just like some people order
guacamole in a new mexican restaurant
or always check out the omelets when
visiting a breakfast place for the first time,
i use green papaya salad to help me
decide if i'll be back
once the meal is over.

i want it to be spicy.
bright with fish sauce and lime.
studded with peanuts to help
add texture and break up the spiciness.
and the tomatoes? i don't want them
overly smashed, overly jostled.
i want it to have that indescribable something
that i just can't put my finger on.

so, i was always little afraid to make one at home.
if i am always hoping for that nameless thing,
how in the world was i going to figure out
how to recreate it?

ok, that's not entirely truthful.
i've always wanted to make one,
but finding green papaya is not so easy.
i searched my beloved asian markets many
times, until finally deciding that it wasn't meant
to be and that i would have to settle for this
salad as a restaurant-only treat.

and then one day,
a few weeks ago, my mother
called to tell me about a new asian market
that she was visiting after work. she asked if
i wanted anything. i asked for a green papaya,
but i wasn't hopeful.

and then, lo and behold.

i'll be honest with you:
i didn't think it was big enough.
i had imagined the salad topped with shrimp,
as a main course, but after seeing the smallish
fruit, i asked larry to pick up a green apple to
supplement. and, then, i started shredding this
thing with my spiked peeler (not an official name)
and felt foolish as the shreds of green papaya
started stacking up in the bowl.
we had more than enough.

i added things:


dried shrimp
fish sauce
lime
garlic
2 serrano peppers
(sadly, no scallions or
cilantro due to a small miscommunication
between larry and i)
green beans and
tomatoes.

i stirred it all around
and gave it a taste.
it sort of tasted like green papaya salad.
i chopped up more dried shrimp,
added more fish sauce,
more lime,
chopped more garlic and tossed in
a chopped shallot.
a third serrano went in.
i let the whole thing sit for ten minutes
and tasted it again. i think i drizzled in
more fish sauce. it was good. it really was.
but was i jumping out of my seat excited?
no.
would i make it again? yes.
and that? that's more than i can say for
several thai restaurants we've visited.
so, that's something.

green papaya salad with shrimp
adapted from molly wizenberg
i often find that i add more garlic, more fish sauce, more, more, more of everything with flavor than a recipe calls for. i don't know what it says about me. regardless. when tasting this salad for the first time, i wished three things: that i had let the mixture marinate for a bit before serving, that i chopped extra dried shrimp and garlic from the beginning and that my serrano had typical serrano-level spice. below, i've written the recipe with my changes and the way we made it, but keep in mind that the original had cilantro and scallions.

again, this was not exactly the original. i learned through this experience that a) larry did not know that there was a difference between cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes and b) larry cleans the fridge out much more than i realized. hence, this recipe was prepared without cilantro or scallions. we also used cashews instead of peanuts, because i love cashews and that was what was in the house.

a couple more things: i brought leftovers for lunch and they were great, so don't be afraid to let this sit overnight. the original recipe was six appetizer servings, but for us, it was three decent size main meals.

3 limes (about 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice)
2 tablespoons packed golden brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
3 tablespoons dried shrimp, chopped
1 shallot, peeled, halved and finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
15 green beans, trimmed
1 green papaya (1 1/2-1 3/4 pounds), peeled, halved and seeded
10 large cherry tomatoes, halved
1-3 serrano peppers with seeds or 1 fresh red thai chile pepper, thinly sliced
15 large shrimp (about 20 count)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped salted cashews

bring medium saucepan of salted water to a boil.

in small bowl, whisk together lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce, shrimp, garlic and shallot. taste and adjust flavor, if desired. set aside.

add green beans to boiling water; cook 2-3 minutes, or until just crisp-tender. drain; rinse under cold water to stop cooking. cut into 2-inch pieces.

using julienne peeler or box grater, shred papaya. measure 6 cups papaya. place papaya in large bowl. add green beans, tomatoes and chile pepper. top with dressing; toss to combine. let sit. 

when ready to serve, divide papaya salad among serving plates. 

season shrimp with hot and pepper. heat grill pan or saute pan over medium-high heat. grill shrimp 4 minutes, or until just firm and cooked through, turning once midway through. top salads with shrimp. sprinkle with cashews.

mustard greens caesar with shrimp and anchovy croutons

some dinners take tons of recipe searching,

lots of cookbook reading,

and hours of thinking

just to get the food on the table.

and others?

so easy.

that's how it went

when i saw melissa clark's recipe

for raw mustard greens salad

with gruyere and anchovy croutons.

larry loves mustard greens,

(i'm a fan, too).

i love anything made with anchovy

(he handles them ok).

and, we both love gruyere and garlic.

i almost prepared

the salad as is,

but, last minute

made the decision

to add shrimp for a complete meal.

at home, i broke out a tube

of anchovy paste. you see,

i love anchovies

and i love the flavor

of the fillets, but i have

never been able to get past

the thin-as-can-be bones

that never quite melt with the

rest of the fish.

so, not always,

but often, i use anchovy paste, instead.

i usually use 1 teaspoon in

place of each fillet. this time i added

a bit more to really give this already

assertive salad some extra oomph.

i chopped garlic,

added it to the anchovy paste

and whisked in some olive oil,

which i'll admit i eyeballed.

(it was late.)

to make up for the olive oil

measuring laziness, i took the time

to remove the crusts from a lovely

loaf of bread before cutting into cubes.

(normally, i would convince myself

that the crusts wouldn't make a

difference. but, i guess i was not in

the mood for self-denial.)

i tossed the soon-to-be-croutons

with some of the garlicky anchovy-laced oil,

and half the gruyere that larry had grated while

i cubed the bread,

added a little salt and pepper and tossed

them onto a baking sheet. as they crisped,

i squeezed lemon juice and a little bit

more anchovy into the olive oil mixture,

then whisked in the rest of the gruyere.

i stemmed and tore up

8 cups of mustard greens.

and before we knew it,

the croutons were done,

the shrimp, tossed with the

faintest amount of olive oil,

salt and pepper, had been broiled

and i was mixing everything together

in a bowl.

we ate the first few bites silently,

pretty sure the dish would be

a hit, both quickly falling in love

with the not shy flavors.

and the next night,

even though i don't have

the tiniest clue what we ate for

dinner, i remember that i was

resentful that it wasn't this salad.

mustard greens caesar with shrimp and anchovy croutons

adapted from bon appetit

i think it's fair to say that there are a lot of ingredients that you have to really like to enjoy this salad: sharp and peppery mustard greens, in-your-face garlic, umami-rich anchovy and for our version, nutty aged gruyere. but, if you're not turned off yet, i think you'll love every bite. i will caution you that i used three large garlic cloves and next time, i will probably seek out more normal sized pieces.

2 tablespoons anchovy paste

3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press or finely chopped

approximately 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1-2 teaspoons olive oil for shrimp, divided

1/2 loaf country bread, crusts removed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (3 cups)

4 ounces aged gruyere, grated (1 cup, packed)

1 pound large (20-25 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 bunch (about 12 ounces) mustard greens, center ribs removed and torn into bite-size pieces (8 cups)

1 large juicy lemon, juiced

heat oven to 375˚f. in small bowl, whisk together anchovy paste and garlic; gradually whisk in olive oil. in medium bowl, combine bread cubes, about 2 tablespoons anchovy-garlic oil mixture, 1/2 cup grated gruyere, salt and pepper; toss to coat.

place cubes in single layer on an aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet coated with cooking spray. bake 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp, stirring occasionally. set aside.

change oven to broil.

in bowl, combine shrimp, remaining olive oil and salt and pepper. place on aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet coated with cooking spray. broil 2 minutes; flip and cook 1 minute more, or until firm and just opaque.

meanwhile, in large bowl, combine mustard greens, croutons and remaining cheese. whisk 5 tablespoons lemon juice into anchovy-garlic mixture; season with salt, pepper, more lemon juice and more anchovy paste, if desired.

when shrimp are ready, combine greens, shrimp and dressing mixture; tossing to coat. divide among plates.

garlic and lemon maine shrimp

i have always been a horrible sleeper.

always. i have very vivid memories

of me, as an 8-year-old, getting

out of bed in the middle of the night,

wide-awake and looking for my father

who i knew would be downstairs,

also awake, playing computer

games. that's how i became so good

at tetris, so young.

i also have very vivid memories of me,

a freshman at college, not sleeping

at all - but not in the good way.

i would stay in my dorm room,

with my roommate sleeping one bed away

and wish that i could just sleep

like everyone else seemed to be able to do.

my problem has always been falling asleep.

once i did, though, i was out.

lately - even though, don't get me wrong,

many nights, i'm still awake way past when i

want to be - my biggest sleep problem is

actually staying asleep.

i wake up very early in the morning.

and that's it. i'm up.

or at the very least, i'm in that very

blurry awake-asleep stage where i'm

dreaming/thinking.

and it's all about work.

who needs that?

not me - and that's why at 4:19

this morning, as i was using sheer will

to coax myself back to sleep, but

instead kept remembering

three deadlines that i face today

when i get into work,

i decided to put this time to good

use and tell you about maine shrimp,

because i'm running out of time

on those, too.

maine shrimp, you see, are very

time-limited and it would be a shame

if i didn't write about them before

they are out of the markets and

you have to wait until next year.

so i have to tell you and get

rid of this guilt that it's taken me

so long - and maybe,

just maybe, it will help me sleep.

i can dream, right?

so anyway, the maine shrimp.

i have to admit that i'm a bit

of a shrimp snob. i like the big

ones, or at the very least, the almost

big ones. i'm not crazy about small

shrimp that curl up into bites of nothing

once they are cooked.

and so, even though i've spotted

very pink, small maine shrimp

in the market many times

over the past couple years, i've always

looked the other way. fool.

but, a couple weeks ago,

in the middle of grocery store,

i was offered one maine shrimp, raw.

i hesitated for a moment -

i love raw oysters, clams, fish

and now scallops, but to me, shrimp

always seemed like a seafood

better served cooked.

then the fishmonger told me that

these are the same shrimp that

are sold in sushi bars for $3,

two at a pop, over sushi rice.

he ate one, himself,

and i felt ridiculous and boring,

so i went for it.

the shrimp was amazing -

like nothing i ever had before:

sweet and buttery and what could

likely be a total addiction.

and they were $4.99 a pound.

that night, i brought six home

(they cost a little less than 50 cents)

and practically skipped in the house,

excited to reveal my find.

i peeled two, handed one to larry

and ate one myself.

yes, just as i remembered.

larry? not so into it.

he just could not get behind

the raw shrimp.

i was a little bummed.

but over the next week,

i started to research maine shrimp

and learned that they are only

available for a limited time each winter,

that in the northeast

(way in the northeast, we're talking

maine, massachusetts, rhode island -

not new york and new jersey),

people anxiously wait for them to

appear and that if cooked properly,

they are just as lovely.

and then, as i planned to pick up

a pound one night and i found a recipe,

a little bell went off in the back

of my head and i remembered why

maine shrimp carried an extra layer

of familiarity with them:

jen from last night's dinner had

referenced them (or, more specifically,

their stock) here, when she had cooked

my squid stew a couple months back.

(oh, and coincidentally, she made another

maine shrimp recipe this week.)

so then i knew this would be a very wise

$5 dollars spent:

dinner tonight,

stock for the future.

when shrimp are so tiny,

a lot make up a pound and i was glad

when larry started peeling with me

(and i swear, i ate only one or two

in the process).

but once they were prepped, this

recipe from the washington post

came together very quickly.

in fact, the bulk of time was spent

waiting for the accompanying couscous

to cook.

you zest a lemon,

chop a bunch of garlic,

crumble a dried chile.

the zest

and some of the garlic

are tossed with the raw shrimp

and then the remaining garlic

and the dried chile cook for

a few minutes in a bit of oil,

until they're sizzling.

that's when you add the shrimp,

immediately turn off the heat and toss.

and that's it.

and, cooked maine shrimp

are just as special as the raw.

they're lighter, but still sweet

and still buttery in texture.

larry, whose complaints vanished

once they were cooked,

said that they tasted like something

he couldn't quite identify,

similar enough to shrimp to be familiar,

but just different enough to stand out.

before the season runs out,

i hope to buy make stock

from the shells in the freezer,

buy another pound

and make maine shrimp risotto,

using both.

but for now,

i'm just glad the secret's out

(although it just occurred to me that

maybe i'm the only one who didn't

know about them before now):

maine shrimp are a lovely

limited-time treat.

if you see them, you should

get some and maybe even

cook them.

now that that's out -

one thing to cross

off my list -

maybe, i can go back

to sleep. i still have

an hour and a half before

i need to wake up.

garlic and lemon maine shrimp

adapted from the washington post

i would make this again, but i would double or triple the garlic and lemon, and instead of the dried chile, i would add a pinch or two of ground cayenne. i assume that the seasonings were kept on the light side so that the shrimp could really shine, but i like a lot more oomph in my food. oh, and on that note, the recipe doesn't say this, but i would absolutely finish the dish with a very big squeeze of lemon.

and, although i'm writing their version, below, i did make one change, which is reflected. instead of turning off the heat and then adding the shrimp, i added the shrimp and then turned off the heat. i know my stove and i knew that it would work better this way. oh, and the original recipe was for four, but i scaled it down to two (which is how i've written it).

i served the shrimp over lemony couscous, but they would also be great on their own, over a salad, on top of pasta or maybe, even with meat.

1 pound uncooked maine shrimp, peeled (they do not have to be deveined - and if you see any grey roe, just brush it away)

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic, plus 1 medium clove, chopped

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest

1-2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 dried chile pepper, crumbed (remove seeds and membrane for less heat) or a few pinches of ground cayenne

in bowl, combine shrimp, finely chopped garlic and lemon zest.

in large skillet, add oil to pan and heat over medium. as soon as the oil starts to make popping sounds, add the chopped garlic, salt to taste and the crumbled chili pepper. cook 2-3 minutes, or until the garlic sizzles and turns golden brown, stirring constantly.

add the shrimp; immediately turn off the heat. toss 1 minute, or until the shrimp are gently cooked. (if they seem like they need a little more cooking, turn the heat back on to medium and cook until heated through, stirring constantly.)

squeeze lemon over shrimp; toss to combine.