Shrimp and Crab Stock

Making stock of any kind is rather easy especially if you take your time. Many stocks start with the things that give the stock its name… chicken, meat or seafood. Then most add a few flavorings that mirror most what the many dishes contain or at least don’t interfere. Onions, celery, carrots and sometimes peppers 🌶 and Italian spices.

I just work with the shells of shrimp and crab. But first I roast the empty shells in the oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes… and then into the freezer for future use!

Each package is 1 1/2 cups of stock… a good size for any recipe and perfect for making rice in my 40 year old Hitachi “Chime-O-Matic” rice cooker!

non apetite

Planning a Birthday

Ok, I’ve written about this before, but planning a birthday comes with an incomparable dessert… preceded by a memorable main dish!

I’ve chosen a Seafood Etouffee for my birthday! Shrimp, lobster, clams and Alaskan King Crab will highlight the feast!

I always start out with a great stock made from all the shells… four pounds of Alaskan king crab surrendered its shells for the first ingredients!

All I want for my birthday is a Black Forest Cake!

Laura has been making me Black Forest Cakes since the early 1970’s for very special occasions. They are a multilayered goodie that is filled with surprises.

There are four layers of chocolate cake with a filling on each. The bottom layer is a delicious hard icing layer protecting cherries that have been soaked in a cherry brandy, the next layer is a scrumptious chocolate mousse, the last layer is whipped cream!!! All covered with more cherries, whipped cream and milk chocolate shavings!

yummy