LET YOUR KITCHEN BE "A GREAT LITTLE SEAFOOD PLACE" THIS WEEKEND

I heart fried shrimp. I know, I know... I probably shouldn't, but I do. They're easy to make and can be enjoyed so many different ways. My best recipe? Isn't mine at all. I borrow "Timmy the Shrimper's" Bayou Fried Shrimp. My friend, Scott Jones, featured him in a beautiful story several years ago and I've been a fan ever since.

Delicious by themselves, dunked in a fabulous sauce, or piled high on buttery, toasted French bread with all of the Po' Boy fixin's (just remove the tails), you can't go wrong with this tailgate or anytime treat.

Meet Scott and Timmy: http://www.southernliving.com/travel/south-central/meet-timmy-cheramie-video-00400000035864/

The Goods...as in yum

Bayou Fried Shrimp: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001806891

Two Die-For Dipping Sauces

Spicy Cocktail Sauce: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001821014

Remoulade Sauce: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001821013

Photo and recipes courtesy of myrecipes and Southern Living.

Enjoy.

COAT CHECK: 3 STYLES WORTH SPORTING ON GAME DAY

If you haven't taken stock in your cozy duds... well hop to it! We always need to be prepared for that unexpected cold snap, even if it only lasts for a day or two at a time. Take a look at a few options available in stores.

Now, hurry up-- I'm sure sizes will go quickly!

Easy on the Eyes: Perfect for pairing with a houndstooth handbag or shoe.

Cream Confection Jacket

Anthropologie

$188

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=18652719&navAction=jump&navCount=

Photo courtesy of Anthropologie.

Sleek and Chic: Pull on your fav boots with this look.

Marc By Marc Jacobs Felted Wool Coat

Bloomingdale's

$568

http://www1.bloomingdales.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=485343&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results

Photo courtesy of Bloomingdale's.

Short and Sweet: Jeans and ballet flats will do the trick.

Juicy Couture Brushed Twill Coat

Neiman Marcus

$398

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/search.jhtml?N=0&Ntt=juicy+couture+red+coat&_requestid=38004

Photo courtesy of Neiman Marcus.

DE-LISH.

CREATE FANFARE WITH THIS EASY TAILGATE FAVORITE: HOT SPINACH-ARTICHOKE DIP

WARNING*****WARNING*****WARNING*****WARNING
Once you serve this delicious dip, you'll be expected to bring it to every get together moving forward. O-M-Gosh... I promise, it's that good.

What sets it apart from its counterparts? No artificial flavors here. Fresh lemon adds zing complimenting the spinach, artichokes, and Parmesan cheese. Pepper jack adds just the right amount of zip and body. The extra step of grating the cheese is well worth the effort providing a more smooth and pleasing texture. Light sour cream cuts the fat and helps provide just the right amount of creaminess when heated with the other ingredients.

Seriously. I don't mean to take this dip so seriously, but I encourage you to give it a try.

A FEW TIPS:
Use a microplane grater to grate the Parmesan cheese. It will have a feathery light texture, so be sure to pack it in the cup to ensure an accurate measurement.

The size of green onions can vary, if they're on the larger side simply reduce from 4 to 2.

Smaller artichokes will be more tender. If you can't find the medium ones then size down rather than up. I prefer the Cento brand.

Green Giant makes a 9-oz. package of frozen chopped spinach. Thaw the spinach in the refrigerator overnight and drain well. I wrap the spinach in triple-ply paper towels and ring out the excess water. If the spinach looks rather stringy, run your knife through it several times to chop a tad more.

Hot Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Makes 10 servings
Prep: 15 min., Bake: 30 min.

Game Plan: Ideal for tailgating at home. Prepare up to a day ahead and refrigerate. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until center is hot and edges are bubbly.

1 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 green onions, sliced
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 1/4 cups shredded pepper jack cheese, divided
1 (9-oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 (14-oz.) can medium artichoke hearts, chopped
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Corn chips

Stir together first 6 ingredients and 1 cup pepper jack cheese. Fold in spinach and artichokes. Spoon into a lightly greased 1 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup pepper jack cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until center is hot and edges are bubbly. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and serve with corn chips.

The Extra Point: Portion into several smaller ovenproof dishes or ramekins and bake a few at a time to keep food fresh throughout the party. For a fancier affair, spread on toasted baguette slices and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until bubbly for an easy crostini. Great with crackers, tortilla chips, and bread sticks too.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

GAIN KITCHEN CONFIDENCE BY BREAKING A FEW RULES WITH THESE 3 QUICK AND EASY TAILGATE DIPS

If you're a tad insecure in the kitchen, I'm here to let you know it's okay to fudge a little when it comes to preparing recipes, especially for a hungry crowd of your best peeps.

Relax. Cooking should be fun. So if you don't think you have time to prepare that nibble you've been meaning to try just because you don't have a specific piece of equipment to do "such and such" or "the recipe says to ____, and I don't know how to do that." Well, let me show you how to take those deal breakers and turn them into your new--most requested-- signature pot luck superstars.

Red Pepper-Black-Eyed Pea Salsa:

Don't care for red bell pepper? Picky eaters in the bunch? Nix it if you choose and shave 5 minutes off the prep time. Shave additional time by omitting the oregano. The dish will be just as tasty... scouts honor. Felling a little crazy? Substitute chopped tomato or black beans for the red pepper and peas. Serve leftovers with quesadillas and tacos.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001704101

Grilled Crostini with Olive Tapenade:

Glamourize prepared tapenade with a handful of robust additions. No time to grill the bread? No worries. Look for toasted baguette slices in the bakery section of the grocery store or serve on assorted crackers. Swank it up a notch and serve with a 5 oz. log of goat cheese rolled in freshly ground black pepper. Leave it to guests to spread, top, and sprinkle.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001079897

Guacamole:

With a prep time of 10 minutes, you can't go wrong with this football favorite. The recipe calls to let the dip stand for 30 minutes so the flavor becomes more intense, however you can break the rules and serve it right away if you so choose. It will still taste yummy in your tummy. Try it on a plain Jane BLT. Need I say more?

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001611810

Now get in there and hop to it. Time's awastin'.
Chow.

Photos and recipes courtesy of myrecipes and Southern Living.

FORGET ABOUT IT... EASY ROAST BEEF YIELDS MANY QUICK MEALTIME SOLUTIONS

One of Marrow's favorite meals is this So-Easy Oven Roast. You literally bake it for 12 to 15 minutes at 500 degrees and forget about it for 2 hours. Trust me when I say-- It's magically delicious.

We do all sorts of things with it:

• Slice thinly for sandwiches. At about $4.39 per pound, it's much more economical than deli meat and it tastes better too. Horseradish sauce, spicy brown mustard, or blue cheese dressing make delicious spread options. Great on dinner rolls, French bread, or ciabatta with Cheddar, Swiss, or provolone cheese slices. Try it hot or cold.

• Add to torn Romaine lettuce, blue cheese, toasted pecans, sliced green onion, and grape tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, squeeze with half of a lemon, and drizzle with homemade Ranch dressing just before tossing for an easy weeknight meal.

• Saute sliced green bell peppers and onions and serve in warm corn tortillas with salsa and guacamole for faux fajitas.

• Serve Marrow-style with Beef Oven Rice and a green vegetable. No frills here, just simple and good the way he likes it.

The possibilities are practically endless.

So-Easy Oven Roast
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Prep: 5 min., Bake: 12 min., Stand: 2 hrs., 20 min.

Prepare roast the day before serving so you don't experience oven overload.

1 (2 1/2 lb.) eye of round roast
Creole seasoning
1 tsp. dried thyme

Let roast stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Coat all sides of roast with with Creole seasoning. Press in thyme. Place on a rack in a roasting pan (I actually use my grill skillet.)

Bake at 500 degrees for 12 minutes (Add 3 minutes for a 3 lb. roast.). Turn off oven and do not open oven door for 2 hours. Remove from oven, slice super thin, and serve or use as desired.

Beef Oven Rice
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Prep: 5 min., Bake 45 min.

3 Tbsp. butter
1 cup long grain rice
1 (14.5) can beef broth
1 cup water
Salt and pepper

Melt butter over medium heat in an oven proof saucepan. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes or until fragrant. Stir in broth, water, and desired amount of salt and pepper-- a hefty pinch will do. Bring to a boil and pop in the oven.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. (Rice will form a crust over surface.) Serve with roast.

Tip: Spray meat with Pam when you remove from oven for a glossy, appealing look.

The green vegetable? Here are a few suggestions courtesy of myrecipes.com and Southern Living:

Green Beans with Shallots and Red Pepper:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1589364

Sauteed Garlic Spinach:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1831969

Cheddar-Pecan Green Bean Casserole:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1851579

Chow.