Family Dinner with JP

Finally tried my hand at an authentic etouffee, and I am now hooked. Just be careful not to burn the roux as you brown it into a peanut butter color.  Tips : Adding less stock to start allows you to better control the consistency of the sauce later. You choose how much to brown the roux, for the flavor you want; because it calls for adding less stock up front and then adjusting later, the recipe accommodates the diminished thickening power of a darker roux. Brining the shrimp with salt and baking soda seasons them throughout and ensures a plump and tender texture. Ingredients : 2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp 1/2 cup (4 ounces; 115g) unsalted butter 1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces; 65g) all-purpose flour 1 (8-ounce; 225g) medium yellow onion, diced 2 large ribs celery (6 ounces; 170g), diced 1 (8-ounce; 225g) large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced (or, if you want a sweeter flavor, half of a large green bell pepper and half of a large red bell pepper) 4 medium cloves garlic,...

I did not grow up eating grits. The only time I tried them in my "youth" was during college, headed to the Warped Tour at Hampton Colosseum with my friends Jed and Ty and Graham and Dan, Jed insisting we head to Waffle House for breakfast before the show. When in Virginia ...? I remember the menu included variations of grits to include, but certainly not limited to, Covered, Smothered, Buttered, Sputtered, Stuttered, possibly Mothered. I may be making some of those up. Point is, I was incredibly underwhelmed and a little bit grossed out. It wasn't until years later, watching Michael Chiarello's "You'll Never Live in Napa and Never Be Unawaredly Rich Like Me" cooking show, when I first heard of polenta. He made it look good, elevated, exquisitely delicate and complex. And then he said the words: polenta is basically just Italian grits. So, I decided to give polenta a try, and I liked it. And then I discovered actually complex, not-covered-in-chee...