Larry has been all over me for the last couple of weeks for my neglect in posting this, so hopefully this will make him happy. In my defense, I got really sick and then had to travel for a couple of weeks, so this one slipped through the window. Anyway, Larry brought one of his many friends named Michael for dinner a few weeks ago. I made Ina Garten's Baked Shrimp Scampi for dinner from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients
. Michael brought a bottle of bubbly which distracted me from taking a picture of the finished product, so you'll have to make do with a picture of the cover of the cookbook.We had a lovely evening toasting life, love, and our independence. The herbs and lemon came from my garden, giving it a little local Long Beach flair. The recipe is a great one for entertaining because you can make most of it ahead and pop it into the oven while you are enjoying cocktails & hors d'oeuvres. If you're a garlic lover, extra garlic is key -- I put in a couple of extra cloves, but could have done with a couple more.
If you're really a garlic lover, carb lover, or both, you should by all means make some garlic bread to go along -- although this would also go well with a linguine tossed in olive oil & garlic. My tried and true garlic bread method is to use the brown & serve rolls, cut in half. Mince a couple of heads of garlic, melt some butter (unsalted preferred) in a small skillet, and then toss the garlic in for 30 seconds to a minute until it softens up. Dip the halved rolls in the butter & garlic mixture and put them butter & garlic side up on a cookie sheet and bake according to instructions. If you want a little cheese on top, by all means add some asiago or parmesan. Your call. And use fresh garlic, the minced stuff in a jar doesn't do it justice.
