Two cooking clubs have come and gone in the past six months. The last one I did not photograph, as I was just a few months pregnant and was not feeling up to it. It was held around Halloween, so the theme was a “Goulish Fall Feast” and featured caviar moons, a dark and stormy drink and bbq ribs. Kyle and I were assigned a shrimp and pumpkin bisque, which turned out to be fantastic (if we do say so ourselves). It’s a bit of work to make your shrimp stock, but it is definitely worth the effort! The recipe is at the bottom.

Chilled Avocado Soup with Spicy Breadcrumbs
Bon Appetit
Soup
1 large ripe avocado (11 to 12 ounces), halved, pitted, peeled, diced
1 1/2 cups (or more) vegetable broth or low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Generous pinch of coarse kosher salt

Breadcrumbs
1 4x4x1/2-inch slice soft white sandwich bread with crust
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preparation
Soup
Place diced avocado in blender. Add 1 1/2 cups broth, whipping cream, lime juice, and coarse salt. Puree until smooth. Transfer soup to 4-cup measuring cup; add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to thin soup, if desired. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD Soup can be made up to 4 hours ahead. Keep chilled.
Breadcrumbs
Finely grind bread in processor. Melt butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs to skillet; stir until golden, about 1 minute. Add paprika, coarse salt, and cayenne; stir until crumbs are crisp, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to small bowl and cool. DO AHEAD Breadcrumbs can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.
Pour cold soup into eight 1/3-cup glasses or other small glasses. Sprinkle each serving lightly with breadcrumbs.

Pumpkin and Shrimp Bisque
Epicurious: The Herbfarm Cookbook
1 pound large shrimp (16 to 20)

Shrimp Stock
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups homemade or canned low-sodium chicken stock
Pinch saffron threads (about 24)
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion (about 8 ounces), coarsely chopped
4 fresh bay laurel leaves, torn, or 2 dried
3 3-inch springs fresh sage

2 cups pumpkin purée, fresh (see Note) or canned
1/2 cup heavy cream
About 3/4 teaspoon salt, less if using canned stock
Scant 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage

1. Shrimp stock: Peel and devein shrimp, reserving the shells. Cover the shrimp and refrigerate. Heat the olive oil in a medium (3-quart) heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat until it begins to smoke. Add the shrimp shells to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until they turn deep orange and are just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. This step—pan roasting the shells—gives the stock much of its flavor, so take the time to do it carefully. The roasted shells should release a concentrated, toasty, shrimp aroma that will fill your kitchen. Add the wine to the pan, first turning off gas flames to prevent the alcohol from igniting, then boil it over medium heat until all the liquid is evaporated. Add the chicken stock, saffron, celery, onion, bay leaves, and sage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Partially cover the pan and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine sieve, pushing down on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid. Rinse out the saucepan and pour the stock back into it.
2. Soup: Whisk the pumpkin, cream, salt (omit if using canned stock), and cayenne into the shrimp stock. Bring the soup to a simmer, then cook very gently uncovered over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, taste, and season with black pepper and more salt if needed. (The soup can be made up to this point up to 1 day ahead store covered in the refrigerator. Keep the peeled shrimp in a resealable bag buried in a bowl of ice in the refrigerator.)
3. Finishing the soup: Pour the olive oil into a large sauté pan placed over medium heat. When hot, add the reserved shrimp and sage and cook, tossing often, until the shrimp is just cooked through, pink, and no longer translucent, but not curled into a circle, 2 to 3 minutes. They should still have a tender snap when you bite into them. Arrange the shrimp in warmed serving bowls or a tureen. Bring the soup back to a simmer and then ladle it over the shrimp. Serve right away.

Pictured below: crab cake best crab cake I’ve ever eaten and calamari tossed in a zesty roasted red pepper sauce appetizers, fried oyster po’boy mouthwatering good with just some lemon juice and Tabasco

PS – Did I mention that this deal runs every day of the week?

Flipping through her The Art of Mexican Cooking cookbook, I was drawn to this shrimp recipe because I love chipotle chiles! Ripened and smoke-dried jalapenos, chipotles bring a smokey heat to dishes that brings depth to the spice, rather than just hot for hot’s sake.

The recipe turned out to be very simple. So simple, in fact that when it came time to add the dry white wine and I realized I didn’t have any to use, I used what was on hand…literally. In my hand was a bottle of Model Especial, so I just poured some in. Perhaps the original version is better, but my version with beer worked out just fine. I served the shrimp over Arroz Verde (green rice), to contrast the deep red chipotle sauce.

The shrimp were just tender and were amped up by the smokey heat of the rich tomato sauce. This sauce is begging to be used in more dishes – I’m thinking enchiladas, huevos rancheros…the possibilities are endless. The onion, although it was a smaller amount than the original recipe called for, added a sweetness that really worked well together. The rice was good, but perhaps I would like it better using cilantro instead of, or in combination with, the parsley. I just don’t like parsley much – but I keep trying!

Camarones Enchipotlados (Shrimp in Chipotle Sauce)
Adapted from The Art of Mexican Cooking
serves 2

1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and butterflied with tail shell left on
sea salt and pepper to taste
2 T. fresh lime juice
1/4 cup light olive oil
1/2 medium white onion, thinly sliced
3 medium tomatoes, broiled (see below)
2 chiles chipotles in adobo (to taste)
1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
1/4 cup beer (or dry white wine)
1/8 tsp. Mexican dried oregano

Season the shrimp with salt, pepper and lime juice. Set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a frying pan; add the drained shrimp, reserving any liquid, and sliced onion and fry, shaking the pan and tossing the ingredients for about 3 minutes (shrimp will not be cooked through). Remove shrimp and onion with a slotted spoon and set aside.

In a blender, blend tomatoes, chipotles and their liquid, and garlic to a textured sauce. Reheat the oil, add the sauce and fry over medium-high heat, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking, for about 8 minutes. Add the beer, oregano, marinade and salt to taste and cook for another minute. Add the shrimp/onion mixture and cook for about 2 minutes – the shrimp should be just cooked and still crisp.

*Broil tomatoes in a single layer in a pan that is just wide enough to fit them. Allow to boil and blister on one side, then turn and repeat.

Arroz Verde (Green Rice)
Mexico the Beautiful Cookbook
serves 3-4

1 cup long grain white rice
3 oz. fresh spinach
1/2 cup parsley leaves
1 T. chopped onion
1 clove garlic
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. oil
3 c. hot water

Soak the rice for 5 minutes in warm water, rinse well and drain.

Rinse the spinach well, place it in a saucepan with no added water, cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender, add the parsley, onion, garlic and 1/4 c. water and puree. Set aside.

Heat oil in a skillet, add rice and saute for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. When the grains begin to separate, remove from the heat and drain off the excess oil. Add the spinach-parsely mixture to the skillet and saute for 2 minutes. Add the hot water and salt to taste. When the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.

But back to the food – we made Mini Crab Cakes, Salt-Roasted Shrimp with Scampi Dip and Seared Sea Scallops on Sauteed Spinach with Hoisin Butter Sauce. And let me tell you – all three recipes were very, very good.

Although my crab cakes got a little too browned, these were light and had a really nice texture, which sometimes can be an issue with crab cakes. I did stray from the recipe with one thing – the crab meat. It called for lump crab meat, which was double the price of claw crab meat. Instead of going elsewhere (I really wanted to get everything at Coastal), I decided to just change it up. I thought it was still really good – and for half the price!

The next recipe was for shrimp. I don’t know much about salt-roasting so I’m not quite sure what that did for the flavor (if anything), but they tasted good. We did have some issues peeling the shrimp after, but that probably had nothing to do with the recipe. The scampi sauce was A-MAZ-ING. Of course – it is mainly butter, so that probably doesn’t come as a surprise. This will definitely be made again and I’m also thinking of playing with the recipe a bit…maybe grill the shrimp and baste with the sauce and perhaps even make it with tequila (instead of wine) and cilantro (instead of parsley)…mmmm….

The last recipe, which was an Asian scallops dish was also absolutely delicious. So much so, in fact, that I made it again last night. I know – I have all these recipes to finish and I actually made a recipe again before the month is over…am I crazy? The answer, as you are probably aware, is yes. But, the scallops are just so tender and the sauce and spinach are so flavorful – ginger, garlic, serrano chile…so good! The second version was even better, as they caramelized better (I used only olive oil instead of the olive oil/butter mix the recipe called for).

All in all, our seafood fest was a success. These recipes will definitely make it into my rotation again soon.

To our delight, we found out just before heading to Signature Cafe last night that Monday not only presents you with Signature’s regular dining menu, but you also have the choice of a tasting menu. We took one look at the tasting menu and immediately had to have it, as well as the wine pairing option. The menu started with ricotta ravioli, toasted and served with a light red sauce. The next course was a steak and gorgonzola crostini with a 50 year balsamic vinegar and a side of greens. The balsamic vinegar and gorgonzola were pure heaven. I made sure to get every last speck off my plate.

Despite how good the previous courses were, the third course was the star of the show. It featured pan seared scallops served with a side of udon noodles with vegetables and some red pepper flakes. Wow. Several hours later I could still taste those scallops. Actually, it was more than just the taste that I was still experiencing, but the feel of them in my mouth. The crispness of the peppery crust and the tender inside of the scallop. Wow. Again. For dessert we had a Meyer lemon bar with fresh strawberries and cream. Another great course, but unfortunately it followed the scallops that we were so in love with.

My only regret about this meal was that I did not take my camera (I had to return tonight to grab a quick picture of the exterior shown above) so I do not have any food pictures. If you haven’t tried Signature Cafe, you should definitely go in the next couple months. Ask for a table outside and enjoy…the food, the neighborhood and the experience.

Signature Cafe
130 SE Warwick Street
Minneapolis, MN
612.378.0237

Muffuletta
Milton Square 2260
Como Avenue
St. Paul, MN
651.644.9116

Sunsets – Woodbury
I also recently had lunch with a friend at Sunsets in Woodbury. Now, I don’t make it over to Woodbury very often and when I do, it usually is not in search of fine cuisine. But I was surprised by the menu variety for both food and drink (I was told they have 26 beers on tap) and I thought I would share in case anyone is out that way.

Sunsets
700 Commons Drive
Woodbury, MN
651.735.1997

I didn’t have my game on for the Cribbage, but that was after a good performance on the dinner. Staying in on Saturday night is sometimes just the needed thing.