Chum Bucket

- from The Court Grill, Pomeroy, OH

12 ounces beer
1 pound large shrimp, shells on
1 TBSP Pickling Spice
1 - 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 lemon quartered
1/4 cup cocktail sauce
1/4 cup drawn butter

In a medium saucepan, bring beer to a boil, - Once boiling add pickling spice and shrimp and boil about 4 minutes, DO NOT OVERCOOK SHRIMP

Drain shrimp
Toss in cajun seasoning
Serve with quartered lemons - cocktail sauce and drawn butter..

Serves 2 for a meal or 4 as appetizers

Yamma Damma Doo's

French-fried sweet potatoes with a brown sugar glaze!  I'm told this recipe comes from the Court Street Grill in Pomeroy, Ohio.  No, it's not low-cal but I'll trade delish for low-cal any day of the week!

Serves 2
Veg. Oil for frying

2  Large Sweet Potatoes, peeled and julienned
2 TBSP Brown Sugar
1 TBSP  butter, melted

Heat oil to approximately 350 degress in a heavey medium saucepot.
Deep fry sweet potatoes, approximately 3 - 5 minutes
Remove from oil and drain on paper towel
Plate.... sprinkle with the brown sugar and drizzle with the hot melted butter

BlackSalt’s Caramel-Apple Streusel Pie

This recipe appeared on the Washingtonian.com web site on Oct. 14, 2009
If you have a request for a recipe from a D.C. restaurant, visit their site, the "recipe sleuth" has been able to deliver many of them.  E-mail recipesleuth@washingtonian.com

Chef Wallace originally created it with blueberries but substitutes strawberry, rhubarb, and peach in warmer months. For the fall version, she says Granny Smith apples are best because their low moisture content means they hold up well in baked goods. Get creative with the pie, suggests Wallace: The cinnamon and nutmeg in the filling are just a starting point; try cloves or allspice, or substitute walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts for the pecans in the topping.

Makes one nine-inch pie.

9-inch pie shell, prebaked at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes

Make the streusel topping:

¼ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
¾ cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
8 tablespoons butter, cubed
½ cup chopped pecans

Combine the sugar, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Add the cubed butter and combine (using two forks or your hands) until the butter is the size of peas and the streusel is crumbly. Mix in the chopped pecans. Chill.

Make the pie fillings:

2 tablespoons butter
4 or 5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1⁄8 inch thick
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg

Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the sliced apples, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until slightly soft but still firm. Remove the pan from the heat and chill until cool, about 15 minutes.


¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
3 eggs
1½ cups sour cream
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together all ingredients. Stir in the cooled, cooked apples. Pour the filling into the prebaked pie shell. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is slightly set. Sprinkle the prepared streusel topping on top of pie. Return the pie to the oven and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until the topping is golden brown. Cool the pie completely. Store in refrigerator. May be served cold or heated with ice cream and caramel sauce.

Make the caramel sauce:

½ cup water
2 cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream

Place the water and sugar in saucepan set over medium heat. Heat until the sugar has caramelized (dark amber in color). Slowly whisk in the heavy cream (be careful of steam that will rise). Continue whisking until combined. Let cool slightly before serving with the pie.

Warm Grapefruit Tea

This comes from the website "We are NOT Martha" 
 Please be sure to visit their site... these two young gals do freelance work, one is a writer, the other does graphic design.... and they are foodies!  I hope you keep them in mind if you have a need for their services.... especially since they are living their dreams.

You’ll need two ruby red grapefruits. Squeeze all the juice out of them, which should give you two cups.



You’ll also need honey, whole allspice, and cinnamon sticks. Combine the juice and other ingredients with 1/2 cup of water and boil in a pot over high heat. Strain the mixture and serve with a cinnamon stick!

Martha's Fabulous Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen

• 12 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
•   sugar, for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.
2. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing evenly apart. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, and bake until golden brown, 24 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Cookies are best served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Fried Zucchini

3 Zucchini

3 eggs

3 TBSP Water

2 Cups Panko

½ cup flour

Salt and pepper

Canola Oil

Slice zucchini into ¼ circles, or slice lengthwise into slices that are ¼ inch thick
(If you really don’t like the peel go ahead and do that before slicing.

Prepare the area where you will do the breading. I like to set up three bowls and then have a baking pans at the end. Set the bowls up in this order: Flour, eggs and water beaten together, Panko breading.

Dip a piece of zucchini in the flour, then the egg mixture, then the panko. Set on the baking pan. Bread all pieces of zucchini before beginning the next step.

Heat about ¼ inch of oil on medium high in a large sauté pan. Place zucchini pieces in the pan –in batches without over-crowding, and fry until lightly browned on the first side, about two minutes,. Turn and fry the second side until lightly browned, about another two minutes. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Lightly sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, if desired.

Note… May also be baked in the oven – 400 degrees until browned on one side, then flip and do the other…. About 20 minutes total.

Serve with ranch dressing for dipping if desired.

Chewy Quick Pan Pizza

Chewy pan pizza ready in 2 1/2 hours start to finish

When I was a kid, the Italian lunch ladies would sometimes serve up trays of pizza: fat slabs of rich yeasty crust slathered with oregano-spiced tomato sauce and mozzarella. When I bit into a hunk of that pizza, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. Here’s my rendition.

Makes 2 pans

4 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (23 oz. by weight)

2 cups water at 100º

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast

2 teaspoons salt

½ cup flour for bench work

olive oil for the bowl and pans



15 ounces Contadina pizza sauce

8 ounces no-salt tomato sauce

16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Pepperoni, ham or olives as desired

Oregano to sprinkle



1. Put the yeast in a large mixing bowl and add a few ounces of the water. Stir to cream.

2. Add all but a half cup of the water, all the flour and the 2 teaspoons salt. With the handle of a wooden spoon, scrape the sides toward the center to incorporate. Pour the rest of the water around the sides and over the flour, pull towards the center again with the wooden handle and make a ball.

3. Turn the dough ball out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for at least 5 minutes and preferably 10, using a small amount of flour as needed to keep the ball from sticking. See ‘dough 101’ in my Foodbuzz recipes if you are unsure of proper kneading techniques.

4. Clean and dry the mixing bowl. Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons olive oil into the bowl, put in the doughball and turn to coat. Cover with a piece of plastic and a towel, and let rise for 1 ½ hours at 80º. You can create a warm environment in your oven by turning it on for 3 minutes only, shutting it down and putting a pan of boiling water on a low rack.

5. If you are making the second dough, use only ½ teaspoon yeast in the recipe, follow the steps above and let it rise overnight in your refrigerator – no warm environment for this slow-rising dough.

6. Remove the bowl and water from the warm oven and preheat the oven to 475º. If you have a pizza stone, set it on a middle rack. Lightly oil 2 12×17 jelly-roll pans or rimmed cookie sheets and set within reach of your work surface.

7. Lightly flour your counter, cut the dough in half and spread out each half as best you can to form a rectangle. This dough is weak and tears easily, but don’t worry because as long as you get it close to the size of the pans, you can continue shaping in the pan. Turn each piece over the length of your forearm and plop it into the pan. Spread uniformly with your fingers, leaving the dough somewhat thicker at the edges.

8. Mix tomato sauces together, spoon half onto each pizza, and top each with 8 ounces of cheese. If you like, distribute pepperoni, ham or olives. Sprinkle with oregano.

9. Bake for about 12 minutes, until the cheese starts to brown. Baking times vary depending on your oven.

10. Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting. Slice and enjoy!