Summer Heat

As much as I enjoy cooking, the summer heat just zaps my energy.  Oh, how I wish I could have "summer break" during the fall or spring.  I have the time to make great meals, but I don't want to eat much during the summer.  A nice dinner salad suits me just fine.  I honestly do not see how people can make hearty dishes like lasagna during the summer. It just heats up the kitchen so much.  I will admit though, if you make a lasagna dinner, and invite me during the summer, I will be more than happy to eat it!!

It's the same with lunch.  Sometimes I will just have some fruit or cheese and crackers when I feel the pangs of hunger.  More often than not, I will just skip lunch all together.  Dinnertime is usually around 8:30 or 9 when the evening finally starts "cooling" down.  The heat takes a toll on me and the thought of eating when I'm really hot is not an option.  Just give me the cool drinks and I will eat when it is cooler in the evening.

I've lived in GA all of my life with a few exceptions of short stints in college, and I have never liked the summer heat.  The other parts of the year are fine. I was talking to my brother the other day and I was saying that I would like to see more of the world.  If you were to tell me today that I had a job in Seattle, I would move there.... site unseen in a heartbeat.  I know many people who dislike the heat as much as I. It makes me lethargic, grumpy, and physically uncomfortable.  Yet, there are others who relish the 90+F weather and want it never to be below 80!  I guess that's what makes the world go around isn't it?

I start back to school tomorrow and am excited to see all of my coworkers.  Time to eat my daily salad from the cafeteria for lunch (they make a nice variety of salad), and enjoy a microwave cup of coffee or tea.  I'm sure I'll put on a few pounds as I watch the children eat their breakfast and snacks in the classroom.  It's the old Pavlov effect.... I'll be STARVING I know.  Yesterday, I did not eat anything until dinner time.  I'm sure tomorrow will be a different story as breakfast will be provided by the school, then lunch with coworkers. What a nice welcome back to the school year.

Low Country Crab Boil

The first time I ever had a Low Country Crab Boil was at the home of a college roommate.  Lori was from Florida and her husband was from Savannah, GA.  I went to their house one evening for dinner and it was cooking outside.  That was about 20 years ago, and it has been a favorite meal of mine ever since.

Nothing could be easier than boiling water right?  That's basically how it starts.  Of course one can use a giant pot with steamer insert and cook it over the stove, but outside is more fun!  Next time I make it, I plan on using my turkey deep fryer since it can hold a lot of food.

I had it this past weekend at a friend's 50th birthday party.  What a perfect summer food.  It was a catered event and they did a great job of cooking everything just right.  The fun part about making this dish, is that you add more of what you like (crab in my case), and less of your least favorite  (sausage).  I think that Old Bay Seasoning hits the mark with it's blend of spices.  I believe they now sell them in bags for those that don't like loose spices on their food, but just the flavoring.  If they don't have it in the bag, they should.  You can also use cheesecloth to tie up the spices.

The main ingredients are red potatoes, corn on the cob, smoked sausage (your choice of spicy or mild), shrimp, crab, and if you're feeling extravagant....lobster!  You want to gently steam, not boil the ingredients.  I usually cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then add the corn and sausage and cook for 5 additional minutes.  Last come the lobster, crab, and shrimp.  I would add the lobster with the corn and sausage to give it a little additional time. Shrimp shouldn't take longer than 5 minutes or so to steam.    It is best to just put everything out on a long table spread with butcher paper (I'm not a newspaper fan) and let everyone eat what they like!!  Being Greek, I like to have melted butter and lemon on my seafood.  The party I attended had melted butter to dip the potatoes, shrimp, crab, etc... but I really missed the extra zing and tang of lemon. It was delicious though even without the lemon. You have to remember that I put lemon on just about everything I eat!

My eldest son is away at college right now, but this is the first meal I'm going to make for him when he comes home!! I can't wait.  Some nice hearty French Bread would be nice to serve with this too.  For dessert, if anyone is still hungry, a simple fruit salad made with the abundance of summer fruit: watermelon, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries finishes off the meal.  Enjoy!