Multiple Food-gasm!!!

I've just had a multiple food-gasm and it won't stop!!!

Long story short, the flavors were all over the map, each bite was a whole new flavor sensation, from the wine to the salad to the entree.

I'll start with wine

An Austrian Gruner Veltliner Gmork from Anton Bauer, 2004. We picked up this white at Whole Foods for a very reasonable price, I can't remember it if was $9.99 or $12.99...but it was worth it regardless!!!

"The Gruner Veltliner Gmork is a classic example of this varietal. Bright, ripe aromas of Granny Smith apples and clean citrus fruit dominate the nose of this wine. On the palate, the wine possesses crisp acidity as well as clean, pure citrus flavors that keep you coming back for more. This wine makes the ideal apertiff, but works equally well with fresh vegetables, fish dishes and fried chicken. It is also the perfect picnic wine."

That really says it all! The crisp nose, the dry citrus palate. And it certainly paired well with our salad and entree. Will try to give more notes on this wine, but I'm still enjoying it.

The Salad. A bag of the European greens with diced pear and cashews drizzled with Balsamic and Basil Vinegrette under the Ken's Steak House label. YUM YUM YUM. One of the best balsamic dressings we've had. A HUGE shout out to Sterfanie for bringing it over to our place many moons ago for dinner. We loved it and had to get more. WONDERFUL. Get it.

The Entree.
Paula Deen's done it again. That Devil-ette! Coconut Shrimp! Meow! Super duper quick and easy. And sooooo wonderful. Paired with an rum and orange marmalade dipping sauce. Crunch coating, succulent shrimp.

I'm really sorry folks....I'm having a really hard time finding worlds to describe this ecclectic meal. The wine certainly tied it all together. One bite of salad would yield a different tasting sip fo wine. A shrimp would yield another. Then you'd have another bite of salad and there would be less vinegrette or an extra pear and you'd have another completely different taste on the wine. I'm sure the more I pontificate on this whole experience, I'll have something more to say.

But in the meantime, here is the recipe from our dear friend Ms. Paula Deen. (THANK YOU I LOVE YOU--Can I visit with you on a trip to Savanananah???? PLEASE

Coconut Shrimp with Orange Marmalade
Recipe courtesy Robert Pickens (OK, it's not actually Paula Deen's recipe, but she made it on her show)

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings (see notes below on serving size suggestions)

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
2 cups bread crumbs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, beaten
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Vegetable oil, for frying

Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1 to 2 tablespoons dark rum (optional)

*In a large bowl, combine coconut and bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper.
*Place flour, eggs, and bread crumb mixture into 3 separate bowls.
*Dredge the shrimp in flour and shake off excess.
*Next, dip the shrimp thoroughly in the egg and rub against the side of the bowl to lightly remove excess.
*Finally, coat the shrimp thoroughly with the bread crumb mixture.
*Lay out the shrimp so they do not touch on a parchment/waxed paper-lined baking sheet or platter until ready to fry.
*In a large Dutch oven or large deep skillet, heat several inches of oil to 350 degrees F.
*Fry the shrimp in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch.
*Be careful not to overcrowd shrimp in the oil while frying.
*Drain on paper towels.

For the Dipping Sauce: heat the marmalade in a small saucepan over low heat. Thin with rum as desired.

**Seriously, that's it!!!

SERVING NOTE: Ok, so if we got the "large" shrimp from Safeway (which were really JUMBO) and got the full serving suggestions, we'd be eating coconut shrimp for weeks. I scaled the recipe for two people. If you get "Jumbo" shrimp, go with 4, maybe 5 per person if you are having a salad or some other side dish. We did 6 shrimp and we're sitting here like Ted Bundy with our hands in the tops of our pants watching TV and moaning. I'd say if you get "large, 6-8 per person. Shrimp sizing is an another entry "sponsored" by dork of the century Alton Brown. "ALTON!! We love you!!!!!"

Here are the scaled amounts for 2.

1 cup of coconut, breadcrumbs and flour. 2 eggs.

Another note on the breadcrumbs. We splurged and bought Panko breadcrumbs. These are a special "Asian" breadcrumbs. They are lighter and flakier then a regular breadcrumb. They ROCKED THE FREE WORLD! Not necessary, but certainly De-Lish!

I could go on, but I just can't. I'm spent. Enjoy!