Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series,Staff Favorites. Each week, we offer our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems.)
I recently returned from our annual family reunion in West Dennis, Mass., on Cape Cod. While trips to the beach and the bakery and boutiques, nighttime card games and watching old reel-to-reel movies were on the agenda, the weeklong gathering — as always — was for the most part dedicated to one thing: food. (And lots of hugs and laughs, too.)
We start organizing more than a month in advance, with elder sister (and dessert queen) Charlene gathering suggestions of what we can cook up to feed the group, sometimes as many as 20 or more. Naturally, lobsters and steamers from a local supermarket are at the top of the list, as well as take-out fried clams from Kream n’ Kone.
For a few years now, I have made my easy-peasy ribs on the grill and peel-and-eat shrimp (both recipes below), and picked up some clam chowder from Capt. Parker’s, a favorite on Cape Cod. (There’s a recipe for it on the Food Network’s website). Charlene made yummy personal pan pizzas; her popular Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake, sans frosting, for snacking; and Taste of Home’s Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake using the vegetable (it’s not a fruit) from her New Hampshire garden. Middle sister Jay made her Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy (recipe below), grilled burgers and dogs, and filled out most of the menus with salads and appetizers and sides.
But this summer, responsibility for the evening meals that used to fall solely to the three sisters was shared by the next generation: 24-year-old Emilie made yummy Mexican Shrimp Ceviche and carnitas, and 27-year-old Lexi made a whopping batch of our favorite tuna casserole (even a gluten-free pan for cousins Anne and Jen). We’re passing the torch, and the livin’ is easy.
Someone in the family can’t cook? We tell ’em to make reservations.
Peel ‘n’ Eat Shrimp (with Mustard Sauce)
I sought out this recipe after falling in love with these flavorful morsels at Jax Fish House in Denver, and found this one from Chef Dennis Littley online (askchefdennis.com). Serve them with a mustard sauce or cocktail sauce. The former is my favorite, however, so a recipe is included below.
Ingredients
1 pound (21-25 count) shrimp, shell on (frozen is OK; thaw first or boil longer)
12 ounces beer (any brand)
2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning, plus 1 tablespoon more to sprinkle on before serving
1 tablespoon pickling spice (or make your own; find the ingredients online)
1 lemon, cut in half
Directions
Fill a 3-4 quart saucepan halfway with water. Add the beer, 2 tablespoons Old Bay, pickling spice and lemon halves with the juice squeezed into the water.
Bring the water to a boil; then add the shrimp. Cook for 2-4 minutes, depending on size of the shrimp. (If the pan is overcrowded, it could take longer. Let the water come back to a boil and let them cook for 1-2 minutes more. Frozen shrimp will take longer. A cooked shrimp should feel firm, not soft, and they will be pink, not gray.)
Drain shrimp in a colander and discard the lemon.
Cool in fridge and serve over ice with mustard sauce (below) and/or any cocktail sauce.
Mustard Sauce
The family loved this version, but there are hundreds of similar recipes online. Find the one that suits your tastes.
Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon half-and-half
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sriracha
dash salt
Directions
Whisk all ingredients together until smooth and chill.
Easy Grilled Ribs
I’ve been making these for years and they never fail to impress. And they are SO. DARNED. SIMPLE. Time: 3 1/2 hours, start to finish, but just 30 minutes or so of active cooking.
Ingredients
2 racks of St. Louis-style or baby back ribs (you will want leftovers, trust me)
Any kind of BBQ rub seasoning (I like Emeril’s Rib Rub)
Your favorite BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s)
Directions
Set oven to 300 degrees. Wash and cut away excess fat from ribs. (I know that most recipes want you to remove the silver skin on the back side, but I never do.) Dry and season generously with Emeril’s or other rub. Wrap tightly in foil and place on cookie sheet. Cook at low heat for 3 hours or so. Carefully remove from foil and drop ribs onto grill. Char each side for a few minutes, then sauce and caramelize both sides. These will be falling off the bone so be careful when turning (use two grilling spatulas). Cut through rib sections and serve with extra sauce.
Ice Cream Cake
Time: 10 minutes to put together, 2 hours or more to freeze. Serves 10-12 (or more). Source: It’s all over Pinterest; my niece Lee found it.
Ingredients
2, 12-pack boxes of ice cream sandwiches (not sugar-free)
2 8-ounce containers whipped topping, thawed
1 12-ounce jar caramel sauce
1 12-ounce jar hot fudge sauce
Sprinkles, chopped nuts, candy to garnish (optional)
Directions
Layer the chocolate ice cream sandwiches on the bottom of a 13×9 pan or glass dish. (You may have little pieces left over to snack on.)
Top the sandwiches with 1 container whipped topping. Pour the caramel and hot fudge sauce (you may have to heat them for a few minutes in hot water to get them to pour) on top. Then add another layer of ice cream sandwiches, and the second container of whipped topping. Top it all off with colorful sprinkles, chopped nuts or candies like M&Ms. You can also save some of the sauces to drizzle on top. (There are too many variations to list here; go wild!)
Freeze for at least two hours.
Note: I used Smucker’s caramel and hot fudge. You can use the company’s sundae syrup in a squeeze bottle instead — just 12 ounces of it though — but the cake pieces will be a bit runnier.)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Source: Sister Jay, who got it more than 40 years ago from her mother-in-law.
Ingredients
1 cup peanut butter (not reduced fat)
1 1/3 sticks softened butter
3 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate morsels
Directions
Mix the peanut butter, butter, graham crackers and confectioner’s sugar together in a bowl. Place into 9×13 pan and press down firmly. In a separate bowl, mix the sweetened condensed milk and chocolate morsels. Place in a microwave and melt slowly so chocolate doesn’t burn. Whisk together and pour over base before it cools. Refrigerate until set. Take out about 30 minutes before serving to cut into small squares. Stores in fridge for weeks.
Originally Published: August 5, 2024 at 6:00 a.m.
