Do you need your arm twisted to eat more shrimp? We don’t—yet, except for special occasions, we don’t think to cook it.

Major health organizations suggest that Americans eat seafood at least twice a week, which would add up to approximately 39 pounds per person yearly. But the average American eats just 16 pounds of fish and shellfish annually.

Meanwhile, we chow down on an average of more than 110 pounds of red meat and 70 pounds of poultry. To “beef down” your red meat meals and beef up your seafood intake, here are some tips from The Shrimp Council:

• It is less expensive to buy shrimp in the shell and peel and devein it yourself. It’s easy to do with a shrimp deveiner tool.

• If you’re grilling shrimp, buy shrimp in the shell to help lock in the moisture.

• Frozen shrimp is more affordable than fresh shrimp, and works just as well in many dishes (barbecue shrimp, curry, fried shrimp [try beer batter and coconut batter], pasta, scampi, seafood stew, shrimp salad, skewers, soup, stir-frys and much more).

Shrimp is a welcome way to enjoy the
government-recommended two seafood
servings a week. Photo courtesy FireAndFlavor.com.

• Shrimp are properly cooked when their color turns from brownish-gray to the famililar orangey-pink and the meat becomes opaque. But don’t overcook it: Shrimp should have just a slight curl. When they curl tightly inwards, the flesh becomes rubbery.

For tastiest results using frozen shrimp:

1. Thaw the shrimp in the refrigerator one full day before you plan to cook them. Place the container in the refrigerator on a low shelf. (NOTE: Keep all raw foods on the lowest shelf and cooked foods on higher shelves to prevent any contamination from raw juices dripping onto cooked food.)

2. Let shrimp defrost slowly for about 24 hours in a container covered lightly with plastic wrap, then remove any liquid that has collected in the packaging or the container. Use within one day.

3. Quick Thawing Technique: If you can closely monitor the shrimp, place it in a leak-proof plastic bag (if it is not in one already.) Submerge the shrimp in cold tap water and change the water every 30 minutes until it has defrosted. Do not try to hasten the process with warm water or hot water because the shrimp will begin to cook. Cook immediately after thawing.

NIBBLE TIP: Save the shrimp shells and use them in other recipes. Details.

The best golf ball cupcake we’ve seen,
from FamousCupcakes.com.

If you’re not in the neighborhood, you can make similar cupcakes at home. The key is finding chocolate golf balls. You can look for them online; we buy them from Woodhouse Chocolate). (If you think this recipe will become part of your repertoire, you can make your own with a golf ball mold.)

You’ll also need some brand-new golf tees. Follow Famous Cupcake’s design and aim for red tees, which add bright color to the cupcake composition. Any flavor of cupcake will do, but think of what goes well with coconut.

Then:

1. Make the “grass.” Put shredded coconut in a small bowl with green food color and mix with a fork. Spread the coconut on a plate, baking sheet or in a pan to dry.

3. Lightly tap the coconut onto the icing. Insert the (washed) tee and use icing to adhere the chocolate golf ball. Royal icing will make it adhere more firmly than buttercream.

4. Serve to delighted golfers.

Find more recipes in our Gourmet Cakes Section.

If you live in a large city, no doubt cupcake boutiques are sprouting up like wildflowers.

Here’s how you can serve the cupcakes people want to eat, while adding glamorous toppings that make the cupcakes taste even better:

We have three pages of cupcake decorating ideas that use everyday supermarket items (and a few from baking specialty stores).

You can even set out different decorations and let people design their own cupcakes (a fun party concept).

Check out the ideas and plan a special plate of cupcakes for Father’s Day.

Take cupcakes from plain to pizazz with
simple, but elegant toppings like caramel corn.
Photo by Zac Williams | Pink Princess Cupcakes Cookbook.

Porchetta (por-KET-tuh) is an entire pig that has been boned, stuffed and slowly roasted. The skin is very crisp, the garlicky stuffing is very flavorful, a mixture of fennel seed, garlic, lemon zest, rosemary, sage and other seasonings.

And the meat…ah, the meat! If you dream of great pork, it’s the stuff dreams are made of. After the first bite, you’ll be dreaming of it for the rest of your life.

Italians have been enjoying porchetta for some time; mentions in Roman records date back to 400 B.C.E.

It was frequently served at Roman banquets and was a favorite of Emperor Nero (37-68 C.E.). Today, the Italian Agricultural Ministry lists porchetta as a prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale, one of the nation’s culturally significant foods.

Porchetta is pure pork paradise. The products from Porchetta Primata, a Kentucky-based company, are the best pork we’ve ever tasted.

We discovered the company at a major food trade show. Among some 1,300 exhibitors and 80,000 products, it was the best thing we tasted from 1000 or more nibbles.

Even better, the porchetta arrives ready to heat and eat. It can be eaten at room temperature or cold, but the excellent fat tastes better warm.

With crisp skin, moist meat and garlicky seasoning, porchetta is a feast (photo by Foodlovers | Fotolia).

 
 
MORE ABOUT PORCHETTA PRIMATA
A Roman recipe, Italian immigrants brought porchetta to the United States in the early 20th century.

Today you can find imports, but they’re not as good as Porchetta Primata, which began manufacturing the product here in the U.S. in 2008.

The Tronchetto Di Porchetta is made of all-natural loin, tenderloin, rib plate and belly, hand-rubbed with seasonings. The meat is then rolled, sewn together and the exterior roped.

Next, the pork is roasted for hours at temperatures in excess of 500°F. This gives the skin a golden crackling, while the inside meat remains moist.

The pigs are a combination of Yorkshire and Duroc breeds, and Porchetta Primata controls small micro-farms that grow the grain to create the feed for the animals.

It’s a holiday for lobster lovers! This Lobster
Cocktail is an easy way to celebrate (photo © Mackenzie Ltd).

It’s National Lobster Day. Celebrate with a lobster lunch or dinner—even a Lobster Cocktail like the simple-but-elegant presentation in the photo.

We have to guide you to one of our favorite easy lobster recipes, this Lobster Cobb Salad from Wolfgang Puck.

Or, make the easy, elegant Lobster Cocktail in the photo:

1. Toss baby greens (arugula, spinach or mesclun mix) with a fruit-based vinaigrette (we used blood orange oil). Add some small basil leaves or julienned basil leaves to the greens for an extra flavor punch.

2. You can also add diced or julienned mango, pineapple, fennel, cucumber and/or sweet onion.

3. Arrange the dressed greens in a Martini glass and place the lobster meat on top. Serve to enthusiastic celebrants of National Lobster Day.

Find reviews of some of our favorite heat-and-eat lobster products, including lobster stew and lobster pot pie.

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