Ki, where is your imagination? I saute or grill shrimp in massive amounts of garlic all the time. I also often just cook up a pound of shrimp in Old Bay, make my own cocktail sauce and snack on them. The only reason these big, bad boys are "special" is that they were almost the same price I usually pay for "large?" shrimp. I eat a lot of shrimp. Although I normally loath fried fish, I have a really good recipe for beer batter fried shrimp if anyone is interested. I only make it maybe once a year, but it's super yummy. Some where around here, I have a really good recipe for stuffed shrimp. I should try to find it. Did I say I eat a lot of shrimp? I've also been getting large lobster tails for $4 each, every couple of weeks, at the grocery store this summer. Been eating a lot of them too. Lobsters go really well with asparagus. (Kevin, drooling is unbecoming:) Okay, back to the quiche, I think I'll try that. Freezing small amounts is a great idea. However, although I can cook, I don't bake and don't own muffin pans. I don't even own a cookie sheet. Can I buy little pie crusts or something, maybe tart shells, or would they be too sweet? I have phyllo dough, is there some way I can use that? That's a good idea Kevin, about pre- sauteing mushrooms and freezing them but I eat mushrooms the way most people eat chips. I even put them in scrambled eggs. If they go bad, it's because they got "lost" in the back of the fridge. Yum, Vietnamese spring rolls. What is that sauce they give you with everything in Vietnamese restaurants? Now that would be super yummy too. It's the consistency of broth and maybe the color of beef broth. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I don't think the dip included with Mark's link is the same sauce I'm thinking of. I think the sauce I'm thinking of has fish stock as a base, maybe. Mimi, Arthur can't say anything about buying food in "pounds". They sell everything by the kilo over there (2.2 pounds). The heads of lettuce in the grocery stores there were the size of basket balls. The fish market I would go to didn't sell prawns in small, smaller, tiny, super tiny, and too damn small to clean. They just sold the big, bad, super jumbo sized prawns. Okay, they still had their heads, and that may have skewed my perception of their size. Nah, I didn't eat the heads. Okay, tonight for dinner, I sauteed green onions, garlic, mushrooms, scallops and crab meat. Then I made a Marsala sauce and at the last minute added some fresh spinach leaves and gorgonzola. I served this over wild rice (pasta wasn't doin' it for me tonight, oddly) and had asparagus too. It was pretty yummy but needs some work. This weekend, I'll try the recipes you have suggested when I have more time.

Wow - different strokes for different folks!! One of the things I love the most about Thai food is the cilantro!! And what's really strange is I used to HATE it when I first tasted it!! I don't know what it was but all of a sudden I started liking it, and now, I absolutely love it! It seems most of my favorites have loads of fresh cilantro - that and the Thai basil they use!! I'm always using the regular, Italian, basil, but after having grown both I can say that I like the Thai better! And I'm Italian!! That's sacrilege lol!! Thanks for the link gellchom - I'm not really looking for tons of recipes either - it's learning about the ingredients, culture, and techniques that make up ethnic cuisines that fascinates me! Exactly what I want is to learn about what makes up the various curry pastes, why they use different flavors, etc. Thanks! And thanks to Lars as well - It was a different thread, but you linked me to a site that has info on Thai ingredients and currys. The one recipe I have down pat is Pad Thai - I'm making it this weekend for BIL's birthday! Lisa

Stacy, I wish I'd seen your request earlier. I usually serve chicken curry with a potato cauliflower curry on the side. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table ============================ Chicken pieces (Legs and thighs)Remove Skin 2 large onions 2 cloves of garlic 1 inch piece of ginger root 4 black or 8 green cardamon pods 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 cups chopped tomatoes 1 teaspoon cumin (or more to taste) 1 teaspoon ground corriander 2 cups chicken broth salt pepper fresh cilantro . Saute the onions in vegetable oil (about 1/4 cup). Cook until they turn light brown, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Add garlic, ginger and the spices. Continute cooking for a couple of minutes over low heat. Do not burn. Add chicken and cook turning to coat well with the spices. Add the tomatoes and some chicken broth. Cover and cook until chicken is tender. Serve with Basmati rice and sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Cauliflower And Potatoes In A Spicy Curry Sauce =============================================== 1 small head of cauliflower 3 russett potatoes 1/2 cup oil 1 small onion chopped 1 clove of garlic minced 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon cumin powder 2 tablespoons ground coriander 1/4 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 to 2 teaspoons grated ginger 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned) 2 to 3 cups of chicken broth Fresh chopped coriander (Same as cilantro) . Break cauliflower into about 1 1/2 inch pieces. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces Heat the oil over medium heat and when hot add the onions and saute until golden, add garlic and cumin seeds. Cook for a minute or two. Do not burn. Add the rest of the spices. Stir and add the potatoes and the cauliflower. Toss with the spices and cook for a few minutes and then add the grated ginger, tomatoes and chicken broth. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Turn off heat and add chopped coriander (cilantro leaves)

I grew up in Arizona, and we only knew of two kinds of shrimp. One came in cans, the other came from restaurants-via the freezer. Here are a couple of good uses for canned shrimp. Add it to potato soup. My mother made "chowder" using canned corn and shrimp. Her chowder was essentially, a thinner version of potato soupk. It had a milk-based broth flavored with fresh celery and onions. Everybody loved it, included my brother's vietnam buddy, who hated seafood. My mother also made a cold gazpacho-like soup that she called shrimp cocktail and served for a first course. It was tomato juice, a can of Veg-All, and canned shrimp seasoned with a little hot-sauce and served with fresh lemon. Canned shrimp added to a salad as suggested before, is wonderful. Serve it with fresh tomato wedges, saltine crackers and "Louie" style dressing. (Similar to Thousand Island, I'm sure you could find an easy version on the internet. We grew up with much less than people have today, but my mother was a great cook who always made the most of what we had. One last thing . . for those who would give undesirable cans to the food bank . . remember that when people are having hard times they don't suddenly start craving peculiar food from cans with faded labels--anymore than they desire stained clothes or ratty furniture. If you want to really feel good about the donations you make, remember that the people you are giving to, may be people just like you--trying to make it and take care of their families as best they can.