Shrimp Pate

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's some food philosophizing from Harriet St. Amant:

Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the windowsill
to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the windowsill to thaw.

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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Unlike other food snobs I have known, I have had a microwave oven
for years. I use it mostly to reheat leftovers for lunch, and it does
a great job of steaming fresh or frozen vegetables, but otherwise I
use it very little. That all changed when I got "The Microwave Gourmet"
by Barbara Kafka. This impressive tome (almost 600 pages) is
packed with recipes for upscale dishes of every description. Some
of them are merely adaptations of classic recipes done specifically
with the microwave oven in mind, while others present truly original
and innovative approaches to cooking. In addition to hundreds of
recipes and variations it includes a comprehensive review of microwave
ovens, cooking utensils, and the fundamental science behind microwave
cookery. My favorite part of the book is the Dictionary of Foods and
Techniques with 100 pages of detailed info on cooking everything
from acorn squash to zucchini in the microwave. This is much more
than a wonderful cookbook with lots of great recipes - it's an
indispensable reference book for everyone who owns a microwave oven.

Here is the week's lineup:

(Recipes in brackets are in the PLUS Edition only.)

Monday's Starter
Shrimp Pate
[Asian-Style Eggplant Dip]

Tuesday's Soup or Salad
Anise Seafood Stew
[Shrimp and Corn Chowder]

Wednesday's Side Dish
Pureed Celery
[Garlic Custard]

Thursday's Entree
Chicken Breasts Normande
[Old-Fashioned Pot Roast]

Friday's Dessert
Polenta Pudding
[Peanut Brittle]

All recipes this week are adapted from "The Microwave Gourmet"
by Barbara Kafka, available from The Cookbook Store at
http://www.wwrecipes.com/cookbooks.htm

This is just one of more than a dozen recipes for pates and terrines
in this great cookbook. I wish I could try them all.

Shrimp Pate

3/4 lb (340 g) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) heavy cream
1 Tbs (15 ml) lime or lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in an electric blender or food processor
and process to make a smooth puree. Line a 7x4-inch (18x10 cm)
microwave-safe loaf pan or storage container with microwave-safe
plastic wrap, leaving a 4-inch (10 cm) overhang around the top of
the pan. Pour the shrimp mixture into the lined pan and fold the
plastic wrap over the top, completely enclosing the puree. Cook at
100% power for 4 minutes. Remove from the oven, wrap in a kitchen
towel, and let stand for 20 minutes before unmolding. Serve warm or
chilled. Serves 6 to 8.
Received on Mon May 29 06:04:31 2006