I think I should live by the ocean. I love seafood. Well, shellfish anyway. I am allergic to fish. Crazy, isn’t it? Most people with seafood allergies are unable to eat shellfish. We always knew I was strange. My pediatrician suggested that I might outgrow the allergy. My mom asked when I was 10 years old if I would like to test his theory. I will never forget the day. Some of my friends from our youth department at church were over. We were playing basketball on our court outside in the backyard. We had eaten fried fish for lunch. I knew that afternoon that this would not be something I would outgrow.

Unfortunately we tested his theory a few more times by accident. My mom bought prepared gumbo from a specialty grocer. There were huge chunks of what looked like crab meat. My mom knows how much I love crab, so she picked out the largest pieces of “crab” for me to eat. Not crab. Fish. The next incident my sister will never forget. She spent the night with me in the dorm after eating out at Mike Anderson’s in Baton Rouge with my parents and me. Their stuffed mushrooms, while scrumptious, must have contained fish or fish stock. Katie never stayed in a dorm again.

We usually get our fresh seafood fix when we travel to Edisto Island, South Carolina each year. The shrimp we enjoy there is straight off the shrimp boat. It tastes so clean and fresh. Aunt Gee, whom I referred to in an earlier post, says Louisiana shrimp taste oily. Compared to South Carolina shrimp…they sure do.

This shrimp salad is a treat. Serve with crackers, on lettuce, stuff large pasta shells and bake, stuff ripe tomatoes and serve…the possibilities are endless!

Stir together about 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 T lemon juice, 2 stalks diced celery, 1 T minced onion and 1 1/2 cups small boiled shrimp. Season with cayenne pepper to taste.

Molly Wizenberg has a way with words and a way with choosing recipes that speak to me! I saw these in an issue of Bon Appetit and knew I had to make them. Her first book is going to be available this month, and I for one cannot wait.

These little bars pack a punch–of caffeine and flavor! My husband and I ate them straight from the oven while they were warm and gooey. Wow! They are addictive! Because I am supposed to have minimal caffeine while pregnant, I knew I better get the rest of these out of the house! My friend, Rae Lynn, is a caffeine and coffee junkie. I knew she would help me out. She loved the grainy texture of the brown sugar…not to mention the incredible coffee aroma that filled the pharmacy. Trust me…if you’re a coffee fan, you need to make these!

I love it when a plan comes together–especially when the result is edible! I crave ripe, red homegrown tomatoes year-round. It’s just tougher in the months I can’t get my hands on one! I long for that sweet, acidic burst of flavor when you take that first bite.

So here we are…winter. Now, I crave foods all the time, but I am 8 months pregnant and really hungry. Not for flavorless, mindless munching, either. I want sensual, mind-blowing combinations of textures and flavors. (Can you tell I have lots of hormones coursing through my veins?) Believe me, I would drive a long way to a warm place for one tomato with salt, please. But becuase that is not practical right now, I began to improvise and experiment in the kitchen.

Here’s what I came up with…sweet and tart plus garlic plus creamy plus carbs. Who could ask for anything more? (Even a hard-to-please hormonal very pregnant woman.)

Savory Tomato Jam Crostini

¼ c butter
2 pints cherry tomatoes, sliced
¼ c sugar
1 (8 oz.) tub whipped cream cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 baguette, sliced

Melt butter. Place tomatoes in skillet and sprinkle with half the sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cook over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes. Stir once then sprinkle with remaining sugar. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile broil baguette slices on high for 2 minutes or until warm. Spread each slice with 1 T cream cheese and sprinkle with minced garlic. Return to oven until cream cheese bubbles, about 2 minutes. Spoon tomatoes and their juice over each baguette slice, allowing juices to spill down over cream cheese-slathered toast.

I usually make the same New Year’s Resolution…to drop a few pounds. Well, I did not make the first resolution this year. Not that I couldn’t stand to eat healthier, but I am eight months pregnant. So, no new exercise routine or drastic dieting program for me this New Year’s. However, I decided our whole family–all three of us–could stand to eat more whole grains. I concocted this recipe by compiling several oat bran muffin recipes I found online and testing until we found a winner. This suits our tastes. The sugar is significantly reduced from the original recipes I found. Of course, you could always substitute Splenda for the sugar. I reduced the fat by substituting applesauce for a portion of the butter. I also think the oat bran cereal we chose, Cracklin’ Oat Bran, improves the flavor because it has a hint of cinnamon.

There are so many variations you could use with this recipe…addition of pureed pumpkin, dried fruit, nuts, bananas, and on and on. I added the chocolate chips in to convince my two year-old that he really is eating cupcakes for breakfast!

Chocolate Chip Oat Bran Muffins

1 c boiling water

2 c oat bran cereal

1 c brown sugar

3/4 c butter, softened

1/4 c applesauce

2 eggs, beaten

2 c buttermilk

2 1/2 c whole wheat flour

1 t salt

2 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

Pour boiling water over cereal. Set aside. Cream sugar and butter. Beat in applesauce, eggs and buttermilk. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add to buttermilk mixture. Add water-bran cereal mixture. Combine. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.