shrimp Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

Gulf Coast Shrimp Dishes to Make You Swoon

Paula — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 13:41:00 +0000

I am the world’s biggest shrimp lover. So, if I am ever on the gulf coast or somewhere else in the world where shrimp are huge, fresh and plentiful, juicy and meaty, then I am going to order a heaping dish of shrimp. That is a given. Amazing Gulf Coast Shrimp So, when we did a 12-day girl’s getaway starting in New Orleans, stretching through Louisiana Northshore, Coastal Mississippi, Mobile Alabama and finally Gulf Shores Alabama, I was all over the shrimp dishes at each restaurant. At first, it was not intentional, but then it became purposeful and a bit of a joke amongst my gal pals travelling with me on our epic adventure through the southern United States. Oh, what will she order this time? Shrimp. Always shrimp. To be fair, I also adore scallops, mussels and oysters. But shrimp is my favourite. Best Gulf Coast Shrimp Dishes Our girlfriend’s adventure began in New Orleans and the most memorable shrimp dish that I had there was at the legendary historical Napoleon House. After a tour of the facility by Chef Chris Montero we sat down to order and sampled several top dishes. Napoleon House is an essential part of any girl’s trip to New Orleans. Head to Napoleon House for a Pimms Cup, cocktail made with Pimms, a British gin-based liqueur with lemon-lime soda, and a slice of cucumber, which is über refreshing, then add a Muffuletta sandwich made with cured meats, cheeses and olive spread served on a warm seeded bun. Insanely delicious. The shrimp Po’Boy sandwich by Napoleon House is one of my favourite dishes and the best Shrimp Po’Boy I’ve had. Visit New Orleans School of Cooking After a busy day of walking, we headed to the New Orleans School of Cooking in the French Quarter for what would be one of the biggest highlights of our New Orleans girl’s getaway. The hands on cooking class started with a little bit of information about the cooking school, the chef and range of dishes we were going to make. Cajun food derives from Acadia and relies on flavours layered in one pot. We started with a Shrimp and Tasso Maque Choux, a Duck and Andouille Gumbo and then finally moved on to Bread pudding. Paired with wine and beer, it was one of the best meals I’ve ever cooked. The entire experience was worthwhile and we kept the details of the recipes, so I can revisit that recipe at home! In Louisiana Northshore In walking distance of the romantic De La Bleau Bed and Breakfast, Nuvolari’s is Italian food in a casual fine dining atmosphere on Girod Street, moments away from Lake Ponchartrain. We had dinner here on our second night in Old Mandeville and service was flawless. The oysters appetizer was scrumptious, but the Genoa Shrimp with candied pecans and fettuccini was exceptional. Candied pecans added texture and a dash of sweet and earthy flavour, making the Genoa Shrimp one of the best shrimp dishes you could find in Louisiana. Coastal Mississippi There’s a lot to love about the food in Coastal Mississippi and the charm of the place itself is undeniable. The biscuits at The GreenHouse are tasty and the creative menu at Vestige could rival that of any major metropolitan area. Unfortunately shrimp was not on the menu the night we dined there, but fortunately for us crab cakes and grouper were specials. Dinner at Vestige was a highlight for me and their crab cakes were sublime. Open Tuesday through Saturday, this is one restaurant you should make reservations at now. It would be the perfect romantic dinner if traveling as a couple. Mobile Alabama Old Mobile Evening Tour with Bienville Bites Food Tour The Bienville Bites Food Tour was a highlight of the visit to Mobile Alabama for me. Starting at Dauphins, located on the 34th floor of the RSA Trustmark Bank Building, with breathtaking views of the 75 nautical surrounding miles, we tasted the Gumbo and got a tour of the kitchen as well as a private discussion with the chef. From there, we walked throughout Mobile and on to The Cheese Cottage. The guide was knowledgeable and we enjoyed her insider’s insights into the architecture and history of Mobile. Gumbo In fact, I discovered gumbo on this trip through the Gulf Coast. My first ever true gumbo was in New Orleans and I had no idea it could vary so wildly. The basic concept is the same, but the flavours and the time spent layering spices makes the most difference. The gumbo we had at Dauphins was very good, but the stop there was mostly about the views and the time spent with the chef. Dinner at Southern National A sensational new restaurant, Southern National, is blessed with an extremely talented executive chef. Chef Dwayne Nutter, a James Beard finalist for best chef in the south is right out front at an island cooking table ensuring every plate is perfect. Gulf Shores Alabama Until I visited Gulf Shores Alabama for the second time, I had never heard of Royal Reds. These are basically big prawns that are super delicious. This might have been one of my favourite Gulf Shores Alabama foods. Huge tasty shrimp more than worth trying, which you can find on the menu at DeSoto’s Seafood Kitchen. There are more than enough ways to savour shrimp dishes along the Gulf Coast. Raw, flavoured with garlic, candied, in a salad, a gumbo, or a Po’Boy sandwich, there are endless options for shrimp lovers. There’s no beating fresh seafood or a great adventure along the coast. When you combine the food, the sunsets, expansive clean beaches and charming people it’s easy to see why the Gulf Coast is a destination to return to over and over.

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Shrimp Life Cycle Booklet

Paula — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 15:58:00 +0000

Shrimp is one of my favourite foods, so I started to wonder recently about the shrimp life cycle too. My brain sometimes works that way. If you spend any time here on Thrifty Mommas Tips at all, then you probably already know that shrimp is my food. Just last month I wrote about a shrimp boat tour that we did in 2019 in Coastal Mississippi. But what do you actually know about shrimp? I mean they taste great and all, but what’s their life cycle like? Shrimp Life Cycle The shrimp life cycle is actually pretty interesting. If you are doing any learning units about food and where it comes from then this might be the right thing for you to share with your family, or your class. Lately, I have been sharing a few educational resources such as this bald eagle life cycle booklet. I think we can all use the extra educational free resources this year. What’s in the Shrimp Life Cycle Learning Kit? Here’s what’s included in this cute and free learning tool for school aged kids. The first page is a which is next in the life cycle stages sheet. Page 2 is a word tracing game. Page 3 is a Self Correcting Puzzle. Use the scissors to cut this out and help reinforce hand eye coordination and fine motor skills too. Finally, page 4 is a maze, which is always fun for kids. Download The Shrimp Life Cycle Booklet Now Easy, peasy. Click on the link below and print it out. Do leave me a comment if you found this useful. Thanks for reading, always! Want to Keep the Learning Going? Check out my Solar System Learning Unit. It is extremely thorough. Also, I have a turkey life cycle activity, in addition to the horse life cycle games that live here too. Finally, don’t miss the Frog Life Cycle booklet. It is one of my most popular content Seahorse Life Cycle activity and finally a Bee Life Cycle activity. What is your favourite fresh food? Are there any specific resources you can use this year? Let me know and I will find them for you.

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Aboard a Shrimp Boat in Coastal Mississippi – All About Shrimping

Paula — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 15:06:00 +0000

I am feeling completely Forrest Gump as we board a shrimp boat on a sparkling sunny day in Romantic Coastal Mississippi. “There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That — that’s about it,” Bubba (Forrest Gump) We were guests of Visit Coastal Mississippi on a media trip while in the state and received food, accommodations and excursions in exchange for story consideration here. Fresh Seafood Shrimp is my favourite fruit of the sea. There’s nothing quite like fresh seafood and the Gulf Coast has some of the freshest in the world. Gulf Coast shrimp is juicy and plump, unlike what we have at home in southern Ontario, Canada. So, when I took a trip with three other travel writers and influencers back in late 2019 and spied this shrimp boat tour on my itinerary I was curious and excited to learn something new about one of my favourite foods. What did I actually know about shrimp? Not that much, it turns out. A Favourite Choice Shrimp is versatile and you can add it to so many dishes. I love that about shrimp, but I rarely am able to eat it at home because my husband has a seafood allergy. So, when I travel for business or pleasure with girlfriends or on a media adventure, I am all in when it comes to seafood. In Coastal Mississippi I boarded a shrimp tour boat with friends and we learned a few curious facts about shrimping. So how do they fish for shrimp and what does that look like? All Aboard This was a shrimp boat tour, so we were not actually out there to gather a whole mess of shrimp and feed an army or anything. We were just there to sightsee and learn about a key industry in the area. It’s also worth noting that everything was returned to the water after catching and observing for a few moments. A Few Shrimp Facts Water temperature determines where the shrimp go. Shrimping Ends in December We are in Coastal Mississippi in the middle of a twelve day girl’s trip through the southern US. Coastal Mississippi is a brief visit but the food and the pace of life makes an immediate impression. Up and down the coast in Biloxi you will notice casinos, but if you venture further along the coast you will find a more romantic side. This shrimp boat tour is a highlight for me while here for reasons noted above and because this is unusual excursion. Catching shrimp is not something this gal does every day. So, hearing all of these shrimp facts makes me happy. Today’s Catch Anyways, because it is November, when we visit, the haul that the shrimp boat gets today is very small and it also contains a soft shell crab or two. It’s almost the end of shrimp boat season. Migration Shrimp migrate east, south and west, but not north, of course. Water temperature is trigger for growth. Quantity of the Haul Lady Brenda, the medium sized boat that we are on, will probably gather 600 to 800 pounds of shrimp in a season. It is in fact a working trawler, just not so much today, because we are late in the season. Big shrimp boats go out for 4-5 weeks and they will bring back millions of pounds of shrimp. Beautiful Biloxi is the capital for US shrimp. Everybody Loves Shrimp Best not to buy shrimp in January or anywhere before May according to the captain of our ship. As water temperature drops, the migration kicks off again. There are Different Colours? The difference between brown shrimp and white shrimp is the size of their antenna. Indeed that part is surprising, because the few shrimp that the boat captain pull out of the sound have gigantic antenna, not at all what I expected. What is There to Know About a Shrimp Boat? If you are out on the water, you should never play chicken with a shrimp boat. They might not look like much from the shore if you are boarding one but fully extended and loaded with shrimp it can be formidable. Keeping Track There are transponders on all the shrimp boats out there to be sure they are not breaking the law fishing where they are not supposed to. What’s the Lifespan of Shrimp? Shrimp live two years, but that’s rare. In fact, the average lifespan is 9-12 months. Baby shrimp take 3-4 weeks to develop and mature. They range in size when fully grown, depending on the type of shrimp anywhere from 5 to 9 inches. Is There a Quota on Shrimp? We don’t worry about shrimp conservation, the captain says. Shrimp eat more shrimp than anything else. Shrimp are the biggest threat to shrimp. They eat plankton and other shrimp. There’s no quota on shrimp in the Gulf Coast. It’s more driven by common sense says the captain of the boat. About 95 % of all shrimp are consumed in the wild. Gender Shockingly, only about 1% of shrimp survive in the Gulf. A female shrimp lays about half a million eggs and about 3/4 of all shrimp are female. Weather determines shrimp gender. Ideal Conditions Shrimp like a warm dry spring. In 2019, when we visited the coast, they’d just experiences a lot of freshwater and an algae bloom. That did not provide ideal conditions for shrimp to thrive. Other Details Ample parking available and the tour itself is affordable ($20 per person) and educational, which makes it more than worth the money. Shrimp Boat Tour In 1904, Biloxi was dubbed the seafood capital of the world. It’s only logical then that while you are here eating all of the great seafood, you investigate a bit further where it comes from. A shrimp boat tour is a brilliant way to spend a couple of hours and learn about the seafood industry while at it.

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