best recipe of the summer so far – you’ve gotta try this! – Derek Maul: Words & Photographs for the Journey

I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. – Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

Right now I’m basking in the glory of an unsolicited endorsement that has warmed my heart. No, not one of my books, but my cooking. Either way, I’ll take it.

What makes it special is the source. You see, our son – Andrew – is a bonafide food snob. He’s always been kind of a foodie; then he got a degree in hospitality management; then he turned into a world traveler; then he lived in Italy. Add it all up and you’ve got a well-educated, opinionated, deeply knowledgeable, sophisticated yet grounded, food snob.

“I’m savoring the moment,” he said towards the end of the meal. “This is really, really, good. You could easily charge $100 for something like this. You need to blog about this meal, and you can quote me.”

IMG_1115-001 And he kind of went on like that for a little while. Granted, he’s been kind of seafood deprived in Central Asia. And – granted – I asked him what he wanted to eat, and then built my recipe around that. But I’ll take kudos like that any time they’re offered!

YOU CAN DO THIS!! So, and seeing as you all are just dying to find out exactly what I cooked, as well as how I prepared it, here it is:

I’ll call it, shrimp and baked asparagus with pasta, topped with a crab sauce. And I’ll agree it was delicious.

Here’s the blow by blow:

I made pasta from scratch. Simple, a cup of SR-Flour, an egg, and a couple of teaspoons of water. Mix, fold, knead, roll, cut, dry.
Toss asparagus in olive oil, lightly salt, then bake at 400 degrees.
Chop 1 medium Vidalia Onion, then caramelize in large pan.
Begin white sauce. Melt three teaspoons of butter, stir in two tablespoons flour until smooth, add a cup and a half of milk, slowly heat until mixture thickens. add quarter cup of cheese, salt and pepper to taste, stir in a cup of crab meat (real), stir in a few chopped fresh basil leaves, season to taste.
our favorite foodie with his beautiful wife, Alicia

Add one pound of large shrimp to the caramelized onions, stir frequently until cooked, season to taste.
Cook pasta (two minutes on rapid boil) at the very last minute. Drain well.
Plate, including fresh sliced tomato from the garden. Enjoy.
We paired this with Cashmere Black Magic red blend, and served with a freshly heated croissant.