Shrimp never tasted so good

I never met a shrimp I didn't like.

I've tried hundreds of shrimp recipes over the years and even though some were definitely better than others, I can honestly say I had no trouble eating any of them.

I think it's in my genes, as my father was also a shrimp-lover.

When I was a little girl, we used to go to a wonderful restaurant in Danville, Ill., (home of Dick VanDyke and Gene Hackman) called Connou's. It was located in old railroad dining cars (green and silver, as I recall) and had wonderful food.

My dad would always order french fried shrimp, and when I was about 6, he successfully talked me into trying one.

What a taste sensation that was!

I still remember it, after all these decades. I liked it so much that I ate two or three more and Dad had to re-order his dinner.

He later said that he should never have let me taste those shrimp-it always cost him more for my dinner after that!

If I could just snap my fingers and have any shrimp dish I wanted, this would be it and Dad would be here to eat it with me!

Shrimp Etouffé  (Et-tu-fay)

1 medium onion, diced

2 green onions, sliced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. finely chopped celery

1/2 c. butter (1 stick)

2 T. flour

2 1/2 c. water

1 1/4 c. tomato puree

2 bay leaves

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

4 drops (or more) Tabasco sauce

1 t. salt

1/2 t. sugar

1/2 t. thyme

1/8 t. pepper

1 lb. cleaned raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined

Sauté first four ingredients in butter till tender. Add flour; cook and stir till lightly browned. Add all remaining ingredients except shrimp. Simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Add shrimp and cook 10-15 minutes more. Remove bay leaves. Serve with rice. Serves 4.6.