Seafood Delight

Tonight's dinner is an inspiration from two friends. First of, the Seafood White Wine idea came from a fellow food enthusiast and Multiply friend, Frank from California. When Frank posted a Squid dish made with white wine the other night, it got me craving for seafood. I asked him for his recipe and he was kind enough to share it with me. According to him, he learned the recipe from a restaurant in Vancouver. How amazing is that! The recipe is quite simple so, I decided to give it a try and added my own personal twist to his mouthwatering dish this evening!

Secondly, an old acquaintance from the Philippines, Malou gave me an idea of drinking wine with meals to build up my tolerance with alcohol. Through our short conversations here in Multiply, I'm learning a lot about her life in the Netherlands and her amazing travels throughout Europe's countryside. And with her vast knowledge on wines and spirits, I'm certainly in awe since I barely know anything about them.

It's funny how Barry and I have a huge collection of Wines and Liqueur and none of us hardly drink at all. Most of our stash are gifts from friends and clients. Sadly, they've been sitting in our chest for quite a long time. So, I figured why not give it a try and start a glass of wine (half a glass or a few sips for moi) with our meals from now on. We rarely drink wine and if we do, maybe it's once or twice a year...and for me, I use it mostly for cooking :-)

Here's to good food, fine wine and great friends! Cheers!!!

Ingredients:
1 lb of Shrimp, peeled
1 lb of Squid, cut into rings
1/2 cup of Sake, Black and Gold
1/2 cup of White Wine
A splash of Balsamic Vinegar, Bittersweet Herb Farm Raspberry and Fig Flavor
1 large Shallot
3 cloves of Garlic
Grape Tomatoes (frozen, harvested from our garden this past summer)
Olive Oil
2 Tbsp of Flour
Salt and Pepper
Bay Leaf
Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:
Clean shrimp and squid. I used shrimp with heads for more flavor, but removed the skin leaving just the head and tails. Slice squid into rings. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle squid rings with flour, about a Tbsp or two...this will create a slightly thicker sauce for the dish...just trust me and you'll see the beautiful saucy result when finished!).

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on HIGH. Saute onions and garlic. Add sliced grape tomatoes. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Add sake and white wine. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and bay leaves. Let the alcohols reduced in half. Add shrimp and squid. Cook for a couple of minutes until pink/white and tender. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a bowl of white rice and a glass of chilled white wine (tonight's wine is a Victorian White from Cape May Winery that I got this past summer...wonderfully light)!

Bon Appetit!