shrimp

Couldn't make it to Mardi Gras this year? If you're lamenting the fact that today's Fat Tuesday and the French Quarter's a plane ride away, then do what I like to do. Bring the purple, green, and gold to your kitchen instead with a comforting platter of saucy shrimp étouffée.

Although some variations of the seafood recipe take hours to cook, enjoy a snappier version, since tonight's a school night. While the tomatoes and aromatics simmer together, steam a bowl of grains in the rice cooker (dabbed with a bit of butter, of course) so everything's ready to hit the table at the same time. Settle in with an Abita, some extra hot sauce, and your party hat, and you'll be ready to dig in! Click through for the quick recipe.

There are certain dishes that I'm obsessed with. Among them are shrimp appetizers and crostini, so imagine my delight when I came across Giada de Laurentiis's recipe for a shrimp crostini appetizer! The most important part of this dish is the bread; select a loaf that's sturdy and can hold the gooey thick topping. It's a mixture of plump pink shrimp, vibrant peppery arugula, and juicy fresh tomatoes. There's a slight creaminess thanks to the addition of mascarpone cheese that also provides a great richness. These finger-licking good hors d'oeuvres are excellent with a glass of crisp white wine. Ready for the recipe? Read more.

Have you cooked, eaten, or seen something amazing recently? Then share it with us! I recently made this shrimp toast, and I uploaded my picture to the community so I could share it with you. Want to be featured on YumSugar? You should do the same!

We've got a group called Savory Sights, where you can upload mouthwatering images of foods and drinks you've made, consumed, or just salivated over. Start sharing your photos now! There are lots of ways to participate, so read on to learn more.

I'm hosting Christmas dinner for the first time this year, and I want to serve a meal that is traditional but uncomplicated to make. To start, I'll offer my signature appetizer: shrimp. This time I'm salt-roasting them and pairing them with a lemon-pesto.

For the main course, I'm skipping the honey-baked ham and roasting a whole beef tenderloin. It's served alongside a roasted red pepper and black olive sauce. On the side? Fresh citrus and cranberry salad and a giant casserole dish of classic macaroni and cheese. Interested in these recipes? Keep reading!

This recipe for mango shrimp skewers was shared by FitSugar reader lauren in our Healthy Recipe community group.

Even during the Winter, I like to occasionally enjoy a touch of the tropical flavor with pineapples, papaya, and mangoes. I had a bunch of shrimp on hand, and after peeling and deveining them, I took a peek in my fridge for a marinade; unfortunately I was out of all of my favorites. With only three ingredients, a mango, jalapeno and cumin powder, I was able to create a simply delicious marinade. Since the rain let up, I had my husband grill them up on the barbecue, but these could easily be prepared in a pan as well. I served it with a side of brown rice and side salad. Definitely a fast and easy dinner with a ton of fresh flavor.

See this recipe when you read more

Make the most of surplus food by changing up supporting flavors and cooking techniques. Last night's easy seafood paella and tonight's shrimp and scallion stir-fry are both healthy, quick-cooking, gluten-free shellfish stunners, but they couldn't please more different sides of the palate.

Enjoy a traditional Chinese stir-fry combination — shrimp and scallions — tossed in a smoldering wok with garlic, hot peppers, and a squeeze of lemon juice for acid. Serve over a bowl of steaming rice with soy sauce on the side for dipping; from pan to plate, you'll only need 15 minutes. Ready for dinner? Then get the recipe.

One might not equate the word "paella" with "easy mealtime fix," but this recipe from former Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl will dispel your notions of this Valencian dish being too complicated to make at home.

Eschew unconventional ingredients like rabbits and snails or labor-heavy shellfish like lobster and crab for already-shelled shrimp and quick-cooking clams. Take advantage of frozen peas and rudimentary equipment like a Dutch oven — both things home cooks often already have on hand.
To make the meal simple enough for a weeknight or relaxed Sunday night, keep reading.

If you have plans to party-hop this Saturday night to celebrate Halloween, why not make an entire evening out of it by inviting friends over beforehand for a simple and spirited dinner? Especially if drinking is on the agenda, you'll want to fill up on some hearty carbs. Start with devils on horseback, a crowd-pleasing appetizer that involves bacon-wrapped shrimp and a spicy dipping sauce. For the main course offer bats and cobwebs: bow tie pasta with melted mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, and chicken sausages. Throw in a mixed green salad, crusty bread, and you've got a Halloween meal.

Get the easy recipes I recommend, after the jump.

Although Fall is in full force, there isn't a shortage of fabulous food events. Get excited because it doesn't matter where you live, there's something delicious going on. From the festivities at the Food Network's Wine and Food Festival in New York City to San Francisco's fourth annual WhiskyFest, we'll be hitting up parties on both sides of the nation! What food extravaganza will you be attending? Share with us below in the comments.

• Napa, CA: Morton's and the Mondavi Families: Celebrating the Legendary Blend — Oct. 7
• New York, NY: Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival — Oct. 7-10
• Des Moines, IA: World Food Festival — Oct. 7-10
• Gulf Shores, AL: National Shrimp Festival — Oct. 7-10
• Seattle, WA: Celebrity Chef Tour — Oct. 8
• San Francisco, CA: WhiskyFest — Oct. 8
• Charleston, SC: Taste of Charleston — Oct. 8-10
• Scottsdale, AZ: Arizona Taco Festival — Oct. 9
• Reno, NV: Great Italian Festival — Oct. 9-10
• Grand Prairie, TX: 27th International Bar-B-Que Cookoff — Oct. 9-10

Also, San Franciscan's listen up: next week we'll be at Wine and Spirits Top 100 Tasting, a fabulous walk-around event that's totally worth checking out. More details to come!

OnSugar blog Between the Bread couldn't make it to Manhattan to try a sandwich at eclectic diner Shopsins, so she re-created one of the famous eatery's sandwiches at home.

Kenny Shopsin invented this sandwich — one of hundreds of items on his six-page, single-spaced menu — for a customer named Greg who is "trapped in shrimp land." Verbiage like that makes Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin a riveting book.

The cookbook/memoir by the eccentric owner of Shopsin's in New York reads like a weird friend dictating his home "recipes" to you. Naturally, the recipes sound weird, sometimes even off-putting, but this shrimp sandwich is wonderfully and weirdly delicious. I followed the directions almost to the letter but threw on some butter lettuce for good measure to cut the buttery, creamy richness and hint of hot sauce.

Enjoy Shopsin's recipe — sharp-tongued instructions included! — when you read on.