Two Truths About Shrimp That You Need To Know

1. Shrimp is magnificent.

2. Ina Garten's Roasted Shrimp Salad is the most glorious shrimp salad imaginable and you all need to make it.

2b. You should probably buy all of Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa cookbooks because they are magic,

TRUE LIFE: I Can't Pour Things

I feel like I'm a reasonably competent human being, but every now and then some fuse blows out in my brain and incompetence rules the day. This happens EVERY. TIME. when I try to pour things. This is something most people master in their infancy. I have special teapots that are spillproof that I rely on like the elderly rely on their oxygen tanks. The lid for one of these teapots broke recently, and I just stood in the kitchen over its shattered remains silently wigging out until Rich was like "did you bleed out over there or what?" I was busy contemplating my life without a pourable teapot and deciding whether I should just kill myself or try to duct tape glass together.

Let me give you an example.
I really like tea, and particularly chai, so I usually make a pot's worth. Here's how it works.
You buy delicious, delicious chai from World Spice Market, and you put it in water for 3-4 minutes. Then you add in some black tea (I use Assam not only because it is delicious but also because it sounds like a magic word) and let the whole thing go for another three minutes. Then the trouble comes.

After everything is nice and steeped, you have to strain it before adding in milk. This should require nothing more than the original pot, a strainer and some kind of receptacle. I wind up pouring from the original pot, through the strainer, into a BIG bowl so I cannot possibly spill, and then wind up frantically pouring the strained chai back into the pot like it's hot lava, because apparently deep in my heart I equate speed with accurate pouring. After the milk/chai mixture gets up to drinking temperature, I now have to attempt to get this stuff into a mug. This is the typical result.

Pictured: DISASTER

This is also usually when the cat shows up. I suspect it is because he sees disaster as something of a specialty of his and doesn't like me horning in on his turf.

Exhibit A

Now, a mug is much smaller than a mixing bowl, so I proceed to use the most deranged method possible to get this chai in the mug. I should probably just lap it out of the pot, but I'm a little worried that it would be the last straw for Rich and he'd be like "you are too weird to be married to" and then I would have to live in a box or something. I usually go with pouring it into a large bowl, then scooping it out of the bowl with a measuring cup and into a teapot, which I THEN use to pour the chai into the mug.

Is there some kind of training I can take for this? I often fantasize about taking one of those knife skills courses at Assabet VoTech but I think "pouring stuff" is something people master in infancy and thus not something they offer courses in. This is seriously so shameful...but fascinating, you know? I have pretty good hand-eye coordination and my manual dexterity is actually way above average, and yet you give me something to pour and it's like my hands have been lopped off at the wrist. Why would this happen? I can't believe I'm seriously asking this, but does anyone have any suggestions on how to not spill things all over creation?

Josie's Magic Duct Tape Risotto

Here's the situation with cooking. I don't cook a lot, but generally when I attempt it, things go well. (I am a great baker, however.) I don't cook because I am lazy - and also legitimately busy much of the time, but...lazy - but I have one fail-safe recipe that I bust out whenever possible. It's a standard risotto recipe, which is perfect because risotto has a reputation for being A Feat of Culinary Excellence, so I get extra badassery points. Here is a quick guide to impressing your friends with risotto.

You need:
Ariobo rice
1 box of chicken/beef/veggie stock (your choice)
a package of sausage or mushrooms (or both!)

Advice on what you need: I know that the White Wine and Herbs stock that's out there sounds like it would be delicious but WOW is it totally overwhelming. Don't use it for this. I really like using chicken stock and chicken sausage, particularly when I can get the kind with jalapenos in it.

Have at it: Pour the stock into a pot and heat it to boiling. While that's heating up, cut your meat and/or veggies into bite size pieces, and start them cooking. Cook any meat most of the way through, and veggies until they're cooked but not soft. Throw one cup of ariobo rice in there, and let the rice, meat and veggies hang out a little bit (2-3 mins). Once they've had time to mingle, pour a cup or so of your now-boiling stock into the pot. Keep the mixture moving and let the stock absorb into the rice. When the first round of liquid is absorbed, throw some more in there. Keep adding and cooking down until you're out of stock. The last round is often a little tricky since the rice is at its maximum capacity. I like to let the whole thing sit, then it's time to chow down!

Risotto with Chanterelle Mushrooms