Shrimp Scampi and Spinach Dip Dinner

We had an amazing dinner last night, Shrimp Scampi and Spinach and Artichoke Dip with tortilla chips. I didn't take pictures, but trust me it was superb. Above is the Shrimp Scampi picture from the recipe, turned out just like it, and well, you know what Spinach Artichoke looks like anyway. This Spinach and Artichoke Dip was hands down amazing. Tasted just like a good restaurant version. Wonderful. So....we backed both in glass baking pans (ones I usually do brownies in), square because I didn't have a round one for the shrimp scampi. Worked just fine. After the recommended time for the Spinach Dip I switched the oven to broiler real quick to help speed up the browning, because it wasn't brown at the end of 15. Couple minutes under the broiler did the trick. Did the Shrimp Scampi exactly like the thing. Both turned out amazing and I can't stress how happy I was eating the meal. We took both baking dishes and put them on a folded beach towel on the table to protect the table from the eat, and just ate them in turn eating the two things, dipping chips and pulling the little shrimps out by their tails. Wonderful finger food to eat while watching old Lost episodes.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip by Emeril

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 cups milk
* Salt
* Cayenne pepper
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces)
* 1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack (about 2 ounces)
* 1 cup chopped onions
* 1 (10-ounce) bag fresh spinach, stemmed, rinsed and chopped
* 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
* 2 (15-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and julienned

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine 1/4 cup of the vegetable oil and flour in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly 5 to 6 minutes for a blond roux. Whisk in the milk and bring the liquid up to a boil. Season the liquid with salt and cayenne. Simmer the liquid for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the liquid is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the cheeses. Set the sauce aside.

In a saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in handfuls of spinach at a time, until all the spinach is incorporated. Add the garlic and artichoke and saute for 2 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and cayenne. Remove the vegetables from the heat and turn into a mixing bowl. Fold the cheese sauce into the vegetables. Turn the mixture into a baking pan. Bake the dip for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. (Eat with chips.)

Baked Shrimp Scampi by Ina Garten

Ingredients

* 2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell
* 3 tablespoons good olive oil
* 2 tablespoons dry white wine
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
* 1/4 cup minced shallots
* 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
* 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
* 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 1 extra-large egg yolk
* 2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
* Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture.

In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined.

Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges.

Happiness of the Week #1

- Finally catching up to the current season of Lost, so I can wait for next week's episode just like everyone else.
- Making Pioneer Woman's Shrimp and Linguine Package and Ina's Garlic Bread for Valentine's Day and having it turn out awesome.
- Getting a job interview this week, and having it go really well.
- Running into John Lasseter, not once, but twice, and getting to shake his hand.
- Going to Shutter Island last night, and discussing the craziness afterwards.

Goals

Animation - I'll be graduating this spring with a major in animation. Goal: Get a job. The hardest and most important goal on this list, and the one that needs to be accomplished first.

Drawing - When I'm not doing my work, I like to draw and color on the side. As my stress level has risen, I have found myself unable to draw for fun anymore. I miss the feeling of it.
Goal: To return to drawing for fun and improve my skills in the process. And be happy with it.

Cooking - Cooking is my favorite thing to do currently. I just love the alchemy involved with making something out of nothing...or in some cases something out of a lot of things. I have stacks of cookbooks but I don't often get to them, I sometimes find myself relying too much on simple things like spaghetti. Tim from Lootie + Doof has said that you should never make a recipe twice, and he says he sticks to that, except for his very favorites. That way, you have time to discover all the things you haven't made yet. Now I could never be that extreme, I love finding something and making it all the time. But I need to make an effort to really explore what my books have to offer, and hopefully even start through Martha Stewart's Cooking School.
Goal: To be able to make a whole library of recipes and memorize their processes, so that I can improvise on a whim with the resulting knowledge.

Home Decor - Like cooking, a more fun goal. I currently live in a place with all white walls and pale aging furniture. And there's nothing I can do about it, but it's just god awful drab. I cannot wait to move after graduation, and fix up a nice little apartment full of life and decorations that are unique to me.
Goal: To paint and decorate my future residence in order to make a colorful and bright atmosphere that will me make feel at home.

Films - Film is very important to my career seeing as I am trying to enter the film industry. With that in mind it is very important to watch films and understand what makes them good, or even what makes them bad, and to really know your material and history.
Goal: To get a Netflix account and watch as many movies as I can so I can be more knowledgeable about both classic and recent films.

Pets - A simple goal, but living without one for four years really shows you how lonely it can get. I need somebody to be there for me when my friends can't be, especially when it comes to moving somewhere new.
Goal: To adopt a dog or cat (eventually both) once I move in to my new place.

My last main goal is hard to talk about. That's because it has to do with more intangible things. It has to do with my whole lifestyle. When I've imagined myself in the future, I've thought of myself as being a more colorful person, exploring new places, being more expressive in my clothing or jewelry, trying new foods, doing new things, running around with my future dog, being overall more confident and happy with myself. So I suppose it can be summed up in a way that I want to become the person I imagined I would be.