Jackson Jambalaya

Let's go ahead and get this out of the way. It ain't Isola, but Tuscany does have its charm. In his online gathering of information and trivial fact, Mr. Wikipedia tells us the region of central Italy, is known for scenic landscapes, rich history, artistic legacy, and its influence on high culture. Oh, and just like my granny's kitchen, it is known for excellent cuisine. 

You could always count on my grandmother to put good eats on the table when we were there for Sunday dinner, or Saturday lunch. Actually, whenever she had company, she did her very best to put tasty vittles representing the regional cuisine of the Mississippi Delta out for her guests to enjoy. You probably already know this means she served fried chicken, pork chops, dove, rabbit, or squirrel. Her fancy offerings might include stewed meat dishes, chicken and dumplings, chicken dressing, and biscuits. She was a gardener who owned a huge chest freezer, so there were always selections of vegetables to accompany the meal.

As you already know, Tuscan food is as different from Delta cooking as it is from most other regional cooking. I fell in love with Tuscan cuisine years back and see it is as respectable as Cajun, French, Mexican, Tide Water, New England, Soul, German, Chinese, or Southern, along with your favorite way of preparing your favorite dish.

Here is a nice way to prepare shrimp. I bet your family will enjoy it, and you will too.  

Tuscan Shrimp in Cream Sauce

This serves 2.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound shrimp, deveined, and tails removed
salt (to taste)
black pepper (to taste)
2 pinches crushed red pepper
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 Tablespoons basil

Directions:

Prep the vegetables.

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 

Once the oil is hot and the butter has melted, add the shrimp and a generous sprinkle of salt and black pepper, sauté for 1 minute (until pink) and add the crushed red pepper.

Deglaze with white wine. You have heard me say I will only use wine that I will drink when I cook with it. Sometimes, I pour a small glass and make sure it is drinkable.

Stir in the heavy cream.

Then the parmesan cheese, smoked paprika, and basil. 

Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce is slightly reduced about 2-3 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan and stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Add cooked pasta. You can use a little more than I did if you want. Pasta is cheap and adds so much to the dish. If you do, add a little more heavy cream and wine to give more sauce for the extra pasta.

Serve, topped with a few green onion slices and a light dusting of smoked paprika for color and enjoy!

I don't know if lots of photos adds much to the post, but I have them and it seems a shame not to use them.

Good stuff! 

Thanks for looking.

God Bless You.