Generation to Generation

In my father's footsteps:

My father loved to cook. I remember him standing in the kitchen over a hot stove with a cold beer in hand. He spent many an evening pouring over his collection of cookbooks and Gourmet or Bon Appetit magazines looking for new recipes to try. And try them he would. Today I am living in my parents home and each time I walk out into the kitchen I can see him standing there chopping or stirring or sauteing. I miss him.

My father invited my son to join him in the kitchen. They stood side by side while performing culinary tricks and today that passion for cooking has been passed along to a new generation of chefs. I find great pleasure in watching him stand in his kitchen looking so much like my dad. Not only does he like to cook, but he's very good at it!

One of the things I like to do occasionally is pull out one of my father's recipes and recreate it. We all sit around enjoying the food and our memories. Here is one of his favorites. I made it recently, and it is just delicious.

Shrimp with Tequila Dipping Sauce

Shrimp:
Lay 1-2 pounds of medium to large shrimp out on a roasting pan. Coat with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 350 until shrimp have just turned pink. Watch them carefully. If you overcook them, they get tough. Cool them and arrange them on a platter. You may peel them for your guests or leave them in the shell. If you peel them, leave them in the shell until just before you serve them so they won’t dry out.

Dipping sauce:
1 large whole egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil (canola is good)
1 7 oz. jar of pimentos, drained
¼ cup tequila
¼ cup bottled chili sauce
1 dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 dash of bitters
1 dash of hot sauce

In a food processor with the steel blade, blend egg, egg yolk, mustard, vinegar, and salt. With motor running, add oil in a slow stream. Add pimentos, tequila, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, bitters, and hot sauce. Blend until well combined.
Put the sauce in a bowl and top with a pretty sprig of parsley and a few lemon wedges.