Going shrimping??

So... as you might of heard the shrimp have been running in the rivers... They are now very large and at the best eating size. Make sure shrimping is legal in your state before catching your own. This blog is not about a recipe on how to cook shrimp, but on how to make the BAIT or CHUM BALLS to catch them. This is my personal recipe that seems to work best. I'm sure plenty of other methods work great as well.

I mix in even parts
-Wet Cat Food (fish flavored only)
-Flour (no longer use mud, flour works better_
-Fish Meal
-Rock Salt

Mix well... you can even use a drill to mix depending on the amount you make. I usually do around 4 cups of each. If needed, add SMALL amounts of water. Too much water will mean your patties need to dry out for a few hours before baiting.

After mixing well, form hamburger like patties. Bait the area you will be shrimping just an hour or so before you are ready to throw your net!!
HAPPY SHRIMPING :)

Tuna Salad... from Costa Rica

This might not look or sound appetizing. Trust me, one of the most amazing things to ever happen to your mouth! In Costa Rica they sell canned tuna, as we do here in the states. Certain companies make it with different flavors or add ins. In this case, my favorite, it comes with JALAPENOS! The jalapeno mixture that is a staple on most tables in Sodas (local cafes)includes jalapenos, onions, and carrots. You can see in the picture the carrots mixed into the tuna. After draining the can I usually add : mayo, sweet relish, pecans or walnuts, grapes or raisins, cilantro, onions, and salt/pepper to taste. Mix together and serve with veggies, crackers, or on a sandwich.
Delish!!

Mortons Steak House, Jacksonville (Downtown)

Only a few tables were occupied, the economy is taking it toll. Visited Morton's for my fathers birthday and had a great time. The martinis were fantastic! Pictured: The Tuna TarTar was good, the bottom layer was tomatoes not tuna. I make it better, but the fish was fresh! The smoked salmon platter was also good, but something that is very easily made at home for a fraction of the price. The Ocean Platter was amazing. We ordered it for 4 people, and had plenty! It had oysters, lobster, lump crab meat, jumbo shrimp, and more. Steaks were good, and no other complaints except a lime in a drink that was ordered with no lime. The desserts were a hit! The Grand Marnier Souffle is the best, but you must order at the beginning of the meal because it takes a while to cook. The Creme Brulee and Chocolate Lava cake were close seconds! The cheesecake was wiped off the table because the other desserts were to die for.
Leave me a comment and let me know how your experience at Morton's was!
http://www.facebook.com/SouthernGrub
http://www.mortons.com/

Blueberry Coffe Cake!

Saturday was my Fathers Birthday and I made him Blueberry Coffee Cakes... Please enjoy the pictures! If you would like the recipe please send me an e-mail. :)

Home Cooked like Grandmas...

Last night, July 28th, I made a meal that you get at your Grandmother's when you visit. My last trip to the grocery store I found all of the fresh vegetables to be on an extraordinary sale. I made zipper Peas with smoked neck-bone, served with corn relish on top; mashed turnip roots with cream and butter; brussel sprouts in garlic sauce; greens with smoked neck-bone, and fresh talapia, soaked in a buttermilk/egg mix and fried in a Cajun flour mix. Not pictured, for dessert we had fresh peaches. The GA peaches being shipped around right now are mouth watering. They are the sweetest and juiciest of the year!

Green Boiled Peanuts!

North Florida Green Boiled Peanuts
Written by my father; Jim Arnold
If you haven’t noticed, we are pretty serious about peanuts in our family!

Start by checking all local produce markets for the freshest raw green peanuts you can find. This is an art that can take 50 years or more to develop so pay close attention. NEVER, NEVER buy raw peanuts without carefully inspecting them in a see-through bag. You need to check for a light yellowish color and they need to be moist to the touch. Sprouts coming from too many in the bag or lots of cracked open peanuts means they have been out of the field far too long. Keep looking for fresher ones because it’s worth the wait!
Now, the best peanuts are the little ones that you can eat without even shelling them with your teeth. That’s right! Eat the whole thing, shell and all. Of course proper manners dictate that you shell your nuts in your mouth so as to get all the salt off the shell. It also was helpful growing up in the south to be able to drink a beer, drive a stick shift, change radio channels all while have one arm around your gal without having a wreck or slowing down the fun of eating the best snack in the whole world!!
Back to the basics. Next, start nibbling on the raw peanuts on the way home to see if you made a good decision on the quality of your purchase. I usually leave about 75% of the nuts to boil when I finally get home. Next get a large pot of water and pour about 4 seconds worth of salt from the large containers into your water and add peanuts. Turn the heat on high and get a cold beer. Try very hard not to revisit the kitchen for at least 5-10 minutes so the nuts can at least be warm before you start devouring them. Of course you can make an exception if you need another beer or two.
As soon as you begin to smell the rich aroma of the best smell in the world, you’ll know you’re getting close. Don’t resist the temptation to start eating early, because you never know who may show up to help you eat “your” peanuts. It is always- not really – so embarrassing when you’re caught hiding hot peanuts from your friends or worst, your family, so as not to share too many of your special treasures.
Finally, eat as many as you possibly can before they are fully cooked. The Big Secret of perfect peanuts is now out of the bag! Never wait until they’re done to eat em. Then they’re really overcooked.
P.S. If you can’t possible eat all you have cooked, it is best to refrigerate over night or at least until you get home if going out for the night. When coming home after the movies or whatever, there’s nothing better than a coke and chilled peanuts in the bed while watching late night TV. I would caution you to make sure the shells fall away from your spouse as you doze off for the night. Many good relationships have been soured by a bed full of shells. Good Luck!!!

Salt Life... Jax Beach

All the stickers you see on cars all over town...Salt Life... has now opened a restaurant/bar in Jacksonville Beach. A surfer atmosphere inside with young servers hopping all around. The televisions blast fishing and surfing videos much like in small surf towns in Central America. The menu reflects small towns in other countries that I have visited/lived in and it gives you a good feeling! Like at home but on vacation. Pura Vida! I ordered Calicheis Poke Bowl ($14.99) and it was served just as is says. The way it is at Wishbone in Playa Jaco, Costa Rica. I have had the Poke Bowl at Wishbones a few times, but was a little surprised that Salt Life would go for a Costa Rican Poke style over Hawaiian. Don't get me wrong, the Poke was good, but it's consumed much much more in Hawaii. We also had the Seared Ahi Tuna Salad ($10.99) and it was fresh and flavorful. The Tuna was seared lightly (which it should be) and the dressing was amazing. Soft Shell Crab BLT ($7.99) was also on our table and looked good. We also had pretty good Chicken Quesadillas and I can't wait to go back for the Ceviche. If you're in the area, or even if you're not, go check out Salt Life Food Shack and let me know what you think. You can leave comments on my blog below or on my facebook page. www.facebook.com/southerngrub
Salt Life Food Shack is at 1018 Third Street North... JACKSONVILLE, FL 32250.
904-372-4456. Open for Lunch and Dinner!
www.saltlifefoodshack.com