Mickey's Dining Car, St Paul, MN

I am apparently on a roll today...either that or it's just too hot to go mow the lawn and the air conditioning is ah, heavenly!

A few weeks ago Bri and I were in St Paul, MN looking for a place to eat breakfast before we walked 300 miles sightseeing. Completely by accident we stumbled across a gem of a diner. It was fate no doubt.

This particular diner is the real thing and has been featured on "the Food Network series Unwrapped, Roker on the Road, Rachel Rays' Tasty Travels, and Alton Browns' Feasting on Asphalt. Mickey's has appeared in The Smithsonian, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, Easy Rider, Playboy and Elle magazines. Mickey's Dining Car has been replicated as a collectible by Department 56, The Danbury Mint and Saks Fifth Avenue. The Mighty Ducks I, II, III, Jingle All the Way and A Prairie Home Companion movies contain scenes that were shot on location at Mickey's" (http://www.mickeysdiningcar.com). You can see my not so humble opinion doesn't count for much in the company of the big guns who recommend it. All I can do is add credibility to their opinions ;-)

We had no idea of the treat we were in for. Seating was limited so we planked ourselves down at the counter with a direct view of the short order cook. It was a whirlwind of activity...the cook and one waitress were the only employees in site and they expertly handled a dining car full of hungry patrons. Eggs, bacon, big steaks, fried potatoes sizzled on the griddle. I've never seen anyone cook so fast and so well at the same time, all the while looking completely unfrazzled and dare I believe it, like he was having actual fun. This wasn't his first rodeo and this wasn't just breakfast for us, this was a immersion experience. I have a life goal of being a short order cook (it just seems to suit my fiery temper and desire for something different at each turn)and we were sitting so close it was like going to quickie cooking school!

I had "America's Favorite All Day Meal" which consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries cooked to perfection...crisply browned on the edges and delightfully tender in the middle, toast dripping with butter, and coffee to die for. I'm thinking Brien had the same with ham but I was so wrapped up in my own palate that I barely paid attention to his plate.

The dining car itself was like something from a Hollywood set it was so perfect. Original everything and just enough evidence of grease to lend it authenticity. If I had to dream up the ideal diner and diner experience this would have been it. I kind of have a thing for diners in general. They are such an American icon and the fact that there are any left is testament to their staying power and palate appeal. Besides, diners will always hold a special place in my heart because Miss Brunswick Diner in Brunswick, Maine is where I shared my first meal with my husband. That should have been a reality check for the rest of my life!

Spicy Baked Shrimp

Word on the street is that some of you (again, one who shall not be named) are way "over" the lavender cookie recipe. The problem with creating a monster, is that you have to feed him occasionally and I've been too busy to feed this particular monster (albeit a tame one). But I'm feeling fresh with the hope of a bright, sunny morning and, more important, I'm procrastinating from doing the things on my "To Do" list at the moment. Today I have a luscious recipe that has stood, not only the test of time (first started making it in 1989), but also the test of any occasion; from cocktail party appetizer to dinner for two in a hurry.

As a young, and very kitchen challenged wife, I searched for recipes that I could make that were easy, reminiscent of home for my Cajun (ish) guy, and relatively inexpensive. I know that shrimp are not inexpensive now, but in 1989 in Pensacola, Florida, huge Gulf shrimp were within my financial grasp.

I remember being in Bayou la batre, Alabama for a sales call to a shipyard when I came across a sign on a dock that said simply "Shrimp". Since I was on my way back to Florida I bought ten pounds at $1.89 a pound. I have never forgotten that price since they were the most amazing shrimp I have ever seen...as long as the distance between the end of my index finger to the tip of my thumb and just plain fat.

Brien and I cooked a traditional Louisiana shrimp boil that night; boil in a huge pot outside on a gas cooker, Zatarain's crab boil (liquid and spice bag), salt, garlic, onions, potatoes, corn on the cob, mushrooms, artichokes and shrimp. When it was done we drained all the water and threw it in the middle of a table covered thickly with newspaper (traditional Louisiana and makes for easy cleanup) and elbowed our way through the pile ,casting aside shrimp shells, garlic skins, and leftover artichoke leaves. Only taking time to growl at each other and threaten menacingly over particularly handsome shrimp.

You can do the same with crabs or craw fish substituted for the shrimp or in addition to. We eat it with melted butter and/or remoulade sauce (a delicious combination of mayo, Dijon mustard, capers, garlic, and any herbs you feel partial to).This is a meal that doesn't take long to prepare but it takes forever to eat. I've seen these things go on for three hours...time enough to digest and start again!

Once again, I have digressed. This is supposed to be about Spicy Baked Shrimp and I have prattled on about a Shrimp Boil. Ah well...you need to have both ideas in your arsenal of shrimp recipes.

Back to the Spicy Baked Shrimp... I came across this recipe in Bon Appetit Magazine sometime in 1989 I believe. I've made it in every conceivable challenged cooking situation you can imagine...times without a kitchen during a renovation in Florida when we had to do dishes in the bathtub and in my "little house" on the farm with mere inches of counter space. It can be made to serve 2 or 200. Just multiply the ingredients. Making it ahead and letting it marinate only makes it better. It is absolutely best served over rice with a good salad and crusty bread. The bread is divine when used to soak up the sauce. On one of Mom's visits she even had it for breakfast over pasta.

Without further ado here's the recipe:

Spicy Baked Shrimp

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 stick of butter
2 T Cajun seasoning (I use Chachere's)
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T chopped parsley (dried is fine, just use 1T)
1 T honey
1 T soy sauce
pinch of cayenne
1 pound shelled, deveined shrimp
salt and pepper to taste (optional but we really like it)

Mix all ingredients except shrimp in a 9X13 baking dish. Stir well to combine. Add shrimp, stirring well to coat with sauce. Let marinate in refrigerator for at least one hour (longer is great if you have the time...it only enhances the flavor). Bake at 400 degrees, stirring occasionally, for approx. 15 minutes.

Serve over rice or pasta with lemon wedges and french bread

Note: We are shrimp lovers and heavy eaters and find that this basic recipe serves just the two of us. For more folks just double, triple, etc...

I'ld love comments so please feel free...