OKRA TO THE RESCUE!!

If ever my novice status in the kitchen has been proven, it would be last week, when I made an Armenian dish using leg of lamb. I have used lamb numerous times...lamb chops...stew lamb...lamb shank. Each and every time it came out great! I was convinced that the gamey reputation was either overblown; or...what I thought more likely...my wondrous abilities overcame it as if by magic. Wrongo!

Leg of lamb needs preparation. fat needs to be cut off. Voodoo overlords need to be paid off. None of which I did before creating an Armenian disaster. I decided to cool my heels for a brief period of time and stick to things my wife and I enjoy very much. And by things my wife and I enjoy very much, I mean okra! We have eaten it three days in a row, and have yet to tire of it's greenly goodness. It is as if Mother Nature said, "Sorry about screwing up on that whole getting old thing. Here...have some okra with your beer". To which I say, "It's all good, Mama N! It's all good!"

Preparing okra is insanely simple. You can cook it whole. You can cut it up into rings. You can put it in any vegetable or beef stew. You can fry it up in butter with some cumin, salt and pepper. You can roll it around in corn meal and deep fry it. Sure it's a bit slimy...but what awesomeness is not?

Tonight is okra and shrimp. heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet until the butter is melted. Add 1 medium onion coarsely chopped, and 1 green bell pepper, also coarsely chopped. Toss so that it is coated with the oil and butter. Wash, trim and slice a pound of okra. Add this to the skillet. Heat over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent.

Now, add4 large tomatoes that are peeled and chopped. If you want, you can substitute with 32 ounces of canned tomatoes. Also add1/2 cup of dry white wine. By "dry white wine", I mean a California Sauvignon blanc. Also add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, a tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped, salt and pepper to taste, and a pound of peeled, deveined shrimp.

Once the shrimp has been added, do not cook more than 3 or 4 minutes. You do not want to overcook shrimp.

This can be served over rice. Congratulations! You are now eating soul food!

OKRA AND SHRIMP:

1 lb. Okra, trimmed, washed and sliced
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
3 tablespoons Butter
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
4 large Tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup Dry White Wine
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon fresh Parsley, chopped
slat and pepper to taste
1 lb. Shrimp, peeled and deveined
cooked rice