The 'How to Cook' Blog

When you go to the grocery store, I’m sure there are times you roll by the fish counter with your shopping cart… …You notice some great, big, beautiful fish and stranger things like whole squid that are available. Ever wonder what the heck you do with squid? Ever wonder how to prepare it properly? When I lived in Australia, I got hooked on squid, also called calamari. Squid is not  [ Read More ]

Oysters are a real favorite in our household, and we prepare them in many different ways. Today, I’m sharing with you how to create a masterpiece of oysters in a bamboo steamer. If you don’t know how to use a bamboo steamer, check out that link and you’ll learn a lot. Not only does a bamboo steamer provide a healthy way to prepare food, but for this particular dish, it  [ Read More ]

If you’re looking for a quick meal recipe that’s not only delicious and easy to prepare, but is also fun to eat, then you’ve found the right place. Kebabs look beautiful and they are easy to eat for everyone. Shrimp cook very quickly, so you can have your meal on the table very quickly. In fact, the side dishes may take longer for you to prepare than the main dish  [ Read More ]

As much as I love gumbo, it seems I typically only make it once or twice a year. The main gumbo I create is my special Louisiana-Style New Year’s Seafood Gumbo served with dirty rice. * Note: If you’re looking for a quick fix to making a gumbo, this is NOT it. This is definitely one of those dishes that’s a labor of love, if you want to do it  [ Read More ]

In September of this year, I had the splendid opportunity of going to Cancun with one of my best friends, Kate Hoekstra. We stayed at an all-inclusive and hopped around to different hotels to eat, but we were left wanton for some real, authentic food…anything that actually tasted good… …So, one night, we decided to take a taxi into the city to a restaurant people were recommending called La Parilla.  [ Read More ]

Lobster is most definitely my favorite food on the planet! I could literally eat it everyday and would love to live on the coast to do so! Lobster is a staple in our home for special occasions like Birthdays, Anniversaries & New Year’s Eve Dinner! My all-time favorite way to cook lobster is boil it whole. Don’t mess with the amazing taste of lobster all on it’s own! Type: Seafood  [ Read More ]

New Year’s Eve is one of the days we will definitely eat escargot! Many people feel that escargot is a daunting dish not only to make, but to get over the fact that they’re eating snails. These aren’t your typical garden snail. They are specially raised specifically for this purpose and they are absolutely delicious. When I was a young child and my parents would take us out to eat  [ Read More ]

Curried mussels are a staple at our house for New Year’s Eve. We typically used to make white wine & garlic mussels before we tried these bad boys… Here’s how to make them and enjoy them in such a delicious way! Type: Seafood Recipe Serve With: Rice, fried pitas or papadums Prep Time: 8 min Cook Time: 15 min Yield: Serves 4 – 1st course Ingredients: 2 lbs fresh mussles  [ Read More ]

I always love making fish cakes in a pinch because they’re quick, easy and fun to make because you can be creative with the ingredients you have on hand! Tonight, this was our midnight snack while we’re watching scary movies on the TV! LOL Type: Seafood Recipe Serve With: Horseradish Cream Sauce Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 12 min Yield: 6 cakes Crab Cake Ingredients: 170g can crab meat  [ Read More ]

What was my very favorite thing I ate when I was in Australia? If I was pinned down to have to answer this, I would say it was the calamari! I’d never had calamari any differently than the breaded and fried version, as you would get at Olive Garden here in America. They don’t make it like this in Aussieland, unless you go to a fish & chips shop…No, No,  [ Read More ]

I just wanted to wish each and every one of you a Happy and Blessed New Year! I also want to thank you all for such amazing encouragement, interaction and great friendships I have forged through this site! As I had mentioned a few blog posts back, we had some amazing seafood for dinner last night! As usual, our eyes were bigger than our tummies, but we were smart and  [ Read More ]

I don’t know how many other people or families enjoy a seafood spread on New Year’s Eve, but we do!!! We always have… What’s on our table on New Year’s Eve? Well, we have white wine and garlic steamed mussels, curried steamed mussels, smoked oysters, steamed lobsters, steamed King crab legs, shrimp cocktail, and whatever else seems to be grand for the day! We always drink a sweet If you  [ Read More ]

I love Calamari! So, usually, I love how Olive Garden makes their calamari, but the last 2 times I had it, I felt that the batter was somewhat different. Also, I think they have changed their creamy aioli-type sauce…it tastes more parmesany or something…I’m not as crazy about this appetizer as I was before… My husband wasn’t too sure if the recipe had changed or not, and he quite enjoyed  [ Read More ]

Okay, Kenney just brought me take-out on his way home from a place called “Seafood Shack” in Dallas. He’d never been there before, but decided to give it a chance. Kenney actually brought me home 1/2 dozen fresh oysters on the half shell packed in ice. I have never experienced oysters on the half shell for take-out. They were extremely fresh, not fishy at all, and came with all the  [ Read More ]

To many people, this may sound a frivolous subject…However, to us seafood connoisseurs, this is crucial! My favorite food in the entire world is lobster, and my favorite way to eat it is whole and steamed… Many of you will say, “Wow, that’s a lot of work!” If you say that, you’re not crazy about lobster like I am…It is well worth the toil of cracking through all the meat  [ Read More ]

I ate this for my dinner just the other night, and it was fabulous! Yum! ~ Kimberly Edwards Type: Main Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 10 min Yield: 1 pita pizza (~ 4 slices) . Ingredients: Instructions:

Where Do Oysters Shop? …At the Mollusk!!! LOL LOL LOL That’s right…Oysters are bivalve mollusks in the animal world…Get it? The Mollusk (Mall-usk)? LOL *** I am not sure who the first person was that looked at an oyster and said, “Mmmmm…That looks tasty! I want to eat that…” was, but I am certainly glad they were brave enough to do so! It’s also a good thing that that particular  [ Read More ]

I was asked today… “If an oyster could produce something other than a pearl, what in the world do you think would be a cool thing to find in an oyster?” I explored a lot of options, including diamonds, my favorite food, lobster…even the whimsical, like music or sunshine…but since I was in an Easter mood… …What if you went and collected a bunch of Gulf oysters, and opened one  [ Read More ]

When I was young, and up to this day, my mother would always put out smoked oysters on special days where we ate beautiful hors d’oeuvres. I was so young that I don’t even think I really knew what they were…They were just delicious, little, smoky, brown “things”… Now, the first time I ever remember fresh, raw oysters was when I was about 7 yrs old, and my parents and  [ Read More ]

Looking for a gorgeous, easy-to-make-for-your-sweetheart dish for Valentine’s Day? This is one of my favorites and is made many-a-Fish-Friday as well! Tilapia is my favorite fish to eat! The Seminole Indians breed them in the Florida Everglades region. Meaty and tasty like seafood should be! ~ Kimberly Edwards . Type: Main Serve With: Rice, baked potato, salad or your favorite vegetable Prep Time: 3 min Cook Time: ~ 10 min  [ Read More ]