Shrimp/7 recipes

Melrose plates: chicken and pasta salad with mandarin oranges, water chestnuts and a honey-mustard poppy seed yogurt dressing. A lighter chicken-pasta luncheon salad served on lettuce.

Versatile buttermilk fry batter with eggs, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and garlic salt for frying fish, shrimp, oysters, frog legs, or vegetables. Dip in the batter, roll in flour, and fry golden.

Spicy peanut dipping sauce with sesame oil, soy sauce, Thai chili paste, and a creamy mayonnaise finish. No-cook sauce for satay, shrimp, and fresh vegetables.

Homemade mustard cooked with dry mustard, white wine, vinegar, and egg yolks. One base recipe, four variations: lime, tarragon, spicy, and tomato. Keeps a month in the fridge.

Almond popovers with crisp shells and hollow steamy centers, plus a master batter that branches into bacon, pecan, parsley, chili, and cheese versions. One simple recipe, six different breads.

Chinese BBQ pork lo mein stir-fried with bok choy, bean sprouts, ginger, and a savory sauce of oyster sauce, dark soy, and sesame oil. A takeout-style noodle dish ready in 35 minutes.

Two-ingredient spicy Italian dressing made by mixing picante sauce with Italian dressing. Use it on salads, as a veggie marinade, or tossed with shrimp. Ready in 10 minutes, makes 3/4 cup.

Noodle seafood soup, a quick 20-minute one-pot meal using ramen noodle packets, shredded cabbage, carrots, imitation crab, and toasted sesame oil for an Asian-inspired bowl.

Cajun chicken etouffee with singed onions, the holy trinity, and a dry roux simmered into a thin, flavorful gravy. Served over rice, this Louisiana classic brings bayou flavor home in about an hour.

Cajun-style crawfish and corn soup built on a flamed brandy shell stock and a medium-brown roux. Rich, spicy, and loaded with sweet corn straight off the cob.

Mee Krob: Thai crisp-fried rice noodles tossed in a sweet-sour-salty sauce with pork, chicken, or shrimp, topped with lacy fried egg nets. Crunchy, tangy, showstopping.

Stacked cornmeal crepes layered with lobster, Manchego cheese, toasted pine nuts, and cilantro, baked under a silky poblano chile cream. Southwestern elegance on a plate.

for fans of spring cabbage and untypical combinations..

Easy basic quiche with eggs, half-and-half, Monterey Jack cheese, sauteed mushrooms, and spinach in a pie shell. A customizable template for any filling combination.

Lone dao jiow is a Thai coconut-fermented soybean dipping sauce served warm with fresh cucumber, cabbage, and green beans. Salty, sour, sweet in every bite.

Crawfish Rixie sautees a pound of tails in butter, then bathes them in a double-reduced fish stock and cream sauce with a dash of Tabasco. Elegant Cajun simplicity on toast points.