The small Iowa town where I attended college had a Chinese restaurant for a brief period. I was fortunate to be attending college during its brief tenure and dined there on a couple of occasions. I'm not sure why the business folded so quickly. Perhaps the residents of this small Midwestern town weren't primed to accept Chinese food yet. Or perhaps the owners decided to focus their time and energy on other ventures.
Dining at this Chinese restaurant was actually my Korean American girlfriend's idea. Perhaps, dear reader, you don't find the fact that I first ate Chinese food with my Asian girlfriend as amusing as I do. I'd never had Chinese food before. My mother never prepared Chinese food, not even La Coy Chicken Chow Mein (quick-cooked in dragon fire).
As I recall, our area didn't have a Chinese restaurant until the fall I went off to college. I think their buffet was a big hit with the locals and eventually they expanded into a brand-new building. So, if I'd know the restaurant existed when I brought my college girlfriend home for a visit I could have taken her to a Chinese restaurant in my stomping grounds.
I recall the restaurant in our college town being dimly lit and elegant. This wasn't Panda Express after all. Nor did the space look like the cafe it had been in the restaurant's previous life. Three red curtains, each gathered in the middle with a tieback, hung in the plate glass window so one could look inside when passing by. The plate glass window read Kim Fung Chinese Restaurant and had a couple of Chinese characters as well which I assume translated to Kim Fung. I'm still not really sure what the name means.
Our meals included an entree, egg roll, wonton soup, fortune cookie, and oolong tea. I had the sweet and sour chicken. The pieces of breaded chicken were coated in a shimmering red sweet and sour sauce. I must admit I thought These pieces of chicken look kind of like McNuggets.
They brought each entree in what I believe may be called a tureen. The rice had its own tureen as well. I must have looked a bit helpless because my girlfriend spooned some rice onto my plate and some of the chicken. I enjoyed the entire meal including the oolong tea. I suppose I should have saved my fortune from the cookie as a keepsake but alas I did not. I wonder what my fortune was that evening.
We returned to Kim Fung a second time and ordered the same dishes although we also shared an appetizer of beef teriyaki which came on wooden skewers.
Interestingly, our college food service had a Chinese dinner in the cafeteria one February evening that year to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The cafeteria had a meal for Chinese New Year again the following year.
Hoping to repeat the success of last year’s celebrations, International Club, Food Council and Intern Pastor Carl Bruihler have planned a Chinese New Year dinner in the cafeteria for Thursday, Feb. 1. The event will be a time to share in the traditions of another culture, senior Amy Crow, Food Council activities coordinator, said.
Chinese recipes don’t rely on amounts, Yao said. Rather, methods and processes are more important. And the recipes are rarely written down, which is why Food Service has to do some testing before they mass produce the recipes originally intended for four people.
"For Americans, soy sauce is Chinese food,” he said. Actually, the Chinese use little soy sauce so that natural flavors and colors are enhanced.
“It’s the single most important festival time," Yao said. “It’s comparable to your (American) Christmas."
Bruihler said lanterns will also be a part of Thursday's event. Another highlight will be the passing out of au pung, or money packets.
According to Chinese custom, a respected elder in the community hands out the little red packets.
Along with the packet surprise, plans include serving sweet and sour pork, egg rolls, stir fry vegetables and wild rice. Specialties include eight-jewel rice and egg flower soup, named for the petal-like formations made by the egg when dropped in the boiling broth.
A month before the first Chinese dinner we had a Medieval dinner in the cafeteria.
This weekend the Student Activities Committee (SAC) will take the campus back in time to when the knights were members of the royal court; Saturday, Jan. 14, is to be An Evening of Renaissance.
If weather permits, a snow sculpting contest will be held at Clinton Field Saturday at 2 p.m.
The cafeteria will also be taken back in time and the menu will be similar to a medieval meal. There will be turkey legs, corn on the cob, mini bread loaves and fruits for the main course. Bottles of sparkling grape juice will be supplied for beverage and rum cake is for dessert. And, since this is a medieval meal, no eating utensils will be provided.
Interestingly, much later in life I would share a Chinese dinner with a young woman once again. I was in outpatient treatment for an eating disorder at the time. She and I decided to challenge ourselves by dining out together.
We went to a place called the Peking Buffet. I was overwhelmed by the number of choices. I was so stressed I didn't realize that everything was labeled. I think I found what I believed to be sweet and sour chicken. I probably had an egg roll or two. And, I had some tater tots. Yes, tater tots from a Chinese Buffet.
When we reported back to the group on our outing I was mocked a bit. Who eats tater tots at a Chinese restaurant? Is it my fault they were an option? At any rate, the group (including the therapist) decided she and I should try it again. The therapist suggested I try an appetizer like crab Rangoon, a couple of main dishes, rice, and a dessert.
We never got the chance to try it again because I soon ended up back on the inpatient unit.
I also ate at a Japanese restaurant call the Three Samurai while in recovery from the eating disorder. I'd met Blondie in treatment, and she came to visit me sometimes while I was living in an institution of sorts. We decided to join her friends for dinner on the evening of Valentine's Day.
Blondie's female friend was also her fitness trainer. The trainer was a beautiful Greek American with dark hair. She had a very Greek sounding surname like the Hemingway character Count Mippipopolous. I think she showed me a bodybuilding trophy she'd won. Her genial husband was web designer.
The husband and I both ordered chicken teriyaki. I know - boring. Blondie ordered some sort of Chilean seabass dish. She also ordered some flash-seared white tuna which we all shared. The Greek beauty ordered sushi for us all, and I tried something called a California roll.
We had an enjoyable evening. No, I didn't drink any saki.
Interestingly, I had a few more dining experiences with female eating disorder patients. A couple of female eating disorder patients each ordered a salad at Old Chicago while I had a cheeseburger and fries which made me feel uncomfortable. They claimed to be eating salads in the spirit of variety and moderation. Okay. I also went to Carlos O'Kelly's with the same gal from the Chinese buffet debacle and ate three tacos. She talked me into sharing some sopapillas for dessert.
Another woman recovering from an eating disorder I also spent a lot of time with also involved a trip to Carlos O'Kelly's where I had too many cervezas (beers). She took me to Ruby Tuesday which was new to me. We ate a lot of frozen yogurt while walking around the mall now and then. And we went to Panera Bread about a thousand times, and I always ordered a turkey sandwich.
During that time period I did go on some outings with gals who didn't have eating disorders. Two lovely young ladies took me out for breakfast one morning so I could have a day away from institutional food. I had some great pancakes at a popular local diner. I had more on my mind than pancakes though because I was quite taken with one of the young ladies at the time. I guess a person can feel affectionate even at 8:00 AM.
My college girlfriend told me one of the most touching, romantic things a boy had ever done for her was when her high school boyfriend cooked dinner for he one evening. No, I didn't try to outdo her old boyfriend and cook her a meal. But she did cook a meal for us one Sunday evening when the cafeteria was closed.
My girlfriend took me to a supermarket and had me buy a few things so she could cook us a meal. She liked the new giant supermarket in our little college town because it reminded her of an upscale supermarket chain back home where the area that she lived boasted one of the wealthiest zip codes in the state. We borrowed a pan and some cooking utensils from the residential hall director, and she sautéed some chicken on a stove down in the TV lounge. We had some mandarin oranges along with our chicken. This was one of the few times I ever had a girlfriend cook a meal for me.
My friend Michelle told me a story of how she cooked her man a meal in her dorm room. He failed to compliment her dressy attire and the meal she prepared. When pressed he said she looked very nice, and that the food was great. But she resented having to pull the compliments from him. She admonished me to always compliment a woman's attire and cooking skills. I promised I would.
A small restaurant called the Den was located in the student union on campus. When my girlfriend and I went there to dine for the first time I explained that we had to fill out a ticket with our order. She scoffed at me and assured me that the young man at the counter would take our order. Upon approaching the counter the young man, of course, informed us we needed to fill out a ticket.
Sure, I was vindicated when she had to grudgingly admit I was correct. But I was embarrassed. I knew the procedure! I knew the drill! I'd been going to school there for two years before she showed up. Why in hell would she doubt me? I knew the guy working the counter because we lived in the same dorm - on the same floor! He must have thought I was an idiot.
I don't think her pampered upbringing had done her much good. I guess the world was expected to cater to her. That being said, she did remark that she didn't care much for eating at the country club which evidently her family did often. And she surprised me one evening by asking me to take her to McDonald's. I wondered if she was just trying to offer me an inexpensive option. But it turned out she had eaten at McDonald's with her younger brother often in their childhood days and she truly enjoyed the food.
One of her favorite menu items was the McRib sandwich. Can you believe it?
I was surprised by her love of the McRib sandwich. I pointed out that our college food service (i.e. the cafeteria) served a similar rib shaped patty with barbecue sauce on a similar roll. She scoffed at my naiveté assuring me that they were not remotely the same sandwich.
Perhaps my palate wasn't sophisticated enough to appreciate the unique flavor profile of the McRib.
The McRib starts with seasoned boneless pork dipped in a tangy BBQ sauce, topped with slivered onions and tangy pickles, all served on a toasted homestyle bun. When everything combines you have BBQ pork sandwich perfection.
Perhaps the fanciest place we ever ate was the Red Lobster in a city nearby. Laugh if you like, but Red Lobster was high-end dining from my perspective. I suppose my frame of reference came from never having experienced haute cuisine. For example, though I'd eaten fried clams at a local restaurant, I'd never even heard of Lobster Thermidor.
Lobster Thermidor: Lobster meat is mixed with a brandy-infused béchamel sauce, then returned to the lobster shell and baked until golden.
I'd never been to Red Lobster before though I'd seen their commercials. I wasn't sure what to order. My girlfriend suggested I might enjoy the Admiral's Feast because I liked fried food. And, the Admiral's Feast had plenty of it.
Top of the line! Our hearty fried combination of lightly breaded shrimp, fillet of fish, clam strips and sea scallops. $14.99
I don't recall what my date ordered. We also shared a bowl of Bayou Style Seafood Gumbo.
Our waiter for the evening recognized me. He remembered me from two years prior when he was working in admissions at our little college. He said he was now attending graduate school and was waiting tables to earn some money. My girlfriend seemed perplexed, almost angry that he remembered me.
"I don't get this. You are so quiet and introverted. And yet, this guy remembers you and even your name after meeting you once two years ago."
I wanted to tell her that maybe she would also be memorable if she shut up once in a while. I, of course, did not say that.
At any rate, the meal was enjoyable.
I went home with her for a visit that fall. Her mother cooked dinner the evening we arrived. My girlfriend was amused. She wasn't buying it. They often ate out. She suggested to me that her mother was trying to show off and portray herself as a loving mother. We visited her mother at her boutique in the mall the next day. Her mother was a bit upset that we had eaten at McDonald's because she had planned on treating us to a meal at Applebee's.
I'll be forever grateful that we missed out on Applebee's. First off, I'm confident I didn't miss out on any culinary delights by not dining at that establishment. Plus, the McDonald's we went to wasn't just any McDonald's. The place that we shared a McChicken and some ice cream at was a McSnack. The McSnack was located right there in the same mall as her mother's boutique.
The McSnack was an experimental McDonald's offering a scaled-down menu. Only two McSnack restaurants existed in the entire nation, and I happened to get to dine at one. How cool is that?
That evening we joined her parents and her brother and his girlfriend for an evening at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre.
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres has not only earned a national reputation for its outstanding theatre, but also for its first-rate cuisine and food service, which is one of the largest privately-owned food service operations in Minnesota.
The show was 42nd Street. The meal offered three entree options. The brother's girlfriend and I chose the beef option. Everyone else had fish or chicken I believe. I seem to recall the brother asking about the "new" potatoes. I wasn't sure what he meant.
"They're dug up on purpose before they get bigger, so they can be enjoyed for their delicate thin skins, high moisture content, and sweet flavor."
For dessert we all shared something called Chocolate Decadence. Chocolate Decadence was the creation of Janice Feuer, a pastry chef at Narsai's restaurant.
Even Harry and David sell a version of the rich cake.
Our Chocolate Decadence Cake is rich, with an almost fudge-like consistency, and is handcrafted with real butter, premium dark chocolate, eggs, sugar, and a little flour.
I love chocolate and I was wishing I had a slice all to myself.
By the way, her mother had two or three glasses of Chardonnay that evening. I just thought you should know. Ha!
Our little Midwestern college town had a Country Kitchen franchise.
She and her family didn't like Country Kitchen and spoke disparagingly of it. I loved Country Kitchen. I enjoyed their popular skillet breakfasts and other breakfast fare like blueberry pancakes, French toast, and omelets. I also enjoyed their meatball sandwich.
Before Country Kitchen moved in, Carver's Restaurant had been serving diners at the site for several years. I'm not sure that she would have liked it any better than Country Kitchen. I grew up eating at restaurants like Carver's. Interestingly, at one time Carver's was billing itself as "Iowa's Finest Restaurant."
Carver's changed owners a few times over the years but always kept its name. When a Swiss-born restaurant manager named Otto was running Carver's the restaurant was known as Otto's Carver's.
I wish I would have taken my princess to the Brown Bottle which was about as elegant as it got around those parts. The Brown Bottle had two locations in bigger cities near our college town. My roommate had taken his girlfriend there and told me the food was great.
"The Brown Bottle offers outstanding Italian cuisine in a pleasant atmosphere."
The Brown Bottle
Italian Dining
Lasagna, Spaghetti, Pizza, Prime Rib, Seafood, Poultry
It's interesting to note that they served prime rib. My princess claimed that prime rib was one of her favorite foods.
Or perhaps I could have taken her to the Abe Downing Steak House located at the Best Western Red Fox Inn. Maybe we could have even spent a weekend at the Red Fox Inn dining at the steak house and the Tassel Buffet and having drinks in the Bushy Tail Lounge.
Emmy's Steak House on Bremer Avenue had been around for a long time too. I'm afraid Emmy's would have seemed a bit dull to her. And she may have suggested the building looked like it should be condemned. The building was actually demolished in later years.
The bigger cities nearby like Cedar Falls and Waterloo had other options besides Red Lobster and the Brown Bottle.
I could have taken her to Shakey's Pizza. Pizza, pasta, salad, chicken, and more. Shakey's had a popular, inexpensive buffet. Don't just go for pizza. Go for a Shakey's Buffet. A variety of delicious pizzas, crispy chicken, pasta, Mojo potatoes, Shakey's Salad Bar and more. All for about the same price as just pizza.
"Come on, babe. It's only $4.99!"
"What the hell are Mojo potatoes?"
I could have taken her to Happy Chef. At Happy Chef, An Extra-Special Dinner Doesn't Have To Be Extra-Expensive.
"Babe, they've got jumbo shrimp. Plus, you get bread, choice of potato, AND salad bar!"
I could have taken her to Bonanza Steak House.
"Babe, I've got coupons for a Ribeye Dinner and a Chicken Fried Steak Dinner!"
"What's a chicken fried steak?"
Besides the Brown Bottle, another classy place was called The Olde Broom Factory. Can you guess how it got that name? Yes, that's right. The old building had housed a broom factory in one of its many iterations. Would my girlfriend have liked the hard wood floors, antiques, and possibly even a view of the river? Would she have been impressed by some of the upscale fare they served?
The Broom Factory Restaurant & Lounge. You'll love our menu - foods to fit every taste and every pocketbook.
By the way, my father took my mother out for a special dinner during their high school days. According to my mother, taking a girl out to dinner was a big deal back then. This wasn't a hamburger and coke. This was dinner at a fancy restaurant. He took her to a place called Blue Heaven. Yes, Blue Heaven!
I never had much luck when dining out during my high school years. I did share a pizza once with a beautiful redhead at Gus & Tony's Pizza & Steakhouse. Gus & Tony's was a nice place with good food. We had a quiet, romantic dinner. The redhead bought us a candy bar for dessert. After dinner we went and made out.
One evening during my junior year of high school a blonde-haired girl treated me to a bite to eat at Taco Bill's (not Taco Bell). We had been bowling and we were getting a snack afterward. We shared a plate of nachos. These nachos were just some tortilla chips with melted cheddar. They weren't like convenience store or stadium nachos.
I once got scolded by a nacho vendor at a convention center. I asked him why the nacho cheese was so hot.
"Well, do you want nachos, or do you want chips and cheese?" he snapped.
"I see your point," I acquiesced.
So, dinner dates were kind of a bust in high school. The redhead and I took some fast-food sandwiches to a park once I think. And we also ate hamburgers in my car while watching the fireworks at the fairgrounds one 4th of July evening. The food we ordered came from Dewy's Dew Drop Inn which was formerly an A&W drive-in. So, I guess I have a few good memories of her and I at Dewy's as well as Gus & Tony's.
I was and continue to be a man of simple tastes. During those college years, I would sometimes buy hoagies from a convenience store. Dining at Hardee's was easy because it was a short walk from campus although I preferred McDonald's. Kentucky Fried Chicken placed coupons in our student newspaper. The Other Place served pizza and some Mexican food. I liked the homemade onion rings at The Villager. World Famous!!! But as with Country Kitchen I don't think SHE would have liked it.
"Babe, let's go to The Villager and get a bucket of broasted chicken or maybe a couple of jumbo pork sandwiches."
"I think not!"
The Villager was an interesting place with big pictures of food adorning the walls. They served a lot of sandwiches, fries, and chicken dinners but also a few Mexican dishes like burritos, chimichangas, and taco salads. But there seemed to be no restaurant in town fully committed to Mexican cuisine.
When I visited my older sister who was working in the big city that was a two-and-a-half-hour drive away she took me to Chi-Chi's, a now defunct casual dining Mexican restaurant chain. I had a dish called Enchiladas Cancun. Enchiladas Cancun - Two seafood enchiladas topped with our sherry creme sauce and shredded cheese.
The enchiladas were tasty and now nostalgic people post recipes for them online. They didn't blow me away. I might have enjoyed a more traditional enchilada more although I'm happy reminiscing about trying something that seemed so unique. I have to admit even eating chips and salsa was new to me at the time. I guess I should have tried a margarita but, alas, I did not.
By the way, McDonald's made a foray into Mexican food with its Chicken Fajitas in 1993. I hadn't seen my old college girlfriend for at least three years by then. But, seeing as she loved McDonald's so much, I wonder if she ever tried them. Personally, I'd already tried steak fajitas back in 1987 made by my aunt living in Texas.
My buddy Mark took his future wife out for pizza on their first date. He liked salting his pizza. He decided to refrain from that habit on their date but forgot and shook some salt on his pizza. He was surprised when his date asked him to pass the salt and proceeded to do the same.
I joined Mark and his future bride one evening for a double date. A beautiful young woman and I dined with them at Bonanza where we each had an entree plus their All-You-Can-Eat Freshtastiks Food Bar, featuring fresh salads, soups, breads and more. It also included the Dessert Bar featuring desserts and sundaes. I suppose Bonanza is known as a steakhouse, but my date had grilled chicken, and I had a cheeseburger. Dinner was great and then we went to a movie.
Mark is the same guy I once saw try to woo a college coed with a burrito. Mark and I had been at the local college bar just off campus that happened to be known for its tasty burritos. He knew the young lady was back in her dorm room studying and decided to surprise her with a snack. So, he bought a burrito and took the foil-wrapped nosh to her dorm. Her room door was open, so he walked in, placed the burrito on her desk, and mentioned he'd bought her a burrito as a study snack and then proceeded to walk out. Of course she stopped him to thank him for the burrito. No, I have never bought a girl a burrito.
While browsing through old newspapers, I realized a lot of places served prime rib back then. I imagine the quality varied depending on whether it was from a so-called classy place or a more budget friendly establishment like Happy Chef. At any rate, it would have been fairly easy to find a place to buy my sweetheart some prime rib or a steak back then.
I have some dining fantasies.
Fantasy #1 - I take a woman to a French restaurant where the menu is in French, and I order for both of us, and she is impressed.
"Yes, we'll start out with Pâté de foie de volaille. The lady will have the Bouchée à la Reine and I will have the Navarin d'agneau. For dessert we will have Mousse aux Framboises."
Fantasy #2 - I take a woman to a park, and we have a beautiful picnic lunch on a blanket. What food do I pack, though? Sandwiches and deviled eggs? Perhaps some cold fried chicken and potato salad? Fudgy brownies for dessert?
Fantasy #3 - I cook a woman a meal at my house (I have a house in this fantasy). Perhaps I make Chicken Villeroy and potato pavé. Chicken Villeroy is a whole, boneless chicken breast, coated in a delicious and creamy béchamel sauce, breaded and then deep-fried. A potato pavé is an elegant dish that's a more elaborate version of scalloped potatoes. Pavé is a French word meaning "paving stones." A potato pavé is made with thinly sliced potatoes cooked in butter and cream and then layered in a baking pan, cooled, weighted down, refrigerated, unmolded, trimmed into smaller portions and sautéed on the cut sides until golden brown. A pavé is soft and creamy on the inside and crispy and crunchy on the exterior.
But what about an appetizer and dessert?
Some may think that I've been critical of my ex-girlfriend. I don't really mean to condemn her. After all, a girl who likes McDonald's can't be all bad. Plus, I never recall her complaining about the cafeteria food although she did like to "dress" for dinner. And that first time we shared a meal at the Chinese restaurant will always be a good memory. I wish I could go back and do it again.
I wasn't a great boyfriend. I take the blame. I failed at planning dates. I was a quiet, unassertive guy. Making a few phone calls, doing a little research, getting directions or having to use a map to plan a dinner date would have been tough for me at the time. Plus, college kids don't have a lot of money to spare. Still, I kind of dropped the ball as the saying goes.
At least I didn't get advice from a guy like Alex P. Keaton from the show Family Ties. When a young man asks for advice for handling his upcoming dinner date with Alex's sister Mallory, Alex suggests taking charge and ordering for both of them and insulting the waiter.
Dinner dates as a first date may seem uninspired and clichéd.
"So, do you like Italian food?"
"Hey, I know this great little place down by the ocean."
But I bet a lot of happily married couples started out with a conventional dinner date. I imagine couples enjoy learning about one another's tastes and enjoying new foods and dishes together. Food is important.
A professor of religion at our college joked about the serving of sandwiches and green gelatin at meals provided in church basements or dining halls following a funeral. He joked about the food but was serious about the meal's significance. The meal didn't just provide a time for fellowship. He said the act of eating (of providing our bodies with nourishment) was life affirming.
* * *
Chocolate Decadence
This fabulous dessert is a legend in its own time. Although many have claimed to be the creator, it was in fact developed at Narsai's restaurant in Berkeley, California, by chef Narsai David and pastry chef Janice Feuer. To be completely authentic, you should use Ghirardelli sweet dark chocolate.
Ingredients:
For the raspberry sauce:
2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries or thawed frozen unsweetened raspberries
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/4 cup framboise or other raspberry-flavored liqueur (optional)
For the cake:
1 lb. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
10 Tbs. (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
Directions:
To make the raspberry sauce, place the raspberries, sugar and framboise, if using, in a blender or in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Puree until smooth. If you prefer a seedless sauce, pass the puree through a sieve.
To make the cake, position a rack in the middle of an oven and preheat to 425ºF. Butter an 8 or 9-inch springform pan or a layer cake pan. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper or waxed paper cut to fit precisely. Butter the paper and dust with flour; tap out any excess.
Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl or the top pan of a double boiler. Set over a pan of gently simmering water but not touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted and combined completely. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer set on high speed, beat until light, fluffy and tripled in volume, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg mixture into the chocolate to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg mixture, taking care not to deflate the batter. Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake for exactly 15 minutes. Let cool completely to room temperature. Do not refrigerate or the cake will stick to the pan. Invert the cake onto a flat serving plate and peel off the paper.
Cut into small wedges and serve each wedge atop some of the raspberry sauce. Top with whipped cream. Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library Series, Chocolate, by Lora Brody (Time-Life Books, 1993).
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Chi Chi’s Seafood Enchilada/Cancun
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons lobster base (Don’t leave this out; it’s crucial to the unique flavor. If you can’t find it locally, you can get it on Amazon or other mail order)
3 1/2 cups 2% low-fat milk
1 cup white wine or cooking sherry
8 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 (4 ounce) can baby shrimp or minced cooked shrimp
2 (8 ounce) packages imitation crabmeat, flake style
10 (6 inch) flour tortillas, old mission restaurant style (or 4 large, overstuffed ones)
Paprika
1. FOR THE SAUCE
2. melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat.
3. add flour.
4. cook and stir for 5 minutes (should have a nutty aroma).
5. add 1/2 tsp white pepper.
6. stir in 2 tbsps. lobster base and cook for an additional minute.
7. add milk & wine.
8. add 2 oz. of the cheese.
9. continue to cook until thickened.
10. FOR THE CRAB MIX
11. lightly chop the flaked imitation crab.
12. combine with shrimp in a medium size bowl.
13. add 1.5 cups of cold sauce.
14. mix well.
15. FOR THE ENCHILADAS
16. lay out the tortillas on a flat surface.
17. place 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons of the crab mix across the center of each tortilla.
18. place flap of the tortilla over the crab mix and roll.
19. place flap side down onto a plate or in your baking dish.
20. ladle warm sauce over the enchiladas.
21. top with remaining Monterey jack cheese.
22. put into a preheated 425-degree convection oven for 12-14 minutes. In a conventional oven you may want to microwave on high for a minute or 2 before placing in the oven.
23. watch and do not allow to burn (brown spots).
24. sprinkle with paprika.
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