Edible sea animals

Since being in Cebu, i have lots more time to cook. Lately i have really been enjoying planning meals and putting together something fun for when Andrey comes home from work. I just clued into the fact that seafood is really fresh & tasty here (and not very expensive). Yes, of course it is! We live on an island! I didn't think of it at first. Well that just opens up lots more healthy options for variety in cooking. Let me tell you what i've learned about seafood since living in Asia. Shrimp - they have heads! and orange gooey stuff that oozes from their necks when you chop them off. Scallops - come in a lovely shell, and what we refer to as the scallop, is actually the white part in the center of a gooey black and orange mass that sits in the shell. You actually have to cut the scallop outta there! Fish - sure, it's great to cook fish - if someone else has taken it's head off, scaled it, removed the guts, and is in a nice form called the filet. I'm not even going to go into squid, stingray, and all the other lovely edible things from the ocean that i see here. I won't be experimenting with them. Eeek! All this to say, i want you all to know how good you have it when you go to the seafood counter at your grocery store. I LOVE this about America! They do all the dirty work for you! Filets of fish; deheaded, peeled, deveined shrimp; and scallops - JUST scallops. What's the trade off? the cost. Now i understand why it costs so much more in the US for good seafood. It's to pay the guys/gals in the back who are up to their eyeballs in gooey sea animal guts! They should be paid well if you ask me.

Well that didn't stop me from making a yummy pasta dish last night with shrimp and scallops. The night before, we had fish tacos (i actually found filets, oh thank you!) with some of the most fresh, delicious fish we've ever had. Thank you Cooking Light magazine (and my mom for sending them to me) for the great recipes! I'm so glad i don't have a picky eater for a husband.