Shrimp wrapped in Filo

I know I live in the NYC and it's supposed to be a food mecca so dare I even say this?  I will say it - it's my blog!  Here it is: I am becoming less and less satisfied with eating out.  What with the lousy service, the out of control diners who apparently cannot modulate their voices, the guffawing drunks, the crammed together tables, and the mediocre food - well, let's just say for the sake of kindness, that I am enjoying my own cooking more.  Wait, one more thing....if I sit down at another table that wobbles so much that it threatens to spill my drink in my lap, I don't know what I'll do!

Last weekend we waited for 30 minutes at The Breslin for brunch.  Okay, no big deal.  I totally get that they make most of their money at the bar, so they want you to sit there and have a drink first.  Fine.  But, at least, for the love of all that makes sense, send the blasted waiter over to take the drink order!  I'm not going to grovel at the bar trying to get the bartender's attention.  Eventually we were seated and ordered the lamb burger which is also a staple at The Spotted Pig - it's decent enough and, frankly, it's the cheapest thing on the menu. (I do think they should re-think the cumin mustard they serve with the so-called thrice cooked french fries.  Not too good.).  However, Tom had to eat the whole meal with one elbow on the table to keep it from rocking back and forth.

So, as you can tell, I really am of the opinion that it's more enjoyable to eat at home, at least while it's so cold out.  Wearing all these layers becomes a problem when you are taking them off as the hostess is seating you and you are trying not to knock into everyone. And shoving a bulky coat (and maybe a couple of sweaters) into your seating area is not very convenient, especially if it's a small booth. 

I have been trying to come up with some stay-at-home fun food.  This is one of those appetizers you can pass around the kitchen while everyone is hanging out waiting for dinner, chatting, and sharing a bottle of wine.  It's really so simple to make.

Shrimp wrapped in Filo

Ingredients

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and cleaned, with tails left on

1 box of filo dough, defrosted

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 vegetable oil (for frying)

1 tbls chili powder

Method

Note: The filo dough really does have to be defrosted which is a problem if you just bought it at the grocery store with the intention of making this right away.  So you can microwave it a little, if you find yourself in that situation  That's not ideal, from my experience, because it makes the layers harder to manage.  But it's not the end of the world, either, because you roll up the shrimp and it all seems to turn out fine..  Just make sure you have a damp tea towel to cover the dough with, after you open it up, because it will dry out otherwise. 

• Lay out 6 layers of filo on top of each other
• Brush the top layer lightly with melted butter
• Cut into 1" wide by 9" long strips
• Place 1 shrimp at the bottom end of a strip and roll it up
• Repeat for all the shrimp
• Heat the oil in a frying pan until it sizzles
• Fry the filo shrimp until golden
• Sprinkle with Chili powder

Serve with Chili Mayonnaise:

  Mayonnaise blended with 1 tsp szechuan chili paste & 1 crushed clove of garlic 

& other favorite dipping sauces.

"I went into a French restaurant and asked the waiter, 'Have you got frog's legs?' He said, 'Yes,' so I said, 'Well hop into the kitchen and get me a cheese sandwich.'"

Tommy Cooper

I would suggest something stylish to wear while lounging around at home.