Shrimp

If you asked someone who's never set foot in a Red Lobster or stuck his nose in his grocer's freezer what "popcorn shrimp" is, you'd be on the same wavelength as chef John Taus of the Corner in Center City. Rather than simply deep-frying bits of shrimp and calling it an appetizer, Taus uses larger "21/25" shrimp and popped popcorn. The result: Less greasy than you'd think, though you may develop an urge to go to a movie theater. - Michael Klein Popcorn shrimp ($11)

Try this sexy shrimp dish that will be part of City Food Tour's Valentine's Aphrodisiac Tasting Event in Old City on Valentine's Day. CITY FOOD TOURS' SEXY SPICY SHRIMP AND PASTA 1 tablespoon boiling water 1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron threads (crush with the back of a spoon, not with fingers) 1/2 pound bowtie pasta 1 bunch asparagus 3/4 pound deveined medium shrimp (shells and tails removed) 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes 1/4 cup dry white wine 1 cup chicken broth 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 16-ounce can whole tomatoes (chopped and drained)

Q. I used to like canned shrimp but was told the black lines in them were actually fecal matter and since then I haven't been able to eat them. Isn't it harmful to your health? Is there any easy way to remove them? Paulette Ronayne Harvey Station, N.B., Canada Q. Please tell me whether I should be deveining fresh or frozen shrimp. I have read that I should take the veins out to guard against disease from bacteria or some such thing. But it's a real chore, especially since I discovered there are actually two veins per shrimp - one near the surface and another in the center.

What: Shrimp cleaner Manufacturer: Made in Taiwan for Oxo Good Grips, Terre Haute, Ind. Where: Foster's, Reading Terminal Market Price: $5.50 What: 3-way shrimp knife Manufacturer: Made in Japan for Alex-Duncan Inc., Houston, Texas Where: China Outlet & Gourmet Garage Price: $5.90 What: Needle-nose shrimp cleaner Manufacturer: None specified. Made in China Price: $1.99 What: Harold's Kitchen shrimp deveiner Manufacturer: Made in China for Harold Import Co. Inc., Lakewood, N.J. Price: 99 cents These implements all have the same specific function: to remove the shell and vein from shrimp.

Shrimp is undoubtedly our favorite shellfish. We catch close to 400 million pounds a year and import 200 million pounds more. Most of what we use is fried, one is tempted to add, or accompanied by a harsh mixture of ketchup and horseradish. Fortunately, the flavor of shrimp is so distinctive that it shines even through cocktail sauce. Bathe it in curry - it comes out great. Stew it into a jambalaya with sausage, tomatoes and heaven knows what else - the shrimp will hold its own. But if you ever have the good fortune to get fresh shrimp - just off the boat, firm and shining, fragrant only of the sea - just boil them briefly in well-seasoned water and eat them plain.

Stir-fry as a style of cooking has been "hot" for a whole generation, favored first for its flavor and texture, then for its speed and convenience, ultimately for its health virtues. The typical stir-fry dish offers less meat and more veggies, served up with vitamins intact. Over the years, stir-frying has meandered down many paths away from its Chinese origins. The ingredients and seasonings aren't limited to Asian; stir- fry zucchini might be served over pasta and seasoned with oregano.

Chinatown's Michael Chow and his Sang Kee noodle machine is in rapid suburban expansion mod, branching out simultaneously into Cherry Hill (where he's co-owner) and Newtown Square where he's just consulting). Crafted in the modern spirit of his successful Wynnewood locale, the Cherry Hill space is a sleek but tiny 45-seat BYO with no reservations. But a recent weekend meal showed why there are steady lines already. South Jersey has few Chinese kitchens that can match Sang Kee for its fresh, affordable, authentic Hong Kong flavors.

When Rick Rodgers needs dinner fast, he usually turns to shrimp. Rodgers, who has written more than 15 cookbooks, has a lot of tricks up his sleeve for culinary creations. What he lacks is what every cook at the desperate dinner hour lacks: time. "Shrimp, by definition, mean a quick dinner," Rodgers says. On high heat in a skillet, shrimp cook through in 2 to 3 minutes. The same goes for boiling. Even at low heat, cook shrimp just to the point at which they turn pink all over.

With my annual fervor for adventure grilling now aflame again, I've been barbecuing quarter-pounders all week. But I'm not talking burgers here. I'm cooking shrimp. That's right. Crustaceans. Big ones. Black tigers, to be exact. First I spotted them in an Italian Market stall. Then I spied them in Reading Terminal at Golden Seafood, towering over mounds of ice in rows of bluish black-striped tails, bulging with ivory meat. They reduced the so-called jumbo shrimp beside them to less than a George Carlin oxymoron ("like military intelligence")

Mazell Tetruashvily remembers her first science-fair project in fifth grade. She rubbed chocolate spread on plates, let it harden over night, then cleaned the dishes the next day with different dishwashing detergents to see which worked best. "I scrubbed each one for a certain amount of time and rinsed it for a certain amount of time. I don't know how accurate it was, but I was young then," she said. And a long way she has come. Now a ninth grader, the girl soon will compete as one of 40 national finalists in a science contest in Washington.

For cocktail salsa: 1 1/4 cups ketchup 1/4 cup tomato juice 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce 1/2 ounce habanero chilies, minced very fine 1 1/4 ounces garlic cloves, minced to a paste 3 1/2 ounces red onion, minced very fine 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice For avocado salsa: 3 tablespoons lime juice 1/2ounce fresh cilantro, leaves and soft stems chopped...

Rule No. 1 about spicy ingredients - you don't need to love spicy foods to love what spicy ingredients can do for the foods you do love. That's because foods such as chili peppers and hot sauces can do way more than simply add mouth-searing heat. Adding just a touch will heighten the other flavors of a dish without adding noticeable spiciness. For example, whip up your favorite mac and cheese. Now stir in just a few drops of hot sauce. Taste. It won't be spicy, but it will be better.

It was a transporting bite. I had recently been to the coast of Spain, where I had devoured (for breakfast, lunch, dinner - basically whenever I could) the best shrimp I had ever tasted. It wasn't the preparation or the sauce, it was the crustacean itself: sweet, soft, creamy, head-on, lobsterlike. Which is why I was incredulous when I tasted those same qualities in my shrimp at Old City's Fork. It turns out the incredible flavor of my Spanish shrimp had nothing to do with Mediterranean waters, and everything to do with freshness.

By Glenn Garvin I knew 2011 was going to be one of those years when I wrote a column saying that $80 billion of proposed federal bailout money to the U.S. Postal Service was a useless subsidy to "a dying ink-on-paper technology in an electronic world. " I got more than 100 bitter complaints from postal workers ... every single one of them delivered by e-mail. At least the postal workers were mostly civil. The hundreds of complaints I got from lawyers after I wrote about frivolous lawsuits in pursuit of jackpot justice were so scatological that I'm now pretty certain law schools must offer elective courses in biology, because I have never heard so many richly descriptive references to such obscure corners of the digestive tract, nor such detailed instructions for how to insert my head into them.

Company line: Three flour tortillas with grilled shrimp in a spicy chile-lime sauce topped with fresh cilantro-lime slaw, house-made pico de gallo and sliced avocados. Chain: Chili's. Location: 1239 Filbert St. Order time: 13 minutes. Price: $10.79 Calories: 1,010, with 40 grams of protein, 43 grams of fat and 3,040 mgs of sodium (less than 2,300 mgs of sodium per day is recommended). Review : Chains are supposed to be all about consistency, but you can never take out the human element.

Chinatown's Michael Chow and his Sang Kee noodle machine is in rapid suburban expansion mod, branching out simultaneously into Cherry Hill (where he's co-owner) and Newtown Square where he's just consulting). Crafted in the modern spirit of his successful Wynnewood locale, the Cherry Hill space is a sleek but tiny 45-seat BYO with no reservations. But a recent weekend meal showed why there are steady lines already. South Jersey has few Chinese kitchens that can match Sang Kee for its fresh, affordable, authentic Hong Kong flavors.

Fresh shrimp in a light Provençal sauce is one of celebrity chef Jacques Pepin's creations I tasted on a cruise. With a restaurant named after him on the Oceania Marina, he told me that he wanted to serve bistro-style food. "I like to return to classic French-bistro style food that is hard to find now, simple good food, made from fresh ingredients. " All you need is a little rice to go with his one-pot recipe. San Marzano tomatoes are Jacque's first choice in this recipe, but plum tomatoes work well.

If you asked someone who's never set foot in a Red Lobster or stuck his nose in his grocer's freezer what "popcorn shrimp" is, you'd be on the same wavelength as chef John Taus of the Corner in Center City. Rather than simply deep-frying bits of shrimp and calling it an appetizer, Taus uses larger "21/25" shrimp and popped popcorn. The result: Less greasy than you'd think, though you may develop an urge to go to a movie theater. - Michael Klein Popcorn shrimp ($11)

This no-cook, 15-minute, summer supper is perfect for a hot night. Plump shrimp layered with vegetables and dressed with a light vinaigrette dressing makes a cool, colorful main dish.   Layered Shrimp Salad Makes 2 servings 3 tablespoons reduced-fat oil and vinegar dressing 1 tablespoon diced or chopped onion 1 teaspoon dried tarragon 3/4 pound cooked, peeled, medium-size shrimp Salt and freshly ground pepper 1/2 bag washed, mixed baby greens (about 21/2 cups)

After the tables were properly set, the ice water was poured, and everyone was seated, the chef greeted guests and described the lunch prepared for them: Beef lasagna with homemade tomato sauce and grated Parmesan cheese; roasted red peppers with rosemary; green salad with creamy herb vinaigrette; and for dessert, lemon granita. The table captains, outfitted in white chef's jackets, were summoned to carry trays of food and serve it family style. Not exactly the setting or menu you might expect for an urban school cafeteria, but such was the scene at Girard College in North Philadelphia last week, where 260 city kids ages 6 to 17 were having lunch at a camp program.