I’d been long overdue for a trip up to Whidbey Island to see my mom. These were a few of the highlights from my weekend:
Stopping at a roadside stand to pick up live Dungeness crab and spot prawns. I steamed the prawns whole with garlic and soy sauce and the crabs were boiled in spices and eaten with melted butter. The crab meat was incredibly sweet, meaty and delicious.
Visiting friends and seeing their cool silver and golden sebright chickens (pets, not for eating) and picking fresh arugula and nasturtiums from their garden for a bright summer salad.
Eating mom’s incredible chocolate shortbread cookies made with Scharffen Berger chocolate and cacao nibs. The lavender shortbread cookies looked great, but I have this weird thing with lavender where I can’t disassociate the flavor from hand lotion.
UPDATE: Here are the recipes!
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
https://www.iheartbacon.com/recipes/recipe.php?recID=140
Lavender Shortbread Cookies
https://www.iheartbacon.com/recipes/recipe.php?recID=141
those spot prawns look gorgeous. do you think we can find them here at the markets?
Actually, I think I saw whole spot prawns at the Pike Place Market last weekend. If not, they always have them at Mutual Fish, when in season!
My best friend’s dad just moved to Whidbey Island… sounds like we might need to schedule a visit really soon… those prawns look divine.
so that’s what they’re called. i saw spot prawns on a visit to Chinatown but didn’t know what they were. ah, and what beautiful chickens!
Mm… those shortbread cookies look awesome… recipe?
Fatemeh, Oh you should!! I love Whidbey Island. It’s so beautiful and laid-back. If you come up this way, let me know… I’d love to grab a dinner with you sometime!
Stef, I totally forgot—those prawns are usually what are in the tanks at the restaurants in Chinatown. I was actually trying to recreate the steamed prawn dish I ate at Sun Ya. It was one of the best prawn preparations I’ve ever had, and the shrimp were positively sweet. My rendition didn’t quite work out the same, but they were still good!
Jamie, I keep asking my mom for her baking recipes, but she conveniently keeps “forgetting”. She’s being awfully proprietary about them, but I’ll see what I can do!
Okay, I got the recipes…
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
https://www.iheartbacon.com/recipes/recipe.php?recID=140
Lavender Shortbread Cookies
https://www.iheartbacon.com/recipes/recipe.php?recID=141
Enjoy!