An abundance of available seafood is taken for granted in many locations that abut the seashore. For the rest of us, we have to make do with the local catch. This does not mean that we should not consider seafood as a viable alternative to the standard bill of faire. Virtually everywhere shrimp and prawns are available at a reasonable cost, and they make for great seafood recipes. This cookbook intends to bring some of those treats to those looking for new meals. While many of the recipes call for shrimp, other shellfish can usually be substituted for a change of pace Some of the included recipes have been handed down from my mother’s great playbook. Another few of them have been graciously donated by friends. Others have simply evolved from my being lazy. I remember from my days at IBM, a client having said that I was the laziest person he had met. He went on to explain that he meant that I would spend an hour figuring out how to save five minutes a day. He also knew that in the long run this was not a bad thing. So it is my propensity for not wanting to spend any more time on a project than is necessary that is the impetus for this cookbook. Over time I have accumulated a number of recipes that are conducive to being prepared in a single vessel, and I have reworked others to fit into this pattern. The result is a cookbook that simplifies food preparation and reduces the arduous and annoying cleanup to (usually) a single pot or pan, and possibly a serving dish. And while this thesis may occasionally stretch the word classic, we are not talking about hotdogs embedded with cheese and covered with chili.
