From the Vault!! - SHRIMP Aywanna Layou! -The Gay Gourmet!™

Hey folks! I know I've been MIA but with summer adventures and doing a show up by the Finger Lakes I haven't had a moment for much of anything!

I figured I'd start anew with an old post I found that I had never posted....and thus it begins!!

ALOHA My little manu's (that's hawaiian for bird)

Mother Nature keeps teasing me here in NYC with tiny morsels of fabulous warm weather so in hopes of invoking a little more warm weather, sandy beaches, booze, hot boys in Speedos® and more I have created this dish just for you!

A little background about these li'ili'i 'opae! (little skrimp...yes I said skrimp)

Picture it..

My buddy Zach was over one evening with some not so healthy snacks, the night was young, we were intoxicated and hungry, just two buddies catching up, shooting the breeze... when all of a sudden a man knocks on the door saying.. "PLUMBER!" well I was like I didn't call a plumber... WAAAIT a minute I'm getting my stories mixed up...

Anywho, when the evening had come to an end he left me with this LARGE BAG of LAY'S® Potato Chips! These are not something I eat often for obvious reasons. So, I took those Lay's and I hid them away! The problem was no.1 how could I resist them and no. 2 I felt bad throwing that "food" out!

In order to convince myself that I was eating something mildly good for me I created this dish which in turn is kinda really bad for you but OH SO FREAKIN' GOOD! I even surprised myself!

And so it was I created My Shrimp Aywanna Layou with Pineapple Chutney!

I mean...can I really insult an entire people in one blog? Well I could but that's not what I'm going for! It's delicious and if anything this is an homage to the loverly Hawaiian people! I mean, if Bing Crosby can sing Mele Kalikimaka I can certainly sing the praises of my Shrimp Aywanna Layou! (pron: Shrimp-I-Wanna-Lay-U, cause they are that good) In Hawaiian it's "'Opae a'u makemake hana hana m'ai 'oe" I'm sure that's completely incorrect but it was fun to look it up in a dictionary!

So without further Adieu I give to you Ms. Hawaisland Crusteaseous!

(these pics are camera phone pics... don't judge I didn't have film for my Pentax!)

Her Needs

1 lb of Uncooked Shrimp (cleaned & de-veined)
1 cup Buttermilk
1 cup flour
5 Eggs (beaten)
Lay's Breadcrumbs (recipe below)
Pineapple Coconut Chutney (recipe below)

Once shrimp is clean, take small batches and soak in buttermilk, then dredge in flour, coat in egg and then toss in Lay's® Breadcrumbs! Repeat till all shrimp are coated.

Meanwhile in a heavy bottomed pan heat enough cooking (as in canola) oil to shallowly fry shrimp. I used about 3/4 cup. (JUST THE TIP: The way you know your frying oil is ready is by sticking the handle of a wooden spoon in it. If tiny bubble start to spin out of the handle, when inserted, the oil is good to go!!) Cook shrimp for about 4 minutes on each side till the breadcrumbs are beautifully golden on both sides! Drain on a paper towel!

Lay's® Bread Crumbs

3/4 bag of Lay's® Original Potato Chips
2 TBS garlic powder
2 TBS Onion powder
1 TBS Red Pepper flakes
1 TBS ground pepper

In a heavy duty storage bag crush chips and combine with other dry ingredients. Seal and shake bag to combine all ingredients. (Note: for a little extra spice add more red pepper flakes)

Pineapple/Coconut Chutney
1.5 cup fresh chopped pineapple
.5 cup White Sweet Onion
1.5 tsp Cumin
2 TBS light brown sugar
.5 cup Water
1 TBS Rice Wine Vinegar
2 TBS grated Coconut (toasted)
2 TBS fresh chopped Cilantro.

To toast coconut place in a dry skillet over medium heat and cook till fragrant/starts to brown. about 3 minutes.

Combine all ingredients, except cilantro and coconut in a medium sauce pan and reduce over medium heat till thick. About 15 mins or so. Once thickened, pull from heat and let cool. Transfer to your Magic Bullet or food processor and pulse a couple times so that it's still chunky yet a bit more combined. Stir in cilantro and coconut and go to town!!!

Good Luck! Save some Weight Watchers® PointsPlus® for these cause you won't be able to keep your hands off of them!!

Well this is it for right now!

I'm doing a show called Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? at this fabulous theatre in Central New York! It's been a great so far and I return home on September 11th!

Look how cute I am...(that wig is something else...)

I promise to start catching up more now that the show is up and running and I haev a bit more time on my hands!

Thanks for all the love and support via the blog and twitter! I heart you dearly!

Deliciously Living,

Michael Muñoz
The Gay Gourmet!™

©2011 Michael Muñoz

Holy Guacamole!!! - The Gay Gourmet!™

80% of this weekend was fairly quiet for me and if you have any sense of who I am by now, I'm a mover & shaker! I rarely do quiet! But I needed it...a little recharge of the ol' bat'ries! So you could imagine by Sunday night I was goin' a little crazy!

Well it just so happened that on Friday (right before I bumped into Ms. Chita Rivera on the Street!! Holy Guacamole Indeed!) I hit the jackpot at my local fruit market. Avocados, jalepeños, pineapples (although not really in season) all sorts of things! SO I certainly bought a little of everything.

Today's blog is in honor of Mother Nature being a Spring tease and in hopes of invoking some beautiful warm weather!

Ladies & Gentlemen introducing

The Siren of all Guacamole's - Ms. Ferocia Avocado! (aka Pineapple Jalepeño Guac.)

I love that I just gave my Guacamole a Drag name but seriously... She seems sweet at first but she'll get you in the end! (Don't you get any ideas!)

Her Needs...


*3 Hass Avocados (those are the small ones that look like they have crocodile skin)
*5 Jalepeños seeded de-ribbed & chopped
*1 medium Poblano Pepper
*3/4 cup Fresh Pineapple cubed into small pieces
*1 small red onion
*the Juice of 1 lime
*1/2 cup freshly chopped Cilantro
*1 tsp Olive Oil + a drop more for roasting the poblano
*Kosher Salt & fresh cracked Pepper


A note about avocados. There are large green one and small green ones. I personally don't feel as if there is a difference as I grew up eating both. I personally am partial to the large ones (Don't you get any ideas!) What it comes down to is that you want to make sure that they are ripe. If they are rock hard put them in a brown bag or in the cupboard for a couple days and they should soften up nicely. Too soft is no good!

A note about the pineapple... If you are using a piece of a fresh pineapple they can be fairly juicy and I would suggest that after you cut it that you throw it in a strainer and let it drain out for like 15 mins. Reserve the liquid and make pineapple margaritas! It's totes* a win win situation!

Her Demands...

1. On a baking sheet take Poblano pepper and lightly rub with olive oil and lightly salt. On a small sheet of aluminum place pineapple next to Poblano and throw under the broiler until they start to char! About 8 to 10 mins. Watch carefully Everyone's oven is different!

2. Once a little charred remove from oven and let cool completely. Cut Poblano in half and scoop out the seeds and chop! (remember when working with peppers to wash your hands thoroughly and not to touch your face as the heat can transfer...YIKES!)

3. Peel avocados by cutting in half, removing the seed and then scooping out with a spoon into a med/large bowl. With a potato masher or a fork mash till chunky. You don't want it too smooth and creamy.

4. Add onions, jalepeños, pineapple, poblano & cilantro to the mashed avocado and mix

5. Add Olive oil & lime juice. Mix.

6. Season with salt & pepper to taste. (I like a lot of pepper)

*(Totes = Totally... like duh! Sometimes my inner valley girl comes out)


And there you have it folks a little warm weather invocation! Put it on a chip, some Arnold's Whole Wheat Sandwhich thins (that was for you Weight Watchers) Your egg whites in the morning or anything else you so! She a mean temptress she is!


Till next time my little pop'ems!


Deliciously Living,

Michael Muñoz

The Gay Gourmet!™


©2011 Michael Muñoz

Happy National Margarita Day!

Now this is a holiday I can appreciate! I mean not that I need an excuse for a Margarita but if you are gonna give me one like National Margarita Day then I'm just gonna have to participate! I mean what kinda of patriotic American would I be if I didn't?

Since I just was alerted about this holiday I thought to myself, "What do I have in my apartment that would make this interesting and fun?" I have triple sec, limes, salt..well that won't do at all!

So I went ran out to the liquor store after work and splurged on some 1800 Silver (I mean how often is it National Margarita Day?) and then I thought to my self...hmmm..

"Margaritas = summer...Summer = Beaches, pineapples, bbq's, chips, salsa & guacamole"

So, quickly I ran to the market and picked up some pineapple juice and a couple jalepeños!

Gird your loins & prepare your taste buds cause here we goooooo!

Ladies & Gentalmen The Gay Gourmet!™ presents...

Ms. Rita Piquant!! (It's very fun thinking of Drag Names for recipes BTW)

Her Needs

*1 large martini glass (fish bowls work too!)
*4oz good tequila (I used 1800 Silver)
*2oz Pineapple Juice
*1oz triple sec or Grand Marnier
*1 Jalepeño
*2tbs Kosher salt &/or colored sugar
*1/4 of a lime juiced



Her Demands..

1. Mix salt and sugar and place on plate or flat surface. Take 1 slice of of the lime and rub the rim of your martini glass and dip the glass in the salt sugar mix. This is called rimming the glass! (don't you get any ideas!)

2. In a shaker filled half way with ice. Add four thin slices of jalepeño, Tequila, Pineapple Juice, Triple sec, lime juice and shake!

3. Strain into martini glass and garnish with a few thin slices of jalepeño and enjoy carefully cause she's sweet to start but she'll get you with her piquant in the end!!




As always drink a lot, have a blast, take a cute someone home and DRINK RESPONSIBLY!

Happy National Margarita Day

Deliciously Living,

Michael Muñoz
The Gay Gourmet!™


©2011 Michael Muñoz