Friday, July 11, 2008

Swamp Dust

In my neck of the woods, Old Bay is THE seafood seasoning of choice. Always has been, always will be. The aroma alone floods my mind with a lifetime of memories: bushels of bright orange steamed crabs waiting to be picked , pots of boiling shrimp with the pickling spice holding on for dear life, long summer days spent beach side with my fellow River Rats. The list is endless. You get the point. Old Bay is a staple. Not too long ago, Cool Breeze took a little trip down to Louisiana. Well, it seems that his Bayou Buddies have come up with something to rival my beloved Old Bay ........... Swamp Dust.


Last weekend, we invited one of these Cajuns to come over for a pool party. He cooked up some corn, potatoes and onions in a big outdoor pot. We didn't have any crawfish, so the vegetables flew solo this time. I was horrified to see him sprinkling this orange impostor on my vegetables. WHAT? NO OLD BAY? It was sacrilegious. I HAD to have a taste - just to make sure it was awful.
I just ordered a 2 lb. bag this morning. It will arrive next week.
Don't tell anybody.

15 comments:

Unknown said...

I don't know if I can stop the Old Bay.... it makes me feel icky to think about it. :)

Joanna said...

Oh I love a big shrimp boil with Old Bay!!

Life in the Crazy Lane said...

I can't bring myself to use shellfish seasoning. I'm allergic to shellfish. I know the seasoning has nothing to do with the allergy. Maybe it's the pictures on the containers? Maybe it's the name? Maybe it's the suggested uses? I'm fixated on food today.

Holy Crappers said...

Sounds appetizing !

#1

Keeper Of All Things said...

My man is a serious Old Bay addict!!!
Puts it on everything!!!
I'll have to try Swamp Dust

HalfAsstic.com said...

Oh, your secret's safe with me! LMAO!

littletoesandcheerios said...

Thanks for the tip, I love shrimp!

I Am Woody said...

With a name like Swamp Dust, it HAS to be good!!

Caution/Lisa said...

My mom always had Old Bay in her kitchen which is kind of amazing since the only seafood we ever had was fish sticks. Hadn't thought of that in YEARS.

Pleasing Procrasinator said...

I am jealous that you have seafood that readily available. One of my favorite things and most of it around here is frozen. That Sucks.
Sounds Great!

(Sometimes!) Serendipitous Girl said...

Yummy! I'm looking for a good one pot meal to cook (thinking crab boil) for my Summer to Do List. Though a 2 lb bag of spice? Maybe I can share it with the neighborhood ... and the neighborhood next door when it arrives?!

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

Old Bay truly is a staple. If there are fewer than two canisters in the house, people start panicking. I've never heard of this swamp dust but am interested to know what's in it and how it differs from Old Bay.

Also, I did something absolutely sacreligious as well....I no longer boil my shrimp and use Old Bay, I BROIL my shrimp using a recipe from the pioneer woman (www.thepioneerwoman.com). In her cooking section there is a recipe for spiced shrimp (I think that's the name). I will never fix shrimp any differently again. It is super easy and very good.

Holy Crappers said...

My hubby is a Tony's man.

peace
#2

Anonymous said...

That's hilarious!

Around these parts of New England, Old Bay is pretty popular, considering all the clam and lobstahhhh bakes we have (both of those make me wanna vomit) and all sorts of other assorted regional seafood dishes. I think in just about every kitchen I've been in, especially those of the old timahhhs, there's always a can of Old Bay.

Auds at Barking Mad
www.abritandabit.typepad.com

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

You are SOOOOO right, being tan and skinny DEFINITELY makes this Atkins shit more tolerable!

Hallie