My kids came to visit me on my planet

Since I moved to New England I have felt like I am an alien living on another planet. I feel like I am not one of "them". So imagine my relief when my girl child came to visit me. She brought another being from our planet, my son in law.

So was I going to spoil the crap out of them? Yes, I was. Started off with fresh cinnamon rolls for breakfast.



Did I do this when she lived at home? Heh....ask her. This recipe was from Alton Browns Overnight Cinnamon Rolls Ok, but not incredible.





It was also requested that I make Shrimp and Crab Cannelloni. I did. I started the day before so that it was not so much work when the kids were here. It was good that I did that because we spent most the day wandering around and at Sleepy Hollow looking at the graves of famous authors such as Emerson. Good thing to do the day before Halloween.





My handy blender (my favorite kitchen tool) made short work out of the tomatoes that I had peeled for the sauce.



And once again bad blogger that I am all was eaten before I could really take a picture of this amazing dinner. You have to make this one!



Really looks ugly but I have to tell you that I have had people ask me to marry them over this dish.


Shrimp and Crab Cannelloni
Bon Appétit | September 1996
by Kevin Graham
Graham's; New Orleans, LA

Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 3/4 cups chopped onions
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 pounds plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 28-ounces can Italian-style tomatoes
1/3 cup (packed) chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Cannelloni
16 lasagna noodles (preferably 3 to 4 inches wide)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
12 ounces uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, chopped
5 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated provolone cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 ounces fresh crabmeat
1 egg, beaten to blend

Preparation

For sauce:
Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes with their juices, basil, thyme, oregano, bay leaves and crushed red pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is reduced to scant 5 cups, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Working in batches, puree sauce in blender; return to same pot. Add cream and vinegar and simmer 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.

For Cannelloni:
Cook noodles in pot of boiling salted water until almost tender. Drain. Cool in bowl of cold water.

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is tender, about 6 minutes. Add shrimp; sauté just until opaque, about 3 minutes. Stir in basil, oregano and crushed red pepper. Cool.

Mix ricotta, provolone, Parmesan, crabmeat and shrimp mixture in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in egg.

Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread generous 1 cup tomato cream sauce in bottom of dish. Drain lasagna noodles; trim to 8-inch lengths. Spread scant 1/3 cup shrimp filling over each noodle, leaving 1/2-inch border on all sides. Staring at 1 short end, roll up each noodle jelly roll style. Place in prepared pan, seam side down. Pour remaining sauce over cannelloni. Cover with foil. (Can be made 1 day ahead; refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake foil-covered cannelloni until heated through, about 45 minutes.