Shopping List May 4th

This week’s chef notes:

• For spring veggies (in shrimp and grits), use any combo of asparagus, leeks, carrots, snap peas, shelled peas, spring onions, etc.

• If you don’t want to use vodka in the pasta sauce, you can substitute stock, water, or wine. The hard alcohol is there to help extract the flavors of the the other ingredients, and bring a background heat and sharpness that balanced out the richness of the sauce. While it creates a distinct flavor in this sauce, you will still have a delicious end result if you don’t use it!

• Shrimp are sometimes labeled by a numbering system, and if so, go for either medium (21–25) or large (16–20). The numbers denote approximately how many shrimp you’ll get in a pound. It’s also fine to use frozen shrimp, they defrost quickly, and you can keep the extra in the freezer for a future dish!