Buffalo Shrimp Tacos

If I were given the chance, at this point in my life, to go back and repeat any ten meals of my choosing, the list would not surprise you: there would be some things that have appeared on this blog (my steak at Hitching Post II, lobster at the Crab Cooker, etc.); some things that have not appeared as posts but which I've mentioned (fish & chips at Leo Burdock in Dublin, pizza at Totonno's in Manhattan, etc.); and some things that I've never even brought up (my first Gates BBQ turkey sandwich in Kansas City, a lobster roll in Scituate, Massachusetts).

But if I'm being honest, there is probably nothing I have ever enjoyed eating as much as the Buffalo shrimp at Bennigan's in Arcadia when I was a teenager. I haven't had them since I was a teenager - the restaurant closed more than a dozen years ago - and even if I were given the chance, I don't know how much I would care to go back and eat them again. But in my memory... damn they were good: plump, juicy shrimp with a crispy coating and a very spicy sauce. (They were so good that I chased their memory for years, even repeatedly trying the Buffalo shrimp at the Hooters in Old Town, despite the fact that every single time I ate them my stomach hurt.)

I got a strong craving for buffalo shrimp yesterday. Not the kind like I had at Popeyes the other night, with spicy peppers in the breading, but crispy shrimp drenched in Buffalo sauce. Seeing as how I have discovered and fallen in love with the Tabasco Buffalo sauce, I decided to make my own.

I started with a box of Trader Joe's battered shrimp that have been in the freezer for a couple of weeks - I couldn't think of anything to do with them. I've written of these before, they are very good shrimp. They claim to contain 30% less fat than other breaded shrimp.

Of course, pan-frying the shrimp may negate that.

But it's worth it. After three or four minutes you have crispy, juicy, golden-brown shrimp as good as any restaurant in Southern California.

I coated a bowl with the Tabasco Buffalo sauce and tossed the shrimp.

Using Trader Joe's pita bread as the base, I added diced carrots and celery to one taco, topping it with some blue cheese.

To the second, I added TJ's wasabi arugula - a peppery arugula with the added kick of wasabi - and topped it with champagne vinaigrette.

They were both spectacular (although my favorite was the former) - crispy with the heat of the Buffalo sauce and the coolness of the veggies and dressing. The whole dinner for two of us cost just a few dollars - far less than one order of those Bennigan's Buffalo shrimp ever cost. This will not be the last time I ever make these.