Sonofagun, we'll have big fun

This past weekend, my sister and I threw a grand party for our sons, both of whom turned 30 within a month of each other. A monumental birthday for the both of them.

And speaking of 30, there were 30-some people in my backyard, enjoying beautiful weather and each other’s company. And, of course, they were all waiting to be fed.

When my sister and I began discussing the party, and most importantly, what to feed 30-40 people, we considered Italian, we considered Mexican, and we considered good old-fashioned hamburgers and hot dogs. Suddenly, voila! I knew exactly what to make to celebrate this momentous stepping stone birthday most appropriately. A Cajun shrimp boil!

Eight years ago, my husband and I had a similar feast to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary, and it was tons of fun. Moreover, it is a relatively easy (though not inexpensive) way to feed lots of people. And it gets everyone involved. After all, what’s more fun than eating with your fingers?

I elected to only include shrimp in my seafood feast, though many seafood boils include crab and/or crawfish. I wanted to keep it relatively simple. And, though I love most all seafood, and shellfish in particular, I am not a big fan of crawfish. They look too much like scorpions to me.

My husband and our middle son did the cooking, which involves boiling layers of food in an appropriate order according to cooking time. Our feast included little red potatoes, kielbasa, corn on the cob, and, of course, shrimp. To spice things up, we cooked with onions, garlic, and Cajun spices. The spices gave excellent flavor and a wonderful kick to all of the tasty ingredients.

In all, it takes about a half hour to cook everything. We had a table waiting, covered in butcher paper. Let me tell you, there is nothing quite as delightful as looking on as all of the ingredients are literally dumped on top of the table in a crazy mixed-up jumble of spicy goodness.

No eating utensils need be used, though we offered forks for those not wanting to pick up the hot potatoes and sausage with their hands. Most ignored the utensils and dug in with their fingers. Everyone ate standing up – enhancing the shrimp with cocktail sauce and Old Bay seasoning, or drizzling hot sauce on top of the already-spicy kielbasa. Nice, ice-cold beer and pop to wash it all down.

Even the grandkids got into the thick of things, eagerly ripping the tails off the shrimp and gulping them down, followed by lemonade. How can you not love kielbasa and shrimp?

Our sons had a grand celebration as they enter this next decade of their lives.