To me, one of the fun things about traveling is all of the souvenirs one picks up along the way.  T-shirt, wind chimes, shot glasses and the typical gifts aren’t lost on this traveler, however I sometimes prefer the edible. Often, I will come home and pull out treats from our various outings which allow me a tasty trip down memory lane.

Last night I made Shrimp and Grits. This was inspired by a breakfast dish D and I recently had while we were at the Solage Calistoga with our dear friend. Having thoroughly enjoyed the Pahlmeyer Pinot and hot tub the night before, a hardy breakfast was on the agenda the next morning. While shrimp and grits doesn’t necessarily ring the Napa Valley menu bell, the chef at Solbar blew this dish out of my Gulf of Mexico waters. Flavorful and delicate, I set out to re-create this dish for my posse at home.

I used regular grits from the grocery store, freshly grated cheddar cheese, bacon and jalapeños for the base. Then I sautéed the shrimp in some Jalapeño Olive Oil that I picked up in The Valley. On a nice bed between the cheesy grits and hot shrimp, I made a bed of arugula and spinach, alas compiling the ingredients and drizzling the top with the jalapeño olive oil and a bit of Round Pond Chili Salt.

The final product wasn’t exactly as Solbar had created, but delicious nonetheless. This recipe allowed me to take some of the fine samplings the Napa Valley had to offer and combine it with everyday cooking in our house.

What recipes would you like to recreate from your travels?

Breakfast Shrimp and Grits at Solbar