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Well, I was sure this handsome buck would follow us both out, but when I got back to the kitchen, there he still was picking at some leftover Cajun popcorn in a bowl on the counter.
"Oh, don't eat that!" I almost screamed. "It's awful cold. And, besides, you need to dip it in garlic mayonnaise for it to be really good."
"I think it's pretty good as is," he said, and suddenly I began to wonder if maybe I looked too heavy in the loose harlequin pants and metallic gold shirt I was wearing. "What's it called?"
"Cajun popcorn."
"But it's fried shrimp, isn't it?"
"Yeah, though over in Louisiana they usually use crawfish."
"Why's it called popcorn?"
"I have no earthly idea. Maybe 'cause people it fast as popcorn."
"What all's in it?"
I was now rinsing and drying some platters with a dishcloth and in a hurry to put out some more nutty fingers. "You do ask a lot of questions, Mr. Webster," I kidded him. "Sure you're not some hotshot chef out looking to steal recipes?"
He laughed and said, "Jerry. Call me Jerry. And no, I'm no recipe thief. I simply love good food and am always looking for new ideas."
"Okay, Jerry, there's everything in that battered popcorn except the kitchen stove."
"Like what?" he kept on.
"Like garlic and onion and a few hundred herbs and spices- and lots of love."
He smiled and asked, "Deep fried?"
"Yep, in peanut oil, but not too long- no more than about two minutes. Gotta be crisp on the outside but not overcooked.
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