CONGRATULATIONS to this week's winner: "Felicia Lee! For hating -- yes, hating -- peas. She did watch a pea nearly take her sister's life, so that's reasonable. But she also bucked up enough to give us that story, a fascinating linguistic account of the name of the pea, and a fantastic recipe for the one way she can stand to eat them."

 AND NOW FOR THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE (via Francis Lam):

 "Every year, right around this time, people start setting sail from towns like Bayou La Batre, Ala., Biloxi, Miss., and Venice, La., to shrimp the waters of the Gulf. It's a magical time down there. Every morning boats pull into docks, selling shrimp so fresh, so sweet they're creamy when you indulge your curiosity and bite into one raw.

Still, most people will opt to cook their shrimp, and the list of specialties is awfully long, as anyone who's seen Forrest Gump will attest.

This year, of course, shrimp season is looking a little less magical for our friends down on the Gulf, with the BP oil spill threatening some of their best fishing grounds, not to mention the incredibly complex, fragile ecosystem of the Gulf Coast. And adding to that pressure is the widespread fear that Gulf seafood is unsafe to eat (my take, based on conversations with scientists and fishery management experts: If you can still buy it at this point, it's safe).

So this week, in honor of shrimp season and the men and women who catch American shrimp, let's get all Bubba Gump and share our favorite shrimp recipes and stories.

Be sure to tag your posts: SKC shrimp"