The glut of lobsters that caused prices to plummet on the East coast has had no effect on their pricing here in Oregon. Inexpensive lobster rolls are fading into memory long before my appetite for them has dwindled. I spent some time today tweaking recipes for lobster rolls that I had found in the latest issue of the Food Network Magazine. One recipe, the Maine roll, was made with mayonnaise and served cold. The other, a recipe for a Connecticut roll meant to be served warm, featured just cooked lobster meat dressed in a hot seasoned butter. Both versions sounded appetizing, but cost dictated that shrimp be used to replace the lobster used in the original recipes. I steamed the shrimp, and, in both instances, I played a bit with the spicing that was originally used. I also substituted lightly toasted potato rolls for the hot dog buns in the ingredient list. I really liked both these recipes. I'm sure they are wonderful when made with lobster, but the rolls are also delicious when made with shrimp. I'll be making these again and I hope that you will give them a try. Here are the recipes.

Cold Shrimp Rolls

Ingredients:

1 to 1-1/2 pound cooked shrimp, chilled and coarsely chopped

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup diced celery

Zest and juice of 1 small lemon

Salt to taste

4 split top hot dog-type buns

Directions:

Mix mayonnaise, diced celery, and lemon zest and juice in a bowl. Stir in chilled shrimp and season with salt. Lightly toast buns. Fill each bun with a portion of shrimp mixture. Garnish with celery leaves if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

Warm Shrimp Rolls

Ingredients:

1 to 1-1/2 pounds warm cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped

4 tablespoons warm melted butter

Juice of 1 small lemon

1 small clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

Salt to taste

4 split top hot dog-type buns

Directions:

Combine butter, lemon juice, garlic and paprika in a small pan. Heat until garlic is fragrant. Remove from heat. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt. Keep warm. Warm or lightly toast buns. Fill each bun with a portion of shrimp mixture. Garnish with a slice of lemon if desired. Serve warm. Yield: 4 servings.

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