Supper tonight was the cioppino, base from a 16 oz jar of Trader Joe's
stuff. A roaring success at the table. For the seafood (I probably had
more than the pound they recommend), I used shrimps, scallops, tilapia,
and fake lobster (shoot me). The shrimps were frozen and cooked, so I
thawed them. The tilapia and scallops were frozen so I thawed them and
cut the tilapia into about 1x1-1/2" rectangles. The fake lobster was in
a package.

I added about 1/3 cup of Charles Shaw Cabernet (2002) and 3 frozen ice
cubes made of turkey broth. Brought the sauce to boil as instructed,
then added the fish, then the shrimps, followed quickly by the scallops.
I was about to ladle it when I remembered the fake lobster. Added that.
:-)

Ladled into flat soup plates and accompanied with Brianno's Italian
bread and mongo mixed greens salad.

Good meal. I made Rob save the 3/4 cup of sauce remaining on his plate
so he can have it again tomorrow for lunch (I'll get that freakin'
couscous thing done for supper, looks like) with the same seafoods
except the tilapia. He was all over it.

I thought it was pretty spicy. I would not wanted to have it any
spicier. I think I could taste the tannin in the wine.

Big Question: The base sauce tasted to me like a spicy marinara-type
pasta sauce. What would be so wrong with starting with some bottled
marinara and thinning it with broth and red wine? Would I be drummed
from the corps? I'm not sure I want to make the marinara sauce from
scratch (I know, it's not a big deal, but I don't feel like it next
time, OK?).

What I really want to do is eat the other half of the hoagy bun that was
the bread at the meal. With butter smeared on it. I won't.

So whaddaya think about my bottled sauce idea?
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> Arizona vacation pics added 3-24-05.
"I read recipes the way I read science fiction: I get to the end and
say,'Well, that's not going to happen.'" - Comedian Rita Rudner,
performance at New York, New York, January 10, 2005.