K so I have decided to try to cook my own shrimp and try it. I dont really like it but my distaste has nothing to do with the taste its the texture. It seriously reminds me of chewing on erasers. So I want an easy no muss basic recipe for shrimp. Could anyone help?

Ewww, if shrimp is cooked too long it gets rubbery.  If you boil it, use a softer boil and remove the shrimp immediately after they turn color.  If you stir fry, same thing - don't overcook it.   So are you looking for a stir fry recipe, a recipe for cold shrimp as in a salad, shrimp alfredo, cajun shrimp......? 

This was posted earlier in the forum and I thought it sounded good:  http://www.paperbackswap.com/forum/view_topic.php?t=72021

I dont really care how they are cooked I just want the basic easy most often used shrimp recipe. As long as I can do it myself and make sure they arent over cooked so that I can see if I really dont like shrimp or all the places Ive eaten it at over cook it.

Well, if the shrimp isn't cooked immediately the texture changes, too.  So buy the shrimp as fresh as you can (though I often use frozen, to be honest) and make sure you remove it immediately after it changes color.  I also got one of those plastic thingies that allow you to clean the shrimp very easily to get that dark stuff out.

Here's a recipe from the California Culinary Academy:

Shrimp in Beer

2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 to 3 cups beer

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup whipping cream

salt & freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons minced parsley

Place cleaned shrimp in saucepan and just cover with beer.  Add bay leaf and bring to a simmer.  Cook for 4 to 7 minutes or until shrimp turns pink. Remove shrimp from pan.

Over high heat reduce beer until 1 cup liquid remains. In another saucepan melt butter, add flour, and whisk to make a paste. Add beer. Cook and whisk until thick.

Add cream. Heat and season with salt, black pepper and cayenne. Add parsley and return shrimp to sauce.  Reheat gently.

6-8 servings, who knows how many fat, calories and cholesterol?  :)

Oh, and Chris - see if you can get Tiger shrimp. They taste a lot better, IMHO.  They are a little more pricey but worth the difference in cost (it's not that great).

 I never order shrimp in restaurants any more because every place overcooks it, and that makes it chewy. Honestly, shrimp (unless thery are real monsters) never needs to be cooked more than two minutes; some say one minute is plenty.

Most people I know put them in boiling water, let them sit for one minute, and then drain. Chill and eat with your choice of dipping sauce..

I like to saute them in butter and lots of Old Bay seasoning . It's rich--but hey, it's the holidays! (It's also spicy). Keep shells on and peel with fingers, it's messy but helps keep the meat moist and tender.

But when/if you are doing stir-fries or gumbo, shrimp should never be added until the very last minute, or they will overcook.