If life hands you limes, make cebiche! Peru-Part One

Yes, cebiche is spelled correctly...at least if you are in Peru. I had to ask my Spanish speaking husband if there was a typo on the menu of our cliff side cevicheria in Lima, Peru. We say ceviche, they say cebiche, either way, it's so darn fresh.

As we sat on the third floor of a ceviche cafe with a birds eye view of the Pacific, if the ceviche was going to be half as amazing as this panoramic view of Lima's jagged coast, my palate would be happy as a clam!

In this photo of the local scallops, you'll see they still have the rich roe still attached...yum. Nothing is wasted in Peru. In the markets and cafes, organ meats, tongues and other odd parts are all marinated, grilled and consumed. I know for our Western palates, this may seem unsavory, but once you try it...it is sinfully delicious. My favorite treat was the Beef Heart Skewers, or Anticuchos. As you walk by these street-side carts, the smell of wood fired skewers lures you to try just a bite. Then another bite, and then another bite.

Peruvian Cebiche Mixta

1/2 pound sea bass or corvina, cut on the bias, 1/2 inch chop

1/2 pound fresh sea scallops, chopped

1/2 pound small raw shrimp

1 quart water,

1 sweet red onion, sliced very thin

1 aji amarillo, rib and seeds removed (jalapeno can be used)

1 clove garlic

Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

Rinse fish in cold water and drain thoroughly. Place chopped fish in a ceramic or glass bowl. Soak onions in a quart of water for about an hour to take the bite off their taste. After an hour, rinse and drain the onions thoroughly.

Smash aji, garlic, and pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle and make a paste. Place paste in with fish, lime pepper, and cilantro. Let marinate for 10 minutes. Served with shaved onions on top. Enjoy!

GAMBAS AL AJILLO-Shrimp kissed with Garlic love!

Sometimes simplicity says it all. Garlic, shrimp and sherry. The Spanish know how to treat shrimp right. The key is buying the right shrimp. Lucky for me, I live on the Gulf Coast and the large pink shrimp are sweeter than pie! This is a great appetizer served with warm crusty bread. Enjoy!

GAMBAS AL AJILLO

· 1 lb fresh gulf pink shrimp, 25 count to a pound
· 4 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
· 1 tsp sweet Spanish paprika
· 1 tsp red pepper flakes
· 2-3 oz dry Spanish Sherry
· 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
· 3 tsp chopped fresh parsley
· 1 lemon for juice
· 1 Baguette
.
Serves 4 as an appetizer
The shrimp can be peeled first, before cooking them if you prefer. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan and sauté garlic and red pepper flakes for about one minute. Lightly brown the garlic, very slowly.

Add shrimp and turn heat to high. Add lemon juice, sherry or cognac and paprika. Stir well, then sauté, stirring briskly until the shrimp turn pink and curl – about 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and transfer shrimp with oil and sauce to a warm plate or serve right from the pan. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with parsley.

Singapore Sling! The Great Changi Escape

On an eight hour layover in Changi International Airport in Singapore, we took quick showers in the Airport spa and slinged over to the local outdoor market to grab some authentic Singapore grub. On our escape, we sampled bits and pieces of classic street food, but our favorite were the shrimp and pork dumplings. I made a close version for a party and everyone raved! If they only knew how easy they were! I served them with a Plum BBQ sauce and Sweet Thai Chili sauce.

SHRIMP DUMPLING
Makes 16 to 20 Dumplings

1 cup raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped finely
1/2 cup ground pork
1 tablespoon soy sauce
7 water chestnuts minced finely
2 scallions minced
2 teaspoons dry white wine
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg white beaten
24 round gyoza or wonton wrappers.

Mix all ingredients in small bowl or in food processor. Spray steamer with cooking spray or line with parchment slit with holes or a banana leaf. Bring water to a medium-low heat and simmer. Stuff each dumpling with about a tablespoon of ingredients. Fold over the wonton wrapper to form a triangle. Arrange dumplings about ½ and inch apart so steam can circulate around the dumplings. Turn heat up to high and cover. Steam dumpling until they are cooked, about six minutes.