My husband has a distinct memory from his childhood and that is of the rotisserie turning on the barbecue every Sunday afternoon.  Of course in those days it was over live briquettes which we still use up at the cottage for beach barbecues. My husband and I are not major consumers.  We had been married five years before we purchased a gas lawn mower or a brand new vacuum.  Well, we’ve just marked our 25th last fall and my husband has finally gotten his rotisserie!

Last Sunday we invited the kids over for backyard cocktails and supper on the deck. Now that we only have one living with us at home, we try to assemble for at least one meal together every week. 

My husband put a couple of chickens on the spit and then grilled portobello mushrooms.  I sauteed spinach in bacon, onion and almonds and then tossed new baby potatoes in sour cream and fresh dill. 

We also enjoyed a crisp Chenin Blanc that Daughter #3 brought back from Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Kath’s quote: “Wine is sunlight, held together by water.”-Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

The first time I ever tasted Ceviche (raw fish “cooked” in line juice) I was with Sister #3 at a restaurant called El Rico Maya in Cozumel in the late 1980s!  When the three sisters first travelled to Mexico together in 2005, we tricked Sister #2 into trying Ceviche Mixto by telling her that the cylindrical fish (octopus) were scallops.  She bravely had a taste.

Tonight we are all assembling to celebrate the birthday of a dear friend who also happens to be our son’s Father-in-law.  The theme is Mexican and since it is spring, all of the ingredients are plentiful and well priced on the prairies.

This is the recipe that I have adapted over the years-modifying it to partially cook the shrimp before I take it to a party where it sits out all evening.

1 lb. medium shelled shrimp (optional: before shelling, steam until shell JUST start to turn pink, then remove from heat and rinse in very cold water)

freshly squeezed juice from 2 large limes

salt and pepper to taste

1 small white onion, chopped

3 roma tomatoes, finely chopped

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, loosely chopped

1/2 t chili flakes

1 T ev olive oil (optional)

In a glass bowl, toss together shrimp and lime juice.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (This is particularly NB if using unsteamed shrimp as this is time is required for the shrimp to “cook”).  When shrimp are opaque, add all of the other ingredients and toss.

Here’s a photo of the dish being prepared by my man-servant-jk.  I took this of the Chef at Tibouran on Isla Mujeres when we requested an order to go for “happy hour” on our hotel balcony.

Kath’s quote: “Life is like an onion: You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.”-Carl Sandburg

Note to Son #1 and his Exquisite Wife:  Thank you for suporting me by reading, clicking, searching and buzzing me.  But especially for your attention to detail and advice.  Most of all, I hope you know how much it means to Dad and I that you will drop everything to buy some beer, cook up some smokies and just BE with us as we celebrate life and laughs and lives that have sadly ended. 

As Sister #3 indicated in an earlier post: “While the traditional regional cuisine on Isla Mujeres is amazing, there is also a huge variety of fare available because people from around the world have discovered this little Island and now call it home.

The owners of Asia Caribe are California natives who also have a house in Maine.

Their sticky ribs, cashew chicken & stir fried veggies were all great. Dessert of Kahlua -Chocolate mousse and coconut cheesecake top off a delicious evening.

You can even find Jamaican B.B.- Q. on Monday nights at a place called Mango Café in the Colonias.” Kath interjects here: “This dinner included two cocktails called ‘Dark & Stormies’ which were a refreshing start. There was this huge platter of food and I seem to recall a homemade vanilla bean ice cream for dessert as well-and all for 160 pesos! I especially enjoyed the sauteed plaintain and carrots steamed in coconut . We had to walk half way home to wear off our dinner AND I took one of the chicken breasts home and had it for lunch the next day! This is how affordable delectable dining is on Isla.

We considered ourselves very fortunate to get the last table in the restaurant-well not really “in” the restaurant-we sat out on the sidewalk and enjoyed every minute.  From here we could watch the line up of people assembling for the next available tables. A wonderful girl from GB took care of us and we had a perfect evening.

Kath’s quote: “Grilling is like sunbathing. Everyone knows it is bad for you but no one ever stops doing it.”-Laurie Colwin

I know I should not talk about gastro-infections on a food blog, but by now you likely know that I am pretty transparent, so here here goes.  My daughter has just arrived home from South Africa with a group of fellow students from Outtatown, CMU.  They came via Heathrow and left just hours ahead of the airport closures due to the volcano eruption in Iceland.  They missed their connection and had to wait for a later flight.  They had finally boarded the plane for Winnipeg when all of a sudden, fire trucks arrived on the runway and paramedics with face masks, boarded the aircraft.  When the paramedics asked if anyone had any intestinal illness in the past 24 hours, over half of my daughter’s group put up their hands.  Needless to say, they were detained overnight in Toronto.

It is now five days later and her 34 fellow travellers have dispersed to their various homes across Canada.  One such “special” departure was just this morning, when her new boyfriend flew home.  But true to daughter #2’s nature, she made the best of the day, assembling a couple of remaining group members and cooking up a storm.

They were all assigned jobs and then lit the candles and sat down to their shared efforts.  About this time my husband arrived home from playing tennis, he pulled out a batch of leftovers and he and his tennis partner joined the girls in the dining room.

There is nothing that makes me happier than a kitchen and dining room full of people who cherish life and love celebrating life with food.  I am so very glad that I have past this love down to my kids.

Kath’s quote: “To invite someone is to take charge of his happiness during the time he spends under your roof.”   Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin