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

Homebrew-hope you don't mind that I snagged this photo from an 07 Isla Story

Kath’s quote: “A cook she certainly was, in the very bone and centre of her soul. Not a chicken or turkey or duck in the barn-yard but looked grave when they saw her approaching, and seemed evidently to be reflecting on their latter end; and certain it was that she was always meditating on trussing, stuffing and roasting, to a degree that was calculated to inspire terror in any reflecting fowl living.”-Harriet Beecher in ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Almond Crusted Fish at Cockteleria Justica Social

 Coconut Shrimp

Ingredients

Coconut shrimp at Miramar

Method

Rinse shrimp under cold running water, blot dry with paper towel. I like to ensure that the slit down the back of the shrimp is nice and deep to add to the butterfly for this dish. Pour some coconut into a pie plate. Whisk together flour, beer, baking soda, salt and egg and mix until smooth. Heat oil in a deep heavy pot until it register 350ºF. While oil is heating, hold each shrimp by the tail and dip into batter, letting the excess drip off. Dredge in coconut, I like to press the shrimp cut side down into the coconut to increase the butterfly. Transfer to a plate and repeat for each shrimp. You will need to discard your coconut as it becomes clumped with excess egg and start with fresh coconut. I always seem to need more coconut than I expected to use. Place batches of the shrimp into the hot oil and fry until golden. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and place on paper towel to remove excess oil.

Serves more than you can possibly eat but if you’re going to the trouble to make them why not make lots.”

Kath’s quote: “Do not overcook this dish. Most seafoods…should be simply threatened with heat and then celebrated with joy.” –Jeff Smith (The Frugal Gourmet)

He is famous for his chuleta Puerco which are two rib thick porkchops grilled to perfection on his B.B.-Q  but my favourite dish is the plato Mexicano.

Sister #1 Interjections: One night when I arrived solo on Isla, Sis #3 had assembled this gang to meet me at the ferry.  I had a migraine but was so excited to see everybody that I wasn’t thinking straight (or walking straight for that matter).  I was passing off my knapsack and accepting a marguerita from an outstretched arm when OOPS my  foot slipped between the wooden dock and a concrete wall and got wedged in there.  But Fredy’s pork chops were calling me so I still made it out to dinner.  Fredy knows how to prepare them perfectly, which is to say, still pink in the middle.  I always have enough left over for a beach sandwich the next day.

Fredy's

We often have our first Isla dinner at Fredy’s and then our last, so I have also had the chance to taste many of his shrimp dishes, my favourite being shrimp baked in garlic and butter and accompanied with cilantro and cheese.  Other fans claim his Garlic Grouper and Lobster are best on the island.

Fredy’s is a bit further north on Hidalgo than most other choices.  Fredy’s hospitality and expert cooking makes the extra steps worth taking.  In fact in 2009 when there was construction on Hidalgo, we had to climb over bricks and a barricade and it was still worth it.

Kath’s quote: “There is poetry in a pork chop to a hungry (wo)man.”-Philip Gibbs