Month: July 2014

Shrimp Curry Dinner Party

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I prepared dinner on Monday night for a good friend and neighbor who is originally from England. He has been missing the Indian Curries that he grew up with that were prevalent in most English neighborhoods and are so popular in that part of the world. Being the nice neighbor that I am, I offered to cook a Shrimp Curry for him.  It was another hot night here in Cabo but I remembered reading somewhere that eating hot, spicy food in hot weather is good for you. So when my husband suggested that it might be better on a cold, rainy night in London than during a sweltering heat wave in Cabo, I would not be swayed. My neighbor loved it and it was perfectly accompanied with a cool cucumber raita and light salad.

The curry has a lot of ingredients and it is time consuming because of prepping all of the vegetables and the shrimp.  My niece recently wrote me and suggested that I add the time it takes to make a dish including all the prep.  I think this curry would intimidate most people so I am just going to give you the simple Cucumber Raita recipe that works really well during the summer months.  But if anyone would like the curry recipe, let me know and I would be happy to send it to you upon request.

CUCUMBER RAITA

Prep and Assembly time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 medium cucumber (Note:  Can substitute diced fresh pineapple or mango)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • Pinch of Garam Masala* (optional)  – thank you Gwen for bringing it to Cabo for me
  • 2 cups plain, whole-milk yogurt or Greek Yogurt
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh coriander/cilantro or mint leaves, chopped
  • cayenne or sweet paprika to garnish

Preparation

Peel cucumber. Cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips, then into thin slices crosswise or grate with a box grater. Blot off moisture with paper towels and squeeze out as much juice as you can. Toast cumin seeds for a few seconds in a small, heavy frying pan over high heat. In a bowl, stir yogurt until it is smooth. Mix it with the cumin seeds, garlic and coriander/cilantro or mint leaves. Combine mixture with cucumber slivers, sprinkle with cayenne or paprika, and chill before serving.

* Garam Masala (a mixture of spices) is a blend of ground spices common in North Indian and other South Asian cuisines.

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My idea for starting this blog was “all things” Los Cabos.  My dinner guest, Tom Cosgrave, is a really hardworking and friendly photographer providing photographic and video services for real estate and rental properties. He also provides free marketing, video and photographic services to Liga MAC and The Los Cabos Youth Orchestra. Through his use of video marketing, he has brought innovation, a British, quirky sense of humor and bar setting standards to the Los Cabos property scene. Tom lives in Cabo Real with his two rescue dogs and he is a passionate supporter of animal welfare and Dementia / Alzheimer support groups.  Tom provides stunning photos to realtors, rental agents and homeowners.

As a good neighbor and friend, I can personally state that his hobbies include getting injured when running and watching his football team in London lose most weeks.  On a more serious note, I can personally recommend Tom for any of your real estate or rental needs.  See a few of his photos below and contact details:

Blog: http://thecabochannel.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/videobythecabochannel

E-mail:  info@thecabochannel.com

DSC_6168 (Copy) TC Photo 1 TC Photo 2

 

 

Contact me at email:    akiba@bajabeat.com

Blog:                                      bajabeat.com

 

Simple Thai Soup

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After watching Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers on BBC, I had a change of plans for my “small dish” which I was preparing for my friends visiting from Mexico City.  I had most of the ingredients on hand and was able to substitute a few things.  This soup can be made with prawns, chicken, fish or tofu.  I had fish in the freezer so I used that.  I did not have cilantro but I had fresh basil. I am growing lemongrass on my patio and had fresh ginger on hand.  But the real stroke of luck was the frozen shrimp stock in my freezer.

1 good knob fresh ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped

1-2 chilis, seeds removed (optional), roughly chopped

1-2 stalks lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, roughly chopped

2-3 garlic cloves peeled

zest of two limes

1 handful of fresh cilantro/coriander or basil

Glug or two of vegetable oil

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 cups of vegetable stock (I used shrimp stock that was in my freezer)

Chopped:    1 tomato , 1/2 red pepper and a few mushrooms

1 can coconut milk

1/2 lb raw peeled prawns.

Few splashes of fish sauce

Juice of one lime

Fresh mint for garnish

Blend the ginger, chili, lemongrass, garlic and coriander or basil in food processor until quite finely chopped, adding a little vegetable oil if the paste is too dry.  Add the paste to a large shallow pan and cook for a few minutes to release the aromas, stirring frequently.  Add the turmeric and the coriander and then the stock.  Bring up to a simmer and add the tomatoes, red pepper and mushrooms.

To soften the heat of the sauce, add the coconut milk and bring back to a simmer.  Simmer for about 15 minutes then add the prawns (chicken, fish or tofu).  The prawns only take 2-3 minutes or until pink and tender.  Finish with lime juice, splash of fish sauce and garnish with fresh mint.

 

 

 

Voila Bistro

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It was a very warm spring and summer has been hot in Los Cabos.  We are entering the two hottest months – August and September.  Because our weather is temperate for most of the year and rarely rains, most of the restaurants offer outdoor dining.  We had an unexpected fierce storm that blew in early Thursday morning that unfortunately did some damage but on the positive side, the temperature cooled down just in time for dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in San Jose’ del Cabo’s Art District –  Voila Bistro!  Chef Roberto Valle was able to join me, my husband, Fay, along with two friends.  It was a quiet evening at the restaurant so we were fortunate to spend time with Roberto discussing his fascinating education at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris where he received his Gran Diplome in 2001.  That was a real treat for all of us – what foodie would not love to have studied at Le Cordon Bleu?  Then we were able to learn more about how his career unfolded and how he came to be the Executive Chef and Owner of Voila where he artfully blends Mexican cuisine using French and Asian twists.

Because the purpose of my blog is not to do restaurant reviews but to write about new and exciting dishes, Roberto had a special “Catch of the Day with Oyster Sauce Glaze” last night that I hope becomes a permanent fixture on his menu:

Grilled Parrot Fish marinated in a homemade sriracha sauce, wrapped in seaweed, with an oyster sauce glaze.  The fish was served alongside Mediterranean cracked barley and seasonal vegetables.

On a different subject, we have friends in town from Mexico City and they are coming for a visit this evening.  They suggested we keep it simple and just have bread, prosciutto, wine (oops – also Tequila) and cheese.  Of course – because I can’t help myself – this calls for me to do some kind of an appetizer or light dish.  I find that these “small dishes” are the most difficult.  I have a few in my repertoire that are my “go to” dishes:

Lentil and Walnut Pate’

Yogurt Cheese with Pesto

Walnut and Pear Crostini with Gorgonzola

 

Tomorrow I will let you know what I decided to serve tonight and give you the recipe.

 

 

Buen Provecho, Akiba

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