Buen Provecho!

There is a young chef, here in Puerto Rico, known as Giovanna Huyke, who is the embodiment of our nouvelle cuisine. Unfortunately, Mrs. Huyke has not received her share of fair recognition. Probably, the reason is that her recipes are too avant-garde for some people's traditional taste. Another reason is that in my opinion she is not sufficiently committed to her career.

To sacrifice is the name of the game. Anyway, I think she is an inspired chef, and I love her recipes. I will like to share some of them, adapted to my taste and experience.
BUEN PROVECHO!

SHRIMPS WITH MOJITO

Ingredients:
24 jumbo shrimps
4 TB. Butter
2 sliced garlic cloves
2 TB white wine or white rum
1/2 cup MOJITO (recipe follows)
1 1/2 cups cream

Procedure:
Sauté the shrimps in the butter in a skillet. Add the garlic and the white wine. Add the Mojito and thoroughly mix. Add the cream and move well. Leave it at a medium temperature for a few minutes until it thickens. Serve with pasta or with white rice. A Salad proceeds.

MOJITO
The Mojito is not cooked and is somewhat similar to the Mexican Salsa.

1 red pimiento
8 garlic cloves
1 TB small capers drained
1 tsp. ground oregano
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 tsp. salt
2 TB olive oil
1/4 cup cilantrillo
Pinch of sugar

Process all the ingredients and refrigerate in a glass container. The mojito is an excellent dip with tostones, with yuca or corn chips, with arañitas or with sorullitos. It also serves as base for your sauces, like in the above recipe. Can also double as Sofrito.

VEAL MIMOSA
The Mimosa is a name for a champagne orange drink.

2 lbs. veal cut as for stew, marinated and seasoned with crushed garlic, pinch of ground pepper, pinch of salt, olive oil, and chopped cilantrillo.
Flour
2 TB butter
2 TB olive oil
2 sliced shallots
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup beef broth
3/4 cup cream
Cilantrillo chopped
1/2 cup champagne.

Flour the veal. Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet. Sauté the meat until golden. Reserve in a heated dish. In the same skillet, Sauté the onion, shallots and garlic until brilliant in color. Add the orange juice and broth and reduce until almost disappearing. Add the champagne and reduce until it thickens. Add the cream and the veal. Cook until it begins to thicken again. Add the chopped cilantrillo. Serve over white rice or with pasta or mashed potatoes. The sauce is great. You can use breasts of chicken sliced as substitution for the veal.

EGGPLANT SOUFFLE

1 1/2 lbs eggplant cut in cubes
3 oz Parmesan Cheese
2 tb Olive Oil
1 copped tomato
1 chopped onion
4 eggs
2 tb flour
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Sauté the onion, tomato and the eggplant in the olive oil. Let it refresh. In a mixing bowl, mix the eggplant mixture with the eggs, parmesan cheese, flour and salt and pepper. Add to a previously greased souffle pan and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until it solidifies. Serve with garlic shrimps, grilled lobster or baked salmon steak.

CORN ICE CREAM

6 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups cream
3/4 cup corn flour (the yellow one)
4 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar

In a bowl, mix together with a wooden spoon the egg yolks and the sugar. Heat the milk, add the cream, add the milk mixture to the egg mixture, gradually beating with the same spoon. Heat the mixture at medium heat. Cook, moving constantly until it thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour. Return to the stove and add the cream. Cook, stirring it, until it thickens. Remove from the heat and refresh. Beat the egg whites until stiff and mix with second 1/4 cup sugar and the corn flour mixture. Freeze in the Ice Cream Machine according to directions.