For today, I am receiving some friends from Washington DC, who are visiting their mother in Ponce. I had not seen them for at least 30 years, but I keep in touch daily with e-mail conversations. I am a little bit excited because one of them was my boyfriend and dance pardner when we were in high school. Now he is happliy married, a lawyer who is retired from the USA Diplomatic Corps, and is back in Washington as a private counsel for a big corporation.

I decided to prepare a simple meal because I want to have the pleasure to enjoy fully the company of this couple. I am inviting also a few friends from PR in order to complete the group.
Here is the meal. Buen Provecho!

MARINATED SHRIMP
(12 servings)

2 lbs. jumbo shrimps, cooked, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
salt to taste
ground pepper to taste
1 bottle of Mexican Mango Salsa (sold at Costco)
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup or to taste Extra Virgin Olive oil

In large glass bowl with cover mix all the ingredients. Toss well, cover and chill overnight. Discard the bay leaves and serve over lettuce leaves in individual platters as an Entrante.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH MUSTARD CREAM SAUCE
Serves 4

4 tb butter
2 tb all purpose flour
1 cup milk scalded
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup Dijon Moutarde
1 tb. Coarse-grain mustard
3 lbs trimmed pork tenderloin, cut in 2 inch filets
5 tb olive oil
2 red bell peppers, cleaned an cut into strips
1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
Salt and ground pepper to taste
2 tb drained green peppercorns
1/4 cup chickenstock
Watercress sprigs
minced fresh parsley

Melt 2 tb butter in sauce pan at Low Heat. Add flour and stir. Add milk and stir. Add wine. Remove from heat and add the 2 mustards and remaining butter. Mix well. Place the pork cut side down on work surface. Flatten the meat. Heat in tb oil in a skillet. Add peppers and artichoke hearts. Transfer to platter. Heat 2 tb oil in same skillet at High heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Add to skillet in batches and fry until just cooked through (depending on taste). You can add more oil if necessary. Reheat the sauce at Low heat in the MWave oven. Add the green pepppercorns to the sauce. Thin the sauce to the desired consistency with the stock. Divide the pork among plates. Top with the vegetables. Ladle sauce over it. Garnish with watercress and parsley. Serve.

To accompany the pork I will serve perfect white rice and a tomato, Mozzarella and basil salad (Ensalata Caprese).

For dessert some Gelato that I buy at the Gourmet store.

Buen provecho!