Journey down any Cuban residential street at mealtime and one distinctive, hunger-inducing aroma lifts you up and carries you to the table: garlic.

This is not a one-clove-in-a-dish kind of place. Got a bulb of garlic? Use it. Please, don’t get me wrong; Cuban cooks know how to incorporate garlic into a recipe so it doesn’t smack you around. They know how to coax garlic into releasing it’s pungent flavor without asaulting the rest of the dish.

Toasting, roasting, sautéing and even frying, bring out garlic’s various nuances. Don’t forget: you want garlic’s flavor, but not the bite… like in this easy-to-prepare garlic shrimp recipe. A splash of vinegar, or lemon, brightens the dish just a bit.

Like visiting Cuba, this is a journey worth taking.

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Cuban Garlic Shrimp
(Camarones al Ajillo Cubanos)

prep: 10 minutes
cook:10 minutes

you’ll need…
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup minced onion
8 garlic cloves, finely minced or pushed through a garlic press
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

let’s get to it…
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the onion and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until softened but not brown.
Lower heat to medium low and add the shrimp. Sauté shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes or until barely pink.
Stir in the vinegar and cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove from heat and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

Camarones al Ajillo at El Templete Restaurant in Havana

Jewel asks: When I was buying shrimp, I saw the word “count.” What does this mean?

“Count” in shrimp lingo means the number of shrimp you’ll get per pound. This is where size really does matter because the smaller the number, the bigger the shrimp. This is why you should always buy shrimp by count not size.

Sometimes you’ll find a “U” in front of the number 10 or 15. This means there are under 10 or 15 shrimp per pound. Buying shrimp by the count is a good idea because what one store sells as “large” could be sold as “jumbo”  in another store.

Count is usually reserved for raw shrimp, head-on or head-off, de-veined or not, and peeled or unpeeled.

But lately I’ve noticed that some places are selling cooked shrimp with a “count.” Don’t forget that shrimp shrinks once it is cooked, so buy bigger if you can afford it!

Use this handy chart for a loose reference so you’ll always know how to buy shrimp by count not size:

And once you get those shrimp home, you’re going to need to peel and devein them. Here’s how I do it:

If you’re having a small New Year’s gathering (or if it’s just the two of you), I’ve got a great suggestion: King Crab Legs with Drawn Butter.

Easy. Elegant. Oh, yes, a bit expensive (which makes it extra special!).

King Crab is sweet and delicious, and unless you live in Alaska or further up north, it’s already cooked (and frozen) when you buy it. All you have to do is thaw, reheat and eat!

There are several ways to prepare King Crab, but I like to steam-reheat them in the oven. For a step-by-step tutorial on how to do it, click here.

Because this is a special night, I like to serve them with drawn butter (also called clarified butter). Drawn butter is butter that has been melted with the milk solids removed. You can also season it with herbs or lemon juice if you like. Drawn butter is also great to drizzle onto steamed vegetables.

Here’s a step-by-step tutorial for How To Make Drawn Butter:

Clarified Butter

prep: 5 minutes
cook: 15 minutes

serves 6, 2 tablespoons each

you’ll need… 

½ pound butter

let’s get to it…

1. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan on low heat.

2. Milk solids (in the form of white foam) will cloud the top: DO NOT STIR.

3. When butter is completely melted and small bubbles  begin to form around the edge, turn off heat. Let stand 3 minutes.

4. With a small ladle or spoon, skim off the milk solids.

5. You’ve made drawn butter! Try not to disturb any milk solids remaining on the bottom of the saucepan when you pour it bowls for dipping the crab.

For more Kitchen How-To and Tips, Check out my Extra Helpings Tab!

Whoo-hoo!! Of all the food holidays, this one is my favorite: National Nacho Day!

What’s wonderful about nachos is that there is no recipe… whatever you’ve got in the pantry or fridge will work. You don’t even need corn chips… I’ve seen nachos made with pita bread and cucumber slices. Heck, I once ate a Japanese Maki called the “Nacho Roll” loaded with jalapenos, sour cream, chorizo and seared tuna. Now that’s inventive.

For basic nachos, all you need to do is top corn chips with shredded cheese and microwave or heat in the oven until nice and melty. If you want a little heat, add fresh or pickled jalapeños or serrano peppers. Cooked ground beef, turkey or chicken will up the protein level. Sour cream, guacamole, chopped cilantro, sautéed onions and diced red or green peppers are excellent on top. It’s all up to you…that’s the beauty of nachos!

I’m going to get fancy, since this is such a special day: Sautéed Shrimp and Brie Nachos. I didn’t use jalapeños because I don’t want to mask the wonderful flavor of the shrimp and creamy Brie cheese. I added a dash of paprika for a little color and a hint of smokiness. You won’t need the oven to melt the cheese because the shrimp will be hot out of the pan.

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