Day 9: Ocean Dream

I can't squeeze a lime without thinking of it. The ocean, the beach, the dome of sky which is thick with water and wind and whips at your cheeks saying "wake up, you are alive, WAKE UP" The dome covers the earth like a lid for a great big chafing dish, revealing cracks of light when the child of the universe peeks in to see what is being served. Smears of green and red seaweed litter the shoreline like herbs. The little children perch like frogs and stick out their fingers to poke at it.

I close my eyes and bring a section of lime to my lips. The sour juice delivers more memories. I am drinking in the wind on my father's boat. I can feel my jacket flapping like a sail. My eyes are full of shade, his sunglasses are heavy on my nose. He smiles at me and asks me if I want to drive. The boat slams against the waves, jolting my small arms as I clutch the smooth metal wheel. A bird soars overhead, screeching, screeching, "meow, meoooooow, meoooooowrrrr"

Charlie looks up at me from his dish, he wants to be fed. The other two cats have been creeping in toward the shrimp bowl. "Get down" I say, and squirt the water bottle at them. Neither one minds getting wet. It is like a game for them, which totally defeats the purpose of trying to train them with a water bottle.

I feel dazed from my the memories, and try to capture more of them, like holding on to the end of a dream. I steep my senses in the garlic. I hover my nose above the coconut. Lemon pepper is standing on a kitchen stool in my nightgown stirring scrambled eggs. Rice noodles, my first restaurant. Chilis, a moment at boarding school. Coconut, my college apartment.

The handle turns and brings a burst of animation into the room. A light cracks open the dome, and a child of the universe curiously enters.

"What's for dinner?" she asks.

Chili, lime, and coconut shrimp

1/2 lb peeled raw shrimp, medium to large size

3 New Mexico chilis, dried

4 large cloves garlic

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 organic lime (you will be using the rind as well as the juice, so you want to go for the organic!)

salt and cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp salted butter

1/2 package "Thai stir fry rice noodles" or rice linguini

1/2 can coconut milk, shaken before opened

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 carrots

1 bunch watercress

1 onion

lemon pepper (salt free, we like penzeys)

If you are using frozen raw shrimp, thaw them out in cold water and drain. In a saucepan, heat 2 cups of water and add the dried chilis (first cut off the stems and empty out the seeds by shaking the pods). Simmer the chilis until soft (about 5 min) and drain the water. Transfer them into a mini food processor and blend with 2 Tbsp hot water and 2 cloves of the garlic. Add the sugar and juice from 3/4 of the lime. Season with salt and cayenne pepper (to taste). Marinate the shrimp in this sauce, while you prepare the noodles.

In a saucepan boil some water (about 6 cups). Remove from the heat, add the rice noodles and let sit, submerged, for about 10 min. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water and set aside. In a large frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and about 1/4 tsp salt. Add the onion, diced into large pieces, and the carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds. Add the remaining 2 cloves of garlic, minced. Remove from the heat and cover for about 5 min (so that the carrots steam a little). Replace the pan on the hot burner, and add the noodles and coconut milk. Cook for about 5 min, then add the watercress. Remove from heat and squeeze the remaining lime onto the noodles. Add some cayenne, salt, and lemon pepper to taste. Add some lime zest.

In a separate frying pan, heat the butter. Add the shrimp and chili sauce and cook for about 4 min, until cooked through. Top the noodles with the shrimp. Enjoy!

Christina's vote: "This dinner made me want to search for mermaids"