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Light your charcoal, keeping grill at a medium distance from the fire, about 5 inches. Next to the stove place salt, pepper, the remaining olive oil, and a pastry brush for basting.

When the fire is ready, brush the underside of shrimp with oil and place them on the grill, leaving as much marinade on them as clings naturally. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the upper side and baste with oil. Let the shrimp cook until they brown slightly, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on your stove. Then turn over with a pair of tongs, season again, and baste with oil. Cook another 5 to 10 minutes.

To serve: Place shrimp on warmed platter. Garnish with lemon wedges and sprigs of parsley or dill. For a simple meal, serve with Rice with Peas and a green salad. At a more elaborate dinner, serve with meat and chicken dishes.

Barbecued swordfish

SERVES 4–6

I barbecue swordfish very much the way I do shrimp, and it tastes delicious. The marinade is almost the same as for shrimp, except for the addition of a teaspoon of ground turmeric. It is, of course, best to use fresh swordfish.

2 slices of swordfish, 1 inch thick (about 3 pounds offish)

½ cup olive oil (or vegetable oil)

⅓ cup lemon juice

1 medium-sized onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 whole head of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

A piece of fresh ginger, about 1 inch square, peeled and coarsely chopped

1–3 fresh hot green chilies (if desired), sliced, or ¼–1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if desired)

Salt

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Freshly ground pepper

GARNISH

2 lemons cut into wedges

2 sprigs parsley

Cut off the fat and skin along the length of the swordfish slices. Cut each slice into 3 pieces.

In the container of an electric blender, place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, ⅓ cup lemon juice, and the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, green chilies or cayenne, 1½ teaspoons salt, turmeric, and ½ teaspoon pepper, and blend at high speed until you have a smooth paste (20 seconds).

(Note: If you are unsure of your ability to gauge how “hot” it will turn out to be, first blend in half a green chili, then the other half, then a whole, and so on. Taste a drop each time. Remember, though, that once the mixture is spread over the swordfish, it will taste only about half as hot.)

Place the marinade in a nonmetallic bowl. Wash and pat dry the pieces of fish and place in marinade. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Longer won’t hurt.)

Heat the charcoal, keeping grill about 4 or 5 inches from fire. Next to stove place salt, pepper, the remaining olive oil, and a pastry brush for basting.

When the fire is ready, brush the swordfish slices with oil and place on grill. Sprinkle the top with a little salt and pepper. Baste with oil. Let it broil until one side gets little brown patches (about 10 to 12 minutes). Turn over with a spatula and broil on the other side. Sprinkle top with salt and pepper. Baste again with oil. Cook another 10 minutes or until this side is also lightly browned. Remove.

To serve: Place on warmed platter and garnish with lemon wedges and parsley. Serve with Rice with Spinach, Carrots and Peas with Ginger and Chinese Parsley, and Tomato and Cucumber with Lemon Juice. You could also serve it very simply with boiled parslied potatoes and a green salad.

Green beans with onion paste

Green beans with ginger

Green beans with mustard

Cabbage with onions

Cabbage leaves stuffed with potatoes

Carrots and peas with ginger and Chinese parsley

Cauliflower with ginger and Chinese parsley

Cauliflower with onion and tomato

Fried eggplants with sour green chutney

Fried eggplants

Fried eggplants with tomato chutney

Eggplant bharta (smoked eggplant)

Mushrooms with cumin and asafetida

Crisp fried okra

Okra with onions

Stuffed whole okra

Whole pea pods with cumin

Fresh peas with ginger and Chinese parsley

Sookhe aloo (“dry” potatoes)

Pyazwale sookhe aloo (“dry” potatoes with onions)

Potatoes with asafetida and cumin

New potatoes cooked in their jackets

Maya’s potatoes

Maya’s potatoes with