Submitted (and named) by Ann Cueva
For The Voice
Shrimp Soup
I am so hungry for authentic Mexican food, I am aching. It just does not exist in North Carolina.
I love all the places in town including the taco trucks. Right down the road from me, in Heyburn, is the Aguila Con El Taco. I love it. I arrive at the door and usually when the waitress takes my order, I practice my gringo Spanish on her which sets her into wales of giggles, as she asks “How come you no speak Espanol with a name like Cueva?”
I married in; my Spanish expertise is a stretch at best and mostly credited to my beloved teacher, Mr. Lee Walton, now deceased, who taught me two semesters of Spanish in high school and my bilingual friends who have diligently tried, without success, to make me bilingual, too. I can still conjugate a Spanish verb even though I might not know what it means.
Comprende?
One of my favorite items on the menu is their shrimp cocktail,l which is served only on the weekend.
For six solid weekends I went go to Aguila Con El Taco, ordered the shrimp cocktail, savored every sip (It is more like a cold soup), and tried to figure out what was in it. I have come pretty close to replicating this.
One of my relatives, who is still speaking to me, Jan Huizinga, thinks mine is even better.
I’m not so sure about that, so if you don’t want to trouble yourselves with the project, just go to the restaurant. I would give anything to have my friend, Yolanda, show up at the door with her tamales or beef and onion enchiladas.
Eve Mascorro who makes the best carne asada I have ever tasted, and believes it is bad luck to take money for food, gifts me a meal of that with beans and rice and I am in heaven for at least two full days.
Know that I miss you all—even the dude in the taco truck and the guy at the curb by the old South Idaho Press building.
Ann’s Stolen Cold Shrimp Soup
1-2 pounds of salad shrimp
1 16 oz. jar of salsa (mild, medium, or hot—(some like it hot, some like it cold) I like the Herdez casera
medium
1 bunch of cilantro, leases only, sliced very thin
2 little cans of sliced black olives
2 avocadoes, cut into small chunks
1 bunch thinly sliced green onions
1 bottle of Clamato juice (adjust for consistency—(some like it thick, some like it thin)
3 limes
2 lemons
Salt to taste
Mix shrimp, salsa, Clamato juice, olives, avocado, cilantro, and onions in large bowl. Juice the citrus and balance to taste with the salt. May add hot sauce if you don’t have enough heat.
Chill several hours and serve cold in crystal tumblers; or if you are partying outside, use plastic tumblers.
This is a great light starter for any meal or just right for a cocktail party. This does not keep well so don’t plan on using it the next day.
