The Cooking Diva Blog: Original Tropical Creations by Chef Melissa De Leon

La Receta del Dia: Camarones al Ajillo (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce, Panamanian Style)

Today's QUESTION: "Why is True Love like STRANSKY Steel Ware? Visit Tasty Design to know the answer!

Now, lets talk garlic:

The use of garlic is just about as old as man himself. And the herb's medicinal properties have been known for about as long. Immigrants in the early part of the past century, and our ancestors from pioneer stock, where quite happy to eat a clove or two of garlic whenever they needed an energy boost or simply to fight off a cold.

If you look through the ancient stories from just about any part of the world, you will find garlic mentioned as a curative and tonic, able to help solve minor medical conditions and a few major ones as well.

Without doubt, garlic helps digestion and elimination. Country after country, story after story all relate to garlic's ability to soothe the stomach and cleanse the system. How else do you explain the same stories cropping up in Spain, in India, in Egypt, in Iceland, everywhere there are written records? These stories did not travel from one geographic region to another. Each was created in the country of origin, and was based on the simple, empirical fact that when you give people garlic they generally get better!

If you are a garlic lover like me, do not miss my previous post and recipe: "The Joy of Garlic: Olive Roasted Head of Garlic". Besides keeping you all healthy, you will keep vampires and mosquitos away. That comes really handy sometimes!

Now, the scrumptious recipe to prepare "Camarones al Ajillo, Panamanian Style!"

Ingredients:

by Chef Melissa - CookingDiva · November 25, 2005 · 06:31 PM
Permalink · Comments (17) · TrackBack (0) · Categories: RECETAS - Cuaresma · RECETAS - Mariscos · RECETAS - Pescados y Mariscos · RECIPES: seafood

Yum! This I have to try.

Comment by: Don Ray • Nov 26, 2005 10:15:48 AM

chica, gracias - sabes que no te he dicho que he visitado Panama, en Bocas del Toro, San Blas y David para dos meses - un besos

Comment by: owukori • Nov 26, 2005 12:38:18 PM

I have a garlic question for you. Do you think that it makes a difference to use garlic that comes pre-peeled in a jar or should you use garlic straight from the cloves?

Comment by: Kelly • Nov 26, 2005 2:07:35 PM

Kelly, if you have an emergency...use whatever you have :) BUT, if you have time, and for better taste I suggest the fresh garlic from the cloves. Peeled in this case. I also prefer the regular sized ones. The giants, or "ajo macho" do not have that much flavor.

Comment by: Melissa • Nov 26, 2005 2:29:26 PM

Hi Melissa!
"Rubbery shrimp is a gastronomical abberation!" LOL! Very true! This sounds so wonderful, and lots of good information about one of my favorite ingredients - garlic! I started reading your other blog and I like it very much - the poems are also great - and BTW - you look so cute with your hair down at the and art exposition!

Comment by: Michelle • Nov 26, 2005 3:02:54 PM

I love garlic! Your shrimp and garlic recipe Panamanian style looks great!

Paz

Comment by: Paz • Nov 26, 2005 10:25:31 PM

You know, my husband has come down with a nasty case of the flu, and I've been trying to stuff as much garlic and chili down him as possible. Quite difficult, but you are right, this stuff is curative.

The shrimp recipe looks quite wonderful, by the way.

and KELLY - dear god, girl (or guy), straight from the clove is the only way to go! It's the difference between eating green beans in a can, and those that have been simmered lovingly upon your stovetop.

Comment by: s'kat • Nov 26, 2005 10:38:22 PM

Thank you to all of you for your visit. I am convinced now I am not the only one who loves this special flower.

OWUKORI: Althou I have not visited San Blas, I know it is a beautiful charming place. Have you seen my photos from my last visit to Bocas del Toro?---Some of them are at my Flickr :)

MICHELLE: glad to learn that your are not a fan of rubbery shrimp :) Oops! you found my picture...

PAZ: Thank you adding me to your blogroll. I'll add yours to mine too!

S'KAT: good for you! Another way to eat the garlic fresh is to chop it real fine, adding also chopped fresh ginger and onion. Drizzle a little olive oil, lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. I eat this with my salad or a bowl of white rice when I see the flu around, or just to keep mosquitos and other flying beast away! :)

Comment by: Melissa • Nov 27, 2005 8:40:13 AM

Hello Melissa, thanks for visiting my blog. I am so excited to have discovered a new friend in food-blogging and in Panama to boot! I'm even happier you post in English because I'm afraid my Spanish is a little rusty. I love garlic and will add it to anything I'm eating, except dessert. I love the picture in this post...hope you're having a relaxing Sunday!

Comment by: Mona • Nov 27, 2005 1:06:24 PM

Being Italian, I know that garlic is wonderful! Whenever I tell my husband I'm going to add a lot to a recipe he gets all excited too and says, "bring it"!

Comment by: Running2Ks • Nov 27, 2005 6:28:27 PM

Melissa, thanks for visiting my site, otherwise I might not have found yours. I'm sure I'll be back often!!!

I love how the blogging world makes instant friends with people from places I've never been to.

The shrimp dish sounds wonderful - using my favorite ingredients. My father used to joke that everything I made had garlic....almost the truth...I haven't ever used it in desserts, but in every other course absolutely!

Comment by: Ruth • Nov 27, 2005 10:00:52 PM

I love garlic and usually have some dish that contains garlic, ginger, or chili peppers. There are countless studies that have been done on all three. They have numerous benefits for our overall health and well-being.

I eat raw garlic daily. Garlic is also also used to eliminate some intestinal parasties. I remember reading about that in various research articles.

Comment by: Vegan Momma • Nov 28, 2005 3:06:46 AM

Hola!!!, gracias por el saludo y el consejo, asi que eres chef...bueno yo también, estoy a cargo de un restorant de comida suiza en Chile.
Estare visitando tu pagina mas seguido.
Cariños

VIVI

Comment by: VIVI • Nov 28, 2005 9:25:55 AM

And you look good in your picture!! Hope you had a good weekend!

Comment by: Michelle • Nov 28, 2005 5:13:37 PM

Hola VIVI! yo si me di cuenta que eras chef cuando hice una busqueda en technorati.com, entonces te visite enseguida. Me encanta que por medio del internet se pueda contactar gente con las mismas aficiones y carreras. Bienvenida entonces, yo de igual manera visitare tu blog con frecuencia :)

Comment by: Melissa • Nov 28, 2005 5:15:46 PM

Hola, Chef Melissa! You never got back to me with the recipe for "pastelitos de carne", but I guess you are very busy. Oh well.
Just to let you know I enjoy your blogs and your recipes ... and Michelle is right: you look cute with your hair down!
Regards,
COL Frank

Comment by: COL Franklin Bright • Sep 26, 2006 8:50:50 AM

Buenas recetas! but I also like the post before mine, I would love to know how to make the pastelitos de carne that you buy at panaderia yeyo on your wat to coronado, they are so gooooood!
;-)

Comment by: Carlos Humberto Lopez • Mar 23, 2008 11:28:36 AM