Guest Author - Susan Stewart

Michelada
for one

Salt
1 lime
6 oz. beer
2-3 drops of habanero sauce or Worcestershire sauce
Ice
Rub the cut lime over the rim of a tall glass and dip it into the salt. Squeeze the lime into the glass, add ice, drops of sauce, and slowly top with beer.

Chelada
for one

Salt
1 lime
6 oz. beer
Ice
As above, except eliminate the habanero or Worcestershire sauce.

Ceviche
for 8-10 people

1 pound assorted seafood, e.g., fish fillets, small shrimp, chivitas(Mexican snails), octopus, conch, etc.
Juice of 6 limes
8 oz. Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
4 serrano chilies in vinegar, drained, and minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoons chopped cilantro
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
thin slices of red onion
thin slices of avocado

Cut the fish into bite-size pieces, peel the shrimp, clean all of the seafood. Place in a glass bowl and pour over the lime juice. Mix gently. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, occasionally stirring gently to ensure that all the seafood is well marinated. Add the tomatoes, chilies, oil, vinegar, cilantro, salt, and pepper to taste and stir gently.
Garnish with red onion and avocado slices. Additional small bowls of chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and salsa allow diners to season the ceviche to their taste. May be served with tortilla chips, or on beds of lettuce, or in tomato or avocado halves. As an appetizer, can also be served with toothpicks.

Seafood Cocktail
for 6
This is traditionally served in ice-cream sundae glasses. Serve tortilla chips on the side

1 cup tomato juice
1 cup seafood stock
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon habanero or Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into small chunks
1 lb. assorted cooked seafood, i.e, cubes of firm, white fish fillets, shrimp, crab, octopus, etc.

Stir together the tomato juice, seafood stock, ketchup, lime juice, hot sauce, salt, onion, and cilantro in a large glass bowl, then gently stir in the cooked seafood. Refrigerate and serve very cold. May also be served on beds of lettuce.