STRAWBERRY SHRIMP

*NOTE*
Yes, I know this photo looks like the shiny resin recreation of menu items that Chinese restaurants love to display in their windows. But it's not dusty plastic. It was just quickly photographed in bad light while a hungry guy sat at the table and waited patiently for his food to finish its close-up.

There once was a strange little Chinese restaurant in West Hollywood. I say that it was strange because it sat on its little corner lot for many years...

...and nobody ever ate there.

Now West Hollywood isn't exactly known for its cheap rent. The little eatery sat there with its lights glowing, doors open wide, and tables set and awaiting hungry diners. But you never saw anyone eating there. In the space next door, several restaurants came and went in a few years time. They boasted valet parking, inventive decor, and decent menus. These are all the things that folks in West Hollywood look for in a restaurant (in just that order). But it wasn't enough to keep the business afloat so they were eventually shuttered. And right next door the gears of the tiny Chinese restaurant continued to slowly turn, quietly ratcheting along, month after month and year after year. All alone.

I liked to invent stories about the restaurant that I nicknamed, "The Little Chinese Restaurant That Could." I envisioned drug deals in its kitchen and an illegal form of ice in the walk-in freezer. Or I thought it might be owned by some wealthy businessman who purposely milked the money hemorraging restaurant for every sweet tax-deductible drop.

It finally served its last almond cookie and was bought by another establishment seeking to expand. I managed to eat there on just one occasion. The biggest negative point was quite plainly the odd atmosphere created by the lack of other diners. The food was found to be quite enjoyable.

Although this outing happened many years ago I still remember the Strawberry Shrimp that I ordered. I frequently try to create my own version of restaurant dishes and finally I set out to make my own strawberry shrimp. My archived memory of their dish was rather stale so I found myself building my own interpretation with some hope for the best. I was only certain that I would omit the red coloring that they had unfortunately chose to give the dish, resulting in that candy apple-colored sweet and sour sauce. I wasn't at all displeased with the result, and judging from the clean plate sitting in front of Ed when dinner was over I believe he enjoyed it too.

STRAWBERRY SHRIMP

2 cups sliced ripe strawberries*
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3/4 lbs cleaned, medium-sized shrimp (about 18)
1 tsp cornstarch
1 TBS sugar
2 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS canola or veggie oil
1/2 medium-sized sweet onion, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup pineapple chunks (canned works fine)
garlic/chili paste to taste
Additional sugar to taste (1 to 2 TBS)

Combine chopped berries and rice vinegar in saucepan over medium-high heat. When vinegar begins to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and mash any remaining large berry chunks. Set aside and let cool.

Place shrimp in glass or stainless bowl with cornstarch, 1 TBS sugar, and soy sauce. Mix well. Add oil to skillet and heat until very hot. Very carefully add shrimp mixture and cook and stir until shrimp just begin to turn opaque. Quickly remove shrimp from pan before they are completely cooked and set aside. Add onion and carrots to the skillet and continue to cook over high heat, stirring frequently until veggies are crisp tender (5 minutes). Add pineapple and cook for another minute. Return shrimp to skillet with veggies and pineapple and add strawberry mixture. Add garlic/chili paste to taste. Depending upon the sweetness of your berries*, you may need to add additional sugar (1 or 2 TBS) if needed. Continue to cook and stir for another minute or until shrimp are fully cooked and sauce is hot.

Serve with rice.

* I was fortunate to have very ripe, very sweet berries, which I think contributed to the success of this dish. I have a freezer full of gorgeous Oxnard berries which are absolute gems.