Cocoa and Lavender: The Case of the Haunted Tastebuds

Have you ever been at a restaurant, loved something a lot, and asked for the recipe? Sure you have. I used to ask a lot but, with the Web, it is a lot easier to find recipes without asking.

Sometimes, chefs share the recipe cheerfully and on the spot, some require the request in writing, and others flatly refuse.

Several years ago, I was in Palo Alto, CA, for work and managed to schedule a quick lunch between meetings with my friend, Susan, and her partner Jeff, who live there. I have known Susan since the 5th grade. They are both really into good food.

Susan and Jeff arranged to meet me at Tamarine, and I started my meal with a shrimp-topped coconut cake.

The whole meal was fantastic, but those little coconut-laced pillows stand out in my memory. Naturally, I asked for the recipe. To my surprise, the server said he knew it - and proceeded to tell my it was just rice flour and coconut milk.

But memories of those little cakes topped with shrimp haunted me. I would just have to invent something up that would satisfy the haunting memories.

After a few failures, I ended up with a pretty wonderful result. They may not be exactly what I had at the restaurant, but they have chased away the demon memories, and I am able to rest. They’re good; and they're really easy, too.

And can we talk about an amazing mayonnaise?? We enjoyed this topping on tuna burgers the next day, but can see it working for pork, chicken and other seafood, too.

Sautéed Shrimp on Savory Coconut-Rice Pillows

Spicy Sesame-Ginger Mayonnaise

2 tablespoons grated ginger

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon grated lime zest

1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek (or other chile sauce)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2/3 cup rice flour

3/4 cup coconut milk

4 tablespoons melted butter

oil for greasing pans

24 medium shrimp, fully peeled and deveined

1 teaspoon sweet paprika
salt and pepper, to season

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

chopped fresh chives, or small pieces crystallized ginger for garnish

Place egg, grated ginger, lemon juice, sesame oil, salt, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Process for a few seconds to blend. With motor running, add canola oil in a very thin stream until it is all gone and mayonnaise has solidified. Scrape into a

lidded container and refrigerate until ready. (Can be made a day in advance.)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together the rice flour, coconut milk eggs, melted butter, sugar, and salt.

Generously oil or butter a 24-cup mini muffin pan. Fill each cup about three-quarters full with batter. Bake for 20 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.

While cakes are baking, place peeled shrimp in a bowl and dust with sweet paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the shrimp until pink and opaque. (The paprika makes it hard to tell when it's pink!)

Place the cakes on a platter and top each with a sautéed shrimp. Put 1/2 teaspoon sesame-ginger mayonnaise on top, and garnish with chives or a piece of crystallized ginger.

Makes 24.