I tried ceviche for the first time, relatively late in life. We were living in Norristown at the time—right in the heart of the hood on West Main Street. Our best friend in the neighborhood lived two doors down—Guatemalan Gus. Gus had a heart of gold, a certain joy that radiated and infected others. If Norristown had an unofficial mayor, it was Gus; he called the shots—maybe because of his happy demeanor, or maybe because he always looked a little crazed, with his long, thick, black mane flowing, and his omnipresent sunglasses, which sat on his nose even in the dead of night.
One night, Gus came to the door and asked if we’d already had dinner. We hadn’t, and were instantly grateful, for when Gus cooked, we were well fed. We told him we hadn’t, and welcomed him into our dark, dated kitchen, where he produced some limes, cilantro and hot peppers from his pockets, and pulled a not-long-dead squid from a soggy paper bag. He made quick work, dicing and chopping and mixing.
When the ceviche was all assembled and colorful in the bowl, he declared, “And now we have a beer!” Which we did—or maybe it was three—and by the time our thirst was quenched, the squid had stewed perfectly in the lime juice. It was tender and tart and spicy, and “so easy to make,” we marveled. And it is. Any garden variety shellfish or seafood will do—the rest of the staple ingredients easy and cheap to procure.
Gus’ ceviche was excellent, but the best I’ve ever had comes from Los Sarapes in Horsham, PA. It’s consistently divine. http://www.lossarapeshorsham.com/
One night, Gus came to the door and asked if we’d already had dinner. We hadn’t, and were instantly grateful, for when Gus cooked, we were well fed. We told him we hadn’t, and welcomed him into our dark, dated kitchen, where he produced some limes, cilantro and hot peppers from his pockets, and pulled a not-long-dead squid from a soggy paper bag. He made quick work, dicing and chopping and mixing.
When the ceviche was all assembled and colorful in the bowl, he declared, “And now we have a beer!” Which we did—or maybe it was three—and by the time our thirst was quenched, the squid had stewed perfectly in the lime juice. It was tender and tart and spicy, and “so easy to make,” we marveled. And it is. Any garden variety shellfish or seafood will do—the rest of the staple ingredients easy and cheap to procure.
Gus’ ceviche was excellent, but the best I’ve ever had comes from Los Sarapes in Horsham, PA. It’s consistently divine. http://www.lossarapeshorsham.com/
