Get your mojo on

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Dear Lynne: A garlicky, sour orange marinade for a shrimp saute really got me going in Florida. I was told it was Cuban style. No sour oranges exist here on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, so can you clue me in to how I could replicate those shrimp? They were fab. -- Mary Jane in Sault Ste. MarieDear Mary Jane: According to the Three Guys from Miami, a trio of brothers-in-law and cookbook authors ("Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban," by Glen Lindgren, Raul Musibay and Jorge Castillo) devoted to traditional Cuban food, a decent stand-in for sour orange juice is 2 parts orange juice mixed with 1 part freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1 part freshly squeezed lime juice.The marinade you are describing sounds like a type of Cuban marinade/dipping sauce called "mojo." Often used with pork, this mojo works beautifully with seafood, too.I especially like this dish now; its bright, clean, light qualities are practically uplifting after weeks of rich eating.CUBAN SHRIMP SAUTE WITH THREE-WAY SOUR ORANGE MOJOServes 4You'll taste three dimensions of the mojo with this recipe. Half is set aside as a fresh dipping sauce for the shrimp, while the other half marinades the shrimp, then is boiled down to syrupy so it can glaze the finished dish. Give everyone his own little bowl of mojo for dipping. Rice is what you want with the shrimp.Mojo Sauce (holds 2 days in the refrigerator):10 garlic cloves1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1-1/2 teaspoons dry whole leaf oregano1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional, or use to taste)1 cup orange juice1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)1/2 cup good-tasting extra-virgin olive oilShrimp:Good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil1-1/2 to 2 pounds large to jumbo raw shrimp, shelled but with tails left intactKosher or other coarse salt to tasteLeaves from 8 sprigs fresh corianderThe traditional way of making the mojo is to mash the garlic with the pepper and oregano in a mortar, then blend it with the other ingredients. Believe it or not, the flavor is different from the alternate method, which is to drop the garlic into a food processor that is running. Then add the other ingredients. Process only a few seconds. Being picky, I prefer the mortar method for a deep marrying of flavors, but the processor is fast and gives you a fine mojo.Set half the sauce aside to use at the table as a dipping sauce. Combine the remaining with the shrimp and refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes.Drain shrimp, reserving marinade. Film the bottom of a 12-inch straight-sided saute pan with olive oil. Heat over medium high. Add the shrimp with a generous sprinkling of salt and toss them for 30 seconds. Then lower the heat to medium and cook them, turning at least once, for another minute, or until they are pink and barely firm. Quickly remove the shrimp to a warm platter.Put the pan over high heat, add the reserved marinade and boil it down until it's syrupy, taking care not to burn it. Pour it over the shrimp, scatter with the coriander leaves and serve hot. Before setting out the dipping mojo, add salt to taste.Dear Lynne: One gift this year was a sizable box of candied orange and lemon peel in sticks. Although good on their own, I have enough for my whole apartment building and I am not about to bake fruitcake, so what else can you do with them? And how are you supposed to store candied fruit? -- Candied up the KazooDear Candied: You already know how good these are for snacking and after dinner with coffee, or maybe with a glass of sweet wine, right? Port and candied peel, with maybe freshly cracked nuts, is one example of living well being the best revenge.Candied peel of this quality is good cut up and scattered over cooked roast pork or grilled salmon just before you take it to the table. The slightly bitter yet sweet chew of it plays well against rich meats.Fold the lemon peel (cut into small bits first) into softened vanilla ice cream. Sprinkle the orange or lemon over sliced ripe pears. Serve them with a spoonful of bleu cheese on the side. Candied peels and bleu or other strong cheeses are celestial pairings.Finally, try our Christmas salad. We started Christmas dinner this time around with this adaptation of a salad originally served during the Renaissance in Italy.Take spring mix and cut up Belgian endive (anticipate 3 endive to 4 big handfuls of the greens). Toss with a little good-tasting olive oil and vinegar along with salt and pepper. Pile on salad plates and scatter with the cut-up rinds (orange or lemon), figuring a generous tablespoon per serving, the same amount of toasted pine nuts and a few strips of good prosciutto or shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. You could finish the salad with a drizzle (about a teaspoon per serving) of balsamic vinegar.Store your candied fruit in an airtight container at room temperature.(Lynne Rossetto Kasper hosts "The Splendid Table," American Public Media's weekly national show for people who love to eat. For more information, visit www.splendidtable.org or call 1-800-537-5252.)