Most people who meet my husband say he scored the jackpot when he married me. Apparently, the lucky draw has nothing to do with my scintillating personality, intellectual prowess or flawless skin. This man married me for my knife skills and my way around the (stove-top) range. “Dude, you’ve got it made,” exclaims a neighbor who joined us for supper recently. “Do you eat like this all the time?”

Don’t worry, the lucky dog has to work for his food before it’s served on a silver platter, and he’s turned out to be a pretty good sous chef after all. Even with the comfort of knowing that the evening’s menu has been decided for him, my husband has scribbled a short list of favorites from the recipe vault that he’s shared with the cook.

When he’s having a particularly terrible, horrible, no good very bad day (RealAudio file), I know to expect a call with a special request for “Chile Shrimp,” a Malaysian-style shrimp dish from cookbook author Mark Bittman. As long as he offers to peel the shrimp, I’m happy to oblige; it’s a quick-cooking, tongue-dancing dish that literally makes a cruddy day fade into the sunset.

Have you got a dish up your sleeve that makes your sweet pea feel loved and nourished? Share your tried-and-true kitchen panaceas here, or tell us about the dish that makes you feel like nothing else matters in the world (for me, it’s fried chicken).

Chile Shrimp
Adapted from “The Best Recipes in the World” by Mark Bittman

Ingredients
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled (Info on sustainable options)
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
1 medium shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
Chiles: Depends on personal preference: I used 1 ¼ seeded, chopped habanero with medium spicy results
3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or grape seed
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fish sauce (also known as nam pla)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Method
1. Salt and set aside peeled shrimp.

2. Place ginger, garlic, shallot and chiles in food processor and whiz until minced.

3. Place tomato paste, lime, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

4. In a wok or large skillet, add oil and heat for one minute until quite hot, but not smoking. Add ginger mixture and stir constantly over medium heat, about one minute.

5. Stir in tomato paste mixture, plus 2 tablespoons of water (Add one more if sauce needs thinning). Cook until sauce begins to bubble and add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turn pink or opaque, about five minutes.

6. Serve over rice or thin noodles -- enough for two chile-loving fiends.

Photo credit: Kim O'Donnel