I met artist sam kirk during the filming of some videos for qu rica vida. I loved the experience because shes a talented young woman who expresses her creativity through various mediums, using anything within her reach to let her imagination run free, whether it be paint, metals, wood, glass, and so on. Sam is self-taught and multidisciplinary. She was born in chicago but has lived in new york for some time, a city that constantly inspires her and where, as an artist, she can enjoy life to the fullest while taking part in the intense and artistic latin american scene. She gets her latin roots, mexican and puerto rican, from her mother, which means sam also carries the rhythm in her veins and is a great dancer. When i asked her how she relates art with cooking, she suggested that i look at the dish as if it were the empty canvas where we will paint something beautiful, and the ingredients as the color palette; we must mix colors, lights and shadows, to make the dish look balanced and attractive. Sam loves mexican food, as well as puerto rican food, which is why i came up with this recipe thinking of her since it combines flavors from both cuisines. Its a delicious shrimp ceviche served on a basket of tostones. The textures and flavors in this dish result in a spectacular combination. The ceviche is light and refreshing, while the tostn basket is crunchy and slightly salty, with that rich fried plantain flavor that perfectly compliments the shrimp ceviche. This dish is versatile so it can be served as a side dish or appetizer, with a cold glass of beer or with a glass of white wine with nice acidity and herbaceous tones.
