Tesi Johnson, Gleaner Writer
Ms. Lorna G. Gooden, the assistant vice-president for group finance at Supreme Ventures Limited, dices the peppers that will be used in her signature dish, Cream Curried Shrimp. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
THE CULINARY skills of Ms. Lorna G. Gooden, the assistant vice-president for group finance at Supreme Ventures Limited, have come a long way since she first attempted to prepare fried chicken at age 13. "I don't quite remember how it turned out, but my mother says I burnt the chicken," says Ms. Gooden. "The family had it nonetheless," she added between laughs.
Ms. Gooden has now mastered the preparation of fried chicken (without charring it) and just about anything the appetite may desire. She enjoys cooking, now more than ever - so long as she isn't preparing the meal for
herself. "Cooking for myself is just boring. The real fun is in preparing a meal for someone else - I find joy in that," she says. Some of her favourite
dishes to cook and eat are the all-Jamaican favourites: stewed peas with beef, and ackee and saltfish. She also enjoys lasagne.
Like many other health-savvy
persons, Ms. Gooden tries to maintain a balanced diet, so she enjoys having lots of fruits and vegetables. "Rather than dining out, I try to have quick and light snacks," she says. As such, you will almost always find a bunch of grapes in her refrigerator, as it is one of her favourite fruits to snack on. Also, in keeping with her intentions to snack healthily, Ms. Gooden likes to have yoghurt on hand, in the event she gets the 'munchies'.
Cream Curried Shrimp
3-4 cups water
2 lbs. medium or jumbo
shrimp (pre-cooked and
peeled)
1/2 cup minced onions
2 tbs. butter
1 tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 - 2 tbs curry powder
14 ounces chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk or coconut
milk (a package of Grace
coconut milk)
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
Toppings
Raisins, to taste
Roasted peanuts, to taste
METHOD
1. Place the shrimp in a large pot of boiling water for only two to three minutes, as the shrimp is pre-cooked. Drain then rinse with cold water and set aside.
2. Sauté onions (and other seasonings to suit your taste), in butter and olive oil in large skillet over medium heat until softened.
3. Lower heat and add curry powder and milk. Stir with whisk until smooth.
4. Add broth and stir constantly until mixture thickens.
5. Stir in sugar, then add shrimp and cook until heated through.
6. Serve shrimp with white rice or pasta garnished with toppings.
Serves 4.
