Seafood is extremely straightforward but the most temperamental and unforgiving of all cuisines. Just a few hours of sitting in neglect on a warm table can turn the flesh of a fish from something sublime to yesterday's garbage. That does not mean that aren't any tricks to ensuring that we can enjoy wonderful seafood no matter where we live and without going out on a fishing boat, but it may mean a few "hard to swallow" mishaps to go through before mastering the art of cooking up our aquatic cousins.

Now some compare ceviche to a sort of Latin American sashimi, and while I also do agree that there are some similarities, it should be noted that while sashimi is unabashedly raw, ceviche is technically at least partially 'pickled' with lime juice.

Ceviche is simple and delicious. All you need is seafood (mainly fish- anything on a sushi menu should go well with ceviche - but be careful, because some sushi items such as octopus are cooked), which is so fresh that it can be eaten raw. Most cities in the U.S. have shops that specialize in such seafood. The combination is up to you, but you will want it sliced into bite-sized pieces. For every pound you will need the juice of two or three juicy limes and six of seven fresh minced chili peppers (the variety, heat, and amount I leave at your discretion of course.

Basically you just place the raw seafood in a bowl (wooden or glass- not metal), squeeze the lime juice over it, add the chilies, and gently stir. That's it! You may choose to refrigerate it or not, but either way it will be ready in three hours. You will notice the fish has changed color, as if slight cooked. That is normal. Enjoy this delicious appetizer in the same way you would enjoy a fine caviar.

Rand writes about safety razors, cooking and more. Take a look at his new Retro Cycling Jersey site all about old-school cycling jerseys and his permanent coffee filter site about eco-friendly permanent (no paper!) coffee filters.

"harrtryu"