I am in NYC for a wedding celebration, and revisiting my Brooklyn stomping grounds has made me happy all the way to my toes. The last 24 hours have been chalk full of Brooklyn fun: I enjoyed handmade Prosecco at my favorite Italian wine bar. I learned Polish greetings from a lady named Violeta. ("Good day" = "Gin Dobray"in my pheonetic English spelling.) Then to top it all off, three cat sized rats visited me on the train platform, and I entered a near catatonic state. You have to take the good with the bad, I guess. I walked into a tiny, but extremely well organized book store, and walked out with my new favorite book. Eat, Memory, is a collection of food inspired essays by big-wig American writers. The New York Times Magazine food editor, Amanda Hesser, created this project to highlight the way food plays into our deepest life memories. Quick reads that make you hungry and make you smile. I highly recommend it, and this recipe for Gambas al Ajillo (Spanish Shimp with Garlic) featured within the pages. Gambas al Ajillo (Shimp in Garlic) 1 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons crushed and chopped garlic 2 pounds medium shimp, peeled and deveined 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot sauce 1 teaspoon mild paprika Salt to taste 1. Place a large pot over low heat. When the pot is hot, add the olive oil and garlic. Cook until the garlic has softened in the oil, about 2 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add the shrimp. Saute for 2 minutes. 2. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes, Tabasco and paprika. Season with salt to taste. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until the shrimp is opaque and firm, about 5 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more Tabasco or red pepper flakes if you like more heat. Serve with fried potatoes or rice.