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What is Facebook good for? Well, you know, it's a "social networking" site. Which basically means that you look up old acquaintances from high school and college to see what they've done with their lives in the decades since you last saw them in their jelly bracelets, tight-rolled jeans and Motley Crue hair.

I'm guilty of the same thing. I have bunches and bunches of friends on Facebook who used to be old schoolmates. It's really quite fascinating and nostalgic, and occasionally you come across a real gem, like some "Most Likely to Succeed" cheerleader who is working a Denny's or the quietest, most dorky kid in class who is now a billionaire.

I got a real gem the other day, in a different way. One year in high school, we had four Brazilian exchange students come to Alleghany High School. There were three boys and a girl, a quite dazzling and beautiful girl, in fact, whose name was Raquel. All the boys were dizzy for this exotic girl with the sexy accent and flowing dark hair.

Raquel was more than pretty, she was sweet, too. So I was very excited when she asked to be my friend on Facebook, all the way from Brazil! When she told me that she, too, loved food and cooking and would send me a Brazilian recipe sometime, I nearly fell out of my chair. So much for what Raquel's been doing since high school, I just wanted the darn recipe -- STAT!!

Nah, I really do care about Raquel, but I sure was excited when she sent me one of her very favorite Brazilian recipes. It's for a shrimp or fish stew seasoned with tomato, coconut milk, cilantro and garlic. It's called Moqueca, which I swear I've seen on the menu at Carlos' before and absolutely loved.

Enjoy! And thanks, Raquel!

Brazilian Moqueca de Camarao
(shrimp stew, Bahian style)
Serves 4

Plan ahead, the shrimp needs to marinate for 30 minutes. You may substitute firm white fish or small, soft shell crabs in place of the shrimp if desired.

Juice of 1 lemon
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 to 2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Black pepper to taste
1 cup thin coconut milk*
1/2 cup thick coconut milk*
2 to 3 tablespoons dende oil**

Make a marinade with lemon, onion, garlic, vinegar and salt. Marinate the shrimp for 30 minutes. Put mixture into a sauce pan and add cilantro, tomato paste and black pepper to taste. Add thin coconut milk and cook over low heat until the shrimp are cooked. Add the thick coconut milk and dende oil. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

Serve with rice.

*Bottled or canned coconut milk can be substituted.

**Dende oil is a palm oil high in saturated fat. It is available in specialty food stores.

Recipe courtesy of Raquel Gama.