Pour préparer le poisson cru

1- Spend a few summers working at Sea Life and a few years frequently sushi restaurants to acquire a comfort level with raw fish.

2- Make your way to Tahiti, befriend a family that takes you in, gives you shelter, good conversation and a sampler platter of poisson cru a) à la Mayotte, b)à la Tahitienne and c) au Chinois. Take notes while the French lady cooks. Chop and dice what she tells you too. She knows what she's doing.

3- Fly to Hiva Oa, hitchike from the airport to your rental bungalow and orientate yourself with Atuona.

4- Meet le poissionnier ASAP. He's got the big blue truck parked across from Magasin Gauguin in the shade of a mango tree with a cooler in the back full of fresh tuna cut into hunks the size of a Marquesan forearm... ample.

5- Take the fish home. Cut it up into small bits, removing sinews as you see fit. Over the fish, squeeze the juice from 3-4 limes you picked near the beach, add a little salt and stick it in the fridge. Peek in occasionally to marvel at how the juice cooks the fish. Cool.

6- Chop up some cukes, tomatoes, shallots, whatever, and sprinkle over the fish. Back in the fridge.

7- In a little bowl, smush up a clove of garlic and a bit of onion. Mix with soya sauce, brown sugar, coconut milk and more lime juice. Stir it up, little darling. Pour it on your fish and veggies. Back in the fridge.

8- Sip a glass of Hinano beer with lime, write a poem, read or play rummy with Coz.

9- Serve up the poisson cru with a banane fei à la vapeur. Bon appétit!

10- For dessert, why not the fruit salad in the freezer made of papaya, mango and pomelo -- free from the island's trees?

The Marquesas were beautiful. We're off to Raroia until February 12th.
Peace, K/M