Shrimp in a Pink Sauce with The Glass Family

My friend Wendy is one of those writers so talented that the fact she hasn't yet been published leaves one scratching one's head.  Writing aside (for I could go on ad nauseum) her passion for cooking takes some beating. It was she that first introduced me to Ottolenghi's eggplant with saffron yogurt sauce and pomegranate seeds and last summer, she brought me a homemade, utterly blissful rhubarb fool.  Last night, for example, we gathered for book group (Franny & Zooey was our May choice) at her cottage by the sea and she stirred up this delectation from Madhur Jaffrey's Easy East/West Menus for Family & Friends.  She served it with basmati rice with peas and carrots, flavored with cardamom and cinnamon and a salad of arugula with crisp green apple, lemon and cumin.

• 4 tablespoons tomato puree
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon mustard seed
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 pounds medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place tomato puree in a measuring cup. Add enough water to make a total measure of 1 cup, place in a medium bowl. Stir in cream, ginger, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper to taste, and sugar. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds. As soon as they begin to pop, add the garlic. Stir once and add the shrimps. Stir and fry until they just turn opaque, sprinkling with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pour in the pink sauce and stir. As soon as the sauce is bubbling, the dish is ready to be served with hot cooked pasta or rice.