Put the spinach in a large pot with 1 tablespoon of water.

Cover and cook until the spinach is wilted and bright green, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the spinach to a large bowl.

Add the garlic, salt, and pepper.

Mix well and cool 10 minutes.

Mix in the crema.

Grease a 9- or 10-inch glass pie plate or round ovenproof earthenware platter and spread the mixture in it.

Sprinkle the cheese on top.

Set aside.

Preheat the oven broiler.

Slice scallops in half lengthwise, and pat dry with paper towels.

Brush the scallops all over with oil and season lightly with salt.

Arrange the scallops in a single layer on top of the spinach.

Cook under the broiler until the scallops are golden brown on the top-side, opaque inside, and the cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes.

(Watch carefully to prevent burning.

)

Preheat the oven to 200°.

Prepare the yellow rice recipe (without the peas).

Cover and keep the rice warm in the oven.

Prepare the salsa.

Reserve.

Blot the scallops with paper towels and place on a plate.

In a small bowl mix the cornmeal, salt, and pepper.

Dredge the scallops in the cornmeal.

Pat off excess.

Put the scallops on wax paper as they are coated.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until oil shimmers.

Add the scallops and cook about 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown on both sides and just cooked through.

Drain on paper towels.

Put a portion of the rice in the center of 4 plates.

Arrange the scallops equally on the rice.

Garnish with the salsa.

Prepare an outdoor grill, then grease the grill rack.

With scissors, cut lengthwise down the center of the back of each lobster shell; then, using a heavy sharp knife cut through each shell to slice the lobster tails in half.

Brush the cut side with oil.

Lay the lobster tails on the grill, cut side down and cook about 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until the lobster meat is opaque but still juicy in the thickest part, and is just firm when pressed gently with your finger.

Serve hot in the shell with melted butter in condiment cups, and lime wedges to squirt the juice on the lobster.

Note: Cook uncovered if using a charcoal fire.

To shuck the oysters, hold each oyster upside down, using a potholder to protect the holding hand.

Put the tip of an oyster knife near the hinge and between the shells and press the knife-holding hand down to separate the shells.

Once the shell is opened, slide the knife along the top shell to cut connector muscle.

Remove top shell.

Then slide knife under the oyster and it will come free.

Leave the oysters in the bottom shell, and pour the oyster liquid into a bowl and reserve.

Discard the top shells.

Put the oysters in their shell on a large baking sheet.

Preheat the oven broiler.

In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat.

Stir in the reserved oyster liquid, lime juice, Maggi, red pepper, and salt.

Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the mixture over the oysters and run under the broiler until the edges of the oysters begin to curl, 2 to 3 minutes.

Prepare the salsa and mayonnaise.

Then, bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Using tongs, drop the crabs in the boiling water, one by one.

Cook until the crabs are bright red, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Drain in a colander and serve right away, or cool, refrigerate, and eat within 2 to 3 hours.

Serve with lime wedges, salsa, mayonnaise, and bread.

Note: To eat, twist off the claws, break open and pick out the meat.

Grasp the top shell by the edges and pull it away from the body.

Turn crab over and lift off the triangular piece of shell.

Remove the soft spines underneath.

Discard the feathery gills and intestines.

Break the body into pieces and pick or suck the meat out.

Prepare the chipotle mayonnaise.

Reserve in a bowl.

Then, put the crabmeat and chopped scallops in a large bowl.

Cover and refrigerate.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and cook the onion until softened, about 2 minutes.

Add the red pepper and cook until barely tender, about 2 more minutes.

Transfer to the bowl with the crab and scallops.

Add all of the remaining ingredients, except the bread crumbs, oil, and cilantro.

Mix very well.

Add ¾ cup of the bread crumbs and mix again.

With your hands, form the crab mixture into 12 small cakes, about 3⁄4-inch thick.

Put the remaining bread crumbs on a plate.

Coat the cakes on both sides with the crumbs and place in a single layer on a platter.

Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or up to overnight.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.

Cook the crab-scallop cakes about 3 minutes per side, or until crisp and brown outside and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

Serve on individual plates with chipotle mayonnaise.

Garnish each plate with cilantro sprigs.

Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onion, stirring, until it starts to brown, about 4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, garlic, and jalapeños.

Stir until the tomatoes are juicy and bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the shrimp and cook, turning and stirring, until pink, curled, and cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the oregano, hot pepper sauce, and salt.

Cook 1 minute.

Divide among 4 plates and sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Thread the cleaned shrimp onto metal or previously soaked wooden skewers.

Place skewered shrimp on a tray.

In a small bowl, combine the butter with the lime juice, garlic, ground chili powder, cumin, and salt.

Brush about half of the mixture all over the skewered shrimp.

Cover and refrigerate about 30 minutes.

(Save the remaining mixture to brush on the shrimp as it cooks on the grill.

)

Prepare an outdoor grill and grease the grill rack or preheat the broiler.

Place the shrimp skewers on the hot grill or under a hot oven broiler and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once and brushing with the remaining basting sauce.

Cook until the shrimp are pink and begin to curl, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Place the shrimp in a large saucepan with the water, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and onion.

Bring to a boil, over medium heat.

Reduce heat to low and simmer until the shrimp are pink and curled, about 3 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, lift the shrimp and onion from the cooking liquid.

Save the cooking liquid to use for the sauce base.

Set the onion aside on a plate.

When the shrimp are cool enough to handle, peel and devein.

Put the shrimp shells in the pan of cooking liquid.

Put the cleaned shrimp in a bowl and set aside.

Bring the liquid with shrimp shells to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Pour the shrimp broth through a strainer into a bowl.

Reserve the broth and discard the shells.

In a dry skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds, stirring constantly, until they pop about in the pan and are aromatic.

Spread the seeds out on a plate to cool; then grind to a powder in a spice grinder.

(I use a coffee grinder reserved for spices.

)

Put 2 cups of the shrimp broth into a blender jar.

Add the ground pumpkin seeds, reserved onion, cilantro, and serranos.

Blend until smooth.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.

Pour in the blended sauce and cream.

Bring to a boil; then reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the shrimp.

Heat through.

Adjust seasoning, if needed.

Put the shrimp in a medium bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and oregano.

Toss to coat the shrimp.

Heat the remaining oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.

Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it starts to turn golden, about 1 minute.

Add the shrimp all at once and cook, stirring, until the shrimp are pink and curled, about 2 to 3 minutes total.

Add the salt, crushed pepper, Maggi, and lime juice.

Cook, stirring 1 minute.

Serve the shrimp at once, scraping the juices from the pan over the shrimp.

Garnish with lime wedges.