Victoria Mejia taught her granddaughter, Tishbeth, how to cook in her Guadalajara kitchen.

And now Tisbeth Mejia is honoring and passing on her abuela's legacy at Catrinas in South Tampa, where they stress authenticity in their food and drink.

"Every time that I cook, I remember her -- with the smell of the food," Tisbeth said.

As the executive chef, Tisbeth is sharing Abuela Victoria's Sopes con Camerones recipe -- Sopes with Shrimp.

"It's a very traditional dish from Mexico," Tisbeth said.

Sopes with Shrimp

Sopes
4 c. corn masa flour
2½ c. water
½ tsp. salt
1 small bunch epazote leaves, chopped

Shrimp Filling
1 lb. Florida shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 Florida bell peppers, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
Oil for cooking
TT sea salt and ground pepper

Sauce
1 c. tomato sauce
1 guajillo pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. pepper

Toppings
1/2 c. queso fresco
1/2 c. romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 c. tomato sauce
1/2 c. refried beans
1/2 c. radish, sliced

Directions

Sopes
Combine masa flour, water, epazote and salt.
Knead for five minutes or until masa is no longer sticky.
Divide into 20 small balls.
Flatten into thick tortillas approximately three inches in diameter.
On a hot skillet or griddle, cook each sope for one minute and then turn.
Cook until golden.
Repeat with remaining masa balls.
Hold each sope with side first cooked facing up; pinch edges to make a border.
Be careful as sopes will be hot.
Cover with a cloth to keep sopes warm and moist.
Fry sopes in a skillet with a bit of oil until lightly golden.
Remove from skillet and drain.
Spread with one tablespoon hot refried beans.
Top with the shrimp, lettuce, cheese, radish and your choice of sauce.
Serve immediately.

Sauce
Combine tomato sauce, soy sauce, guajillo pepper, garlic clove, salt and pepper.

Shrimp
Lightly coat the shrimp with butter.
Preheat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the preheated sauté pan.
Carefully add the shrimp to the sauté pan and cook until almost done, about 3 minutes.
Add the peppers and onions.
Cook the peppers for 4 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce to the pan.
Turn the heat up slightly.
Cook for 2 more minutes.
The sauce should thicken and the shrimp will be cooked after 3 minutes.