Taste With The Eyes

Black Cod over Fresh Fettuccine in Dashi Broth

Black Cod over Fresh Fettuccine

Black Cod over Fresh Fettuccine in Dashi Broth
Shiitake, Castelvetrano Olives, Fried Garlic, Chives

Here’s another excellent dish inspired by Nobu Matsuhisa, where he gives Japanese noodles in hot broth a Western twist by substituting Italian pasta.

Since there are but a few ingredients – where olives play a big role – choose super-tasty, buttery, meaty Castelvetrano olives. And the pasta has to be fresh, not dried, where the tender velvety texture is heavenly in the savory umami-rich dashi broth. Flavorful earthy shiitakes are wonderful in this dish, oyster or chanterelle mushrooms would work also, however common button mushrooms would be way too boring. Lastly, the star is black cod (aka sablefish), with its silky-rich luxurious flesh and its contrasting crispy skin.

Black Cod over Fresh Fettuccine Recipe

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White King Salmon

White King Salmon
Lobster Butter Sauce
Gnocchi, Edamame, Roasted Maitake

White King Salmon Sashimi: Nobu-Style
Jalapeño, Garlic, Cilantro, Lemon Ponzu

White king salmon are special, and rare. About 5% of king salmon do not have the ability to metabolize and store the red-orange pigment, carotene, in their muscle cells.

In the past it was believed that white and red king salmon consumed notably different diets, leading to their flesh color distinction. Scientists now believe that variation in flesh color is controlled by genetics. White king salmon cannot metabolize these pigments from their food sources, leaving their flesh white. (from Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game).

There is no way for the Alaskan fishermen to know if their catch is white until it is sliced open. Because of its precious nature, much of this treasure doesn’t make it to the lower 48. Who could blame them for keeping it and enjoying on the spot?

The white kings that do make it to the lower 48 are highly prized for their flavor, texture, and unique color – and are often offered as a pricey nightly special in many high-end restaurants.

It is not only the pure ivory color that is extraordinary. These fillets taste very different than red-orange flesh king salmon. The cooked flesh is silky, and tastes fine and delicate, more mild in an elegant way. It is curiously soft and buttery.

Sashimi style white king has even more appealingly complex qualities – it is simply luscious with sweet, clean, buttery, and moist characteristics.

White King Salmon

White King Salmon Recipes

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Spicy Salmon with Shrimp Chips

Spicy Salmon with Shrimp Chips
Avocado Mash with Lemon, Sliced Jalapeños

This tasty snack was inspired by Nobu Restaurants’ “Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna” where fried sushi rice cubes are served with a little bowl of spicy tuna and light soy sauce on the side. A version of the Nobu recipe went viral a while back on TikTok with the addition of avocado and jalapeño.

The original authentic dish can be enjoyed at many of the over 50 Nobu Restaurants around the world including all three in Las Vegas – Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas, Las Vegas Virgin Hotel.

With the remainder of a nice piece of sockeye salmon leftover from making an Aguachile de Salmón for my guests, I decided to make a quick snack paired with store-bought shrimp chips. These puffy-crisp chips are made from a dough of tapioca flour and ground shrimp. The dough is steamed, thinly sliced, dried, then fried. The result are crunchy little crackers full of umami flavor.

Topped with a tiny scoop of spicy salmon and/or avocado plus an optional jalapeño ring, these make a zippy one-bite snack bomb that is packed full of flavors, textures, and spice! And unlike the original dish which has many steps to prepare the fried sushi rice, this appetizer is quick and easy…

Spicy Salmon with Shrimp Chips Recipe

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Crunchy Salty Oatmeal Cookies

Crunchy Salty Oatmeal Cookies
With Whole Cashews and Raisins

I keep these cookies under glass on the kitchen counter next to the coffee maker. Guests seem to find them irresistible!

They are less sweet than some traditional oatmeal cookies but the raisins bring plenty fruitiness. These oatmeal cookies are quite crunchy, and pleasantly salty and savory – with a bit extra salt in the batter and Maldon sea salt flakes on top. The whole cashews add extra buttery nutty textures and flavors.

And when my guests leave after a fun time in Vegas, they head back with some Crunchy Salty Oatmeal Cookies for the trip home.

🧡 Cookies Baked in Vegas, Don’t Stay in Vegas 🧡

Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

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Brisket Quesabirria Tacos

I don’t know anyone who cooks a brisket for 6 hours plus, and doesn’t make enough for leftovers. It is great simply re-heated in the sauce. It also freezes well and can be repurposed in tons of other great dishes like tamales and sandwiches. This year, our Rosh Hashanah brisket morphed into quesabirria tacos.

We first tried quesabirria tacos when grazing on The Vegas Strip. My nephew, Stone, was telling us that Birria Tacos with Consomé had been trending all over social media, and we had to give them a try. Gracias, Stone!

Quesabirria tacos (aka red tacos) are super popular and bursting with unctuous deliciousness. They are composed of just three ingredients – meat, cheese, and corn tortillas. They are served with a dipping sauce on the side called consomé. After several hours of cooking, the sauce in which the meat is cooked becomes rich and complexly flavored. The layer of fat from meat flavors and crisps the tortillas, and the liquid becomes the dipping sauce.

Mexican consomé is made with chiles and common Mexican spices such as cumin, oregano, and cinnamon. My holiday brisket consomé is equally flavorful in a different way, it is umami-rich but not spicy at all.