Kabocha Shooters, Candied Pepitas

Kabocha Shooters, Candied Pepitas

Kabocha Shooters
Candied Pepitas, Creme Fraiche, Pink Peppercorns

Is it a drink? Is it a soup? Is it an amuse bouche? Yes. Yes. Yes. Complex in flavor and compact in presentation – these kabocha shooters are excellent for Fall entertaining. Kabocha, a winter squash also known as Japanese pumpkin, has a delectable taste with beautiful flesh the color of turning Autumn leaves.

The soup’s sweet profile includes nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla, and brown sugar while the savory side contains caramelized onion, garlic, ginger, and dry sherry. The roasted squash is blended with the various ingredients and a touch of cream. All this flavor is packed into a little shot glass where a rich cultured cream floats atop and a sticky-candied-crunchy pumpkin seed garnish is perched on the side.

Kabocha Shooters, Candied Pepitas

Kabocha Shooters Recipe

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Pork Chop, Pink Peppercorn Sauce

Brined Pan-Seared Pork Chop, Pink Peppercorn Sauce, Fried Sage

One Pound duBreton Pork Chop
Pink Peppercorn Sauce, Fried Sage

Those who are familiar with San Pedro, our charming seaside corner of Los Angeles, know we are blessed with several beautiful feathery peppertrees that line our quaint streets. Recently, I harvested a bunch peppercorns for a still life photography session.

Pink Peppercorns

Now what to do with this cornucopia of pink peppercorns? Pink peppercorn brine and pink peppercorn sauce were paired with gorgeous one pound duBreton pork chops.

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Spiced Roasted Cauliflower with Walnut, Cilantro, Mint

Spiced Roasted Cauliflower with Walnut, Cilantro, Mint

Spiced Roasted Cauliflower
Walnut, Cilantro, Mint, Kaffir Lime, Pink Peppercorn

I’m channeling my inner Ottolenghi, move over steamed white cauliflower. The king of vibrant vegetable dishes, Chef Ottolenghi often chooses a single ingredient then enhances it with various herbs, spices, and other exotic flavors. Here – mustard, fennel, and cumin seeds are toasted in olive oil. Then turmeric, hatch chile powder and dry mustard are whisked in. Cauliflower is tossed with the spice mixture and roasted until it begins to caramelize. Roasted walnuts add nutty rich notes. A huge handful of cilantro and mint add a fresh bright herbal character. Kaffir lime shards and crushed pink peppercorns bring the magic. The humble cauliflower side dish, is now kicked to the curb and dressed to kill…

Spiced Roasted Cauliflower Recipe

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Copper River Sockeye Salmon, Pink Peppercorns

copper river sockeye, copper river salmon, pink peppercorns

Pan-Seared Copper River Sockeye Salmon, Pink Peppercorns
Blistered Shishito Peppers

The celebration continues! Taste With The Eyes is 4-years-old and we’re splurging with Copper River Salmon. The most expensive fresh salmon is only available for about four weeks of the year, from mid-May through mid-June, when the King salmon swim up the Copper River in Alaska to spawn. At our local Bristol Farms Market, Copper River King Salmon was selling for $50/lb.! At $50/lb. the 8 oz. filet in the photo above would have cost $25. Market factors such as commercial harvest, supply and demand, plus the cost of oil have pushed the price from $40 last season to this all time high of $50.

Even for the crème de la crème of salmon, this price is out of range for most people (myself included). In fact, after speaking with the fishmonger at the market, I learned that they were unable to sell their entire shipment of Copper River King at that price, and some had tragically gone to waste. The good news was that Copper River Sockeye sales went way up, as folks were introduced to this smaller, more plentiful species of salmon. Some say that sockeye has the truest pure salmon flavor and is preferred by aficionados.

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