Smoky Mahi Mahi Rice Bowl, Smashed Cucumber

Smoky Mahi Mahi Rice Bowl, Garlic Butter, Smashed Cucumber

Smoky Mahi Mahi Rice Bowl
🌶️ 🐟 🍚 🧄 🥒
Paprika-Seared Mahi Mahi, Brown Rice
Garlic Butter, Smashed Cucumber

Smoky paprika-seared mahi mahi is paired with a warm garlic butter pan sauce, lemon, and parsley, then served over brown rice for a simple, satisfying bowl.

The fish is cut into generous pieces, seasoned with paprika and salt, and seared in olive oil and butter until just cooked through, building flavor in the pan before being finished with minced garlic and citrus.

To balance the richness of the butter sauce, a smashed cucumber side is tossed with light soy sauce, rice vinegar, olive oil, sesame seeds, and chile flakes. Served alongside the rice rather than on top, it keeps its crunch and brightness, offering a cool contrast to the warm fish and sauce in every bite.

Smoky Mahi Mahi Rice Bowl Recipe

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Fresh Fettuccine with Stracciatella, Blistered Tomatoes, and Basil

Fresh Fettuccine with Stracciatella, Blistered Tomatoes, and Basil

Fresh Fettuccine with Stracciatella
🍝 🍅 🌿 🍝
Blistered Tomatoes, Basil, Toasted Breadcrumbs

Sweet blistered tomatoes, whole basil leaves, savory anchovies, bright lemon, and creamy stracciatella come together in a pasta that feels both rustic and refined. A layer of stracciatella beneath the fresh pasta and a generous dollop on top create a luxurious contrast to the warm fettuccine, while crispy breadcrumbs add texture and crunch.

Fresh Fettuccine with Stracciatella, Blistered Tomatoes, and Basil

Fresh Fettuccine with Stracciatella Recipe

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Black Beluga Lentil Soup, Black Garlic, Black Vinegar

Black Beluga Lentil Soup, Black Garlic, Black Vinegar

Black Beluga Lentil Soup
🥣 🐳 🥣
Black Garlic, Black Vinegar

Black beluga lentils, aged black garlic, and Chinese black vinegar create a deeply savory soup with an intriguingly dark hue. Served with blackened rustic bread and a glass of Keenan Merlot, it makes for a dramatic and satisfying meal.

The ingredients work in harmony both visually and on the palate. Black beluga lentils provide an earthy foundation, while aged black garlic contributes mellow sweetness and deep umami notes. Dark soy sauce enhances the soup’s savory character and helps achieve its dramatic color, while Chinese black vinegar adds subtle complexity and a gentle lift.

Black Beluga Lentil Soup, Black Garlic, Black Vinegar

Although delicious with the lentils left whole, the soup truly comes into its own when puréed until velvety smooth. The transformation creates a luxurious texture and deepens the color, allowing the flavors to meld into a cohesive whole. Finished with freshly ground black pepper, the soup gains a touch of warmth and spice that balances its savory depth.

Black Beluga Lentil Soup Recipe

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Creamy Beef Bolognese with Mushrooms

Creamy Beef Bolognese with Mushrooms

Creamy Beef Bolognese with Mushrooms
🍝 🍄‍🟫 🍝

Creamy Beef Bolognese with Mushrooms is a savory, slow-simmered ragù with layers of flavor that develop over time. Unlike a typical spaghetti meat sauce, which is often brighter, redder, and more tomato-driven, this Bolognese lets meat and vegetables take center stage.

A generous amount of onion, carrot, celery, and cremini mushrooms slowly cooks down into the ragù, creating a deeper, more nuanced foundation and adding layers of savory flavor to the beef. The long, gentle simmer allows the ingredients to meld into a rich, satisfying sauce with subtle earthy notes from the mushrooms.

Equal parts milk and cream mellow the acidity and give the ragù a velvety texture that clings beautifully to spaghetti (or keto-friendly cauliflower, see recipe below).

Creamy Beef Bolognese with Mushrooms Recipe

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La Scala-Style Chopped Salad

La Scala-Style Chopped Salad

La Scala-Style Chopped Salad
🥗 ☀️ 🌴 🥗
Mozzarella, Salami, Garbanzo Beans

The chopped salad that originated at La Scala in Beverly Hills in the late 1950s was perfectly suited to its place and time. This was an era when Hollywood power lunches blurred into cocktails, dinner reservations stretched late into the evening, and dining out was as much about seeing and being seen as it was about the food. At tables filled with actors, producers, agents, and socialites, nobody wanted to wrestle with oversized lettuce leaves while carrying on a conversation.

La Scala’s answer was deceptively simple: chop everything into bite-sized pieces, toss it with a bright vinaigrette, and make every forkful complete before it ever reached the table. The result was a salad that felt effortlessly polished—easy to eat, easy to share, and perfectly aligned with the relaxed sophistication that defined Los Angeles dining. More than half a century later, that simple idea remains as appealing as ever.

The Original Chopped Salad

The classic version is intentionally simple and tightly structured:

Shredded iceberg and romaine
Julienne salami
Shredded mozzarella
Garbanzo beans
Tangy Italian-style vinaigrette

Everything is cut small so it blends into a cohesive mix. The garbanzo beans add a soft, nutty creaminess and a bit of structure, rounding out the sharper edges of the salami and dressing. The salami brings salt and depth, and the cheese adds a mild richness. The greens are finely shredded so they integrate rather than act as a base.

La Scala-Style Chopped Salad

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