Author: Lori Lynn

Patriotic Potato Salad Trifle

patriotic potato salad
Patriotic Red, White & Blue Potato Salad Trifle

I woke before dawn to the sounds of police helicopters. Remembering it was 9/11, I jumped out of bed and ran to my deck overlooking the Port of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Harbor. All was calm. Thank God. The day before, my friend Rachel, an LAPD officer, told me about the heightened security all over LA, especially where I live, near the Port. Like many other officers, she was on-call should any problems arise. The helicopters continued to fly over the port all day and into the night, ever vigilant.

As we honor the memory, admire the bravery, and mourn the loss of so many fellow citizens from a decade ago, I wish to express my gratitude to Rachel, to all the men and women in uniform, the heroes of today who continue to inspire us with their courage and work diligently to keep evil at bay.

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Grilled Baja Fish Torta

baja fish torta, swordfish sandwich
Grilled Baja Fish Torta

Grilled Fresh Swordfish with Grilled Nopalitos, Pineapple, and Avocado
Caper Cumin Aioli, Pickled Jalapeño, Cilantro
On a Bolillo (Crusty Mexican Oval-Shaped Roll)

Baja California Dreaming…years ago we would take road trips down to Mexico. Fishing was a must. So, naturally, were fish tacos. But our fish didn’t always end up in a tortilla with cabbage, salsa, crema, and a squeeze of lime – sometimes we enjoyed it on a special oval-shaped roll that was crusty outside with a dense yet soft interior. Serving grilled nopalitos recently made me nostalgic for Baja, the fresh-caught fish, and the endless cacti along Highway 1. Baja is home to more varieties of cactus, perhaps than anywhere else in the world, with many exclusive to the peninsula.

A torta can be filled with many things from meat, to eggs, to beans and vegetables, but the true signature of a torta is that it is FILLED! My grilled nopalitos with caper cumin aioli were a big hit, so here I incorporate those ingredients into a sandwich adding various flavors from my memories of Baja.

Fresh local fish of course, plus avocado, pineapple, jalapeño, cilantro, lime – and nopalitos on a bolillo, do indeed satisfy my nostalgia for Baja California…And since we were camping back then, the ingredients for this torta were grilled over an open fire.

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Grilled Nopalitos, Caper Cumin Aioli

grilled nopalitos
Grilled Nopalitos, Olive Oil, Sea Salt
Mexican Lime, Cilantro
Caper Cumin Aioli

Tired of grilled artichokes? No, neither am I.

I wasn’t looking for a surrogate but I found grilled nopalitos do bring something muy diferente a la mesa. Some think the flavor is reminiscent of green beans. But they must be talking about boiled nopalitos because grilled cactus paddle tastes a lot like a lemony grilled artichoke. So in the interest of continued summer grilling and using more interesting ingredients, I’m serving grilled nopalitos.

caper cumin aioli

And since artichoke and mayonnaise are one heck of a duo, I serve these with a caper cumin aioli. Each guest helps themselves to a paddle, a half-lime, some cilantro leaves, and a little ramekin of aioli. The best way to eat these nopalitos is with a knife and fork. Squeeze lime juice over the paddle. Slice one of the “fingers” into a bite-sized piece, add a couple cilantro leaves, and dip in to the aioli. Muy Delicioso.

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exquisite side: miso yaki onigiri

miso yaki onigiri with asatsuki

miso yaki onigiri flavored with asatsuki
sprinkled with furikake of blended seaweeds & sesame seeds

miso yaki onigiri stuffed with tuna

miso yaki onigiri stuffed with wasabi tuna
sprinkled with furikake of red pepper flake, sesame seed,
shaved bonito, nori, powdered plum

I substituted this popular portable Japanese snack dating back over a thousand years for a rice side-dish at a recent dinner party. The vegan style is flavored with asatsuki, spicy garlicky Japanese chive. The other style is the stuffed with tuna mixed with wasabi mayonnaise. These onigiri, Japanese rice balls, have been crisped on the outside, dressed with caramelized red miso paste, and dusted with flavorful furikake, a dry mixed-flavor condiment. The interior rice remains soft, warm and almost creamy while the exterior has a delightful contrasting savory crust. Two per guest is the perfect portion size, serve either one of each style per person, or two of the mixed-rice asatsuki for vegetarian guests.

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