Cream of Hatch Chile Soup

Cream of Hatch Chile Soup

🔥 Cream of Hatch Chile Soup 🔥
Garnished With
Tortilla Strips, Mexican Cheese, Jalapeño, Cilantro

With only three (3!) ingredients, this soup is astonishingly complex and flavorful. Chiles grown in the Hatch Valley have an ideal balance of smoky heat and sweetness. Their unique flavor is a result of the Southern New Mexico sun and terroir.

By the way, this soup is muy picante but the cream and shredded cheese help to temper the spiciness. The heat level is customizable though… the hot, medium, or mild chile ratio can easily be adjusted to taste.

And while Cream of Hatch Chile Soup could simply be served naked, garnishes take it to another level where home-made tortilla strips add crunch, while thin slices of jalapeño and cilantro leaves add fresh complementary flavors and visual appeal.

Cream of Hatch Chile Soup

Cream of Hatch Chile Soup Recipe

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Basque Matcha Cheesecake

Basque Matcha Cheesecake

Basque Matcha Cheesecake

With the addition of one single component, Japanese Matcha Green Tea Powder, the now-famous cheesecake has morphed into something completely different. Here, the cake has a gorgeous striking green color, and the flavor has also changed dramatically. The recipe brings together ingredients from Basque and Japanese cultures for a novel fusion dessert.

We’ve made Basque BURNT Cheesecake several times, and it is always a big hit. With no fruit topping, no crust and five simple ingredients – cream cheese, sugar, salt, eggs, and cream – it is astonishing how absolutely fabulous the original cheesecake actually is…it is baked in a very hot oven so the top and bottom caramelize where the insides remain soft and luxurious.

The cheesecake recipe was originally developed by Santiago Rivera, Chef of La Viña in San Sebastian, Spain. The Chef says, “Its popularity amongst our clients have become La Viña Restaurant’s Cheese Cream Cake a great classic of the San Sebastian cuisine.”

Matcha Green Tea has an intense and complex flavor profile with vegetal grassy flavors, a unique sweet nuttiness, and savory umami notes.

The vibrant green hue is due to the high concentration of chlorophyll in the leaves, a result of the bushes being covered up in shade for about 3 weeks before harvesting. The whole leaves are steamed, dried, and then finally stone ground to a fine powder.

Basque Matcha Cheesecake

Basque Matcha Cheesecake Recipe

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Crispy Skin Black Cod, Spinach Dashi

Crispy Skin Black Cod, Spinach Dashi

Crispy Skin Black Cod, Spinach Dashi

Here is a black cod dish inspired by Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, but probably not in the way one would think. The legendary chef’s arguably most popular recipe is Miso Marinated Black Cod. A preparation that is absolutely worth every accolade. We recently enjoyed his signature black cod fillet at Nobu Paris Las Vegas, along with several other incredible dishes.

But here, I am preparing Alaska black cod simply, sautéed with crispy skin. It is served over a complex broth inspired by Nobu’s cookbook Nobu West where he shares a soup made with watercress (or spinach), dashi, and soy milk.

Black cod’s silky-rich luxurious flesh and its contrasting crispy skin are complemented by the extraordinary broth where spinach brings bright earthy green flavor and color, dashi adds umami and hints of the sea, tamari for salty notes, soy milk for a light creaminess, and rice vinegar for acidity. Steamed white rice is served on the side, it is heavenly dipped in the spinach dashi. Micro watercress is a nod to Chef Nobu’s original recipe.

Crispy Skin Black Cod, Spinach Dashi

Nobu's Miso Black Cod @ Paris Las Vegas
Nobu’s Miso Black Cod @ Paris Las Vegas

Crispy Skin Black Cod, Spinach Dashi Recipe

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Citrus Salmon Crudo à la Mayfair Supper Club

Citrus Salmon Crudo à la Mayfair Supper Club

Citrus Salmon Crudo
(Orange-Lime-Lemon Emulsion, Yuzu Kosho)

Citrus Salmon à la Mayfair Supper Club

Dinner at Mayfair Supper Club Las Vegas

A couple of years ago we had a wonderful dining experience at the Mayfair Supper Club at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Fine food and wines, impeccable service, and mesmerizing entertainment made for a most memorable evening. Totally enamored by their Heirloom Tomato Salad, I re-created it here.

Well… we recently returned to celebrate my sister’s birthday. And the Mayfair Supper Club again did not disappoint with its glitz and glamour and old-school clubby ambiance.

Citrus Salmon à la Mayfair Supper Club

Citrus Salmon Crudo à la Mayfair Supper ClubCitrus Salmon Crudo à la Mayfair Supper Club

Our Mayfair Supper Club Meal

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Sundubu Jjigae ~ Korean Soft Tofu Stew

Sundubu Jjigae ~ Soft Tofu Stew

Sundubu Jjigae ~ Soft Tofu Stew

Recipes for the popular Korean tofu stew, Sundubu (soft tofu) Jjigae (stew), are flexible. The recipes always include red chili powder and soft tofu, then perhaps add fresh vegetables and/or kimchi; the broth can be anchovy stock, chicken stock, or vegetable broth or water; it can be vegetarian or made with beef, pork belly, or seafood; the salty component can come from soy sauce, fish sauce or salt; sometimes an egg is added… sometimes not.

It’s spicy, silky, salty, and ultimately satisfying. It is a fast and easy dish, changing ingredients with whatever is at hand. Steamed white rice is served on the side to complement and balance the bubbling hot stew.

Sundubu Jjigae ~ Soft Tofu Stew

Sundubu Jjigae Recipe

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