Braised Short Ribs over Chickpea Fusilli #glutenfree

Braised Short Ribs over Chickpea Fusilli #glutenfree

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs over Chickpea Fusilli
Roasted Cardamom Carrots, Horseradish Cream, Chives

Braised Short Ribs over Chickpea Fusilli is the second of two very popular dishes we served at “Sip & Savor: A Gluten-Free Experience” to support the Celiac Disease Foundation on behalf of Explore Cuisine.

Often, gluten-free dishes are vegetarian, as many health conscious consumers fall into both categories. However, there are several people with Celiac disease that are neither vegetarian nor vegan and simply crave dishes that are traditionally made with wheat, such as short ribs with buttered egg noodles.

Our dish is a gluten-free version of that crave-worthy meal. We substitute Explore Cuisine chickpea fusilli for the noodles and use gluten-free flour in the preparation.

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Lemon Butter Spaghetti Tower with Caviar

Lemon Butter Spaghetti Tower with Caviar, Creme Fraiche, Chives

Lemon Butter Spaghetti Tower with Caviar
Crème Fraîche, Chives

Taking little sturgeon eggs to new heights, the usual suspects are combined in an unusual presentation. Spaghetti is tossed with lemon butter and twirled into a tall tower. Chives and crème fraîche make their predictable appearance then the pasta is crowned with a most heavenly California caviar. It’s definitely a special occasion pasta dish.

Lemon Butter Spaghetti Tower with Caviar Recipe

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Wild Mushrooms

Wild Mushrooms

Wild Mushroom Still Life

There was absolutely no way I could resist the fantastic selection of exotic mushrooms for sale at the Torrance Farmers Market. Chanterelles, Black Trumpets, Cordycep Militaris, Chestnut Royale, Wood Ear, Persimmon Enoki and Blue Foots to name a few… I paired them with Pink Peppercorns from my neighborhood trees to create a mysterious and colorful Wild Mushroom Still Life. Due to their psychedelic deep lilac colored stems, the Blue Foots just had to take center stage.

The Mushrooms

blue

  • blue foot (pied bleu) – highly perfumed aroma and flavor, cook before eating

gold

  • chanterelles – nutty with a fruity aroma
  • cordeycep militaris – savory earthy-nutty flavor
  • persimmon enoki  – impossibly fruity!

black

  • black trumpet – buttery woodsy smoky flavor
  • chestnut royale – porous texture absorbs other flavors (like butter) well
  • wood ear – crunchy gelatinous texture

After the photoshoot, what did I do with all those various wild mushrooms?

Sautéed Branzino with Cordycep Mushrooms

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Ahi Poke and Sustainable Seafood

Ahi Poke and Seared Ahi

Hawaiian Ahi Poke and Seared Ahi

As food photographer for the upcoming 4th Annual Sustainable Seafood Expo, I had the opportunity to meet Shane Yoshimoto of Ali’i Fish Company and photograph (and taste!) his fabulous Hawaiian ahi dishes.

We are so excited for the upcoming grand-opening of Ali’i Fish in downtown Los Angeles where always-fresh Hawaiian seafood is expertly prepared to let the pristine nature of the fish shine through.

Quality, taste, sustainability, and authenticity are all hallmarks of Ali’i seafood. Raw fish has the potential to cause foodborne illness, so the sourcing, handling, and processing are of utmost importance to them.

Recently, the classic Hawaiian raw fish dish “poke” has exploded in popularity here on the mainland. Unfortunately, much of the raw tuna is imported and many foreign fishing fleets are not held to the same standards as U.S. fleets. To make a more healthful choice and to support sustainability, be sure to check the source of the tuna you choose to eat.

Shane says, “Ali’i Fish Company was founded with the idea of serving high quality, authentic poke and seafood dishes. Many of our ingredients are flown directly from Hawaii and our fish is always fresh and never frozen or treated with carbon monoxide gas.  We believe in sourcing from sustainable fisheries such as Hawaii and supporting US product when made available.  With over 40 years of combined seafood experience in Hawaii, not one aspect of our process goes unnoticed.”

Their Sesame Onion Ahi Poke will be served at the Sustainable Seafood Expo on October 1st. I’m very grateful to Shane for sharing his superb recipe here on Taste With The Eyes.

Sustainable Seafood

According to Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch yellowfin tuna caught in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) with handlines is a “Best Choice.” Yellowfin stocks are depleted everywhere except in the WCPO. Handlines have very low bycatch, and no species of concern are caught by this fishery.

Yellowfin and bigeye tuna caught in Hawaii’s Eastern Central Pacific Ocean (ECPO) with deep-set longlines is a “Good Alternative.” Hawaiian fleets have lower bycatch than international longline fisheries because of tougher U.S. regulations.

Ali’i Fish Co. Ahi Poke Recipe

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Back To School Pasta Dinner #glutenfree

Back To School Pasta Dinner #glutenfree #familyfriendly #chicken #peas #carrots

Back To School Pasta Dinner for the Whole Family
Chicken Breast, Peas, Carrots
Gluten-Free Chickpea Fusilli
Light Cheesy Creamy Sauce

This is an awesome recipe the whole family will love. It’s great for the start of a new school year with fall colors and a rich cool weather vibe. A satisfying but lighter style cheesy-creamy sauce made with low-fat milk coats organic protein-packed gluten-free chickpea fusilli pasta. It’s full of hearty-sized pieces of browned chicken breast and plenty of vegetables – peas and carrots – two of the most popular with kids.

The sauce is flavorful, but I’ve gone easy on the shallot, garlic, and nutmeg – so the flavors are there in the background but they are not a turn-off for the little ones.

And there are no icky green bits in the dish, I garnish with a large sprig of tarragon or parsley, that’s easy to remove! Serve finely chopped herbs on the side for adults to sprinkle on their dinner.

Back To School Pasta Dinner Recipe

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