Fluke Crudo, Gochugaru Vinaigrette

Fluke Crudo, Gochugaru Vinaigrette

Fluke Crudo
Gochugaru Vinaigrette, Korean Pickled Radish, Bird’s Eye Chili
Luxardo Cherry, Scallion, Nasturtium

Its texture is firm and smooth and the taste is mild, fluke is an excellent fish to serve raw, Italian style – with oil, acid, and salt.

An intensely flavorful vinaigrette of olive oil and toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar and mirin, is enhanced with gochugaru, a Korean red chili powder. The coarsely ground powder is definitely spicy – but also has a balanced fruitiness, slight smokiness and depth of flavor from the sun-dried red peppers.

Korean yellow pickled radish, danmuji, brings sweet, sour and crispy notes while dark Italian Luxardo cherries add a dense, chewy sweet-tart unexpected counterbalance to the fish.

Finished with whimsical scallion curls and petite peppery-green nasturtium leaves, this Korean-Italian raw fish dish has delightful visual appeal and complementary global flavors.

Fluke Crudo Recipe

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How To Wake Up Your Oatmeal

How To Wake Up Your Oatmeal

Oatmeal Breakfast Bowl
Sunnyside Up Fried Egg, Avocado, Salsa Roja, Feta
Pepitas, Radish, Jalapeno, Cilantro

Would it not be a shame to behold a glorious sunrise, then turn to a boring bowl of beige oats for breakfast? Let’s fix that.

Sunrise Over the Port of Los Angeles

Sunrise Over the Port of Los Angeles

How To Wake Up Your Oatmeal

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Dove’s Luncheonette Crispy Breakfast Hash

Dove's Luncheonette

Dove’s Luncheonette
Red Potato and Shishito Pepper Hash

We sat in a Chicago luncheonette
Sipping a Mexican cola
And snapping pics as the countertops were bussed

His style was lusty, drawing inspiration from bygone diners
It was bold and gutsy

(a nod to Hall & Oates)

The 41-stool luncheonette sits next to the Damen “L” Station in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. A gem of a diner serving Southern inspired Mexican cuisine, it has all the charm of lunch counters of yesteryear – an original tin ceiling, earth-tone hexagon floor tiles, vintage wood paneling, antique fixtures with separate hot & cold faucets reminding me of the bathrooms in the Chicago Public Schools in the 60s.

But charm isn’t the main reason to take the “L” or Uber over to Wicker Park. Come to Dove’s for the soulful food, friendly neighborly vibes, and gracious hospitality.

Shortly after our visit to Dove’s, I was thrilled to find the recipe for Red Potato and Shishito Pepper Hash in Bon Appétit. I’ve already served it a few times here in LA, with rave reviews. Editor Julie Kramer says, “People accuse me of having a bias toward every food made in my hometown of Chicago. But I defy you to find a crispier, more satisfying breakfast hash than the one at Dove’s Luncheonette.”

Dove’s Luncheonette Crispy Breakfast Hash Recipe

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Bowl Crazy: Farro, Cucumber, Radish, Fried Egg, Yogurt Sauce

Bowl Crazy: Farro, Cucumber, Radish, Fried Egg, Yogurt Sauce

Bowl Crazy
Farro, Cucumber, Radish, Fried Egg, Yogurt Sauce

The food world has gone crazy for healthy grain bowls. And with good reason. They are fabulously nutritious, easy to compose, colorful and tasty, and can be economical often turning leftovers into another great meal.

Composing a grain bowl is fun. It is a creative construction of whole grains; vegetables (fresh, cooked, pickled); a protein (meat, fish, tofu, egg, beans); a flavorful sauce; and a jaunty garnish (nuts, seeds, herbs, cheese).

I liked the idea of smashed cucumbers and radishes in this recipe from Bon Appétit. In the end it was the wild spectrum of flavors and textures that made this particular bowl a winner – chewy earthy farro, crunchy peppery radish, refreshing cucumber, crispy fried egg, tangy creamy yogurt, and bright fresh herbs.

Farro Bowl Recipe

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Gefilte Fish, Made with Love

Gefilte Fish, Made with LoveGeri’s Gefilte Fish

Gefilte Fish made with love…for Passover, for our beloved family, for our cherished friends. While the gefilte fish doesn’t appeal to everyone at the Seder (to put it mildly) it does have a time-honored place on the Passover menu.

How To Make Gefilte Fish

It could have something to do with nostalgia and the memory of my Nana’s gefilte fish from Passovers long ago…but I love those fishy balls poached with carrots and onion now served with chrain, matzohs, and a delicious beet salad with citrus and walnuts. Especially when they’re made by Geri!

Several guests at our Seder adore the perennially controversial appetizer, while others politely refrain, due to its “ahem, fishiness” – but we all have to appreciate that it is made in respect for age-old customs and tradition, and ultimately made with love.

This year, I asked my dear Cousin Geri, who has been making our gefilte fish for decades, if she would share her recipe. It simply rocks. What took me so long to ask?

Gefilte Fish for Passover

Geri’s Gefilte Fish Recipe

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