Alaskan Cod, Mediterranean Style

Alaskan Cod, Mediterranean Style

Alaskan Cod, Mediterranean Style

Wild-Caught Cod, Cherry Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives
Artichoke Hearts, Onion, Lemon
White Wine, Olive Oil, Oregano

Sitting in a waiting room, flipping through Martha Stewart Living, I came across a recipe for a one-skillet fish dinner. I didn’t have time to read the recipe,  but I quickly took a photo of the description with my camera phone. This dish is my interpretation of that description.

And it just so happens that my friends over at Food Network are featuring “frozen treats” this week. Being a savory kind of gal, I am not really drawn to sweet icy desserts, but this dish, made by cooking frozen Wild-Caught Alaskan Cod is included in the event, because hey, it was frozen, and it is most definitely a treat! Try it with fluffy white rice or crusty French bread for sopping up the juices.

Alaskan Cod, Mediterranean Style Recipe

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Roasted Mushroom Noodle Soup & Roasted Barley-Corn Tea

Roasted Mushroom Noodle Soup
Roasted Mushroom Noodle Soup

Oyster Mushroom, Rice Noodles, Ground Beef, Beef Stock
Zucchini, Egg, Pine Nuts, Scallion, Garlic, Sesame Oil, Chiles

Roasted Mushroom Noodle Soup & Roasted Barley-Corn Tea

Roasted Barley-Corn Tea

It was inspired by a Korean soup casually known as “marketplace noodles.” But here I use rice noodles for my gluten-free friends and roast the oyster mushrooms for added depth and richness. In addition to a homemade beef stock, a wild assortment of garnishes take what could be a simple mushroom noodle soup to another level… I would even serve it to David Chang.

Pair roasted mushroom noodle soup with a roasted barley-corn tea. This intriguing tea is a combination of Korean bori cha (barley tea) and oksusu cha (corn tea). Barley adds nutty, grain-like flavors while the corn flavor is reminiscent of grilled corn on the cob.

Roasted Mushroom Noodle Soup Recipe

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Caesar Cardini Chicken Club Sandwich

Caesar Cardini Chicken Club Sandwich

Caesar Cardini Chicken Club

“I am probably one of the few people around who saw the real Caesar Cardini making his salad.
I was about 9 when my parents took me to Tijuana, just the other side of the border from San Diego. 

They were so excited when big jolly Caesar himself came to the table to make the salad, which had already been written up and talked about everywhere. And it was dramatic, I remember most clearly the eggs going in, and how he tossed the leaves so it looked like a wave turning over.” 
-Julia Child

This double-decker sandwich was inspired by Caesar Cardini’s famous combination of ingredients from almost a century ago. Over the years, many have added chicken breast to the salad to make a more substantial meal. Here, I cook up moist and tasty chicken burgers from freshly ground thigh meat. Garlic toast stands in for the croutons. And a caesar aioli and hard boiled eggs replace the original egg-garlic-cheese dressing. I use two types of anchovies, of which unfortunately, Julia Child would disapprove. She said, “You don’t want herbs and anchovies and things like that – then you have adulterated it.”  But fans of anchovies will agree that they add another layer of umami savoriness to the sandwich. Also included are lemon and parmesan cheese, in an effort to capture Mr. Cardini’s authentic flavor combination.

Amazing Chicken Burger Recipe

Caesar Cardini Chicken Club

Caesar Cardini Chicken Club Recipe

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Cherimoya Brûlée

Cherimoya Brûlée

Cherimoya Brûlée

Recently at the local farmers market, a woman walked up and started asking about an exotic fruit called cherimoya. I shared that while it was very expensive (a medium-large one cost almost $8) I thought that it was ultimately worth the price. At about the same cost per pound as a top sirloin steak, it is probably not a fruit you would have on the breakfast table every day – but to add variety, or when guests are in town, cherimoya is a special treat.

This fruit, native to the valleys of Ecuador, Columbia, and Peru, has a mysterious flavor and unique texture. The juicy white sweet flesh tastes a bit like pineapple, though not as tart, with a hint of banana, and maybe papaya. The aroma is heady and tropical. The texture is even more intriguing, less like fruit and more like custard. As I was explaining the cherimoya to her, a pineapple banana crème brûlée came to mind. And that is how this Cherimoya Brûlée was born…

Cherimoya Brûlée Recipe

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Vegetable Casserole with Fresh Herbs, Lemons and Cured Black Olives

Vegetable Casserole with Fresh Herbs, Lemons, and Cured Black Olives
Vegetable Casserole with Fresh Herbs, Lemons and Dry-Cured Black Olives

Potato, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Tomato
Lemon, Onion, Garlic, Parmesan, Dry-Cured Black Olives
Thyme, Oregano, Basil

The mandoline seems to be my go-to kitchen tool of choice these days. Thinly sliced vegetables and lemons are drizzled with olive oil and layered with fresh herbs, then baked for 40 minutes. Dry-cured black olives, Parmesan, and basil finish the dish. The result is a light fresh casserole that can be enjoyed warm or at room-temperature, easily wrapped up and whisked off to a picnic or the beach (or both). And would be equally fitting served as part of a fancy buffet dinner.

le pique-nique

Fresh Vegetable Casserole Recipe

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