Fresh Approach Cooking

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Everything is daisy-sunshine happiness these days. Summer rocks!

In other words...what's not to like?

Brilliance!

*grin*

And me, I'm taking the summer one day at a time. Lots of relaxing and lots of tooling around thinking about the wonder of it all.

And one great place to spend an hour or so is one of our lovely outdoor markets.

I'm sure you know (or have maybe read), the SoCal farmers markets are a bit of a dream in terms of edible options. A cornucopia if you will.

So if you are open minded, flexible with your menu and willing to try new things (and eat a lot of fruit) it really can be a guilt free and lovely day-time excursion.

Phew.

So here is my recipe for a grilled triple lemon fish - ingredients for which can usually be found year round at any good farm stand. Sustainable, delicious, delightful. Perky too. Zippy, really, if you must know. And except for the pepper, it all came from my local farmers market.

I only wish I had captured a better shot of this before we ate it on down...

Now try this my peaches, and taste the joy.


6 each lemons
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup black olives, diced, dry cured such as Gaeta
4 each Arctic Char, fish steaks, six ounces apiece
1/4 cup olive oil
1 each lemon, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon pink peppercorn, coarsely ground
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine the honey and lemon juice and set aside until ready to grill.

Marinate the fish in the lemon oil, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, pink pepper and salt at room temperature for no longer than 1 hour.

Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (yellow part only) from lemons in long strips. Squeeze 6 tablespoons juice from lemons. Blanch peel in small saucepan of boiling water 30 seconds; drain. Bring 6 tablespoons of the lemon juice, olive oil, canola oil, garlic, and pinch of salt to simmer in small saucepan. Add lemon peel and simmer over low heat until peel is soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the black olives.



Preheat your grill.

Grill the fish for 7 minutes per inch, basting once with the honey-lemon glaze. Remove and serve with lemon confit as garnish.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking

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© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright. And generally cheesing me off.

The city of Beverly Hills gave final approval Tuesday night on a deal that will bring a local restaurant from Thomas Keller, the only American chef with two 3-star establishments.Keller will be opening one of his casual-dining Bouchon bistros in Beverly Hills by fall 2009.

Popcorn was $11 for 20 lbs in January of this year. It's now $17 for the same bag.

Labels: Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Seafood

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There you have it my lovelies. A photo remnant of the last tuna I will be consuming for a long, long time.

(Insert heaving sigh.)

The last vestiges of the meal are heating in the oven now...ready to be consumed. (With a bit of trepidation if you must know.) Savored, savory, satiation.

Yup.

Tuna is off the menu.

Pity really. It's delicious stuff.

But peaches! It is just about time that we must all face the facts that it's also heinously over fished (and badly fished at that) and way up there on the "for-goodness-sake-people! Really? Please-stop-demanding-this" list. Right?

Right.

So as my one-small-person act of the week, I have chosen to avoid it from here on out.

Oh tuna, I will miss you, but I cannot consume you. No, no, not at the cost of the oceans, the earth and my general health.

From now on, I will focus my pesce-energies on mackerel and sardines and all the mid-range sea creatures that aren't a danger to myself and my pretty planet.

I promise to be a good, eco-friendly girl.

So with this dish, (recipe lifted almost entirely from The Hostess, who served it to me last week, and then repeated for your pleasure) I say adieu and close my eyes and hope and hope and hope that others will stop eating tuna too. At least long enough for you to rebound and for fishermen to find a less wasteful/more humane way to ensnare you.

Swim on great tuna.

For you my peaches, try this (not entirely summery, but entirely delicious and fantastically satisfying) dish and taste the (bittersweet) joy.

And thank you for indulging me in my lil' bitty soap-box moment. Sometimes a girl just can't help but say something that weighs heavy...ya know?

2 ounces seared tuna (I brought mine home from a lovely and abundant dinner out), diced
1/2 pound whole wheat noodles, cooked and cooled
1/2 cup whole cream
2 teaspoons capers
2 tablespoons minced scallion
1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced
1 cup assorted wild mushrooms (I reconstituted dried)
1 teaspoon minced fresh savory or thyme
1 tomato, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Enough rinsed grape leaves to line your baking dish
Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 325F.

Toss together the noodles, cream, capers, scallions, olives, mushrooms and savory. Season with salt and pepper.

In another bowl, toss together the olive oil, panko and Parmesan.

Lightly oil a medium sized (you'll have to eyeball this) oven-safe baking dish. Line with overlapping grape leaves (gaps are fine). Fill with the noodles. Top with sliced tomato then panko.

Bake until golden brown on top. About 30 minutes.

Slice in to wedges and serve.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking

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© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright. And generally cheesing me off.

Yes, I did just read Bottomfeeder: How To Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood. I urge you to check it out.

New data released in 2006 by the WWF, the global conservation organization, revealed that bluefin tuna has almost been fished out of some of the Mediterranean’s oldest fishing grounds.Catches around Spain’s Balearic Islands in the western Mediterranean, for example, were down to just 15 per cent of what they were just a decade ago. Only 2,270 tonnes have been caught there in 2006, compared with 14,699 tonnes in 1995. - WWF

What's the difference between a fish and a piano? You can't tuna fish!

Labels: Entree, Pasta, Seafood

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Food.

It brings us strength and brings us together. It is, in it's way, the one true elixir.

I made this dish for Barbara and the A Taste of Yellow LiveSTRONG event. (See all the photos here.) It is a worthy cause and one I whole-heartedly support.

This dish is complex, as life is, and delicious as life should always be.

Try it my peaches, and taste the joy.

4 yellow tomatoes
1/4 cup minced parsley
grapeseed oil
Zest of one Meyer lemon
salt

2 yellow bell peppers
1 clove garlic
4 each dried apricot
white pepper
white wine vinegar
1 Meyer lemon
2 tablespoons butter
pinch of sugar

1 pound white asparagus
2 tablespoons butter
salt

4 six ounce pieces of halibut
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
black pepper
salt

Prepare a large bowl of ice water.

Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Using a small knife, make an “x” on the bottom of the tomatoes and core the stem from the other end. Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water until the skin is just beginning to curl (about 45 seconds) and remove to the ice water bath to stop the cooking. Drain and peel. Slice in to the tomato vertically and follow around to cut out the seeds and core, then lay the flesh out flat and dice small. Toss this with the minced parsley and grapeseed oil. Do not season with salt until you are ready to plate.

Roast the yellow bell peppers over an open flame until charred on all sides. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam. After five minutes, rub off the charred skin and remove the stem and seeds.

Meanwhile, in a (very) small sauce pan, simmer the garlic and apricots in a small amount of water (just enough to cover the bottom of the pot.) until the apricots are soft and the water evaporates.

Puree the bell pepper, garlic and apricots in a small food processor. Taste and add white pepper, white wine vinegar and lemon juice to taste. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and set aside.

To make the asparagus. Trim the very ends and peel the stems all the way to the tips (leaving the tips in tact.) add to a sauté pan in a single layer and add just enough water to cover half way. Add the butter and salt and simmer until the water has evaporated and the asparagus is cooked through (with white asparagus you want it cooked all the way.)

Meanwhile, season the presentation side of the fish with the curry, pepper and salt. Heat the grapeseed oil in a small skillet and sear the fish, turning once, until cooked through.

To plate. Drizzle some of the yellow pepper coulis onto a large plate. Lay out the asparagus, then top with the fish and the tomato concasse. Season with salt and serve.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking

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© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright.

Concasse - Applying to raw or cooked tomatoes: Peeled, seeded and diced.

Human epidemiologic studies have suggested that eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli is associated with reduced risk for bladder cancer. - Today's Senior

LiveSTRONG with A Taste Of Yellow has been accepted by the Lance Armstrong Foundation as an official LiveSTRONG Day event.

Labels: Entree, Gluten Free, Seafood

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Me, I'm a lucky girl to have two older brothers whom I love very much...the seriously brilliant one (IBBBH*) and the stunningly genius one (IBBBJ**).

And, heck yes, I'm bragging.

Both of my brothers are tall and handsome, hard working and goodhearted. (Frankly, I find it altogether shocking we all come from the same gene-pool. I can barely balance my checkbook half the time! So really, I got nothin' on um. Plus the really disconcerting part is that our sister is actually the smart one. Scary...innit?)

The younger (I'm the youngest) is the one who makes me laugh, he is the political one, with a serious penchant for quality foods, and the older one (well, also political) is the one who challenges me to be a better person, who sits up straight, and is infinitely patient.

IBBBJ lives in NYC. Making the world a better place. IBBBH resides in Southern Spain...making the world a better place too.

I love visiting NYC to hang out with my IBBBJ. I am always beyond excited to see him and go out do dinner, so he "can show off by getting (me) something fancy."

It takes a bit more to get organized enough to haul myself across two continents. But when I do I bask in the warmth of IBBBH's wonderfulness (no, not a word...) where the main focus is always family (and, flamenco, or so it seems. Lots of Flamenco.) and eating. This is me after all. While UBBBH is not exactly a foodie - he likes his brown bread and herring more than most things - he is indulgent (if not bemused) by my obsession.

What both of these boys (okay, fine, they are men) can agree on, food wise, is this extremely classic tapas, inspired by the bounty of Andalusia.

So easy to make, so deliciously tempting. It will make your head spin for a moment. In Spain, or New York, or where ever your family happens to be.

So try it my dears, and taste the joy.

8oz salt cod, soaked in cold water for a minimum of twelve hours, and up to 24
1 sprig parsley
2 whole cloves
1 lb russet/Idaho potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup Spanish olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Black pepper and paprika
At least, 15 piquillo peppers, drained, rinsed and pat dry
½ small onion

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and mash well.

In a sauce pan, add the salt cod parsley and cloves, and cold water, just cover the fish. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and let stand for ten minutes. When the fish is cool enough to handle, drain and flake the flesh into a bowl, removing the cloves, parsley, bones and skin.

Place the fish, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor bowl and pulse to combine. Add the potatoes and pulse again. With the motor running, add the olive oil.

Season with pepper and paprika.

Spoon the mixture inside the piquillo peppers.

Reserve any remaining filling. Season the remaining filling with finely minced onion.

Preheat the broiler to high.

Arrange the peppers in a single layer in a broiler-proof glass baking dish. Pour 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over them. Sprinkle salt over the peppers. Broil for 5 to 6 minutes.Serve the hot peppers on a bed of the filling.

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*How smart? He once co-authored a paper entitled: The Quantum Vacuum and the Cosmological Constant Problem

**How smart? He earned his masters degree at age 19.

Locally, piquillo peppers can be purchased at Surfas in Culver City, La Española in Harbor City and Nicole's in Pasadena. I have also seen them at Cost Plus, Whole Foods and Bristol Farms.

The name piquillo means "little beak". Traditionally piquillo peppers are grown in Northern Spain - GourmetSleuth.com

Labels: Appetizer, Gluten Free, Seafood, Tapas

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Okay, so I went, let's see -- 14 years (?) without eating mayo.

Yup, you read that right. 14 years. I think I was counting calories. Or perhaps...avoiding my fate...

Then, one glorious afternoon, as it sat, glistening in a small ramekin, mixed with chipotle chiles and a touch of parsley - along side some marigold hued sweet potato fries - I started tentatively back in. I never looked back.

In those first few days back from self-restriction-Island, I became a tad bit obsessed. I ranted. I raved. I ate it with a spoon. (Sick! And yet...) I considered slathering it on as a moisturizer. I became a vocal proponent. A knife wielding advocate.

Mayo man, it's da bomb.

Sure, it has some (fantastically) over the top negatives associated with it. Spoiled luncheons. Fat. A certain way of coating the mouth.

But to this lil" blogger, its' the bestest.

I mean come on now kiddies - it's oil! It's a touch of mustard! It's eggs. It's magically delicious.

Pair it with a few of my favorite things (mussels and tarragon) and voila...dining perfection.

A simple sauce, without compare. Livens up briny mussels and makes for a meal to remember.

Fragrant, rich, mouth wateringly divine.

Try this, and enjoy.


2 lbs mussels, cleaned (I used green lip...)
1/2 cup mayo
2 cloves garlic, mashed
pinch of salt
a hearty pinch of minced tarragon
a loaf of rustic bread, sliced thick
olive oil
pepper

Combine the mayo, garlic, salt and tarragon. Mash up with a mortar and pestle (or should that read: Mash in a mortar using a pestle? Either or, I suspect you get the idea) or in a food processor. Set aside to rest while you finish up.

Heat a grill to HIGH. Like insanely high. The hottest it will go. Throw on your mussels on the lower bit and the bread (which you have sliced and slathered with oil and pepper.) on the upper rack. Shut the top. (If you don't have two racks...put the bread on some foil to the furthest edges.) Let cook for 3 minutes. When the lil" guys are open, pull them out quick.

Scoop the mussels into a bowl. Top generously with giant glops of that sinful mock-aioli. Serve with bread. Relish the moment. Repeat as needed.


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Aioli - a cold egg and oil emulsion with olive oil and garlic. Many variations of this sauce are made. Basically is is a garlic mayonnaise. AAA Recipes.com

Tomorrow is World Blog Day!

In Greece a week of forest fires have have laid waste to at least 454,000 acres of land, most of it in the Peloponnese, the glove-shaped southern peninsula where about a third of Greece's olive oil is produced.
The flames might not devastate the overall olive oil industry in Greece, the world's third-largest producer: Initial estimates indicate about 4 percent of average annual production will be lost. -AP

Labels: Grilling, Seafood

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Greetings and salutations my fine friends!

D'ja miss me?

Yea, I missed you too.

The summer is flying by, with good times being had all around. Busy stuff indeed.

Met a macrobiotic rock star (who is weirdly related to my teenaged crush.) who changed my world for about 30 seconds with his guru-esque ways. Went to the Aquarium. Got a sunburn (ouch.) Wished I could somehow know in advance where Britney Spears is gonna be so I can avoid her. (The papparazzi crush around that poor child is surreal. And annoying. Especially when you are in the car behind her. Im just saying.) And generally hung out, maxin' and relaxin' as I'm prone to do.

But I'm back for a bit just to say hi-how-do-ya-do and share a recipe I am just wild over.

It's a real interesting combo of intense flavors and vivid psychedelic colors. Perfect for a light summer meal, or just when you want to rebel against the macrobiotics in general.

Try it my peaches, and enjoy!

4, 4 oz. tuna tuna steaks
2 chiles, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1 T. grated fresh ginger
1 T. tumeric
1 T. garam masala
2 T. lemon juice
1/2 cup cilantro
Salt

Puree the chiles, garlic, onion, ginger, tumeric, garam masala, lemon juice and cilantro in a food processor and puree. Add some salt. Puree again.

Cut the fish into large chunks. (Mmm. Chunks.) Coat the fish with the puree and let sit for 10 minutes at room temp.

Heat your grill or grill pan.

Sear the tuna for about a minute per side (more if you want it anything past rare...)

Slice and serve with basmati rice.

Makes four servings.

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Check out this awesome, random article on my darling Treva. She sure makes a kid laugh...

Marcobiotic: A very restrictive diet, containing mainly whole grains, considered by its advocates to promote health - Health.net

Garam Masala: Literally 'hot mixture'. This refers to a blend of spices much loved in Northern Indian cookery - Geocities

The company that makes Wonder Bread, the white bread with red, yellow and blue balloons on the wrapper said Tuesday that it was closing its Southland bakeries and laying off 1,300 workers. But junk-food lovers can take heart: The company locally will still make Hostess Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos and other snacks. - LA Times

Labels: Entree, Grilling, Seafood

Labels: Entree, Pork, Seafood

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Australia is just the best.

Not that I've ever been there (I have an aversion to flights that long. Anything that lasts more than 12 hours - and I am out.) but they have such a cool vibe, and a good thing going. Sun, surf, food.

They are so rockin' a country/continent in fact, that they had a party just to introduce some of their fancy-foodstuffs to our shores and wadda ya know...I was invited.

G'Day indeed!

We ate lamb, (natch) and kiwi jam. We had fois gras (take THAT Chicago.) and lots of other things that I forget because of the copious amounts of wine. Lovely Down Under wine.

And as part of their brilliant marketing strategy, these culinary goodwill ambassadors gave out goody-bags. So we could continue the gluttony in the privacy of our own homes. (It's as if they some how knew their product would end up getting reviewed on line...)

Oh yea baby.

Good-ies!

My favorite item, by far, was this adorable can of tuna. G'Day Gourmet (TM) Tuna.

I know what you are thinking, I do...can of tuna? What gives?

But seriously kids, this is more than just a can-o-tuna. Its sustainable, low/no mercury, TASTY tuna. Seasoned tuna. Mild Indian Curry seasoned tuna. Lip smackin' goodness right out of a can.

This stuff is my idea of pre-made food heaven. It is just what I look for in a quick-bite-delight. Really flavorful and earth friendly.

Can I get a "hallelujah!"

(The packaging is way cute too...seriously adorable.)

And I didn't just slap this stuff between two slices of bread and call it luncheon...no I did NOT! I made it into Empanadas (omg, SO perfect with that recipe) and into this tuna salad extraordinaire.

This light, wiz-bang-pow flavor packed, nutrient dense, high protein, low-carb (ack, sorry, had to say it) wonderment. It may seem like a funky combo, but the sweetness of the pickles, and the crunch of the water chestnuts perfectly match the richness of the fish and the fire of the (0optional) chile.

So good.

SO good.

So if you find some of this on your grocers shelves (Whole Foods has it.) this is the perfect way to indulge in its savory sinfulness (actually, not sinful at all, I was just going for alliteration.) and if you don't have access to it...well, for one, ask your grocer to add it, or try adding some curry powder to your regular tuna. Not as good, but still a plan.

Okay, and now the recipe! Enjoy!


3 cans G'Day Gourmet Mild Curry Tuna
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup peas
1 small Thai chile, minced (optional)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled, diced and cooked
Some parsley, minced
1 heaping teaspoon sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup water chestnuts, slivered

Combine all, season to taste with salt and pepper. Let sit to meld, about 15 minutes.

Makes enough for four servings. Can be reduced or increased as you like.

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62-year-old Jennifer Brown was thrilled to be awarded second place for her Victoria Sponge in a baking contest at her her village carnival in Wimblington, Cambs England... and she was intrigued to find out which cake had beaten her tasty treat to the top spot. Then judges revealed her cake had been the ONLY entry. Organisers had spotted her sponge had rack mark indentations from where it had been in the oven - and decided it just wasn't up to the high standards demanded of coveted top place. "I must admit I have never heard of coming second in a one horse race before. "But I haven't taken it personally - I had a good laugh about it." - The Mirror, UK

The term curry was invented by the English, East Indian Trading Co.

G'day Gourmet offers seasoned tuna and salmon. Other choices include:Chili, Lemon Pepper, Mild Indian Curry, Tomato Basil, Tomato Onion, and Tomato Salsa. I tried them all, and loved them all.

Labels: Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Luncheon, Salad, Seafood

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I was down in San Diego recently, trying my level best to zen out.

Why? It is just a nice place to focus on emptying ones mind. (Well, if you don't have a place in Palm Springs that is. But if you do have a place in Palm Springs, well, Hi! My name is Rachael and I want to be your new best friend.)

I was there for a few days to relax, enjoy and focus on finding my own personal Bodhi tree, as it were. But try as I might to focus on getting my mind to release, what I just kept finding myself wondering was if the real key to happiness is being a former member of (late 90's boy band) N'Sync.

I mean, of the two former members of said band that I can actually name/think of/picture, they both seem to be living quite large (in the parlance of our times) these days, right? Right. And the one that I somehow ended up having dinner with, well, bless his heart, he seems like a real swell kid, and living large only begins to describe this young gentlemans liifestyle.

We were a large group, and I certainly was the only person there who was a friend of a friend of a friend of the bartenders next door neighbors best friends hairdresser, but none the less, there I was, basking in the oddly B-list glory of it all. (And yes, I am throwing out this story because I jokingly mentioned another "celebrity" in my last post. Just keeping up with the theme you see. The theme.)

But the best part of meeting a boy who I really had no clue about, (minus distracting me from my Buddhist-ish mission) was hearing some strange tales of his fan encounters. Stories involving things like ladies undergarments, large stuffed animals and food. Lots and lots of food. Eating it, being given it, shopping for it, and most importantly (to this rambling post), having it thrown at you.

Now, I am not one to take another persons story and make it my own (and let's face it, I could hardly pass off a 26 year old boys encounter with a tweenaged girl in a supermarket somewhere in central Florida as my own, try as I might) but I will say that should you ever find yourself face to face with your teenaged dream boy, lobbing produce at him is not the way to go. Nope. Under no circumstances should you find a root veg and toss it his way.

On the other hand, you can invite him over for luncheon and offer up said root veg in a delicious and media-body-conscious medley such as this. It will knock his socks off. Much as the beets in his story did...but that is for him to tell some other time.

For now, try this and enjoy!

2 avocados, sliced thin
2 large tuna steaks, diced
2 large beets, roasted, cooled and diced
1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 red onion, minced fine
2 Tablespoons highest quality olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 anchovy, mashed (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, combine the onion, olive oil, vinegar, mustard and anchovy. Season to taste. Divide into two bowls. In the first bowl, toss in the beets and let marinate while you compose the dish. In the second bowl, do the same with the tuna and cucumbers.

Lay down a layer of the avocado on four chilled salad plates. Top with some of the tuna and then the beets. The beets are going to stain everything red, so don't stir them around too much. Drizzle with any remaining dressing, season with pepper and serve.

Serves four.

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Buttery Goodness Now America's Top Domestic Product. New data from the U.S. Commerce Department show that rich, buttery goodness beat out automobiles, timber, and crispety-crunchitiness as the country's most valuable commodity in fiscal year 2006. "Soaring demand among consumers for the melt- in-your-mouth sensation of buttery goodness, combined with increasing production efficiency, meant that more then 32 million tons were manufactured and consumed last year," said Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, who noted that sales of chewy, double-stuffed deliciousness stagnated in this same period due to inflation and regional shortages of cream filling. Domestic orders for farm machinery, icy-cool mint, and computer components also fell last year. - The Onion.com

N'Sync did a commercial for McDonalds in 1999.

And yes, name dropping is tacky, bad form, and all that. But in this case, I plead guilty for the sake of comedy. Thank you.

Labels: Gluten Free, Luncheon, Salad, Seafood

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Hi ev'body! Did you have as rockin' a weekend as me?

(Minus the outrageously killer Sunday morning hang-over, I should say...and for that I am compelled to give a shout out to The Ombudsman, provider of beverages and my date for an awe inspiring evening of food and revelry with Ghetto Gourmet...check it out if they come to your town. Oh, and while I'm promoting things to do, if you love LA, and her history, all served up with strong drinks and an uber-cool vibe, get thee to The Edison.)

And now, on to the post at hand...

Ignore the salmon in that photo. This here post is NOT about that pink fish.
(Which was tasty, by the way. I cooked it over high heat in some olive oil, then salted it. That's all. Simple. Gourmet.)

Nope, this post is about my new addiction. Cucumber, uh, sauce. Cucumber-dill sauce? Wait, is it raita? (I guess not, since raita is made with yogurt...) How about Cucumber-Dill-Sour-Cream sauce. Sure, that works. (Now that the hang-over is fully worn-off: Actually, I think its tdziki. Thanks for reminding me Kalyn!)

I gotta tell you, as a girl who loves her dill, this is like, all kindsa gonzo-goodness. A mouthful of yum. Big grin tasty.

And it just gets better the longer it sits. So make it a few hours in advance, and then enjoy (doesn't work as a dip with carrots though, it's not minced enough. If you want to go that direction, totally mince the cucumbers.) it any which way you can think of. Salmon is a natural match, but I loved it on cooled, roasted potatoes too. What can I say. I'm an addict.

Try this, and enjoy.

1 medium hot-house cucumber (I didnt peel it)
1 lemon
1 large bunch, dill
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon white vinegar
white pepper and salt to taste
sugar if needed

Shred the cucumber using the largest holes on your box grater. Using the smaller holes, zest the lemon. Stir the cucumber and the resulting liquid together with the zest and the rest of the ingredients. Adjust all as needed. (I added a touch of sugar at the end, which was nice.)

Let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes, or in the fridge for up to six hours. Serve with grilled salmon, cooled roasted potatoes, as a sandwich spread or with roast beef.

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Sour cream is made by adding a special bacterial culture to light cream. The bacteria produce lactic acid, which sours the cream. Sometimes manufacturers use food-grade acid instead of bacteria to make sour cream. The product must be labeled "acidified sour cream" if this process is used. - USDA.gov

Tonight in Birmingham, Oakland County, Michigan, the City Council is meeting to decide the fate of "the controversial but hugely successful Blue Martini lounge" by holding a vote to allow them to renew their license. If you are in the area, and want to get involved, find more info here.

Labels: Condiment, Entree, Seafood

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Do you ever want to run away from home?

I guess that is another way of saying...go on vacation.

So my question really is, do you ever want to go on vacation? (My, what a silly question! I liked it better the other way!)

I know I feel that way sometimes.

Happily, my daily life is like a vacation, minus room service, so I don't have too much to complain about.

Then again, I do long to escape here and again.

And my solution?

Make something to eat that I would only eat on a tropical island. Far from prying eyes. Something I can pick at with my fingers. Or slurp with abandon.


Something lush and opulent. Jewel-like in its precious beauty. (Wow Rachael, feeling over the top today? Why yes, yes, I am.)

Something like this.

Shrimp salad.

Salty, succulent, crunchy, rich (and riche), cooling and finger-lickin' good. And if you really want, you can eat it with your fingers (though, wrapped in a lettuce leaf is nice too)

Try it, and enjoy!

1 pound cold small shrimp, cooked and peeled
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup sliced cornichons (gerkhins)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs: oregano, parsley and dill or tarragon
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice


Whisk together the mayonnaise, herbs, mustard, and lemon juice in medium bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serves four as a light entree.

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The California freshwater shrimp is a federally listed endangered species

97% of American homes keep ketchup in their kitchen and we consume approx. 3 bottles worth a year. 4 tablespoons of ketchup have the nutritional value of an entire ripe, medium tomato

The flavor of zucchini is best when it is less than six inches long

Labels: Entree, Luncheon, Seafood

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I was supposed to bring food to a Post LA-Marathon Party on Sunday afternoon.

Something indulgent, but light, high in protein, but balanced. A tricky combo indeed.

Now, as an aside, I really shouldn’t go into my thoughts on this act known as a marathon because I find it doesn’t win me any friends…but then again, it's my blog, so here it is…don’t these people know that at the end of the original run, the guy DIED? I’m just saying. Food for thought, if you will.

And forget about the traffic jam it causes in a town that really doesn’t need that sort of headache. Insanity.

I say take the whole nutty shin-dig out to the desert and let me be…but then again, if they did that, I wouldn’t have gone to the party of the year. So there you go.

And don’t you want to know what I brought? (Of course you do, or else why would you have read this far?)

I came with this simple, vibrant, perfectly balanced delight. So easy to make you will wonder why you haven’t done it before. Took three minutes to make, dicing the salmon being the most involved task.

So my dears, try it, and enjoy!

2 medium filets sushi-grade salmon, skin removed
1/2 cup fava beans
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
Light olive oil
Zest of one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss everything together in a bowl. Let sit for five minutes to meld. Serve.

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Tarragon was used by the Greeks as early as 500 BC. The Arabs named it “turkhum” which means dragon. The tradition has been continued by the French who call it “estragon.” - Food Reference.com

Chinook salmon are the largest of the Pacific salmon, with some individuals growing to more than 100 pounds.

Why did the cookie go to the doctor? Because it was feeling crummy.

Labels: Entree, Gluten Free, Luncheon, Salad, Seafood

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That right there is one downright sexy bite of food.

So when it comes to dinner, I want you kids to be the first to know...

I'm bringing sexy back...

Fragrant seared mint, silky raw tuna, slippery cold udon noodles.

It's sure to tickle your palate.

And because it takes less than 15 minutes to make, you'll have the whole rest of the evening to focus on other things...

1/2 pound green tea udon noodles
1 teaspoon lemon zest, plus 1 teaspoon juice
1/4 cup cooked edamame
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
2 large yellowfin tuna steaks
2 tablespoons dried mint
1 additional teaspoon vegetable oil

In a large pot of heavily salted water, boil the udon until just cooked, about six minutes. Remove from the water, drain and toss with the lemon zest, juice, edamame, vegetable oil, sesame seeds and fresh mint.

Wash the fish and pat dry. (If it isn't dry, the mint won't stick) Pour the dried mint onto a shallow plate and coat the fish, pressing it into the flesh.

Heat the additional oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the tuna. Sear for two minutes, then flip and sear on the other side. It should remain raw inside. (My tuna isn't pink because I buy it untreated. It is, therefore, still raw in that picture. Get it?)

Remove the tuna from the pan and slice into 1/2 inch thick pieces.

Top with the udon and serve.

Makes enough for four as an appetizer or two as a main course

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Edamame, or green vegetable soybeans, are whole large soybeans which are harvested when the soybeans are still green. - Soya.be

Green tea udon is available at Trader Joes nationwide

Former boy band singer Justin Timberlake is co-owner of several restaurants, including Chi in Los Angeles and Destino's in NYC.

Labels: Entree, Seafood

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Saffron. Not just a character on television any more.

Nope that itty-bitty hard-to-harvest crocus stigma has found its way into my little heart.

Sure, sure, it’s the “world’s most expensive spice,” and that has a certain cache, but honestly kids, that's no reason to go adding something to your pantry! You use something because it's tasty, right? Right. (Sure. Right.)

In this case though, the sunburst orange filaments are really quite affordable in small doses. And heaven knows nobody (outside of a professional kitchen) needs a full ounce of the stuff. Do they? That would be madness. It's too strong a flavor to go (reasonably) overboard on. But as a hint. As a back rounder. As that “certain something” it really can elevate a dish to a whole other level. (In this case, the cliche level, I believe.)

For instance, in this fish stew (soup? I never can tell) it is a perfect foil. The sharpness cuts through the fish adding a unique and heady flavor. Catches you unawares for sure. The soup itself is hearty and filling and yet outrageosly good for you. What fun, right? So indulge my peaches! Grab some saffron, try this, and enjoy!


3 teaspoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large onions, chopped
2 large red bell peppers, large dice
1 green bell pepper, large dice
2 14 1/2-ounce cans chopped tomatoes in juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups low-salt chicken broth or 2 cups fish stock, 1 cup water
2 pounds mixed fish and shellfish (I used squid, large and small scallops, cod, shrimp, shark and halibut)cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, stems removed
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
salt and white pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes and lemon wedges for garnish (optional)


Crush the saffron threads and add to a small bowl with a few teaspoons of the wine.

Heat the olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until just golden, about 4 minutes.

Add the bell peppers and stir. Cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the tomato and zest and cook 2 minutes longer. Add the white wine and stock and simmer about 5 minutes.

Add the fish and reduce the heat to low. Add the parsley and saffron and let simmer another three to five minutes. You do not want the fish to over cook. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.


Serves four to six


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Saffron is the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus and is the world’s most expensive spice. It requires intensive labor and more than 4,600 Crocus flowers (Purple Saffron Flowers) to make a single ounce. Saffron crops quickly deplete the soil and so other crops must be planted and harvested for about seven to ten years in order to replenish the land. -Saffron-Spice.com

The only commercial scallop fishery in Alaska is off the outer coast from Cape Spencer to Yakutat. There are only nine permit-holders that fish for scallops. They use large nets to dredge the sea floor with. Crews can be as large as 11 members who run up to two dredges while shucking, washing, and bagging scallops around the clock. Alaska scallops are among of the largest in the world.- Fishermans Express.com

Stew: Any dish that is prepared by stewing.

Labels: Entree, Seafood, Soup

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Charlie is back in town. Creating havoc and confusion in his wake. In the best possible way of course.

It was a slightly chilly night when I got the text message his plane had landed and he needed a ride to the hotel. Of course, I had no warning he was hitting town. I scrambled to get glam and headed out the door. I’m a sucker for this man and his mayhem. He makes VIP seem pedestrian and makes me laugh so hard I can skip going to my abs class for a week.

For no apparent (to me) reason, he had reservations for a suite at a somewhat dodgy hotel out by the airport. He said it was "gonna be a riot." I said I didn’t doubt it, but murmered please check into the Peninsula or I was going to have to reconsider hanging out.

With a twinkle in his eye and a grin like a Cheshire cat, he stepped out to call a friend. 30 minutes later we were in a town car headed to Beverly Hills. My car was to stay out in dodgy-town..in case. In case of what I didn't want to know. (And for the record, my car is perfectly acceptable to any valet in town. It is shame free…now that it's been detailed…) I suspected this was part of a master plan. For what, I was yet to learn...

Now that’s what I call the start of a good time!

It was 2:30 in the afternoon afterall.

We hit the town running. Cocktails all around. We went back to the uber swank hotel. I took advantage of the palatial suite and drew myself a bubbly bath (that’s a bath with bubbles and a glass of champagne) while he went off to do whatever it is he does when I'm not looking.

Almost immediatly some of his more raucous cohorts appeared. They lured us out. We went to dinner at some sort of Hollywood nightmare so-VIP-it-doesn’t-exist private supper club (no photos allowed). The sparsly furnished room smelled like leather and woodsmoke. They served lamb so tender and flavorful I forgot to look up from my plate until it was gone.

We ended up a club that served smoked bar nuts in fishbowls. I'm officially over clubs. On to a party where the only food was a bag of oddly orange cheese puffs sitting forlornly in a bowl. We drank cranberry juice from a glass slipper (more on that some other time) and danced on a plexiglass covered infinity pool overlooking a twinkling canyon. We didn't fall in. Lucky thing, since that is the last thing I clearly remember. (And I clearly remember being perfectly okay right up until that point.)

In the morning, (or was it mid-afternoon) I awoke to a decidedly singed smell and it wasn't the room-service toast growing cold outside of my door. It was coming from him, crashed out on the divan in my room instead of his own. Nothing seemed amiss until I noticed the eyelashes on his right eye were decidedly gone and the perfectly cut blazer he had been wearing (but was now using as a blanket,) was missing a sleeve. He refuses to tell me what happened. For my own good he says.

I rolled my eyes.

I wondered about my car.

He drowsily made a call. This was all part of the plan.

Two hours later a lanky British C-list celebrity sporting an eye patch (I couldn’t make this up if I tried) and reeking of Axe, appeared at the door, tipped his hat and handed me the keys. He told me it needed to be detailed again and to tell Charlie "Thanks."

Head swimming, I stumbled back to bed.

This may not be love, (for the record, Charlie is just an old friend) but when we got to my house 48 hours later, he did make me eggs with caviar. Creamy, dreamy salty perfection.

He's cute AND he can cook...

I haven't got a clue when or where he got the ingredients (certainly not from my fridge) and when it comes to Charlie, it's better just to go with the flow. I just tucked in and sighed with contentment.


So my peaches, if you want to have a Charlie-style morning, all you have to do is make these and indulge. That's all there is to it.

1 pat unsalted butter
6 eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon creme fraiche (more for garnish)
pepper
2 heaping tablespoons caviar
minced dill or chives for garnish

In a large double boiler, melt the butter.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, creme fraiche and pepper (to taste).

Add to the butter and stir until creamy and cooked

Remove from the pan and divide between two plates.

Top with caviar and additional creme fraiche if wanted.

Serves two

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Caviar refers to the salted eggs (roe) of the fish species, sturgeon. Caviar comes from the Persian word Khaviar which means "bearing eggs". About.com

The legendary Peninsula Afternoon Tea is served daily to the accompaniment of a classical harpist in the beautiful Living Room. dining space.

For their 10th Anniversary WINE SPECTATOR is offering a month of FREE ACCESS TO THEIR ONLINE ARCHIVES.

Crème fraîche is made by inoculating unpaseurized heavy cream with cultures, letting the bacteria grow until the cream is both soured and thick and then pasteurizing it to stop the process. Thus, it cannot be made at home with pasteurized cream—the lack of bacteria in the cream will cause it to spoil instead of sour. - Wikipedia

Labels: Breakfast, Seafood

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It isn't often in my tame little world that a whole fish appears and needs to be contended with.

I can remember exactly when the last time was in fact. Last year with my edgy Food Loop bondage experiements. (An item I am tickled to say I have used time and time, and time again.)

Anyway, the other day this fresh water friend found it's way into my kitchen and just begged to become dinner. (Well, intitially it was going to go into the smoker, then into some dip, but alas, I was half way home when I remembered my stove top smoker was way too high up on the shelf for me to bother with and I havent got a back yard version anymore. Or a back yard for that matter. Pout.)

Then again, all this just gave me an exciting excuse to bust out my shiny fish poacher. (A tragically space-hogging pan I never really should have purchased, but well, I did, so there you go.) It only gets used, I'd say on average, once every three years? But when it does...good things happen. Like this.

Due to an enormously egregious error in alcohol-consumption judgement the other night left me with (the horror!) a half full bottle of champagne, (I know, can you believe?) my only choice was to find it a recipe to meld in to...

I can't say it's the fastest dish ever, but it isn't too complicated either. Mostly, it's just a divine way to practice making your basic fish stock. Or as our French friends call it, fumet de poisson. Either or, right? As long as it results in dinner. And in this case, heavens, dinner tastes just like it was served on a silver platter. (Which it could be of course, depending on your personal serving platter selection...)

The flavor is light and just elegantly sublime. Anything made with Champagne is bound to be! The grapes can be left out if that doesnt appeal to you, but I love how they swell up and add their fresh juice to the broth. (But peaches! If you want to skip making the fumet, that's okay! Use a pre made stock. No worries!)

So try this, and enjoy.


1 lb fish bones* (ask your fish monger)
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon each chervil and tarragon (additional for garnish)
zest of one lemon
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 cup flat sparkling wine or dry white wine

1 large (2#) trout
Tarragon, chervil and parsley
1 cup flat Champagne or dry white wine
1 carrot, sliced thin
1 onion, sliced into thin half moons
1 cup green grapes, halved


In a stock pot, melt the butter over a low flame and add the carrot, celery, fish bones, onion, wine and enough additional water to cover the bones. Simmer, VERY GENTLY (just below boiling) for 20 minutes. Add the herbs and simmer another 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool completely and let everything settle to the bottom of the pot. Do not disturb. Using a ladle, strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.

Preheat your oven to 300F

Wash your fish in cold water, inside and out. Stuff the cavity with the herbs and 1/2 the lemon zest. Place in your poacher and ladle in the fish stock. Add the additional wine and season with salt and pepper.

Poach for 20 minutes in the oven.

Remove the fish and the vegetables from the poacher, place on a plate. Remove the herbs from the fish and discard. Tent the plate with foil while you make the sauce.

Strain the remaining liquid into a large, shallow pan. Simmer over high heat with two pats of butter until reduced and slightly thickened., about four minutes.

Pour the sauce over the fish, garnish with additional herbs and serve.

Make enough for two (with leftovers)


*The fish bones should not be from an oily fish such as mackrel, but from salmon or trout.

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Poach: To cook food simmered in a liquid, just below the boiling point

In 1999, then Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman proclaimed October as National Popcorn Poppin’ Month

Grapes come in more than 50 varieties in black, blue, blue-black, golden, red, green, purple, and white colors with a juicy pulp inside

Huh. Two grape recipes in two weeks! LOL. I must be going grapey.

Labels: Entree, Gluten Free, Seafood

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Now my dearies, just a few days ago, I went on in depth with that fantastically enchanting topic: how to prepare horseradish, and before that, dazzled you with "How to make breadcrumbs."

What can I say, I’m just that kinda girl. Always making stuff in the kitchen. It’s just that I find (and purport) the easiest way to whip up dinner is to have a wide variety of ingredients in the pantry and ready for action. That way, when you (or in this case, I) invite people over to sit out under the stars on one of these outrageously beautiful summer nights (insert blissed-out sigh) making dinner is a snap. Won’t heat up the kitchen and leaves you more time to mix up cocktails, giggle with your true friends and really, really ponder the far reaching impact of Mabel Van Buren’s cinematic career…

The salmon here is simply the result of stirring, smearing and searing. I served it with some white rice with dill and a faboo fava bean and shallot medley (more on those little suckers some other time…) and was beyond pleased. Simple, chic and delicious. What more could a girl ask for? Try it, and enjoy.


3/4 cup breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for searing
salt and pepper to taste
4 medium sized (6 oz.) boneless salmon


In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, horseradish, tarragon, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Rinse the salmon and pat dry. Press a thick coating of the bread crumb mixture onto the top (not the skin side) and set aside.

In a large non-stick pan, heat a teaspoon or so of oil over medium high heat, gently place the salmon filets, skin side down, into the pan. Let cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Carefully turn and continue to cook until seared through, about 4 more minutes. Remove from the pan and serve immediately or at room temperature.

Serves four.



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Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave.

If you are in the UK next weekend, make sure to stop by A Taste of London.

Or if you are in L.A. Il Moro sponsors amazing wine tastings

Labels: Entree, Seafood

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Greetings from the land of milk and honey!

I know I have been a bit of a slacker with the whole posting thing lately, but my life has really been crazy hectic. I started my new gig last week, and am rapturously happy if not busy as sin. The people are nice (I know you were concerned) and the view out of my office window is of our friendly neighborhood Bloomingdales, so that is a great motivator to be the super star they think I am. Sure, being employed has cut into my fun time, but so far, I haven’t noticed too much. Its all so new!

Now let’s talk tuna, shall we? Mmm. Tuna. Me likey.

What I love so much about working with tuna is that if you have a truly great bit, anything you do to it is just icing on the cake. Am I right? Sparkling fresh tuna can be melt in your mouth delicious. This recipe sure is.

For this particularly tasty little entrée, all I did was coat with a simple mixture, sear, and voila, a perfect complement of crunchy warmth and smooth coolness. It is quite rich, so I suggest it as an appetizer, paired with a salad maybe. It is a recipe you can fiddle with easily and will come back to again and again. This particular version had me over the moon with the nutty, crunchy, zesty exterior working as a foil to the fish. Try it, and enjoy.

4 tuna steaks
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
4 tablespoons white sesame seeds
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon dried orange zest
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste


Combine the bread crumbs, black and white sesame seeds, orange zest and vegetable oil together and toss to coat. Pour onto a shallow dish and one at a time, press both sides of each of the tuna steaks into the mixuture to coat.

In a scortching hot dry pan, add the tuna steaks and sear for about 1 minute per side. Remove, slice and serve with wasabi-orange zest mayo or some soy sauce for dipping.

Makes enough for four

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Sesame seed is one of the first recorded seasonings. It grows widely in India and Asia. These tiny seeds come in shades of brown, red and black, but the most common color is a pale grayish-ivory. - Recipezaar.com

Fast Food chain Burger King's parent company said Wednesday it plans to sell shares to the public for the first time in the fast-food chain's 52-year history

American bread crumbs originated around 1947; around 1970, Panko bread crumbs originated in Japan. There are many differences between the two crumb styles, with the main ones being the texture and density. The American crumb coating is heavier and denser with the Japanese crumb being lighter and less dense. - Asian Food Grocer.com

Labels: Entree, Seafood

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You've seen them too right? Those crazy pink Food Loops? The adjustable silicone trussing straps that are oven safe to 675F/370C? I sure had, and when I ended up with a set recently, I just could not wait to try them out!

For my first experiment, I decided to make a basic stuffed trout, mostly because I wanted to start with something relatively easy that I wouldn't be upset about wasting if it hadn't worked out.

The Food Loop set comes with six loops, in an excellently vivid shade of pink that I suppose was chosen so they won't get lost in a drawer, or accidentally eaten (though, they would be pretty tough!). They also come with a small mesh storage bag that is dishwasher safe, which was a great thought on their part.

So what did I think? Well, they are without a doubt, absolutely clever in their design. They are long ropes basically, that are easy to handle and really do clench tightly and get a grip on the food. All of that without getting slippery-slimy they way twine does. I was also happy to learn that they cooled quite quickly after I took the fish out of the oven, so I could grip them with my bare hands to get them the heck off my gorgeous fish!

What I didn't realize ahead of time was that they are also pan safe, and I could have crisped the skin a bit in a skillet on the stove top first, but even without doing that I was super happy with the results.

The drawbacks? There is a bit of bulk you just wouldn't get with regular twine. The fish just couldn't lay flat on the side with the teardrop shaped end. I also had a bit of trouble turning the fish, again because of the bulk and also the extra length of loop that was sort of in the way. That being said, I wouldn't even consider that such a bad thing, since it is so outweighed by the pros.

So, if you want to try trussing with these fun little (FDA approved!) loops, I say go for it! To get you started, you can go with this recipe I made, its mind bogglingly easy and sumptuously delicious. Flaky, flavorful and easy as pie to make. Six ingredients, some Food Loops, 15 minutes in the oven and an elegant dinner is served. Try it, and enjoy!

4 Whole rainbow trout (boned)
4 Teaspoons unsalted butter
1 Small bulb fennel with fronds
1 Small (organic would be best) lemon
Sweet rice flour
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400F

Slice the fennel bulb as thin as possible. Mince the fronds. Scrub and slice the lemon into thin rounds. Mix the fennel, fronds and lemon with some salt and pepper.

Sprinkle some of your rice flour (or if you can't find that, regular flour will do) on a plate and dredge each fish lightly.

Now stuff the fish as full as you like with the fennel and top each pile with a pat of butter.

Truss with kitchen twine as normal or with Food Loops.

Place on an oiled baking sheet.

Bake for about 15 minutes, flipping once to ensure even browning. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Remove the loops, fish out the lemon slices and serve (with or without the heads!) with the sauce that has pooled in the pan.

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Rainbow trout earned a BEST rating from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program.

Gladstone's of Malibu claim they serve "the largest selection of fresh seafood on the West Coast."

Tomatoes are available by request only at Wendy's restaurants, a short-term policy that began in late December because of crop damage from hurricanes in Florida. Hurricanes made 2005 one of the worst years in recent memory for agriculture in Florida, which supplies more than half of the nation's fresh vegetables between November and February.

Labels: Entree, Gluten Free, Seafood

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Oh yea baby, this month I decided I was going to pander to the judges of Paper Chef. Not bribe mind you, just pander. Get into their heads, see what was there and concoct a dish so perfect they would contemplate flying down to LA to take a taste. It would be that fantastmagorical.

Yup. I had every intention of pandering. Down and dirty style. Pull out all the stops. Lay it on thick. Really blow the competition out of the water (and onto an island somewhere off the coast of nowhere) You get the idea.

Turns out though, there were a few things holding me back. Namely, that the judge is a humorous writer with a leaning towards fantastical whimsy, and I just plain am not that clever a girl, so a witty post wasn't on the list. Pout. And then of course, the competition is just too much fun to bring out any true sense of competition in me. Damn. Well, maybe next time the killer instinct will kick in (or at least the bribes) but not today.

So, in the end (as you can see) I didn't pander at all. I didn't make my dish in the shape of a penguin or include ingredients only found in a hardware store. I didn't spray-paint anything or do any interesting composites in photoshop, I didn't even write a funny post. (How DO comedy writers do it?) Nope, all I did was make a scrumptious dish, take the purdy picture, eat it, write this and send in my link.

It may not have been pandering, but it sure was delicious! Oh well, maybe next time.

XOXOX-
Rachael

Wait a second! I forgot the recipe. Doh! As you all know by now, (I'm hoping anyway) Paper Chef is an online event whereby four ingredients are selected at random and the participants have 72 hours to whip something up. This month the choices were Quinoa, Yogurt, Cashews and the mystery ingredient "something baby." (As in wee.) I opted for kumquats. Sure, they aren't the younger versions of themselves (heck, they aren't even citrus) but they are itty-bity, so I'm stickin' with it.

And the resulting dish? Broiled Perch with Quinoa-Cashew Crust & Kumquat-Pineapple Salsa. I used the yogurt under the crust, which kept the fish really tender and moist while under the broiler (that is the direct flame on the top of the inside of your oven that you use to brown things, for all of you who live in countries like England who call that thing by a different name that I don't know the name of) it also added a bit of tang to the rich cashew-quinoa crust. I liked the salsa because it was tropical, spicy, puckery-tart and fragrant-sweet, and went really well with the meaty fish and nutty quinoa. Aside from the time it takes to make the quinoa, this dish comes together quite quickly. Try it, and enjoy!

1 cup dried quinoa
4 filets perch or another white fish
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 cup cashews
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil
Zest and juice of one small lime
1 cup pineapple, small dice
1 small chile pepper, minced
3 leaves mint, minced
10 kumquats, sliced thin
1/4 teaspoon ground pink peppercorns
1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat your oven to 350F.

Toast the nuts until lightly browned, in a single layer on a baking sheet. About 6 minutes. Remove from the oven when browned and immediately chop in a small food processor until it resembles crumbly bits. (How's THAT for technical!)

Rinse the quinoa in several changes of cold water. (Don't skip this, it can be quite bitter if you don't)

In a medium sauce pan add the quinoa and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes, until fluffy. Remove from the heat and drain. Add the drained quinoa to a steamer basket or sieve and place in a pan over some water (not touching the water), cover the pan/sieve with a lid and steam for an additional five minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To make the salsa, combine the lime zest, pineapple, chile, mint, pink peppercorns, kumquats and macadamia nut oil and season to taste. Add lime juice as needed. Set aside until ready to serve.

Combine the steamed quinoa with the nuts, parsley and macadamia nut oil. Stir to coat.

Rinse the fish filets and pat dry. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly oil it so the fish won't stick.

Coat the top of each piece of fish with a thick layer of the yogurt. Top each filet with a thick layer of the quinoa mixture and some salt.

Broil the fish 10 inches from the flame for 8 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and the topping is lightly browned.

Serve with the salsa

Makes four servings.

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Paper Chef + Food

Pronounced keen wah, quinoa has been cultivated for 5000 years. It is classified as a grain but is technically the fruit of a leafy plant.

Quinoa, a seed grain of the Chenepodium family, it has a superior nutritional profile compared to other grains. It is a complete protein containing all the essential amino acids as recognised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. Quinoa's protein is of an unusually high quality. It is a complete protein, with an essential amino acid balance close to the ideal - The Produce Directory

January is National Fiber Focus Month

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute has statistics showing their 2004 efforts sold Japanese buyers 308,825 metric tons of wild Alaska seafood valued at more than $854 million

Labels: Entree, Paper Chef, Seafood