Cornmeal-Crusted Flounder with Sauté Swiss Chard, Tomato Salsa and Cilantro-Almond Sauce Tacos
Tacos are a comfort meal that is close to my heart. Both Mom and Grandma made them, but eating Grandma’s tacos is a rare occasion. She lives five to eight hours by plane in California. Growing up, my family would visit her every couple years. To a kid flying for that long, it seems like an eternity. Back then; the airlines gave kids airplane pins, playing cards and other games to pass the time. Once the plane landed, Grandma with my aunt and cousins, would wave to us from the windows of the waiting lobby as our plane approached the airport. Read more →
Spicy Saffron Heirloom Tomato Sauce with Clams and Shrimp over Spaghetti
There was a “to do” list written for a productive, busy day. There’s a design proposal that needs to be delivered to a client. The food blog needs a new post. Pictures need to be downloaded. Work beckons my creative-thinking skills. All I want to do is lie down and sleep. I admire all my coworkers and friends who were able to leave out of town for at least a week this summer for a real vacation. New York City has been my vacation hot spot for years.
Despite being stressed from all of life’s beauties and fiascoes, the boyfriend casually announced he was going to the beach. He coyly smiled, “You can come, too.” He knew there was a slight chance, a break or a second option of me saying yes. Beating the odds, I said, “I’m getting my swimsuit.” I needed a break. Some rest. Splashy fun. This was my only chance of escaping from this summer’s excessive heat for a few salty airs of change. Read more →
Seared Tuna served with Black-eye Peas with Peach and Raw Grated Beet Salads
The Seared Tuna with the Black-eyed Peas and Peach Salad was served a few weeks ago, when it was too hot to cook. As this post is being written, the weather is cooler. Clouds fill the sky. The ground is damp from last night’s rain. Do I crave this meal in cooler weather like this? Not quite, but I’m posting this meal regardless of the weather. It’s still summer. It’s the middle of August. I’m hoping for more hot days, even if fall is quite a few weeks away. Right now, I’m focusing on this beautiful weather, rain or shine. Peaches, plums, figs, nectarines are at their best this time of year. It’s a coincidence that these fruits pair well with cinnamon and nutmeg, too. Perhaps, they’re sweet fruits warming us into the fall. Read more →
Having around the clock hot weather equates to less time in a kitchen. That being written, those fancy spring rolls we adore in many Vietnamese restaurants are simple to make. Unless you’re a restaurant superstar chef, don’t worry if the spring rolls are not perfectly shaped with the shrimp perfectly aligned in the transparent wrapper. Just have fun making them. Perhaps, the carrots can be blanched, for small details do make a difference in contributing to the overall taste. Use small to medium size shrimp that are peeled, deveined and precooked with this recipe to avoid turning on the stove and to save time. The smaller shrimp is sweet, and defrosting them takes a few minutes. Serve them with Peanut Sauce, coconut rice and a Pineapple-Tomato Salad, and this makes a beautiful dish best served cold on a hot day. Read more →
Salmon with Red Currant Salsa served with Sauteed Beet Greens
Mistakes happen. C’est la vie. A chicken died unnecessarily. It happened this past holiday weekend. A whole chicken was brought for one dollar a pound, that’s a good deal for a free-range, drug free chicken. July 4th weekend was spent enjoying festivals and seeing friends. We forgot and didn’t have the time to properly clean and freeze the poor bird. When it was time to season it for dinner, it wasn’t good to eat, because it had spoiled.
In this household, it’s not about the money that was wasted. It’s about a life that died unnecessarily, but karma has its ways of returning full circle. With a spoiled chicken, a menu had to be changed. Salmon was brought to quickly replace the chicken. Remember, the chicken was brought for one dollar a pound. It would’ve lasted two or three days, including “brown bagging” it for lunch. In New York City, lunch will cost an average of $10.00, if one is conscience about eating healthy. One pound of salmon will last for one day. So, I may have cooked a fabulous Salmon with Red Currant Salsa, but I can’t “brown bag” it for lunch the following day, because I try not to leftover fish, unless it’s a canned tuna salad. Read more →
