Thai Fish Cakes or Tod Mun Pla are loaded with the flavors of lemongrass, cilantro, and hot chilies. This recipe uses Thai curry paste, which provides layers of flavor without … Read more
Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp is kind of a dream come true for me. It’s easy to make (like, really easy!), delicious, and tastes like it’s really naughty but it’s … Read more
Szechuan shrimp is spicy and full of flavor. It is perfect for celebrating Chinese New Year or any occasion. And it’s easy to make, too! Chinese New Year is the … Read more
Salt cod—or any salt fish—is one of life’s beautiful accidents, a genius invention born of necessity. Way back when, before refrigeration, some brilliant person (or people) thought to pack fish in salt to preserve it. The salt not only enhances the fish’s flavor, but also intensifies its meaty texture. Versions of salt preserved fish are eaten all over the world, used in Portuguese, Spanish, French, Greek, and Chinese cooking, among others.
Today, I bring you another recipe from my latest book, Home Skillet: The Essential Cast Iron Cookbook for Easy One-Pan Meals. This time I’m sharing my recipe for Blackened Fish Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Cream. The best part is that you can watch a video of my friend and fellow food blogger Stephanie Weaver of Recipe Renovator cooking the recipe live on Facebook! And you even get to hear my commentary through the magic of technology.
Have you noticed, attentive readers, how much I love smoked fish? (Permit me to introduce into evidence Exhibit A and Exhibit B.) This is because smoked fish has a very delicious flavor! For lack of a more articulate explanation!
A few weeks ago, a multi-block power failure compromised the menu of the blowout cocktail party my mother was about to start cooking for.
Mom’s next-door neighbor, Marsha, came to the rescue by contributing this delicacy, which requires no electricity to prepare.
I am in no way using hyperbole when I say that I could eat this smoked trout spread every minute of every day forever.
It makes me wish I were a circus seal in training at a really nice circus where they reward obedient seals with this spread, on baguette slices, with a glass of wine.
And a crisp green salad. And the seals live in luxury hotel rooms with an ocean view, spotless bathrooms, and cable TV. That would be cool.
I owe a big thank you to my food-loving friend Carolyn for introducing me to this simple, delicious, nutritious sardine salad. (Sardines are packed with vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, and protein! Sardines are not packed with mercury! So says Wikipedia!)
This remarkably concise dish features only four main ingredients, each intensely flavorful. A small bite goes a long way.
And on a scale from effortless to elementary, this recipe’s difficulty rating hovers somewhere around “imbecile-proof.” Sardine-loving imbeciles, rejoice!
Serve with good bread or crackers, along with optional roasted red peppers and/or slices of hard-boiled egg. Makes a delicious small dinner plate, light lunch, or even breakfast for those inclined towards savory morning fare.
Shrimp bisque is a simple soup rich with the flavor of sweet shrimp, thickened with rice, and enriched with heavy cream. It’s easy to make, but the flavor and texture … Read more
I’m still at it: making crepes. Yes, I know, making crepes is not necessarily a lazy process, but despite the admittedly non-lazy labor required it’s actually pretty easy. If you can make pancakes, you can make crepes. Read how I do it here. Then try these blini style crêpes with sour cream, caviar, and chives.
Blini, thin pancakes similar to crepes, are a staple of Eastern European cuisine. They’re mandatory party fare for my Ukranian friends, who stack them high on a self-serve platter along with elegant little bowls of sour cream, caviar, and chives for guests to fill to taste. Last weekend I hosted a crepe brunch and took a cue from my droogs. I cheaped out and used capelin roe (the bright orange roe used for sushi) instead of traditional fancy caviar, but I heard no complaints. It’s delicious, lightly salty, and stunningly gorgeous. For variety I also served lox as a filling option, which guests used either with, or instead of, the roe.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about one of my favorite things to cook: crepes. (I admit, making crepes is not necessarily a lazy process, but if you’ve never made them before you might be surprised by how simple the technique is—very similar to making pancakes.) As promised in that post, here is one of my favorite crepe filling recipes. This simple sauté of shrimp, tomato, and chives is also delicious served over rice.
p.s. This crepe filling was inspired by San Francisco’s beloved Ti Couz restaurant, which closed back in 2011. Miss ya, Ti Couz. 16th Street just isn’t the same without you!