I don’t know what’s better in this dish: the fresh tuna or the mango salsa? The fresh-from-the-sea albacore tuna loin we purchased stayed so moist and tender during grilling, often times a fish that easily dries out. What perfectly topped it was the mango salsa. The sweetness of the mango balanced beautifully with the fresh [...]

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I was asked the other night how long you are supposed to cook crab. Good question! I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and have cooked and cleaned plenty of crab, yet I had never considered that it could be a daunting task for many. Silly, since I had no idea how to cook and [...]

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A few weeks ago I dined at the famous The Slanted Door in San Francisco, an upscale yet relaxed, modern Vietnamese restaurant that’s housed in the city’s historic Ferry Building. With floor to ceiling windows and stunning views of the Bay, the environment is vibrant and lively.
The Phan family, owners of the restaurant, successfully [...]

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I’m not the gambling type, but when we saw Clams Casino on the menu at The Oceanaire, I thought it was definitely something I could bet on. It’s funny, I had never heard of Clams Casino, and in the last two weeks they have surfaced twice.
You might say that Clams Casino are the cousins of [...]

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I always thought those reddish pink peppercorns were actually pepper, but I just learned they’re not! In fact they come from the Baies Rose plant (schinus bush), and are much more delicate than pepper. These semi-ripe berries are delicate, fragrant and sweet, yet also have spicy peppery notes. When you pop one in your mouth [...]

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It was very kind and considerate of the organizers of the all-women BlogHer to invite celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito as a guest presenter. Most of the women here were purring his name Rrrrrroco, and I must agree, he is pretty easy on the eyes.
If you were an attendee, and can’t remember what he cooked [...]

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You’ve had a long hard day, haven’t you? You’re hungry, you’ve worked your tail off, and the last thing you want to do is slave over dinner. I know the feeling. It’s days like this when all I want to do is veg out in front of the evening news with a nice glass of [...]

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Have you ever gotten disapproving looks at parties for eagerly scooping up too much of the caviar? That’s never happened to me per se (I’m much too sneaky to get caught), but if you have then you will enjoy this scoop-worthy roe.

Tarama is cod or carp roe that is salted, dried and sometimes smoked. [...]

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When we heard that drastic cuts in wild chinook salmon fishing were being taken I admit I freaked out a bit. I live in the Pacific Northwest. Salmon is a staple food up here! We need it like we need fresh air to breathe (well, that’s a bit of a stretch, but I will miss [...]

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This year several U.S. states and Canada suspended salmon fishing and are having major trade talks over fishing quotas. There is generally a wild salmon crisis in the Pacific Northwest, the world’s richest salmon fishery. For more, read the Seattle PI story: “U.S., Canada agree to cuts in 2 major salmon fisheries: Pact hopes to [...]

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