A simple sauce inspired this entire dish.
What do you get when you cook down fresh orange juice with lime juice?
The makings for a simple, sublime sauce that’s perfect for most anything.
The recipe for this easy “Citrus Sauce” first appeared in Everyday Food in September 2004. After cooking down the citrus juices, whisk in a little sugar, olive oil and Dijon mustard. That’s it.
Grilled salmon with an Asian-style glaze.
Every summer, I look forward to heirloom tomatoes, peaches, plums, and one other very special item:
Wild local King salmon.
Like fruits and vegetables, seafood also has a season. For California wild salmon, it’s summer. And it ends all too soon for my liking.
Indeed, get your fill now because the season will soon come to a close toward the end of September.
There’s nothing like eating salmon in summer with its bright reddish orange flesh that tastes downright luxurious. To be sure, it’s not an inexpensive ingredient at $25 or more per pound. But it tastes far more expensive than that with its unbelievably lush texture and resonating flavor that just fills your mouth like a dream.
I like to enjoy it simply. Sashimi-style, when you can really taste the fat and freshness. Or grilled, with a kiss of smoke to heighten its robust richness.
Fresh tomatoes, soy sauce, olive oil and shiso flavor this wonderful cold noodle dish.
Long ago, my husband jokingly gave me the rather apt but embarrassing nickname of “Black Thumb Jung.”
I admit I’m no Martha Stewart when it comes to nurturing my backyard. In fact, I’m sure Martha would give me one of her telling looks if she only knew that I’ve actually killed ivy and cactus. Things that people say are impossible to kill. I’ve done it, though, with my lethal gardening skills.
But there is an exception to that predictable massacre. I can grow shiso like nobody’s business.
OK, I admit it doesn’t take much for that to happen. Years ago, I planted one seedling in a pot and ever since then, I watch it die over the winter, only to regenerate on its own in summer, when it grows with abandon.
Every summer, I get big green leaves with saw-toothed edges that have the unmistakable and unusual taste of basil crossed with citrus crossed with mint. An Asian herb in the mint family, it’s most commonly found as a garnish on sashimi plates in Japanese restaurants. When I am dining out, I always save it for last. Its bright, refreshing jolt is like a natural after-dinner mint candy.
Yup, I grew that shiso.
Though I most often add it to summer salads, I’m always on the lookout for new ways to use my home-grown shiso. That’s why this recipe for “Cold Udon with Fresh Tomatoes” caught my eye. It’s in the newest cookbook by New York City Chef Tadashi Ono, of which I received a review copy. “Japanese Soul Cooking” (Ten Speed Press) is full of recipes for ramen, gyoza, donburi, curry and other comfort dishes typically found in mom-and-pop restaurants or made by home-cooks.
This cold noodle dish could not be more effortless. Seriously, it would take you longer to take a shower than to make this.
Lemongrass, garlic, shallots and so much more flavor these pork patties.
In summer, we can’t get enough of backyard-grilled burgers.
But for a real treat, think patties of a different sort.
Pork ones, fragrant with a profusion of fresh herbs, and enveloped not in a big bun, but swaddled in a crisp lettuce leaf.
“Chiang Mai Pork Patties” brings a taste of Thailand to you.
The recipe is by cookbook author Naomi Duguid, a Southeast Asian food expert who has traversed Asia to find authentic, traditional dishes. It’s a featured in the new cookbook, “Cooking Light Global Kitchen” (Oxmoor), of which I received a review copy. The cookbook was written by veteran cookbook author David Joachim, whom I’ve had the distinct pleasure of judging the Pillsbury Bake-Off with on a couple of occasions.
Green beans you won’t be able to stop eating.
Planning a picnic this Memorial Day? Or a backyard barbecue this long weekend?
Then, you’ve got to make these green beans.
I guarantee they will be the talk of the table.
I first made “Green Beans with Miso and Almonds” last Thanksgiving as a novel alternative to the usual green bean casserole. My in-laws couldn’t stop eating it. Each of them kept reaching for seconds, even thirds. Now, whenever my husband sees me trimming fresh green beans from the farmers markets, he secretly hopes they’re destined for this dish.