I wish I knew about this salad so long ago. It's inspired by a salad I found at M Cafe de Chaya that's a bit fancier – with tempeh bacon, beets, and a vegan "Ranch" dressing. But, after spending way more than I should ever be spending on salads, I decided to make my own version.
So, a lot of people think of Southern California and think all we eat are smoothies, juices, and salads. These days there's much more going on in SoCal when it comes to food but, it's true, we'll always go for a good smoothie. One of my favorite places to get a smoothie is at Backyard Bowls where everything is fresh and flavorful but never too sweet. I like the Tropical Ginger Smoothie so much that I decided to make my own version here!
A classic recipe for homemade ravioli pasta filled with a combination of herbs, cheese, and ricotta then cooked and tossed with butter and cheese.
On my last trip to Tijuana I stopped and tried every Aguachile I came across. On our second day, we started out at the Mariscos El Paisa street stand to get a taste of Sinaloan aguachile aka Aguachile Verde. I'm not the master coctolero that these guys were so by now means is this their exact recipe. But, I recreated my favorite parts of the dish to make this shrimp aguachile.
In this super simple salad, pencil-thin asparagus are charred on a grill then tossed with a quick lime and olive oil combo. The twist I added was making a twist on Egyptian dukkah (a seed-herb-nut mix used for dipping bread) and used classic Mexican ingredients like cumin, Mexican oregano, pistachios, and almonds.
A super simple recipe for the classic local Hawaii recipe: shoyu chicken!
It’s no secret we love Hawaii and we travel there as often as we can. But, we can’t always hop a flight at a moment's notice. The next best thing? Cooking these recipes inspired by the islands from classic Hawaiian recipes to modern takes on local flavors.
A super simple but elegant recipe for a traditional French-style curd with tons of fresh strawberries, a hint of tarragon, this is perfect on toast, crepes, or served with scones.
A must-make recipe from the San Francisco institution, Zuni Cafe, this roast chicken served with a charred bread salad with toasted nuts and spicy greens is perfect for a Sunday meal or a romantic dinner.
A modern twist on classic Bellini Cocktails thanks to the addition of peaches and rosewater. Perfect for serving in pitchers for your next party!
This twist on the Classic Old Fashioned Cocktail uses aged tequila and a grapefruit peel for a more Mexican flavored take.
My latest obsession has been this buttermilk and strawberry lassi. Some swear you must use whole milk yogurt to call it a lassi, but I like the tang and frothiness that comes from blended buttermilk. From there, riff as you please, but don’t skip the cardamom and rosewater because they take it from meh to a tall sip of India.
