In my prior teriyaki adventures, which involved sauteeing, there always seemed to be a lot of splattering. Here, instead of using your stovetop, you bake the fish right in its marinade, which becomes a delightfully sticky teriyaki sauce. Problem solved! The lightly pickled vegetables make a lovely crunchy, sweet and salty accompaniment. Serve over steamed rice for a healthy Asian-inspired comfort food meal. Continue reading
Ginger, soy sauce, and a touch of butter make an irresistible Japanese-influenced East-West broth for these mussels. The original recipe was for clams, but I haven’t quite gotten the hang of cleaning those yet, so I substituted mussels since I know what to do with those (and so will you, read on!). Also, did I mention that mussels are one of the most sustainable types of seafood? Yay for mussels! Continue reading
Those little orange bubbles are salmon roe caviar, which you may have had before on top of sushi rolls. Each bubble is a burst of salty, fishy goodness! A small container is not very expensive at the Japanese or Asian market (I paid $4.50 for enough to make 20 crackers). The trick is to rush it home, well-chilled if possible (my shop provides free ice, but you could also bring your own cooler, or buy some frozen items and make sure they’re in the same bag). When you get home, put it directly in the fridge, then eat it the same day. I’ve borrowed from the Russians to create this fun East-West fusion appetizer. And IT’S SO EASY. Impress your guests, or just yourself!
Let me explain what I mean by borrowing from the Russians: A Russian way to eat caviar is on blini (buckwheat crepes) with sour cream, red onion, and diced hard cooked egg. We had this in a restaurant and loved it. Inspired, but knowing making blini is an involved process, I came up with sesame rice crackers, sour cream, and chopped green onion. If you feel like sprinkling on some finely-diced hard-cooked egg too, by all means. It’s swell! Continue reading