ginger miso salmon

today was pantry day. i wasnt sure what i was in the mood for so i let the pantry gods decide my fate. i had some fresh ginger and the miso in the back of the fridge gave me the sad eyes. he thought i was neglecting him (not sure why my imagination thinks miso is a man. but i'll roll with it). sooooo here is a recipe for ginger miso salmon. i usually like my fish with just lemon, salt and pepper but this time, i gave it a marinade. switch it up a bit, gave it an ethnic identity ;)

ginger miso salmon
adapted from bobby flay's recipe
2-4 servings
1/4 cup white miso paste
1/4 cup mirin
2 tablespoons of rice vinegar (i used sushi rice vinegar since it has a little sweetness already added to it)
2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons of fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
2-4 filets of salmon with skin on one side
salt and pepper

mise en place

whisk the first 6 ingredients in a large glass container. place the salmon filets in the container, making sure the salmon is well coated with the marinade. cover and place it in the fridge for at least 30 mins, overnight would be best.

when youre ready to cook, place a grill pan on the stove on high. if you dont have a grill pan, a regular pan will work, but you dont get the pretty grill marks. coat the pan with a little olive oil. remove the salmon from the marinade (discard the remaining marinade). place the salmon, skin side up, 2-3 mins, just enough to so there is a light golden crust. turn the salmon over and sear the skin side, 2-3 mins. reduce the heat to medium-low and place a cover over the pan to lock in the moisture, about 3 to 4 minutes (timing will vary depending on the thickness of your filets). i like my salmon cooked medium and slightly rare on the inside. season with salt and pepper serve with a slice of lemon.

bon appétit~!

braised beef short ribs

when i think of braised short ribs, i think of Lucques. it's perhaps my most favorite restaurant in LA. the staff is attentive and friendly. the ambiance is cozy and unpretentious. and the food...the food is spectacular, especially the short ribs. suzanne goin is a culinary genius and it's evident in her seasonal menus. when i learned that her braised short ribs recipe was in her book, Sunday Suppers at Lucques, i knew i had to have and make it myself to enjoy at home.

this dish is so rich and comforting, it's the perfect meal for a cold winter night. however, it's so delicious, you'll be making it all year round.

beef short ribs are wonderfully fat and flavorful which makes them perfect for braising. a long, slow cooking breaks down the connective tissue, leaving the meat so fork-tender, it literally, melts off the bone.

mise en place

**i'm posting the recipe exactly the way i made it which is slightly different from suzanne goin's. if you want her full recipe, buy her book! :) also, i highly suggest making this dish the day before you serve it because as with most braises and stews, it tastes even better the next day.

braised beef short ribs
adapted from sunday suppers at lucques
serves 4 (generously) - 6
6 beef short ribs (3-bone center cut)
fleur de sel & freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
6 cloves garlic
4 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 cups hearty red wine
6 cups beef broth
4 sprigs flat leaf parsley

sauteed swiss chard (recipe below)
your favorite mashed potato/potato puree recipe

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

generously season short ribs with fleur de sel and pepper. place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15-20 mins, until the ribs have taken on a dark brown crust. (**i prefer to roast them in the oven instead of searing them in a skillet because well, it's easier and leaves me with much less of a mess.) remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325.

in a large dutch oven or pot, heat the olive oil. add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme sprigs and bay leaves. cook 6-8 minutes, unitl the vegetables just begin to caramelize. add the balsamic vinegar and wine. turn the heat up to high, and reduce the liquid by half.

add the beef stock and bring to a boil. add the short ribs. the stock mixture should almost cover the ribs. tuck the parsley sprigs in and around the meat. cover tightly with aluminum foil and a tight-fitting lid if you have one. braise in the oven for about 3 hours.

to check the meat for doneness, pierce a short rib with a paring knife. when the meat is done, it will yield easily to a knife. taste a piece if you are not sure.

**if you do this a day before, this is where you can stop. let the pot cool and refrigerate overnight. the fat will solidify on top, making it easy to remove. remove the fat and bring it to a gentle simmer and continue w/ the recipe.

let the ribs rest 10 minutes in their juices, and then remove them from the pot.

strain the broth, pressing down on the vegetables with a ladle to extract all the juices. discard the solids. (if you didn't make it the day before and haven't removed the fat, skim the fat after straining.)

reduce the sauce over medium-high heat until slightly thickened. taste for seasoning. note: i did not need to add any extra salt. add the short ribs back to the sauce and keep warm until ready to serve. serve with swiss chard (recipe below) and mashed potatoes.

swiss chard is a leafy green vegetable, similar to spinach except that it has thick stems. the stems range from white, yellow to red, as mine were. make sure to clean the chard well and remove the leaves from the stems. discard the stems.

sautéed swiss chard
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 bunches swiss chard
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash of freshly cracked pepper
splash of water

tear the swiss chard into large pieces. in a large skillet or sautée pan, heat the olive oil. add half the swiss chard, and cook a minute or two, stirring the greens in the oil to help them wilt. add a splash of water and the second half of greens. season w/ salt and pepper. cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequetly, until the greens are tender.

plate the short ribs with the swiss chard and potatoes and a lot of the sauce!

bon appétit~!

moscato grape muffins

a couple months ago, jDub sent me a link to gourmet magazine's recipe for grape & vin santo muffins along with a request to make them for her. i willingly obliged because well, um...they're made with WINE!!! even better, dessert wine! the recipe calls for either vin santo or any other sweet wine so i used moscato.

these muffins are so unique and just divine. the grapes are a delightful surprise. tart & juicy. bake them up for your friends and family and they'll think you're an absolute gourmet.


i made them again this past weekend. i adjusted the recipe slightly this time, adding vanilla for flavor and some sour cream for moistness and i like them even better this way.

moscato grape muffins
adapted from gourmet magazine
makes 12 muffins
1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream (optional, makes the muffins more moist)
1 tablespoon lemon zest (original recipe calls for orange zest)
1 teaspoon vanilla (not in original recipe)
2/3 cup moscato (or vin santo or other sweet wine)
1 1/4 cups seedless red grapes
raw sugar for garnish (or regular sugar)
*plus more flour and butter for muffin cups

preheat oven to 375 degrees.

brush a 12 cup muffin pan with softened butter, dust with flour and tap out all excess.

in a bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

prepare the grapes. mine were on the bigger side so i halved them. toss them w/ 1 tablespoon of flour until they are all well, but lightly coated.

in the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted w/ the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar and until light and fluffy. add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. add sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest and beat until well combined.

add the flour mixture in 3 batches alternately with the wine, begining and ending with the flour, until everything is just well combined. do not over mix.

remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the grapes with a spatula.

divide the batter into the muffin cups and sprinkle generously with raw sugar.

bake for 18-20 mins or until the muffin tops are a deep golden brown and a toothpick entered into the center of a muffin comes out clean.


cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove the muffins and cool on a wire rack.


bon appétit~!