Welcome back!  Today, we have a recipe for high-end dining at home: Ahi Tuna Tower! Ahi tuna towers are defined by their layers of fresh and delicious sashimi-inspired ingredients. Although there isn't as much cooking involved - the fish is raw, of course - preparing this dish like you would see in a restaurant takes careful touch and an eye for visual balance. You'll actually see three different ways that we prepared this tuna tower, all with slightly different arrangements - hopefully you can get some inspiration for how you can put this dish together. Ahi Tuna Tower Makes 4 towers Ingredients: These ingredients are for a layer of mango/cucumber, avocado, crab salad, and tuna in each tower. For garnishes, you might need some extra, and if you want to edit what's in each stack, then you might need to change the proportions. 12 ounces sashimi-grade tuna, diced For the sauce - check out our  Poke  recipe for several examples 2 mangoes, diced 1 mini cucumber, diced (or Pers...

Welcome back! Today, we have an awesome Hawaiian dish: Poke! This is a pretty simple dish that revolves around raw fish (we used salmon) in a sauce. Poke actually has a long history; it has always been a traditional food of the Hawaiians, but with the arrival of many Asian, and particularly Japanese, immigrants, the seasonings that we see today are heavily borrowed from Asian cuisine, like with soy sauce and sesame seeds. Anyways, it's a great way to enjoy some raw fish in a way that is a little more special than just eating sashimi by itself. Salmon Poke Ingredients: 1 pound salmon, sashimi grade, cut into small cubes Sauces (each is good for one pound of salmon): #1: 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon sriracha sauce 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar #2: 1 tablespoon mayo 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce #3: 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon wasabi #4: 1 tablespoon spicy yuzu sauce (we had some from Trader Joe's) Topping: 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds 1 tablespoon sc...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a fun little cookie-like recipe: Ladyfingers! Actually, ladyfingers are more cake-like in their preparation, but since the resulting product is typically thin and dry, it passes more for a cookie. That being said, this is a great way to enjoy cake in a more bite-sized and also crunchy fashion, though it's more usual to see these used within another dessert, such as Tiramisu  or Charlotte cake, for example. Ladyfingers Makes about 36 ladyfingers Ingredients: 2 egg yolks 20 grams sugar 2 egg whites 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar 30 grams sugar 40 grams cake flour 10 grams corn starch Powdered sugar Directions: Separate the yolks and whites of two eggs into two bowls. In the bowl with the egg yolks, add 20 grams of sugar and whisk until it is pale and thickened. Whisk the egg whites in their bowl. After they have been whipped up a little, add the lemon juice/vinegar and slowly add in the sugar and mix. Whisk until it reaches stiff peaks. Gently ...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a great recipe for a homemade pasta sauce: Pesto! Pesto is a wonderful green sauce hailing from Genoa in the north of Italy, with its iconic blend of basil and pine nuts. It's something that you can really just enjoy with some good pasta by itself, or combined in part of a larger meal. The name pesto  actually just comes from the word "to pound" (think like a pestle with a mortar), as traditionally the nuts and garlic and pounded in a pestle. Perhaps doing so is more traditional and fun, but there's nothing wrong with using a food processor like we did. Homemade Pesto Ingredients: 2 packed cups (60 grams) basil 1/4 to 1/2 cup pine nuts (you can substitute for cashews) 2 small cloves garlic, minced 3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (35 grams) Parmesan cheese, grated Directions: Wash the basil and dry with a paper/dish towel. Remove the stems. In the oven, lightly toast the nuts at 300°F for 8-...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a delicious recipe for a Northeastern classic: the Lobster Roll! These sandwiches are a great way to enjoy lobster by putting it in a convenient-to-eat dish that really highlights the flavor of the star ingredient. There are actually two main types of lobster rolls: one from Maine and one from Connecticut, featuring two types of lobster preparation. The Maine variation dresses the lobster in just mayo while the Connecticut one uses melted butter; we, on the other hand, decided to incorporate both into our recipe - and it tastes great! Lobster Roll Makes about 4 lobster rolls Ingredients: 1 pound lobster tails 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup mayo 1/4 cup celery, chopped 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon chives, chopped A pinch salt A pinch ground black pepper 4 brioche hot dog buns Directions: In a bowl, mix the mayo, celery, lemon juice, chives, salt, and black pepper. Cook the lobster tails by steaming. You want to cook about one minute per ounce; ea...

Welcome back!  Today, we have the final of our four Roman pastas: Pasta all'Amatriciana! This pasta is actually named after its origin near Rome, in Amatrice, though it is widely found in Rome now with some slight variations. With the addition of tomato, this dish certainly stands out from the other three Roman pastas in terms of color and flavor. This sauce is also the one that sees the most variation from recipe to recipe, many give it a twist that start to turn the sauce into something of a classic  pomodoro  sauce. However, the addition of ingredients like garlic and white wine do still serve to enhance the dish, even if it is a little less traditional. Pasta all'Amatriciana Makes about 4 servings Ingredients: 12 ounces pasta (we used bucatini, which is most commonly used in Rome) 3-4 ounces guanciale 1 1/2 ounces grams Pecorino Romano 28 ounces (about 2 containers) canned/crushed tomatoes 3 tablespoons white wine 1 clove garlic 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 teas...

Welcome back!  Today, we have the third recipe in our series of the Four Roman Pastas: Pasta Carbonara! This is probably the most popular of the four, and it's no surprise, because this dish is the perfect comfort food: flavorful, rich, and creamy. The sauce may remind you of something like alfredo sauce, but the difference could not be larger: modern Alfredo sauce is largely based on cream, while the body of carbonara sauce is actually egg!  Pasta Carbonara Makes about 4 servings Ingredients: 12 ounces spaghetti (or any other pasta, but spaghetti is traditionally used) 2 whole eggs 2 egg yolks 2 ounces Pecorino Romano, finely grated 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 ounces guanciale You'll also need some pasta water, probably around a cup Directions: In a bowl, beat the whole eggs and egg yolks together. Add in the Pecorino Romano and black pepper and mix it all together.  In a pan, saute the guanciale in the olive oil until crispy, for ...