Zenato Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripassa 2006

...Of course the bottle is empty...

I came across this excellent wine while waiting for my girlfriend at Cafe Ugo in Culver City. It was surprisingly delightful, balanced, easy to drink yet just complex enough to challenge your palate with a refreshing finish. At $29 a bottle at Wholefoods, it will not disappoint you.

Pacific Barracuda

Just around noon on this beautiful summer day, my neighbor knocked on my door and asked me if I wanted some freshly caught pacific barracudas; he just came back from sport fishing trip…lucky him!

As I approached his front yard, there I saw three 3-feet long strong, fresh, and handsome fish. He insisted for me to take two of them. After I took them home, I immediately cleaned them up without hesitation.

Barracuda is not a popular fish to be served in restaurants. Only the pacific barracudas do not contain fugu toxin. It is rare to get them so fresh that you can actually enjoy the intense flavor of the fish instead of wondering if the fish has gone foul.

A throughout cleaning is imperative. I always gut, clean, cook, or throw them in a very cold ice box immediately if we catch them ourselves, this helps to keep them fresh and flavorful. Cooking with skin on is OK but I usually don’t eat the skin.

Here is a simple receipt to cook this gorgeous ocean beast:

Scour the fish with a few cuts, top and bottom
Put fish in a oven bake pan
Splash generous amount of olive oil on the fish
Season with sea salt and freshly grounded black pepper
Slice heirloom tomato, different colors make the dish look visually exciting
Sliced yellow and red bell pepper
Well cover the fish with vegetables so they will keep the fish moist.
Add few tweaks of fresh sweet majoring, thyme, and oregano
Sprinkle capers on the veggie bed generously. I love them.

Bake in a preheated oven for about 25 minutes at 350 F. Check the fish with a fork to make sure it is cooked. Try not to over cook the fish or it will taste flaky and dry.

Frida Mexican Cuisine in Glendale, CA

We arrived at the grand and airy setting of Frida at Glendale for lunch and were welcomed by the friendly staffs. Frida at Glendale offers casual hang out for margaritas and wonderful chips and salsa, green salsa was the preferred choice for us. The service was great, decent Mexican cuisine; it makes a nice stop before or after shopping.

www.fridarestaurant.com
The Americana at Brand 750 Americana Way
Glendale, CA 91210
(818) 551-1666

GJelina on Abbot Kinney

My hand chopped lamb burger was grilled to one’s liking, sandwiched between arugula, a slightly spicy herbal seasoned red sauce, and pain rustic was to die for. The skinny fries are lightly seasoned with herbal sea salt cooked to perfection, my standard, of course. I have visited Gjelina twice so far, the service is consistently impeccable yet very friendly and casual cool. The décor is arty Italian country modern with lots of aged wood, table and floor. We love the clear light bulb chandelier above the bar! The space is airy, comfortable, and it just always offers a delightful dining experience.

GJelina
1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 450-1429

Cafe Ugo in Culver City

What I love about this place is the tasting room with automatic wine tasting stations. You can taste as many or as little wine from the tasting station as you like. The ambiance is cozy, relaxing and casual. The food was OK on the tasting room side. A great place to hang out, try some new flavors and you don't have to shout to have the conversation.

Perfect Herring

I am crazy about fish roes. These elegantly shaped herring roes can be found in most of Japanese markets in southern California. They are perfect when you feel the need to challenge your palate with an extraordinary crunchy texture.



Recipe

Roe Dressing
Caper, a few
Parsley, few leaves, finely chopped
Paprika, a dash
Olive oil, about 2 tablespoons or as desired
Zest of lemon

For Salad:
Micro greens, as desired

Salad Dressing:
Olive oil, about 2 tablespoons or as desired
Muscat vinegar, a few drops
Freshly ground sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Soak the roes in water for ½ day. The ones in the Japanese market will require at least ½ day of soaking.

Mix the roes and the salad dressing separately then set them aside.

Sauté the roes in butter and olive oil in a large pan until brown and fully cooked. Make sure not to over cook the roe or it will be tough.

Place the cooked roe in a serving plate. Drip the dressing over the roe for taste and presentation. Arrange salad next to the roe, pour over the salad dressing and serve.

Sexiest Carrot

Thanks to the local farmer's market and the heirloom culture, we now can get carrots in fun shapes, vibrant colors with uncompromising flavors. Not only they are sexy looking and fun to cook, once you bite into them, they will change your mind about how carrots shall taste.