California Sushi Rolls

Making sushi is a lot easier that it seems. The real key to well-presented sushi is having good utensils, such as a sushi mat and a sharp knife. Each ingredient can be prepped in advance and assembled when you're ready to serve, and when you make it at home, it's a fraction of the cost!

Though there are many wonderful forms of traditional makizushi, or rolled sushi, feel free to experiment with the ingredients you have on hand. I got my inspiration for the sushi pictured above from ingredients native to California; I used Hass avocados, goat cheese and baby Persian cucumbers. I wrapped these ingredients in the traditional combination of nori sheets and Japanese rice.

In standard California roll fashion, the rice is on the outside of the nori. If you've ever wondered why this is the case, the story goes that Japanese immigrants who came to the US turned the sushi inside out to hide the nori from culinarily unadventurous Americans. I don't know if that's true, but it's the story a sushi chef told me once. It certainly is a great tale!

I served the sushi rolls with wasabi paste, homemade pickled ginger and soy sauce. It may seem daunting, but a sushi dinner is really as easy as 1-2-3.

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3.10.10

Beef Shami Kebab

Shami kebabs are made with an abundance of fabulous spices, meat (beef, goat, lamb or chicken) and chana dal (dried garbanzo beans). The spices vary depending on whether they're from India (Lucknow or Hyderabad) or Pakistan. My husband Lulu's family is from Hyderabad. They're all meat-eaters, with the exception of my husband and father-in-law. So we often make this dish when we have family over for dinner.

These are not your average kebabs. The meat is cubed and cooked in a pressure cooker with chana dal, and once cooked, it's ground in a food processor with yogurt. The resulting mixture is formed into "hamburger" patties that can be frozen or seared, depending on when you plan on eating them.

I learned this recipe from Baji, Lulu's late grandmother. She was an excellent cook. When Lulu and I first got married, she was already giving us hints.

"Jackie, I'm going to teach you a meat specialty from my hometown. They're called Shami Kebabs; they're spiced hamburger patties. This recipe is a must-have when you two have little children. It's nutritious and easy for little ones to eat. Speaking of which, when are you going to give me great grand-children so I can feed these kebabs to them?"

I would always smile, nod and pretend I didn't hear the part about having kids. Don't get me wrong, we'd love to start a family, but the pressure was a little overwhelming. Lulu's grandmother isn't with us anymore, but I promise that I'll make this for my kids when I have them, assuming they don't become vegetarians like Lulu (fingers crossed).

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Kale with Caramelized Kumquats

This side dish couldn't be easier to make. Onions and kumquats are slowly caramelized with ginger and agave nectar and added to slightly sautéed kale. What could be better than a dish that's delicious, healthy and simple?

I was inspired to make this dish by a reader. Chef Doreen T. Ross is a culinary artist and consultant from North Carolina. Doreen sent me a recipe suggestion using kumquats (I've asked for recipes using this ingredient) with wilted kale. I've adapted Doreen's recipe and added an Asian twist to it. Sunny and Lulu were my guinea pigs, and they loved it. Merci Doreen!

As I've said several times, I'm just a home-cook who is passionate about food and has had no professional training. Creating this site has really broadened my culinary horizons. I've received many lovely messages filled with kind words and a ton of tips and culinary tricks. Thank you all for your support, and please keep those messages coming.

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Yorkshire Pudding (Popover)

Yorkshire pudding batter contains very basic ingredients that I'm sure are already in your kitchen; eggs, milk, flour and oil (or fat drippings). The final product is greater than the sum of its parts, and there are few things more dramatic than a basket full of Yorkshire pudding.

Food has an incredible ability to evoke memories, and for me, Yorkshire pudding really takes me back in time to my childhood vacations in England. I stayed 2 years in a row at Tracy's house during Easter break in 1989 and 1990. It's been almost 20 years since the last time we met but we've kept in touch ever since. Tracy is an amazing cook, and I have fond memories of her delicious meals. A typical dinner would be roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, some greens and carrots and a wonderful banana mousse. Tracy, if you're reading, send my love to your lovely girls Emily and Alice!

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Hachiya Persimmons: Incredibly Unique, Incredibly Delicious

When Hachiya persimmons are ripe, they're divine. When they're not, there are few things that taste worse. I remember as a child going to the farmers' market with Papa when Hachiya persimmons were in season. We would buy them by the case. I couldn't wait for them to ripen, but like many things in life, patience was rewarded. We would speed up the process by placing a banana and an apple with the persimmons in a paper bag. Everyday, I would come home from school, stick my hand in the bag and check to see if the persimmons were ready. I knew they were ready to eat when they felt like they would fall apart in my hand. Read More...