Hoisin-Glazed Roasted Sea Bass Recipe

We hosted a dinner party this evening. I served a surf and turf main dish composed of a steak and sea bass. I really wanted to find a decadent, over the top kind of fish for this special evening. Sea bass seemed like the perfect choice; it's a lean fish with a meaty texture and a rich, buttery taste. I glazed the fish with hoisin and miso. The firm white fish pairs very well with the sweet and salty glaze. I quickly seared the fish on top of the stove to create a caramelized crust around the fish and finished roasting it in the oven.

This dish took me down memory lane, back to when Lulu and I were preparing for our wedding reception. I remember this particular hoisin glaze was one of the options we selected.

Moroccan Inspired Chickpeas

After the interview with Las Vegas Chef Pinisetti, I was determined to try out his version of harissa. We made a batch over Labor Day Weekend using red chiles from the garden. I had about 2-3 tablespoons leftover that I didn't want to go to waste.

I decided to make a loose interpretation of an Indian dish called chole, where I replaced the garam masala, ginger garlic paste and amchur (dried mango powder) with Moroccan flavors. I added the leftover harissa to the dish and made a spicy cream cheese sauce to season the chickpeas. Sautéed mushrooms added a "meaty" texture and pieces of preserved lemons, raw onions and tomatoes cut the richness of the dish.

It was such a hit in my house with both the vegetarians and meat eaters that I’m sure to make it again soon. They said it was like a spicy mushroom stroganoff. That wasn’t exactly what I was going for, but they liked it. It’s interesting how flavor combinations can evoke memories of totally different foods. Over the summer I made Earl Grey ice cream and everyone said it tasted like Fruit Loops. Go figure!

Fire-Roasted Corn in Miso Butter (Grilled Corn on the Cob)

We finally made it to Ashland, Oregon. The place we're staying at is fantastic and has a large barbecue grill. I decided to take advantage of it and grill fresh corn while the family was having fun in the swimming pool.

Instead of seasoning the corn with regular salt, I used white miso paste, which is a fermented rice and soybean combination. I chose white miso paste which is fermented for only a few weeks, as opposed to regular miso which is fermented for several months. I find the flavor to be less salty, with a subtle sweetness. Of course, if you don't have miso paste on hand, you could always use regular salt, but what would be the fun in that?

Asian-Style Strawberry Napoleon Recipe (Mille-feuille Fraise Noix de Coco Dessert)

Mille-feuille, called "Napoleon" in the U.S., is a very popular French dessert. Traditionally [according to Wikipedia], a mille-feuille is made up of three layers of puff pastry, alternating with two layers of cream pâtissière, but sometimes whipped cream or jam. The top is usually glazed with icing or fondant in alternating white (icing) and brown (chocolate) strips, and combed.

I’ve made traditional mille-feuilles many times before, and I was in the mood for a change. I assembled a gluten-free version using layers of Vietnamese coconut paper called bánh phông sữa. They are paper-thin sheets made of coconut milk, sugar, cassava and condensed milk. I flavored the dessert with fresh strawberries and a coulis de fraise, which is a strawberry sauce. This dessert is bake-free and so easy to create, that I had the girls do the assembly. They had so much fun putting them together and even more making them disappear!

Halwa Dessert Empanada Recipe (International Desserts)

My father-in-law loves Indian sweets, so we make gajar halwa (carrot Indian sweets) very often at home. There was still leftover by the end of the day, and you know my motto: "waste not, want not!". I've made a carrot cheesecake recently using halwa. This time, I was inspired by the pistachio galettes des Rois I made earlier this year. I addded ground pistachios and kewra to keep the Indian-themed ingredients and folded the halwa mixture as if I was making a tarte amandine, using a different type of nut cream. I finally wrapped the carrot cream in puff pastry, empanada-style and  can be served with powdered sugar or drizzled with kewra syrup.

These little puff pastries pair perfectly with hot mint tea. Next time you have friends over for tea, this is the perfect treats that are both so unique and reminiscent of oriental sweets. Enjoy!

Set of dough presses.