Salmon with Garlic Sauce - A recipe from "Talesai", West Hollywood

In this elegant but simple dish, chef-restaurateur Prakas Yenbamroong has intelligently combined the soy sauce of his native Far East, the use of garlic traditional to the Mediterranean and the much beloved Pacific coast grilled salmon fillets.

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 kilo fresh asparagus, trimmed so that they are about 12 cm long
1/4 kilo broccoli, cut into flowerettes
two fresh salmon fillets, each about 1/4 kilo, skinned

In a small skillet heat 1 1/2 tsp. of the oil over a moderate heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until light brown (about 2 minutes). Reduce the heat to low and add the white peper, sugar and soy sauce; cook the mixture, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a steamer over boiling water steam the asparagus and broccoli until bright green and tender (about 2 minutes). Drain and cover to keep warm.

Preheat the grill. Place the salmon on a broiler pan and brush with the remaining 11/2 Tbsp. of oil. Grill the salmon on one side only until brown and crusty on the outside and slightly translucent in the center (4 - 5 minutes). Place the grilled salmon on preheated dinner plates and top with the garlic sauce. Serve with the warm asparagus and broccoli. (Serves 2).

Mediterranean Style Braised Sea Bass - A recipe by Harvey Steiman

By relying on the southern Mediterannean simplicity in the way he prepares the fish and the Northern-Italian addition of pasta, food and wine writer Harvey Steiman has created a lightly rustic dish that is somewhat Italian, somewhat Californian and somewhat New York in its style.

3 large sweet red peppers
1 kilo fillets of sea bass
1 medium onion, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup dry white vermouth
pinch of saffron salt and freshly ground pepper
225 gr. angel hair pasta
25 - 50 gr. extra virgin olive oil

Place the peppers on a pan in an oven that has been preheated to 180ø Celsius for about 1 hour. Remove the peppers from the onion, covr them with a towel and let them stand until completely cool. Peel and thinly slice the peppers.

In an skillet with an oven proof handle heat the olive oil and in this cook the onions over a low flame. When the onions soften (about 5 minutes), add the vermouth and saffron. Let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes longer and then stir in the sliced peppers. Place the fish on top of the mixture and season it to taste with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in an oven that has been preheated to 190 degrees Celsius (375 Fahrenheit) until the fish is done (about 15 minutes).

While the fish is baking, boil the pasta according to the instructions on the package and drain well. Carefully transfer the fish to pre-warmed serving plates. Toss the pasta with the peppers and sauce left in the skillet. Drizzle the fish over with olive oil and serve together with the pasta. (Serves 4 - 6).

Stir Fried Lamb with Lemon-Soy Vinaigrette
A recipe from "Chinois on Main", Santa Monica, California

4 shallots, minced
1 red jalapeno pepper with seeds, minced
2 green jalapeno peppers with seeds, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. peanut oil
675 gr. lean ground lamb
1/2 cup coriander, chopped
1/4 cup Chinese cabbage, pickled
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
18 radicchio leaves
1/4 small red onion, sliced crosswise
1/4 small white onion, sliced crosswise
leon-soy vinaigrette( recipe follows)
1/4 cup whole coriander leaves, for garnish

In a small skillet heat 2 tsp. of the peanut oil and in this cookt the shallots, red jalapeno, half of the green jalapenos and the garlic, stirring over a low heat until softened (about 5 minutes). Set aside to cool.

In a bowl, combine the cooled vegetable mixture with the ground lamb and mix well. Add the chopped coriander, pickled cabbage, soy sauce, salt and pepper.

In a large heavy skillet heat the remaining peanut oil over a high heat and in this cook the lamb mixture, stirring well, until browned, (about 4 minutes). Drain and set aside.

Place 3 radicchio leaves on each plate and fill these with the lamb mixture. Combine the red onion, white onion, fresh coriander leaves and remaining green jalapenos and sprinkle these over the top of the lamb. Drizzle with a little of the Lemon-Soy Vinaigrette, and serve the remaining vinaigrette on the side. (Serves 6).

Lemon-Soy Vinaigrette

3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. peanut oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together well. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before using.

Grilled Swordfish with Three Sauces
A recipe from the Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas Texas

When Chef Dean Fearing first went to Bangkok he was impressed by the fact that many of the ingredients traditionally used in Thai cuisine (e.g. coriander, chili peppers, lime were also commonly found in Mexico and Texas. Since then he has traveled extensively in Hong Kong and Japan and his cuisine now reflects an interesting combination of Mid-Western America, the Far East and Mexico.

4 2 1/2 cm. thick swordfish steaks, about 1/4 kilo each (can also use grouper steak)
salt
yellow miso sauce (recipe follows)
pickled ginger sauce (recipe follows)
wasabi sauce (recipe follows)
stir-fried eggplant, broccoli and mushrooms, at room tempeature, as garnish

Sprinkle the swordfish steaks lightly with salt on both sides and grill on an oiled grill rack over hot coals, turning once, until the flesh is firm and no longer translucent (about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes per side). (Alternatively, place the swordfish steaks on a broiler pan and broil, turning once, for 2 - 3 mintues per side).

Place the sauces in sturdy plastic bags. Just before ready to serve the dish, snip a tip off the bag and squeeze patterns of the individual sauces on 4 large serving plates. Place the fish steaks on top, and serve with stir-fried eggplant, mush- rooms and broccoli. (Serves 4).

Yellow Miso Sauce

Note: This and the two sauces that follow can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance if covered and refrigerated. Each of the sauces should be served at room temperature.

2 Tbsp. dark sesame oil
3 medium shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger
1 cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 medium yellow swet pepper, corred, seeded and cut into 2 1/2 cm squares
1 1/2 tbsp. yellow miso
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
salt as required

Heat a small heavy saucepan over a moderately high heat until hot. Add the sesame oil, shallots, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, but do not allow to brown. Add the chicken stock, vinegar and yellow pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer gently until the pepper is soft (about 20 minutes).

Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Add the miso and lime juice and blend well. Strain through a fine sieve into a small bowl and season to taste with salt.

Pickled Ginger Sauce

2 Tbsp. dark sesame oil
3 medium shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
1 cup chicken stock
1 medium red sweet pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 2 1/2 cm squares
2 Tbsp. pickled ginger, drained (with liquid reserved)
salt to taste

Follow the first step for making miso sauce (above), and then transfer to a blender. Add the pickled ginger and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a small bowl, add salt and a few drops of the reserved pickling liquid to taste.

Wasabi Sauce

1 Tbsp. wasabi powder
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 medium shallots minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 hot chili peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 cup chicken stock
2 large green sweet peppers, cored, seeded and cut into 2 1/2 cm. squares
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh coriander
salt to taste

After dissolving the wasabi powder in 1 Tbsp. of water to form a paste set aside. Using all of the other ingredients except the coriander and salt, follow the procedure for making the above sauces. After transferring to a blender, add the wasabi paste and coriander, blend until smooth and then add salt to taste.

Tea-Smoked Trout with Tomato-Lime Mustard - A recipe by Harvey Steiman

It would be difficult to find a more typically "fusion" recipe than this one, which makes wise use of Chinese stovetop smoking, a Caribbean sauce and an American design.

2 trout, about 300 gr. each, cleaned and trimmed
1/4 cup uncooked white rice
3 - 4 Tbsp. loose black tea
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 - 4 strips of lime peel
peel of two tomatoes
lettuce for garnish
tomato-lime mustard (recipe follows)

Tear off a square of aluminum foil, crinkle it a little and roll up the edges to form a flat round bowl about 15 cm. across. Put the rice, tea, brown sugar, lime peel and tomato peel in the foil and place it in the bottom of a heavy saucepan or covered skillet large enough to hold the trout. Oil an unfolding vegetable steamer or flat cake rack and on this place the fish. Cover the pan and place it over a high heat. Within a minute or two you will start to see wisps of smoke coming from under the cover. Turn down the heat and let the fish cook in the smoky pan until it is done (about 10 minutes). When it is cool enough to handle, discard the foil and its contents.

Let the trout cool and cut into fillets. Discard the bones. Serve the trout at room temperature on a shallow bed of lettuce with tomato-lime mustard on the side. (Serves 4 as an appetizer).

Tuna-Lime Mustard

1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped finely
1 shallot, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
1 Tbsp. olive oil
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 cup Dijon style mustard with 1 tsp of sugar stirred in

In a small saucepan heat the olive oil and in this cook the tomatoes, shallot and garlic over a moderate heat until the onion is soft (about 15 minutes). Remove from the heat, add the lime juice and then stir in the mustard. Set aside. Serve at room temperature. (To make the sauce smoother, puree in a blender or food processor).

Red Snapper with Wild Mushroom Ragout
A recipe from Chef Allen's in North Miami Beach

Situated on America's east coast, Chef Martin Allen makes imaginative use of the influence of the Caribbean with the use of American and French ingredients. The concept of the "mushroom dust" that he uses in this recipe originated in Guyana.

about 3/4 kilo of red snapper fillets, cleaned, skinned and with all of the bones removed
3 Tbsp. "mushroom dust" (recipe follows)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. shallots, cut in small dice
2 cups forest mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup Pinot Noir, Beaujolais or Golan Village wine
1/2 cup fish fumet
1 Tbsp. chives, chopped

In a shallow dish combine the mushroom dust, 1/2 tsp. of the salt and 1/4 tsp. of the pepper. Dredge the fish fillets in this mixture, coating well on both sides.

In a large saute pan, heat 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil and in this saute the shallots over a medium heat until they are soft and translucent. Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes longer. Set aside.

In a separate skillet heat the remaining oil and in this fry the fish fillets until well browned (about 2 minutes). Turn the fish and continue to saute until the second side is also browned. Transfer the fillets to a warm platter. To the skillet add the garlic, wine and fish fumet and over a high heat let boil until the liquid is reduced by half (about 4 minutes). Correct the seasoing with salt and pepper to taste and then add the chives. Pour this ragout around the fish and serve at once. (Serves 4).

"Mushroom Dust"

In an electric coffee grinder pulse 10 grams of dried mushrooms (such as shitake or porcini) until they have been chopped into tiny pieces. Then let the machine run until they are pulverized into a dry dust, about the texture of cornflour.

Tuna Carpaccio - A Recipe from Remy's, New York City

By combining the Italian concept of carpaccio with the French use of Dijon mustard and cracked black peppercorns and the Mediterranean use of olive oil flavored with basil), chef Francesco Antonnuci gives us a dish that with overtones of Venice, Paris and New York.

1/2 kilo fresh tuna in a single slab about 3 1/2 cm. thick
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 Tbsp. cracked black peppercorns
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
2 Tbsp. olive oil that has been flavored with basil lemon wedges for serving
shavings of Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving (optional)

Trim off any of the dark areas of the tuna. Spread both sides with a thin film of the mustard.

Combine the pepper and poppy seeds on a flat plate and press them into the tuna on both sides. Wrap the coated tuna smoothly in a sheet of aluminum foil.

Heat a heavy non-stick skillet over a medium heat. Place the slab of tuna in the pan and cook for 1 1/2 minutes, turn and cook for 1 minute on the second side. Remove from the pan and refrigate until 1 hour before ready to serve. (Hint: Place the tuna in the freezer for 1 hour to make it easier to slice).

To serve, slice the tuna in slices about 1/2 cm. thick and arrange on 4 plates. Drizzle with the basil oil and serve garnished with lemon wedges and, if desired, slivers of Pecorino cheese. (Serves 4 as an appetizer).

© Daniel Rogov