not quite ensenada

I make these fish tacos which probably can't be really called authentic, but they really do taste good. This was from the remainder of D's catch.

fish tacos
I coat the fish in a cornmeal and spice rub mixture and then pan-fry it. These were rockfish fillets from the smaller fish D caught. I made a mango-avocado salsa which really balances out the spicy, crunchy fish.
[fish:rockfish, cornmeal, spice rub (ancho, chipotle, garlic, salt); salsa:avocado, mango, onions, garlic, chili, cilantro]

black beans

My mom handed me a small bag of snow peas from her garden. I decided that it would be perfect with some of the fish fillets D brought back from his fishing trip.

fish with snow peas in black bean sauce
My mom also makes this super spicy, black bean sauce. I used some of that, chopped together with garlic and ginger, and sauteed the fish and snow peas together. It was a nice combination of fresh and funky.
[rockfish fillets, snow peas, fermented black beans, chili, garlic, ginger, oil]

cultural differences

This was also a product of D's fishing trip. I'm so glad he saved it, even though most people in the boat were either throwing them out or using them as bait.

mackerel
I pan-fried this mackerel, and it was really good, with the skin all crisp. Perfect with a squeeze of lemon.
[mackerel, salt, pepper, oil]

fishing

D went fishing and managed to catch the biggest fish on the boat. This is what we did with it the next day.

steamed fish with ginger and scallions
One of D's dreams is to eat a whole steamed fish by himself. So, he had to share with my parents, and my high school friend, E, but there was still more than enough to go around. My parents pointed out that this would have been about $70 worth of fish in a restaurant. I didn't have a big enough pan for it, so I improvised with a roasting pan and foil and steamed it on the stovetop. My mom coached me through the whole process.
[whole fish, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, water, oil]

guest chef series #10: good home cooking

I love that my mom can whip up a 4-course Chinese meal in no time. We went over for dinner, and had hamachi, miso soup with hamachi (not shown), shrimp and snow peas, and beef and spinach.

mom's cooking
What's even more awesome is that she grew the snow peas herself. Everything was really good, as always. She's always embarrassed by her plating, but I think it looks great. She keeps such good color in her veggies, and of course, how it tastes is really what counts.


Beef with Sa-cha Sauce and Spinach
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 lb beef, cut into strips (any tender cut will do—ribeye, skirt steak)
- 3 tbsp sa-cha sauce (a Chinese sauce labeled as bbq sauce, but is nothing like American bbq sauce. It contains brill shrimp.)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 2–3 slices ginger
- 1 lb spinach
- 1 tsp cornstarch plus 1/4 cup water (optional)

Combine beef, soy sauce, sa-cha sauce, garlic, and ginger in a large bowl. Let marinate 30 minutes. Heat a wok on high heat. Add oil, swirl until hot. Add the meat, and stir fry until cooked. Add the spinach, and stir fry together until spinach is wilted. Add the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce, if desired. Serve with rice.
[hamachi; soup: hamachi, miso, tofu, green onions, water; shrimp and snow peas: snow peas, shrimp, yellow peppers, garlic, oil; beef and spinach: beef, spinach, sa-cha sauce, soy sauce, pepper]

for the halibut

I was kind of craving fish, so we went to the market to see if anything looked good. The halibut was definitely calling out to me, and this came out much better than I expected.

grilled halibut with beet-green hash
I made the beet green hash in the kitchen, and then took the pan downstairs to the grill to keep it warm while the fish cooked. (Diced potatoes, bacon, and beet greens, sautéed until crispy.)I was pretty nervous about the fish sticking horribly to the grill, and there were some uncertain moments in the turning process, but I think both fillets survived mostly intact. I think a salsa verde would have been nice as a final touch, but overall I'm really pleased with how this turned out.
[halibut, olive oil, salt, pepper; beet greens, potatoes, bacon]

not quite ensenada

I came up with this one night when we were living in Boston and there was not a fish taco to be found in the city. It's not exactly true Mexican, and definitely not Ensenada style, but still a tasty California-esque hybrid.

fish tacos
These are super-easy to make. Take a firm white fish (cod in this case), dredge in cornmeal seasoned with chili powder blend (my own blend, here), and pan-fry until done. Assemble in tortilla with mango-avocado salsa and cilantro.
[fish, cornmeal, chili powder (ancho chiles, chipotle chiles, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt), tortilla, mango-avocado salsa, lime juice]

mango-avocado salsa
This is so nice with perfectly ripe fruit. Finely dice an onion and squeeze lime juice on it to macerate. Dice an avocado, mango, and tomato. Mince cilantro. Toss with the onion mixture. Add salt to taste. A finely diced jalapeño would be nice for some heat, if you like.
[mango, avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, salt]

treats from taiwan

This is my absolute favorite fish, and it's only good when it's caught near the coast of Taiwan. So, it comes to us in sporadic shipments in the luggage of family members and close friends.

kingfish
It's salted before it's frozen, so no seasoning is really needed. Just pan-fry and eat with rice.
[kingfish]


greens
My mom just handed me a bunch of green's from someone's garden. She's always getting fresh-grown somethings from some neighbor/friend/patient or other, so in the summer we have an endless supply of homegrown veggies and fruits.
[mystery greens, garlic, oil, salt, pepper]

tomato cucumber salad
More of the aforementioned fruits and vegetables. The tomatoes, lemon, and mint came from my mom's garden, and the cucumbers from a patient.
[tomatoes, cucumbers, mint, salt, pepper, lemon juice]