In This Menu:

• Cioppino
• James’ Crab Dip a la the “Temp”
• Raspberries with Cream and Sugar

I first heard of this dish (the French version is called Bouillabaisse) when I was managing an excellent restaurant in Tulsa called LaCuisine. Basically, this is a fish soup or stew depending on how thick you make it. At LaCuisine we used to serve it with a thick piece of toasted French bread covered with red pepper aioli (garlic mayonnaise) and floated the bread on top. I liked the addition of the bread because it thickened the sauce which then made me think about serving the dish over a bed of pasta. I’m sure the “true” Italians would skin me alive for doing so, but I really like the way the angel’s hair soaks up the broth and gives one a feeling of having had a meal rather than a bowl of soup.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon gremolata*
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons basil pesto
• 3 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste
• 1 (12-ounce) can whole tomatoes
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 cups fish stock**
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ pound cherrystone clams, scrubbed
• ½ pound sea scallops
• ½ pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 pound tilapia or salmon, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 lb. angel hair pasta, cooked
• Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION

*Gremolata is simply a mixture of very finely minced lemon zest, parsley, and garlic. The Italians use it liberally boosting up the flavor of any dish they are making. Most Cioppino recipes call for garlic alone. I added the gremolata because the parsley and lemon zest give you a nice flavor “pop”. To make, remove the zest from one lemon using a zester, knife, or grater. Peel 3 garlic cloves. Pick 3 or 4 big sprigs of parsley from a bunch. Chop the three ingredients together on a cutting board until very fine.

**A light chicken broth can be substituted

Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, tomatoes, and salt and sautè until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the gremolata, pesto and sun-dried tomato paste. Crush the tomatoes then add them with their juices, wine, fish stock and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend, about 30 minutes.

Add the clams and mussels to the cooking liquid. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and fish. Simmer gently until the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, and the clams are completely open, stirring gently, about 5 minutes longer (discard any clams and mussels that do not open). Season the soup, to taste, with more salt and pepper.

Divide pasta into 4 bowls and ladle the soup over the pasta into bowls. Top with Parmesan and a sprinkle of gremolata and serve.

My wife’s parents own a condo in Southwest Florida on a beautiful and quaint island. There is a restaurant that has been there since the 1930s called the Temptation or the “Temp” as the locals call it. The first time I went to the Temp, I ordered the hot crab dip, which in turn started a tradition of visiting the Temp every time we go to Florida and it always includes an order of their famous crab dip! I have tried to recreate the dip, and mine is good, but it seems like I’m still missing something. I think it is the salty air and the view of the sandy beaches!

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz. crab meat from King Crab legs
• ½ cup minced onion
• ½ cup Hellman’s Mayonnaise
• ½ cup Daisy sour cream
• Juice of one lemon
• 3 tablespoons chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown mustard
• 1 heaping tablespoon horseradish
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Bread crumbs

PREPARATION

Mix the first 8 ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir in the 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Pour dip into an oven proof, shallow, baking dish. Lightly sprinkle top with some bread crumbs and remaining Parmesan. Bake at 375° for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly brown on top and bubbling. Serve with toast points.

My grandmother had a house on Fremont Avenue in the middle of Springfield and I used to love to go there for the weekend. One thing I could count on in the summer was fresh raspberries. She had a big vine in her backyard and we would pick them in the morning, then she would wash them and serve in china bowls with sugar and cream. This maybe kind of old school, but heavenly!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pint of fresh raspberries
• ¼ cup of half-and-half
• 2 tablespoons sugar

PREPARATION

Split raspberries between two small bowls or glasses and pour some cream and sugar on top of each one. If desired, garnish with fresh mint.

Can you think of anything that screams AWESOME more than steak and lobster? When you figure it out, let me know!

In This Menu:

• Steak and Lobster
• Crabmeat Terrine
• Single Layer Carrot Cake

BROILED LOBSTER TAIL

INGREDIENTS

• 4 lobster tails
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse pepper
• ¼ c. lemon juice

PREPARATION

Cut shell on back side with sharp scissors down the middle until you get to the tail. Pull meat out of shell being careful not to separate meat from the tail end. Lay meat over shell and make an incision along each side of the tail meat about halfway through to the bottom. This will butterfly the tail and allow the meat to cook evenly.

Drizzle melted butter over lobster meat; sprinkle with salt and pepper and lemon juice. Place lobster on rack 4-6 inches from broiler. Broil 12 minutes. Serve on shell with melted butter.

GRILLED PRIME RIB

INGREDIENTS

• Four, 12 oz. All Natural Rib Eye Steak
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Coarse, black pepper

PREPARATION

Brush steaks with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over a hot fire to desired temperature; about 4 minutes per side for medium.

Serve with the lobster, steamed broccoli crowns and whipped potatoes.

This dish represents the best of summer! Tangy, cold, Gazpacho acts a base for the striking tower of perfectly ripe mangoes, tomatoes, and avocado. The whole stack is topped with ice cold Dungeness crabmeat. Served with lime wedges to give the whole thing that little “kick” that makes this one of my very favorite summer dishes! We have done this dish before. A couple of you commented that you loved it, but that it was really time consuming to make the Gazpacho. Here is an updated version with a sauce that takes 30 seconds to make. How’s that for a time saver!

The technique used in this recipe is a really cool one to have in your arsenal of kitchen tricks. A terrine is very often stacked, hence the name of this dish. The recipe calls for PVC to use as a stacking vessel, but I used a can of enchilada sauce that had both the top and bottom cut off. I washed the can and used it to stack the food. Any clean cylinder will work as long as it is at least 3″ in diameter and between 4″ and 7″ tall.

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup diced ripe tomato
• ¼ cup diced ripe mango
• ¼ cup diced avocado
• 2 oz. king crabmeat
• ½ cup sauce (see recipe below)
• Lime, black sesame seeds and cilantro for garnish

PREPARATION

On a cold, large plate, spoon sauce up to rim of plate. Place a 3″ diameter piece of PVC that is about 5″ tall or other cylinder in middle of sauce. Stack first four ingredients; tomato, mango, avocado, then crab. Tamp each layer down lightly with any object that comfortably fits into the cylinder (a clean wine bottle works well). Insert wine bottle or other object into cylinder and apply GENTLE pressure to the terrine while removing cylinder. This takes a little practice, but take heart! You can always eat the ones that fall! Remove PVC and garnish with lime wheels ½ dipped in black sesame seeds and a cilantro sprig on top.

For the sauce:

• One, 12 oz. jar of cocktail sauce
• ½ cup sour cream

Mix together with a wire whip until completely blended with no lumps.

Pick it up in your store bakery.