This Sea Bass will melt in your mouth! I had a similar dish at Nobu in NYC (that one was a miso cod) and it was by far one of the best dishes I’ve ever had in my life. I’ve been told that mine tastes even better than Nobu’s. The key to this recipe is to marinade it as long as you can. I usually marinate the sea bass overnight (I have also marinated for 2-3 days).





1/4 cup sake
1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine found in grocery stores)
1/4 cup sugar
4 tbsp white miso paste
4 (4 ounce) fillets fresh sea bass, about 1 inch thick

Special Equipment: Le Creuset Stoneware Rectangular Dish

Whisk together the sake, mirin, sugar, and miso paste in a bowl to make the marinade. Place the sea bass in a large sealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over the sea bass. Chill in refrigerator to marinate. Arrange the fillets on a baking dish. I usually put aluminum foil on the baking dish and bake the bass in aluminum to make sure the marinate covers the fish. Pour marinade over the bass.

Preheat the oven’s broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.

Bake the sea bass under the broiler until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 7 to 9 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve with coconut rice.

Serves 4

Coconut rice makes a terrific accompaniment to many seafood dishes and curries. This coconut rice recipe is sweet and delicious and the toasted coconut adds a great flavor. 









2 cups white rice
2 cups  (1 can) good-quality coconut milk
1 1/2 cups water 
3/4 cups dry shredded unsweetened coconut (baking type)
1 Tsp. salt
1/4 cups sugar
1-2 Tbsp. toasted coconut for garnish (see instructions below recipe)

Place rice, coconut milk, water, shredded coconut, sugar and salt in the pot and set over medium-high heat.

Stir until liquid comes to a gentle boil (stirring will keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning).

Once the coconut-water has begun to gently bubble, stop stirring and reduce heat to low (just above minimum). Cover tightly with a lid and let simmer about 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice (to check, pull rice aside with a fork to see down to the bottom of the pot).

When the liquid is gone, turn off the heat, but leave the covered pot on the burner to steam another 5-10 minutes, or until you’re ready to eat.

When ready to serve, remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork or chopsticks. Taste-test the rice for salt and sugar, adding a little more if needed. Top with a sprinkling of toasted coconut, and ENJOY!

To Toast Coconut: Place 1 Tbsp. dry shredded coconut in a frying pan over medium-high heat and stir (“dry fry”) until light golden brown.

Serves 4

This is truly the ONLY rib recipe you will ever need. Ribs simply don’t get any better than this! They will FALL OFF THE BONE. . .

Note: If you would like to make these on the grill, use a Grill Tray. Just put the ribs on the Grill Tray and put the tray on the grill at low heat and cook for 1.5-2 hours, depending on your grill heat. Check them after 1.5 hrs to see if the meat is cooked!



2 Racks Baby back ribs

Dry Rib Rub
2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup garlic powder
2 tbsp kosher salt
1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup  lemon pepper
1/4 cups chili powder
1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme

Special Equipment: Le Creuset Stoneware Deep Dish Baker

1 cup barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. (Or your grill, on low heat)

Rinse the ribs and pat them dry. Season them very well with the dry rib rub, massaging the rub into the ribs. Coat them with bbq sauce, and place in a large container. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and place ribs, meat side down, in baking dishes (or Grill Tray).

Cover the baking dishes (or Grill Tray) with aluminum foil and place in the oven (or on the grill). If you are using small baby back ribs, take out after 3.5 hours. If you are using regular baby back or St. Louis style ribs, then take out after 4 hours. (On the grill, take them off after about 1-1/2 hours for baby back ribs or 2-1/2 hours for spare ribs). The temperature of the rib meat should be over 180°F which means much of the collagen in the meat has probably converted to juicy and unctuous gelatin (the reason we love ribs).

Drain off the drippings. Flip the ribs over using two spatulas (and an extra set of hands if you have them) so the meat side is up. Be careful, as they may be so tender they fall apart.

Put a layer of BBQ sauce on the ribs and return to the oven or grill uncovered for an additional 20-30 minutes.

Remove from oven or grill and serve them up with a side of cole slaw, corn on the cob and/or baked beans. Serve with extra sauce!

Serves 5-6

I make turkey burgers a lot, because they are healthy and delicious. This recipe is juicy and flavorful. I usually top my burgers with carmelized onions or mushrooms.








1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (white meat, dark meat, or a mixture)
1/2 cup fresh peppers (red or yellow), minced
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves, minced
sea salt, to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or more to taste
4 hamburger buns, lightly toasted
1 tomato, sliced (optional)
sauteed onion or mushrooms topping (optional)
sliced cheese (gruyere, cheddar)

Special Equipment: Cast-Iron Grill/Griddle, Cuisinart Griddler, or Portable Outdoor Gas Grill

Prepare your grill (either charcoal or gas) for direct high heat. Or right before cooking, heat a griddle or large cast iron frying pan on the stovetop.

Combine the turkey, onion, garlic, dijon, peppers, and spices in a large bowl and work the mixture with your hands to just mix. Do not over mix or the burgers will be tough. Form the mixture into 4 1-inch thick patties.

Season both sides of the patties with salt and pepper. Grill them for 5-7 minutes on each side, until the internal temperature of the patties reach 170°F on a meat thermometer. Turkey burgers should be cooked through, not rare. Toward the end of the cooking, put the cheese on the burgers and the buns on the grill to toast for about a minute. Remove the burgers from the grill to a platter, cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

Assemble the burgers by placing each burger on a bottom bun, and stacking a tomato slice, and sauteed onions or mushrooms (if desired), and then topping with the top bun.

Serves 4

I discovered this recipe from a family friend, and since then, I make it whenever I have friends over. It is by far, one of the most delicious dip recipes I’ve had. It’s hard to believe the recipe is so so easy to make!







1/2 package thawed frozen chopped artichokes (drained and coarsely chopped)
1/2 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach (thawed, drained and coarsely chopped)
1 cup of Parmesan cheese
1 cup of mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste

Special Equipment: Mini Oval Baking Dish

Preheat oven to 350 F (176 C)

Combine chopped artichokes, Parmesan, mayo, and salt an pepper in a mixing bowl and mix well. Pour mixture into a ramekin or oven-proof serving dish. Top with the Parmesan and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. The dip should be slightly browned and bubbly.

Remove from oven and serve with toasted, thinly sliced French baguettes, tortilla chips, or even leaves of endive.

Served 4-6

This salad is presented so nicely, and looks so delicious,  that it will surely be impressive! Everyone will love it!







1/2 head of romaine, coarsely chopped
6-8 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
2 ripe avocados, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 oz chicken breast, cooked and diced
1 tomato, finely chopped
2 hard-boiled large eggs, finely chopped
4 tablespoons Italian dressing
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles

In a large salad bowl, toss chopped lettuce with Italian dressing or oil and vinegar with salt and pepper.

Place the lettuce on a serving bowl. Place each ingedient in neat rows over the lettuce.

Serves 4-6

Chopped greek salads are my favorite! They are so refreshing in the summer and it is so easy to make. It’s always a hit! Make sure you get good feta cheese!












6 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh chopped garlic
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar 
2 Tbsp oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 seedless cucumber, peeled, seeded, corsely chopped 
1 small red onion, peeled, chopped
1/2 cup pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
3/5 cup crumbled feta cheese

Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, vinegar, oregano and salt and pepper together until blended. Toss with tomatoes, olives, cucumber, onion, and cheese. Serve immediately or prepare ahead and serve at room temperature.

Serves 4-6

These poached pears are sweet and delicious. They are a great side dish with herbed pork, or can be served as a dessert with ice cream.

4 bosc pears, peeled, stem still attached, 1/4-inch of bottom sliced off so pears can easily sit upright
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 stick cinnamon

In a saucepan just large enough to fit all of the pears, place the Marsala wine, sugar, lemon juice, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and place the pears in the pan, standing upright. Cover the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes (if you want, baste with the liquid a couple of times during the cooking), until the pears can easily be pierced with a fork. Very firm pears make need to cook for up to 20 minutes.Remove the pears from pan, drain, and slice . Keeping the pan uncovered, let the Marsala syrup boil down for a few minutes until it is a thick syrup. (If it begins to caramelize, remove pan from the heat and add a little water to the pan to stop the cooking.) Pour syrup over pears and serve.

Serves 4

This recipe is a low-carb, healthy alternative to mashed potatoes. The consistency is so creamy and delicious, you won’t believe it’s cauliflour. The flavors are cheesy and delicious!







1 medium head cauliflower
4 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
1/3  cup  sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped chives or green oinion
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup asiago cheese
4 tablespoons basil pesto (optional)

Set a stockpot of water to boil over high heat.

Clean and cut the cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done.  Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan and cook the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Drain the cauliflower well; do not let cool and pat it very dry between several layers of paper towels.

In the bowl, mash the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, sour cream, Parmesan, asiago, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper until almost smooth.

Mix in chives and pesto, if desired, and serve.

Serves 4

This is a great appetizer, or entree served with coconut rice. The shrimp is soft and tender from the marinade and the sauce is thick, sweet and peanut-y. It’s a real treat!

2 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp, raw and peeled

Combine the marinade:
1/2 can coconut milk
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp sugar
2 spoonfuls curry powder

Stir then add shrimp and let marinate for up to 2 hours. Put on skewers and grill. Brush on some peanut sauce (recipe below) during grilling.

Peanut sauce recipe:
1/2 can coconut milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 spoonful thai curry paste, red (optional)

Combine all ingredients in small pan over medium heat until dissolved (4-5 minutes). Brush some on shrimp after grilling. Put the rest on a  side plate for dipping.

Serves 4