You will LOVE this free drawing, my friends…read on!

Also in the Tampa Tribune

Buying fish at the supermarket is one of those things that make me nervous. First off, the only thing I can ever afford is farm-raised tilapia from who-knows-where and whatever the fishmonger has on sale. Secondly, cooking fish is finickier than chipmunk in heat – 60 seconds is all that separates a moist, tender fillet from a dry, tough, overcooked rain jacket. Do I risk $16.99/lb for a grouper or $24.99/lb for monkfish? If the fish isn’t sushi-grade, is it ok to cook medium-rare? What if the recipe I found in the cookbook sucks and I end up with an inedible dinner? What if I misjudge my timing?

The poor fishmonger watches as I stand in front of the glass case, wringing my hands, calculating the price/risk index for each fish on display. Most days, I’ll opt for nice hunk of salmon, as my pocketbook is comfortable with the ratio of $9.99 per pound x high-fat content that it almost impossible to overcook.

A couple of weeks ago, a company called Kona Blue, overnighted to me a few pounds of a fish called kampachi to try. It’s Hawaiian yellowtail, sustainably raised off the coast of Hawaii at their farms. Like salmon, it’s chock full of Omega 3 oils, so it’s succulent, firm and rich. The best part is that it’s raised in a clean, controlled setting and it’s sushi-grade.

The kampachi fillets were one of the most beautiful, moist fish I’ve ever cooked at home. The true test was that I even accidentally overcooked the fish, because the moment the timer went off, something called, “sibling rivalry” screamed from the other room and demanded my immediate attention.

The price/risk ratio? Well, it’s expensive if you mail order from Kona Blue. $17.00/lb for fillets plus $35 for FedEx. Ouch. But some of the best restaurants in town and a handful of markets carry the fish. Here is a partial list of retailers and restaurants.

Tampa & Sarasota Readers: Tampa, FL restaurants are not listed there, but you can find Kona Kampachi at Roy’s, Bern’s, Sidebern’s, Mise en Place, Lakeland Yacht Club, Grand Hyatt Tampa and the Tampa Yacht Club. I just visited Whole Foods in Sarasota and they LOVE Kona Kampachi. Call or visit them and tell Ryan the fish manager that you want him to order! They have it sometimes, but the more people who ask, the more available the fish will be!

It’s certainly a fish that I’d beg or bribe my local fishmonger to carry.

Free Kampachi Drawing

But, my dear friends, I’ve got a surprise for you. Kona Blue has graciously given me some prizes to give away – packages of super-fresh Kona Blue Kampachi overnighted to 3 randomly chosen lucky winners. The fish is packed with tons of ice packs, and will arrive on your doorstep fresh as ever. I don’t know how much they are sending to you, but I have a feeling it will be more than your entire family can eat in one sitting.

Oh, and since it’s sushi-grade, you can eat it like sashimi with some soy and wasabi.

All you have to do is comment below! Accepting entries until Saturday morning after my morning coffee lunchtime…whenever that will be. Oh, and for my international friends, I don’t think Kona Blue can ship overnight internationally, but enter anyways, and if you win, I’ll personally ship you something nice….a box full of Steamy Kitchen goodies. Maybe some wonderful American spices, sauces, gadgets, books? Dunno yet, but I’ll send something extra special.

Read the full story

I teased about this awesome package that I got and asked for several testers to help out with product testing. Thank you to the 15 testers to responded! I sent each of them 1-3 samples of tsp spices, and they each cooked with the spice and gave me a short 2 sentence review.

You guys rock.

What is tsp?

tsp spices are organic spices in perfectly measured, freshly sealed, single-use packages. Each tin comes with 12 spice packets - each 1 tsp of the spice. Their products, “packets of pure adventure,” make measuring spoons obsolete and also protect spices from light and air to ensure freshness and the fullest flavor. A reprieve from spice cabinet chaos, these one-teaspoon spice packets are stored in tin cans that look great displayed on the kitchen counter, which makes them a perfect gift for home cooks.

Dried spices lose their potency after 6-12 months and the more light and air that gets exposed to the spice, the shorter the shelf life. Simply put, if you’ve still got that ground ginger in the back of your pantry, inherited from old Aunt Martha, your food is gonna taste like…well…crusty Aunt Martha. Nasty. I love the concept of tsp, because I only open what I need. the rest stays fresh and sealed.

(photo from tsp spices)

Such fancy packaging…are they expensive?

$7-$9 a box (12 tsp per box) - which is about 30% more than I pay for non-organic supermarket spice. However, I’ve learned something this year. Rather than go find the best deal possible, I’ve decided that I want to buy less and splurge on things that are beautiful, lovely to use and good for my family. I want to really savor and enjoy the things I have in my home, especially in the kitchen. Let me tell you, these spices are gorgeous.

Actually, when I first opened the package, I said out loud to Scott, “Damn. All this packaging - so wasteful! What’s the point of organic spices if you’re going to waste earth’s resources for the packaging?”

And of course, Scott replied, “Stop bitching. Reuse the boxes.” So now my boys’ matchbox cars smell like Oregano.

read on….I’m giving some tsp spice tins away!!!

What did I make with the tsp spices?

The most awesome braised chicken ever. Oranges, garlic, and a blend of tsp ginger and coriander.

Ginger, Coriander and Orange Braised Chicken

Inspired by flipping through Nigel Slater’s Appetite which has been sitting on my desk for the past 2 weeks because I can’t stop looking at it. I love his style of cooking - “a small handful of crabmeat per person” “ginger root - a small lump.” Nigel’s book teaches you how to improvise and create a dish all your own. Forget following recipes word-for-word, he gives you a template and teaches you which flavor combinations work well and when is it done.

Each recipe also has variations at the end. The “Chicken, Garlic and Herbs” recipe (this is the recipe my Ginger, Coriander and Orange Braised Chicken is based on) has options for:

• a buttery finish
• a creamy finish
• use this same recipe to cook lamb with garlic and lemon
• or even pork steaks with apple and creme

Anyways, I highly recommend this book. And hey, if Jamie Oliver says, “Nigel is a genius” then I’m totally sold.

You can substitute skin-on chicken breasts for thigh. Cut back the simmer time just a bit as the breast will cook faster than the bone-in thigh. Best to check it around the 17 minute mark, timing really will depend on how big and thick your breasts are.

6 chicken thighs, skin-on
1 oranges, cut into 8 wedges
6 cloves garlic, smashed with side of cleaver
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup white wine
2 1/2 tsp soy sauce
cilantro to garnish

In a small bowl, combine the ginger, coriander, salt and pepper. Season chicken on both sides with the spice mixture. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator. In large dutch oven or deep skillet, heat 1 tbl olive oil on high heat. When hot, place the chicken, skin side down to brown for 1-2 minutes. Turn skin side up. Turn heat to low, throw in garlic and 4 orange sections (give a nice squeeze as you throw them in to get the juice in the pan). Add wine. Cover and simmer on gentle, low heat for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to plate, leaving the sauce in the pan. Remove and discard oranges, and add the remaining fresh orange wedges. Turn heat to medium-high and add soy sauce. Cook for 3 minutes until thickened. Pour on top of chicken, garnish with fresh cilantro.

Free tsp spices

Really! Just for you! tsp is sending me 3 twin packs. So, 3 lucky ducks will get a beautiful set of spices.

How to enter

Just comment below and tell me what is your favorite spice combination? That’s it! If you want to link to one of your recipes, feel free to link away.

Contest is open until Saturday March 1st at 10pm est. I’ll take entries up until then and we’ll pick 3 winners using the nifty random number generator.

That’s it! Good luck!

My tester’s reviews

are on the next page!

One of the easiest ways to elevate your cooking to another level is to use flavored salts, or finishing salts. No recipe needed, really. Flavor + Salt = Flavored Salt. REALLY!!! I know you just had a V-8 moment just now (wow. that sure dates me. does anyone know what i’m talking about?!) My latest crush, Eric Gower the Breakaway Cook, writes extensively about finishing salts on his website and even gives you several flavors to try. I like to use these salts in place of regular salt - the flavor I use is dependent on either the type of dish I’m cooking, the ethnic cuisine or a flavor I would like to infuse in the dish. I call these Finishing Salts because most of the time, its exactly what I use them for.

Sometimes a dish just needs a little color after plating and a finishing salt is the perfect compliment flavor-wise and eye-candy-deliciousness-wise. Learn from professional cooks - who often serve food on white dinnerware - and sprinkle a little of your Finishing Salt directly on the food AND the plate. The vibrant colors are shown off against the white and your dinner guests can dab as much as or as little of the salt as they wish. You can make a batch for less than $1….or you could go to a gourmet shop and spend $12 for an itty bitty jar.

Szechuan Peppercorn Salt

Dry-roasted Szechuan or Sichuan Peppercorn + food processor to grind the peppercorn + sea salt. It’s spelled Sichuan nowadays, but for some reason I’ve always spelled it Szechuan. Anyways, spell how you like.

>>Edit: more detailed instructions: I roasted SZP in a hot, dry skillet until smoking but not burnt. Let that cool a little bit. Dump in food processor to grind to same size as your salt. Then you add your salt and pulse a just couple of times to fully incorporate the flavors together. I like my S&P a little chunky and not like a fine powder. I used equal amts of SZP and sea salt. You can adjust based on your tastes. If you are using a very fine sea salt or just regular table salt, decrease the amt of salt.

Szechuan Peppercorn is really not a peppercorn at all - its a berry from a bush that will make your tongue and lips tingle and numb when you eat them. Yes, its legal. No, you can’t snort it. When you dry-roast the peppercorns, your entire house will smell heavenly…woodsy, citrusy, earthy…so incredibly aromatic that Chef Kylie Kwong perfumes her restaurant daily with a hot, smoking, dry wok of roasted peppercorns. Add to any dish that needs a little kick in the pants. Cooking Chinese? Sprinkle some Szechuan Peppercorn Salt to finish any dish. I also love seasoning my steaks with this instead of the standard salt & pepper prior to grilling. This can also serve as a dipping salt for fried shrimp.

Fushia Dunlop even recommends using this combination on potato chips! Make them yourself (its very simple with a mandoline) and flavor with SZP Salt while they are hot. Or, dump a bag of your favorite plain chips onto a baking sheet + 375 F for 5 minutes, remove and sprinkle with SZP Salt. Ohhh…how about french fries with SZP Salt at your next dinner party? Nothing like watching the reaction of your guests as their lips tingle and they discover a new taste. You can buy Szechuan peppercorn at your local Chinese market or at Whole Spice, iGourmet, GetSpice (UK), Spice Barn and Spicehouse

When you get your SZP, take a couple of pods and chew - the tip of your tongue will go tingly! Cooking the SZP tames the pepperyness and the numbing quality.

Citrus Salt

Grated orange peel + grated lemon peel + let the citrus peels dry a little bit on a paper towel + sea salt Think bright, cheery and light. Finish your shrimp skewers, any vegetables, grilled chicken breasts, grilled salmon with Citrus Salt. Lighten your risotto or steamed rice with Citrus Salt. I’ll be posting soon on a recipe I created, Panko-Crusted Grouper Cheeks with Japanese-Style Risotto and Citrus Salt. Long, fancy name for fish ‘n rice, I know. I need to shorten the name…just sounds too restaurant-y.

Matcha Salt

Matcha is Japanese green tea powder made from the highest quality of green tea leaves. Its a stunning and lovely mossy color which makes such a pretty finishing salt, especially if you use a white plate and also sprinkle some directly on the plate. Matcha powder + sea salt + couple pulses in food processor if you are using course sea salt You know what is so totally divine? Your favorite chocolate truffle or chocolate bar + dip in Matcha Salt. So very different! Eric Gower pairs it with eggs and tofu. Use with dishes that are light in texture and flavor, since this salt’s flavor is more delicate and subtle. It gives a beautiful floral, grassy, sweet and soothing aroma. You can buy Matcha powder at your local Asian market. Sometimes coffee/tea shops will carry as well. This is not the same as green tea leaves. Ask specifically for Matcha powder. Its a little expensive. I paid $7.50 for 1.4 oz jar at a Japanese market in Los Angeles (which will last me a long time as I only used about� 1 teaspoon in my mixture). Don’t get the super-premium stuff, it would be a waste to use the expensive powder for the salts. Buy online at Amazon (this is the brand I got). Use your leftover powder to make green tea ice cream. I have all three sitting patiently waiting for my next cooking adventure….you guys have any ideas for other flavors? What would you do with Chocolate Salt?

Despite pork being the national meat of the Chinese (the word for meat in Chinese is “yook” - which is synonymous to the word for pork), I don’t really eat a lot of pork. Nothing against the pig, its just that I like the taste of chicken, seafood and expensive fatty steak. But this recipe for Tandoori Orange Spiced Pork Chop ROCKS! The chops are seasoned with Tandoori seasoning (or, if you don’t have, make your own) and a pan sauce is made with carmelized onions, mushrooms, a quick squeeze of orange, white wine, orange sections and broth. The cardamom, ginger and cinnamon from the Tandoori seasoning just goes so well with orange. It’s seductive-spicy-sweet-fragrant. Serve with Saffron Basmati Rice and you’re in belly-dancing heaven. Inspired by Simply Recipe’s Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Orange Marmalade Glaze but I didn’t have tenderloin nor marmalade. Instead I had chops and 1 orange…so I improvised.

Tandoori-Orange Spiced Pork Chops

serves 4

4 pork chops

1/2 cup kosher salt (for brine)

1/2 cup brown sugar (for brine)

1 tablespoon Tandoori spice

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 orange, sectioned (see Beyond Salmon’s cool step by step), reserving the 2 ends & the middle membrane for juice

1 medium onion, sliced

1 pint sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Brine the Pork Chop
This step is purely optional, but I’ve found that when I brine chicken or pork chop, it never dries out even if I accidentally overcook the chops. But I understand if you don’t have time, no big deal, just skip this step. Or, if your chops are really thin, don’t bother. Grab a big pot. Take the salt and brown sugar, dissolve in 2 cups of hot water. Add cold water and ice cubes to make total of gallon total of brine. Place pork chops in the cooled brine, refrigerate between 1 hour-2 hours. Rinse and pat dry. Season with Tandoori spice and ground pepper (no salt! its salty enough from brine) Note: If you want the chops to be brined for a longer period of time, just use less salt/sugar. Sometimes I put the meat in brine in the morning, go to work and come home to cook. I’ll just use half the amount of salt/sugar.

Fry the Pork Chop
In a pan large enough to hold all chops without touching each other, heat over high. Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil. When hot and shimmering, add pork chops to pan. Fry 2 minutes without moving, touching or peeking.

Ok, now look - a nice brown crust! Flip the chops, turn the heat to medium-low and let it finish cooking through (internal temp 125.) Timing really depends on how thick your chops are. Really thin chops - just a couple of minutes. Thicker chops - cover the pan after flipping to get more heat in the pan. Really thick chops - best to stick it in the oven after flipping, 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Check the internal temp. Remove chops from pan, let rest on plate while you make sauce.

Make the Sauce
Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the pan drippings (most of it is fat). Place back on stovetop on medium heat. Add onions and cook until golden, soft and totally fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, cook another 2 minutes.

Turn up heat to high and add wine. Stir and scrape up the bottom of pan. Cook 1 minute. Add chicken broth and the orange sections. Take the orange ends and membranes, squeeze whatever remaining juice remains into the pan and discard. Cook 1 minute.

Swirl in the 1 tablespoon of butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the sauce until it becomes thick, coating the back of a spoon. Pour on top of the chops.

If I were stuck on a deserted tropical island with an oven, this is what I would make. On a deserted tropical island, life seems to stand still, there’s no crinkly shirts to iron, no snarly traffic and most importantly, no alarm clocks or Microsoft Outlook. You’ve got time and you’ve got plenty of fish. I’m going to teach you about the magic of low ‘n slow tropical island salmon - once you try this method, you’ll never cook fish another way. Welllll….unless you want to try:

• Steamed Chinese Fish
• Grilled Whole FIsh on Banana Leaf

But I digress…. Low and slow is the ticket to most tender, succulent and true-to-flavor food, just like my number one favorite recipe in the whole wide world Baby Back Ribs with Asian Orange-Ginger Glaze proves.

The concept is simple

When you cook fish on high heat - the proteins immediately seize up - which is why it’s so easy to overcook fish, and end up with dry, chalky and tough piece of seafood. I mean, if you were set on a blazing hot bed of coals, you’d seize up too, screaming, “HOLY SHIT THAT’S HOT!”

Now…lets think sauna…jacuzzi…You see, gentle cooking breaks DOWN the meat, giving it a chance to relax…chill out…have a margherita….get a tan. For fish, low and slow creates the most dreamy, silky-smooth, melt in your mouth texture. And the surprise…the cooking is so gentle that the fully cooked salmon looks almost EXACTLY like it did before cooking.

Salmon before cooking….

Salmon cooked 250F for 25 minutes….

A little peek at the inside - yes, it looks exactly like it does pre-cooked, but it’s cooked to a silky texture.

Those purple flowers are from my Ginger Mint Herb. The lavender color is just gorgeous!

Slow Cooked Salmon

This recipe is SO easy and lazy that I’m not even going to give you the traditional formatted recipe. Improvise, make it your own and have fun. This is truly lazy at its finest. The salmon cooks on a bed of either sliced onions, citrus or herbs - the bed serves a purpose. When you slow cook salmon, some of the proteins break down and can cook out. The bed helps any fats and proteins drain away. Plus, the fish gets gently perfumed with whatever you use for the bed

4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets (1 per person)

Choose ingredients below:

Seasonings	Bed	Finishing (after cooking, top with)
(PHOTO ABOVE) brush w/cooking oil, salt, pepper, ground coriander, top with orange slices	thin sliced oranges and onions	crushed macadamia nuts, mint
brush w/oil, salt, pepper, brown sugar	sliced ginger, green scallion sections	minced scallions
brush w/honey, salt, pepper	thin sliced fennel pulb	parsley, more thinly sliced fennel
(PHOTO BELOW) brush with honey, salt, pepper	sliced oranges, lemons	sweetened coconut flakes, diced mango, papaya, red onion, golden raisins
brush with oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder	sliced red onions	fresh mango salsa

How to cook salmon low and slow

1. Preheat to 250F.  Season salmon and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. <- important. Otherwise the time in the oven will be devoted to un-chilling your salmon, instead of cooking it. Grab a pan big enough to hold all fillets in single layer. Make bed of whatever ingredients you’ve chosen.

2. Place the salmon fillets on the bed you’ve made. Cook for 30 minutes. [if you're cooking more than 4 fillets, just add another 2 minutes per additional filet] To test for doneness, stick a sharp paring knife in, if it goes in an out very easily, its done. Even if you leave it in the oven for an extra few minutes, don’t worry, it is impossible to overcook the salmon this way….unless you, uh, leave it in the oven for a week.

3. Top with whatever finishing herbs, spices or ingredients you’ve chosen. After cooking, the salmon is going to look almost exactly the same as when you first put it in. Don’t worry, after 30 minutes in the oven it is cooked.

If you generally like your tuna seared, or you like your salmon “medium rare” - you must try this recipe. Low and slow really does capture and deliver what the ingredients should taste like exactly. The salmon still retains all of its gorgeous color, even when fully cooked. The texture and flavor is sublime!

p.s. I found a can of spices at my local gourmet market. Its called JUNGLE BOOGIE!!! Isn’t that just too cool? With a name like that, who cares what kind of spice it was, I just had to try it! <– see, I wasn’t joking! “Naturally organic. Fresh dried granulated mango, banana, pineapple, coconut, herbs, roasted garlic and roasted red/green bell peppers” Naturally, its made by a company called Bad Bone. Sadly, Bad Bone is a goner. No longer in business. Someone, quick, create a spice blend with those same ingredients and sell!!! I will be your number one fan.

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