Spicy Octopus Crispy Rice

Spicy Octopus Crispy Rice

Spicy Octopus Crispy Rice

The invention of spicy tuna on crispy rice is attributed to Katsuya Uechi, a renowned chef from Japan who later became well-known in Los Angeles. Chef Katsuya is credited with conceiving this dish for a diner who wasn’t particularly fond of sushi, at his eponymous restaurant, which first opened in 1997 in Los Angeles.

Spicy Octopus Crispy Rice

Nobu Matsuhisa is recognized with popularizing spicy tuna on crispy rice. While Katsuya Uechi is credited with the original concept, Chef Nobu played a significant role in bringing this dish to the global stage. Crispy rice with spicy tuna became one of the signature dishes at his restaurants worldwide.

Nobu Paris Las Vegas

Nobu Paris Las VegasNobu Paris Las Vegas

Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna
Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna

Spicy Octopus Crispy Rice Recipe

Spicy Octopus Crispy RiceHere, inspired by Nobu’s “Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna,” I make crispy rice cakes using an onigiri mold and top the crispy rice with slices of avocado, spicy octopus, and jalapeño for colorful appetizer. The combination of the crispy rice base and the spicy, creamy octopus creates a textural and flavorful contrast that makes it such a delightful bite.

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Cherry Noodle Kugel

Cherry Noodle Kugel

🍒 Cherry Noodle Kugel 🍒

Traditionally, noodle kugel includes raisins, but this year we found that dried cherries were a delightful substitute. The kugel casserole has a luscious, custardy texture, balancing creamy sweetness with a hint of tang, complemented by the soft noodles and a golden-brown, slightly crisp top. The dried cherries, with their perfect blend of sweet and tart flavors and chewy texture, made a wonderful addition to the dish.

Honeycomb Dinnerware Collection🐝 THE perfect dinnerware for Rosh Hashanah! Kristy’s gorgeous Honeycomb Dinnerware Collection from Williams Sonoma here. 🐝

🍎 Eating honey on Rosh Hashanah is a tradition symbolizing the hope for a sweet new year. On this Jewish holiday, we eat honey with apples and challah, to express a wish for a year filled with happiness, blessings, and prosperity. 🍎

Honeycomb Dinnerware Collection

Rosh Hashanah Menu

Apple Slices with Honey
Challah
✡️✡️✡️
Matzoh Ball Soup
✡️✡️✡️
Slow-Cooked Tomato Onion Beef Brisket
Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Florets
Potato Latkes with Sour Cream and Apple Sauce
Cherry Noodle Kugel
✡️✡️✡️
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream and Ganache

Challah

Matzoh Ball Soup

Matzoh Ball Soup recipe here.

Brisket and Latkes

Beef Brisket recipe here.

Latkes recipe here.

Cherry Noodle Kugel

4 Layer Chocolate Cake

🍒 Cherry Noodle Kugel Recipe 🍒

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Roasted Sablefish, Chardonnay Cream Sauce, Caviar

Roasted Sablefish, Chardonnay Cream Sauce, Caviar

Roasted Sablefish, Chardonnay Cream Sauce, Caviar
and
The Multi-Course Dinner Party

This refined Roasted Sablefish & Caviar dish is ideal as the Fish Course at a multi-course dinner party. Its richness is balanced by a modest portion size, making it a perfect addition without overwhelming the palate.

Hosting a multi-course dinner at home offers an intimate and curated dining experience, where guests are treated to a series of thoughtfully prepared dishes that flow seamlessly from amuse-bouche to dessert.

It provides an opportunity to showcase culinary creativity, entertain guests in a relaxed setting, and guide them through a journey of flavors, textures, aromas, and presentations over the course of the evening.

To create a contrast in textures, one might include a mix of soft, crispy, creamy, and crunchy elements across the courses. For example, a creamy soup is followed by a crisp salad which acts as a palate cleanser before moving onto the richer fish course.

Balancing flavors is just as important. Savory, sweet, sour, salty, and umami elements can be incorporated throughout the meal. Each course should have its own distinct flavor profile, and ingredients and cooking methods are varied to avoid repetition.

The meal begins with lighter courses and gradually progresses to more substantial dishes. By dessert, something overly rich would be overwhelming, making a meringue with fruit the perfect light and refreshing conclusion to the multi-course experience.

For example:

Amuse-Bouche (a small interesting bite to awaken the palate)

Amuse-Bouche (a small bite to awaken the palate)

Raw Scallop Amuse Bouche, Blood Orange Emulsion

Soup Course (colorful and delightful, not hearty nor chunky)
Serve with Bread of Choice

Soup Course (light, colorful, and delightful, not hearty)

Cream of Pea Soup, Goat Cheese Flower Crouton

Salad Course (keep it fresh and crisp)

Salad Course (keep it fresh and simple)

Bibb Lettuce Salad, Fresh Herbs, House Vinaigrette

Fish Course (elegant, delicate and refined)

Fish Course (simple yet elegant, delicate and refined)

Roasted Sablefish, Chardonnay Cream Sauce, Caviar

Main Course (the main protein, medium portion size, with vegetable and starch)

Main Course (the main protein, with sides)

Leg of Lamb, Curry Quinoa Crust, Over Steamed Spinach, Tomato Avocado Salsa

Dessert Course (a light sweet ending, not too heavy)

Dessert (a light sweet ending, not too heavy)

Pavlova with Whipped Yogurt Cream, Blackberry, Kiwi & Passionfruit

(click on links for Taste With The Eyes full recipe for each course)

The visual presentation is as important as the taste. Each course is arranged artfully with a balance of colors, shapes, and textures on the plate.

Consideration of all of these elements—balance, flavor, ingredients, and presentation creates a cohesive and delicious multi-course menu that flows smoothly and delights your guests.

Additionally, including wine pairings with a multi-course meal is an excellent way to enhance the dining experience, as the wine complements the flavors of the food, and the food, in turn, brings out the nuances of the wine.

The Fish Course Recipe

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Sable Bagel

Sable Bagel

🐟 🥯 Sable Bagel 🥯 🐟

Often overshadowed by the ever-popular smoked salmon, smoked sablefish is an under-the-radar gem, prized for its silky buttery texture and savory smoky depth of flavor. A Sable Bagel is a great way to showcase the sable. It offers an indulgent combination of flavors and textures that make it a standout among smoked fish bagels.

This toasted sable bagel features a layer of cream cheese topped with red onions, tomatoes, sliced new pickle, and capers, creating a refreshing and contrasting open-faced sandwich. A touch of horseradish and jalapeño rings add a spicy kick.

Sable Bagel

We brought home a couple great bagels, take-out smoked sablefish, and new pickles from our favorite deli here in Vegas,  The Bagel Cafe. All their hand-sliced smoked fish are flown in weekly from Brooklyn, N.Y.

Sable Bagel Recipe

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Copper River Smoked Salmon Salad

Copper River Smoked Salmon Salad

Copper River Smoked Salmon Salad
Arugula, Pasta Shells, Tomatoes
Avocado “Melon Balls” Creamy Chili Sauce

What truly elevates this salad is the Copper River Salmon—it’s the undeniable star. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The salad itself is simple to assemble, with each ingredient carefully chosen to let the smoked salmon take center stage. Peppery arugula, tender mini pasta shells, vibrant cherry tomatoes, and fun avocado melon balls all play their parts in harmony. A light lemon and olive oil dressing keeps things fresh, while a side of creamy chili sauce adds an extra layer of flavor.

Copper River Fish Market is a seafood boutique in remote Alaska that is fisher(wo)man founded, owned, and operated. Sarah is a generational fisHERman with over two decades of experience in sustainable, small-boat fishing. Every catch is meticulously selected, and each shipment comes with an origin guarantee. She says her salmon is curated with the hand of a Seafood Sommelier.™

All their seafood comes directly from her family’s catch. The Copper River salmon is cut by hand, brined with only brown sugar and salt and smoked over real alder-wood. The small-batch production and attention to every detail simply is not possible on a larger scale. Her salmon is a true artisan crafted food product.

Copper River Smoked Salmon Salad

Salmon Salad Recipe

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