Cinco de Mayo

As one of the most popular herbs today because of its big, bold flavor - cilantro makes a statement with its leaves for Mexican cuisine, and coriander seeds in Middle Eastern cooking. Cilantro’s appearance may sometimes be mistaken for Italian Flat Parsley, but one whiff of its fragrance, will set you straight. 

Cilantro or Coriandrum sativum (for you Latin lovers) has medicinal properties that rivals its role as a spice. Cilantro has been used since before BC. as a digestive aid to relief indigestion, and recent studies show that cilantro also has anti-inflammatory properties as well. I hope by now you are understanding the connection between how good fresh herbs are for you - even beyond the kitchen. But you wouldn’t know that by seeing all those TV commercials pushing OTC meds.

This week Cinco de Mayo will be celebrated worldwide honoring Mexican heritage; marking the defeat of the French Army after invading the Americas. But believe it or not, this commemorative holiday is celebrated by more people in California than Mexico. And, many festive ways are used to mark the occasion beyond cervesa and tequila. Dances and music mark the occasion to preserve & educate the public of its historical significance and culture.

But as with any celebration, food does take center stage. So with honor to the Mexican people - May 5th, I give a nod to the big bold flavor of the cilantro leaf, also known as Chinese parsley.

If you are looking for dishes with bold flavor; I created this for my visit on Live with Regis & Kelly. You will certainly want to try my Mexican Calzones. Yes, they are as good as it sounds! Enjoy the calzone with my 60 second guacamole, salsa and tomatillo dipping sauce. 

Herb of the Year

In 1991, the International Herb Association (IHA) established National Herb Week, to be celebrated during the week prior to Mother's Day. This year they named dill, Anethum graveolens, aka dill weed, as the herb of the Year for 2010.

The herb dill brings to mind the image of a crispy dill pickle. The pickling process is with the use of dill seeds. Dill seed is used as a spice with a flavor somewhat similar to caraway; but resembles fresh or dried dill weed. The seeds are stronger and more flavorful than the leaves and are most commonly associated with the cuisines of Scandinavia and Germany.

Dill weed is also a beautiful garnish; its green leaves are wispy and fernlike and have a fresh, sweet taste.

Using Dill Ideas:

Excellent herb to use when cooking fish, especially salmon and trout, as the delicate flavors complement each other.

Use dill weed as an added ingredient in sandwiches such as tuna, ham or grilled chicken.

For a meza or appetizer: Combine dill weed with Greek yogurt and chopped cucumber for making Tzatziki.

Add dill to your favorite egg salad or top deviled eggs.

Go French, with a cool Nicoise Salad made with grilled tuna steak, steamed Yukon potatoes, green beans, tomatoes and white beans. Mix with olive oil and fresh lemon juice.

And, where would gravlax be without dill? Serve on multi-grain dark bread with fresh dill while toasting the year of this 2010 herb with ice frozen Aquavit from Scandinavia flavored with dill seed.

Skoal! 

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Up Stream

I find it absolutely amazing that a fish that is born in fresh water, migrates to the ocean, then returns to fresh water to reproduce. Tracking studies have found that certain species will return to the exact spot where they were born to spawn. Amazing.

But here is the really good news; there will be a Pacific Salmon Season along the California and Oregon coast for the first time since 2007!

Chinook - King Salmon

Here's The 411 of My Top Salmon Varieties:

Chinook- aka King Salmon (left) is the largest, weighing in over 30 pounds. 

Coho- aka Silver Salmon, likes sea life in Alaska and British Columbia.

Sockeye- Red Salmon prefers a diet of shrimp and squid, lives in the Pacific.

Steelhead Salmon - the true salmon found in the Columbia River, near my friends in Portland, OR.

 Buying Tip: Avoid Farm Raised Salmon. Instead choose Wild-Caught Salmon from Alaska, which is considered a "Best Choice" and is certified as sustainable to the standard of the Marine Stewardship Council.

On Thursday April 15th, the Pacific Fishery Management Council voted to allow both commercial and recreational boats to head out to sea. They will limit the number of fishing days, and carefully monitor the number of fish caught.

To keep the river system healthy with a plentiful supply of salmon for our future; I suggest keeping a catch, as well as releasing a catch. You know - only keep what you can eat.

Orange and Honey

The perfect combination of locally made honey and citrus is what inspired today's post playing off the color orange; and seen on an episode of GH Living it UP!. Enjoy a slice of my Orange Honey Cake with a hot cup of orange pekoe tea. BTW - the orange in the orange pekoe denotes the quality of the tea leaves in the blend and not orange flavor. Orange Pekoe is a good grade tea using full and bigger tea leaves.

Also, this recipe is a really easy one to whip up for a impromptu gathering since you can make, bake and eat this cake, in under one hour! Orange you glad about that? Enjoy!

For today's - Honey Orange Cake Recipe

image: Hirsch Media

Yellow Food

I am continuing with this week's theme of color and food. Today's color is yellow, which brings a few of my favorite ingredients to mind. And what better way to prepare your yellow dish than with a pot that is versatile from stovetop-to-oven and even to-the-grill - like this cast iron yellow pot from Le Creuset. 

Yellow is the color of sunshine and symbolizes energy. It is as inviting as a warm, sunny day. Yellow can also be perceived as cheerful, mellow, and soft to the touch. It is the color of ideas and dreams and stimulates creativity and confidence. It is an attention getter and the most visible color of all the colors. Use it in small amount. Yellow is like sunlight: you want it to be there to feel good, but you don’t want it to be “in your eye”. Le Creuset on Dijon.

For today's yellow food recipe.