BEEF WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE This might be Koji and Steve's new favorite; they both lapped it up! Chinese black bean sauce has always been one of my top Chinese favorites. Clams or dancing crabs are both exceptional applications for Chinese fermented black beans, available for next to nothing. A little goes a long way, and they keep forever. Serve over steamy rice. BEEF WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE - Recipe (serves 4) 1 pound sliced stir fry beek, flank or chuck 1 teaspoon baking soda

JAPANESE CRAB CAKE In this recipe, you can substitute the crab with 1 pound of cooked salmon, rinsed salt cod, or cooked cod. These cakes freeze well. I've paired the cake with broccoli and basic fried rice (see recipes). The Tonkatsu sauce recipe is provided next. TONKATSU - This is an all-purpose sauce used as you would use ketchup. 1/2 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon oyster sauce 1 tablespoon soy sauce METHOD - Whisk toget

WAGYU BEEF DUMPLINGS A have literally made tens of thousands of dumplings over the decades, they have always been a signature dish at all of my restaurants, usually made with shrimp, this one uses Wagyu Beef. I make my wrappers from scratch but you can use store bought, potsticker or gyoza wrappers from your local grocery or Asian market. I'm serving these over shredded iceberg, with soy, balsamic, chili mayo, hot sesame oil and mint. WRAPPERS 2 cups AP flour 2/3 cup warm

SWEET & SOUR SHRIMP WITH PINEAPPLE There are times when we crave Chinese American cuisine, as it reminds us of beloved childhood Chinese joints, even if some might not openly admit it! This is one such recipe. I'm using velveted shrimp, a Chinese tenderizing technique, with the recipe provided below. The sweet and sour sauce is simple to make and freezes well; try it with chicken or even rotisserie chicken. Serve it over a bed of steaming rice with soy sauce and Chinese musta

SAKE STEAMED CLAMS with Ginger Butter Sauce If someone were to ask me about my top 5 favorite foods, clams would definitely top the list. I enjoy clams prepared in every possible way, ranked by preference: raw on the half shell, grilled until they pop open, steamed, stuffed, and in countless pasta dishes. Growing up in Northport, NY, we would grill clams until they opened, accompanied by my dad's butter sauce, almost every week by the bushel. This is a steamed clam recipe, th

SEARED AHI + RUSSIAN SALAD After finishing school at Parsons in Manhattan and working a brief stint at Simon & Schuster (the only part of that job I enjoyed was ice skating during my lunch break at Rockefeller Center), I decided to go to Sevilla, Spain, for a few months. It was my first trip abroad on a shoestring, I might add. Regardless, I had a wonderful trip. Russian salad, a combo of canned tuna and potato salad, was served as a tapa everywhere. Here is my version of the

MOJO TUNA TACOS This recipe is an adaption of a very popular dish I created for Mike's on the Ave. back in the day, it was called Blackened Tuna Napolean and still remains a fave. This version is a bit more Miami, Cuban in fact, easy and super! MOJO TUNA TACOS - Recipe (serves 4) TUNA 1 - 8 ounce bar of raw tuna 2 teaspoons spice blend = mix together 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt + 1/4 teaspoon cumin + 1/4 teaspoon paprika + 1/4 teaspoon hot or medium chili powder + dry oregano +

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO For Koji's birthday, I always make him Fettuccine Alfredo. He loves a long piece of fettuccine with cream and butter, of course. This is a simple Alfredo sauce that comes together in minutes. Use imported fettuccine made with eggs or make your own pasta. I often add small cubes of cooked ham, peas, and mushrooms, as this one uses. Other great choices would be shrimp, cooked chicken, or clams (my favorite). FETTUCCINE ALFREDO - Recipe (serves 4) 12 ounces fe

I've been making quiche since my days at Parsons in Manhattan, feeding my boyfriends starving actor friends from La Mama in the East Village, I would make 5 or 6 at a time along with a big salad. Quiche is incredably easy, fancyish and very satisfying. This is a bit more involved then my quiche back in the day! It freezes well, crab would also be a great choice - BON APPETIT! SMOKED SALMON QUICHE SMOKED SALMON QUICHE - (makes 1 - 10 inch quiche) Crust 1 1/4 cups self risin

GREEK STYLE SQUID/CALAMARI Everyone loves crispy breaded calamari, which I always order when dining out. At home I often opt for a pan seared version as this is, frying squid is messy and uses a lot of oil. Searing the calamari is a healthier alternative, easier and just as flavorful. Use frozen squid, already sliced, rings and tenticles. This is a So. Florida Greek recipe as there lots of Greek markets and Greek inspired recipes on many menus. I'm using the creamiest fr

OLD SCHOOL BAY SCALLOPS This is a weekly diinner at our house, Bay Scallops are easy to find frozen and very affordable. The key isto rinse them well, pat dry and saute quickly over a pretty high flame. BAY SCALLOPS - Recipe (serves 2). 12 ounces, defrosted bay scallops rinsed and dried with paper towels 1/4 cup fine bread crumps mixed with a 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt or Old Bay seasoning. 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil METHOD Shake the scallops with the seasoned

FRENCHY LEEKS This a take on a classic french leek recipe, it is easy, decadent and very tasty. Use slender leeks about 1 inch in diameter. The cooked leeks will last several days refrigerated and reheat very well FRENCHY LEEKS - Recipe (serves 4) 4-6 leeks, cut in 1 inch lengths, using all the white part and 1 inch of the lighter green and soak in cold water for 1 hour to to remove any sand, then drain. 2 tablespoons duck fat or sweet butter or a combo of butter and olive o

SOUTH FLORIDA SMOKED FISH PATE Dolphins are an unexpected added treat wintering in Florida, magestic and awesome as they swim by almost dailly in pairs or pods frolicking in the sea right in front of us, truly amazing! A version of this dip, spread, or pate as I call it, appears on most local restaurant menus. It is simple to prepare and a perfect starter or cocktail hour hors d'oeuvres. Any dry (cooked) smoked fish will work. I'm using Amberjack, freshly smoked from Ted Pete

CLAMS CASINO I love Clams, they are perhaps my absolute favorite, we grew up in Northport Long Isalnd when clams were 60 for a dollar. We always had them grilled over hot coals until they popped open, served with my father's signature butter sauce, they were the family fave and we ate copious amounts of them regularly. Now clams are pricey and clams casino is the perfect way to enjoy them without having to buy dozens of them. The trick is to open them, my easy method is bel

PORCINI SPAGHETTI Many years ago I was included on a trip to Rome with Leonard Bernstien, a remember Bernstien downing raw Porcini from a street vender in Rome. Since then Porcini have been a favorite, they are rich, earthy, very fancy and delicious. Mostly we can only get dried porcini which are not the ones in Roma, but still very, very good! Porcini are sold in most markets and certianly all Italian markets, a little bit goes along way. This recipe includes sausage, cr

PASTA PUTTANESCA We love, love, love Puttanesca! I 've have been preparing versions of theis super dish forever. It is great with or without anchovies, as this recipe is. Sometimes I top it with sliced seared Ahi tuna or shrimp or just grated Parm. It is fast and very satisfying on a winter evening. This recipe uses fusilli pasta, it is equally as good with penne rigate . PASTA PUTTANESCA - Recipe serves (4-6), leftovers reheat well. 1 pound fusilli pasta cooked al dente

BAY SCALLOPS AND SECRET SAUCE This is a simple recipe that transforms the usual rubbery frozen Bay Scallop into a perfect delight. Frozen Bay Scallops are usually treated to preserve them, the end result after being cooked is often rubber and/or a watery scallop. I've found a few tricks to change all of that to lusciousness. Start with the inexspensive frozen Bay Scollop defrosted and then (below)! Next my not-so-secret, Secret Sauce; I delvoped this copykat recipe after

ULTIMATE EGGWICH Around the holidays, we always bake a ham, sometimes several, during November through December. A favorite in our house (Koji included) is ham salad made with leftover baked ham. My personal favorite is a decadent eggwich using deli ham, a paper-thin lacy scrambled egg, Colby Jack, and ham salad dressed with butter, mayo, and ketchup. The ham salad recipe follows; the rest you can figure out. HAM SALAD - Recipe (makes several cups) 3 cups leftover baked ham,

SHUMAI SHUMAI CAN ALSO BE STEAMED I prepare various types of Shumai, and this particular one is a Japanese version, cooked using the...

YAKI GRILL & KOJI'S ASIAN SESAME + BBQ SAUCE (see recipes) This recipe, inspired by Japanese Yakitori, features Koji's Asian sesame and...