Ahi Made Easy! "Wasahi" Tuna Steaks w/ Ponzu Salad

The flavors of the sushi bar can be had at home without the delivery guy or knife-throwing.  Ahi tuna can be an expensive grade of meat, but since this meat is so hearty and filling, you won't need a mountain of it to be satisfied.  Remember to find sushi grade Ahi tuna for this recipe, as we will only be searing the outside, and leaving the inside rare.  Nowadays you can find sushi grade fish at your local supermarket.  I would still recommend you visit a reputable fish market in your area for the best quality.  This fish can be a bit intimidating to most home cooks, but trust me, you'll be surprised at how easy it is, and you'll also impress your friends and family for your Morimoto-like skills in the kitchen!  This recipe was an inspiration from a dear friend of mine in Austin, photography mentor, and his modified dietary lifestyle, Chris Combs.  Fresh, hearty fish marinated in the bright umami flavors of soy wasabi and ginger, served atop a simply dressed salad with Ponzo vinaigrette.  Healthy doesn't have to be drab, especially when you make this one:

Live. Love. Chevy: A Valentine's to Remember

My concept of Valentine's isn't the most conventional one.  I don't care for flowers, serenades, or rose petal trails.  My idea of a "romantic" evening is sharing culture, food, ideas, and riding in style.  The crew @chevytexan knew how to tug at my heart strings, by proposing an offer I could not refuse.  A week of Valentine's plans, and a 2012 Grand Sport Corvette convertible to show off in too!  No red-blooded American would turn that down.

Many of you know I already own an orange 2005 Corvette, it was REALLY nice to have two!

The first stop of my official #chevyvalentines itinerary was my first visit to the whimsical Pearl Farmers Market.  It's an absolute shame that one of the most popular food bloggers in San Antonio hadn't been (Hey, I live in the boonies, give me a break here! Haha!), but it was an experience I'll never forget.  Chilly weather aside, it didn't stop hundreds of patrons, and the booths were full of fresh foods, vendors who knew their products inside and out, live music that had everyone dancing at 10am, and the aroma of delectable chicken and waffles.  Oh, the band!  An awesome trio called the Vinyl 45's, specializing in fun, upbeat tunes from the 50s era.  The thing that got me the most, their very colorful instruments, including a stunning electric blue,  upright bass!

Everything is so festive, and everyone has beaming smiles on their faces.  That kind of enthusiasm is contagious, and it's heart-warming to see so many people sharing my love of food.  Once the Farmers Market starting shutting down for the day, I decided to take a stroll down the Riverwalk Expansion, and check out the funky architecture, and lovely landscaping.

That stroll sure did work up an appetite, and not a moment too soon!  A late lunch at La Gloria tucked right in between the Pearl complex and the Riverwalk expansion.  La Gloria is a tasty, Latino oasis with some peppy cocktails.

My date and I got to sample an array of tasty dishes, notably their Al Pastor tacos with a zesty pineapple salsa, ceviche-style seafood salad with avocado, crab and scallop, and flavorful grilled fish tacos!  Everything tastes fresh, bright, and far from what most San Antonians call "Mexican food," La Gloria is the real deal - you won't even find the obligatory rice and beans there!  Beautiful place, I can understand the hype completely.  The cocktails are made fresh as well, not a single store bought syrup or mixer to be seen, and it shows in the amazing flavor of their drinks. They remind me of something you would sip on poolside, or even while viewing a perfect blue ocean.  Even the ducks loved it, they would come up to guests seated outside, begging for scraps like a pup at the dinner table.  After such a great meal, we had to let the food settle, so I took a cruise around the city in that killer Grand Sport Corvette, here's a shot of the car when we made a stop on the far northwest side of town:

The grand finale of my #chevyvalentines week was a 5 course meal at Chef Jason Dady's Bin 555.  I've been to his restaurant once before, and I can really appreciate his subtle, and sometimes not-so-subtle, touches to his dishes.  I'm a fan, to say the least, but the 5 courses with wine pairings was just a block party in my mouth.  The tapas appetizer included roasted dates, stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped in prosciutto - the ultimate sweet and savory!  Why didn't I think of that??  Simple, delicious, and very clever.  The next course was a salad of greens, candied pecans, creamy bursts of velvety cheese, in a champagne vinaigrette.  Those candied pecans blew me away, kind of reminded me of my Mandarin Pecan Salad, on steroids, haha!  Third course was grilled octopus with braised oxtail, tomato coulis, and a dab of garlic aioli.  That octopus was nearly life-changing.  If someone took octopus to a legit Texas barbecue, that's what you would taste, Texas barbecue flavor, on a tender tentacle.  I just got a plethora of ideas!  I'm such a sucker for octopus (pun fully intended).

The amazing 3rd course of octopus!

The fourth course was a French classic, roasted chicken in mirepoix (aka: carrot, celery, onion) and potato.  I loved that they used chicken thigh for this dish, what self-respecting chef wouldn't?  The aspect of this dish that really won me over were the potatoes which had a touch of the mesquite, Texas barbecue smoke flavor.  Loved it!  And finally, as if that feast wasn't enough, it was time for the dessert course, a deconstructed cheesecake with blueberry jam and a candied lemon sauce accent.  Honestly, I could have eaten just the candied lemon sauce, it was the perfect combination of tangy and sweet,  You can imagine the slight difficulty trying to waddle out of there after that culinary experience, but I did, and managed to get one last shot of the Corvette:

I can't thank everyone enough!  Especially the girls @chevytexan, Lauren, Emily and Lindsay.  Also, Vicki from GM Communications in Irving, TX, and Scott from ESI.  Y'all are a class act, and can't imagine how much fun your work really is.  I appreciate the opportunity, and it's a memory I will never forget.  Thank you for sharing my love of food and Chevrolet with the perfect #chevyvalentines.

Classic Cheesecake: Chicago Style @ Eli's

New York isn't the only city with a rich, creamy dessert worth mentioning.  Eli's Cheesecake in Chicago, Illinois, has been a windy city staple for over 30 years.  Originally starting as a popular dessert at the original eatery, Eli's - The Place for Steak, Eli later decided to start a separate business, just because of the cult-like following, for his decadent treats.  The steakhouse has since closed in 2005, but the cheesecakes are still going strong!  Now with the constant evolution of internet and social media, Eli's makes it very easy to order their confections, and communicate with the company.  And, when you're a social media junkie like myself, you end up getting some pretty cool freebies, including, an entire Eli's Cheesecake shipped to my door!  How awesome is that?!

Eli's at my doorstep, very carefully sealed, and packed in dry ice!

Paula Deen Confirms Diabetes Diagnosis on Today Show

Paula Deen to Announce her Type 2 Diabetes

According to various online publications, Paula Deen, the queen of TV southern cooking, will put the rumors to rest on Tuesday, January 17, 2012.  The 64 year old, best-selling cookbook author and Food Network celebrity chef will announce her condition with Al Roker in an interview on the Today Show.  The excessive butter and fried everything obsession may quickly come to an end.

Image courtesy of www.womensconference.org 

Fresh & Bright Green Bean Salad: Delicious Diet Food

New Year's is over and it's time to get serious about those resolutions.  So many of my friends vowed to eat better, exercise more, and live healthier.  Eating better doesn't mean being doomed to a life of Styrofoam-like rice cakes and faux meats.  A little ingenuity will create some healthy meals that are heavy on flavor.

Berserka Blueberry Mazurka: A Fruity, Decadent Treat Year-Round!

Winter is upon us with a force!  That old man is making things quite cold, and there's nothing more desirable than snuggling under the covers with some comforting flavors.  Some might prefer a savory bowl of soup, but for others, their sweet tooth screams for some warm, rich, decadence. For the latter type, this is right up your alley, and as usual, I put a wicked twist on it.