Luxe Lox La La

Sometimes I think I am part Jewish (a Mexican Jew, hmm?) because I just LOVE all the different foods they have in their culuture like bagels, blintzes, matzoh balls and knishes. It could also be that when I lived in Boston I had many Jewish friends and attended several Seders and B'nai Mitzvahs. Nevertheless, one of my favorite foods has to be lox. The English word comes originally from Yiddish, literally meaning "salmon." Lox is usually served with cream cheese on a bagel. Some really fancy places may add red onios and capers, too. I originally got the idea of making my own lox when I saw a Gravlax recipe on CookingforEngineers.com. My recipe is pretty much the same except that I could not find any fresh dill. So I used about three to four sprigs of fresh Rosemary (it grows wild in my parents backyard over here). The taste was quite different than your regular Dillweed. It was much more earthy and it tasted awesome on a bagel spread with goat cheese. INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. salmon filet, no skin
• 3 Tbs. kosher salt
• 3 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 4 sprigs of fresh Rosemary

Wash salmon with cold water and dry with a paper towel. Remove bones (if any). In a small bowl, mix the salt, sugar and the leaves of one Rosemary sprig. Cover the salmon with the mixture on both sides. Then place remaining sprigs on salmon. Double wrap the salmon in plastic wrap and place it on a shallow bowl. Place it in the refrigerator, adding some weight on top (like a can of soup or your mayo jar). Let refrigerate at least 48 hours. When ready, rinse and dry. Slice the salmon on a bias and serve with cream cheese or goat cheese.