Halibut and Corn Salad with Broken Vinaigrette

If you're not a big fan of lima beans, then this recipe will change your mind forever! I got this recipe from Michael Chiorello's NapaStyle website but, as usual, I modified the recipe. Most of my "tweaks" were done in order to simplify the recipe (the original is done in like 10 various stages!) but at the same time still have tons of flavor. My husband loved the lima bean and corn with the broken vinaigrette and the halibut was very tender and flaky. You can serve the lima bean/corn salad with almost any meal. I hope you enjoy this meal as much as we did.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 slices of bacon
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce (low-salt, if possible)
• 1 tsp. Balsamic vinegar
• 1 TBSP. water
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 1 lemon, the juice of (about 2 TBSP)
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 sprigs of fresh Tarragon, chopped
• 1 cup of lima beans, frozen
• 2 cups corn, fresh or frozen
• 2 Halibut filets
• Olive Oil
• Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper

1. Turn oven to 350 degrees. Place the bacon in a baking pan lined with foil. Bake it the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until cooked and crisp. Then chop the bacon into 1/2" pieces and set aside. Remove 1 tsp. of bacon grease and also set aside. To the same baking pan (still with the foil) , add your halibut filets seasoned with salt and pepper. Top each file with a sprig of Tarragon and bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until fish is opaque and flaky.

2. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, add the tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, water and the minced garlic. Cook on medium and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add the tomato sauce into a small glass bowl. Sprinkle a little fresh ground black pepper over it and drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil but DO NOT MIX IT IN. Set aside.
3. In another small bowl, add the lemon juice, jalapeno, apple cider vinegar, chopped Tarragon and 1/2 tsp. salt. Blend in the bacon grease and 1/4 cup olive oil. Let it marinate at least 10 minutes.
4. Place a large pot filled with water on high heat. Bring to a boil and add the lima beans. Cook for 10 minutes. Then add the corn to the same pot and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove and strain lima beans and corn. Add them into a glass baking dish and mix in the chopped bacon. To this, add the vinaigrette (after it has marinated) and the tomato sauce. Mix to combine and place it in the oven (at 350) for 5 minutes. Make sure you taste the salad first and season it, if necessary.

5. To serve, place the lima bean/corn mixture on your plate and top it with a halibut filet.

Recipe courtesy of Michael Chiorello. Original recipe located here.

Happy Hour at the Prado

What is one of the best kept secrets in San Diego: Happy Hour at the Prado. This is the place to be (Monday to Thursday from 4 to 6PM) if you are looking for the best margaritas, well-drinks and house wine (in large glasses) for $2.50. Yes, two-feetie.

But that's not all, they also serve some of their most popular appetizers for half-price such as the crispy calamari with a chile-lime cabbage slaw and a sweet & spicy dipping sauce ($4.50), shrimp stuffed jalapeno poppers with a chimirri sauce ($4.50), or their yummy beef taquitos with a spicy sauce ($2.50).

The Prado was formerly named Cafe Del Rey Moro and it is located in the historic Balboa Park. Balboa Park is the largest urban cultural park in the nation. It's home to 15 museums, various performing arts organizations and the world famous San Diego Zoo. Balboa Park is also acclaimed for its horticultural treasures. So, whether you're a native San Diegan or a tourist, make sure you stop at the Prado for happy hour. You may, just may, find my husband and I at the restaurant since it's only minutes away from our place!

The Prado at Balboa Park is located at:

1549 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 (in Balboa Park at the House of Hospitality) Tel: 619.557.9441

Sorry the last two photos are blurry. I was already a little tipsy when I took them!

The Perfect Grill Marks

Have you ever been to a steak house or to a dinner party and the grill marks on your steak were perfect? Have you wondered, "how did they do that?" Believe me, I have, and I've been learning the art of grill marks for a while. I'm still an intermediate beginner but my husband has mastered the art. Check out his perfect steak pictured above!

To acquire the perfect grill marks on your steak you will need:

• A hot grill
• Patience, and
• Timing

Place your steak directly onto a hot grill for a few minutes. Then using tongs or a spatula give your steak a quarter turn to create the second set of marks resulting in a crisscross pattern.

When it is time to flip your steak repeat the process of grilling for a few minutes and then give it a quarter turn.

You may need to practice a few times before mastering the art of presentation, but once you've learned it you shan't forget it. Don't forget to baste your steaks in your favorite BBQ sauce or one of my new favs, Sweet Baby Ray's barbacue sauce.

Butternut Squash Soup

As soon as winter rolls around, I begin to crave creamy and yummy soups. I know what you're thinking: Winter in San Diego??? But it actually does get cold here. Maybe we don't get down to freezing temperatures but 45 degrees in quite freakin' cold to a San Diegan. This soup is quite easy to make; the roasting of the butternut squash is the only part that takes the longest. You can also substitute creme fraiche for the sour cream. And if you want your butternut squash soup to be more dense and richer, add heavy cream to the soup.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 1/4 pounds)
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1-2 cups water, as needed
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• Sour cream for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Arrange the halves cut side down in roasting pan that has been sprayed with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Bake squash in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until very tender. Set aside to cool. When the squash is completely cool, scoop the flesh from the skin.
2. While the squash is baking, cook the onion and the ginger in the butter in a saucepan, over moderately low heat, for 5 minutes or until the onion is softened, Add the broth and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, covered. Add the squash pulp to the sauce pan.
3. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor, in batches, and puree until smooth. Add enough water to achieve the desired consistency, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Return the soup to the sauce pan and cook over moderate heat until it is hot. Garnish each portion with the heaping teaspoon of sour cream.

Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

Imitation Crab Meat Ceviche

I'm very proud to say that my mom invented (okay, maybe not invented but perfected) this dish. Back in the day, when I was a wee child, we used to live in Tijuana, Mexico—yes, this is back in the 80's—and my grandpa used to bring us goodies from the U.S. One of the most peculiar of these goodies was a package of imitation crab meat. Since my mom had not used it before she decided to make it "ceviche" style and the rest, as they say, is history.

What is ceviche? [Usually] raw seafood marinated or “cooked” in a citrus mixture. When using seafood that is already cooked or par boiled, you do not need as much citrus (usually lime) mixture.

What are tostadas? Tostadas are toasted or fried whole corn tortillas. You can find them in the Latin foods section of your grocery store.

INGREDIENTS

• 16 oz. Imitation Crab Meat, cut into small bite size pieces
• 2 limes, halved
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 Jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced
• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/4 cup Cilantro leaves, lightly chopped
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• Tostadas or good quality tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small glass bowl, add the diced red onion. Squeeze the juice of one lime (about 2 TBSP), 1/4 tsp kosher salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and let it marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
2. Add in the imitation crab meat, jalapeño, tomatoes, the marinated onion and the lime juice, and the cilantro leaves in a large bowl. Add an additional 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper, if needed (make sure you taste it first before adding salt). Cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge for 15 minutes.
3. Just before serving, put the ceviche into your serving dish. Dice up the two avocados and add it to the ceviche and mix to combine. Squeeze in the remaining lime and serve with a side of tostadas or good quality tortilla chips.

Riesling Roasted Pears and Grapes

As you all may know, I'm a big fan of Rachel Ray and when I saw her new magazine in the newstand, well, I just had to buy it. There are tons of good, easy recipes in her mag, which you can also find in her website, Everyday with Rachel Ray. I saw this recipe in there and I just had to try it. In the original recipe, it calls for fresh thyme sprigs but I ommited them becasue I could not find any in my market. Also, instead of ice cream, the recipe asks for fresh whipped cream. I really like the cold vanilla ice cream paired with the warm, tender pears and grapes. The flavors and temperature of the two make your tastebuds go crazy!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large firm-ripe Bosc pears, cored and quartered (skin on)
• 2 cups green seedless grapes
• 1 cup Riesling
• 1/4 cup clover honey
• 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Good vanilla ice cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a baking dish large enough to hold the pears comfortably, arrange the pear quarters, cut side down, and scatter the grapes around them. In a bowl, combine the wine, honey, apricot preserves, and vanilla, and pour over the pears.
2. Transfer the dish to the oven and roast the fruit until tender, about 40 minutes, basting several times. Spoon the pears and grapes into serving dishes.
3. Serve the pears and grapes topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Torta Alemão & Girlsrock Christmas Party

I consider myself a very lucky person. By no means am I rich but I do have the best husband I could ever ask for, a wonderful family and friends that LOVE FOOD, and that is a very important factor for me. I don't "get" people who consider food just a source of energy and not something to enjoy. And that's why I think I'm blessed with friends and family that enjoy food and like to cook just as much as I do.

Which brings me to a gathering I attended last night for the Girlsrock Christmas party. The group is made up of single and married professional females that work at Qualcomm and since most of us work in various departments and are scattered throughout San Diego, we keep in touch through our Girlsrock mailing list.

We had a lot of fun and the food was quite good. Most of it was ready-made, but still very yummy. We had ready-to-eat Sushi, mini quiches, baked egg rolls, cheesecake, chicken salad, cheese and crackers, and a 5-minute sangria. My friend, Ana, made a great dessert she calls, Torta Alemão, although in Mexico is called Pay de Limon. It's a very easy dessert to make that requires no baking. It's creamy and crunchy, light and very refreshing.

So if you're having a get together this year and don't have time to cook, buy ready-made food at your store. Sushi and the mini-quiches are always a hit...and who can resist egg rolls?

To make the 5-minute sangria you will need:

• 1 (4 LTR) bottle of Carlo Rossi Red Sangria, chilled
• 1 Apple, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 Orange, cut into eight wedges with the skin on

Pour the chilled wine into a your serving pitcher and fill it 3/4 full. Add the cut fruits and let it sit for 5 minutes then serve!

Torta Alemão

INGREDIENTS

For Pie:

• 1 can (14 oz) of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can (12 oz) of evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice (about 4 limes)
• About 3 packages of Gamesa's Galletas Marias, availabe at most grocers in the Latin Foods department

For Ganache:

• 8 ounces (227 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter

First, make the cookie pie:

In a blender, blend thcondenseded milk, evaporated milk and the juice of the limes for about one minute, until mixture becomes homogeneous and creamy and slightly thick.

In casserolele or a glass baking dish place a layer of the galletas marias cookies then a layer of the condensed milk mixture. Repeat the process, ending with a layer of cookies and a layer of the milk mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 3 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, make the ganache (at this point you can take out the pie from the freezer and let it thaw out in the refrigerator).

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Set aside.

Heat the cream and butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth. Immediately pour the chocolate ganache over the thawed out pie and spread with a spatula. Wait 5 minutes for ganache to set then serve!!!!

Torta Alemão

Sara (our wonderful hostess) and Rachel.

Mamma Ana--that's a non-alcoholic beer!

Nathalie, Marie-Claude and Aisha

Wine Notes: 2002 Opus One

I don't consider myself a wine snob nor am I an expert in wines, but I am very picky about the wines I drink and when I found out that my husband bought a 2002 Opus One, I was beyond ecstatic. I had only savored this wine once before: It was a 2000 Opus One that my good buddy, Bill, shared with the cooking club. Ever since, I've been hooked on this wine, but considering its high price, it is definitely a wine for very special occasions. The price range for an Opus One ranges from the low $100's up to thousands of dollars.

There is a reason for the high price: Opus One is a very expensive wine to produce, and has been since day one. "The standard is not to be excellent here, it is to be perfect," co-Winemaker Tim Mondavi declares matter-of-factly. No compromises are made, no corners cut. Opus One is meticulously "hand massaged," with frequent topping of barrels and six rackings during its 18 months in barrel, making it extremely labor intensive. The wine is moved only by the gentle force of gravity; mechanical pumps are banned. And, at a cost of more than $29 million, the Opus One Winery ranks as one of the world's most expensive single-product facilities.

Tasting Notes

The 2002 Opus One shows really dark with ruby edges. Beautiful blackberry, intense black current, some plum. The fruit is very concentrated. Powdered cocoa, and vanilla from the oak round out the flavors. Very well integrated even at this early stage. Tannins spread out in the finish, and they are slightly dusty but well incorporated into the wine. They coat your mouth but are very gentle. Finish is a little short, but it is pleasant. A blend of 86% cabernet sauvignon, 6% merlot, 3% malbec, 3% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Drink from 2007 - 2019.

Grilled Salmon Teriyaki

I just love Teriyaki sauce but sometimes the bottled stuff is either too sweet or too salty for me. I learned how to make homemade teriyaki sauce when I was in college and have been a big fan of it ever since. Making your own terikayi is quite easy and once you get the hang of it, you'll be making it all the time. You can also baste chicken and beef in this wonderful sauce or use it as BBQ sauce.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Salmon fillets 1/2" thick, with skin on
• Kosher Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tbsp sake (rice wine)
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp mirin (sweet rice wine)
• 2 tbsp sugar

Prepare the teriyaki sauce: Place the soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar in a small pan and simmer on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it becomes slightly sticky. Set aside

Prepare the salmon: Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. Get your grill pan or a large, non-stick skillet and place it on a medium heat. Place the salmon, skin side up, on your grill pan or skillet and cook for 6 to 8 minutes then turn the fish over. Brush the top of the salmon with 1/3 of the teriyaki sauce and cook for 2 minutes. Keep brushing salmons until you use up all the sauce, about 4 more minutes.

Serve the salmon with a side a sticky rice and steamed broccoli.

Eating out at Pizza Nova

My husband and I went to Pizza Nova on Sunday night. This was our first time at this pizza joint which specializes in wood-fired, hand-stretched pizzas. They also make their pasta fresh everyday. The decor is classy chic and the food is very affordable. I really liked their food although they do need to have a better wine list available. Now, to the food!

For an appetizer, we ordered the Cheezy Garlic Bread ($3.75). It is sourdough bread topped with garlic butter and Parmesan cheese. It's no lie, this bread is garlicky. Vampires, beware!

For dinner, my husband ordered one of their new specialties, Swordfish Piccata ($14.95). This was my favorite dish. It consisted of grilled swordfish topped with a white wine lemon and caper cream sauce. Served with fettuccine and sauted vegetables. I highly recommend this dish.

I ordered the Portobello Mushroom & Asparagus Fettuccine ($11.50), which are portobello mushrooms, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic atop fresh egg fettuccine in a light wine and garlic cream sauce, topped with Parmesan cheese. This was a so-so dish. It was too rich for me and I was only able to eat 1/4 of it. I took the rest of it home and we had it as a side dish the next day!

I recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a low-cost night out. All their food is made fresh, their wood-fired pizzas are quite good and their prices are very reasonable. Many of the patrons stop by here for lunch or dinner first then head on to the Landmark Theatre in the same complex.

Pizza Nova - Hillcrest is located at 3955 Fifth Avenue, (619) 296-6682

Romantic Dinner for Two: Beef Wellington

Dear Armida:

Help! I'm dating an incredible girl right now and everything is going great. She loves to cook and has invited me to her place for dinner a few times already and now I want to reciprocate...but I am not a good cook nor do I know what to cook in order to impress her. Do you have any suggestions? She's a total foodie and I so want to cook something she'll love.

Cookless in Seattle

Dear Cookless in Seattle,

Believe me, I know your dilemma. When I first started dating my [now] husband, he struggled at first when he tried to cook for me. I though it was such a wonderful gesture and I'm sure your girlfriend will think the same thing about you, even if your food is not perfect. However I found (and tested!) the following meal. It's incredibly romantic and it looks difficult, but it's quite easy. Just follow the steps.

First, you need INGREDIENTS

• Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 package of ready-sliced white mushrooms
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 Tablespoons Sherry or Marsala or Zinfandel Port wine
• 2 Filet Mignons, no more than 1" thick
• 1 package of Puff Pastry Sheets, take out one sheet and thaw it in the refrigerator
• Garlic powder
• Kosher Salt
• Pepper
• 4 oz of mousse pâtè (optional)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten with a teaspoon of water
• A good bottle of red wine

First, start the following process one and a half hour before she arrives.

In a large 10" non-stick skillet, heat up one teaspoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter on medium-high. Add the chopped shallot and cook for 1 minute. Then add the sliced mushrooms and the thyme and saute for 5 minutes. Raise the heat to high and quickly remove pan from heat source, add the sherry to the pan then put it back on the heat. Cook until all the liquid evaporates and season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Once your mushrooms are done, remove from heat and let them completely cool.

While your mushrooms are cooling, take out your two filet mignons. Coat each filet with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and rub it in gently. Season each filet with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Wrap each file in plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour.

Once your filet mignons are done marinating, crank up the oven to 450°. Now it's time to sear the filet mignon.

Get a large non-stick skillet and turn on the heat to medium-high. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Once pan begins to smoke, add one filet. Cook for 4 minutes per side. Do not move the meat while it cooks. If pan is too hot, reduce the heat a little. Once both sides are seared, set filet mignon aside and repeat with the other filet. When done, cool both filets. Now, place a large piece of plastic wrap on your cutting board and place your pastry dough on it. Slice the dough in half, lengthwise.

On one rectangle mound about 2 tablespoons of the mushrooms. If you are using the mousse pâtè, top the mushrooms with a small slice of pâtè then top that with the beef filet mignon (see picture above). Brush the edges of the dough with egg wash and wrap the dough up and over the meat, sealing it with the egg wash and tucking in the ends as you would a wrapped present. Repeat with the other beef filet.

Arrange the two Wellingtons on a baking sheet and brush the top of the completed Wellingtons with more egg wash. Bake at 450° degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove meat from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Plate the Beef Wellingtons individually with a side of green beans or pasta or your favorite side dish. A good red wine will go well with this dish such as a 2004 Da Vinci Chianti or a 2002 Honig Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

This dish will surely impress anyone!!! Give it a try.

Recipe from Everyday with Rachel Ray magazine

Enchiladas Suizas

I have such fond memories of enchiladas suizas. My mom used to take us to the now defunct Bol Corona, which was a great restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. They had the best enchiladas suizas. My mom makes pretty good enchiladas, too and I learned this recipe from her. Use up any leftover chicken or turkey for these babies. Also, if you don't want to cook your own chicken, buy a rotisserie chicken and shred the meat. These pictures are from my turkey enchiladas I made for my in-laws in Minnesota last week. Delish!

INGREDIENTS (yields about 20 enchiladas)

• 4 cups shredded chicken or turkey
• 1 (28 oz) Las Palmas Green Chile Sauce - Mild
• 24 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
• Corn or Vegetable oil for frying
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 small head of lettuce OR cabbage, finely shredded
• 4 sliced tomatoes
• 2 ripe avocados, sliced into wedges
• 1 container of Cacique Crema Mexicana OR regular sour cream

First, turn on your oven to 350 degrees. Get out two 9"x13" rectangular baking dishes or casseroles.

In a large 10" skillet pan add about 1/2" of oil and heat to medium-high. Now get a 2 or 3 quart sauce pan and set to medium heat and pour in the Las Palmas green chile sauce. Set aside 1/4 cup of the sauce.

Add the 1/4 cup reserved sauce to your shredded chicken and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Set aside.

You will do the following process until all your chicken or turkey is gone:

1. Add one tortilla at a time to the hot oil.

2. Fry the tortilla for 50 seconds on one side, turn over with a tong, and fry for another 30 seconds on the other side. You want enough oil so that the tortilla floats. Add more oil, if necessary.

3. Adjust heat if the oil is too hot or not hot enough. You don't want to fry the tortilla stiff. You still want it to be pliable enough to roll. If your tortilla breaks, just fry up another one. Set one tortilla aside for the sauce below. 4. Once your tortilla is done frying, move it into the sauce pot with the warm green chile sauce.

5. Quickly coat both sides of the tortilla with the green chile sauce then place it into your baking dish.

6. Add about 2 tablespoons (don't overfill it) of the shredded chicken into the tortilla and roll and place flap side down in the baking dish. You will fill two baking dishes with this recipe.

7. Once all your enchiladas are done, top them with the shredded Monterey Jack Cheese and bake them uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese has melted. You will have about 3/4 cup of green chile sauce left.

8. While your enchiladas are baking, pour the remaining green chile sauce in a blender and add one torn tortilla. Let the tortilla soak in there for about 5 minutes to get soggy, then blend on high until it's smooth. Pour the sauce back into the sauce pan and simmer on low.

9. To serve: Place three or four (if you're really hungry) enchiladas on a plate. Top first with a tablespoon of the blended chile sauce, followed by the shredded lettuce or cabbage. Then place two or three sliced tomatoes and two wedges of avocados. Finish it off by drizzling Mexican crema. If you don't have crema, just blend 1 cup of sour cream with 1 tablespoon of milk and season with salt and pepper.

10. Ah, the colors of the Mexican Flag! Brilliant!!!

Snobby Wine, Capital Sushi!

I am addicted to wine tastings. I don't know why, but my husband and I spend way too much money on wine and wine paraphenelia. Last night was no exception. The Brasserie and Wine Sellar was hosting a Honig wine tasting for $10 bucks, which consisted of two whites, three reds and one late harvest. Honig Winery is Napa Valley's premier producer of exceptional Sauvignon Blanc, but their cabs were our favorites.

Matthew and I both gave their 2001 Honig Cabernet Stagecoach Vineyard ($65) two snaps, a wink and a divaspank!

Honorable mentions also go to their 2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($33) and their 2004 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc ($50). These are expensive wines, so buy them for a special occasion. Matthew didn't like the Brasserie too much because he felt the people were stuck up and snobby. I didn't really notice it, but then again I was just focusing on the wine.

To make my hubby feel better, I took him out to our favorite sushi restaurant, Ono Sushi. This ain't your regular sushi joint. It's hip, it's happening, and it's loud. The restaurant has a huge menu and they have tons of specialties, but we like the sushi platter for two ($37), their miso soup ($2.50),and they make killer lemon drop martinis ($8).

Platter for two with tuna, salmon, yellow tail, red snapper, surf clam, scallops, octopus and unagi sushi and California and Tuna Rolls.

All their food is freshly prepared and we like to sit at the sushi bar and watch one of the many talented chefs create their masterpieces. The decor of the place is eclectic, for lack of a better word. Anyone from an AARP member to a drag queen will feel comfortable here. If you're squirmish about trying sushi, I recommend this place. All their fish is fresh outta the water and they have incredible specialties like the Volcano Roll ($12) or the Ono Sushi Roll ($13) which are bound to convert any sushi hater into a sushi lover.

Ono Sushi is pricey, of course. But it's well worth it. If you're on a business trip, bring your clients here. It's a great restaurant with a good ambiance and on Wednesdays they have $1 and $2 dollar sake specials!!!

All photos taken with my Samsung mobile phone.

Eating out at the Mall of America

When I visited the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota this past week, I was in awe and in shock. They have an entire theme park, Camp Snoopy--the nation's largest indoor family theme park--in the middle of the mall! The Mall of America is the nation's largest mall. It is a 4.2 million square foot complex and is home to more than 520 shops; it also has a 1.2 million gallon walk-through aquarium; a 14-screen movie theater and more. So, as you can see, this mall is every girls (and guys) dream.

After our day of shopping we ate a late lunch at Tucci Benucch, a country Italian restaurant. The blurb of the restaurant says that "the setting is an Italian country home with distinct dining areas... [The restaurant] serves as an oasis amidst the busy activity of the shopping mall [and] features thin-crust pizzas, pastas, gnocchi, chicken and fresh fish created by our chefs to add to your dining experience." It sounds pretty fancy, but it isn't. We didn't try their thin-crust pizzas, which is their specialty.

I had the Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad with oven-dried tomatoes, pinenuts and mustard vinaigrette ($13.95) and a glass of prosseco--you know me, I always have to have my bubbly.

My husband had the Stuffed Mushrooms with fresh spinach, garlic breadcrumbs, and lemon butter ($7).

My salad was good but I don't think it was worth the 13 bucks. The oven-dried tomatoes were too salty for me and the salad could certainly use more ingredients like roasted chicken or olives. There was something missing in this so-so salad. On the other hand, the stuffed mushrooms were quite delicious and filling. My husband got 3 very large mushrooms stuffed with a garlicky-breadcrumb mixed with spinach. The mushrooms were swimming in the lemon-butter sauce which tasted great with the fresh bread they serve you. I highly recommend this as an appetizer or just for a light meal.

The service was prompt and the bus boy would not stop filling our water glass! Tucci Benucch is a good place to go for lunch or a light meal, it just seemed to me like a fancier Olive Garden and a lot pricier, too.