Light Recipe: Rhubarb Ginger Sorbet with Swanton Strawberries, Aged Balsamic Vinegar and Greek Yogurt

Dieters, this delicious dessert is almost guilt free.

Sounds ho-hum? In fact, it’s wonderful: light in calories, big in flavor and as satisfying as it is  guilt free.  My friend Patti, a Midwestern girl, introduced me  to the rhubarb sorbet concept (rhubarb is a popular ingredient back there but not so much during my California upbringing). I’d never bought rhubarb before but now I’m a believer. The sorbet is intense and creamy, the latter being a natural property of cooked rhubarb.  Also helping is the fact that no water is used in the sorbet recipe (sorbets usually are made with sugar water).  The best choice for the  strawberries are the wondrous ones from Swanton, which are available at the Menlo Park farmers market, Whole Foods and elsewhere.  And the Fage brand Greek-style yogurt is to yogurt what Domaine de la Romanée Conti is to pinot noir. Another discovery I have Patti to thank for.

Recipe: Salmon with Olive-Almond-Fennel Topping

Olives and salmon are a wonderful match. This simple, fast, bright-tasting topping can be thrown together quickly and is good on just about anything (well, not chocolate cake). Here, the salmon is pan roasted but it could just as easily be grilled or baked. And the topping is good with other fish, such as swordfish, halibut, sturgeon, sea bass, etc.

Recipe: Slow-Roasted Salmon in Dill

Brining fish? You bet. This recipe is a take-off from one created by Jerry Traunfeld, a leading Northwest chef. It’s very easy but plenty elegant enough to serve to guests. Brining does magical things to the salmon, changing the texture into a meltingly tender, moist bite of heaven.

Recipe: Salmon Tartare

Super-fresh fish like that sold by Cook’s in Menlo Park makes it possible to prepare “crudo” (raw fish)-type dishes. The flavors here are amazing; a mouthful of taste with no added fat/oil other than the omega 3s from the salmon. And it’s gorgeous to look at, too. Serve this as an appetizer or as part of a buffet. It’s so delicious, though, that you’ll be tempted to eat it for your whole meal. If you’ve got guests that simply won’t eat raw fish, it also makes some out-of-this-world salmon patties (just sauté in a little butter or oil).

Recipe: Pan-Roasted Blue-Nosed Bass with Fennel/Saffron Compote

Blue-nosed bass is one of the best meaty white fish varieties  around. Get it at Cook’s Seafood in Menlo Park. Its moistness and fine flavor stand up to accompaniments particularly well, particularly Provencal-type dishes. The fennel-saffron compote is indescribably delicious, tasting like the best parts of bouillabaisse, the famous fish stew of Marseilles, but in a different form. Halibut could be used instead of the blue-nosed bass if desired.

Nick’s on Main is All About Comfort

Owner/chef Nick Difu has it all working — food, friendliness and atmosphere — at his new restaurant in downtown Los Gatos.

Pleasure has greater currency during troubled times. For example, savoring five-cent chocolate bars helped many Americans get through the Great Depression. Self-nurturing is therapeutic and for South Bay residents seeking an antidote to today’s economic uncertainties, one of the best places to indulge is year-old Nick’s on Main in Los Gatos.

Recipe: Carrot Macaroni and Cheese (low calorie)

This is another excellent concept from Jeremy Fox, chef of Napa’s Ubuntu, which is a much-buzzed-about new vegetarian restaurant. The silky carrot puree is a replacement for the usual fatty cream sauce. I prefer this version to the usual bland mac ‘n cheese. I changed the recipe a little to pump up the flavors.

Recipe: Green Pea Soup with Tarragon and Pea Sprouts

Pea soup is wonderful and this one is a fast, easy, light version of the richer kind that contains cream. It can be made vegetarian via vegetable broth but tastes better if Swanson’s Natural Goodness low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth is used. Or better yet, homemade stock.  I modified the original recipe a bit to make it better.

Crab Landing Delivers Coastal Views and a Huge Menu

Inside its walls of windows overlooking Pillar Point Harbor, Crab Landing features sushi, a raw bar, huge seafood menu, steaks and two cocktail bars.

The only guests who couldn’t find something appealing to eat at just-opened Crab Landing in Half Moon Bay would have to be penny-pinching vegans who disdain great coastal views. For everyone else, this huge new restaurant overlooking the fishing boats in Pillar Point Harbor and the sweeping Pacific beyond takes a greatest-hits approach to its offerings that is calculated to please the widest swath of diners. Its two levels contain an oyster bar, a sushi bar, two cocktail bars and a wine cellar while presenting a menu of popular seafood dishes from across the country and well beyond — in addition to signature cocktails (the lychee martini is a hit), soups, salads, steaks, prime rib and ubiquitous desserts. There’s also al fresco patio dining, where the edge of renowned surf spot Mavericks crashes in the distance.

Recipe: Chicory Salad (Radicchio, Orange, Date, Ricotta Salata)

This salad has big, bold, mouth-filling flavors and is essentially a meal-in-a-bowl.  I had a version of it at Lure in  San Mateo (see my restaurant review of this great spot on the blog) and it was so memorable that I developed my own version.  It’s a good fall/winter salad, during prime citrus season.  Among the wonderful things about this salad is the contrast of sweet/bitter, soft/crunchy and it’s beautiful to look at as well.