Sushi + Sashimi at home

It's always a drag to find a place for sushi in San Gabriel or at least a place that I would crave. I came upon Yama Seafood not too long ago and kept reminding myself to check it out. They sell fresh seafood to the public. Mostly fish for sashimi (typical ahi tuna, salmon, yellowtail, snapper, scallop, boxed uni, etc). They also have ridiculously affordable cut rolls to grab. We got a piece of salmon a little over half a pound for $15. I believe it sold for $23 a pound. Boxed uni were $14.95 and I think yellowtail went for something like $25 a pound so you can kind of get the idea of the prices. 

The unagi roll came wit 12 pieces for $5.95 and the 2 pc inari with 2 pc CA with 2 pc futomaki went for $4.95.

To sum this up, there were more food outside of what is shown in this photo. We purchased some sashimi soy sauce by Yamasa totalling our bill to $28. Not a bad deal at all. This market also sells a lot of Japanese ingredients like soba and soba sauce. Sake is also sold at 1.7 liters. I also saw instant ramen, wasabi, ginger, rice, seaweed, and dashi. You can practically get what you need here for a good meal at home.

The only negative is, and I barely say anything bad, is how long it took to get our sashimi. The line was not long, but the chef himself runs the whole line. The work he distributes to his employees. There were about 5 people ahead of us waiting to get their fish sliced which took the wait time to around 45 minutes. So be prepared. That said, I'll still be back, but will plan accordingly.

911 W Las Tunas Dr San Gabriel, CA 91776

Closed on Tuesday's. Open 10-7.

Summer Salad - July 4th

Today is probably one of the busiest days for all cooks out there. Just thinking about what kind of meat stresses me out. I take that back. Thinking of how many pounds of something I should be buying freaks me out. For the past few years of hosting July 4th at our house, I've made sure to always over order. You can always freeze your meats if you have some that were not used.

Besides making a whole grill filled of meats, I wanted to share with you a salad I've been making recently that will make all your guests say this was the memorable dish of the day. Not in a bad way. Everyone [most] loves meat. So having a great salad really; 1. throws people off guard and 2. makes people eat veggies.

Below you will find a recipe for 2 people. But in a party, keep in mind people will take less. So the recipe below can probably feed 4-5. I had about 15 people over so I made this x 3.

Ingredients

1.  1 Leafy or Heart of Romaine.
2. 2 thin cooked leftover chicken breast or Salmon filet (If you can get salmon, do it.)
3. 1 fennel bulb (save the fennel fronds)
4. 1 Can of corn drained.
5. 4 pops of Hot & Sweet Cherry peppers from Trader Joes (tastes amazing, but optional if you don't have any)
6. Your favorite Caesar dressing.

I've preheated my Breville to roast on 450 before starting. Trim of the top and bottom of the fennel before slicing. I've been super addicted to fennel lately. If you are sensitive to the flavor of anise, roasting it really tones it down a lot. Save the fronds, the top leafy things, and cut your fennel as shown. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and I love a generous amount of cracked black pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until they turn a nice golden caramelized color. Feel free to flip if needed, really depends on how the oven is behaving.

With your romaine, trip off the ends if necessary, but I like to keep it intact. The lettuce is cut in half and drizzled lightly with olive oil before searing it on high. Let this go untouched for 1-2 minutes before moving. I top the charred romaine with a little fennel fronds to heat up the anise essence.

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Drain out one can of corn.

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Mixed all your ingredients in the bowl. The peppers are cut in 1/4's. Chicken is also diced. I've made this with salmon before which is what I prefer. But I had chicken leftover so that's what I used for this recipe. If you want to use salmon, I would cook it low and slow in your oven at around 275. Depending on size, I've got about 18 oz before and cooked that for 25 minutes then roasting on 450 for about 5 minutes to sear the bottom of the skin. Let it cool before flaking off the chunks (salmon can make more than 1 head of romaine depending on preference). Going back to the chicken, it is mixed with the corn, cherry peppers, and about a quarter cup of Caesar with a lot of cracked pepper. Mix!

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Top your salad with the mixture, then lay your roasted fennel on top with the fronds as garnish.

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Leave a side of caesar for people to add more if they want. I love my salads creamy, but I know that's not the healthiest... but enjoy and have a happy 4th!

Salmon Steak

I've totally changed the way I cook salmon. I know a lot of us like to cook a simple filet due to time restraints. Fish, for example, cooks extremely fast. But, it can also overcook just as fast. I've been super obsessed with poached salmon just because of how tender and moist it comes out. And besides, my body needs a break from all the burgers and tacos that I eat from time to time.

Salmon: I had a piece of salmon about 1 1⁄4 inches thick seasoned with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Since I was just testing, I didn't make any marinades or special seasonings. I had my Breville (one of the best appliances to own) preheating at 270 degrees F. The salmon was baked for 25-30 minutes. Which gives me enough time to prep some sides.

Asparagus: trimmed from the ends. The sides didn't need shaving since the asparagus were still fresh with moisture in the skins. I cooked the asparagus in a screaming hot pan with no oil. This causes the asparagus to blister, which gives it a smokey flavor I love. Kosher salt is applied lightly once you see moisture releasing from the asparagus. Towards the end, I drizzle a little olive oil to coat before removing to serve.

Butternut Squash: Cubed and roasted for 45 minutes in a 400 degree F oven. I oil the squash halfway through the process with salt and pepper. I don't know why I do it this way, but I do. I think it's because I want all the moisture to release before coating them with proper seasonings. They come out great every time.

Everything came together beautifully. The salmon was extremely moist and tender. Everything was just exciting to eat on the plate. Healthy and delicious. Pretty to look at. I'm sure this will be a winner even though it's simple. Sometimes, the simple things are the hardest to perfect. Instead of high and dry, I recommend you try to cook your salmon low and slow.

Enjoy.