I love making fish tacos, especially during these sweltering summer days and nights.  The crunch of the deep-fried fish and the sweet coolness of the mango salsa and coleslaw satisfied my craving for something refreshing with layered flavors.

The Basics

• Flour tortillas
• Fresh white fish – I used catfish, but you can also use whiting or pollack.
• Flour
• Oil for deep frying
• Ripe mango – peeled and diced
• Fresh cilantro – roughly chopped, and stems removed
• 1 small onion – diced
• 1 tomato – diced
• Lime juice
• Salt
• Cabbage – Shredded
• Mayo
• Vinegar

The Rundown

Combine mango, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, and a few shakes of salt in an bowl.  Chill in the refrigerator until it’s time to eat.

Combine cabbage, 1 tbsp of mayo, 1 tsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of vinegar in another bowl.  Adjust mayo, sugar or vinegar to taste. Chill in the refrigerator until it’s time to eat.

Cut fish into 1-2 inch nuggets.  Lightly coat with flour and deep fry.  Make sure oil is approx. 350 degrees so the the fish browns and crisps.  Set aside and let cool on a paper towel.

Warm tortilla in a frying pan for about 10 seconds on each side.  Layer coleslaw, mango salsa and catfish on tortilla.  Fold and enjoy!

This seafood dish created by my Auntie May has a big bold taste of smokey oyster sauce, ginger and cilantro.  I’m pretty sure the name was a spontaneous creation when I asked what the name of this dish was.

The cilantro and oyster sauce gives this dish a unique smoky flavor that doesn’t mask the seafood, and the jalapeno pepper give it a warm heat.  If you’re a seafood lover, definitely give this a try!

The Basics

• Mussels in the shell
• Shrimp in the shell
• Cut squid or calamari
• Fresh cilantro – washed an roughly chopped
• Red bell pepper – washed, de-seeded and sliced
• Jalapeno pepper – washed, de-seeded and finely minced.  I like using a half of a pepper, but go for the whole pepper if you like really spicy food.
• Oyster sauce – about 1/3 cup or 3 good glugs from the bottle
• Fresh ginger – about 1 in, peeled and sliced
• Vegetable oil – about 1-2 tbsp
• Water – 1/2 cup
• Corn starch – about 1 tbsp

The Rundown

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Saute bell pepper, jalapeno and ginger for about 3-4 minutes.

Add all seafood, 1/4 cup of water and oyster sauce.  Mix well and cover.  Cook for about 5 minutes under low to medium heat.  Add cilantro and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.

Mix cornstarch in about 1/4 cup of water until well combined with no lumps.  Once seafood is cooked (shrimp is all pink and mussels are all opened), add cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce.

Once mixture becomes thick, remove from heat and enjoy.  Enjoy!

For months, my friend Jerald has been raving about lobster tacos at one of his usual watering holes – Baja Cantina.  For only $2.50 a taco on Wednesdays, it’s a deal I couldn’t resist for long.

The tacos consist of shredded cabbage, diced tomatoes and deep-fried lobster nuggets wrapped in a flour tortilla.  You also are served with a slice of lime and an assortment of hot sauces. I really enjoyed the tacos for the simplicity, crunchiness and freshness of ingredients.

The atmosphere is like most local bars – dark and inviting.  Definitely stop by Baja Cantina on Wednesday and grab a drink and some tacos!

Seafood dishes to try at home

• korean-style deep fried fish
• brittney’s blueberry bbq salmon
• asparagus and scallop scramble
• pancit palabok
• catfish nuggets
• shrimp etouffee

Directions to Baja Cantina

I love asparagus.  My dad would blanch the spears and then drizzle melted butter with a sprinkle of salt.  Wow, even typing that brings a smile to my face.

Since asparagus is in season and is cheaper this time of year, I wanted to experiment a bit.  I made this dish this year for Easter and it has fast become my cousin Sheryl’s favorite dishes.

I love the flavor combination, and the color combination looks pretty when you’re serving it!

The Basics

• Chicken broth – 3 cups per 1 cup of rice
• Arborio Rice – 1 cup
• Butter – about 2 tbsp.
• 1 small onion – diced
• Fresh asparagus – washed and ends trimmed.  I cut the spears into thirds.
• Shrimp – I used the the small salad shrimp that is pre-cooked and de-shelled.

The Rundown

1. Melt the butter in a large pot.
2. Saute onions in butter until clear.  It should take about 3 minutes.
3. Add rice and saute for about 3 minutes.
4. Add a cup of broth and let cook.  Keep stirring rice so it doesn’t stick to the pan.  Once the broth is absorbed, add another cup of broth until it’s all absorbed.
5. Before the last cup of broth is added, add the ends of the asparagus (not the tips of the spear). Taste a grain of rice to see if it is cooked fully (should be completely soft).
6. Add the rest of the asparagus and shrimp.  Stir completely.
7. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Enjoy!

Eating whole fish is very typical in most Asian households.  In my household, we ate pan-fried tilapia and baked milkfish stuffed served with a mango-type salsa.  I love fish, but I hate fish with lots of small bones (like milkfish).  That’s why I really gravitated to croaker, which has far less bones.

This Korean style of preparing fish makes it crispy and the spicy sesame dressing compliments the fish very well.

The Basics (Fried croaker)

• Whole croaker – descaled and with the inside cleaned
• Cornstarch
• Cooking oil – enough to deep fry

The Basics (Sesame dressing)

• Sesame seed oil – 4 tbsp
• Soy sauce – 2 tbsp
• Roasted sesame seeds – 1 tbsp
• Red pepper – finely minced; about 2 tbsp
• Red pepper flake – I used able 1/2 tbsp, but you can add more if you would like it more spicy.
• Green onion – finely minced; 2 tbsp
• Sugar – 1/2 tsp

The Rundown

Coat the fish in cornstarch.  Fry in a pot with cooking oil (should be able 325 degrees) for about 4-5 mins on each side or until golden brown.

Combine all ingredients listed in above in a bowl.  Taste and adjust as needed.

Garnish fish with slices of red pepper, green onions and dressing.  Enjoy!

I was intrigued when I received this recipe from a friend from high school — Brittney, aka mommy-extraordinaire at the Family at the O.K. Corral.  This is a really easy recipe for a tangy BBQ salmon which is sweetened with blueberry jam.

I know what you’re thinking. “Blueberry jam and barbecue sauce?!  Gen, are you sure?” Why, yes. Yes, I am!  I loved it, and I would definitely recommend it for anyone who loves salmon.

The Basics

• Fillet of salmon with skin – descaled and cleaned
• 1 tbsp of blueberry jam
• Barbecue sauce – Use whatever you like.  I used Sweet Baby Ray’s.

The Rundown

In a small bowl, combine a 1tbsp of blueberry jam and 1-2 tbsp of bbq sauce.  Add marinade in a plastic bag with salmon.  Try to remove as much air as you can.  Put in refrigerator for at least an hour to overnight.

After salmon is finished marinating, preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (shiny-side down).  Place salmon on foil.  Baste salmon, but try to save some of the marinade to make a sauce.  Put salmon in oven and bake for about 10 minutes if you want it medium rare inside to 20 minutes if you want it completely cooked.

Heat remaining marinade in a sauce pan.  Warning — It may smell a bit fishy, but that’s ok.  Add a few more tablespoons of bbq sauce.  Add more blueberry jam if you would like to sweeten it a bit.  Once it starts simmering, remove from the heat.

Remove salmon and move rack near the top of the oven.  Baste salmon with sauce and then broil for about 1-2 mins.  Remove from oven and plate.  Serve with bbq sauce.  Enjoy!

Sometimes things don’t work out they way you expect.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing!

I originally planned on making an omelet but I wasn’t able to flip it.  I think this happened because there there wasn’t enough protein (egg yolk) to form a solid enough base.  In the end, I was able to save it and it was super tasty!

The Basics

• Fresh asparagus – I used about 10 stalks.
• Fresh scallops – About a handful
• Eggs or egg whites – About 1-2 cups.  I used left over egg whites and broken eggs when trying to make a Hollandaise sauce.
• Parmesan cheese – about a handful
• Spray oil
• Fresh parsley; optional – Finely minced
• Hollandaise sauce

The Rundown

Beat eggs with a whisk until you see small and large bubbles.

Coat a frying pan with the spray oil and add the asparagus.

Make sure you remove any woody ends by gently bending it.  The stalk will snap naturally and will leave you the freshest parts of the asparagus.  Cut asparagus into large pieces.  Note: Mine aren’t cut because I was going to keep them in tact for the omelet I was attempting to make.

Season the asparagus with salt and pepper.  Cook over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes until cooked.  Set aside when cooked.

Spray more oil into the frying pan and add the eggs.  Scramble until almost cooked.

Add scallops and asparagus.  Continue to cook until scallops are no longer translucent.

Plate to serve.  Add Hollandaise sauce and top with a sprinkle of parsley.  Enoy!

I first was introduced to AW Shucks during a Norfolk bar crawl in the Ghent area.  They offer fresh seafood at very reasonable prices for both lunch and dinner.

Pictured above is the seafood steamer (half not whole).  It consists of mussels, oysters, shrimp, clams, and snow crab legs, smoked sausage, new potatoes, and corn on the cob (all for under $20!).  I’m usually not a fan of hush puppies, but the ones at Shucks are mighty delicious!  All the seafood is fresh and delicious!  This is at the top of my list of seafood dishes in the area.

On a different day, a friend and I went back to AW Shucks for lunch.  She ordered fish and chips with a side of mac and cheese (left), and I got an half of a oyster po boy sandwich with fries (right).

I love fried oysters but I don’t really like sandwiches served in bread cut length-wise.  You end up with a mouthful of filling, then a mouthful of bread.  Nevertheless, the sandwich was tasty and the fries were crispy and delicious.

Luisa got hearty serving of fish and chips, which she enjoyed.  The cheese in the mac and cheese was some sort of white cheddar, rather than the typical yellow cheddar, which she thought was interesting but not a must-have item.

Seafood recipes to try at home

• vinegar garlic dipping sauce for crabs
• catfish nuggets
• shrimp etouffee

Directions to AW Shucks

Every year my dad cooks a ham for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Year after year, it’s always the same: baked ham.  When I was able to score a bone-in ham for less than $6, I was amped to try cooking the ham a different way.

I tried cooking the ham with it’s juices in a crock pot with pineapple juice, maple syrup and brown sugar.  I cooked it for about 5-6 on a slow heat.  It smelled delicious so I thought I was on a the road to something great. Duh-dun-dunnnnnn….

The ham turned out to be ropey and not tasty at all.  I was to salvage some of it, but I had to chuck the rest.  I don’t think I will be trying to slow boil a ham again!

I love carbs — unfortunately to the dismay of my personal trainer.  It is my weakness, my kryptonite.  So when my  brother asked me where I wanted to eat, we decided to try out Carraba’s (a nationwide Italian restaurant chain).  I ordered the linguine with clams and my brother got ti piace pizza (a build your own style of pizza) with Italian sausage, pepperoni and mushrooms.

The linguine was buttery without being too rich, and the serving size was very generous.  I really enjoyed the pizza because of the thin crust and the fact that they didn’t use marina sauce which can give me heart burn.

The menu also featured other seasonal foods, which I would be interested in trying next time.  The ambiance was kind of dim, which suggested a romantic feel — something I thought was odd for a lunch with my brother.  However the staff was very attentive and helpful.

Italian recipes to try at home

• Chicken Spinach Manicotti
• Easy Pasta Sauce
• Homemade (kinda) pizza

Directions to Carraba’s