One of my colleagues went on a fishing trip to Mexico and came back with 20lbs of mahi-mahi for the office. Limes were also in season in the East Bay, so it was an obvious choice to make ceviche. The fish is cooked by the acid in the limes, then some cilantro and onions are added for texture, color, and flavor. Any white fish works well and chopped jalapeno can add some heat. You can also use lemons or add a variety of ingredients, like fresh tomatoes and Tobasco/hot sauce.
 
Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh white fish
• 5+ limes, depending on how juicy they are, or lime or lemon juice from the bottle (fresh is best, but the bottled option is easiest)
• Small handful of cilantro
• 1-2 tablespoons finely diced green or red onion
• Jalapeno (optional) and
• Salt to taste

 
Directions
Cut fish into bit-size pieces. Cover with lime and lemon juice. Let sit covered in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, then stir, making sure more of the fish gets exposed to the acidic lime and lemon juices. During the marinating process the fish will change from pinkish grey and translucent, to whiter in color and opaque. Once the fish is all white, about 30-45 minutes total from when you covered it with lime juice, stir in the other ingredients. Serve with tortilla chips.

 Ingredients

• 6 medium Yukon gold potatoes
• 2 to 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 to 3 cups whole milk
• Kosher salt
• 2 lemons, zested or preserved lemons
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Bring salted (1 teaspoon salt) water to a boil over medium heat, then add potatoes. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, about 20 to 25 minutes then drain. Add the lemon zest, half the milk and cream, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Use a potato masher to break up the potatoes and add the milk and cream as you go along - to just 'wet' the potatoes. Add more, for desired creaminess. Spoon the potatoes into a serving bowl and serve immediately.

I began making sushi in college with her roommates Katie and Sherrie. Alton Brown from Good Eats has a video on how to make the rice. In grad school, this evolved to wonderful sushi parties then into a great appetizer for dinner parties at the Lucas household. Fillings can be as simple as cucumber or salmon, but it’s up to your imagination. A favorite is mango salmon and cucumber – the sweet, savory, and crunch play off each other well. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, pickled ginger, and or spicy mayo.
 
Ingredients
For rice:
2 cups sushi or short grain rice
2 cups water, plus extra for rinsing rice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
 
Filling:
Cut favorite ingredients so they are as long and square as possible, like a long matchstick.
 
Directions
Place the rice into a mixing bowl and cover with cool water. Swirl the rice in the water, pour off and repeat 2 to 3 times or until the water is clear.
Place the rice and 2 cups of water into a medium saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer the rice into a large wooden or glass mixing bowl and add the vinegar mixture. Fold thoroughly to combine and coat each grain of rice with the mixture. Allow to cool to room temperature before using to make sushi or sashimi.
 
California Roll filling:
1 avocado
3/4 cup imitation crab
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into matchstick-size
 

Another cupboard special that’s great on a cool day.
 
Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• Pinch dried rosemary
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 minced onion
• Chopped vegetables such as carrot and celery
• 1 teaspoon olive oil for cooking, 1 teaspoon for serving
• 3 cubs stock of water

 
Directions

1. Mince garlic, heat soup pot, add oil and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, add onion and cook for additional 3-5 minutes. Slightly browning the garlic and onion will add a lot of depth to the soup, but don’t burn. Add stock or water, rosemary, and can of tomatoes and bring to boil.
2. Drain chickpeas. Reserve half in bowl and add remainder to soup. Mash reserved chickpeas and add to soup – they will thicken the soup a little. Add vegetables to soup. Return to boil, reduce to simmer and cook until vegetables are done. Serve with freshly chopped basil and drizzle olive oil on top. Serve.

I grew up on Betty Crocker’s crepe recipe and explored the world of sweet and savory crepes, especially when she traveled in France. My crepe world changed again when I used butter in Julia Child’s Crepe Recipe. For sweet crepes, fill with any variety of jams, honey, cinnamon, and apple sauce. Some favorites include maple-banana-walnut and fresh apricot jam, but don’t’ underestimate the delicious simplicity of honey crepes.
**Don’t forget the melted butter in the microwave. It happens more often than not.
 
Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 2/3 cup cold milk
• 2/3 cup cold water
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for brushing on pan

 
Directions

1. Mix all ingredients until smooth in a blender or with a whisk. Refrigerate.
2. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Brush with melted butter.
3. Pour in 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter into the center of the pan and then tilt the pan in all directions to cover the bottom evenly. Cook about 1 minute, or until browned on the bottom. Turn and cook briefly on the other side.
4. Cool on a rack or plate as you finish making the rest. Serve as desired.

Pour a little olive oil in a microwave safe bowl. Use your finger or a napkin to spread the olive oil around the whole bowl. Pour in eggs (egg whites or beaten eggs) and sprinkle some salt in. You can add a handful of spinach and some chopped onions and/or herbs to make it tastier, and they also add to the texture. 

Microwave for 90 seconds, stir, then microwave for another 30-60 seconds, until the eggs are no longer runny. You might have to adjust cooking time for how strong you microwave is. You’ll know it’s really done when the middle of the gigs start to puff up. You’ll know what I mean when you see it. 

Fold your omelette in half and add some sides, which usually means leftovers from the fridge: meat, cheese, veggies, kimchi. Below are some examples of my breakfast bowls. 

Buckwheat is an ancient “grain” that is high in protein, fiber, four B vitamins and dietary minerals. Despite the name, buckwheat is not closely related to wheat, as it is not a grass. Check out the Wikipedia for it.

What’s not to love about it? 

It’s easier to cook than quinoa!

It’s faster to cook than any rice or bean! 

It’s gluten free!  

You can cook it ahead!


Where do I buy it?
I go to Russian grocery stores to get whole buckwheat groats. It’s also easily available on Amazon, however I would only trust the Russian brands. They’re dark brown. 800 grams (1.7lbs) of buckwheat groats is usually $3.50-$4.50. There are sometimes larger bags.

I tried the Red Mill version of buckwheat... they were very light in color and it turned out slimy. 

You may also be able to find buckwheat groats in health and specialty stores. 

How do I cook it? 
Put buckwheat in a pot and add enough water to cover the groats with 1/4 inch of water. I add a splash of soy sauce or apple cider vinegar with a pinch of salt to season it. 
Bring to boil, then reduce to low. Remove from heat after 8 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes so it finishes cooking.
Once you try it a few times, test cooking it a little more or less so you know which is your favorite. 

I like it cooked a little less, because otherwise the shape of the groats breaks down just like rice when it’s overcooked. 

Store it!
I usually make half a bag of buckwheat at a time and store it in a baggie in the fridge. When you pull it out to use it, warm it up at least to room temperature, or more, so that it tastes better. Cold buckwheat just doesn’t taste as good to me. 

This recipe can easily scale for however many people you’re cooking for, or just for yourself. 

​Ingredients

• 1-1.5 lbs chicken
• 1 bunch parsley
• 2 Roma tomatoes or one big tomato
• 1/2 of a cucumber
• 1 cup cooked buckwheat
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• lemon
• salt
• olive oil

Directions
**If possible, salt the chicken up to a dat in advance. It always makes the chicken taste better, but of course it’s not necessary. I only remember to salt ahead about 1/2 of the time, lol. 

1. Add chicken to medium-high heated pan. Cook chicken 3-5 minutes per side, then reduce heat to low and cover, continuing to cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, until done.
2. While chicken is cooking, chop parsley, starting at the tops and going toward the stems. Chop until there are about 3 inches left of the stems. This salad benefits from the texture of thinly chopped parsley stems. 
3. Rough chop the tomatoes, and cucumbers. Add them to the onions, parsley, and buckwheat. Season with salt, lemon, and olive oil. Mix. 
4. Put salad in a bowl or on a plate and place the chicken on top, so it looks fancy.

​Enjoy! 

It’s vegetarian, it’s vegan, it’s gluten free!

Ingredients
1 bunch Parsley
2 tbs minced onion
1.5 cups cooked buckwheat (you could also use the more traditional bulgur, or any other hearty/protein filled “grain”)
1 can beets
1-2 tomatoes and/or 1 cucumber
salt 
1 tablespoon lemon 
2 teaspoon olive oil
Add protein to make it a meal, chicken or steak work best

Directions

1. Chop parsley, starting at the tops and going toward the stems. Chop until there are about 3 inches left of the stems. This salad benefits from the texture of thinly chopped parsley stems. 
2. Combine all ingredients. Add more salt, lemon, or olive oil as you like. 

*Note: when I make this I start by chopping the onion, and immediately add some salt, and maybe the lemon or olive oil. Adding salt starts to reduce the sharpness of the onion.