Branzino Al Cartoccio

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Branzino is one of the first fishes I ever caught when fishing with my dad. My dad and I would spend the whole day fishing, scuba diving and catching fish and then we would clean our catch right on the boat with our feet dangling in the water. When we got to shore we would collect wood, scraps and whatever we could find, start a fire and roast them right there on the spot. Continue Reading…

Linguine with Santa Barbara Spot Prawns

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I grew up in a mixed Jewish/Catholic family, no big deal really… At least unless you had the fortune of sitting at the table with us for a holiday celebration. Because of my father’s Kosher’s restrictions our menus have always been kind of unconventional, especially at Christmas: no Cotechino, no cold cuts, no seafood, no lasagne… I know, it sounds a bit depressing. As I think about my youth, when my grandfather (he was jewish too) was alive and performing his duties of “Master of Ceremony” during our family’s Christmas Lunch, a few details pop straight to my head: his salmon appetizer station, his smile getting bigger and bigger as he opened one bottle of champagne after the other, and my aunt teasing my father with pork jokes… and my father always getting bent about it. Continue Reading…

Lionfish Safari!

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“Vegans, freegans, locavores – meet invasivores,” proclaimed the New York Times in December 31, 2010.  Down here in Miami, and all up and down the eastern seaboard, we have a lion of an invasive fish. Literally, the lionfish.  The species was allegedly released into the wild in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew, which devastated Miami, destroyed a fish tank.  Since then, the non-indigenous lionfish have had no problem multiplying for the troublesome reason that they have no natural predators in the Atlantic. Continue Reading…

Grouper Ceviche with Mango, Citrus, and Cilantro.

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Fortunately, mangos grow on trees.  Unfortunately, we have to wait all year, watching over our heads and threatening squirrels under our breath, while the little green mangoes turn red and yellow, and take over the air with their intoxicating smell.

Well, summer is here, and with it the South Florida mango trees are being coveted like parking spaces on Lincoln Road.  Thanks to mass international transit, mangoes have been arriving from the tropics to our grocery stores for months.  But any Miami local will tell you that they have their usual tree, in their grandmother’s, friend’s, neighbor’s, or – for the lucky ones — their own yard. At our restaurant in Grand Cayman, the kitchen is bombarded with them, making for happy chefs.  When that first mango falls from above, it is the start of something wonderful, albeit short-lived. Continue Reading…

Octopus Salad

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Octopus is one of those ingredients that’s present in the Mediterranean diet wherever you go. In Italy, during the summer, it’s really easy to find octopus salads or pasta with red octopus sauce. They’re really hard to catch because of the camouflage, but I remember catching them with a spear when I was a kid. I like the animal. It’s very smart and it tastes good. All you need here is a glass of dry white wine and a slice of toasted bread!