my version -- salmon, tilapia, shrimp; infused in coconut milk, gochujang, palm sugar, lime, sea salt, garlic, ginger, corn search, kaffir lime leaves, and sautéed sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips, rutabaga; baked with puff pastry; served with sour apple cucumber mandarin orange slaw... "A pot pie is a type of meat pie with a top pie crust consisting of flaky pastry. The term is used in North America. Pot pies may be made with a variety of fillings including poultry, beef, seafood, or plant-based fillings, and may also differ in the types of crust. In the United States, both beef pot pie and chicken pot pie are the most popular types of pot pies and can vary significantly in terms of both preparation and ingredients." -- Wikipedia "Pot Pies are said to have originated in the Neolithic Age around 9500 B.C. by discoveries made by archaeologists. The Greeks cooked meats mixed with other ingredients in open pastry shells, and these were called Artocreas and were then spread to the Romans. In the times of the Roman Empire, these pastries were served at banquets and were prepared with various meats, oysters, mussels, lampreys, and fish and included a crust made of a flour and oil mixture. The royalty nicknamed them "Coffins". Pot pies spread across Medieval Europe during the Crusades. In the 16th century, the English gentry revived the custom of serving pot pies and the tradition soon swept the country. A British food commenter once described them as, "which they bake in pasties, and this venison pasty is a dainty rarely found in any other kingdom." -- Wikipedia here is a sample recipe...

my version -- baked with farm fresh colorful organic chicken eggs from my neighbor, lemon zest, cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, etc. and finished with apricot glaze... "The recipe was created by Japanese chef Tomotaro Kuzuno who was inspired by a local käsekuchen cheesecake (a German variant) during a trip to Berlin in the 1960s. This cheesecake is not your ordinary rich and creamy cheesecake. Rikuro Ojisan in Osaka was among the first chains serving up the characteristic wobbly, airy, souffle-style Japanese cheesecake. These cheesecakes have a subtle sweetness thanks to the unique technique of whisking the egg whites and yolk separately before mixing them with other ingredients." -- Metropolis "Cheesecake, in general, originated 4,000 years ago in Greece which was considered to be a good source of energy. There is even evidence that cheesecakes were served to athletes during the first Olympic games in 776 B.C. Despite the long history of the original cheesecake, the Japanese cheesecake, however, has a relatively short history." -- Dish Stories here is a sample recipe...

my kaiseki (懐石) style mushimono is with steamed black bass, cauliflower purée and ankake sauce; served with pickled veg, and sushi rice... "Mushimono is a Japanese culinary term referring to a steamed dish, usually containing chicken, fish or vegetables; sometimes treated with sake. The foods are steamed until soft and served hot. Chawanmushi is a popular example. The steaming methods include: Steaming the ingredients in small bowls or cups." -- Wikipedia "A black bass is a type of fresh water fish. The black basses are found throughout a large area east of the Rocky Mountains in North America, from the Hudson Bay basin in Canada to northeastern Mexico. Several species, notably the Largemouth and Smallmouth, have been very widely introduced throughout the world." -- Wikipedia "Ankake (餡掛け) is a generic term for a flavoured sauce that is thickened by adding cornflour/corn starch or any other kind of starch. The flavour of the sauce can be almost anything. But the most traditional Ankake flavours are a simple dashi-based soy flavour. The colour of Ankake can also vary from almost transparent to dark soy colour. The sauce can contain vegetables and/or meat, or nothing." -- Recipetin Japan "In Japanese, we call sushi rice Sushi-meshi 鮨飯, Su-meshi (酢飯), or shari (シャリ). It's made of white, short-grain Japanese rice seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Brown rice is sometimes used outside of Japan, but it's not common in sushi restaurants in Japan." -- Just One Cookbook "Tsukemono are Japanese preserved vegetables. They are served with rice as an okazu, with drinks as an otsumami, as an accompaniment to or garnish for meals, and as a course in the kaiseki portion of a Japanese tea ceremony." -- Wikipedia

my kaiseki (懐石) style preparation of hamachi, yellow tail, salmon, torched tuna, salmon roe, buckwheat & green tea soba, and japanese veg... "Kaiseki (懐石) or kaiseki-ryōri (懐石料理) is a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner. The term also refers to the collection of skills and techniques that allow the preparation of such meals and is analogous to Western haute cuisine. There are two kinds of traditional Japanese meal styles called kaiseki or kaiseki-ryōri. The first, where kaiseki is written as "会席" and kaiseki-ryōri as "会席料理", refers to a set menu of select food served on an individual tray (to each member of a gathering). The second, written as "懐石" and as "懐石料理", refers to the simple meal that the host of a chanoyu gathering serves to the guests before a ceremonial tea, and is also known as cha-kaiseki (茶懐石). The development of nouvelle cuisine was likely inspired by kaiseki principles." -- Wikipedia sesame crusted torched Tuna Sashimi served with Nasu Dengaku - miso eggplant, steamed Enoki mushroom, bamboo shoots, and other pickled vegetables. salmon tartare; torched hamachi with tobiko. buckwheat soba, braised veg, green tea soba. sashimi -- hamachi, yellow tail, salmon, ama-ebi.

my version -- lentil cooked with shallots, garlic, herb de provence, brussels sprout, carrots, pepperoncini, thyme, etc.; sautéed mushrooms; and pan seared salmon... "French lentils are a variety of green lentils. ... They are special because they hold their shape extremely well — better than pretty much any other type of lentils — so they are the ideal contender for salads as well as light soups, when you'd rather the lentils in the pot not turn to mush." - Kitchn How to cook Scallops - Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch saute pan on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops. Once the fat begins to smoke, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. Sear the scallops for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a 1/4-inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve immediately. - Food Network

my version -- marinated with ginger, garlic, lemon, yogurt; slowly cooked with cumin, coriander, turmeric, Kashmiri chili, smoked paprika, cinnamon, clove, salt, peppercorn; finished with saffron and ground fennel seeds... Rogan josh was introduced to Kashmir by The Mughals, whose cuisine was influenced by Persian cuisine. Generally, rogan josh consists of lamb or goat that has been slow-cooked in oil, yogurt and a mix of many different spices. Despite its intense red hue, it is usually not a particularly spicy curry. “Rogan” means clarified butter or oil in Persian, or “red” in Hindi, and “josh” refers to passion – fiery or hot – so this dish is all about cooking in an oil-based sauce with an intense heat. -- Gitika Baveja "Authentically, this dish does not use tomato. The most flavorful cut of lamb for this dish is the front leg which provides a wonderful stock from the bones. If you aren't able to find it, substitute with whatever lamb legs you have available. Indian cooking is dynamic. Taste between steps and keep checking on the stove heat. If the heat is too high, the dish might begin to lack moisture and the spices may burn. Therefore, the amount of water you use and the timing of when you pour it in can vary." - Food Network

my version -- cooked with sweet potatoes, ground beef, ground turkey, garlic, tomatoes, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, parmigiano-reggiano, etc... "Moussaka is an eggplant- and/or potato-based dish, often including ground meat, which is common in the Balkans and the Middle East, with many local and regional variations. The best-known version in Europe and the Americas is the Greek variant created in the 1920s by Nikolaos Tselementes." -- Wikipedia "Greek moussaka (mousaka) is one of the most popular dishes in Greece, served in almost every tavern and prepared in every household on special occasions and big family meals and for good reason! With this step-by-step traditional Greek Moussaka recipe you can easily recreate this traditional delight from scratch. So go ahead, indulge yourself to this little sin! To prepare a traditional Greek Moussaka recipe, luscious layers of juicy beef mince (or lamb) are cooked in a tomato based sauce, layered with sweet eggplants and creamy béchamel sauce and baked together until golden perfection.. Simply irresistible!" -- My Greek Dish "Béchamel sauce is a sauce traditionally made from a white roux and milk. Béchamel may also be referred to as besciamella, besamel, or white sauce. French, Italian and Greek Béchamel sauce recipes include salt and nutmeg as a seasoning base. Béchamel sauce is one of the Mother sauces of French cuisine." -- Wikipedia

my version -- cooked with onion, ginger, garlic, cumin, turmeric, lime, kaffir lime leaves, chili, etc. -- served with jasmine rice and apple/cucumber slaw... "This light fish curry is almost a stew, but unlike many southern dishes that are fiery hot, it’s quite mild. Traditionally eaten with “appams” or fermented rice pancakes. I love it best with plain boiled rice with a dash of lemon juice squeezed on top. This South Indian Fish Curry is a homage to all the regional fish curry recipes that are so unique and special to southern parts of India. The gravy base is a medley of spices, tomatoes, coconut milk, and the tempering, which is added after the fish is simmered in the gravy, borrows from the style of cooking in Kerala." -- Shinta Simon here my shrimp garbanzo coconut curry, cumin rice, pan seared wild caught salmon (seasoned with lime chili), finished with sweet peas and thai basil…

my version -- cold buckwheat Japanese soba dressed with miso, saseme oil, mirin, soy, ginger, garlic chili oil, rice vinegar, roasted eggplant and zucchini (seasoned with Gochujang chili), cilantro, and chives; served with avocado and leftover homemade roast beef... "If someone tells you they don't like noodles, run. That person is a liar. Noodles are happiness incarnate, and these summer-ready chilled sesame soba noodles are no exception. Slathered in an Asian-inspired spicy soy and sesame sauce, they deliver depth of flavor, a fresh vegetable crunch, and something approximating noodle nirvana. Without any of that sweat-inducing heat you avoid at all costs from May to August. In this not-really-a-recipe, you can eyeball most of the ingredients and it'll always turn out delicious." -- Bon Appétit

my version -- filled with herb roasted chicken, spinach, and chickpeas -- served with classic béarnaise sauce; roasted potatoes, beets, and pearl onion... "This is good, homely, comfort food but, served in individual portions, it's elegant enough to serve at a supper party. It's also incredibly easy to make, especially if you use fresh or frozen bought puff pastry." -- diaonline My chicken feuilleté made with leftover roasted chicken. See my french roasted chicken here. "Béarnaise sauce is a piquant child of hollandaise, one of the so-called mother sauces of French cuisine. It is simply an emulsification — egg yolks and butter cut through with vinegar flavored with tarragon and shallots, with a bite of black pepper." - NYT Cooking "A compound butter — a stick of butter seasoned with herbs, lemon and garlic or shallots — is one of the most versatile things to keep on hand. You can store it in the freezer, then slice it whenever you want to add herby richness to a dish. Use it on steak, fish, chicken or even mashed or roasted sweet potatoes. And feel free to vary the herbs to suit your taste. For a kick, a pinch or two of chile powder or a drizzle of hot sauce would do the trick." - NYT Cooking

my version -- crepes filled with berries (dressed with fresh orange juice, mint, and sage) and homemade cream; infused with agave and orange zest... "Traditional French crepes are made up of simple ingredients such as flour, milk or water, eggs, and salt then frequently they'll also include butter or oil, and vanilla. No leavening agent (like baking soda or baking powder) is required, these are a wafer thin, flat and delicate pastry." -- Cooking Classy

my version -- with garlic, anchovy, spinach, kalamata olives, parsley, cherry tomatoes, and peperoncino... "Spaghetti alla puttanesca is an Italian pasta dish invented in Naples in the mid-20th century. Its ingredients typically include tomatoes, olive oil, olives, capers, and garlic, in addition to pasta." Various recipes in Italian cookbooks dating back to the 19th century describe pasta sauces very similar to a modern puttanesca sauce under different names. Among the earliest dates from 1844, when Ippolito Cavalcanti, in his Cucina teorico-pratica, included a recipe from popular Neapolitan cuisine, calling it Vermicelli all'oglio con olive capperi ed alici salse. After some sporadic appearances in other Neapolitan cookbooks, in 1931 the Touring Club Italiano's Guida gastronomica d'Italia lists it among the gastronomic specialties of Campania, calling it "Maccheroni alla marinara",[3]although the proposed recipe is close to that of a modern puttanesca sauce. In Naples, this type of pasta sauce commonly goes under the name aulive e chiapparielle (olives and capers). The dish under its current name first appears in gastronomic literature in the 1960s. The earliest known mention of pasta alla puttanesca is in Raffaele La Capria’s Ferito a Morte (Mortal Wound), a 1961 Italian novel which mentions "spaghetti alla puttanesca come li fanno a Siracusa(spaghetti alla puttanesca as they make it in Syracuse)". The sauce became popular in the 1960s, according to the Professional Union of Italian Pasta Makers." -- Wikipedia