Few things have entered into the vernacular as quickly as poke. The Japanese fish-based rice bowls have gone from under-the-radar to everywhere in the span of a few years. And it’s easy to see why - they are like the love child of sushi and healthy grain bowls. What could make for a better lunch option?

But they have felt elusive as a meal to make at home. Maybe it’s the raw seafood or the seemingly difficult-to-aquire ingredients, but it has remained an item to purchase rather than assemble in your kitchen. But we got the pros from poke spot Chikarashi to upend our notions. With ingredients that can be assembled ahead or easily purchased, a poke bowl can be a quick option to throw together.

Blog, Cooking, Food, Recipe, VideoAli RosenSeptember 25, 2019salmon, ponzu, poke, Japan, Japanese, Panko, citrus, recipe, lunch, sesame, shisoComment

The Perfect Lobster Salad

Over the summer I try to eat as much lobster as humanly possible. Nothing speaks to me quite like a lobster roll when it is hot outside.

You can actually eat lobster all year long but in the summer (and into the fall) you actually get new shell lobsters which have their own wonderful texture. I spent a lot of time up in Maine last year learning about the differences in lobsters (you can find them up the coast from Canada as well, but I am a bit in love with how Maine handles their lobsters).

At any rate as the season changes (or doesn't, based on the weather where you are!) I wanted to break out of my roll rut and try something new. Luckily Kwame Onwuachi was in town to show me a flavorful and bright take on a lobster salad that will keep you hanging on to warm weather. You might recognize Kwame if you have been to his DC restaurant Kith/Kin or if you are a fan of Top Chef!

Blog, Chefs, Cooking, Food, Recipe, VideoAli RosenSeptember 4, 2018lobster, recipe, Top Chef, Maine, Piri Piri, sauce, salad, lunchComment

Take Grilled Cheese Up a Notch

Some people just make you feel like everything in going to be ok when you cook. Jenn Segal gives that confidence and her wildly popular blog, Once Upon a Chef, is proof that her recipes work and make lives a little bit easier.

So with the release of her new book, we thought we would bring Jenn into the kitchen to get a sample of one of her recipes. This grilled cheese is the perfect blend: it is easy enough that anyone can tackle it but with enough difference to make it really feel like something special. I have found myself going back to it over and over since we shot the video.

Blog, Cookbook, Food, VideoAli RosenJune 26, 2018grilled cheese, cookbook, recipe, lunch, dinner, easy, 30 Minutes or Less, gouda, sandwich, pestoComment

You Really Can Make Ceviche at Home, I Promise

There are some things that we seem to have a mental block for home cooking. And despite our constant ordering of sushi and the rise of poke bowls, we are all still so hesitant to make anything with raw fish at home.

But why? If you have a good grocery store in your area (or even a local fishmonger) there is no reason to not bring the popular concoctions home.

One of my favorites is ceviche. I'm a sucker for lime and I'm an especially huge fan of the Peruvian version which adds corn and sweet potatoes to the mix.

So I went over to Mission Ceviche to chat with Chef Jose Luis Chavez about his thoughts on choosing your seafood for ceviche. From raw fish to varieties that are cooked (hello shrimp and octopus) it is totally doable to have a bit of ceviche from your own fridge.

VideoAli RosenMay 11, 2018ceviche, Peru, South America, lime, fish, seafood, lunch, sweet potato, cornComment

Get Your Hands on Some Palm Pesto

I'm a little giddy around this spring weather. It makes me want to have light, bright and healthy every single day. But salads and rice bowls can get exceptionally boring.

I recently went to a restaurant that had a chopped hearts of palm salsa on top of a fish. It was tart and refreshing - and everything I want in my springtime meals. So I took the idea and made it into a lunchtime-friendly all purpose pesto kind of sauce. It's basically just throwing a bunch of deliciousness in a blender and then making sure you keep some on hand for anything you want to brighten up.

I made it for a rice bowl and then literally ate it for lunch every single day for a week. I started pouring it on eggs in the morning and salads at night. It's the very definition of cheap and cheerful.

Blog, Ali's Recipes, Cooking, Food, RecipeAli RosenMay 7, 2018pesto, sauce, rice bowl, hearts of palm, walnuts, nuts, basil, 30 Minutes or Less, lunch, weekday, Served Cold, Day AheadComment

Kale and Farro Salad

Grain salads are often tilted in one direction or the other - you either have a ton of grains with a few vegetables thrown in or something that just has primarily lettuce and a grain as a small item to add texture. I've never understood why they can't have equal billing. This farro salad tries to remedy that quandary.

Recipe, Blog, Cooking, Ali's RecipesAli RosenAugust 2, 2017farro, vegetarian, lunch, Served Cold, Day AheadComment

Tomato and Peach Gazpacho

Can we just shout from the rooftops about stone fruit season? It's my favorite time of year and I'll find any excuse to throw a peach in something. And luckily it makes a pretty incredible addition to your average gazpacho

Recipe, Blog, Ali's RecipesAli RosenJuly 24, 2017stone fruit, soup, tomato, recipe, lunch, Served Cold, peach, prosciutto, summer, Day Ahead, dinner, 30 Minutes or Less, easyComment

How to Pack the Perfect Lunch

Cookbook, FoodAli RosenOctober 9, 2013lunch, kids, childrenComment

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