seafood

Although I love my oysters raw, sometimes a grilled oyster is a nice change. The oysters are topped with a yummy spicy citrus butter that still allows the flavor of the oysters to come through. The butter is also great as a dipping sauce for crab legs and lobster.

I am a self-professed Caesar addict. This recipe came about after rigorous testing of and tinkering with a basic Caesar dressing recipe. This lighter Caesar is delicious -- the perfect summer salad. Plus, since the dressing has no raw eggs in it, it is perfect for picnics where refrigeration isn't an option. The dressing recipe makes extra, and you'll be glad of that!

If you're familiar with okonomiyaki, chances are you know it as a clean-out-the-fridge-franken-pancake stuffed with cabbage and a multitude of other ingredients, such as onion, scallions, pork belly or bacon, seafood, fish cakes, udon, mochi (rice cakes), and/or basically anything else you can think of. (As you might guess it's usually something you scarf down during a night of drinking.) Okonomiyaki are well loved all over Japan, but Hiroshima and Osaka are especially famous for their regional versions.

When I make clams I want the dish to feel more like a whole meal so I add a cooked grain and some greens to the mix.

Brandade de Morue is a very traditional Provençal dish, and one of my favorite comfort foods. This may just be the ultimate in mashed potatoes! My first trip to Provence was in winter, and brandade was on every menu. When it’s all mixed together, it looks just like mashed potatoes – but more. You really must try it.

At this time of year, whenever I go the market English peas always accompany me home. They are nature's superior answer to fast food, preferably eaten straight from the shell, with no need for cooking.

About a year ago I had a wonderful dish of halibut cheeks served with grilled baby leeks and asparagus and a spring onion soubise at one of our favorite Providence restaurants, La Laiterie. That soubise has haunted me, and I’ve been waiting for just the right opportunity to try my hand at making a similar sauce at home.

We tend to think of one-pot meals as limited to cold wintry nights. But some of the best one pot meals, like paella and clam bakes, are made for summer time.

I learned to love mussels in college, when I spent many an evening with my beau at the Cadieux Café, located on the east side of Detroit where I grew up. The place had an amazing juke box and a stellar array of Belgian beers, and it served mussels in a multitude of ways: stuffed, steamed, on the half shell, or bathed in flavorful broths, there was a preparation for just about anyone.

The first time I tasted Pesce al Sale was at a restaurant in Milan. I remember the dramatic presentation of the baked fish encrusted in salt and cracked open tableside, revealing a steaming, aromatic and succulent fish. This preparation is my favorite way to eat a whole fish, and it's easy to do at home. Have your fishmonger clean and scale your fish for you. Once cooked, filet the fish and serve simply with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon and parsley gremolata. Note that since the fish cavity is stuffed the cooking time will run about 10 minutes longer than unstuffed.