Photo: Neil Williams

If I had to name one of my all-time favorite food to find while I’m on the West Coast, it would definitely be fish tacos. We may be a far ways away from the sun-soaked areas of California where fish tacos reign supreme, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make your own fish tacos to enjoy.

Perhaps the versatility of fish tacos is what makes the dish so enjoyable, considering all the different kinds of toppings, condiments and spices you can use to enhance your tacos. Additionally, you can switch up the specific ways you cook your fish as well – coat the fillets in breadcrumbs and bake, pan-fry for a nice crispy crust or let it cook on the grill and get some nice char – whatever it be, they’re bound to be good.

First things first – be sure to pick the right fish. Using a flaky, soft, white fish is very important for fish tacos. Aim to look for a nice, firm tilapia, snapper, cod, mahi mahi or catfish. Even shrimp, lobster, or scallops make for a great alternative to a fish taco. Cilantro, avocado, cabbage, lime and jalapeno are all worthy toppings for the tacos – the flavors are bright and ingredients are healthy and one of my favorite combinations.

Once you’ve picked your fish, be sure to marinate it in a sea of limes, garlic and chili powder. Preferably, it is best to use a baking dish and squeeze one-half of a lime over the fillets with a few cloves of chopped garlic, a nice pinch of chili powder, a touch of salt and pepper with a finishing drizzle of olive oil. All the fish needs is about 15 minutes in the fridge with the marinade until it’s ready to go. From there, the options are endless. Coat the fish in panko breadcrumbs or crushed tortilla chips for an added crunch and bake it or pan-fry with some olive oil. Either way, once the fish is cooked, you can move on to your traditional fish taco toppings – napa cabbage, red onion, a few pinches of cilantro and some spicy crema. For a more fruit-forward grilled fish taco, top with our citrus salsa verde.

Recently, I met with my friend Dr.Oz and showed him my favorite way to prepare fish tacos. In this recipe, I used blue corn tortillas made from a different variety of corn grown by the Hopi and Pueblo indians. The tortillas are traditionally made without salt, which may seem odd but is a great way of making sure the subtle taste of the blue corn really shines. This is definitely one of the healthiest ways to eat a fish taco.

Check out the video below…

What’s your favorite fish taco?

Photo: Neil Williams

Want to know more about my favorite foods? Follow me on Twitter (@MarcusCooks)

Photo: Jo Ann Santangelo

I can’t begin to describe how much of a good time I had at this year’s inaugural Austin Food & Wine Festival. The awesome food, music, and Texas characters were great to be a part of. One of my favorite aspects was also seeing Food Republic there in their W Austin test kitchen and interview lounge.  They caught up with some of my good friends, like Andrew Zimmern and Tim Love.

I even sat down with Tim for an extended talk about BBQ, food cultures, and traditions in our restaurants. Check out the video of our interview below and for more Austin Food & Wine Festival coverage, check out Food Republic here. 

Photo: Jo Ann Santangelo 

Want to hear more of my thoughts, check me out on Twitter (@MarcusCooks)

Back in the 1930s and 40s, supper clubs started to pop up as ways for people to socialize with likeminded individuals. They were thought of as a destination where you would go to spend the whole evening, from cocktail hour to dinner to enjoying music well into the wee hours of the night. And starting May 21st, Ginny’s Supper Club is doing just that with the introduction of Motown Mondays.

We had a great time with Roberta Flack, and now we’re starting with an impressive roster of music acts from Motown Records to make your Mondays extraordinary. When you think about legendary music and Motown, you think of Marvin Gaye, Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross—the lists goes on. These are amazing musicians that came out of that era and from this legendary label. It’s the music my parents grew up with and I don’t know any other label that carries this kind of weight. To have artists like Ne-Yo (who will host one night in June) introduce these new talents is exactly what we’re about at Red Rooster—honoring our past while looking towards our future.

For our inaugural event on May 21^st, we couldn’t be prouder to be able to introduce artists Kevin Ross, a smooth singer/songwriter, and Stacy Barthe, a soulful singer whose music is intensely personal, two of Motown’s newest sensations who will help create an incredibly intimate and memorable performance.

Make a night of this unique dining experience while you enjoy eats like 5 Spiced Duck and Maitake Mushroom Dumplings from Ginny’s and stay for what is sure to be a night to remember. Show starts at 9:30pm but doors open at 7pm for dinner. Be sure to purchase tickets early ($20 seated admission, $10 standing room at the bar) to guarantee a great spot to take in the night.

To reserve tickets for Motown Monday, please call 212.792.9001 and I’ll see you there.

For more updates on what’s happening at Red Rooster and Ginny’s, follow me on Twitter (@MarcusCooks)

Photo: the delicious life

By: Allana Mortell

One of the beautiful things about cooking in the summertime is the ability we have as cooks to transform a dish from simple to complex by simply using a few fresh seasonal ingredients. Fresh produce, seasonal berries, vegetables and fruits can turn a side-dish into the main star, which is precisely what we are out to prove with our recipe for citrus salsa verde!

Traditionally, salsa verde is a green salsa made with peppers, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs typically served with tacos or spooned on top of meat as a tangy and herbacious sauce. While the green salsa is filling and comforting, we decided to switch up a few ingredients and prepare a citrus salsa verde perfect for the warm months ahead.

Made with tons of lemons and orange zest, the salsa is great on top of tacos, salmon, chicken and even can be used as a dressing for a pasta salad. Additionally, the ingredients are interchangeable – feel free to experiment with different fruits and herbs to find the best flavor for your taste buds. With the acidic bite from the vinegar and the tartness of all the citrus, this salsa is a unique take on the green original.

Citrus Salsa Verde Recipe

Ingredients:
2 large oranges
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh grapefruit juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4-1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Grate 2 tablespoons orange zest from the oranges and set aside. In a medium bowl, peel and trim the ends of the oranges with a knife and cut out the membranes (small, juicy segments from inside the orange) and chop all the segments into small, bite-size pieces. If you prefer a chunkier salsa, keep the orange segments bigger, if you prefer a more smooth texture, chop the segments as small as possible. Toss in the orange zest with the chopped segments.
2. In another small bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, olive oil, chopped red onion, red pepper flakes, vinegar and parsley. Toss all ingredients lightly together and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Then, add the lemon and grapefruit mixture with the orange mixture and combine everything together, tossing lightly until all ingredients are mixed well and the salsa is to your liking!

Photo: the delicious life 

For more seasonal recipes, follow me on Twitter (@MarcusCooks)

Springtime in New York has at last managed to coax food lovers and enthusiasts outdoors and the Great GoogaMooga promises to be the mother of all food fests. Forget what you know about street fairs–the first (and hopefully annual) Great GoogaMooga is set to transform Brooklyn’s Prospect Park into an amusement park of food, drink and music.

Executed by the boys behind Bonnaroo and inspired by world-renowned chefs that make up the Guru Council like Tom Colicchio, Christina Tosi, The Frank brothers (Castronovo and Falcinelli), and Garrett Oliver among many others, GoogaMooga collides the worlds of food vendors, brewers, wine makers and musicians to celebrate the joy of communal eating and sharing creative spins on culinary trends. 

While registration for the Great GoogaMooga is now closed, Extra Mooga allows food aficionados to take their passions to the next level with up close and personal experiences with some of the most innovative chefs in the country. Extra Mooga offers what many can only dream of–intimate cooking demonstrations, all-inclusive food and drink, and a “silent” disco dance party to top off the weekend.

On Sunday, May 20th, Marcus will host the Harlem Renaissance Party that will feature the jazz stylings of Grammy-award nominee trumpeter Christian Scott. Come by the booth from 2:00-3:00 for a cocktail reception featuring drinks like the Earl of Harlem from Red Rooster and the Good Times from Ginny’s. Later, Marcus will serve up his renowned and eclectic tastes of Red Rooster comfort food with a springtime twist like fish taquitos, chicken & waffles, corn bread madeleine with tomato jam. Other offerings will include jerk bacon and smoked caesar along with shrimp and dirty rice.

And did we mention the music lineup? Let’s just say The Roots will perform and Hall & Oates will headline the festival.

Kick off the warm weather festivities and don’t miss out on this special and truly unique event.  Tickets for Extra Mooga are still available for purchase by clicking here.

For behind-the-scenes photos this weekend, follow me on Twitter (@MarcusCooks)

BY JOANNE BRUNO

Most of the time when a craving hits, it’s for two things: carbs and cheese. Usually together.

And while I generally try to convince myself that even though I may think I want mac and cheese all day every day, what I really want is an apple or a salad or both….sometimes I just have to give in. On those days, I make grilled cheese.

Not only is it a pretty portion controlled way to get your carb/cheese fix, but it can also be dolled-up to give it a bit more “oomph” factor.  These grilled goat cheese sandwiches are the perfect example of this. 

With the flavors of figs, lemon, honey, basil, and goat cheese all coming through at the same time, your taste buds will be so tantalized that you won’t even realize you’re eating grilled cheese. Well, at least not until you also realize that your cravings have been totally and utterly satisfied.

Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwiches with Fig and Honey Recipe

Serves 4, adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp lemon zest
4 oz goat cheese
8 slices cinnamon raisin bread
2 tbsp fig preserves
fresh basil
cooking spray

Method:

1. Combine the honey, lemon zest, and goat cheese in a small bowl, stirring together until well blended.  Spread 1 tbsp of the goat cheese mixture onto 4 slices of bread.  Top each slice with 1 1/2 tsp fig preserves and basil leaves.  Top with the remaining slices of bread.
2. Spray the sandwiches with cooking spray.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add 2 sandwiches to the pan.  Place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of the sandwiches.  Cook until bread is lightly toasted on each side.  Repeat with remaining sandwiches.

Joanne Bruno is a food writer and third year MD/PhD student.  Find more of her delicious ramblings over at her blog: Eats Well With Others. 

Photos: Joanne Bruno

For more of Joanne’s vegetarian recipes, follow me on Twitter (@Marcus Cooks)

Photo: Whitneyinchicago

For centuries, London folk have been sipping on a cocktail that epitomizes summer, sunshine and spending time outdoors. That cocktail my friends, is called Pimm’s Cup, a liqueur of sorts that alongside lemonade sells over 80,000 pints each year to spectators.

The main ingredient in a Pimm’s Cup is Pimm’s No.1, created by James Pimm in the 1840s. While working at Oyster Bar in Poultry Street in London, Pimm’s extracted the ‘house cup’ flavored with fruit extracts and spices. The original recipe is still a secret (it has been said only six people know exactly how its made) however, what we do know is that Pimm’s No. 1 is gin-based, infused with fruits, quinine (quinine has medicinal qualities) and a secret mixture of herbs to help aid digestion.

Low in alcohol content, the liqueur is a dark golden brown color that packs the punches in citrus notes and spiciness. As was customary with the times, Pimm served his special mixture in tankards, hence the name Pimm’s Cup. Additionally, the cocktail is now the signature drink of Wimbledon and can be found in the hands of many spectators watching racquetball and the like.

Now, that is not to say the trend of Pimm’s hasn’t made its way into other countries. Found distinctively on summer menus, mixing Pimms No.1 with lemonade, sprite, ginger-ale or even soda is customary for many restaurants. Garnished with sliced fruit, cucumbers and even mint, this drink screams “summer!” Here, we’ve provided you with the standard recipe, but feel free to play around with different garnishes and mixers, finding your own perfect balance of sweet during these balmy summer nights.

Pimms Cup Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients:
2 oz Pimms No. 1
3 oz lemonade
cucumber slice for garnish
lemon wedge / lime wedge / mint / apple slice / orange slice, for garnish (optional)

Method:

1. Fill a Collins glass with ice.
2. Pour the Pimms No. 1 into the glass with the lemonade and stir and shake together.
3. Top off the mixture with club soda or if you prefer a sweeter cocktail, top off with Sprite or lemon-lime soda. Stir lightly but do not shake.
4. Garnish with a few slices of cucumber, lemon wedge and a few sprigs of mint (optional). Be sure to garnish with lots of fruit (apples, oranges, lemons) to bring out the fruit flavor from Pimms No. 1.

* If you don’t have lemonade on hand, mix the Pimms No. 1 with 3 oz of 7-up, Sprite or ginger-ale.

Photo: whitneyinchicago

For more summertime recipes, follow me on Twitter (@MarcusCooks)

It’s always fascinating to learn where a chef first got his roots in cooking. We often think that it’s easy to follow in the culinary footsteps of a parent when the path has already been laid down for you; but in fact it could be quite the opposite if you want to make your own path and impression in the culinary world. This was just the case for Nuevo Latino Chef Aarón Sanchez.

What some don’t know about Food Network’s and Centrico’s talented chef is that his mother, Zarela Martinez, too is a Mexican cuisine icon in her own right. Having written three cookbooks and opened her own famed restaurant in New York City, Zarela’s, Aarón wanted to veer away from his mother’s influence in cooking and form his own footprint in dining. Yet, he remains ever thankful for his mother’s support and inspiration (case in point, Aaron’s Letter to Mom).

We caught up with Chef Aarón while he shared with us some food memories of his beloved mother, Zarela Martinez…

What was it like to grow up in the culinary footsteps of your mom, Zarela?

It was difficult, actually! I had to come up from her shadow and I wanted to make my food different from hers, that’s why I headed more towards Nuevo Latino instead of just Mexican cuisine. In my culture, it’s very easy and logical to follow your father’s career footsteps, but not so much your mother’s. So I wanted to make my mark as a man, and it’s nothing chauvinistic because I still celebrate her and she’s my inspiration, but I wanted to prove that cooking was my calling, too.

What is your favorite food memory of your mother?

Ha! I remember when we were living in the Upper West Side, we lived in a small apartment and my mom was making mole and to make a proper mole you have to toast the chilies. I just remember the whole apartment filling with smoke and almost smoking out the entire building. Everyone thought we were burning down the building, but we had to explain that we were just smoking the chilies!

What was your favorite dish that your mom cooked for you?

My favorite was definitely her sopa seca, which is a Mexican-style risotto. It was so good, I just remember asking for her to make it all the time!

Check out a video of Chef Aarón cooking with his mom Zarela below…

What’s your favorite food memory with your mom?

Photo: Courtesy of Aarón Sanchez

For more food stories, follow me on Twitter (@MarcusCooks)

I always like to be out and about, but it’s rare that I have the opportunity to don my best two nights in a row. I’m sure you heard about the Costume Institute’s Met Ball (if you haven’t, it’s the fashion industry’s night to get as wild and glamorous as they can be), and Maya and I were beyond thrilled to attend this year’s opening of “Schiaperelli & Prada: Impossible Conversations“.

We both wore Ralph Lauren (Maya looked impossibly stunning) and the scene was just fantastic. Bruno Mars performed (his renditions of “Dirty Diana” and “Roxanne” killed!) and I got to catch up with some of my favorite Knicks players: Amar’e, Carmelo, Tyson. We sat with Chelsea Handler and Andre Balazs, chatted with Kanye and Rick Ross, and I took this gorgeous photo of Maya with Queen B.

Photo: Marcus Samuelsson

But before I could pack away my tux, Tuesday night was the World Childhood Foundation Gala dinner and Queen Silvia and Princess Madeleine of Sweden were the honored guests. Held at Gotham Hall, the atmosphere and tablescapes were fantastic and our team handled the menu for the night. (Who could believe a boy from Gburg would be cooking for the Queen of Sweden?) But I took in the moment and was very happy with how everything turned out. We served our cornbread with tomato jam, a beautiful spring asparagus dish, berbere chicken, fish and grits, and a decadent black and white mud cake.

But the night was truly about the money that was raised. Queen Silvia started the foundation in 1999 and has since raised nearly $60 million for education efforts for children in Lithuania, Latvia, Africa, Estonia, to name a few. And when we heard that a private dinner was auctioned off for $64K, we knew we were off to a good start.

A few behind-the-scenes shots from the gala:

For more photos of my events, follow me on Twitter (@MarcusCooks)

Photo: Gabi Porter

It was a big weekend in the food world and I just wanted to give a shout out and congratulations to all the James Beard Award Winners. Starting with all of the NY winners including Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern, Christina Tosi from Momofuku Milk Bar, and Daniel Humm from Eleven Madison Park. I especially want to congratulate Michael Anthony for winning Best NYC Chef after having emergency heart surgery late last year. You’re definitely a trooper. Once again, I want to recognize all the hard work of all my fellow Chopped judges and especially Ted Allen for winning a James Beard Media award this year. I’m proud to be a part of such a noteworthy show.

I also can’t forget to mention my culinary mentor and dear friend Charlie Trotter, who won the JBF Award for Humanitarian of the Year. You deserve that and so much more, Charlie!

For a complete list of all the winners, check out Food Republic’s coverage of the James Beard Foundation Awards here. 

Photo: courtesy of Food Republic

For more of my updates, follow me on Twitter (@MarcusCooks)