Pop Up Appetizer Party, Four Great Appetizers!

Color, Flavor, Fun!

We conspired with Citibank in Mill Valley to create a Pop-Up Appetizer Party and Cooking Demonstration! My dear friend, Lee Aubrey, who I know from our years at Home Chef Cooking School, contacted me for a surprise event! With the support of the brilliant Bertrell Robinson of Fresh Starts Culinary Academy and the dynamic Frank Fromme of Standards of Excellence Appliances, we came, cooked and conquered!


Our menu:

• Double Happiness Shrimp & Scallion Pancakes
• Seared Lamb Loin Carpaccio Crostini with Pickled Spring Radish
• Tahitian Ahi Tuna & Mango Salad Cups
• Humboldt Fog with Local Honey & Muscat Grapes

Tahitian Ahi Tuna and Mango Salad Cups

I will share all of the appetizers; let’s begin with the fresh and luscious Tahitian Ahi Tuna and Mango Salad Cups. I developed this after Rob and I returned from our magical Tahitian honeymoon. We were served this while feasting at a table immersed in crystal blue water, tiny silver fish swimming over our laps. What a moment in time. I took mental notes and re-created it at home.

Ahi Tuna Salad ingredients

Here are all of the ingredients: fresh, wild Ahi tuna, butter lettuce, diced tomatoes, cucumber and mango, grated carrot, slivered green onion, lime juice, coconut milk, garlic chili paste or other hot sauce, salt and pepper.

Cutting a mango

Mangoes are tricky; color is not the best indicator of ripeness. Gently press the skin to find a fruit that is firm, but with “give”. You want a medium softness for this salad. To properly cut a mango, slice about 1/2 inch form the mango bottom to create a flat side. From the cut side, peel with a vegetable peeler up and over the widest part of the mango. Then, peel from the bottom up to remove strips. This technique helps a lot if the mango is fibrous.

With the mango sitting on the flat side you created and your fingers in a “claw” safely on top of the mango, carefully cut down and around the large oval center pit to release a nice big plank of fruit and repeat on the other side. Lay the mango down and trim off the sides. Cut the planks in half horizontally and dice.

All set to toss!

When doing this salad ahead, cut all items (like so), cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, add chili paste, lime juice, coconut milk and seasonings. Since this is a fresh, uncooked tuna salad, the quality of the fish is key. The lime juice will also “cook” the tuna over time, which is fine, but I love this as fresh as possible. Toss gently, season and taste. Adjust coconut milk, lime, chili paste and seasonings to your taste. I serve this as a salad entrée with a side of cooked rice as the Tahitians served it, or as lettuce cups. Garnish with more slivered onions. Try it and share your success with me!


For the recipe page, click here and the downloadable version, click here.


Next up: 
Thursday: a Double Happiness and Humboldt Fog Crostini “How To” with recipes and a Thai Cooking update with celebrated author Joyce Jue.


Tuesday: the sensational Lamb Loin Carpaccio with Pickled Spring Radish inspired by my friend Executive Chef JW Foster, who I will see on Saturday at Macy’s Union Square! OOOH, yeah!

Frank and I presenting to our loving crowd!

Frank cooks!

Peanut and Mochi rabbit love when I recipe test!








See you tomorrow at Thai Cooking with Joyce Jue at Fresh Starts Cooking School!