Ate at Sen Nari Sushi Restaurant today.  I thought the food was decent, but nothing mind blowing.  They had a lot of sushi dishes and rolls, but no hot food.  One thing that was unique was the way they served oranges as dessert.

I went to lunch today at Terranea Resort (www.terranea.com) in Rancho Palos Verdes.  It was absolutely delicious.  I had the seafood linguine.  There was chorizo, fennel, mussels, clam and shrimp.  The sauce was very good – very tasty, but not too heavy, and perfect for dipping bread into.  It wasn’t spicy, but it was very, very flavorful.

You can either order from the menu, or you can get the buffet.  The buffet was mostly brunch foods.  The atmosphere of the resort was beautiful and calming.  We had a great view of the ocean as we ate.  A great meal and nice dining experience!

When I was in a college, I didn’t know how to cook very much. But I had one staple – a meat dish (maybe steak or fish) and then green beans and rice with a fried egg on top. I would love to drizzle soy sauce on the rice and egg. The green beans were made with sesame oil, oyster sauce, and minced garlic. Back then, I didn’t even know you were supposed to crush the garlic!!!

Tonight’s dinner was a joint effort – the mashed potatoes and steak were made by my helpful partner…let’s call him D for now.

Must not forget the green beans

Coincidentally, I ate dinner while watching “The Motorcycle Diaries,” a movie I have been meaning to watch since my college days.  It was excellent.

I have decided recently to try my best to try to cut out red meats and try to eat more fish.  So tonight I made Giada de Laurentiis’ recipe for Tuna sandwich.  She makes hers a little more gourmet, and I was very pleased with the results.  I cooked the tuna a little too long – I think because when I first put the tuna on the grill was still heating up, so when I flipped it over, it cooked much faster than the first side.  Consequently, by the time I added the white cheddar cheese, the tuna was already pretty well done.  However, the mayonnaise sweet pickle sauce really made a difference – it kept the whole thing very moist and tender.

The first step was to mariante the tuna steaks with Herbs de Provence, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Then, using a grill pan, you grill the tuna steaks for about 3-4 minutes on each side

The final result.  Took the ciabatta bread, spread it with olive oil and grilled it. Then took the sweet pickle mayonnaise and spread it on top, put on the grilled tuna steak with melted white cheddar cheese.  Topped it with arugula.  It was delicious.

I think the next step is trying to find a cheaper way to procure the fish.  Might try to stop by costco and get some salmon or tuna in bulk, that way we can freeze it in pieces and defrost when needed.

Recently I have discovered a love for cooking.  This is a recipe from Giada De Laurentis (a chef with her own show on the Food Network).  They are home made meatballs with mozzarella inside.  Delicious!