TV Dinner

     Sean and I spent our Saturday night in and enjoyed dinner and the Discovery Channel. We and feasted on  salmon with homemade mango-cucumber salsa and watched the BBC's Human Planet, the follow up series to Planet Earth that focuses on remote societies in various environments. From the compressor divers in the Philippines to the cattle herder in Mali, Human Planet is loaded with men and women who push their bodies to unimaginable limits in order to survive. You can find clips of each episode on the Discovery Channel website: http://dsc.discovery.com/search/results.html?focus=video&query=Human+Planet

 Salmon with Mango-Cucumber Salsa

• 1 large ripe mango, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely
    diced
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/8 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 cup chopped green onions, green portion only
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grilling
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 salmon fillets, each 6 oz.

In a large nonreactive bowl, stir together the mango, cucumber, garlic, lime juice, cumin, green onions, bell pepper, cayenne pepper, cilantro, the 2 Tbs. olive oil, salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Set aside, stirring occasionally, until ready to use.

Prepare a hot fire in a grill or saute in a medium sized frying pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Season the salmon fillets with salt and black pepper and brush both sides with olive oil. Arrange the salmon, skin side down, on the grill and cook until the skin is crisp and lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Using tongs, carefully turn the salmon over and continue cooking until it is opaque throughout and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes more, or until done to your liking.

Birthday Brunch with Wendy

I recently quit my job in the hospitality industry to pursue my passion for entertainment production. And though I was excited to leave, the hardest part was most certainly leaving behind my beloved friend and mentor, Wendy. Today we held a belated birthday celebration in her honor and feasted on an egg casserole with fresh basil, Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes and Monterey Jack cheese, and lemon-ricotta pancakes with raspberry sauce. Cheers to Wendy and here's to hoping I have the pleasure of working with her again.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 Tbs. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt

In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, milk, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and juice until smooth. Sift together the flour, baking powder and 1/8 tsp. of the salt over the ricotta mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.

In another large bowl, using a whisk, beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the remaining 1/8 tsp. salt and continue beating until soft peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites into the ricotta mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites.

Preheat a griddle over medium heat. Spray the griddle with nonstick cooking spray. Ladle 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on top and the pancakes are golden underneath, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer to a warmed plate. Repeat with the remaining batter. Makes 12 to 14 pancakes.