by Zehorit Heilicher, Tastemaker in Residence

An international congress of flavor is convened on my shelves; the sweet and savory, the salty and the spicy, promises of local and far-flung recipes fill my cookbook collection. Whatever mood I might be in – there is a cookbook for it (NOT an app!) I can take a cruise down the Mississippi river to savor gooey Southern Cakes: Sweet and Irresistible Recipes for Everyday Celebrations (Nancie McDermott and Becky Luigart-Stayner ), or I can travel to the Far East with Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia (Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid). If I am home sick there is always Jerusalem (Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi). My cookbooks are travel companions, mood enhancers and mood lifters – For the life of me; I would not be able to choose a favorite.

My deep love and appreciation of cookbooks turned into a debilitating challenge when I first started working on my own cookbook. How can I do justice to the lore, aromas and legacy that I was fortunate enough to have in my life? How could my recipes and stories live up to my own favorites? Can I chart my cultural culinary journey through recipes and anecdotes?

In the late Maya Angelou’s words: “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” I guess my cookbook (work in progress) is my song. Here is an overture.

Enjoy!

Cumin Salmon with Mango Salsa

Cumin, the king of Middle Eastern spices, joins Southwestern flavors to create a true melding of east and west: warm spices, cool salsa and mild heat – YUM!

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 lbs. salmon fillet, cut into Individual
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 tsp. ground cumin
2 medium limes, juiced
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Turn on broiler to heat.
Place salmon fillets on greased cookie sheet or a sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil on each.
Season each fillet with salt, pepper and 1/2 a teaspoon of the cumin. Evenly pour the lime-juice over fillets and place in the preheated oven.
Broil 5" away from heat for 8-12 minutes, depending on salmon thickness. Serve immediately.
The salmon can be cooked on the grill: use a whole salmon fillet, skin instead as directed, then place on medium high grill, skin down. Cook for 7-8 minutes with grille covered. Remove from heat and remove skin before cutting and serving.

Mango Black Bean Salsa
Serves 6

Ingredients

2 medium mangos, cut 1/4" dice
14 oz. canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 small red onion, diced fine (optional
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 tsp. oriental chili garlic paste, (such as Dynasty)
1 large lime, juiced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix gently.
Refrigerate salsa at least 1 hour to let the flavors bloom.
Serve as dip with chips, or as an accompaniment to grilled chicken, meats or fish.

Cooks Notes

Refrigerated, the salsa will last about 5 days.

Flavor Journeys