This salad is spicy! Salmon marinated for a few days in sugar, salt, cayenne, hot sauce and cognac (the same idea as Gravlax) and served on a bed of preserved seaweed. This dish is inspired by the "Poke Salad" served at one of our favorite restaurants, but it's quite different in how the fish is prepared.

Tri-tip is one of my favorite cuts of beef. Marinated and roasted, it has a wonderful texture and flavor. For this recipe, I'm using a "cooked" marinade with caramelized onion, dark soy sauce and port wine.

Crème brûlée is one of my favorite desserts. It's remarkably easy to prepare. This recipe is my favorite crème brûlée; it's a classic combination of orange and cardamom flavors.