Steven Raichlen’s Thai Grilled Chicken

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Break out the grill for Thai-style chicken fragrant with lemongrass, ginger and curry powder.

The Aussies may love their shrimp on the barbie.

But we Americans can’t get enough of chicken on the grill.

After all, it’s economical, versatile and always a crowd-pleaser.

Especially when it’s tender, moist and flavored with a fragrant Thai paste like this one from “Steven Raichlen’s Planet Barbecue!” (Workman Publishing) by that master of the grill, Steven Raichlen. This book, of which I received a review copy,  is sure to whet your appetite with its more than 300 recipes inspired by the cuisines of six continents.

You marinate a quartered chicken (we used chicken thighs) with a paste of garlic, fresh ginger, lenongrass, cilantro, sugar, pepper, soy sauce and curry powder. Raichlen says to use a mortar and pestle, but a food processor will make easy work of it even quicker.  Let the paste do its magic on the chicken for at least four hours in the fridge or overnight.

The southern Thailand-style chicken grills up with nicely charred skin that takes on a golden hue from the curry powder. You can really taste the lemongrass and ginger, plus a warm earthiness from the curry powder.

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Digging Daikon

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Japanese radish in a thick, creamy sesame-mustard sauce.

The other day, I found myself with an extra daikon lying around the house.

Don’t you just hate it when that happens?

Oh, it’s not like I temporarily lost it in the wash or found it underneath a sofa pillow. It’s just that I had bought a couple of these white, carrot-shaped, 14-inch-long Japanese radishes for a braised dish, and was left with one remaining one that didn’t quite have a purpose yet.

The mild radish, which also comes in Chinese and Korean versions, can be enjoyed raw or cooked. My Japanese-American husband fondly remembers his late-Mom grating it and mixing it with shoyu for an easy dipping sauce. And anyone who’s ever eaten sashimi at at Japanese restaurant will recognize it immediately as the crisp, white strands that so often brace fanned slices of raw fish on a plate.

I was hankering to use it as an easy side dish of some sort when I found just what I was looking for in the cookbook, “At the Japanese Table” (Chronicle Books) by Lesley Downer, a cooking teacher and journalist fluent in Japanese who splits her time between London and Tokyo.

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Love for Love Grown Granola

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Sweet Cranberry Pecan granola. Look at all those lovely chunky clusters of oats.

My favorite summer lunch is one of the simplest: Just a bowl of fresh berries or cut-up peaches, plums and nectarines from the farmers market, topped with Greek yogurt and a handful of crunchy granola.

Oh, I know granola gets knocked at times for its high calories. But like anything, when eaten in moderation, it will nourish, satisfy and still leave you trim enough to squeeze into that skimpy swimming suit.

The makers of Love Grown Foods know all about that. Started by two University of Denver graduates, one a avid cyclist and the other a certified pilates instructor, the company set out to make nutritious, good-tasting “Oat Clusters & Love” perfect for active lifestyles.

The granola-like mixes are sweetened with agave nectar and honey. They are gluten-free, and contain no preservatives or artificial flavors. Each 1/4 cup serving has 120 to 130 calories, depending upon the variety.

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Moroccan Magic At Aziza in San Francisco

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A spectacular uni-crusted halibut. You won't find that at many Moroccan resaurants. But you will find it at Aziza in San Francisco.

You may have enjoyed the warm, earthy flavors of  Moroccan cuisine before.

But you’ve never experienced the likes of it at the Michelin-starred https://azizasf.com/Aziza in San Francisco, a short drive from the Laurel Inn San Francisco.

The flavors of saffron, tomatoes, preserved lemons, sumac, and za’atar remain hauntingly familiar here, but have been put to use in daringly creative, boldly contemporary ways.

As chefs around the world have elevated Korean and Spanish cuisines to a whole new level, Executive Chef-Proprietor Mourad Lahlou has done the same with his native cuisine. Indeed, I don’t know if there’s another Moroccan chef out there who’s pushing the envelope quite like this Marrakech-native is.

Lahlou immigrated to San Francisco in 1986 and earned a master’s degree in economics from San Francisco State University. He was planning on getting a PhD next, when his brother asked him to lend a hand at his Moroccan restaurant in San Rafael.

Luckily for us, Lahlou grew so enamored of cooking that he never looked back.

In 2001, he opened Aziza to great acclaim. Back then, it was a very traditional restaurant, complete with belly dancers and classic, rustic tagines.

The distinctive curved archways, and the saffron and cobalt blue hues remain in the warren of dimly-lit dining rooms. But the food has undergone a true metamorphosis. There’s such sophistication and refinement now. The dishes never disappoint; they often dazzle and surprise.

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Cherries for the Fourth — and Beyond

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Rasberry-Cherry Crumble Bars. You can't eat just one. Trust me.

Fourth of July might be the ideal time to celebrate the last of the season’s fresh cherries with a bang.

Those sweet, crunchy orbs come and go all too soon, don’t they?

But Payson Fruit Growers has a way to let you enjoy them all year-round.

Founded in 1964, the farmer-owned business processes tart cherries that are grown on local farms in the Payson, Utah area. Recently, I had a chance to sample some of their products.

Some of the tart Montmorency cherries are turned into Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate ($18 for 1 quart). The thicky, syrupy concentrate is fabulous for adding to smoothies or to pan sauces for duck, pork or chicken.

Make your own tart cherry soda.

I stirred two tablespoons into 8-ounces of carbonated water, then garnished with fresh cherries and a rosemary sprig to make a refreshing summer soda. It’s super fruity and not overwhelmingly sour. But if you like it sweeter, you can add a tablespoon or two of simple syrup.

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