May 18 – May 24, 2026

Forgot to take a picture of the crostini – but here are Andrew’s Peonies

Monday:                  Green Salad with Tomatoes, Plums and Burrata on Grilled Bread

Tuesday:                  Linguine with Corn, Zucchini & Shrimp / Feta & Watermelon

Wednesday:          Tomato-Basil Chicken Breast with Parsley Potatoes

Thursday:                Chicken Salad

Friday:                     Fish Tacos

Saturday:                Margherita and Bitter Greens Pizzas

Sunday:                   I have no idea how the text above occurred and, obviously, no idea how to remove it. But on Sunday, we had planned to cheat and eat dinner at the PFC bar. There was a concert going on and we went home to cook some meatballs and rigatoni. Eating at home is more relaxing, we decided.

Indescribable Tacos

On Friday, we had salmon, habanero peppers, orange juice, lime juice, red onion, tortillas, cilantro and a little bit of olive oil.  That sounds positively awful – more like a review of the pantry and refrigerator than food.

How about this:  You pick up a warm tortilla, heavy with its filling and then take an awkward sideways bite, first tasting the papery gum of the tortilla and then your mouth fills with the citrusy, spicy heat of a salsa with little spikes of onion and habanero and, finally, the unctuous meatiness of salmon.  As you chew and savor, the grassy taste of cilantro brings the whole thing down to earth and you’re ready for another delicious, awkward bite.

It is – as I have proven above – difficult to capture why a good, soft flour tortilla with a savory, spicy filling is so satisfying.  It has something to do with the sheer heft of the thing, something to do with the texture and the warmth of the tortilla, a lot to do with the combination of liquid salsa with that tortilla and most to do with the filling.  But really, it’s the whole package.

And we had quite a nice package last Friday.  I would have preferred a white fish – but the Giant Eagle in its incorrigible inconsistency had an entire case of salmon, some whole fish and some terrible looking cod.  So, salmon it was – indeed, salmon on sale.  But that is neither here nor there – what is here, below, is a fine recipe for a Friday night fish taco feast.

Note: On Saturday we made the best pizza of the year, in my opinion.  We mixed mozzarella and dandelion greens on the crust and placed some anchovy filets over the top.  Cooking the greens made them a tad less bitter and a lot more meaty, but the bitterness of the greens was the perfect complement to the luscious mozzarella, and the anchovies added a deep, salt tang to what would otherwise have been a bland topping.  If only Beez liked anchovies, this would become our go-to pizza.  Alas, half of the pizza had to be Margherita-villed for her.  The Margherita is, I will admit, a delightful pizza in its own right, but about as exciting as reading a hardware catalogue.

Salpicón de Pescado

(Spicy Citrus-Marinated Fish)

(adapted from New York Times Twenty-four Reasons to Cook This Summer, May 17, 2026)

Timing:                                             40 minutes – 1 hour

Ingredients:                                             Serves 4

4 (6 oz.) boneless, skin-on fish fillets (snapper, salmon or cod) about 1-inch thick

1 – 2 habanero chiles, seeded and finely chopped (I suggest using just one, unless you are cooking for the Mexican Rugby team)

2 garlic cloves, finely grated – we used just a modicum of garlic powder

¼ cup each, fresh lime juice and fresh orange juice – this is key, do not omit these ingredients

2 large Roma tomatoes, chopped

¼ medium red onion, chopped

2 large radishes, trimmed, halved and sliced thin – you need these for the crunch

½ avocado, peeled and pitted, chopped – we used a whole avocado, it works well

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Tostadas or warm tortillas for serving.  Note: I always use tortillas and, because you want the seafood flavor to come through, I use flour tortillas.  In my opinion, tostadas – crispy little discs of corn tortilla – make an already awkward eating challenge even more so.  And you completely lose that amazing bite into the doughy tortilla that, suddenly, releases the nectar of the fishy salsa.

Prep:

Seed and chop the habaneros – do not touch your eyes or nose until the capsaicin from the peppers has worn off.

Chop the onion, the tomatoes and slice the radishes

Juice the limes and oranges

Peel and cube the avocado

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and arrange the fish on it, skin-side

down.

In a large bowl, whisk together the habanero chiles, garlic, lime juice, orange juice and oil until combined.  Pour about ¼ cup of this mixture into a small measuring cup and reserve the rest for the salsa.

Brush the ¼ cup of marinade over the fillets and massage it into the flesh of the fish, then generously season with salt and pepper.  Let this marinate at room temperature while the oven comes to temperature.

Preheat the oven to 450 F. – make sure there is a rack in the middle.

Cook the Fish:

Bake the fish until opaque in the center and it flakes easily – about 10 minutes more or less.  Check the fish often – you don’t want to overcook.

When the fish is cool enough to handle, flake it into 1-inch pieces and transfer to a plate – discard the skin.

Make the Salsa:

While the fish cools, finish the pico de gallo – add the tomatoes, onion, radishes, avocado, cilantro and 1 teaspoon salt to the bowl with the reserved habanero mixture and stir gently until combined, then test and season with more salt and lime juice, if needed.  Let the salsa sit for 10 minutes at least, uncovered, so that the flavors meld.

Serve:

Gently toss the fish in the pico de gallo, then warm the tortillas, fill with the fish mixture and serve.