Q: Stacy Hemenway Shaughnessy How can you make a steak well done without being dry?

A: The biggest key is to MARINATE !! This will make your steak nice and juicy. Also, I recommend using high heat to sear the outside of the steak. This works well for locking all the juices inside Make sure not to OVER cook your steak when making it well done. There’s a delicate balance…practice makes perfect !

Q: Sarah Richardson Is there a good way or easy trick to know how to balance spices?

A:  For mild spices (like fennel), you can use a good amount. When you combine mild spices with other spices, you won’t taste them as much…so you can use more of them ! As for sweet spices like cinnamon or vanilla, you usually don’t want to mix them with other spices because you just want to taste only these specific spices in your dishes.  Hot spices like chilis should be used in SMALL amounts. You can counter hot with mild spices. Pungent spices like cumin/saffron are very strong in aroma/flavor, so be careful with these. Lastly, tangy spices like tamarind need to be used occasionally.

Q: Tammi Lightle What is the one vegetable, one protein and one fruit you like most to cook with and can’t live without?

 A: Good question ! My favorite vegetable is cauliflower, my favorite protein is pork, and my favorite fruit is red apple Bet you didn’t see those answers coming… haha !

Via Twitter

Q: Λbel Lopez ‏‪@SDII7m

@fabioviviani What’s your favorite dish to serve when you have friends over? ‪#FabioQA

 A: When I have friends over, I always stick with the Italian basics. This means I like to make my mom’s meatballs , gnocchi, and lasagna. Maybe not at the same time, but these are all dishes I like to make for friends : )

TUESDAY - AVOCADO-HAZELNUT SALAD

One of the things I love about living in California is the avocado love that everyone has around here. In Italy we do not always get the best avocados, but in California good luck finding a bad one !! In this salad they are perfect – creamy and rich with the perfect texture and flavoring to satisfy your hunger : ).

WEDNESDAY - BLACK EYED PEAS, ROMAINE, MOLASSES VINAIGRETTE 

This is the perfect recipe for Wednesday, it is so easy a caveman could do it – and when Wednesday hits we might as well be ; ). It is a fantastic energy booster and an exotic mix of flavors, so be prepared for your mid-week awakening !!

THURSDAY – CREAMY CARROT SLAW

What’s up Doc ?! Today we have a dish that Bugs Bunny would do anything for. The doctors say that eating carrots is good for your eyes, and making this salad is good for your eyes too, because it is so beautiful !! The perfect sight for your sore eyes ; ).

FRIDAY - MINZUNA ARUGULA SALAD w/FIGS

This salad is super refreshing. Think of all of those gum commercials where you are blasted through waterfalls, that is what this Mizuna salad is like. Great for waking you up as well, great to launch your Friday night into good times !!

SATURDAY – SALAMI, BARLEY, AND CELERY SALAD

For today we are putting a little meat in our diet with another delicious salad. Salami is a traditional Italian lunch meat that I am sure you all know about, but have you ever put it in a salad ?? Try it today, it is super easy – a great thing about salami is that it is already cooked !! It is like when you buy something and the battery is included ; )

SUNDAY - SMOKED SALMON SALAD

Salmon is one of the healthiest foods you can ever eat. When you combine that with salad, it almost becomes so healthy that it is bad for you, it is like a circle. Of course that is not true, but when you taste this salad you might actually think it is true because of how incredible the taste is. Healthy can be tasty too !!

MONDAY - APPLE, CURRANT, SPINACH SALAD

Another #meatlessmonday where I am featuring one of my new recipes with all the flavor and deliciousness you already expect but without the meat !! Why #meatlessmonday ?? Meat is very tasty, but when we all eat too much it can be bad for the Earth. So be good to the earth and cook Fabio’s recipes !! ; )

Click here for recipe!

“I’ll have the garden salad, dressing on the side,” your dining partner says as you roll your eyes and order your brisket burger. It’s the house specialty, so you have to, right?

When dining with a foodie, it’s almost never socially acceptable to order the salad—usually the most boring item on the menu and the healthiest, which just makes the rest of the table feel bad. If you’re the just-a-salad-guy or gal, we’re warning you, you’re going to lose dining friends that way.

That is, unless you go to the restaurants where ordering a salad is more than appropriate, and maybe even the best pick on the menu. Here are a few spots in a few different cities to check out. And go ahead, get the salad. It’s okay with us.

1. Barrio Chino, New York, NY

This spot may be known for its killer fish tacos and beyond spicy habanero margaritas, but one of the best finds on the menu is the Ensalada de calamari [calamari salad].

 It’s a heaping plate of mixed greens, spinach, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber, with succulent calamari piled high on top. The calamari is sautéed in a spicy chile arbol sauce for an extra kick. There’s so much flavor, you’ll forget you ordered a salad.

1. ZAX Restaurant and Bar in Austin, Texas.

Serving classic American Bistro fare with Mediterranean influences, Zax has some amazing salads to offer their guests. From a traditional house salad to the Crab Louie and a little bit of everything in between, they are bound to have something that you will love. House favorites include their Shrimp Remoulade (mixed greens, avocado, tomato, and house vinaigrette) and the Steak Salad (NY strip, crispy fried onion rings, mixed greens, bleu cheese, tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette – pictured below).

Both salads are very different but very delicious at the same time! So whether you are having lunch or dinner, next time you’re craving a great salad, stop by Zax and see why dining with them is truly a unique experience.

1. Savor in San Francisco

Located in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood, Savor Restaurant is probably the best venue in SF to grab a really great salad. While they’re more widely known as a brunch hotspot, serving up both savory and sweet crepes, eggs prepared your way and other dishes, most people probably don’t take notice of the entre-sized salads that Savor serves up.

With over eight salads, it’s tough to pick the best one. From their house salad of mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, carrots with caramelized walnuts to the Bangkok salad (ginger and curry marinated chicken kabobs, mixed greens, red onions, mint, cilantro, roasted peanuts with spicy lemongrass vinaigrette) there’s definitely a salad for everyone. But our favorite is the Granada: A spring lettuce mix with arugula, pears, roasted peppers, white onions, sumac, caramelized walnuts, gorgonzola and pomegranate vinaigrette. There is something just heavenly about the combination of those ingredients and the way they’re prepared together that will leave a craving for more days after your meal…

1. Balthazar

Balthazar is the legendary, ultra trendy bistro located in the heart of Soho in New York City. Last year Bon Appetite magazine named it one of the 20 most important restaurants in America. However, if you go solely for normal bistro fare like steak frites or French onion soup then you are missing out, Balthazar makes some of the best French salads around.

Classics like Lardon Aux Frisée, a perfectly poached egg on top of crisp chicory, surrounded by crunchy bacon and croutons, drizzled with a warm bacon vinaigrette with freshly chopped herbs makes it the perfect brunch salad. There is also the traditional south of France favorite, Salade Nicoise. Named after the seaside city of Nice, this composed salad usually consists of tomatoes and haricots verts with anchovies and tuna. But the chefs at Balthazar up the ante by presenting it with perfectly seared tuna and by adding marinated peppers over a bed of arugula, which adds the perfect peppery note to the dish.

So order a glass of wine and enjoy your salad as you would at a French bistro in Paris. And keep your eyes open – you never know who you might spot.

[Written by Caitlin Heikkila, Katie Hammon, Mykl Wu and Kate Spivak]

Ingredients:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
Dash dry mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 bunches fresh spinach, washed, dried and stemmed
2 crisp apples, any variety, cored and diced
½ cup chopped scallions, white part only
2/3 cup fresh roasted Hazelnuts
2/3 cup Currants
Fresh Mozzarella

Directions:

• Whisk the oil and vinegar together in a bowl, then whisk in the mustard until well blended. Season with salt and pepper.
• Combine the spinach, apples, scallions, hazelnuts, currants, and in a large bowl. Whisk the dressing again, add to the salad, and toss. Serve with torn fresh mozzarella.

1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp shallots, minced
1 tsp mayo
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
6 oz smoked salmon, flaked
1 apple
1 pear
1 tbsp horseradish
2 bunches arugula, torn

Directions: 

• Whisk 1 tablespoon cider vinegar with 1 tablespoon minced shallot, 1 each teaspoon Mayo and mustard, 1 teaspoon honey, and salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil until smooth.
• Toss the dressing with 6 ounces flaked smoked salmon, 1 each julienned apple and pear, 1 tablespoons horseradish and 2 bunches torn arugula.

½ bunch thinly celery,sliced
¼ red onion, sliced
½ cup Barley, cooked
1 lemon, juiced
handful of torn basil leaves
Pine nuts
salami, diced
¼ cup olive oil
salt and pepper
parmesan

Directions: 

• Combine ½ bunch thinly sliced celery, ¼ thinly sliced red onion, ½ cup cooked Barley, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, a handful of torn basil leaves, and some Pine nuts. Stir in some diced salami.
• Toss with ¼ cup olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste; shave some parmesan on top.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp Champagne Vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ pound arugula, washed and torn
¼ pound Mizuna, washed
10 fresh figs, quartered
¼ cup toasted Pine nuts
Shaved Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

• Whisk together the oil, vinegar, juice, salt and pepper in a salad bowl. Add the arugula, mizuna, figs, pine nuts, and fold gently to combine. Garnish with shaved parmesan cheese.

5 shaved carrots
3 minced garlic cloves
¼ cup water
1 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp mayo
3 tbsp chives, chopped
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp red pepper flakes
sugar
salt and pepper

Directions:

• Toss 5 shaved carrots and 3 minced garlic cloves with ¼ cup water; cover with plastic wrap and microwave until crisp-tender, 2 minutes, stirring once.
• Meanwhile, whisk 1 tablespoon Lime juice with 3 tablespoons each olive oil and Mayo, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and a pinch of sugar.
• Drain the carrots; toss with the dressing 3 tablespoons chopped Chives, and salt and pepper.

Ingredients:

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp cane sugar vinegar
1 generous tsp Molasses
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
2 tsp dried oregano
One 15-oz can black eyed peas, rinsed and well drained
1 bunch scallions, sliced thinly
1 small red onion, shaved
4 large Roma tomatoes, diced
5 cups Romaine Lettuce

Directions:

• In a large bowl, combine first 5 ingredients until smooth and creamy.  Fold remaining ingredients into the dressing and serve.