[1] The Hanako San Bloody Mary at Bamboo Sushi in Portland, Oregon.

[2] Ready for its close-up.

There are many variations on the Bloody Mary, one of America’s favorite cocktails.

This one is from Bamboo Sushi in Portland, Oregon.

It’s called Hanako-San, The Bamboo Bloody. While we don’t have the exact recipe, the ingredients are:

 
You may not be up for making a copycat, but the garnish is easy enough to pull together (especially if you’re a mixologist at a sushi bar):

 
 
Are you ready to have fun with it?
 
 
ABOUT HANAKO-SAN

Hanako-san is a Japanese female name. In an urban legend, she’s the spirit of a young girl who haunts school bathrooms. Here’s the legend.

A tip from Paul Duncan, executive chef at Ray’s Boathouse in Seattle:

When preparing salmon and other fish, keep it simple to let the great flavor of fresh fish shine.

He, of course, uses fresh, local Copper River sockeye salmon (photo #2). But even if you buy yours at the supermarket, you can use the same technique.

Chef Duncan prepares fish like salmon skin-on, which makes for crispy skin, adding a crunchy texture atop the supple flesh.

It adds plenty of omega 3-6-9 essential fatty acids, too.

Salmon has the best skin to sear to a nice crisp. Never thought of eating fish skin before? Head to the nearest sushi bar for a salmon skin roll. It’s a delight.

Good fish to sear skin-on: branzino, flounder, mackerel, sea bass and snapper in addition to salmon.

Fish skin to avoid: monkfish, skate, swordfish and tuna skin are too tough or otherwise inappropriate to be grilled skin-on.
 
 
TO CREATE THE FISH IN THE PHOTO

“The only preparation required before grilling the salmon is to rub it with olive oil and season with kosher salt,” says Chef Duncan.

He finishes the fish with freshly ground pink and black pepper. “It’s all you need to make this fish into an incredible meal,” he states.

Duncan serves the fish with a seasonal salad of asparagus, green peas, radishes for bite and color, and herbs like dill and chive (photo #1).

You can garnish the plate with dots, swirls or swaths of your favorite sauce (here, aïoli [a.k.a. garlic mayonnaise—here’s the recipe]).
 
Ready To Cook?

[1] Skin-on Copper River salmon, alongside an asparagus, radish and pea salad, makes for a perfect summer menu item at Ray’s Boathouse in Seattle.

[2] Raw Copper River salmon fillets (photo courtesy Copper River Salmon).

 
 
HERE ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SALMON

[1] Rustic Double Pumpkin Loaf is white whole wheat dough mixed with pumpkin purée and topped with pumpkin seeds.

[2] Ready for snacking and dessert: cocoa-flavored whole wheat dough with chocolate chunks and dried cherries (photos courtesy Chabaso Bakery).

Is Mom a bread lover? How about sending her some specialty artisan breads for Mother’s Day?

We are passionate about bread, so we couldn’t have been happier than to receive a gift from Chabaso, an artisan bread bakery in New Haven, Connecticut.

It began as Atticus Bookstore, and subsequently opened a café serving comfort foods and freshly-baked baguettes.

Founder Charles Negaro was influenced by the fine breads he came across in Europe: boules, ciabattas, rolls, sticks and other styles. The business evolved into Chabaso Bakery.

In addition to the classics, the bakery has created some wonderfully creative (and irresistible!) loaves, including:

 
The breads are made with a long-fermentation, high-hydration, technique: no shortcuts.

We’ve enjoyed them toasted, as snacks, even as desserts.

Make a sandwich with one of the slightly sweet loaves, with mascarpone for dessert, or with goat cheese or cream cheese for lunch. Heavenly!

The breads are sold at retail throughout the East and fine markets nationwide, as far as the Rocky Mountains.

You can buy them online at Chabaso.com. Each loaf arrives wrapped with a ribbon in a large box.

There are several gift box assortments. The Mother’s Day box includes Candied Orange Loaf, Chocolate Cherry Boule, Powerberry Loaf and Turmeric Sunflower Loaf.

For each Mother’s Day bundle purchased before 5/17/19, Chabaso will donate one bread bundle to a women-and-families shelter in Connecticut.

*We liked every bread, but Candied Orange Loaf was our favorite: a revelation. Runner-up: Chocolate Cherry Boule. Both are part of the Mother’s Day gift box.