Random Acts of Deliciousness: Fifty 2 Fifty, North Hollywood

Hidden within the Arts Institute building in North Hollywood, culinary students and staff manage and run a small restaurant called Fifty 2 Fifty. Small plates of New American cuisine are served in a trendy restaurant setting. They start your dining experience with a sampling of a new dish they are working on, in this case, it was a salmon cake. My main course was tempeh with melted brie, micro greens and a apricot jalepeno relish. The menu changes quite frequently, so you never know what's going to be served.

This meal was amazing; the textures combined with the contrasting tastes have left me dreaming about another bite. It also doesn't hurt that the plates are fairly cheap and tips are not accepted (unfortunate for them, but good for your wallet).

A Recipe Review: Sesame Salmon with Shitake Mushrooms and Pea Shoots

Fish can be so intimidating to cook. If you make it wrong, it tastes fishy, but if you make it right...it's sooo light and delicious! I always feel good after I eat fish, too, it's incredibly healthy for you.

I found this tasty little recipe in Living, Martha Stewart's magazine. You can make this dish in about 40 minutes from start to finish. It's as easy as Martha makes it seem and turned out to be quite delicious, impressing both my boyfriend and me. 

Tip: The Black Sesame Seeds were key, along with a little extra Lemon Juice squeezed on top right before you serve.

[Click here for online recipe]

Active Time 10 min
Total Time 25 min
Serves 4

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
4 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms (8 ounces)
4 boneless, skinless salmon fillets, preferably wild sockeye (5 ounces each; 1 inch thick)
Coarse salt
2 teaspoons toasted-sesame oil
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
1 1/3 cups fresh pea shoots (2 ounces) (I substituted microgreens in) 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut out four 12-by-17-inch pieces of parchment; fold each in half crosswise to form a crease, then open.


2. Combine soy sauce, ginger, and lemon juice, and toss with mushrooms. Divide evenly among 4 parchment pieces, arranging mixture on 1 side of each crease. Lay 1 salmon fillet on top of each pile. Season each with 1/8 teaspoon salt and the sesame oil. Fold parchment over ingredients; make overlapping pleats to seal.









3. Bake on 2 baking sheets (2 packets per sheet) for 10 to 11 minutes for medium-rare or 12 minutes for medium. Unwrap; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Top with pea shoots.