We have been serving our soba salad since we opened CIBI in 2008. When I created this dish, I wanted to add a touch of western flavor so that it became a cafe-like dish as well as a CIBI dish. Many of our regulars come in just for this salad. This is a simpler version that you can cook at home anytime. All you really need in your cupboard is soba noodles, soy sauce and lemon!
This is a staple in the Vincent–Derham household. John would like to dedicate it to Natasha and Eleanor. Just because.
Fresh Pacific halibut is a seasonal splurge. It needs very little to enhance its flavor—in fact, it’s almost a sin to fuss too much with it. I like to prepare it simply: pan-seared until golden and crisp with a quick sauté of sweet, garlicky cherry tomatoes on the side. Depending on how long you cook the tomatoes, they can be firm and fresh or soft and jammy. I usually aim for somewhere right in between, but they’re delicious either way.
Buy fresh organic cherry tomatoes if possible and feel free to use the golden or orange varieties; they taste slightly different (sweeter, less acidic) and add color and excitement. Stay away from the pear or grape versions. These are meant to show off their unusual shapes and are best enjoyed raw.
When I was in Barcelona I visited a classic churrería, which felt like the local spot to gather—a bit like the local café where you would grab a cup of tea and catch up with the latest gossip. It was cheap and cheerful, and they made sinfully good churros, served with rich hot chocolate so thick that you could stand them up in it. Although they are traditionally a breakfast food, if you switch an ingredient or two they make a great savory dish.
A combination of salty, buttery, crispy, carb-y goodness, with the umami hit of the tomatoes.
This salad is best served when the chickpeas are slightly warm or at room temperature.
I first tasted this wonderfully fresh salad years ago in a Lebanese restaurant and then recreated my own version.
Place the ball of buffalo mozzarella on a plate and garnish with the tomato salad. Enjoy!
This is a perfect catch-all for your summertime produce surplus. Use it as a template: make the tofu and the dressing, and add or subtract any type of sweet and crunchy vegetables you prefer.