Heat 2 qts water in large sauce pan. Heat 2 tbl olive oil in a medium sized skillet and add garlic and shallots. Saute over medium heat until soft. Do not brown. Add salt, white pepper to taste then add Fennel Pollen, Cream, and Parmesan cheese. Continue to heat through while stirring. Allow to simmer but not to boil. Reduce by 1/4 to 1/3 depending how thick you like the sauce. When sauce is just about ready, place tortellini in hot water for 3 minutes. Drain, then add to the sauce. Stir to coat. Plate tortellini and top with shredded parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Yields approximately 1/2 cup

Place all ingredients in a jar. Shake well. Sprinkle on fish fillets, pork chops or chicken breasts before roasting. It is great on sautéed vegetables as well. Keeps well for up to one year.

Try this fennel pollen paste on pork and fish as well as chicken.

3 Tbsp. fennel pollen
4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 - 3 1/2 lb. chicken

Set oven rack in upper third of oven then preheat to 400°. Mix fennel pollen and olive oil together in a small bowl. Set aside. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, remove chicken's back by cutting along both sides of the backbone. [Discard backbone or save for making stock]. Position butterflied chicken skin side up and use your fingers to gently pry skin away from as much of the breast and legs as you can without tearing it. Rub pollen mixture under skin, then all over chicken. Season liberally with salt. Set chicken skin side up on a rack set in a shallow roasting pan, and roast until skin is golden and thigh juices run clean, about 1 hour. Set chicken aside to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

— Peggy Knickerbocker, Saveur Magazine
May/June 2000

Serves 6-8

Preheat the oven to 450°.

In a small bowl, combine the bay leaves with the garlic, fennel pollen and rosemary. Stir in the salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of the wine. Rub the marinade over the pork and tie the roast at 1-inch intervals with kitchen string.

Set the roast on a rack in a medium roasting pan and cook for 30 minutes, basting with the remaining wine every 15 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350° and roast for another 30 minutes, basting periodically.

Turn the oven down to 300° and roast for 1 hour longer, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 145°.

Transfer the roast to a cutting board and let stand for 20 minutes. Remove and discard the strings.

Pour the juices from the roasting pan into a small saucepan and skim off as much of the fat as possible. Rewarm the pan juices and season with salt and pepper. Thinly slice the pork and arrange on a platter or plates. Drizzle with the pan juices and serve.

— Nancy Harmon Jenkins, Food & Wine Magazine

Rustic Potato-Onion Pie, Rum Raisin Sauce
Serves six

"Are You Game?" Sonoma Lamb Chops

12 Sonoma lamb chops, double cut
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. "Are You Game?" fennel pollen spice blend
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Combine parsley and "Are You Game?" in small bowl. Evenly coat lamb chops. Heat olive oil in heavy skillet over medium heat. Sear lamb 2 minutes per side, to medium rare. Set aside

Rustic Potato-Onion Pie

4 medium yukon gold potatoes
peeled 2 medium white onions, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 cup chicken stock
8 Kalamata olives, pitted
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
To taste: sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté onions 5 minutes. Add chicken stock, sugar and season with salt and pepper. Lower heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed and onions are lightly caramelized. Slice potatoes 1/8 inch thick. Toss in bowl with salt, pepper and thyme. Pour 1 Tbsp. oil in 8 inch non-stick sauté pan. Place first layer of potatoes in flower-like design. Dot with butter. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover with 2 Tbsp. caramelized onions. Repeat process until pan is full. Tightly cover pan with foil. Bake 40-45 minutes at 350°. Remove from oven. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Invert potato pie on serving plate. Cut into 6 wedges.

Rum Raisin Sauce

1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup dark rum
2 Tbsp. minced shallots
2 Tbsp. finely chopped oregano
1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 cup dark raisins
1/2 cup beef stock
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, diced
To taste: sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pour off excess grease from skillet used for lamb. Return skillet to medium heat. Add vinegar, rum, shallots, oregano, and honey. Reduce by half. Add raisins and beef stock. Reduce by 1/3. Whisk in butter. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

Presentation

1 bunch watercress leaves 2 belgian endive, thinly sliced crosswise, discard core 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 lemon, juiced pinch granulated sugar to taste sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Combine all ingredients in bowl. Place wedge of potato pie in center of warm serving plate. Lean 3 lamb chops against left side of pie. Ladle rum raisin sauce around chops. Garnish with watercress endive salad.

Bon Appetit –
Executive Chef Bernard Guillas
The Marine Room, La Jolla, California

Apple Barbecue Sauce, Root Vegetables
Serves six

Apple Barbecue Sauce

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 large apples, granny smith, peeled, cored, diced
1 cup chopped Vidalia onion
2 cups apple cider
1 cup sun dried apricots, diced
1 cup cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. packed dark brown sugar
To taste: sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add apples and onions. Cook until nicely caramelized, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer. Cook 30 minutes reducing by 1/3. Stir frequently to avoid burning. Let cool. Place in food processor. Blend 2 minutes. Set aside in small bowl.

"Hog Heaven" Niman Ranch Rack of Pork and Root Vegetables

3 lb. pork loin, on the bone, center cut, Frenched
2 Tbsp. "Hog Heaven"
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup peeled cipollinis or pearl onions
30 small new potatoes, halved
20 baby carrots, peeled
20 gold baby beets, peeled
3 medium parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup unsalted butter, diced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
To taste: sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Season pork to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat olive oil in heavy roasting pan over medium heat. Brown pork on all sides. Generously baste pork with apple barbecue sauce. Sprinkle with "Hog Heaven". Surround pork with vegetables. Evenly distribute butter and thyme sprigs atop vegetables. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place pan in oven. Roast 1 hour until thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 155° (approximately 18-20 minutes per pound). Stir vegetables every 15 minutes to make sure they are cooking evenly.

Presentation

Remove pork from roasting pan to cutting board. Let rest 10 minutes. Carve into chops. Place in center of large serving platter. Surround with root vegetables. Serve with remaining barbecue sauce.

Bon Appetit –
Executive Chef Bernard Guillas
The Marine Room, La Jolla, California

Pistachio Almond Crust, Roasted Corn Salsa, Avocado Butter
Serves six

Pistachio Almond Crust

1 Tbsp. "M~Ocean" fennel pollen spice blend
1/2 cup pistachios, shelled
1/4 cup sliced almonds, blanched

Place "M~Ocean", pistachios, and almonds in food processor. Pulse until coarse, about 20 seconds. Remove. Set aside.

Alaskan King Salmon

6- 7 oz. Alaskan King salmon fillets, scaled, skin on, pin bone out
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Place pistachio almond crust on cookie sheet. Coat flesh side of salmon fillet only. Melt olive oil and butter in hot skillet over medium heat. Pan fry coated side of salmon until golden brown, approximately 1 minute. Flip over. Cook to medium rare. Remove from skillet. Set aside.

Avocado Butter

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup ripe avocado
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic cloves, minced
1 lime, juiced dash Tabasco
To taste: sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whip butter in small mixing bowl until soft and creamy. In separate bowl, blend avocado, cilantro, and garlic. Add lime juice, salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Combine well with butter.

Roasted Corn Salsa

3 ears corn
1/4 cup roasted bell peppers, diced
6 medium shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced
1 tsp. honey
1 lime, juiced
1 Tbsp. chopped scallions
1 Tbsp. chopped mint
pinch cumin
pinch cayenne pepper
To taste: sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

On hot grill, charbroil corn and shiitake mushrooms approximately 2 minutes. Remove kernels with knife, shaving cob lengthwise. Julienne shiitake mushrooms. Set aside. Cool. Place kernels in mixing bowl with remaining ingredients. Gently toss. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Presentation

1/2 cup arugula sprouts
2 Tbsp. pumpkin seed oil

Place salsa in center of large serving plate. Top with salmon. Spoon avocado butter atop salmon. Garnish with arugula sprouts. Drizzle plate with pumpkin seed oil.

Bon Appetit –
Executive Chef Bernard Guillas
The Marine Room, La Jolla, California

Japanese Eggplant, Avocado Mango Relish
Serves six as an appetizer

Japanese Eggplant

6 small Japanese eggplant
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
pinch cayenne pepper
To taste: sea salt

Combine rice vinegar, brown sugar, olive oil, cayenne pepper, and sea salt in mixing bowl. Cut Japanese eggplant in half lengthwise. Marinate with above mixture 20 minutes. Place eggplant on hot grill, flesh side down. Grill for 5 minutes. Turn over. Grill additional 10 minutes or until tender, basting frequently with marinade.

Avocado Mango Relish

2 avocados, peeled, seeded and diced
1 mango, peeled, seeded, julienned
1/2 cup jicama, julienned
1 tsp. cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
2 Tbsp. gold tequila
dash Tabasco
To taste: sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In large bowl gently combine all ingredients. Set aside.

"Pollen Asian" Barbecued Jumbo Shrimp

18 jumbo shrimp, preferably Mexican, U-10 size, shell on
1/2 cup tangerine juice, fresh squeezed
1 tsp. parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp. mint leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup walnut oil
1 Tbsp. "Pollen Asian" blend
To taste: sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Butterfly shrimp lengthwise. In small bowl mix tangerine juice, parsley, mint, and walnut oil. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place shrimp in shallow dish. Pour marinade over. Let stand 15 minutes. Remove shrimp from marinade. Season with "Pollen Asian". Place on barbecue flesh side down over hot coals. Cook two minutes. Flip over. Finish on shell side. Cook until opaque. Be careful to not overcook. Place marinade in small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce by half. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Presentation

6 lime wedges
6 sprigs mint

Place two eggplant halves, overlapping in center of large serving plate. Transfer three shrimp from grill. Lean tails on eggplant. Drizzle marinade over shrimp. Garnish with avocado mango relish, lime wedges and mint sprigs.

Bon Appetit –
Executive Chef Bernard Guillas
The Marine Room, La Jolla, California

Fingerling Potatoes, Wilted Vegetables, Apple Cider Sauce
Serves six

Atlantic Monkfish

2 lbs monkfish, boneless, skinless, membrane removed, cut into 12 medallions
1 Tbsp. "Salt Free Heaven" blend
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Melt butter in non stick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season monkfish with "Salt Free Heaven". Place in pan. Sear to golden. Turn over. Cook one minute. Set aside. Keep warm.

Fingerling Potatoes

1 1/2 lbs. fingerling potatoes
1 tsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. chopped thyme
To taste: freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 425 °. Wash potatoes. Bring large pot water to boil. Cook potatoes al dente. Drain. Cool. Cut in half. Melt butter in oven proof non -stick pan with thyme over high heat. Add potatoes. Cook until golden. Place seared monkfish on potatoes. Place in oven. Cook 10 minutes or until done.

Apple Cider Sauce

2 green apples
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider
1/4 cup minced shallots
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. coarsely cracked black pepper
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 tsp. powdered saffron
1/4 cup heavy cream

With parisienne scoop or small melon baller remove flesh from apples (18 balls total). Place in bowl of water with lemon juice, to prevent discoloring. In large pot combine cider vinegar, apple cider, shallots, thyme, bay leaf and cracked pepper. Reduce liquid to syrupy consistency. Add chicken stock and saffron. Reduce by half. Strain through fine sieve. Return to pot. Add cream and apples. Reduce by half.

Wilted Vegetables

2 large carrots, washed, peeled
1 large leek, white part only, cleaned well
18 small asparagus, peeled
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 cup sauvignon blanc
1/4 cup crême fraîche
pinch cayenne pepper

Julienne carrots and leeks into match sticks. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus. Sauté 1 minute. Add sauvignon blanc and crême fraîche. Bring to boil. Cook 1 minute. Add leeks and carrots. Cover. Cook 3 minutes. Season to taste with cayenne pepper. Presentation 6 sprigs thyme Place potatoes in center of warm shallow pasta plate. Top with two monkfish medallions. Arrange wilted vegetables on top of monkfish. Spoon apple cider sauce around, serve 3 apple balls per plate. Garnish with thyme sprig.

Bon Appetit –
Executive Chef Bernard Guillas
The Marine Room, La Jolla, California

Portobello Mushroom Beignet
Serves six

Tofu

1 package firm tofu
2 Tbsp. mirin
2 Tbsp. julienned pickled ginger
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. brown rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed

Gently rinse tofu under running water. Pat dry. Slice into 6 portions. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over tofu slices. Let stand 2 hours. Drain. Cut into cubes. Reserve marinade for sauce.

Yuzu Sauce

1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp. yuzu juice
1 orange, zested
To taste: hot chili oil

Combine reserved marinade with all above ingredients.

"Zen-Sational" Vegetables

1/2 cup cauliflower florets
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup peeled slivered carrots
1/2 cup sugar snap peas, cut in half on bias
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup julienned red bell pepper
1 tsp. "Zen-Sational"
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Heat oil in frying pan or wok. Sauté vegetables 5 to 8 minutes with "Zen-Sational" over high heat until tender crisp. Stir constantly. Add drained marinated tofu. Toss gently with vegetables. Add yuzu sauce. Cover. Heat through.

Portobello Mushroom Beignet

3 medium portobello mushrooms, sliced 1/2" thick
1/2 cup tempura batter mix
1/4 tsp. "Zen-Sational" fennel pollen blend
1 cup cold water

Pre-heat fryer to 365°. Oil should be minimum 5 inches deep. Place tempura batter mix and "Zen-Sational" in mixing bowl. Add cold water. Blend well with chop sticks. If mix is a little thick add a small amount of water. Dip mushrooms in tempura. Deep fry 20 seconds. Place on paper towel.

Presentation

3 Tbsp. slivered almonds, toasted
6 sprigs cilantro

Divide tofu and vegetables among 6 shallow serving bowls. Top each with 3 portobello mushroom beignets. Garnish with slivered almonds and cilantro sprigs.

Bon Appetit –
Executive Chef Bernard Guillas
The Marine Room, La Jolla, California