Summer Ceviche

On a recent trip to Cabo, I made it my mission to find the BEST ceviche. I first tried this awesome fresh fish deliciousness when we went to Costa Rica in 2002 and it has been a favorite ever since.

So after searching high and low, my favorite was at The Sea Grill at Las Ventanas. I ordered a sample of all of their ceviches (5 varieties) and they were all standouts really. BUT, my favorite was their Coconut Sea Bass Ceviche – supper refreshing! And as usual, I asked for the recipe and so….here you go!

Ingredients:

600 g Sea bass Fish Fillet

1 pz Carrot

1/2 pz Cucumber

1/4 pz Red Onion

6 oz Lime Juice

1 pz Jalapeño Chili Pepper

1 Bunch Cilantro

4 oz Natural Coconut Milk

Salt to taste

Procedure:

• Cut in small cubes and Marinate the Sea bass in lime juice for half an hour to one Hour


• Chop all vegetables into small cubes and marinate in lime juice


• Take off the Sea bass from lime juice


• Mix with chop vegetables, Jalapeño chile and Cilantro


• Add the Coconut Milk


• Season to taste

So in all honesty, I am not sure what ‘pz’ is an abbreviation for. I made the recipe and substituted tilapia for the sea bass and just did ‘some’ carrots, cucumbers & onions. It turned out wonderful. The sea bass of course would have been better – with its delicate buttery flavor – but at $30 / pound, I decided to experiment with tilapia. It worked out great.

A Sincere Sense of Place

The Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara has been the weekend get-away choice for Hollywood celebs for decades. As I sat in the lobby lounge, sipping my champagne, I watched couples dance and laugh and unwind. It was really a beautiful picture of guests enjoying the lounge of a hotel as if it were their own home, not just using the hotel as a place to put their bags and sleep while they did other things. It is a destination in itself.

So many times I hear people say of Four Seasons that they don’t really have a true sense of place. I absolutely disagree across the board, but especially with The Biltmore. The old Spanish colonial style is uniquely Southern California late 19^th century and every corner of the estate evokes warmth that could not be found elsewhere. While there is Spanish architecture elsewhere, there is only one Biltmore. Ty Warner owns the resort and is passionately committed to its history and preservation. One of the significant points to the resort is The Coral Casino. Ty Warner also owns this ultra exclusive and iconic private club and it is available to guests of the hotel to use. The swimming pool is 60' wide and 167' long. It was said to be California's largest outdoor pool and was originally built with a 30' high dive. The size of the pool is just 1 foot longer than a standard olympic sized pool so that there would never be the possibility of hosting any sporting events at the club. The club has private cabanas and the Four Seasons has 2 designated for the exclusive use of hotel guests. There is also a fantastic restaurant and a fitness club.
The Biltmore could be a great choice for a couples weekend away or for a full week family holiday. It is funny, sometimes you just really feel an emotional attachment to a hotel. OK, maybe that is just me, but I do! I love this place!