Summer Tuna Salad

3 5 oz. cans tuna fish

1 15 oz. can small white beans

1/4 cup finely diced onion

1 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Serve on a bed of fresh spinach with sliced tomatoes or on whole grain bread or crackers.

Serves 2 to 4.

Margarita

4 oz. silver tequila

2 oz. simple syrup

2 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice

2 oz. orange juice 

Shake with 3/4 cup ice and strain into a margarita glass. Garnish with lime. 

Serves 2.

Gnocchi with Sausage and Mozzerella

1 lb Italian sausage (about 3 links)

10 oz. bag of frozen potato gnocchi

24 oz. spaghetti sauce

3 oz. mozzarella, diced

Remove the casing from the Italian sausage then cut the sausage into bite-size pieces. In a large non-stick frying pan, saute the Italian sausage until cooked through. Add the spaghetti sauce and bring to a simmer. 

Fill a 2-quart saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water and cook 5 to 7 minutes. Drain the gnocchi and add to the pan of sausage and sauce. Toss together and let simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the mozzarella and let simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the cheese has melted.

Garnish with fresh basil and serve with garlic bread.

Serves 2.

Bo Ssam (Pork Lettuce Wraps)

10 pounds bone-in Boston pork butt

2 cups white sugar

2 cups Kosher salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon salt

Trim all of the fat off the pork butt. Mix together white sugar and Kosher salt. Put the pork butt in a large plastic bag and pour the sugar and salt mixture over it, making sure to coat all sides. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Add vegetable oil and pork to a large pot. Cook uncovered in the oven for about 6 1/2–7 1/2 hours. When the meat is fork-tender and pulls away from the bone, sprinkle the exterior with a mixture of 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon salt. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees, and roast 15 minutes until the outside is well caramelized. Remove from oven.

Serve the pork on a large platter so people can assemble their own wraps. Serve with leaves of Boston lettuce, rice and ginger scallion condiment. Other traditional accompaniments include Korean soybean paste, salted shrimp and kimchee.

Serves 6 to 8.

Ginger Scallion Condiment

1 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 1 large bunch), greens and whites

1/4 cup finely minced peeled fresh ginger

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon light soy sauce (usukuchi)

1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together. Let sit for an hour before serving.