Guide 2 the Good Life

Caviar is great for entertaining, but bad for the pocketbook. Fortunately, Asian style “caviar” or fish roe are much more affordable. This is an impressive yet budget conscious recipe that guests are sure to love. Plus, it’s easy to make! If you enjoy Americanized sushi, such as the California Roll, you are sure to love this.

The delicate tobiko flying fish eggs are gently nestled on a bed of creamy wasabi-hinted avocado, atop lightly toasted warm pita which makes it finger friendly. I was inspired to create this recipe after Yuki, my mother in law, introduced me to the many uses of Mentsuyu, or seasoned soy sauce that makes the base for many Japanese style noodles like udon and somen.

Make sure the Tobiko you buy is fresh and doesn’t smell fishy. Compared to Beluga caviar, which can run up to hundreds of dollars an ounce, Tobiko is much more affordable. A 1/4 cup sized container will probably cost you under 5 bucks. Plus Tobiko has a brilliant orange huge that looks much more appetizing than the dark grayish tinge of other fish eggs.

Ingredients (makes 18 appetizer servings)

• 1 Avocado
• 1 teaspoon Mentsuyu (somen/udon noodle soup base, and can be found in Asian Markets). Can be omitted, but substitutions include soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
• 1 package Tobiko flying fish roe. Capellin or Salmon roe can be substituted. Or, if you’re not down with fish eggs, try lump crab meat.
• 1/2 teaspoon Wasabi paste. Use the pre-made kind in a tube to make your life easier.
• 3 Pita Breads

Directions

1. Half avocado, remove pit. Scoop out flesh with a spoon.
2. Dice avocado meat and place in a bowl.
3. Add Mentsuyu and wasabi. Gently old ingredients into avocado.
4. Toast pita bread until light golden brown on the edges. Make sure it does not get too crispy, otherwise it will compete with the delicate texture of the Tobiko.
5. Cut toasted pita bread into 6 equal triangles.
6. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of avocado mixture on each pita, topped with a half teaspoon of tobiko. (more or less depending on how generous you feel!)

Pair this with sparkling sake from Trader Joes.
Enjoy!