I'm a serious fan of Japanese cuisine, possibly because I don't often make Japanese food from scratch--(remind me where to find shark's fin). So when deliberating restaurant options for dinner, Japanese food is what I often crave.

I do have a few easy Japanese recipes up my sleeve, past recipe blogs about Spinach Goma-Ae and Edamame Cups with Wasabi Caviar come to mind.

The following recipe was inspired by an Ahi & Avocado recipe from Mark Robinson's "Izakaya: The Japanese Pub Cookbook". This book inspires me to hop the next Tokyo-bound red-eye, and cruise the bar scene, using this as my guide-book. In a nut-shell, or edamame pod, if you prefer, this book highlights Tokyo's best izakayas (pubs).

If you decide to make this, search out sushi-grade ahi pieces that are shiny and firm with a bright red color, avoiding any grey areas. Develop a trusting relationship with your fishmonger and know when the shipment of ahi arrived or is due to arrive; consume it the day of purchase for ultimate freshness. (I subscribe to Monahan's Kerrytown "tweets"--it's a the shortest link from the sea to my plate.)

Serve with wonton chips, rice crackers, or sesame bagel crisps.

Yield: 2 servings or 4 small servings (apx. 2 cups) Time: 15 minutes Cost: (depends on the price of tuna used) $13.00-$25.00

Ingredients

1-3 teaspoons wasabi paste 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon chopped scallions 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro 2 ripe avocados 8 ounces sushi-grade tuna loin 2 radicchio cups for shell, optional 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds

Directions

1. Make a dressing by whisking together 1 teaspoon wasabi, soy sauce, lemon juice and sesame oil. Add more wasabi to taste. Stir in scallions and cilantro. 2. Cut avocado from pole to pole, pit and carefully spoon out flesh; cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Cut tuna into 1/2 pieces. 3. Gently toss tuna and avocado into dressing and spoon into radicchio cups, if using. Lightly sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.