Leather District Gourmet

We've moved - Click Here!

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:58:00 +0000

Well, finally bit the bullet. Moved over to Wordpress. Hope you will find me there and let me know your feedback, especially any links that break or problems you might find.

Free Rice & Word Geeks

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 08:14:00 +0000

One of my favorite word geeks, Sujata, sent me this link today. Try it out!. Damian, I know you will be the first!

Free Rice. For each word you get right, the site donates 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program.

Fresser's Choice

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 06:37:00 +0000

While I was visiting Orangette's site looking for her Chewy Cocoa cookie recipe, I found her post on the power of a poached egg, one of the most perfect foods. It reminded me of the time I went to a quasi-Jewish deli here in Brookline. Zaftigs is the name and if you know any Yiddish you will know this is the word for "Ruben-esque" or "pleasingly plump." A great name for a deli, no?

Here's your freebie Yiddish word of the day: Fresser.
It's the opposite of Nosher. A nosh is a snack. A fresser ends up zaftig. Okay, lesson over.

Now, back to our beautiful eggs.
I was in Zaftigs with some friends and noticing on the menu that they had a salad that was almost the classic French salad with frisee and lardons. Curly endive has a nice bitter little bite and the lardons are chunky bacon-ish bites. Almost, because it was missing a particular ingredient, the egg. Traditionally this salad is served with a poached egg on top. The yolk runs and essentially emulsifies the dressing much in the way it would if you prepared the salad dressing in the bowl with a yolk. Rich creamy dressing, salty bacony bits, bitter greens. It's a wonderful meal.

The untraveled shiksa server was, at first, horrified at my request. She calmed herself by determining that she must have misunderstood my request. "Oh! You want your salad first, then you want poached eggs?"

"No, I'd like this frisee salad, with a single poached egg, on top."

"On a Salad!? We can't do that."

"But you serve breakfast all day. You have eggs, yes?"

"Yes, but..."

"So if I ordered a poached egg, and let's just pretend I didn't order a salad, you could bring me an egg, right?"

"Yes, but you want to put....."

"And, you serve salads with hard boiled eggs, right?"

"Yes, but..."

"So, here's what you do. Order the frisee salad for me. Pretend the poached egg is for someone else or pretend I didn't order a salad and bring me the poached egg on the side. I'll save you the trouble of sliding it off the saucer onto the top of my salad." [does this remind you of that Jack Nicholson scene with the chicken sandwich?]

She was horrified and very upset I refused to relent. I attempted to calm her by telling her millions of people eat this salad all the time and that people who make salad dressing from scratch as I do, will often begin with an egg yolk as an emulsifier.

The girl had clearly never enjoyed salad dressing that didn't come from a bottle.

So what happened? You might have guessed. I got my salad. Later, I received a slightly cold, too-hard egg on the side. Oy vey, mon cherie. Oy vey.

And now, about those cookies:
I saw Orangette's beautiful chocolate cookie recipe somewhere and decided I had to make it. Of course, in homage to her and to my ever-curious taste buds, I had to add some orange flower water. In place of the yogurt, crème fraîche.

This might be my new favorite cookie recipe. Vosges Chocolate makes "drinkable chocolates" including the Aztec flavor that are perfect in these cookies, too. Check out this recipe on Spongefish that I posted tonight. I particularly like that the recipe makes a fairly small batch. Perfect to zip up in a nice cello bag for your next hostess gift or open house. If they make it that long. Ours did not.

Cooking Books, for Real

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:31:00 +0000

Amy Sherman writes in her Epicurious Blog this week about cookbooks and books for cooks this holiday season. But read here about Cooking the Books for real (thanks to Joseph!)- then go read Amy's blog about new Cookbooks and the cooking a whole cookbook trend.

You may have heard about the Julie/Julia project? That was the one that launched a career, I think. Then there's Smitten Kitchen, if memory serves, she's working her way through Dorie Greenspan or Maida Heatter. Anyway, all are worth checking out. As are a few I cover in my new post on Suite101.

I keep meaning to write about cookbooks, but end up writing about other books sort of about cooking or about food. I'm sticking to my plan and am going to give you my top five or so...maybe tomorrow...

Eat a Cookie - Save the Ocean

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:35:00 +0000

I am so excited to tell you about a terrific gift idea. You know how I love the ocean, our fishy friends, penguins, sustainable seafood...did you know I once taught a half dozen kids under the age of 8 to bake bread? The best was when one girl asked me on her way out the door..."what's this called again? I want to remember so I can ask Mommy to buy it..." It was whole wheat bread. No lie.

So if you know any kids (even really big ones like me!) who might like to bake cookies, here's a great idea from our friends at Oceana in collaboration with CakeLove.

You know CakeLove, don't you? A fellow refugee from the law, Warren Brown's success story should be required reading for every pre-law student out there. "Do you really love law? Really? As much as you love fill-in-the-blank. Ask yourself what you want to be doing 80 hours a week for the next long while." For Warren, it was baking.

(How cute is he?) Well, we're all luckier for Warren's love of cake and his courage to follow that love to where he is today. Our friends at Oceana and all the others they protect are lucky, too.

Go Ahead Dive in and Eat a Cookie and Save the Oceans. I know a little niece who loves cooking with her "Mo-Mo" ...this might be on our holiday agenda..

Find out more by going to either CakeLove or Oceana.

Giving Thanks for Many Things

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 03:36:00 +0000

Post-Turkey Day Reflections
I often write late at night, glass of wine nearby, listening to NPR through a headset while the other residents of the loft sleep nearby. Usually, it's Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz I listen to, sometimes other podcasts make the playlist. The other night one of these blurbs caught my eye: Umami was once again in the news. I'd recently tried the quick marinara sauce offered by Chef Silvia Bianco which incorporates one umami-rich anchovy for simmered-all-day flavor. So, I guess I had umami on the brain.

Then, on Robert Krulwich's Science segment, I learned about Jonah Lehrer's book: Proust was a Neuroscientist on NPR on just one of these nights. Lehrer is an anomaly in today's world of specialization. Not "just" a scientist, he read Proust in the lab awaiting his experiments' transition from one stage to another. In his (unnaturally bifurcated) world of science and literature he had an epiphany: the world of literature and science is one world. It is not an "either-or" proposition. This got him thinking and we are the lucky recipients of this book, the results of a thinker (both a scientist and a lover of literature) who refused to submit to conventional thinking.

Lehrer uses Proust, Walt Whitman, George Eliot, Paul Cezanne, Igor Stravinsky, Gertrude Stein, Virginia Wolf and August Escoffier to illustrate thinkers from various artistic disciplines who learned a truth that the science of their time denied.

Over my annual Orphans' Thanksgiving I was sharing with friends I've known for un f* -believable numbers of years some of my new writing projects including one in sports and one in film. Joe looked at me and said "You know, that's an incredibly unusual combination of things you write about." To which I replied, "Yes, I'm just an incredibly unusual kinda girl." We all laughed, as you can with friends who know you that well, that long.

And I am. Incredibly unusual, that is. It's just taken me all these years to figure out it's not me that's off. Too many times I've been the "square peg" gamely playing at "round hole." It's never been fun trying to convince others I was okay. If they lacked the capacity to comprehend a feminist might also wears eyeliner, or that a girl who cooks also likes football, why was it my fault? I was a lawyer comparing myself to Proust or Whitman in terms of any talent, just in terms of the certainty that I do not fit conventional molds. Another friend who joined us is my "little sister" whom I began mentoring when she was 10. Now she's an amazing, level-headed, fun and caring young woman of 27 years.

Back to Jazz
I heard a piece on Billie Holiday, one on Johnny Hartman, another with Diana Krall and Marian McPartland. All of these but McPartland are musicians I've loved for years, I'm glad I've 'discovered' Marian now. I was struck by the fact that Holiday, Hartman and Krall all said they were unable to sing songs that they didn't feel were reflective of them and how they feel. Constitutionally unable and unwilling. This was a another brilliant reminder of the importance of being your authentic self. In just a few segments I've heard, it's an aspect McPartland appreciates in those she interviews and plays with, too.

Now, at this wonderful holiday, my favorite, I realize how lucky I am to have friends who are really great, smart, funny and steadfast friends. They don't care if I don't fit some conventional standard. They don't care if I don't fit my clothes from last year. They celebrate all of who I am - right here and now. I am a very lucky (if slightly rounder, slightly older) girl. Authentically me, and at last unapologetic about it.

Thanksgiving Menus and Traditions
Speaking of celebrating, how about the menu this year? What worked well for you this year? Did you start or continue any traditions? Try any new recipes?

One thing new I did this year was to make dinner rolls with pumpkin. They were not like sweet muffins, just beautiful pumpkin-colored dinner rolls. And they made a delicious bread pudding today. I also used this new thing I found called a roasting wand. It heats the stuffing inside the turkey so you eliminate the problem of overcooked bird for well-cooked stuffing.

I made some stock from turkey wings the day before. Simple to do and well worth the extra flavor dimension. The new touches will make a reappearance at next year's Procrastinators', Refugees, and Orphans' Thanksgiving.

Note to self: get some more good jazz too.

I'm grateful for the riches of the table, good friends, good health, a terrific husband. An unconventional life that is wholly mine, and full of thanksgiving.

Scraping Bottom, Winning Notices, Great Wines

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 01:59:00 +0000

Dredging, Scraping, Splogging
In the ocean it's called dredging. In the blogosphere it's called "scraping" and "splogs" do it. Someone writes some code, they troll the Internet and find blogs or posts with good traffic, then they scrape your content and use it to collect ad revenue.

My blog has been scraped and the bottom-dwellers have set up a fake blog (doh!) with my copyrighted content in an attempt to collect ad revenue from people clicking on the ads there. People might do a Google search and find my content on the fake blog and click on ads there. Those of you who read me here need not worry.

You'll notice I have very little, unobtrusive ads here. I haven't seen any evidence that the pitiful revenue outweighs the objectionable clutter. But then, I'm not scraping content from all over. A couple of clicks here and there and for one piece of code, some a*hole is making money from my content.

Good News Still Coming on "Teach a Man to Fish"
I suppose the good news is that it means our sustainable seafood event was successful and caught attention from high and low. We covered the low, now let's look at some of the good news.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium's new SeaNotes Blog mentions us as some good news amongst the bad news of the spill in San Francisco.

The effort also got recognized by Internet Research and Strategy Gurus Sea Change Strategies in this interesting post, Be Remarkable and They Will Come. I am flattered to be so described by this group. I never thought "doing good" was an option, either Mark.

Wine Pairings
Last but not least, one of our favorite wine gurus, Andrew Barrow at Spittoon, offers this pairing advice for our Teach a Man to Fish entries:

For Calamari with Pine Nuts: Gavi, Pinot Bianco, Cava
For Ryan Newman's Catfish: Chardonnay
Catfish Bites: Alsace Pinot Gris
Clams: Chablis
Halibut: Viognier
Mussels: Chablis, Champagne
Salmon with creamy sauce: White Burgundy
Sardines: Muscadet, NZ Sauvignon Blanc
Scallops: Champagne, Chardonnay
Fish Soup: Dry Rose

Andrew has a terrific wine site, a fabu foodies blog and more. Really terrific design, top-notch content and he's a good guy to boot. Please check out Spittoon "We spit so you can swallow..." Oh, and Andrew's got beautiful photography throughout his sites, this photo above is his. Gorgeous.

Thanks again Andrew!

Thinking of King Crab for the Holidays? Careful....

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 09:06:00 +0000

A huge supplier of King Crab legs is arrested. Arkadi Gontmakher a Ukranian living a lavish lifestyle in Seattle is accused of large-scale poaching and more.

Currently, most of the king crab in the retail stores is from Russia, his company has been the chief supplier. In the first six months of this year, according to the Seattle Times, Gontmakher brought 20 million pounds of crab into the US - roughly equal to a year's legal harvest in Alaska. The Russian crab is in stores such as CostCo and Safeway across the country.

Be sure to insist that your supplier is buying from Alaska, not Russia.The U.S. red-king harvest is under way and American crabbers are hoping for a new marketing peg that will emphasize the U.S. conservation rules to prevent overfishing. Click here for more info on how to choose responsible sources for crab.

Read here for more info, and quite a drama to boot - money laundering, Russian politics, mansions, cars, veiled threats - this story has it all.

Morning Latte - Bring Back the Words

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 02:23:00 +0000

It's almost time for my morning coffee (usually about your lunchtime) but I'm powering through getting one more thought down..."on paper" as we used to say.

I'm thinking about the skit on some old SNL show with Farrell & Oteri as morning talk show hosts like Regis and fill-in-the-blank-blonde-du-jour....I believe the skit was called Morning Latte.

The talking heads' monitor goes out and they go from preternaturally chipper and overly enthusiastic to savages. Lord of the Flies-style. Completely unglued because "the words have gone away....why, why - why have they gone away?!"

I think they even try burning sacrifices, desperately hoping to "bring back the words, bring back the words..."

Well, those of you who know me, may have a notion where this is leading..

As I struggle to make a living as a freelance writer (part of the explanation for my absence here the last few days) I laugh about the "stars" who cannot get up and do a show - even if it's a talk show - w/o the writers to give them words.

We value the celebrity, but forget that the entertainers are not the clever people that make us laugh, they are (for the most part) the ventriloquists' dolls. The words come from someone else.

If I had a nickel for every "opportunity" to write for someone for no pay - I could afford to write for someone for no pay...

But the New York Times has a "Cheer up scabs - this is an opportunity!" piece running today. That should kill the folks who want to paint the NYT as nothing more than a liberal rag...and just a few more parting thougths:

Below the Line - is an industry term for all the folks employed in trades related to the film trade: grips, makeup, cleaners, trailer and storage rentals, think of the tons of people who are out of work by choice or by layoff.
As the studios spin their message: "We don't know about this scary new world of the Internet, who can tell how to calculate profits? how to divide them? we need a study!" Take a look at t his video - pretty disgusting when you think of the main arguments put forth by the studios about why they can't pay writers a share of new media profits.
If you want to see some "person on the street" quotes (maybe yours) and get a peek inside The Business of the Movies, check out one of my new gigs. Click here: BoxOffice.com On the Street. Or you can see my by-line on the new Sidney Lumet movie, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, click here. Truthfully, I'm not sure but I think we're supposed to be boycotting movies right now.

Other stuff:
I've also begun a sports blog The Sixteenth Minute - and have some interesting related projects cooking (so's to speak) in that arena. Stay tuned for those. Take a look and drop a comment letting me know what you think.

Food?
On the way to see Sweeney Todd, we had dinner at Troquet. I asked for the Sweeney Todd Pot Pie special, it got a laugh...and dinner was great. More soon on that, but short word is this: familiar dishes executed really really well with just enough imagination that no one will be scared.

Enthusiastic staff and terrific food, great wine list. I'm going to go back for a wine/cheese flight and will report more, hopefully soon.

Another great meal with friends we brought to Gourmet Dumpling. If you missed my earlier exhortation: GO. See "Eats, Shoots, Leaves."

Also go see Wicked at the Opera House. Fab. Trying to think of what really emerald green thing I can make to eat while I try mastering "defying gravity!" (the f*n theme song for any woman my age staring down the next birthday..)

y que mas....what else you ask? What will you see when I bring back the words?
I've been working on a travel/restaurant guide comparison piece; holiday pieces; how to do a cheese plate; beer tasting; kitchen appliance innovations; phew...just too much on my plate.

That, for a writer, is a good problem to have.

Beer Battered Fried Catfish

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:53:00 +0000

The Ryan Newman Foundation, which was awarded $10,000 from the Catfish Institute for winning the NASCAR Cook-off, does a lot of great work to help animals. Anyone interested in learning more about catfish can visit The Catfish Institute. To find a restaurant nearby serving catfish, click here.

Ryan Newman's Catfish recipe was one of the first entries in our "Teach a Man to Fish" Sustainble Seafood Event.

Beer Battered Fried Catfish

1/2 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Everglade seasoning, optional
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
3/4 cup room-temperature beer
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil
1 pound U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish fillets, cut into 3 to 4 inch strips

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, Everglades seasoning (if using), baking powder, paprika, white and red peppers and oregano. If not using Everglade seasoning, add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk in beer and egg until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

When ready to cook: In a deep skillet or large pan, pour vegetable oil to the depth of 3 inches; heat to 375°F. Stir batter and fold in catfish. When oil is hot, lift fish strips with tongs, draining excess batter; place catfish in oil several pieces at a time (do not over crowd). Fry until well browned on all sides, about 3 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain. Keep warm, repeat with remaining catfish.

YIELD: About 24 pieces

Breaking News: NBC Proves It's Green and Stoopid

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 10:13:00 +0000

Patriots Win - NBC Loses - It's a Rout!
If I wanted to watch my NFL Sunday Game (Pats won, thank you for asking. And yes, they are undefeated) by candlelight I would have to be demented. What fool of a marketing intern convinced you guys this was a good idea? Though Costas does look better in the dark...

They explained the network is committed to "being green" and this move would "save as much energy as it would cost to heat an average home for a month."

So what if you guys did every show in the dark? Maybe if you didn't do a show at all? What if you guys took public trans to your studio instead of limos? What if you didn't send Matt Lauer (cue the shot: ridiculous parka next to an igloo) TO THE ARCTIC? Hello --- can you say carbon footprint? How many dark football shows will I have to endure to off-set that trip?

So stoopid. Cut to Madden and Buck: laughing about the Eagles owners and how "green" they are since they bought the team franchise for a few hundred thousand and it's now worth bazillions..."yeah, heh heh heh, they're really green now, Joe."

Res ipsa loquitur - as we say in law. The thing speaks for itself.

Reminds me of the Gore-Green concerts...held at stadiums with no public trans access -so people had to drive their SUVs to see the stars come out to pledge being green (you mean give up my Lamborghini? Like, before I crash it?) The BBC flew their reporter here and organizers flew our stars there...Organizers carrying around plastic bottled Fiji water...

Yes, we've got "massive potential for growth." That was the phrase an old boyfriend used each time he screwed up royally, that was supposed to be the reason I'd hang in there with him.

Meet me at the Intersection of Green and Yummy
I discovered a new site tonight: EarthLab. Mario Battali (whose new book title reminds me of a constipation cure) provides some recipes, they show him zipping around on his Vespa, and, of course, he hawks his wares. I think buying more stuff is kinda not what we should be doing for the planet.

Anyway, there might be some good useful stuff there. We'll see - at least the lasagna looks good. I guess if Mario's recommending Italian wine on his Earthlab column, I don't have to worry about the Locavores scolding me, right?

Surf and Turf

Up to my gills in sustainable seafood lately, as you know. It's been grand, but sometimes a girl just needs a steak. Welcome to the neighborhood, Morton's.

In a grand fashion, Morton's hosted benefit for the Boston Public Market as well as a soft opening for the newest Morton's restaurant. Smaht as we say here in Boston, wicked smaht. The food was plentiful and fabulous. Servers were eager to serve. Wine was almost always in reach and I made friends with the man at the oyster station. Mais, bien sÛr. Of course we made reservations for dinner the very next night. And was it good.

One of the hallmarks of a good steakhouse is whether they can make a perfect martini. Check. Hendrick's, but no cucumber slice.

Then, do you get gracious service? Check. Fabulous, aged steaks? Check. Beautifully prepared sides? Potatoes, of course. Garlicky fresh, crisp green beans. Check. Check. Check. By the time we got our check, I was fairly glowing, happy girl, doggie bag in hand. Nothing like a little (prime-aged ribeye) steak and eggs for breakfast.

It's a Wrap! Teach a Man to Fish - the Sustainable Seafood Event Concludes

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 19:24:00 +0000

The Sustainable Seafood Blog Event is done. As we end this adventure, the new one begins: making all these great dishes.

Huge Thanks to all who participated in this event. To call it a success would be an understatement.

In just two weeks, I received a boat-load of great recipes. From elaborate to quick; gourmet to home-style; from near and far. They all look terrific.
Our catch includes over two dozen recipes, including two videos.
Entries came from big fish to small fry - highly acclaimed chefs, an author, home cooks, and food bloggers, like me.
We're all learning. (Can I push it further and say we're in school?) As Chef Barton Seaver explains, it's a dynamic area. Some fish stocks have come back from being nearly depleted, like abalone. Others are still in danger, such as Chilean Seabass. I particularly appreciated the readers who shared their own “sustainable seafood 101” stories with us on their blogs. I know you will enjoy them, too.
And speaking of 101, two fellow writers on Suite101 shared their recipes and knowledge, too. Links are included to other resources, and recipes down below.

How to get the most out of this round up:

I've organized this alphabetically, by main ingredient, beginning with Abalone from Chef Pahk of the Silverado Resort in Napa Valley.
For each recipe submitted, I have included a brief intro to the main ingredient from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch pages. I have included a live link to the item's profile there. Scroll over, click - there you are.
I have also included live links to each participant's blog or website. In a couple of cases where the recipe was not hosted elsewhere, I have posted it on my blog here and included a live link to that post.
Most of all: share these recipes and what you've learned with your fishmonger, your family, your friends.

Coming soon:
Pairings from our beverage board. (What, you thought I'd let you go thirsty?) Subscribe to a feed or sign up for my newsletter (see sidebar) for updates. Beer, wine, sake, tequila...what will they recommend?

And now, for our beautiful recipes, cheers to sustainable seafood and to all our participants...

Abalone
Abalone farming has helped to reduce damage to the wild population off the West coast of the US.

Executive Chef of the Silverado Resort sent us this beautiful recipe made with Cayuga Farms' Abalone.

Chef Pahk and the resort share a commitment to sustainability and it shows. Chef Pahk is CIA trained and a Hawaii native, was named one of "America's 2000" and was invited to cook the New Year's Eve dinner at the James Beard house...

This recipe is an elegant example of his skill and it's also a success story, of sorts. Abalone was nearly fished to extinction. We may have learned, just in time, how to responsibly manage the abalone populations. Mahalo, Chef!

Calamari
Calamari or Squid is a good choice and jumbo squid may be the best choice. Jumbo squid are line-caught so little damage occurs through by-catch. Little is known about their overall populations so the more common squid may be the better choice.

Chef Silvia Bianco of Food411 shares her recipe for this calamari with pine nuts and tomatoes. She also offers three other recipes from her book Simply Sauté. (Seafood Risotto, Salmon with Wild Mushrooms, and Tilapia Pomodoro) Please find the recipes here.

Catfish
U.S.-farmed catfish is a best choice because it’s farmed in an ecologically responsible manner. We have two catfish recipes for you, one by a guy who literally teaches men to fish, among other things. Ryan Newman is a NASCAR driver and seemingly all around good guy. Take a look at his foundation and charitable projects.

Normally, I tell overachievers to slow down, because they're making me look bad. But, Ryan's a NASCAR driver, so I guess I'll just have to say "thank you!"

Here's Ryan's award-winning catfish recipe (he donated the $10,000 award to one of his charities of choice, his spay/neuter pet shelter project.) I give this one, and Ryan the checkered flag. (Have to ask my sister-in-law Chrissy if I got that right...)

Janet Gresham of the blog Catfish Bytes sends us this sweet and spicy glazed catfish recipe. This has an appealing Asian-style glaze, citrus and red pepper combine in this recipe that will get a green light from your doctor. It looks quick to prepare, too. Might be the answer to "what's for dinner, tonight?"

Clams
Since Tigerfish is in California, they used the West Coast Seafood Guide. "The manila clams used in this recipe are almost from an entirely farmed-source, categorized under "Best Choices" in the West Coast Guide and the prawns I have bought are USA farmed-prawns also classified as "Good Alternatives" in the guide." This recipe of Clams and Prawns steamed with egg whites looks gorgeous.

Halibut
Pacific Halibut is the best choice where long-lining is the method of harvest. As Halibut are bottom-dwelling fish, other methods result in wasteful by-catch and environmental damage. Wild-caught California or Greenland are also acceptable.

Sesame-Crusted Halibut - Dolores sends her post from California, where she writes Chronicles of Culinary Curiosity. I love Dolores' post because she shows how easy it was to make a dish using a smart seafood choice. She reviewed her Seafood Watch Guide, had a brief conversation with her fishmonger, then sat down to a beautiful line-caught Sesame-Crusted Halibut dinner. I'll bet her fishmonger was happy to have an enthusiastic and informed customer, too.

Hake
Hake, also known as whitefish, is listed as a “good alternative” in our guide. Be sure to purchase Silver, Red and Offshore hake that is wild-caught.

This Dalmatian Fish Soup recipe comes to us from Croatia where it's called “mol.” Maninas shares a family soup using “mol.” Looks like a comforting broth and a second course of poached fish. Just grab some good bread.

Mussels
Mussels are cultured throughout most of the world. Cultured mussles account for approximately 90 percent of the world mussel consumption. Major producers: China, Spain, Italy, Thailand, France and New Zealand. The U.S. imports most of its mussels from developed nations with stringent environmental regulations.

Mussel-farming methods, similar to oysters', are environmentally sound, do not rely on fishmeal or fish oil. Diseases are rare so antibiotics and chemicals are not necessary. Well-run bivalve aquaculture operations actually benefit the surrounding marine environment. My favorite mussel trick? Use the first empty shells as tweezers to snag the rest of your mussels from their shells...nature's tools.

Pepy a.k.a Andaliman, who writes The Art and Science of Food gives us Indonesian Mussels, an exotic Indonesian recipe by way of Canada. This entry includes information about Vancouver's sustainable seafood program and restaurants that participate.

Rockfish
Rockfish, Striped Bass or Greenheads as they are variously known are a "best bet" when US, wild-caught. (also see Sea Bream, below)

We're delighted to have a true leader in the area of sustainable seafood participate. Chef Seaver has won numerous awards and accolades, he offers his recipe for Rockfish and also tips about how we can each make responsible and delicious choices.

Here's Chef Barton Seaver's recipe for Seared Chesapeake Rockfish over minted pumpkin and crispy kale.
I asked him to share his thoughts. First, he reminds us that sustainability is about flexibility.

"We have to be willing to admit that what we know today may be wrong tomorrow as there is more research, various developments in techniques and myriad possibilities of changes that cause us to continually
reevaluate our choices. Sometimes it is necessary to try unfamiliar things, but I have found that this is part of the fun of the dining experience. I choose to source all my produce and fish from small farmers and fishermen because I know how they operate. It takes more work at the beginning, but knowing that I'm serving the best food possible in my restaurant is worth the small investment of time."

In addition to the Monterey Bay Aquarium guides, he says, "Anyone can easily choose more sustainable products.... there are a number of consumer guides to help choose the best fish, including Blue Ocean Institute's Guide to Ocean Friendly Seafood."

For his restaurant, HookDC, he also tries to source fish that have been Marine Stewardship Council certified.

Salmon
Wild caught Alaska Salmon is the best bet. Look for Coho, Sockeye, King, Pink and Red salmon. Avoid farmed salmon. Did you know Alaska is the first state to have legislated safe and sustainable fishing policy? It can be a challenge to ensure that your salmon is actually wild and not farmed. Be sure you trust your fishmonger.

Wild smoked salmon strata comes to us from afar. It looks divine and this blogger probably hides her identity to prevent us all from dropping in for brunch!

Check out the Isolated Foodie whose "cooking trials at the far edge of nowhere" are worth a visit, even if only a virtual one.

Kathy Maister of StartCooking was first out of the gate with her Cold Salmon with Creamy Mustard Sauce.

She's also got two video demos of simple seafood recipes, which, if sourced properly, would make fine sustainable seafood choices. Take a look at Kathy in action making Shrimp Scampi and Scallops.

Sardines
Sardines are a "best choice" as populations are healthy.

Sanja from Croatia offers us a recipe for Fishermen's Lunch. This is something that would certainly keep a fisherman happy. Crushed, pan-fried potatoes, golden onions and fried sardines. (Nothing like those silly little canned things Americans grew up with.)

Sanja claims not to be a cook. Check out her Fresh Adriatic Fish blog. Don't you think the steps, the how-to advice (like how to recognize good, fresh fish) and other little tips on prep reveal a natural at work?

Scallops
Bay scallops are preferable to Sea scallops. Farmed scallops are a good choice as the practice is generally safe for the environment. Scallops have low impact on the environment as they are filter feeders and no fishmeal is used in the farming. (photo is Kathy Maister's recipe, see above.)

Sea Bream
Black Rockfish is the best choice. Several fish sold by this name are caught by unsound methods. Look for wild-caught or hook-and-line caught fish by the name of: Black bass, Black rock cod, Sea bass, Black snapper from CA, OR, WA or Wreckfish or black sea bass Atlantic wild-caught.

Sabra writes Cookbook Catchall from NY and shares this recipe culled from a book called Culinaria Eurpoean Specialties. There's also a recipe for Romesco sauce to go with the elegant Salt-baked Sea Bream.

I saw Chef Seaver prepare a salt-baked fish at the Southern Exposure event in Greenville. It looked easier than I thought...give it a whirl!

Shellfish Soup
Shellfish are usually good choices, be sure to consult your favorite guide for advice on shrimp, langoustines or crab.

This Brodetto recipe was submitted by Delicious Italy. This is a terrific site I discovered when writing about culinary travel and the home cook or "Cesarini" travel trend.

There are four types of brodetto corresponding to the different fishing localities in the region - 'Ancona', 'Porto Recanati', 'Fano' and 'San Benedetto del Tronto'. Like our U.S. fisherman's stew "Cioppino," Brodetto is made with local fish, caught that day but unsold. The fishermen of Le Marche might use squid, crustaceans, langoustines and over 550 species of fish from the Adriatic coast. Even if you can't get to Italy right now, visit the site and you'll fall in amoré.

Shrimp or Prawns
Pink Shrimp from Oregon or Spot Prawns from British Columbia are the best bets when buying shrimp.

Trawling is a method used to harvest shrimp from other regions (including Black Tiger Shrimp, Tiger Prawns and White Shrimp) and can cause damage through by-catch or other fish caught in the trawling nets dragged through the water or along the sea floor.

Michelle A.K.A. The Greedy Gourmet asks..."Have you ever reached satiety but carried on eating anyway because the food tasted so good? What about hiding dinner leftovers in a “secret corner” in the fridge, hoping no one else in the house will notice, and having a little midnight feast before anyone discovers your booty?"

Yes, Michelle. Yes, I have....If I make these Pan-fried Butter & Garlic Prawns, however, I'm sure there will be no leftovers at all. Michelle's a South African in the U.K.

Tilapia
U.S. farmed Tilapia is a best choice. Farming methods in other countries have caused environmental problems both through escapes and pollution, both of which threaten local environments.

A Kerala Fish Bake comes to us via Florida. Coconut milk, chili, turmeric, it sounds complex but is promised to be easy. The story that begins with the long journey from India to Florida and from novice to skilled cook is one that many of us can, no doubt, relate to.

Links to other resources:

Olivia Wu of SFGate.com gives straightforward advice about what to ask your fishmonger in this article.

Suite101 writers share recipes, more info on sustainable seafood choices and cooking techniques here:

Know your source and your fish. Read about diners in Florida who were duped.
Timothy Dzurilla shares his paella recipe here.
Mary Luz Mejia shares recipes from the Endangered Fish Alliance in her Sustainable Fare.
My own collection of S/O/L/E (Sustainable/Organic/Local/Ethical) recipes, articles, news on these topics. Includes: Cockles & Langoustines, Swordfish Provençal, Razor Clams, Ginger-scented Tilapia, and more.

[ed. note: unscrupulous types have "scraped" my content, using this post without attribution and in direct violation of my copyright. These bottom-dwellers (no offense intended to our fishy friends) use others' work to attract readers to their blog for ad revenue. Please do not click on ads that use this content unless they appear on this blog - The Leather District Gourmet. Thank you!]

Two-Minute Calamari , Plus Three More Recipes from Chef Silvia Bianco

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:58:00 +0000

Food411's Chef Silvia Bianco sent us four recipes for the "Teach a Man to Fish" sustainable seafood event.

Scroll down for other recipes including:

Two-Minute Calamari with Pine Nuts, Tomatoes, and Scallions
Salmon and Wild Mushrooms in a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce over Fettuccine
Seafood Risotto
Tilapia Pomodoro (This is a low-fat recipe)

Two-Minute Calamari with Pine Nuts, Tomatoes, and Scallions

I love fried calamari, so I usually order it in restaurants, even though I’m often disappointed with what I get. Calamari must be cooked at a high temperature for a short time or at medium temperature for a longer time. Unfortunately, local fire codes won’t allow my restaurant (a wooden building of 1830s vintage) to have a deep fryer. So what’s a chef to do when she can’t put her own favorite on her restaurant menu? That’s right: I sauté it. Sauté is fast and can be done over high heat, so it’s a perfect way to cook calamari. Frankly, this combination of calamari, sweet scallions, crunchy pine nuts, and fresh tomatoes makes fried calamari look, well, boring. Here’s calamari like you’ve never had it before.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes1
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 pound calamari tubes, cut in 1/2-inch rings
2 plum tomatoes, coarsely diced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fish broth
1/4 cup White Wine Sauce (see below)
2 fresh scallions, halved lengthwise and coarsely diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, stems removed and chopped

Put the olive oil, red pepper flakes, and garlic in a medium sauté pan over high heat for about 30 seconds, or just until the garlic begins to brown. Sauté the calamari for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, fish broth, White Wine Sauce, and scallions, and cook for 1 minute more, or until the sauce begins to boil. Remove from the heat, and test a piece of calamari for doneness. It should be opaque and tender. If not, cook it a little longer. Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a large bowl, add the pine nuts, sprinkle with the parsley, and adjust the seasonings if desired.

White Wine Sauce
Makes 5 to 6 cups

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups lightly flavored fish broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (see note)

Pour the olive oil into a 4- to 5-quart saucepan over medium heat, then add the flour and stir with a wire whisk until all the flour is dissolved and the mixture looks like a paste. Reduce the heat and slowly add the wine; the mixture will start to thicken quickly. Continue to stir and remove from the heat, if necessary, until all the wine has been mixed in. Slowly pour in the broth while you continue to stir. Simmer, uncovered, for approximately 1 hour, or until the taste of alcohol is no longer present in the sauce. Freeze in containers of various sizes, including some in an ice-cube tray to allow easy small additions to sauces. It can stay in the freezer for 6 months or more.

NOTE: Be sparing with the salt and pepper. It’s better to under-season this sauce, because you will season it again in the sauté pan.

NOTE: If this (or any) sauce ever has lumps caused by undissolved flour, just pass the sauce through a sieve or a mesh strainer. It will come out lump-free.

Salmon and Wild Mushrooms in a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce over Fettuccine

If you like mushrooms and salmon, this dish will astound you. The roasted red pepper sauce is easy to prepare, even though it is somewhat time-consuming to roast and peel the red bell peppers. You can buy roasted peppers in the supermarket, but I assure you that once you learn how to roast your own, you’ll never go back to store-bought ones. You’ll love serving roasted peppers tossed with a bit of oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley or basil as an accompaniment to many meals.
Makes 4 servings

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, approximately
1/2 pound wild mushrooms (shiitake, crimini, portobello, or other favorite), stems removed, cleaned, and sliced
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 pound fettuccine (or other favorite pasta, except small, shaped pasta)
Red pepper flakes to taste
1 pound salmon fillet (wild Alaskan) skinned and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons sherry
1 cup Marinara Sauce (see below)
3 large red bell peppers, roasted and puréed
1/4 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup fish broth
2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, stems removed and chopped

Heat about half the olive oil, enough to cover the pan, in a large skillet over high heat for about 30 seconds, until the oil is hot but not smoking. Add the mushroom slices and half the garlic and cook until the mushrooms are soft but still firm, about 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.

Cook the pasta according to package directions in a large pot of boiling, salted water.

While the pasta cooks, put the remaining olive oil and the red pepper flakes in the same skillet over high heat for about 30 seconds, or until the oil is hot but not smoking. Brown the salmon in the hot oil for about 1 minute on all sides, add the remaining garlic, and cook briefly, until the garlic begins to turn golden brown. Add the sherry, return the mushrooms to the pan, cook for 1 minute, and add the Marinara Sauce, puréed peppers, sun-dried tomato slices, and fish broth. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sauce starts to boil. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the cream, and simmer for 1 minute more, until the sauce thickens. Add a bit more broth if the sauce is too thick, and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, drain the pasta and toss it in a large serving bowl with the liquid portion of the sauce. Transfer the pasta to individual serving plates and top each serving with the sautéed ingredients. Adjust seasoning, and sprinkle with parsley.

Seafood Risotto

Seafood risotto is usually made with the seafood cooked right into the risotto, as you stir. Although it makes a wonderful dish, I find that the seafood can easily become overcooked and get lost in the risotto, or that some diners can get lots while others get cheated. I find that flavoring the risotto with a seafood broth and then topping it with sautéed seafood is an unbeatable combination.
Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 pound risotto, made from Arborio rice prepared according to package directions and kept warm (see note)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Red pepper flakes to taste
2 dozen small clams, rinsed
2 dozen small mussels, cleaned and debearded
12 large sea scallops (wild or bay farmed)
12 medium to large shrimp, shelled, cleaned, and deveined
1/2 medium clove garlic, minced
3 plum tomatoes, diced
2 to 3 tablespoons dry white wine
1/4 cup White Wine Sauce (see below)
1/4 cup clam juice or fish broth
2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
1 tablespoon Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, stems removed and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 to 6 lemon wedges, for garnish

Prepare the risotto. Either keep the finished risotto warm in a 200ºF. oven or cook it while you prepare the rest of this recipe.

Put the olive oil and red pepper flakes in a large sauté pan over high heat for about 30 seconds, or until the oil is hot but not smoking. Cook the clams, mussels, and scallops (on both sides) for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the clams begin to open and the scallops begin to turn opaque. Add the shrimp and cook everything for 1 minute more, until the shrimp turn pink on one side. Turn the shrimp, add the garlic, and cook for a few seconds, until the garlic begins to turn golden.

Cook the tomatoes for another 30 seconds. Add the wine, White Wine Sauce, and clam juice or fish broth, and cook for about 1 minute more, just until the sauce begins to boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the butter and cream if desired, simmer for about a minute until the sauce thickens, remove from the heat, and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, stir some of the liquid part of the sauce into the risotto, then spoon the risotto onto individual serving plates. Top each serving with the remainder of the sauce and the seafood. If desired, arrange the mussels all along the rim of the platter or plate, then add the seafood in the center. Sprinkle with the parsley, salt and pepper, and garnish each serving plate with a lemon wedge.

Note: Arborio rice, for making risotto, is sold in 1-kilogram boxes (2.2 pounds) and comes in two packages. The cooking time is about 15 minutes, but it’s best prepared slightly underdone because it will continue cooking after it’s removed from the heat.

Quick Marinara Sauce

2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 anchovy fillet, chopped (optional)
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1 can (28 ounce) crushed tomatoes
2 or 3 whole basil leaves (on stalk)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a 4- to S-quart saucepan over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Cook the onion and anchovy in the hot oil for about 2 minutes, until they are soft. Sauté the garlic for about 30 seconds, or until it begins to brown. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tomatoes and basil leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 45 minutes until you have a thick, rich sauce (Add a bit of water if too thick). Stir occasionally to prevent bits of the tomatoes from sinking to the bottom of the pan and burning. Season with salt and pepper.

Tilapia Pomodoro (This is a low-fat recipe)

Tilapia, a Central American white fish, comes from Costa Rica but most today, is farmed. Its taste is mild, but its most important attribute is its firmness, which helps it maintain its shape regardless of cooking method. Delicate fillets, such as flounder or sole, will fall apart in the cooking process. If you don’t want to use tilapia, choose among the many other varieties of firm, meaty fillets, such as catfish (farmed), halibut (pacific) salmon (wild Alaskan), etc. As long as the fish is not overly delicate, it will work fine in this recipe.
Makes 2 servings

3/4 cup fish broth
1/2 medium clove garlic, minced
Red pepper flakes to taste
2 tilapia fillets, (farmed) about 8 ounces each
1/4 cup medium-bodied red wine
2 cups plum tomatoes, cut in medium dice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons basil leaves, sliced, plus 2 whole leaves, for garnish
2 cups rice or risotto, cooked according to package directions (see note)

Put 1/4 cup of the fish broth in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Sauté the garlic and pepper flakes in the hot broth for 30 seconds. Put the fish fillets and another 1/4 cup of the fish broth in the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the liquid has almost evaporated and the bottom of the fish begins to brown slightly. Brown the second side of the fish for about 30 seconds more.

Add the wine and cook for another 30 seconds, until the wine begins to evaporate. Cook the tomatoes, salt, and pepper for about 30 seconds until the tomatoes begin to soften. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of broth and cook for about 2 minutes more, until the fish turns opaque. Add a bit more broth, if needed, then the sliced basil. Remove from the heat.

To serve, spoon 1 cup of rice or risotto on each serving plate. Using a large spatula, place a fish fillet over each mound of rice or risotto, top with the tomato sauce, and garnish each plate with a basil leaf. Serve immediately.

Note: Risotto is made from a package of Arborio rice.

Siverado Resort Chef Peter Pahk's Tempura-Fried Cayucos Abalone

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:24:00 +0000

TEMPURA FRIED CAYUCOS ABALONE
With a Dashi-Mirin & Sake Dipping Sauce
Serves 6

This recipe comes to us from Chef Peter Pahk from the Silverado Resort in Napa Valley. Silverado Resort has a strong commitment to sustainability. Chef Pahk offered for our "Teach a Man to Fish" Sustainable Seafood event.

Abalone is a sustainability success story, and a warning. At one point in time, abalone stocks were so depleted, all harvesting was stopped. Now responsible farming in the US has enabled the stocks to rebound. Buy only Red, Pink or Green abalone responsibly farmed in the US. Chef Pahk uses Cayucos Abalone.

To see the round up of the other recipe submissions, click here.

Ingredients:

12 – 1 oz. piece Abalone steaks
1-cup Tempura batter
2 cups Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
¼ cup Sesame seeds
¼ cup Chopped parsley, washed & squeezed dry
½ gallon Peanut oil for frying
Assorted Micro greens for garnish
2 cups Dipping sauce

For the Batter:

2 egg Yolks
2 cups Ice cold soda water
2 cups Sifted cake flour
Pinch Baking soda
Pinch Salt & Pepper

Preparation:

Combine egg yolks and soda water until just combined. Add flour, soda, salt and pepper all at once. Stir until just combined – should be very lumpy. Keep chilled until ready to use (make right before service and keep on ice).

For the Dipping Sauce:

1 cup Dashi stock
1/3 cup Mirin
1/3-cup Soy sauce
¼ cup Saké
½ cup Grated Daikon radish
3 tsp. Grated ginger

Combine & serve in 2 – 3 oz. portions.

For the Dashi Stock:

1 qt. Cold water
1 oz. Konbu (dried kelp)
1 oz. Dried Bonito flakes

Bring Konbu and water to a quick boil. Remove Konbu and shock with ¼ cup ice. Add Bonito flakes and bring to boil. Remove from heat immediately, let flakes settle (about 1 minute) and strain through cheesecloth. Chill.

For the Abalone:

Heat oil to 375º. Combine Panko, sesame seeds and parsley in a bowl wide enough to accommodate the abalone steaks.

Set up batter and breadcrumbs next to each other. Dip abalone into batter, drain and pass through breadcrumbs (do not pound or press – a light pass is all you need). Place on sheet paper on top of a sheet pan.

Deep fry for 30 – 40 seconds, turning very gently until golden brown. Drain on elevated meat rack on sheet pan. Assemble two to a plate with a bit of micro greens and dipping sauce.

Eats, Shoots and Leaves

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 08:52:00 +0000

Here's a little word-geek joke...

A panda walks into a library and eats a sandwich, then draws his bow and shoots two arrows. "Why'd you do that?" asks the librarian as he heads toward the door.

The panda shows her a badly punctuated book. "I'm a panda," he says. "That's what it says we do."

The librarian looks at the page:

PANDA - large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.

So begins the book, entitled: "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss, subtitled: "Why, commas really DO make a difference!"It's a great book and a fun writers' reference.

The phrase also describes a Panda's diet of which I believe consists entirely of bamboo shoots and leaves.

Bamboo is a hot topic in the sustainability dialog. If harvested properly, bamboo can be considered a miracle baby of the sustainability world. Everything from cashmere-soft baby clothes to indestructable flooring, cutting boards, non-plastic "disposable" silverware...so many things can be made from this crop.

Bamboo might have been one of the first Chinese vegetables you ever saw. The canned varieties taste more like the preservatives they're packed in than the actual vegetable. Ah, but the real thing...it is a delicious treat.

At another meal taken at Gourmet Dumpling, we had our own little bamboo discovery.

Doeng sun or winter bamboo shoots are slender and much smaller and more tender than the typical spring bamboo shoots I was familiar with. But here's a good rule of thumb for Chinatown (any Chinatown): if you see staff at the back table with a big pile of something they're all snipping, cleaning or peeling - order it. My assumption is that it is something that is either seasonal, or rare, or just extremely fresh.

My third time at the new fave, Gourmet Dumpling, proves the rule. We'd ordered our XLB, our pan fried beef and celery dumplings as well as ma po tofu for me and wonton mein for Doc. Then, I went to the back table to ask what it was the staff were working on. When I found out it was something I'd never seen, I quickly grabbed our server on his way into the kitchen. We added an order of the doeng sun to our already large list of items. No worries, tofu travels well and it was my breakfast today over ramen.

The XLB, the ngao-yook dumplings: both great. The ma po tofu, spicy hot, delicious.
The bamboo shoots were to die for. A Hunan style brown gravy, bit of garlic, bit of black bean, little pork...mmm...it, alone, is worth the trip.

Now back to fish....

How do you say Thank You?

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:30:00 +0000

Ahe'ee - Jacoby Ellsbury! (first Navajo in MLB; not even officially enough games to be a rookie yet!) Dine Bizaad (Navajo Language)

Domo Arigato Gozai Masu - Daisuke Matsuzaka (first Red Sox Rookie to win WS game and tied w/Babe Ruth for 2 RBIs) and Hideki dig deep Okajima - Japanese (and gokuro-sama!)

Obrigado - Dustin Pedroia - for proving to the world that it's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog - Portuguese

Muchas Gracias - Manny Ramirez, Manny DelCarmen, Coco Crisp, David Ortiz, Alex Cora, Mike Lowell - Spanish

Merci beaucoup - Eric Gagne - this is better than hockey, eh? French

Mult'umesc - Kevin Youkilis - Romanian &

Toda - Youk again - from one (honorary) M.o.T. to another. I'm a "two-fer" too - Hebrew

Mille Grazie - Terry Francona - Italian

Go raibh maith agaibh - Boston thanks you all (Gaelic)

To every guy on the team - you made us proud!

Next we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming - the exciting conclusion of "Teach a Man to Fish."

Teach a Man to Fish Update - Second Course

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 09:36:00 +0000

Pop quiz answers, as promised:

1) Which NASCAR driver cares about conservation and has an award-winning recipe in our Sustainable Seafood event?
Ryan Newman. That's right. His award winning beer battered catfish recipe is part of our roundup! Click here to see what other great things he's doing for conservation, for animal shelters, and more.

2) Which entry comes from furthest away from Boston?
Let's see, Croatia wins (roughly 4,178 miles) unless you count the origin of the Kerala, India recipe (8,271 miles....)

3) Which newspaper was first to carry our story?
The Herald, here.

And although these guys have nothing to do with sustainable seafood, except maybe that they were not killed through bad fishing practices...here's one of my favorites from the Aquarium....I just love these guys!

Final roundup nearly done...

Wooo Hoooo!

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 04:48:00 +0000

'Nuff Said?

From top to bottom our line up did it. Rookies and veterans. The Sox made us proud once again! To a man, everyone contributed. Everyone. The smart plays, the training and player development... it all showed through and paid off. Hats off to all in the organization!

Bobby with Orange Fingers*

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:41:00 +0000

Sometimes junk is okay. Like Cheetos. I love Cheetos. They're light and airy and cheesy. They are a color not found in nature and only found occasionally in unnatural items such as Bears throwback jerseys.

Last night, after the Sox beat the Rox in Game 3 (did you know that our pitcher Matsuzaka now has a .500 batting average?! At least until he bats again...) but after we replayed all the highlights and went to bed, I was still too jacked up to sleep.

So I picked up a book: Anthony Bourdain's Bobby Gold Stories."

I finished it in one read. As an excruciatingly slow reader, this is not common for me. But here is what I was left with. No beautiful turns of phrase. No nuances. No epiphanies or insights. No characters that will remain with me, like someone I just met at a party.

But, when you have a junk food craving sometimes a half bag of Cheetos will do. Salty, cheesy, no high expectations, but a little something. Just a fix.

At about 5 AM I realized that was what Bobby Gold was. And no orange fingers after.

* Each chapter is entitled: "Bobby in Color," "Bobby at Work," "Bobby the Diplomat." Straightforward aspiring-to-Elmore prose.

Love and Life One Half-shell at a Time

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 05:56:00 +0000

My love for oysters is legend. In The Big O, I wrote about my first shucking lesson. One of the great joys of my life has been watching my "little sister" Jesse turn into an inspiring young woman. Turns out to be a damn good shucker, too.

We've seen a profusion of oyster bars and offerings in Boston of late and to that I say "bout time!" Boston Oyster Bars noted in this Boston Globe article include Neptune Oyster and B&G. There are far more venues offering a greater variety than used to be the case.

The article includes an interview with Rowan Jacobsen author of an important new book: "A Geography of Oysters: The Connoisseur's Guide to Oyster Eating in North America," (Bloomsbury USA). This link will take you to Jacobsen's terrific website (careful if you're hungry and it's too late to go grab some oysters!)

Good news for all of us: sustainability of the oyster.
Oysters are filter feeders, they actually clean the water they're growing in. Oyster farms actually improve their surrounds unlike some aquaculture which can harm their environment by adding waste and antibiotics to the water.

In The Big Oyster, Author Mark Kurlansky traces the history of our love affair with the oyster. The book is an homage to the mollusk and a fascinating history of New York City as intertwined as it is with these tasty little guys. They weren't always little, of course. They used to be harvested so late and so large that one writer complained that eating a foot-long oyster was rather like eating a baby. Baby-eating aside, Kurlansky's book is a gem. One might say a pearl. No really. If history classes were this interesting I wouldn't have cut them so often!

Stay tuned for the roundup of the "Teach a Man to Fish" blog event.

Sustainable seafood recipes, links to info from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program and participants' websites and blogs will be included.

It's a Wrap - click here to see the results!

La Verdad - Otra Vez

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 04:44:00 +0000

We decided to celebrate our friend's birthday at La Verdad. She introduced me to fish tacos. She shares a Southern Califronia history with my husband. When I introduced them to each other they were fast and instant friends. It was she who married us. Linda ("beautiful" en Español, and in person) is her name.

Now, neither Linda nor Caleb are too easily impressed by stars. I guess it's the SoCal thing. I have never been, either, but for different reasons. More times than I can count, I've walked right past someone only to have a companion say incredulously, "Don't you know who that was?!" Oh? So? I never was a gawker.

So I might be forgiven if I had a mini-star-struck moment tonight. I was, as we say, verklempt. We were seated right near two of my heroes of the season, Dustin Pedroia (an incredible rookie year and near perfect fielding, never mind clutch big hits) and Mike Lowell (RBI record for 3B franchise history; and a calming presence for the team, that sly twinkle in the eye...)

I love the way both these guys play, their professionalism, their passion. I discovered the joy of baseball through my husband and it's been an absolute thrill for me these past few years. I could not be more excited about this Red Sox team, though the team that won World Series on my honeymoon three years ago will always be special.

While Linda laughed at me, we debated what body part I might ask them to sign, I tried not to stare intrusively or idiotically. I think my mouth was closed. My poor husband tried to hide behind his menu and begged me to get a grip. Alas, no sharpie. Signature would wash away. What's plan B...?!

Linda suggested I walk over and say thanks for the great season. But I didn't want to impose on their dinner. I asked our server (a lean, mean, yoga machine) over. We'll call her "Cupcake." Maybe we could send them a round of drinks? But what to send? They didn't seem to be drinking anything. We decided on a round of shots for their table, good Tequila. Alas, the drinks were declined with gracious thanks. "No Tequila before a game."

That left us with shots untouched. We drank to the birthday girls (Linda and Cupcake) and the boys of summer (Mike and Dustin). So Cupcake, next time you see Mike and Dustin, tell them thanks for me, won't you?

And my thanks to you Linda for being such a good friend all these years. Thank you Caleb for putting up with me and teaching me about baseball (and for dinner!) Thank you to all the Red Sox for so many great games and for working so hard to give us this much fun.

To tomorrow!

[Ed. Dustin wins AL Rookie of the Year. Read about it here.]

Giant Jellies and Delicate Dumplings

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:07:00 +0000

I like Jellies and I love diving. Still, there's something quite unsettling about this photo, non? It seems the currents have been affected by global warming and the waters around Japan are now filled with these enormous jellies.

They are ruining Japanese fishermen's nets, they're poisoning or killing the catch. They're getting tracking devices attached to them by divers....

So what's the solution?
My Asian brothers and sisters out there, you know what the answer is, right? All together now.....

"EAT THEM!"

That's right...like any enterprising Asian, a Japanese man by the name of Kaneo Fukuda decided to turn lemons into lemonade. For rising to the challenge he's been featured on NPR, and elsewhere. He even made a beverage out of them. It's just too weird, if you ask me.

A little closer to home...
that would be Boston, we took a break from celebrating our most excellent Red Sox, Patriots (and dare we hope, Celtics???? ) to get out of the house and breathe fresh air. It also gave us a chance to sport our new Red Sox AL Champions shirts.

Buried in deadlines at the same time the Sox are moving into the World Series is a nice problem to have. I'm not complaining. But, one really does need to feel fresh air on one's face now and again. Thanks for the reminder, Linda!

A Great New Find In Chinatown
Welcome to the neighborhood, Gourmet Dumpling House! This shop has been open about two weeks according to the woman up front. It offers "A Taste of Northern and Southern Chinese Cuisine." We were on our way to our favorite noodle shop, and saw this sign and made a beeline for their door.

The menu is extensive. It includes over 50 "Lunch Specials" (served 11-4 M-F); nearly 40 "Appetizers Dumplings/Buns All Kinds", over 50 "Lunch Box, Rice & Noodles" dishes. (For Noodles there are choices of Shanghai, Taiwan, Rice, Flat, Rice Cake, Yee Mein, and Udon.)

Fourteen different Soups; two dozen+ Entrees including "Braised and Sweet and Sour" selections. In fine Chinese diner fashion, the "Vegetables" selections include many dishes that contain eggs, pork or shrimp along with the vegetables.

There are set meals and Chef's specials, too. There's also a "Special Weever Set Meal." All I can think of is the Anthony Bourdain show where an Asian host is asked what animal chef Tony is consuming. He answers: "I think you call it a Squeezel." We asked about a couple of the dishes and didn't get around to the Weever question.

Our Meal
Tonight we ordered four "Appetizer" dishes. Though the menu says "All Kinds" there were a few that were not available tonight. That either means they're still ramping up or they don't serve what isn't fresh. Either way, it's okay.

We had:

Pork and Leeks dumplings - "leeks" in Chinatown usually means garlic chives and this was the case here.
Taiwanese Style Pan Fried Dumplings - similar to gyoza but bigger and meatier with more garlic; pan-fried then steamed.
Scallion Pancake - not too heavy; had the desired layers achieved through multiple foldings of good dough (think puff pastry)
Mini steamed buns with Pork and Crabmeat - xiao lung bao or soup dumplings; delicious.

As you can see, there is quite a selection of styles from North and South. We'd considered getting another dish to share but after seeing the sizes of the first couple dishes held back. Good thing. A couple near by made the "mistake" we almost did and wound up with too many dishes for their table to hold. Been there. Done That.

One of the best things tonight was the first batch of dumplings the (Pork and Leeks). While the menu says 8 to a serving, we counted 12. They were reminiscent of the terrific dumplings we had in Toronto. This plate of dumplings made us miss that terrific place, the terrific city of Toronto and our good friends there: Mary Luz and Mario.

Can't wait to go back. The fish tanks were small but very clean. Tables all full. Counting me there were maybe 5.5 Caucasians but language wasn't a big problem ordering. We watched all the food coming out and the dishes included deep/flash fried salt and pepper style squid, braised casserole style dishes, whole fried fish, noodles, pork and bitter melon.

We'll be heading back soon! Anyone who finds out what a "Weever" is gets a plate of dumplings on me.

Gourmet Dumpling House
52 Beach Street
617-338-6222
Visa/MC accepted 20 min.
Appears to beer/wine license

Photo credit: Yomiuri Shimbun/AFP/Getty Images

Crazy Japanese Imports

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 10:15:00 +0000

Those "Japanese imports." Yeah, that's what Joe Buck called Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima. Like they were cars...

As far as I'm concerned Matsuzaka and Okajima both earned their keep this evening. AL Champs, baby. I wonder if he was wearing his toe-sox tonight? Whatever it takes. And I have to add, it was heart-warming to see all the Boston fans turned out with Japanese headbands, flags and signs in support of Daisuke's start tonight. I just loved it!

Meanwhile, back in Tokyo...
An import that I wouldn't recommend...did you see this invention in the NYTimes? You think a mugger will be fooled by the vending machine disguise? He'd have to be drunk not to notice the feet, but let's just hope he's not thirsty. Worse, what if he's drunk and thirsty?

Curry rice is a home-style Japanese dish that is really satisfying. Reminded the other day at Mentai Noodle House on Hereford Street how happy a roughly $6.00 bowl can make you feel. Maybe the paranoid inventor of the vending machine camouflage should settle down to some comfort food.

Ken's Ramen at the Super88 gets thumbs up in Chow, I'll have to check that out and report back. Predictably, Wagamama is 0 for 2 in the curry rice and ramen recommendations that I've heard. Skip 'em. Head to Super 88, Porter Square or Mentai Noodle house.

Passages

noreply@blogger.com (JacquelineC) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 10:00:00 +0000

The passage of time does little to fade love for an institution and its founding father. This piece in the NYT about the Second Avenue Deli and Abe Lebewohl is a poignant reminder of the connections that are solidified through food.

Amplified by, explained by, grounded in...you could really use so many adjectives. This family's story will feel familiar to many immigrants' children, because the belief in education as a way up and out, to a better life is central to this family's history. So too, is their love of food and their embrace of hard work - both are also central.

Last week I also learned of the passing of Joe Marzilli of the Old Canteen in Providence. I'm glad I got to eat there while Joe was still in residence at the register, taking phone calls, watching over the place. I won't forget the Saltimbocca or Joe.