Shucking Apalachicola Bay Oysters

More plump, meaty, succulent and mellow than other oysters, these Gulf of Mexico mollusks AKA Apalachicola Oysters slide down nice and easy.

Last night’s meal (an invitation to dinner) was a slammin’ oyster feast-shucking and sucking. I’m not much on the slippery slope of oysters, but I did have one with a cracker and butter. Husband however, slid those suckers down with one hand, while slamming the fist with the other-hubby’s translation: “slap your momma silly” good.

Husband is fun to feed. He has such passion for good food. I told him this morning, that I love to cook for him, because he makes all kinds of food noises (yummmm, wow-wee, smacking, and licking) and gives you all kinds of compliments. He’s like instant ratings and a thumbs up kind of guy. But back to the oysters for a sec. These oysters, comparatively speaking, are known to be some seafood chefs favorite kind to use. According to a New York Times article on the oyster “Food critics and restaurant owners from Miami and New Orléans say Apalachicola Bay oysters are among the finest in the world, if not the finest.” Yes, fine is a nice word to describe them.

Next time you have husband over for dinner, you will not regret it. Nothing fancy for him. But I will warn you ahead of time, leave some slappin’ room!

Fish and Chips

Image by nicholasjon via Flickr

I was really proud of my son this week. He made his first fish meal. It was an Australian kind of fish that I picked up at the market. I have said before that he likes fish more than red meat. Now the opposite is true of my youngest. She orders chicken at a fish restaurant. eek. My husband and I can eat fish any time of the day and any day of the week

I have a favorite fish memory. It has nothing to do with eating fish. My dad took the family fishing in Colorado at a fish pond when I was a young girl. More like one of those fish farms. I wanted so badly to catch a fish. My son once told me that once you got a bite, you got the bug. The bug to keep going. He could fish for hours, hoping for the big fish tale to tell. My husband on the other hand, likes to cast net and he can get a few good ones. He usually went in the morning and it was not caught too long before we had it frying in the pan for breakfast.

Tonight was a fish night with friends at a local Burlington restaurant. It was standing room only as soon as we got there while we waited for our seats. I had oysters, Kevin had a feast of fish-crab, shrimp, scallops, and some others I can’t remember and my youngest had chicken. Laughter, storytelling, and fish fullness. I needed to have a fish night so that I can create another great fish memory. I think my posts have lots of fish stories. I guess that is why they call them fish tales. Grand stories to share around the table with family and  friends. Like tonight. So son, thank you for making me a memory.

The trinity Menu- Fish, Mushrooms and Sour Cream

I love this picture taken by a friend of mine. Check out the name of the fish place-Pike Place Fish. My husband and son took a fishing trip last year to Canada where they fished for Pike. My son said it was the best fishing trip ever. You gotta love making a memory like that.

Pike is something new to me. You really can’t find it in the local store around here. According to my husband, they require lots of work to clean up to make a presentable filet. They brought them all the way back to N.C. and we cooked them right up. I like pike. Russians like pike, as well as carp, salmon and perch.

In Russia, fish are everywhere. There is this comical quote about the fish in Russian seas- which may explain why it’s so important in the Russian diet- “There is so much fish in the Northern Divina that if you push an oar into the water, it stands up by itself-the shoals of the herring are so thick.”

One interesting fact that I learned about fish comes from my new cookbook-”The Art of Russian Cuisine” is that there are 250 days of Lent in the Russian Orthodox church. What it means for many locals is that fish is often the main staple especially for the observant. My son would prefer fish over red meat, any day of the week.

He’ll be happy this week. This week’s menu will include a few fish and mushroom dishes-another favorite food that my son loves. Mushrooms are another staple in Russia. Kind of like our blueberry and strawberry picking pastimes, the Russian family will gather together to go and pick mushrooms, right after a hard rain. It’s a family outing and the results are some fantastic mushroom sauces.

Another common staple-smetana-really thick sour cream that goes in just about everything. I learned last year that I could only use so much of it without packing on the weight. So I am going lighter this time around.

This week I will attempt some time-honored recipes:

Fresh Cabbage Soup

Little Beef Pies

Roasted Carp with Smetana

Fish Kebabs

Fish with Mushroom and Dill Sauce

Will let you know how it goes!

From Russia with Love part 2

Last year when our family embarked on our Russia “food and cultural trip” (see about me and this blog), we really had no idea what to expect. It was tough to find a cookbook with pictures. I was a babe looking for some instant gratification from my Russian cookbook that would help me to visualize the end product. The cookbook did not disappoint. I was left wanting to know more and cook more.

So, here’s our chance to do Russian cooking again. It started  because we found out our eldest daughter will be going to Russia-clowning-with Patch Adams visiting orphanages and nursing homes. I jumped in with both feet to help her come up with fundraising ideas. I was excited since I learned a little about Russia from last year’s blogging. She will be going in November and I told her it was going to be very cold and will need some extra layers to keep warm. (See photo of how strong the Russian woman is below)

I remember that in Siberia, it is extremely cold. Think of all the people wearing  fur and Russian style hats, eating lots of sour cream laden foods. Well, that’s some part of it, but cooking and learning about Russia in summer will be exciting.

On the menu there will be lots of mushroom sauces and fish recipes. Perhaps some Blinis with Salmon, and cabbage recipes. It would not be Russia if I did not try a few Borst and Beef Stroganov recipes. Yes, we will also figure out how to keep warm in clown clothing.

Come on along and check out the month of August and see what’s happening. Look for updates on how you can help us get the eldest to Russia- all the way from the USA to Russia with Love part 2.

Tomato and Avocado Salad-Savoring Summer

Have lots of tomatoes from the farmer’s market? Did you happen to snag some from your avid gardener? Or were you lured by the mounds of tomatoes in your local grocery store? However you get them, just get them so you can make this little big dish recipe and relish in the bounty.

This little salad packs a huge punch. It’s a recipe  from my Cuban days of cooking, way back last year. But that was winter and who had a garden full of tomatoes in the winter? Just recently, I got a bunch of tomatoes and had to find a way to put them to great use. So thank you my garden green fingers friend.

Check it out. It is so easy to make and you can’t believe how well it goes with ANY grilled meat or toss it  in a bowl of pasta, use it as a side dish for a picnic or scoop it up with a tortilla chip. I promise you, you will love me for it.

Ensalada Criolla (Creole Salad)  from “In a Cuban Kitchen” by Alex Garcia

Serves 4

1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into chunks

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 medium red onion ( I used 1/4 of it instead)

6 Tablespoons Vinagreta Cubana (recipe to follow this one)

Salt to taste.

Place the avocado, tomatoes, and onion in a mixing bowl. Add the vinaigrette and mix to combine. Season with salt. Voila!

Vinagreta Cubana

Makes 1 1/2 cups

2 Tbls yellow deli mustard

1 large garlic clove, crushed

6 Tbls fresh lime juice or white vinegar

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 bunch fresh parsley, stems removed and leaves chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, stems removed and leaves chopped

Salt and Pepper, to season.

Combine the mustard, garlic and lime juice in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the oil in a steady stream. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Pour over tomatoes and avocado salad. Marinate and use in whatever or for whatever.

My Black and Red Fish by Two Dashes of Sevillity

Summer cooking these days is hotter that ever. But not in the way you think. I hate cooking when it’s hot outside-feeling drained before I get in the house after working all day. All I want is the couch and a nice cool drink which is usually a BIG GLASS OF ICE WATER-perfect.

If I’m going to be in a hot kitchen, then give me something fresh and cool to cook. I pulled out a cookbook I received as a gift called “Two Dashes of Sevillity-Pensacola Specialties from Mullet to Mignon.” 

I love seafood and this little gem of a cookbook includes that and other cool-weather food fare. Here is a sampling of some of the recipes: Lobster Gaspacho with Avocado; Field Salad with Tangerines, Roasted Beets and Feta; Baked Shrimp and Eggplant Roman0 (I love eggplant); and some non-eafood recipes-Cuban Pork Roast; Pan Seared Chicken with Penne, Tomatoes, Green Beans and Feta; Easy Vidalia Onion Casserole (vidalia another veggie fave); Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie; Praline Key Lime Pie and if you think all this sounds great, you should check out the picnic recipes: Feta Cheese Spread; Pecan Couscous Salad with Mandarin Oranges; Tuscan Eggplant Sandwich and Drunken Melon Balls. Just order the book  from the Pensacola Heritage Foundation. You will not be disappointed you did.

http://www.pensacolaheritage.org/book/

Here is the recipe for Black and White Snapper as found in the cookbook. I replaced the snapper with wild caught flounder.

Black and Red Snapper by Joyce C. Langford (a recipe contributor)

1 # red snapper fillet, cut into 2-inch pieces (firm fish like flounder works well too)

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. salt

1/4 c. vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 med. onions, chopped fine

2 T. butter

3 med. tomatoes, quartered

2 T. lemon juice

Marinate fish in mixture of cayenne, black pepper, cumin, salt and vinegar for 1 hour. Fry garlic and onion in butter until golden. Add marinated fish and fry gently on all sides. Add tomatoes; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add lemon juice. Serve with hot fluffy rice. Makes about 4 servings.

A Long Intermission

I am taking some time to pause, to cease, to wait. Cooking and writing for 14 months straight has been the highlight of my life in 2010 and part of 2011. Come this July, our family will have a new highlight-moving. I’ve known for awhile that my husband and I are moving households. I decided to take a breather to prepare.

Here’s what the Intermission looks like:

Lots of cans of Ravioli and Spaghettios;

Lots of Frozen Foods;

No meat or seafood -Husband really hates that;

Take out food-Pizza and Chinese;

Tempeh and Tofu-kids hate that;

No Potluck Parties-neighbors hate that.

I like to think that my intermission is a time of renewal. I am almost back to the parties, the food, the writing, but not just yet. I need to move first. My next phase of cooking will not be so intense. Maybe a few nice dinners with my family is what I need. I’ll start tomorrow with Lasagna.

Yawhoooo! Cowboy Cooking-Home on the Range

Image via Wikipedia

Home, home on the range
Where the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day”

I’ve read a lot lately about cowboys from my book “The Texas Cowboy Cookbook, a History in Recipes and Photos” by Robb Walsh. I’m learning that the cowboy did more than tote a gun, drink in saloons with swinging doors and play poker. Their story is not only about life on the range, but also traveling distances to protect a herd of cattle through Indian territory and scout for new territory. Yet, some of the more ugly truths are more difficult to romanticize like stealing cattle from Mexicans and killing Indians. Of course, the mythical cowboy still exists in our imagination- the kind we like to see and read about: John Wayne, Buffalo Bill and Texas Jack, who made the cowboy look cool with all sorts of exaggerated notions of western living. The author of my book writes: “Buffalo Bill and Texas Jack made a lot of money by going east and blurring the line between fiction and history…Dressed in fanciful costumes, they told stories, threw lariats, and rescued damsels by killing dozens and dozens of “savages” onstage” pointing out that these little hokey scenes had a “grisly basis in reality.” Buffalo Bill was a real Indian Fighter and Texas Jack a real cattle driver, spy and scout. But back on the range, real cowboys had to eat.

Since February is Texas month and I’m writing about Texas cooking, I definitely must write about and take my hat off to the Texas cowboy. Yawwwhooo!!! Blazing the trails, you are just as likely to see Spanish Vaqueros, Black cowboys- free and former slaves-just as much as you are likely to see a John Wayne type cowboy -cattle raising out in the plains and hills of Tejas. One thing’s for sure,  you gotta feed these good ol’ boys something to eat, so why not cook up a pot of beans, picadillo and sourdough biscuits cause that’s what you just might find on a chuck wagon. Chuck Wagon cooking is in a class all by itself. But out on the range and on cattle drives many of these cowboys would have to settle for what groceries were available. Chiles and spices were some of the more popular items found in the wagon. Think Chile con carne. So this week in my home on the range, I am rustling up some grub for my guys and damsels out of my cowboy Texas cookbook. Check it out:

• Ribeye, Fresh Field Peas, Broccoli
• Picadillo
• Beans with Picadillo tostadas
• Calabacitas con carne
• Stewed Baby Okra, Creole Rice, Bulls Eye Bar b Que Tenderloin
• Smoked Fired Beef Ribs with Black Coffee Molasses BBQ sauce

“Ants in the butter, flies in the meat, if you bastards are hungry, get up here and eat”-Cowboy Chow Call

See you later and next time more wagon stories about the Urban Cowboy and Women Cowgirls.

 

A Taste of Texas

Just a few pics to get February started all from the “Best of the Best From Texas II Cookbook: Select Recipes from Texas’ Favorite Cookbooks” (place your cursor over the pic to get the name of the dish)

From the cookbook “Perfectly Splendid”

My Mom’s San Antonio Recipe

From the Cookbook “Canyon Echoes”

From the Cookbook “Changing Thymes”

From the Cookbook “A Little Taste of Texas”

From the Cookbook “Ma’s in the Kitchen”

Kev’s (my husband) masterpiece

From the Cookbook “M.D Anderson Volunteers Cooking for Fun”

Look for more to come. Bye now, Y’all come back real soon, ok?

“Always take a good look at what you’re about to eat. It’s not so important to know what it is, but it’s sure crucial to know what it was”  from Cowboy Quotes.

King of the Ranch

Chicken that is. King Ranch Chicken. What’s ironic in terms of food wars, the cow ain’t laughing. A great 1950′s era dish, when moms were looking for ways to create shortcuts in cooking and time spent in the kitchen. But the more the shortcut in the kitchen, the more the kids wanted to be in the kitchen eating the creamed soup and cheesy casserole. I have to say, I cannot remember eating this, but it was comforting and I felt all gooey and sleepy- the way that macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes make you feel.

Food enthusiasts say that there is no real birth place for the King Ranch Chicken:

“As far as anyone can tell, King Ranch chicken-or as it is sometimes known-King Ranch casserole, doesn’t have one single thing to do with the King Ranch…No one seems to know exactly where it started, but it has clearly taken on a life of its own…”I’ve lived here 31 years–and you know how women like to always collect recipes wherever they go?” asked Kathy Henry of the King Ranch visitor’s center in Kingsville. “Well, when I moved to Kingsville, the first one I got was for King Ranch chicken. So I know it has been here for at least 31 years.” But in all her time working for the sprawling King Ranch, Henry has never found a link between the popular casserole and the ranch. “We think it was developed in the 1950s”…”The word is, a lady in Robstown may have entered it in a national cooking contest like the Pillsbury or Campbell Soup contests. She didn’t win a big prize but maybe a second or third. She just named it King Ranch chicken because Robstown is in this area and she though it would be a catchy name.” it was. Henry said she has never been able to research the story, but whatever the case, she’s certain the dish was developed between 1945 and 1965. “That’s the best I can came up with,” she said.”
—”King Ranch chicken rules the roost,” Art Chapman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, June 2, 1999 (Food p. 1)

[NOTE: Mrs. A. E. Sommer's Chicken Tortilla Casserole claimed 3rd prize in the 12th annual Press-Telegram Cook Book Contest [Long Beach, California], published September 4, 1966 (p. 19)]

I love casseroles, so I had no problem adding the creamy canned soups. Food purists will make their own cream sauce, but if you are short on time, this is easy to do and will be perfect for a potluck.

Now, onto my new cookbooks. I have created my menu for the week and will be looking at two books to go through February: “Best of the Best from TEXAS II Cookbook: Selected Recipes from Texas’ Favorite Cookbooks” and “The Texas Cowboy Cookbook: A History of Recipes and Photos” by Robb Walsh.

Menu (Includes this week and some from last week):

• Corn Black Bean Salad
• Linda Martin’s “Eyes of Texas” Salad
• King Ranch Chicken
• Chicken Cantonese
• Soul Satisfying Chile
• Chicken Fried Steak
• T Bone Steak
• A Cowboy’s Pie
• Alligator Pear Salad
• Rip’s Barbeque Chicken
• Sunny Spinach Salad
• Ribeye
• Flat-Iron Steak and Sweet Potatoes

Whew! This is a low carb month menu. Seriously, last year we had all the potatoes and noodles we could eat and this year, we are consciously choosing dishes with less carbs, more protein, and definitely more organically grown products, just a little less if it.

Next Post -Pics and recipes.

“Don’t interfere with something that ain’t botherin’ you none.” The Cowboy Way.