A Study In Oysters

This week I went to Blu for an oyster tasting.  On this night they featured six different types of oysters from all over North America.  It was great to compare all of these delectable delights side by side.  I ordered two of each, covering one with a champagne mignonette and some cocktail sauce, while keeping the other untouched.  I went around the plate, tasting each oyster and then weighing my thoughts on them against the information provided on our menu.  Oysters are one of my favorite foods.  I love them in every preparation, but believe that their true essence is best experienced raw.  It is important to understand that there are vast arrays of oyster varieties, and that you cannot know which is best for you, until you try them all!

-The first kind I tasted Wednesday night were the Appalachicola’s.  January and February are the two best months to eat these gulf coast treats, harvested off the Florida panhandle.  This is because during these months their glycogen levels(what makes them sweet) are the highest.  While these are the best of the gulf coast oysters I have tried, they were definitely my least favorite of the night.  I am partial to a nice dose of salinity in my oysters, and that is something that those from the gulf coast just do not provide.  However, they are a tasty snack, and unlike many other oyster varieties, they are extremely affordable and available at most seafood restaurants. 

-Up second were the Chef’s Creek, from British Columbia.  I loved these because they are big, and I am a huge fan of big oysters, nice and creamy, and a clean taste, but nothing special. 

-Third were the Blue Points from Rhode Island.  Probably the most famous east coast oysters, sweet, salty, big, creamy, and up until this night, my oyster of choice.  While the Blue Points are still near the top in my book, they have now been overtaken by the next oyster on the list. 

-The Crab Sloughs from the Pamlico Sound.  North Carolina oysters don’t necessarily have the greatest reputation, and this is why I tasted my oysters and then looked to see what they were, to avoid any predispositions.  These are the saltiest of all southern oysters, briny, big and full of flavor.    

-Our fifth oysters were the Salvation Coves from Canada.  These were salty up front but only for a second, definitely tasty, but lacking in depth.

-Lastly, we had the Kusshi from Washington State.  These crisp, clean tasting oysters are delicious but definitely not my favorite.  I want a punch in the mouth from my oysters, and these do not fit that bill.  I liken them to a cucumber, a burst of a clean, fresh and vibrant taste, but they are small and definitely not full of flavor.  Since I live on the east coast, they are often one of the more expensive types of oysters, and if I am going to be paying 2 or 3 dollars for per oyster, I want something more filling. 

After the oysters, I had a great conch ceviche that I have written about before, and a mixed green salad, with bacon, apples, and blue cheese.  Overall, this was another excellent meal at Blu, and a great study on the oyster and its many faces. 

Fuse

I haven’t been to Fuse in a long time. I used to go all the time when I lived in Chapel Hill, especially for laid back nights when you just want to sit outside and have a few drinks. Last night I went there for a few drinks, and for dinner. This was the first time I have eaten at Fuse, and I was pleasantly surprised. A group of us shared the tempura vegetable plate, which was delicious. All different kinds of vegetables, from carrots, onions, broccoli, etc, lightly fried but still crispy, fresh and yummy.
On the menu there are small plates, salads, sandwiches and large plates. By the time we ordered I had already had quite a few beers, and if I was going to continue drinking, I definitely needed a full meal. I ordered the crab cakes, with corn and tomato relish and wasabi tartar. The crab cakes were almost 100% crab, which is always a necessity when talking about good crab cakes. The corn and tomato relish was cold, creamy, sweet and delicious. On top of the warm crab cake it was a perfect contrast. The wasabi tartar added a punch that vibed nicely with the rich crab meat. The two large crab cakes were served on top of a salad, which also helped soak up the beers in my stomach. This was a great meal for a Friday night out, enough food to satisfy you, but not so much as to leave you too full to continue drinking!
Crab cakes are one of my favorite foods, which probably why a quarter of my blog entries contain them. If they are on the menu it is almost impossible for me to ignore them. I love how crab meat can be so savory and sweet at the same time, and also how it meshes so well with different flavors, textures and temperatures.

Brussel Sprout, Walnut, Pecorino Salad

Andi here....Toast walnuts in a small, non stick pan on low heat until you can start smelling the oils (about 5-7 minutes). Grate as much or little pecorino cheese as you like. Use a slicer or cut the brussel sprouts lengthwise. Coat the sprouts in a little olive oil and put under the broiler for about 5 minutes just to warm the leaves. In a bowl toss all ingredients together and sprinkle with truffle salt and fresh ground pepper.

Presentation-wise, this salad looks really nice. Green, delicate ingredients with a contrast of textures-lots of crunch. Taste-wise, it's rich. The cheese, truffle salt and pepper give sharpness and bite while the toasted walnuts round everything out, making it quite filling. The truffle salt also makes the salad much richer smelling and tasting. Like butter, truffles give anything much more "ooo" and "aahhh" but unlike butter, truffles have to be used sparingly, otherwise they can be a bit nauseating. I would serve this as a side dish with a light fish main. Grilled branzino with lemon perhaps. Or grilled swordfish, a meatier fish.

*Key Ingredient: toasted walnuts and truffle salt*

I love truffle salt. Could eat it for lunch if I had my way. The toasted walnuts are also really nice in this mix. They add so much fullness (can't think of another word) and they're really really healthy.

You can find truffle salt at Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table.

New Way to Serve Up Gorgonzola

I rarely use gorgonzola on its own because I think the taste and smell is a little too powerful. As a cream sauce atop gnocchi, delicious, but out there in the great wide open, I hesitate. However, I discovered a new way to serve it on a cheese plate or even as the main contender without offending nearby noses.

Cut your block of gorgonzola in small cubes (smaller than the generic cheddar cheese & swiss cubes you see on platters at the grocery store or at speaker conventions). Place on a saucer and drizzle with enough honey to coat. The honey sweetens the cheese a bit and softens the aroma. Serve with toothpicks & slices of baguette to sop up what's left of the honey/cheese mix on the bottom of the plate.

-Andi

Chicken & Chickpea Curry

I just winged this one and it turned out pretty well. At Whole Food's the other day I noticed a good-looking chickpea dish in the Indian hot bar called "Chickpea in Madras Sauce" so I bought a jar of Seeds of Change Madras simmer sauce from the condiment aisle. What I used to make my dinner:

1 can chickpeas
3/4 jar Madras simmer sauce
1 chicken breast, cut in cubes, seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin
frozen peas
diced yellow onion
2 cubed red potatoes
1 diced carrot 
cumin and cayenne
serve over rice
 

*Key Ingredient: Madras simmer sauce*

The simmer sauce was really spicy and tasted just like the curries at any great Indian restaurant. Matched the traditional tastes and flavors perfectly.


So easy. All I did was throw everything in the saucepan and simmer for about 15 minutes. Before I added the chicken I seared in a pan with olive oil to brown and crisp the outside. The chicken was only cooked on the outside/raw on the inside when I added to the veggies. Serves 2. -Andi

Smoky Tomato Soup

Put this recipe in your back pocket. I found it in Food & Wine's July 2009 edition and I'm filing it away in my foodie file because it was so easy to make and delicious to taste (Naomi Pomeroy submitted it, I don't want to deny her-whoever she is-credit). The soup actually wasn't as smoky as I thought it'd be, so if you like smoky flavor add more paprika.

2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup EVOO
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tbsp. tomato paste
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. grated orange zest
salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry rose wine (I didn't have any on hand so I used a dry white wine)
2 15-oz cans chopped tomatoes 
2 cups water
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3 tbsp. sour cream (I also didn't have any on hand so I used a little heavy cream)
crispy bacon to top upon serving

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter in the oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat until softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until darkened, 2 minutes. Stir in the sugar, paprika, orange zest, 1 tbsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook for 30 seconds.
2. Add the rose and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes with their juices; bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat.
3. Stir in the water, OJ and sour cream. Working in batches, puree the soup until smooth.

I used San Marzano brand of chopped tomatoes which I think made a big difference.-Andi

Jamie Oliver's Thai Green Curry

Back in November in NYC I stood in line for an hour at Border's with Jamie Oliver's new cookbook, Food Revolution, under my arm eagerly awaiting his signature. Now that I've got the book and the autograph I'm finally trying out some of his simple, straightforward recipes.

For dinner the other night I made his Thai Green Curry. It was very good and tasted a lot like the wonderful green curry takeouts I love to order in the Big Apple, though there were some differences. For one, Jamie's version was not spicy which is what Thai is all about in my opinion-- next time I upping the red chile. Two, he threw in non-traditional asparagus and excluded some of the traditional vegetables like japanese eggplant. The asparagus was a good change and visually worked. However, next time I'd use a small handful to avoid overpowering the other simple veggies.

The only complaint I have with this recipe is that the lemongrass left spiky "splinters" in the curry paste which got all over the place. I had to pick them out each bite which got kind of annoying.

*Key Ingredient: coconut milk*
I have never used coconut milk before but it was almost magical how it transformed the dish. You know when you're making a pasta dish and you can't figure out what to add to mesh everything together to make it juicier/saucier? Coconut milk is the answer for that question when it comes to Thai food. I don't know what the answer is for pasta but I wish there was that one clutch ingredient you could always add to guarantee yummy pasta.

Recipe as follows:
bunch of asparagus
1/2 fresh red chile
1 tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 lb large shrimp, raw, peeled
1 x 14 oz can of coconut milk
handful of snow peas
1 lime
(For the green curry paste) 
2 stalks of lemongrass
4 scallions
3 green chiles
4 cloves of garlic
thumb-sized piece of root ginger
bunch of cilantro
1 tsp. coriander seeds
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. fish sauce

Puree all of the green curry paste ingredients in a food processor. While pulsing, add soy sauce and fish sauce. Set aside. Slice asparagus lengthwise. When the skillet/wok is hot, add the oils and shrimp. After 30 seconds, add the asparagus and green curry paste from the food processor. Stir for about 30 seconds. Add coconut milk and snow peas. Bring to a boil. Cook for another 5 minutes. Squeeze lime and serve with sticky rice.

Mochi Ice Cream

I first tried Mochi ice cream in Hawaii and to my delight, found some last night in the Trader Joe's frozen dessert section. I'm willing to bet this is a little tough to find on the East Coast since it's a Japanese brand but it's worth the hunt.

In case you're curious, mochi means "decimated sticky rice." Each mochi ice cream ball consists of a gooey rice flour shell, which is like a soft dough, filled with flavored ice cream. Each is about the size of those little soy sauce dishes you get at your place setting at sushi restaurants. Flavors come in mango, chocolate, strawberry, and green tea (that's all I saw at least). I must say, the first time I had one I was a little weirded out from the rice flour but it's a texture thing I eventually got used to.

Acme

Tonight I went to dinner with my favorite person in the entire world, my sister.  As much as I love her, she is a total pain in the ass when it comes to choosing a place to eat.  Luckily for her I was in the mood to pay for us to have a nice meal, and lucky for me it was one of the few times she wasn’t too busy to take me up on my offer. 

We went to Acme Food and Beverage Co. in Carrboro.  It is one of our favorite spots, showed to me years ago by my friend Katie.  I have had countless great meals at Acme.  One of my favorite things about this restaurant is that there is something for all types of people on the menu, and even better it is all great.  The best thing though, is the way that Acme puts a Southern twist on classic dishes or has a gourmet take on Southern classics. 

For my dinner I had two of the small plates.  The first was a fried green tomato and fresh mozzarella napoleon with tomato confit, sweet corn, and a balsamic reduction.  The tomatoes were crispy, hot and luscious, while the mozzarella was creamy and cool.  This contrast of temperatures, along with the amazing balsamic reduction, made the dish.  After that I had a local pork red chile relleno.  Along with the pork, the relleno was filled with rice, cilantro and cheese and served over a spicy mole.  I wish I could recall the name of the chile that was used (almost certain it was an Anaheim but not positive), while I love the standard poblano, this was a nice change of pace, and the mole was so delicious, almost too spicy to eat on its own, it melded perfectly with the rich taste of the stuffing. 

Jordan had the Acme Burger Deluxe.  A burger might seem boring, but not at Acme, cooked perfectly with their great hand cut fries it’s a perfect burger, especially for J, she can never turn down a bacon cheeseburger, or a bacon anything for that matter.  We each had a drink, I am not the biggest fan of their cocktails because they are always a tad sweet for me, but they had a Hendrix Martini, so I couldn’t resist.  I should’ve stuck to my usual glass of Pinot Noir, because the drink was just average.  The wine list is so extensive at Acme; I suggest always sticking to that.  And I suggest always keeping Acme in your rotation of restaurants in the area; it is one of the best!

Dinner Party

It takes quite a bit of work to become one of my favorite people.  Megan Avots has somehow been able to achieve that status in the mere six months that she has known me.  Despite this rare acclaim, I was not sure how good dinner at her house would be tonite.  Not because I don’t hold her cooking abilities in high esteem, only because she is a long time vegetarian and had decided, in an attempt to please the masses, to cook shrimp and grits. 

Shrimp and grits, is a staple of southern cuisine.  A million restaurants in this area have their own twist, and it takes a deft touch to make your own version stand out.  On top of that, shrimp are harder to cook than people think.  They can become over done in a matter of seconds, and if you do not eat them, how do you know if they are perfect?  Megan knows, as always Megan knows. 

It is this omniscient personality trait that makes Megan someone you love and slightly loathe (kind of like how you hate Roy Williams if you aren’t a UNC fan, not b/c of him, just because he is so good at what he does).  Her version of shrimp and grits was a luscious, creamy, decadent version of grits, topped with julienned peppers and onions, and perfectly cooked shrimp.  The fresh and light shrimp and veg contrasted expertly with the grits, creating a symphony of flavors, and a new kind of shrimp and grits, completely divergent from the normal heavy, bacon ravaged version we have come to love.   This new take on shrimp and grits was different, but just like the old one, it was delicious. 

Poke Bowl

One of my most favorite Hawaiian delicacies is Poke. It's basically tuna tartare but the chunks of ahi tuna are much more generous in size and the tuna's marinated. Contents include:

ahi tuna cubes
onions
dried red chili pepper flakes
scallions
soy sauce
sesame seeds
chili water


scoop some poke on top of sticky rice, pair with a cold bottle of your favorite beer and voila, you're in O'ahu. -Andi