Yesterday, I tried my first oysters ever. I’d been squeamish about them for a long time, but they were presented to me and I knew this was the time to try them. I’m really glad I did. They tasted like the sea!
Oysters are quite nutrient dense. They have a lot of iron, tons of Vitamin B12, and a huge amount of zinc. They are also an excellent source of calcium.
Like with most sea food, I liked them with fresh lemon juice. I also like spicy things, so a drop of hot sauce also went really well. I know I could be a purist and eat them with nothing, but as a newbie, I wanted a little help. I’ll try them solo another time.
I will admit, we found opening the oysters a little challenging. We had an oyster knife, and I can totally see why you’d use something like that, as opposed to a regular paring knife. It’s got a thick blade with a curved tip, shaped to dig in and pry apart the oyster. We found it challenging, still, to open them – those suckers really don’t want to be disturbed.
We had a great time eating the oysters. It can take a lot of effort getting these guys pried open, which makes eating them even more satisfying. We had to work hard to get our food!
Recently, I’ve seen a bunch of posts on the interwebs about citrus and citrus peel – since it’s citrus season, that makes sense. I’ve been preserving lemon peel in kosher salt for a few months now – yes, that’s just the peel, not the entire lemon (I’ve preserved entire lemons, too). It’s a way to reduce waste as well as turning it into something delicious.
Usually when I use preserved lemons, it’s all about the peel; more often than not I discard the pulp, though I’m sure someone could show me what to do with it (I’m interested!). So, I got the idea of just preserving the peel in salt – each time I juiced an organic lemon, I’d get rid of the leftover lemon innards and reserve the peel. I slice the peel into strips and store them in salt.
I use the peel in things like chicken dishes or with couscous. It gives a kind of North African flavor to things. I love it! And it’s super thrifty. Organic lemons aren’t cheap.
After the peels stay in the salt for a while, they start to change color – it goes from a bright yellow to a kind of yellow orange. I think it’s beautiful.
I’ve recently come across a couple of videos and a podcast that I’ve really enjoyed, and wanted to share them with you here.
For months, I’ve heard about Unique Eats, a show on the Cooking Channel, from my friend Tamara Reynolds. Tamara is the force behind The Sunday Night Dinner, a supper club in NYC – that’s where these bacon lollipops came from. She also works with Unique Eats as an “eating and talking head” – and rightly so, because she knows her stuff.
One of the UE episodes is all about Queens, which is my home borough right now. They highlight three of my favorite spots in the borough: Mombar (lamb cheeks!), an Egyptian restaurant, Tortilleria Nixtamal (carnitas!), a taqueria in Corona, and The Queens Kickshaw (Gouda sandwich!). I was unfamiliar with the Korean restaurant, Sik Gaek, but I must say – after watching a little bit about it, I want to check it out. Here’s the video:
In late December, I stopped by Butcher Bar, a new spot in Astoria focusing on local, organic, and grass-fed/pastured meats. It’s part butcher shop, part barbecue restaurant. The barbecue is pretty dang good, but I must admit that it’s the butcher shop aspect that excites me the most. I order most of my meats through [...]
I ended up taking several days away from the cleanse for various reasons, mostly due to social events and meetings with friends that came up. Connecting with the people I care about is important to me, so I take advantage of it when I can. Good news is that I didn’t over do it with [...]
One of the things I wanted to explore this year, is making vinegar. Imagine my delight when I learned that it takes almost no time and starting it only takes a few ingredients: wine, water, and raw vinegar (for a starter). Above is what I used to start my batch of vinegar – 1 cup [...]
Last week, I went over to the my friend Denise’s home for a mid-afternoon snack and chat. Little did I know how awesome an afternoon it was going to be, full of fermented foods. We ate a number of kimchis, had some pancakes made with kimchi, and enjoyed a fermented soda. She did a great [...]
