Food

[Henry Krinkle]

Good god, that looks delicious.

We often have some variation of this as a meal on holiday weekends. It's always a treat.

[Raza]

We often have some variation of this as a meal on holiday weekends. It's always a treat.

I don't often cook seafood at home (other than fish), so with the quarantining, it's been a long time since I've had my fill of oysters, clams, and mussels in a long time. I'm craving them. I just want shrimp cocktails, raw oysters, raw clams, and a whole mess of mussels.

[Henry Krinkle]

I don't often cook seafood at home (other than fish), so with the quarantining, it's been a long time since I've had my fill of oysters, clams, and mussels in a long time. I'm craving them. I just want shrimp cocktails, raw oysters, raw clams, and a whole mess of mussels.

Mussels are actually pretty easy, though you want good things for the broth. I usually start with beer and chorizo, fresh Mexican or dry Spanish, or white wine bacon and chillies and go from there. once the broth tastes the way you want dump the cleaned mussels into the pot barely boiling. Put the lid on. At four mintues check to see if most are open. If so done. If not, put the lid back on for a minute. Check again. Don't go past 6 minutes.

[skywatch]

Mussels are actually pretty easy, though you want good things for the broth. I usually start with beer and chorizo, fresh Mexican or dry Spanish, or white wine bacon and chillies and go from there. once the broth tastes the way you want dump the cleaned mussels into the pot barely boiling. Put the lid on. At four mintues check to see if most are open. If so done. If not, put the lid back on for a minute. Check again. Don't go past 6 minutes.

My favorite broth for mussels/clams is dry vermouth, butter, garlic, a bit of chicken/veggie broth and a pinch of saffron. Sometimes instead of saffron I'll add a splash of absinthe. (I used to make absinthe so there is still a fair amount of it around here.) A bit of SF Sourdough garlic toast and soooo yummy.

[Dan R]

My favorite broth for mussels/clams is dry vermouth, butter, garlic, a bit of chicken/veggie broth and a pinch of saffron. Sometimes instead of saffron I'll add a splash of absinthe. (I used to make absinthe so there is still a fair amount of it around here.) A bit of SF Sourdough garlic toast and soooo yummy.

Speaking of broth, have you tried dashi? I plan to make a beef short rib recipe and it calls for it. Had to special order it since it is not found around here.

[skywatch]

Speaking of broth, have you tried dashi? I plan to make a beef short rib recipe and it calls for it. Had to special order it since it is not found around here.

Yes, with dried kelp and bonito flakes. It's pretty easy to make with those ingredients (which are shelf-stable for years.) It wouldn't be my first choice for steaming shellfish, though, as I tend to like some more earthy flavors to take it away from pure ocean-seawater references. Now you're making me think of Japanese food. I think I'll do a teriyaki stir fry tonight.

[Henry Krinkle]

My favorite broth for mussels/clams is dry vermouth, butter, garlic, a bit of chicken/veggie broth and a pinch of saffron. Sometimes instead of saffron I'll add a splash of absinthe. (I used to make absinthe so there is still a fair amount of it around here.) A bit of SF Sourdough garlic toast and soooo yummy.

Get some tomatoes and fennel in there and you've got the base for my cioppino, though I'd go Pernod rather than absinthe.

[Henry Krinkle]

Speaking of broth, have you tried dashi? I plan to make a beef short rib recipe and it calls for it. Had to special order it since it is not found around here.

I made quite a bit of dashi over the winter. So much flavour for so little input.

[Henry Krinkle]

Salted and air dried for about 16 hours.



Holler from the pit: " I'm dropping the elk!"



Smashed baby potatoes with scallions, chives, pepperoncini and homemade cheese served with an arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette.



The Niagara Cab Franc went well. The earthy boldness serves the elk well.

[Raza]

I do love me some elk. I made elk burgers once and people were wild for them. Had a lot of leftover beef that day, but not a whole lot of leftover elk.