Dancing Spoon

Seafood Summit 2010

Seafood Sustainable

by J. Michael Wheeler
But you gotta go to Paris...for the 2010 Seafood Summit. Seafood Choices Alliance will hold its annual conference in Paris, France from January 31 - February 2, 2010. The theme — Challenging Assumptions in a Changing World — will explore emerging threats to the seafood industry, whether existing practices are appropriate, and how such threats might be mitigated through a focus on sustainability. Seafood Choices is now accepting proposals for panels, workshops and presentations. Info Seafood Summit 2010

Seafood Choices Alliance is an international program that provides leadership and creates opportunities for change across the seafood industry and ocean conservation community. Founded in the United States in 2001, Seafood Choices helps the seafood industry— from fishermen and fish farmers to processors, distributors, retailers, restaurants, and food service providers —to make the seafood marketplace environmentally, economically and socially sustainable.  Info Seafood Choices Alliance

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Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood
Dividing his sensibilities between Epicureanism and ethics, Taras Grescoe set out on a nine-month, worldwide search for a delicious—and humane—plate of seafood. What he discovered shocked him. From North American Red Lobsters to fish farms and research centers in China, Bottomfeeder takes readers on an illuminating tour through the $55-billion-dollar-a-year seafood industry. Grescoe examines how out-of-control pollution, unregulated fishing practices, and climate change affect what ends up on our plate. More than a screed against a multibillion-dollar industry, however, this is also a balanced and practical guide to eating, as Grescoe explains to readers which fish are best for our environment, our seas, and our bodies.

At once entertaining and illuminating, Bottomfeeder is a thoroughly enjoyable look at the world’s cuisines and an examination of the fishing and farming practices we too easily take for granted.

Hand selected books for foodes are at Foodie's Emporium! Click here.

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Food Contests May '09

Contests Foodie

by J. Michael Wheeler
Here are some of the contests for foodies this May. Winning could mean more than just a tasty dish!

Cuisinart's Culinary Cook-off Video Contest The stage is set. Share your talents by entering an original video in Cuisinart's New Culinary Cook-off Video Contest. The only requirement for submission is that you use a Cuisinart product in your production. Otherwise the field is wide open: Tape a Product Testimonial, Produce a Commercial, Cuisinart Instructional Videos, Step-by-step Recipe Video, Create a Mockumentary. Come up with your own unique presentation. The winner will select 5 different Cuisinart products of their liking The next entry periods is May 1 2009 through August 31, 2009. Info Cuisinart Video Contest.

Mushrooms Every Day, Every Way Recipe Contest Enter in any one of four recipe categories for a chance to win $2,000. Experiment with all kinds of mushrooms, from button to Portabella. Enter in any of four categories: Happily Veggie After, Mushroom Main Event, Inspiring Appetizers, and Fun Fungi. Info Mushrooms Every Day Contest  Deadline May 18, 2009.

Third Annual Ocean Spray Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest Two separate contests, one for Home Cooks and one for Foodservice Professionals: Ocean Spray is looking for the the most crantastic recipe featuring Ocean Spray cranberries, Craisins®, sauce, or juice. They’re giving away $25,000 for the most edible entry in the bunch. Prizes: $25,000. Info Ocean Spray Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest Deadline May 29, 2009.

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Windows on the World Complete Wine Course is simply the bestselling wine book in North America—it’s a classic. In addition to retaining the expanded 60-page section on “101 Wines You Should Know,” from last year, the 2009 revision will include 16 pages of quizzes (two at the end of every chapter) to test readers on how much they’ve learned—just as if they were in Kevin’s class. Those who use the book as an actual course will find this enormously helpful, and a great challenge for testing their knowledge of wine fundamentals

Hand selected books for foodes are at Foodie's Emporium! Click here.

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Tasty Cleanup

Tips Cooking

by J, Michael Wheeler
Tasty Cleanup With a Wooden Spoon
All of those crispy bits that remain on the bottom of your pans and pots after sautéing or browning are called the fond, from the French, to mean the base. And on that foundation great sauces are made. The first step is to remove the accumulated fat and then deglaze the hot pan with a little liquid: water, broth, tequila, wine. When the liquid boils, scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and they’ll add incredibly concentrated flavors to your soon-to-be sauce. Add a dollop of butter or crème fraîche, S&P,  and you’re in business. Of course, you could get more elaborate by adding minced shallots, or sautéed mushrooms, or capers, or…well that’s another story.

And the cleanup? If you decide that, for unknowable reasons, you don’t want a rich and tasty mushroom/shallot sauce with your beautifully pan-seared rib eye steak, a sauce you could make in the short time your steak rests before serving, if you decide you don’t want the sauce, well then, deglaze the pan anyway!

Because now you have a pan without crispy bits sticking to it. When the pan cools, pour out that could-have-been-a-sauce. A simple soap and water washing will finish the clean-up. No soaking, no scrubbing.

But no sauce.

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Stir Fry Set, Natural Spalted Ambrosia Beetle (Flag) Maple Wood, Hand Carved in USA

Left - Right Hand Stir Fry, Spalted Flag Maple, USA Made
Wok - Left and Right Hand Orientation! A special treat for the chef in your home, this functional and beautiful Kitchen Pair is functional and ergonomic! It includes: a Pair of flat stir fry spatulas, freehand cut on our bandsaw of natural Spalted Ambrosia Beetle (Flag) Maple Wood. - characterized by holes in the wood and a "flag" pattern. We make other variations of this item in different wood species. These are our ORIGINAL designs, and are handcrafted in East Tennessee by my husband and me. We make each of our Kitchen Utensil Holders individually and one at a time. Each piece is signed. We finish our kitchen products in food safe mineral oil and beeswax, and include care instructions to insure you have nice kitchenware for years of use. Each item is designed and hand made by Phil and Martha Baerreis, and is 100% warranted against defects in workmanship or material.

Hand selected wooden spoons and more are at Foodie's Emporium!
Click here.

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Smoked Duck & Raspberry Sauce

Ordinary Out of the

OOO by Kate Krukowski Gooding
Smoked Duck in a Raspberry Sauce
The first time I tested this recipe my brother had just given me a couple fresh ducks. I love cooking fresh, which is something we can’t do in New England all the time. The second time I purchased ducks from a local market to test the difference. The fresh ducks were moister, so I adjusted the recipe to provide a little more moisture.

You don’t have an electric or charcoal smoker? You have two other options. First heat your grill on medium. Soak 1 cup of apple wood chips in water for an hour, drain and wrap in heavy aluminum foil. Cut 5 slits across the top and place in bottom of grill and close cover. When grills smokes, place the duck on a greased grill and smoke for 20 minutes; turn over and smoke another 10 minutes for a medium center. The other option I use (and this is not cheating) especially in the dead of winter at 19 below zero, is put one drop of liquid smoke in the marinade and 1 drop in the sauce.

Grilling with Cedar Planks

Grilling Tips

 by J. Michael Wheeler
Grilling on Wooden Planks
Using wooden planks for grilling adds moisture and flavor to your grilled food. Grill with the lid closed: it’s the best of both worlds, steaming and grilling combined. Turn thick pieces of fish and chicken. Thinner cuts like baby red snapper don’t need to be turned during grilling. Using a cedar plank will take a little longer than regular grilling.

You can purchase cedar planks that are sold for specifically for grilling, (like the Camerons Products Cedar Planks pictured here) or you can go to your local lumberyard and buy untreated cedar planks. You can buy them as 1 x 4 inch planks in varying lengths. Ask to have them cut it into 12” lengths, which would handle two or three pounds of fish or chicken.

Soak the planks in water for one hour or longer before grilling. When the grill is hot, put the plank on the grill, smooth side down and char. Turn the wood over and then place fish or chicken on top to cook. The planks maybe reused.

Buy cedar planks for grilling. Click here.

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Weber 22-1/2-Inch One-Touch Gold Charcoal Grill, Blue.
Qualifies for FREE SHIPPING!

Weber 22-1/2-Inch One-Touch Gold Charcoal Grill
Weber Gold Series, 22-1/2" Dark Blue 1 Touch Charcoal Kettle Grill, Heavy Gauge Porcelain Enameled Steel Lid & Bowl, High Capacity No Rust Ash Catcher, Patented 1 Touch Cleaning System, Heat Resistant Nylon Handles On Lid & Bowl, Hinged Cooking Grate, 10 Year Limited Warranty.
• Charcoal grill with heavy-gauge porcelain enamel to prevent rust
• Nickel-plated cooking grate includes 2 hinged side openings for easy re-fueling
• Tripod base, nylon handles, and all-weather wheels provide easy maneuvering
• One-Touch stainless-steel cleaning system; removable high-capacity ash catcher
• Measures approximately 23 by 27 by 35 inches; 10-year limited warranty

Hand selected grills and grill accessories are at Foodie's Emporium!
Click here.

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Ginger Orange Short Ribs

Irishman The Healthy

by Chef Gavan Murphy
Braised Ginger Orange Short Ribs
You can’t go wrong with braising meat and if you’ve followed my recipes you know I’m a big fan. Why? Because braising intensifies the flavor than just plain boiling and doesn’t dry out or over-cook food the way roasting might. All of this means juicy succulent meat loaded with flavour.

Asian influenced with hoisin and ginger, these flavors marry brilliantly with the orange tantalizing your palate while also filling your kitchen with an amazing aroma.  

Best Cookbooks IACP 2009

2009 Best Books

by J. Michael Wheeler
The IACP Cookbook Awards
The IACP Cookbook Awards annually celebrate the year's most outstanding food and beverage publications. The awards program was created to encourage and promote quality and creativity in cookbook writing and publishing and to expand awareness of culinary literature. The IACP Cookbook Awards have become the industry's most coveted acknowledgment of excellence in the cookbook publishing world.

Cookbook of the Year
A16: Food + Wine
At San Francisco's acclaimed A16 restaurant (named for the highway that cuts across southern Italy), diners pack the house for chef Nate Appleman's house-cured salumi, textbook Naples-style pizzas, and gutsy slow-cooked meat dishes. Wine director Shelley Lindgren is renowned in the business for her expeditionary commitment to handcrafted southern Italian wines. In A16: FOOD + WINE, Appleman and Lindgren share the source of their inspiration--the bold flavors of Campania.

Winner: Compilations Category
The Bon Appetit Cookbook: Fast Easy Fresh
For more than half a century, Bon Appétit has been the go-to source for straight-forward, sophisticated recipes, each with a contemporary twist. Now more than ever we also want to be conscientious about choosing responsibly sourced ingredients and healthy foods. The experts at Bon Appétit show how, in the most comprehensive collection—ever—of the magazine's best, most delicious, fast and easy recipes. As a cookbook, Fast Easy Fresh is unparalleled—every recipe is simple to use and has been tested with care by the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen.  It will become your indispensable source for all the tips, hints, and tricks you need to keep you on top of your game. Eating local, eating better, eating fresh—it all starts here, in The Bon Appétit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook.

Wines for Easter Dinner

Wine About

by J. Michael Wheeler
There's a jewel of a wine shop in Salem, Massachusetts run by Eric Olson. Eric has some sage advice on pairing wines with your Easter Dinner:

Many of you have either one of two main courses for dinner, Ham or Lamb and I thought I'd put my 2 cents worth in concerning what wine to compliment said dishes. Lamb is pretty easy, as I don't believe there are many red wines that would fail to please. Rich, flavorful, fatty lamb does require some heft in the wine however to match perfectly... in order of personal preference, Bordeaux (big, bold, dry, and tannic to match richness and fat), Chianti Classico for the very same reasons, except the mellowing agent for the fat would be acid and not tannins. Burgundy, or Pinot Noir, Temranillo from Spain, and even, if the Lamb is cooked with a fruity sauce or accompaniment, Zinfandel from California. In short, just about any substantial red will do fine.

Ham is far more problematic due to its salty and less robust flavors. If you prefer red, than a young fruity Beaujolais or Pinot Noir (slightly chilled) will work. White and you might try a dry or off dry Chenin Blanc or a Riesling. An interesting compromise would be a dry French Rose.

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Aerates your wine while you pour it!

Soiree Bottle-top Wine Decanter
The Soiree is a wine accessory that fits into any standard corked wine bottle, and comes with an extra gasket that will work with any screw cap bottle; allowing you to pour, without dripping, directly through the Soiree. Once you place the Soiree in the wine bottle, the Soiree aerates your wine as you pour it. The Soiree allows you to decant just the portion of wine you want - a glass or a carafe. The Soiree can also be used to pour the wine into a decanter, further expediting the "opening" of your wine. Soiree fits securely into any wine bottle allowing you to pour, without dripping directly through the Soiree. In using the Soiree to aerate your wine, you will notice the subtleties and character of the wine emerge immediately upon entering your glass. Soiree delivers a truly open wine just by pouring through it!

Hand selected wine accessories are at Foodie's Emporium! Click here.

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Pistachio Pesto Lamb

Irishman The Healthy

by Chef Gavan Murphy
Pistachio Pesto Roasted Rack of Lamb
What would Easter dinner be without a delicious meal with lamb? The typical preparation for this special meal is to serve lamb with a mint sauce. Since I am not your typical Irishman I’ve decided to spice it up a bit by using a pistachio pesto.

Super nutrient dense and naturally cholesterol free, pistachios offer plenty of antioxidants and good fat or unsaturated fat, which can lower blood cholesterol along with heart disease. Not only are pistachios nutritious, they’re delicious. The smell in the kitchen when I made this dish had everyone smiling.

I paired my beautiful lamb with a healthy gratin and baby carrots. The colorful dish was a perfect reminder that spring is upon us. Creating food for your senses is a wonderful way to cook. 

Grilled Black Cod

Fresh Fish Grilling

by Gloria Bakst

Cooking with Gloria
Black Cod or Sable Grilled in Miso Marinade
Black Cod is also known as Sablefish. It is from Alaska and has a lot of good
Omega 3’s in it. It is most like Chilean Sea Bass, thick, moist and can withstand a great deal of cooking heat. It’s a hard fish to over cook. It does shrink a lot with cooking. I would start with a medium high heat until the fish gets golden and then turn the heat down and continue to cook on a slower heat. This marinade is best soaking overnight. The ingredients can be found in an Asian grocery store or a health food store. Because I special order the fish I usually get three pounds. This fish tastes better each time it gets reheated!

Sablefish is found from central Baja California to the eastern Bering Sea, with about 75 percent of landings taken off Alaska. It is a rich fish that is high in Omega 3 fish oils. A valuable source of high-quality protein, Alaska sablefish also furnishes important minerals, among them: iodine, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc and calcium. The fats in sablefish are highly polyunsaturated and thus well-suited to low cholesterol diets.