SCALLOPS OVER CURRIED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

    Having my dear Clarina over for dinner is always special. Always. She is a seafood lover so I decided to make these delicious fresh scallops I picked up at the Farmer's Market. I seasoned them with some salt and pepper and olive oil and grilled them on a hot cast iron skillet. Then I served them on a Puree of Curried Butternut Squash.

    To make the butternut squash puree, cut the squash in half, season it with salt and pepper and coat it with plenty of olive oil and butter and roast it in the oven on 375 until it was soft. It takes usually 45 min to 1 hour. After it cools a bit, scoop it out and sauteed it in butter with shallots, garlic, curry powder, cayenne pepper, fresh ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. If you like it sweet you can add some brown sugar. Add enough water to create a paste consistency or some vegetable broth. Simmer for 20 minutes then blend in a blender or with a hand mixer. 

    One squash made a surprisingly large amount of puree with which I added water to over low heat to make Butternut Squash Soup for lunch.

OYSTERS AND BEER AT JIMMY'S NO. 43

    God I'm glad I started loving oysters. All I can say is mmm salty slimy goodness. So apparently this guy Henry Hudson was named after this river or something and its like the 400th anniversary or something. All I heard was oysters and beer. 

   Oyster Night at Jimmy's No. 43 was to support Slow Food NYC with $4 plates of 3 Oysters and $5 Ommegang (those are Dutch) beers. We got a brochure from Sea Grant that explained shellfish aren't only good for your taste buds because (I am plagiarizing this is right from their brochure): as filter feeders they improve water quality and species diversity and shellfish aquaculture is sustainable and good for the environment. Read more here.

   I like Jimmy's No. 43, it was dark and underground with a warm feel and antlers everywhere. The good intentioned wait staff was not prepared for the oyster craziness, and they ran out of the fixins, cocktail sauce and lemons, but these Peconic Bay Oysters were good just like that.

   I tried a bacon wrapped oyster. What a waste. I might as well have just eaten bacon straight, not a problem, because I didn't taste any of that oyster inside.

   We got a really yummy soft goat cheese with apple and peach salsa and not enough delicious bread.

   And a mild radish salad. We get these insane radishes from Sergio the CSA farmer and these just were not up to par for me at least in the spicy department.

   For dessert, a warm bread salad, nice flavor but on the dry side, with cold creamy dipping sauce that needed to be warm in my opinion.

   We were there for oysters and beer and we got some delicious oysters and beer then went and got more beer. Good night.

OYSTERS AT LONDON LENNIES

     Since before I can remember London Lennies has been the ONLY place to go for an outstanding seafood meal in all of New York City. Its considered the "hidden gem of Queens," but Jeff the executive chef was on Iron Chef last week, so maybe not for long. 

     After one of the most gorgeous beach days I've had in a long time at Rockaway Beach (don't knock it; its a beautiful beach), Claire and I headed over to London Lennies, which is a 1 minute walk from my place, to extend our ocean experience. What better way to get in touch with the ocean than eating fresh raw oysters? The disgrace is I am 27 years old and this is the very first time I have ever tried oysters. Good thing I was with a trusted pal and experienced oyster connoisseur. Not only has Claire been sucking down oysters since she's a kid with her pops, she works at London Lennies and is a seafood and wine pairing expert. 

     Cocktails to start! But when the oysters showed up Claire insisted we have them with a Muscadet wine. This French wine was light, crisp and dry and has a certain "minerality" created by limestone. The oysters, oh the oysters! were called Well Fleet Osyters from Massachusetts. They were served with a sides of horseradish, minuette, which is red wine shallots and cracked pepper, cocktail sauce and a delicious cucumber salsa, perfectly prepared by Oyster Expert Rudy. 

     So there we were, doubling fisting cocktails and wine, with a tray of oysters in front of us. Claire showed me the proper way to eat an oyster. We were both a little worried I may not like them, but I jumped right in sucked one down and it was like a whole new world was opening up to me. The ocean. It tasted like the ocean. Not in a stinky fish way, but in that fresh clean delicious salty majestic way. I was hooked and began imagining myself sitting in the corner of London Lennie's everyday hoarding gigantic trays of oysters like an oyster feign. 

    Rudy also let me try a raw Little Neck Clam and a Kumamoto Oyster from Washington state. I have to say my oyster palate is not yet refined. Claire has a distaste for the Kumamoto, but I liked it and honestly couldn't really taste a difference. In due time, I guess.

    Just as we finished slurping down the last oyster, the tuna tartare arrived. I hate to be crude and I strive for professionalism in my writing, but Claire and I decided that this dish was, "fucking awesome!" Fresh tuna minced with ginger and soy and served with red and yellow peppers, wasabi mayo and crispy wontons. I can taste it now and WILL be going back to London Lennies for my birthday just for this dish.

You can't eat at London Lennie's without trying their famous fresh cole slaw.

   We also ordered some New Zealand Green Mussels that were prepared in a sauce of chorizo, leeks, plum tomatoes, white wine and garlic. The sauce was perfection and so delicious slurped up with London Lennies' delicious baked bread. The mussels themselves were a little mealy, not very appealing actually, but thats the risk you take with mussels. Claire explained that it depends on what the mussels were eating themselves. These mussels were fresh but were pigging out on something that had a bad texture. Stupid mussels.

   But just as soon as we were complaining about the mussels our Whole Branzini stuffed with fresh herbs came out! What a feast for the eyes. My friend Yui, who is Japanese and whose father eats fish from head to toe, helped me over my fear of eating a whole fish served staring at me. Thanks Yui! 

    The Branzini was unbelievable, so light and flakey, and it really picked up the fresh oregano and rosemary flavors. I was just finished drinking my wine-mojito combo when Claire announced we must drink the Vouvray, another French white from the Louire Valley with the Branzini. And an entire bottle at that! I was food drunk and maybe drink drunk and in no position to say no. The wine went incredibly well with the fish. What a meal this turned out to be. Delicious fish, great wine and my favorite person in the world to share it with: my dear Clarina.  And Yui's dad would be so proud of the way massacred that fish.

 Dessert? No thanks. Backyard mojitos please. And the rest of the evening is a story not fit for this blog...

CREAMY SAKE PASTA WITH SHRIMP (for the shrimp pasta obsessed)

  

    Jason, of Just Cook NYC, a friend in my head food blogger, is obsessed with shrimp pasta. Chances are at least once a week there is another variation on this versatile dish and each post is easy, delicious, photographed mouth wateringly and inspiring. A few days ago he posted Ellie's Spicy Shrimpy Pasta. That night like a loyal blog follower, I defrosted some shrimp and made my own shrimp pasta. 

    Once you start making shrimp pasta it really becomes a go-to dish because its so easily made with ingredients you most likely have on hand. Every time its a little different based on what I have in the kitchen. Lately you might have noticed that I have been using sake in my recipes. Its not because I have any particular affinity for sake, its probably the opposite. I am always rooting around in the fridge looking for some wine, but I really don't drink white, which would be the wine of choice for shrimp pasta, and red wine usually doesn't make it to the following day. Also, I would feel uncomfortable leaving an open bottle of wine in my fridge for as long as the open bottle of sake has been in there, over 6 month at least. Blame it on the ah-ah-uh-ah... okay I am annoying myself. The sake imparts a distinct not-to-sweet flavor, more present than white wine, and stands up well to the cream and garlic. This would be a great sauce for mussels. Maybe with a little curry and dill, too. So here's the easiest recipe for Creamy Sake Shrimpy Pasta. 

CREAMY SAKE PASTA WITH SHRIMP

2 TBSP butter

2-3 cloves of garlic chopped

dash of peperoncino

1 TBSP tomato paste

2 TBSP water

1/4 C. sake

1/2 C. heavy cream

8-10 shrimp, cleaned, peel, deveined and seasoned with salt and pepper.

salt and pepper

1/2 lb. angel hair, spaghetti or fettucini

fresh parsley

     Start boiling your water for the pasta. Sautee the garlic and peperoncino in butter. Add the tomato paste and a little water to make a thick sauce. Add the sake and reduce a few minutes. Add the cream and reduce on low. Season with salt and pepper. When the cream bubbles, add the shrimp. Don't move the shrimp around. Let it rest and absorb all the of creamy goodness. (Check your pasta water, if its boiling start cooking the pasta.) When the shrimp turns pink on the bottom, flip each shrimp just once, or you will have rubbery shrimp. When you think the shrimp is almost done, turn off the flame and take the shrimp off the heat. DO NOT OVERCOOK THE SHRIMP! You can add a little more butter if you want to maximize your chance of a heart attack. By this point your pasta should be al dente. Drain and plate the pasta then add the creamy sauce, a few shrimp and garnish with parsley. 

FRESH GINGER PINEAPPLE SHRIMP WITH JASMINE RICE

I have been craving shrimp and I found these delicious frozen Blue Shrimp at Trader Joe's. Erik inspired me to this dish after he made a similar one with vegetable protein. I can't mess with that stuff but it sounded like it would go great with shrimp and I am very satisfied with the results. What really brings this dish together is the fresh grated ginger and lemon zest and the fresh basil garnish.

FRESH GINGER PINEAPPLE SHRIMP

10-12 Shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1/4 pineapple cut into chunks (can is okay, too)

dash of hot chili flakes

1/4 onion chopped

1/2 green pepper chopped

2 garlic cloves chopped

2 tsp fresh grated ginger

2 tsp fresh grated lemon zest

fresh basil (or cilantro would be great, too)

fresh scallions

teriyaki or soy sauce

salt and pepper

For shrimp marinade:

curry powder

cayenne pepper

cumin powder

turmeric

paprika

olive oil

salt and pepper

Marinate your shrimp in a little olive oil and the spices (curry, cumin, turmeric, cayenne & paprika - just a dash of each) and some salt and pepper. If you don't have one or a few don't worry about it. Salt and pepper is good enough. There will be plenty of other fresh flavors going on. 

While the shrimp is marinating, sautee a dash of chili flakes, onions, peppers, garlic and fresh ginger in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. After a few minutes add the pineapple, then the shrimp, then some soy sauce or teriyaki sauce (optional). Add the scallions and the lemon zest. Don't overcook the shrimp. Once they turn pink on each side they are done. Tear some fresh basil over the top and serve with rice.