A&B Burgers: Cajun Dinner, From Gator to Crawfish

A&B Burgers in Beverly makes a killer burger but the restaurant is about far more than just burgers. Check out my prior review for more information about the restaurant, its burgers, and some of its other offerings from Chicken & Waffles to Churros.

Recently, A&B Burgers instituted a monthly Dinner Series, where Chef Kwasi Kwaa and his team showcase a different type of cuisine. Prior events have included Ghanaian Street Food and a Trip Through Asia. Most recently, the Dinner Series made a trip south, to Louisiana, presenting a four-course Cajun Dinner, and I attended the event as a media guest. To ensure freshness, the restaurant flew up the alligator and crawfish the day before the event.

The dinner was held at communal tables, making it very much a fun and social event. In addition to the food, you could also opt for beverage pairings, four Louisiana cocktails that were chosen to pair with the various courses. Or you could just choose whatever else you might like to drink. I went for the cocktail pairings, to get the full experience and because the cocktails sounded intriguing. In addition, I was curious as to how well the pairings would work.

Overall, the dinner was a success, with plenty of tasty food and cocktails. Chef Kwaa showcased his ample culinary skills and I think he did Louisiana proud. The other diners around me were impressed with the dinner as well, including a couple who had never been to A&B Burgers before but now planned to return soon to try the rest of the menu.

The cocktail pairings were created by Kim Sapp, one of their managers, and she is "a Texas girl so she loves her southern cocktails!" Our first cocktail was the French 75, which was made with American Brut Sparkling Wine, Bombay Gin, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup. It was refreshing, with a nice lemony taste, mild effervescence, and some herbal notes. It was intended to pair with our Welcome Dish and First Course.

The Welcome Dish was a Gator Lollipop, a piece of fried alligator with a Louisiana remoulade. Gator is a mild meat, which is reminiscent in some ways to chicken, but it had a denser and almost flaky texture, though it wasn't overly chewy. The fried batter was clean and crunchy, and I could have easily devoured a bowl of these gator bites while watching the Patriots play. The idea of eating gator may not appeal to some people, but they would actually enjoy the taste if they only gave it a try. It also went well with the French 75, and I think other fried dishes would go with that cocktail too.

The First Course was Crab Étouffée with a side of fried okra. There was plenty of pieces of sweet crab meat in this dish, and it presented a very savory taste, with a mild spiciness, and bits of rice at the bottom of the dish. Though I'm not usually an okra fan, as it can be slimy, this fried okra was actually good, presenting more of a nice crunch without any slimy off-taste. The acidic edge of the French 75 helped to cut through some of the thickness of the Étouffée.

The next cocktail was a Roffignac, which was made with Courvoisier VS Cognac, Strawberry Cardamom Shrub, and Soda. This is a cocktail that was new to me, though it is a classic New Orleans cocktail, but seems to have received far less attention that many other cocktails from that city. It was mildly sweet with a little tartness, plenty of red fruit flavor and mild bubbles. This would be an excellent and refreshing summer cocktail and is worthy of much more attention in the local cocktail scene.

The Second Course was Shrimp & Grits, with creamy grits, Cajun shrimp, and Andouille sausage. This dish could have been served hotter, though it was delicious. The grits were more solid, almost like creamy corn-flavored mashed potatoes, and the shrimp were plump and spicy, enhanced by the spicy Andouille sausage. It was a hearty dish, excellent comfort food, and the Roffignac, helped to counter some of the dish's spicy heat.

The third cocktail was the Cocktail a la Louisiane, made with Sazerac Rye, Benedictine, Noilly Prat Sweet Vermouth, St. George Absinthe, and Peychauds Bitters. This was a complex and bitter cocktail, with hints of sweetness and lots of herbal notes.

The third Course was Crawfish Jambalaya, a spicy jambalaya with fresh & large Louisiana crawfish. In the top picture, you can see the multi-clawed monstrosity climbing the mountain of spicy rice and Andouille sausage. And we were also presented with extra crawfish for the table, plenty of these delectable crustaceans of which you could tear off their head and suck out the meat. The Jambalaya was excellent with a nice blend of flavors and textures, and I was sure to clean my plate. The crawfish were also meaty and tender, with a hint of brininess.

The final cocktail was Milk Punch, which is made with milk, heavy cream, brandy, brown sugar simple syrup, and fresh vanilla. It was sweet and creamy, with a touch of cinnamon and only a mild hint of alcohol. It makes for a nice after-dinner drink and lacks that artificial taste you find in some commercial cream cocktails.

For dessert, there was a freshly baked King Cake with a brown sugar glaze, and this was fantastic, with a soft, warm cake and plenty of sweetness (yet without being overly sweet). It reminded me in some ways of monkey bread, tearing apart very easily. We received a hefty piece of cake, though I craved even more once I finished mine. It was the type of dessert which almost makes you forget the rest of the meal. If you ever see it on their menu again, order it!

King Cakes are very popular in New Orleans during Mardi Gras and there is a tradition of hiding a small, plastic baby in the cake 9which originally symbolized the baby Jesus). Whoever finds the baby in their cake is supposed to receive luck and prosperity. I was fortunate to find a baby, pictured above, in my cake so I hope Ill be lucky in the coming year.

A&B Burgers os continuing their Dinner Series later this month, on Tuesday. September 27, showcasing Spanish cuisine. There might even be Sherry! I'll post details about that dinner once I learn more. In addition, A&B Burgers has recently started serving Brunch, with dishes like Pork Belly Bacon & Eggs and Southern Biscuits & Gravy. Don't pigeonhole A&B as just a burger spot as it is far more than that.

Louisiana Seafood & Chef Michael Brewer

Time and time again, such as in my 3 Rules Of Eating Seafood, I have implored Americans to eat more domestic seafood. Sadly, we import about 90% of the seafood we consume and that is a tragedy on several levels. It is also unnecessary as there is so much delicious seafood in our local waters. By consuming domestic seafood, we give support to our local fishermen, many who have financial difficulties due to various circumstances. Domestic seafood is also highly regulated, helping to ensure our seafood is sustainable and safe.

At the Seafood Expo North America (SENA), I spent some time at the Louisiana Seafood booth, learning more about their seafood industry and speaking with an award-winning chef, Michael Brewer. If you look at the statistics, you'll understand the great importance of Louisiana and U.S. seafood. Let's begin with the size of its waters, noting that its coastline is over 7700 miles long, which is longer than that of California. Annually, nearly 4 billion pounds of seafood are landed in the U.S. and Louisiana lands almost 900,000 pounds. One-third of all landed seafood comes from the Gulf, and Louisiana lands two-thirds of that total, making it the King of the Gulf.

As for specific seafood species, Louisiana lands 32% of the U.S. total amount of Shrimp, 34% of total Oysters, 25% of Blue Crab, 98% of Crawfish, 25% of Red Snapper, 62% of Drumfish, and 52% of Catfish. Unfortunately, it is important to note that 75% of the Crawfish consumed by Americans is imported. Why can't people stick to Louisiana crawfish? A crawfish boil is tasty and so much fun, but it is best with domestic crawfish as you know exactly what you are getting. I'll also mention that roughly 85%-90% of the crawfish harvested in Louisiana is from aquaculture, which is considered sustainable.

You might not realize that Louisiana's seafood industry includes wild and farmed raised alligators. I'm a fan of alligator meat, especially from the body. The tail meat can be too chewy and fibrous unless it is cooked just right. Roughly 310,000 wild and farmed alligators are sustainably harvested each year in Louisiana, which is probably far more than you would have ever suspected. Gator is certainly more popular in the South, but I think more Northerners should check it out too.

At the Seafood Expo, the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board was present to discuss the benefits of seafood from Louisiana. I also got to briefly meet Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, who oversees the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board. Lt. Governor Nungesser has said, “Being a leader in the industry, we have responsibility to stress the health benefits and quality of our product compared to our imported counterparts.”

The Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board has also developed the American Seafood Coast Guard, an "initiative to address the issues associated with imported seafood and better educate the public about the health risks involved, as well as how to identify and where to locate high-quality, domestic product." Their basic advice to consumers includes getting them to seek out the origin of their seafood and to develop a relationship with their seafood vendor. Consumers need to check Country of Origin labels, to learn what is domestic seafood, and if they have any questions, they need to ask the fish vendor or restaurant staff. Education of consumers is vital in this regard.

As I've said before, one of the primary reasons why consumers don't eat more seafood is that they think it is too difficult to cook. Preparing seafood is far easier than most people think and if you can cook a chicken or steak, you can just as easily cook seafood. The Louisiana Seafood site provides a number of recipes for home cooks for Louisiana seafood, broken down into Shrimp, Crawfish, Crab, Oysters, Fish and Alligator. You'll also find recipes for Appetizers, Soups, Salads and Entrees. Try some Crawfish Bread Bites, Oyster & Bacon Chowder, Tropical Shrimp Salad or Crab Imperial.

For more recipes and advice on cooking seafood, please see one of my previous posts, How To Cook Seafood.

Last year, Chef Michael Brewer (pictured above) was crowned the King of Louisiana Seafood at the 2015 Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off for his Sheepshead Nachos. At the Seafood Expo, while Chef Brewer was removing shell and cartilage pieces from a large tray of crab meat, I had the chance to chat with him about his experiences and Louisiana seafood. He was unpretentious and down-to-earth, a passionate man and ardent advocate to the Gulf.

Chef Brewer initially worked as an electrical engineer but when his company closed in 2002, he decided to follow his passion and enter restaurant work. He didn't attend culinary school and began working as a waiter, subsequently receiving instruction and advice from the chefs at the various restaurants he worked. It would be the devastation of Katrina though which would firmly set him on his culinary path.

This tragedy brought out all of his love for New Orleans and he had an intense desire to help rebuilt New Orleans through food. He understood the importance of food to the people of New Orleans, such as the strong connection between family and food. In New Orleans, the talk at lunch ofen involves discussing what they will eat for dinner. There is also a close community of chefs in New Orleans, willing to help each other when needed.

For a couple years, Chef Brewer owned and operated The Sammich, a creative sandwich shop. It began as a test and closed last fall. Since then, Chef Brewer has become the new Executive Chef at Manning's Restaurant, which is located in the Harrah's New Orleans. Though Harrah's generally uses seafood from all over the world, Chef Brewer will be able to use only local seafood at Manning's. It is Chef Brewer's goal to give a soul to Manning's, to solidify its roots to the seafood of the Gulf.

Chef Brewer stated that the best thing about Louisiana seafood is its freshness, that it comes right out of their backyard. In addition, its diversity is also compelling, where fresh seafood is available year round, each season offering something different. He offered some advice on the use of seafood, first recommending that we use more "trash" fish, those underutilized species which still taste delicious but aren't as commonly popular. I've previously offered that same advice, having also heard it from a number of other chefs and seafood proponents.

In addition, Chef Brewer recommends using the entire fish, from nose to tail fin, to maximize the use of your fish and get every bit of value from it. He mentioned how he once learned the Mexican way to cook chicken skin and he then used that technique to cook fish skin. For example, he used the skins of Sheepshead fish (also known as the Convict fish), in his award-winning Nachos, which also had bacon fat tartar sauce and charred corn salsa. You will find other chefs now working with fish skin, which is great to see more people using every part of the fish.

Chef Brewer also provided some cooking advice for consumers, for preparing seafood at home. Many home cooks think cooking seafood is too difficult but his main advice is: "Don't be afraid. The worst thing you can make is dog food and that will make your dog happy." He recommends experimenting and not worrying about the results. Home cooks must get over their fears and just start cooking seafood, gaining practice and learning how to best prepare that seafood. Yes, there might be a few mistakes initially but if you keep at it, you won't keep making those errors and you'll start cooking delicious seafood dishes.

For more specific cooking tips, he states that home cooks need to get a flavor for salt, to understand how not to use too much or too little, to get to that happy medium. In addition, home cooks need to learn how to season better, to push it until it is almost too much. That will take practice but will payoff in the end, when you continually make perfectly seasoned food. Chef Brewer suggested using citrus peels as a  easoning agent, placing those peels in a coffee grinder. Finally, Chef Brewer highly recommended that consumers buy U.S. seafood, even if they have to pay more for it. U.S. seafood is a quality product and it is worth the added expense.

It was a pleasure to chat with Chef Brewer and I'm in agreement with his seafood advice. We need to eat more domestic seafood, more trash fish and not be afraid to cook seafood at home. Louisiana seafood offers many benefits and is a much better option than imported seafood, even if it costs a bit more. Explore the seafood options from the Gulf!

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food & drink events.. **********************************************************
1)  This spring, Legal Sea Foods in Charles Square will take a trip down south with their Live Crawfish Boil. For three straight weekends, the Charles Square location will host this craw-fest by dishing out a Cajun special, prepared and priced for two. The Two If By Sea Louisiana-style limited time menu feature packs together two pounds of first-of-the-season boiled crawfish and Red Bliss potatoes, andouille sausage and corn on the cob.

WHEN: Available 11am – 11pm (March 20-22 & 27-29; April 3-4)
COST: $25.95 for two people
For reservations, please call 617-491-9400

2) Showcasing the best of the ever-expanding Rhode Island culinary scene, the fourth annual, all-local Eat Drink RI Festival returns Thursday, April 30th through Sunday, May 3rd. The Festival, sponsored by Daniele, Inc., will be held throughout Providence,

“Over past few years, Rhode Island has seen our small farms and food and beverage manufacturers grow. Our local food and beverage entrepreneurial ventures have a big ripple effect on our economy, helping to attract and sustain jobs across our state,” said Governor Gina Raimondo. “I am proud to support the Eat Drink RI Festival, which highlights our amazing restaurants, breweries, vineyards, and thriving food industry.”

The Eat Drink RI Festival will feature a line-up of over 80 chefs, farmers, bartenders and producers including: StarChefs.com Rising Star Sustainability award winner Chef Derek Wagner of Nick’s on Broadway, Gold Medal Cheese Competition award-winning Narragansett Creamery, World Whiskies Award winner for Best Flavored Whiskey Sons of Liberty Spirits, multiple Good Food Award winner Daniele Inc., Blackbird Farm, Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyard, Granny Squibb’s Iced Tea, Matunuck Oyster Bar, Revival Brewing Company and Rhody Fresh, among many others.

Festival highlights include:

THURSDAY, APRIL 30
Dinner by Dames to benefit AIDS Project RI – Casino at Roger Williams Park
This unique dining experience brings together five of Rhode Island’s most talented chefs for a multi-course dining event. Chefs Melissa Denmark of Gracie’s & Ellie’s Bakery, Jordan Goldsmith formerly of the Garden Grille, Maria Meza of El Rancho Grande, Kaitlyn Roberts of Easy Entertaining Inc., and Jessica Wood of Fire and Water Restaurant Group partner with local female farmers and food artisans to prepare signature dishes for dinner guests. Jen Ferreira, the East Coast Brand Ambassador for Lucas Bols, will lead a group of RI’s top female bartenders in creating cocktail pairings for each course.

FRIDAY, MAY 1
Truck Stop to Benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank – Alex and Ani City Center
The largest food truck event in Rhode Island returns in 2015! The Truck Stop showcases the excellence and variety of Rhode Island’s mobile restaurants while also benefitting an organization dedicated to ending hunger. Last Festival’s Truck Stop raised over $106,000 for the RI Food Bank. Live music will be performed by the Superchief Trio, featuring Keith Munslow and friends, who perform a repertoire of swing, New Orleans R&B, jump blues and boogie woogie. Some of this year’s participants include Acacia Café, Like No Udder, Mijos Tacos, Noble Knots, Rocket Fine Street Food and Tallulah, among many others.

SATURDAY, MAY 2
Grand Tasting presented by Providence Monthly – Providence Biltmore Grand Ballroom
The Grand Tasting is a showcase of over forty local food, wine, beer and spirit exhibitors, as well as an abundance of local food artisans. During the Tasting there will be three Culinary Demonstrations featuring local chefs with farmers and producers at 12:30 p.m., 1:45 p.m. and 3 p.m. Some of this year’s participants include American Mussel Harvesters, Bully Boy Distillers, a group of over 10 new culinary businesses via Hope & Main, Jonathan Edwards Winery, Narragansett Brewing Company, Olneyville NY System, RI Mushroom Company, Yacht Club Soda and many, many more.

SUNDAY, MAY 3
Grand Brunch to benefit the RI Philharmonic Music School – Providence Biltmore Grand Ballroom
The Festival will come to a close with the Grand Brunch, prepared by some of the state’s best chefs and pastry chefs including: Chef Christopher Champagne of 84 Tavern on Canal, Martha Stewart Weddings baker Kelly Dull of north bakery, Mexican icon Maria Meza of El Rancho Grande, PBS’s The Chefs of Cucina Amore’s Joe Simone of Simone’s, baking maven Chef Jennifer Luxmoore of Sin, and more. In addition to the food, the Brunch features entertainment by jazz students from the Music School, a coffee bar by New Harvest Coffee Roasters, and a cocktail bar by Little Bitte Artisanal Cocktails.

For more information about the Eat Drink RI Festival or to purchase tickets, please visit eatdrinkri.com/festival.

3) From Monday, June 1 to Wednesday, June 3, 2015, famed Sake expert John Gauntner will hold the 18th stateside version (and 31st overall) of the Sake Professional Course at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The content of this intensive sake course will be identical to that of the Sake Professional Course held each January in Japan, with the exception of visiting sake breweries. The course is recognized by the Sake Education Council, and those that complete it will be qualified to take the exam for Certified Sake Specialist, which will be offered on the evening of the last day of the course.

The course is geared toward industry professionals wishing to expand their horizons in a thorough manner into the world of sake, and will therefore be somewhat technical in nature, and admittedly somewhat intense. It is likely more than the average consumer needs! But the course is open to anyone with an interest and sake and will certainly be enjoyable. The course lectures and tasting will begin with the utter basics, and will thoroughly progress through and cover everything related to sake. There will be an emphasis on empirical experience, with plenty of exposure to a wide range of sake in the tasting sessions throughout the three days. Each of the three days will provide the environment for a focused, intense and concerted training period.

The goal of this course is that “no sake stone remains left unturned,” and his motto is “exceed expectations for the course.” Every conceivable sake-related topic will be covered, and each lecture will be complimented and augmented by a relevant tasting session. Participants will not simply hear about differences based on rice types or yeast types, they will taste and smell them. Students will not only absorb technical data about yamahai, kimoto, nama genshu, aged sake and regionality, they will absorb the pertinent flavors and aromas within the related sake as well. Participants will taste over 90 sake within five focused tasting exercises across the three days.

Like its counterpart held in Japan each winter, it will be quite simply the most thorough and comprehensive English-language sake education in existence. Participants will also be presented with a certificate of completion at the end of the course.

The cost for the three-day class, including all materials and sake for tasting, is $899. Participation is limited and reservations can be made now to secure a seat, with payment due by May 1, 2015.

For more information and a view of the daily syllabus, please go here. For reservations or inquiries, please send an email to sakeguy@gol.com.

I've taken this Sake education course and highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in Sake.

4) To celebrate the first day of spring and put a fun, culinary twist on the phrase, “In like a lion, out like lamb,” Tempo, a staple on Moody Street for the past ten years, is serving a limited-edition lamb-inspired menu. On Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21, diners can enjoy Chef-Owner Nathan Sigel’s prix-fixe, three course menu of lamb three ways and officially bid farewell to winter.

The “In like a Lion, Out like a Lamb” menu will feature the following selection of dishes:

First
Guinness-Braised Leg of Lamb Agnolotti (Guinness and Vermont butter cream sauce with pickled ramps, upland cress and green garlic chips)
Mains
Lamb Polpette (Grass-fed Colorado lamb meatballs, dijon-horseradish cream sauce, spinach pappardelle, crispy red cabbage, fennel and golden beet foam)
Beer Bread & Mint-Crusted Rack of Lamb (Baby spring vegetables and black mission fig-porto jam)
Dessert
Sheep’s Milk Yogurt and Honey Cheesecake (Fresh spring strawberries and pistachio cream)

COST: $39 per person (tax + gratuity not included)
For Reservations, please call 781-891-9000

5) The Taste of the North End – one of Boston’s most popular festivals of food, charity, and the rich history of the neighborhood – is taking place on Friday, May 1 this year. Guests can sample from more than 35 popular North End eateries showcasing a wide array of delectable appetizers, cheeses, entrees and desserts, and sip on refreshing libations from area wine and beer distributors. There will also be a high-end silent auction with hotel and restaurant packages, Boston sporting tickets, memorabilia, and more. There will also be a live band performing and dancing is encouraged.

All proceeds from the event are split between multiple non-profit organizations in the North End including elderly, education and health programs to help better then entire community- last year over $100,000 was raised. This is the fifth year that North End Waterfront Health has partnered with the Frattaroli family to put on and host the event.

This year’s event co-chairs are event founder Donato Frattaroli, owner of Lucia Ristorante, and James Luisi, CEO of North End Waterfront Health. The Master of Ceremonies this year is NESN’s “The Dining Playbook” personality Jenny Johnson.

This year’s participating restaurants include: Al Dente, Antico Forno, Aragosta, Artu, Bricco, Cantina Italiana, Carmelina, Ducali, Filippo, Fiore, Gennaro’s 5 North Square, Il Panino, J. Pace, La Summa, Lucca, Lucia Ristorante, Mamma Maria, Massimino, Mercato del Mare, Mike's Pastry, Modern Pastry, Neptune Oyster, Pagliuca, Paul W. Marks, Piantedosi Baking, Quattro, Taranta, Terra Mia, Tresca, and Ward 8.

WHERE: DCR Steriti Memorial Ice Rink, 561 Commercial Street,  Boston
WHEN: Friday, May 1, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Tickets are $79 and can be purchased in advance at totne.brownpapertickets.com or by calling 617-643-8105. Tickets are $99 after April 26th.

Eat More U.S. Seafood: The Gulf Coast

“In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans.”
--Kahlil Gibran

As I previously Ranted, I am disturbed that the U.S. imports 91% of their seafood, up 5% from 2010. It is unbelievable that less than 10% of the seafood we consume is from our own country. We need to give much more support to our local fisheries, to savor and cherish the abundance of seafood that is available from our shores. When I was at International Boston Seafood Show (IBSS), I wanted to highlight at least a few domestic fisheries, to showcase the reasons why consumers should choose U.S. seafood.

In New England, we have some amazing seafood, but there are concerns about depleted fish stocks. Consider the recent drastic cuts to the allowable catches of cod due to severely low stocks. The rest of the country also has fish species which are unavailable in our waters. Though we need to support our New England fisheries, that doesn't mean we can't also support other U.S. fisheries. For example, rather than purchase foreign shrimp, we could purchase shrimp from the Gulf region.

At IBSS, I spent some time talking with representatives of the Gulf Coast Seafood coalition, which includes Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The Gulf of Mexico is a fertile marine region, and yields a greater number of fin fish, shrimp, and shellfish annually than the south and mid-Atlantic, Chesapeake, and New England regions combined. The Gulf produces about 82% of the U.S. total of shrimp and 59% of the total of oysters. Why shouldn't we enjoy this rich bounty?

Much of my time was spent time chatting with Chef Justin Timineri, the executive chef and culinary ambassador of the Florida Dept. of Agriculture, as well as several other Gulf representatives. Chef Timineri is also the resident chef on How To Do Florida, a television series where he primarily discusses and cooks seafood. Chef Timineri was very personable, and obviously passionate about Gulf seafood.

One of Chef Timineri's primary goals is to get people comfortable with eating and cooking seafood. He shows them how to simply prepare seafood at home, to reduce the intimidation factor so that they are more apt to eat seafood. He suggests that they start with easier seafood, such as shrimp and clams, and then work their way up to fin fish. That is good advice for people all over the country and not just in the Gulf. To get more people to enjoy seafood, they need to be led there, to have it made easier for them.

Many people complain about the higher price of seafood, and there is validity that seafood often costs more than other proteins. However, Chef Timineri rightly pointed out that such people ignore the long term price of eating cheap processed food. Though seafood might be more expensive in the short term, its great health benefits more than outweigh the long term price of processed foods. People need to consider the long term rather than the short. In addition, they need to consider portion sizes, and they don't need to buy huge pieces of fish to have a good meal.

The waters of the Gulf of Mexico are rich in nutrients, providing great flavor to the seafood. That means that the seafood can be enjoyed with only simple preparation and Chef Timineri enjoys creating recipes with light preparations. Last year, I asked a number of Gulf fisheries whether the BP oil disaster of 2010 still plagued their waters or not. In general, they all answered in the negative and this year, the answer was the same. The waters are clean and consumer confidence is high. As for any worries of mercury/PCBs, Chef Timineri advised that people diversify what they eat, similar advice to what others have said at IBSS.

With sustainability being so important, the Gulf region has been working on numerous initiatives to indicate the sustainability of their fisheries, such as 3rd party certifications. For example, the Louisiana blue crab fishery became Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified in 2012, the first such blue crab fishery to acquire that certification. The Gulf region has also recently instituted the Gulf Seafood Trace program, a way to track exactly where seafood comes from. This is a way to tell the story of the seafood, a way to help market their seafood as well as show its traceability. Approximately 56 seafood businesses, 25% of the total amount, are currently part of this program.

The seafood in the Gulf is seasonal and it is worthwhile to purchase what is in season, as it will tend to be less expensive then, as well as at its best taste. Chef Timineri wants to emphasize that Gulf seafood is very flavorful and is also some of the most highly tested seafood in the U.S. The top three seafoods in the Gulf are shrimp, oysters and then blue crab. I asked Chef Timineri his favorite Gulf seafood and he said Stone Crab Claws, followed by Pompano. Outside the Gulf, he prefers King/Snow Crab.

The Gulf contains some intriguing creatures and ways to cultivate them.

In Florida, they raise alligators for their meat. Chef Timineri states that alligator is great to cook and versatile as well as high in protein and low in fat. He likes to make gator chili or Italian dishes like piccata, treating gator like veal. He also feels that the ribs are unique and he has even been experimenting with the tongue.

Stone crabs possess a large crusher claw which contains delicious meat. It is sustainable in a more unique way. Fishermen can tear off the claw and then throw the crab back into the water, where the crab will regenerate its claw although it appears the crab can only do this three or four times during its life.

Gulf oysters are often triploids, sterile creatures that put their energy into growth rather than reproduction. They are plump, with good color and have a nice salinity, though they are less briny than oysters in New England. They are grown in cages near the top of the water so there is less waste. In addition, as the cages can be easily moved, the oysters can be tailored to meet specific demands, such as creating a larger cup in the shell.

So why aren't you enjoying more seafood from the Gulf?

International Boston Seafood Show: Food of Interest

"Scallops are expensive, so they should be treated with some class. But then, I suppose that every creature that gives his life for our table should be treated with class."
--Jeff Smith

One of my anticipated pleasures of attending the International Boston Seafood Show is the opportunity to gorge myself on a smorgasbord of seafood, to partake of new products and old, of shellfish to sushi, fried  shrimp to smoked salmon. Exhibitors desire to entice potential purchasers to their booth so many offer samples of their foods. In addition, these exhibitors hope to ignite some positive press for their products. Most of them have been very open to me, sharing information, and I enjoy highlighting those foods which most enticed my palate.

I taste many different items at the show, enjoying the majority of them, but I only choose to mention a small number, those which especially appealed to me. I want to share with my readers the best of the best, some of the most compelling products at the show. With over 1800 exhibitors, I know I did not sample seafood from each and every booth, so I may have missed some exceptional foods. If you attended the Seafood Show, and have your own favorite samples, feel free to tell me about them in the comments.

There is a ton of salmon available for sampling at the show. Some of my favorites came from Spence & Co., Ltd., which primarily is a purveyor of smoked salmon though they currently sell over 80 products. The company was founded by a Alan Spence, a master smoker from Scotland. They produce smoked salmon in a traditional Scottish method, which gives it a more restrained smoky taste. Some of their more unique items, which I did not taste, include smoked salmon from New Zealand, which uses Manuka wood, and salmon from recipes by famed chef Charlie Trotter, such as the Darjeeling Tea & Ginger Cured Salmon.

Last month, the Japanese government placed unagi, the Japanese eel, on the Environment Ministry's Red List, listing it as Endangered. Catches have been at record lows, declining to about 5% of what were caught in the 1960s. Japan is the primary consumer of these eels, eating about 70% of the production.  percent of all eel produced worldwide. The Red List is more an advisory and does not create any legal regulation, so hopefully the government will take notice and actually do something to protect the unagi. To protect the unagi, it would be beneficial to find other sustainable fish which might closely replicate the taste of unagi.

Triad Fisheries, in Alaska, has created one such option, and I was impressed with the result. Their Alaska Sablefish Unagi Style recently won two Symphony of Seafood awards, including #1 2013 Foodservice & People's Choice Seattle. This product is wild Alaskan sablefish, with an unagi marinade, which is precooked and ready to heat and serve. First, I found this fish to be absolutely delicious. It seemed to share some of the texture of the unagi, which is important, and a bit of the taste. It may not be a perfect replication of unagi, but because it is so tasty, and has a similar texture, I think this would be a very good replacement.

Another Alaskan treat was the Aqua Cuisine Seafood Lit'l Sammies Smoked Salmon Cocktail Franks, which also won a Symphony of Seafood award for #1 2013 Smoked. These are made from 100% wild Alaskan Salmon and are all natural, with no artificial ingredients. They are low in fat, high in protein, and free of nitrite and nitrates. They had a nice texture, just a bit looser than a regular hot dog, and you definitely tasted the salmon and mild smokiness. They would make a great alternative for a cocktail party or tail gate party.

Almost hidden in the rear of the show, amidst a number of Korean booths, I stumbled upon HaeMatt Co., Ltd. which produces Korean Myeong-Ran, a roasted laver. You probably are more familiar with laver by its Japanese name, nori, which is often used to wrap sushi. In Korea, roasted lavery is associated with fertility and is often served at weddings. It may also be eaten as an appetizer or snack. This seasoned laver is made from laver, brown rice, pollock roe seasoning, perilla oil and sesame oil. Some chili pepper powder may have been added as well. I enjoyed the seasoned laver, which I found crunchy with a nice depth of seasoning though I did not find it spicy. I could see though how it might be an addictive snack. And you could always add your own hot spices.

Black Diamond Caviar, produced by Warbucks International Seafood, is produced in Louisiana and they make three different types. In general, the caviar costs about $50 for a 3.75 ounce jar. I believe that the caviar I tasted was from the bowfin, known locally as the choupique. It is a freshwater fish, more ancient than sturgeons, from Louisiana and their roe is naturally black. I liked the taste of this caviar, which had a mild brininess, no fishy aftertaste and has a silky smooth texture. A good, sustainable choice.

I love a good mussel, and the type of broth they are prepared in matters a lot. Canadian Cove produces Prince Edward Island Mussels, which are rope grown and sustainable. The mussels are good for your health too as they are low calorie, a good source of lean protein, and have plenty of Omega-3s, iron and Vitamin B12. The mussels were large and plump, cooked in a Sweet Thai broth, and really satisfied me. Fortunately, they also had slices of bread for dunking into the flavorful broth.

The British Columbia Pavilion offered samples of a number of different types of sustainable seafood. In British Colombia, they produce over 100 species of seafood, exporting about 80% and the U.S. receives about 57% of those exports. Salmon accounts for about 40% of all B.C. production. British Colombia is big on food safety, traceability and sustainability.

At the show, their chef was Nathan Fong, a food stylist, journalist, and TV personality, who was born in Vancouver. Next to Nathan, you may recognize Jacqueline Church, the Leather District Gourmet, who assisted Nathan at the show. Nathan spent lots of time preparing various dishes, showcasing the delicious seafood of British Columbia. I stopped by their booth several times to see what the next recipe might be. A luscious sablefish, caviar & scrambled eggs, uni, fried rockfish, and more. Overall, this ended up as the tastiest booth at the entire show, with an excellent variety of delicious seafood, prepared very well.

Salmon on a stick!

One of the treasures from the British Columbia booth was the Northern Divine Caviar. This is the first certified organic caviar in North America, from thirteen year old White Sturgeons. The company began producing caviar in 2011 but became a commercial entity in 2012. The sturgeon was raised in tanks on land and they produce only a few hundred kilos each year. They have been certified by Canadian Organic Aquaculture as well as Global Trust. Currently, they are sold mostly in Canada, though you can find it in the U.S. and they are seeking more distributors. It is pricey, at about $88 for 30 grams, but then caviar has never been an inexpensive luxury. The taste is exquisite, smooth, briny and buttery without any fishy aftertaste. One of the better caviars I have tasted in the last few years. And paired with even scrambled eggs, they make a great dish. Splurge and check out this caviar.

“The sea hath fish for every man.”
--William Camden