Crappie – It’s Not Just For Supper

HAPPY BELATED MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL YOU MOM'S OUT THERE

We had several small pieces of crappie (pronouned croppie around here) left from our meal the other night and surprisingly, Bev suggested we have them for breakfast – she never wants fish in the morning.  So I picked myself up off the floor and said “sounds good to me.”  We mixed up a 75/25 mix of cornmeal/flour for dredging after dusting with Sint Maarten Jerk Seasoning, which we've used on several things lately and really like.  It doesn't have the strong allspice flavor typical of most jerk seasoning.

Bev just ate the fish, but I added a couple of sunny-side-up, dippy eggs and a piece of sour dough toast to mine.  She also added some Sint Maarten hot sauce to her fish but I forgot to try it.

Pan fried fish is just darned hard to beat for any meal and this was an excellent way to start the day, providing me with protein, carbs, and a smile.

Photos best if enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

5/8/13 meal date

Swimming With A Dolphin For Madison

During our trip to Palm Beach, FL, we visited Marineland so Madison could swim with the dolphins.  It is located south of St. Augustine and only about five minutes from where we were staying with friends, David and Peggy, at Palm Coast.

“Marineland of Florida” opened in 1938 as “Marine Studios” and had 30,000+ guests the first day.  In the fifties, it was the most popular tourist destination in Florida.  Through the years, other attractions opened, storms hit, the facility and visitors declined, and it fell on hard times. 

In 2004, it began to transform itself into “Marineland’s Dolphin Conservation Center” which opened in 2006 and is focused on education and intimate animal-human interactions.  In 2011, it was sold to Georgia Aquarium and now has some good financial backing.

They don’t really have shows like you might see at Sea World but focus on learning about and swimming with the dolphins, however the dolphins do put on quite a show before and during the swimming part as can be seen from some of my shots, such as the header.

Madison’s group consisted of four kids and one adult (one kid’s dad) and their event began with a 30 minute orientation where they were told about the dolphins in the tanks and how they trained them (one of them was born in the late 50's).  Then it was into the pool to be up close and personal with one of them with each swimmer getting equal time and making the motions the trainers use to get the dolphins to respond.

The first set of shots and the header were taken when we arrived and while the swimmers were in orientation – I was pleased the shots thru the tank glass came out so well.

These are shots during the swim session which lasted about 30 minutes.  Madison, the redhead, declined a wet suit and learned a valuable lesson in the 70* water – she looked pretty cold the whole time.

They were supposed to be closer in the last shot but Madison didn't get into the middle of the glass.

She seemed to have a great time and I believe it was a memorable experience.  I carped a little when Bev said it was $200, but after seeing the experience the kids got, it was worth it and it must be popular as there is a two month waiting list during the summer.

Photos best if enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

4/29/13 event date

Seafood Platter in Palm Coast

Our first morning in Palm Coast, we went down to Flagler Beach for breakfast and the Saturday Crafts Fair/ Farmers Market/ Fishing Tournament J

The others were more interested in the crafts but I went to the food area, especially after I saw the lady selling fresh fish – I bought shrimp, scallops, and cobia.  Then Bev & I went through the produce tent and picked up small potatoes, garlic, lemons, and salad ingredients – we stopped at Publix for a bottle on Newman’s Caesar Dressing for the salad and to marinate the cobia.

Our friends share the house with her brother and wife and they had lots stuff to cook with, but I still had to improvise a little with what they had on hand rather than buy what I might normally use.

I was talking with the guy at the fishing tournament tent who is a fishing guide and fish eater, so he gave me some cobia cooking suggestions. It got a two hour soak in the Caesar dressing then I topped it with a little S&P, garlic butter, onion & lemon slices, and fresh parsley - similar to the bluefish I cooked at home.  I wrapped it in foil and cooked over low heat, without flipping, until everything else was done – no meat thermometers were available, so I just guessed at cooking time.

I used Jenn’s method for the small potatoes – check "Jenn’s Food Journey" blog for her recipe and some great shots.  I tossed them in the on-hand salad oil and Italian spices, but put them directly on the grill grate to cook without marinating. I found the 3 minute nuke, per Jenn's recipe, was perfect for the size potatoes I had.

The scallops just got S&P and garlic/ lemon butter (lemon added after the cobia got some garlic butter).  I should have started with oil on them rather butter as they stuck a little.

The shrimp went on the grill last over high heat, and had been lightly sprinkled with Old Bay and then got a heavy coating of the lemon/garlic/butter and were flipped twice with more butter added to create the flame necessary for the charring.  Since I had no basting brush and spooned it on, I had plenty of flame so the shrimp came off pretty quick - I was a little surprised the fire department didn't show up J .

I plated everything, drizzled with a little more of the butter mixture and we dug in.

Other than the scallops sticking, everything was just right and we all thought it was delicious.  The cobia was perfect (blind hog finds an acorn theory) as it was flaky but still moist with a light sheen on the inside.  I’d never eaten it but it was mild enough for Bev and very tasty – I’ll look for it at the fish store at home from now on, at twice the price of course.

My fish-a-thon continues and I had a piece of cobia and a couple of shrimp for breakfast the next day – no eggs though for the second day in a row – no wonder I was cranky J

Photos best if enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

4/28/13 meal date

A Little Trip To Florida With Friends – May 2013

Our friends, David and Peggy, have a second home in Palm Coast, FL and we were finally able to coordinate our schedules for a visit last week. Their home is in Sea Colony, which is a gated community of individual homes on the beach along US-A1A on the strip of land between the Intercostal Waterway and the ocean.

I failed to get a shot of the entrance, but this is their home and the sunroom where we spent most of our at home time.

The community is complete with small lakes for fishing, a nice clubhouse and pool, and walkway to the beach - the first shot is from Google earth.

We went for a walk on the beach at low tide – that’s Bev and Peggy way out ahead of me in the 4th shot.

See the bird above them, it flew by me as well.

Photos best if enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

4/28/13 – 5/2/13 trip date

Chip’s Grilled Bluefish

This was another fish dish I had while Bev was in Sint Maarten (you can see the gills I grew if you come to the blogger party) and I debated whether or not to post it.  Since it was easy, tasty, and I got a good shot, I opted to put it up.  

When Bev and I were first married, her parents made regular fall trips to North Carolina’s Outer Banks to fish for Bluefish, as they made their fall migration, and Black Drum.  Even though she would not eat fish, Bev's mom could sure fry it up good and my first exposure to either of these fishes were at one of her feasts.  I thought both were delicious even though the Blue is known for a strong flavor – as I’ve said before, "never had fish that was too fishy." 

I actually bought the whole trout, posted previously, and this Bluefish filet to try in the smoker, but decided to have both while Bev was away as both Madison and I like fish.  I used the recipe from Food.com - as I wanted to wrap it in foil and cook on the grill and I like the use of mayo on fish, especially salmon.

Grilled Chip’s Bluefish – copied from Food.com

Ingredients:

1 lb. bluefish fillet, with the skin on

3/4 cup Hellman's mayonnaise, or other good brand, not fat free

1 -2 large onion, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, to taste (I used lemon slices)

pepper

Old Bay Seasoning or cajun seasoning (optional)

I didn’t really follow the amounts, but just added what I thought was the right amount of each ingredient, including the Old Bay.

Directions:

1. Preheat Grill.

2. Lay pieces of Bluefish, skin side down, on UNGREASED aluminum foil.

3. Allow enough foil to make a package, sealed at the ends and folded at the top, allowing room for fish to steam.

4. Spread mayonnaise over the top of the fish, it should be very thick, if needed add more, the fish should look like a thickly frosted cake.

5. Lay onion rings on top of fish in several layers, sprinkle with seasonings, and add lemon slices.

6. Bring together foil and fold to make a seal lengthwise over fish, fold in ends.  Remember to keep air space on top of fish.

7. Place fish on preheated grill and close cover.

8. Grill at medium-high heat, about 350-375 for 15 minutes, depending on thickness if fillet.

9. After 15 minutes, carefully open package to check for doneness, you want it just barely done.  (I had a probe thermometer in it and pulled it at 135* internal temp.)

10. Fish is done if it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

(I omitted the following smoking process)

Leaving foil wide open, use a sharp knife or two tined fork to make several holes in the bottom of the foil.

Without disturbing the fish too much, make a few holes right through the fish and through the foil.

Close the cover to the grill and allow the juices and mayonnaise to drip through the foil onto the fire, this will get very smokey but you get that delicate smoked flavor.

After a few minutes of "smoking", remove foil and fish by just sliding if off the grill on to a platter or lifting it, foil and all carefully as not to break it.

11. Using a large spatula, gently slide fish off the foil onto a serving plate, the skin of the fish should stay stuck to the foil.

I thought it was very good and my entire meal was the fish and a piece of garlic toast – perhaps they were just a flavoring, but I also ate some of the onion slices.  I will definitely use the recipe and cooking method for other fish maybe with butter for milder fish.

Photos best if enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

4/19/13 meal date

The Definitive Word On Tequila For Margaritas - Blogger Party

Last Reminder - We need a May 5 RSVP for the Blogger Party.


Last June I posted about making my margaritas and I thought I’d done one about tequila but couldn’t find it, so here are a few basics.  I see the world as having three categories of tequila:

1. Made from 100% agave and cooked the old fashioned way in brick ovens to soften prior to juice extraction – adds a little roasted flavor.

2. Made from 100% agave and cooked in a stainless autoclave to soften.

3. Made from a mixture for agave and grain liquors.

Surprisingly, many of the more famous and less expensive tequilas are in category 3 such as regular Jose Cuervo - they won't say "100% Agave" on the label.

Most brands have tequilas of three main types due to age:

• Blanco – clear and un-aged, sometimes called Plata (Silver)
• Reposado – light brown and aged 2-12 months
• Anejo – darker brown and aged 1-3 years

Myth – tequila has a worm in the bottle, but it’s actually Mezcal that does.

In general, margaritas are made from blanco as the superior and subtle flavors of the aged varieties get lost in the other ingredients.  The high end Anejo’s are preferred for drinking straight as like most liquors they are smoother.

My basic margaritas (the ones Joe and I consume) are made with Sauza Hornitos (100% Agave) tequila, Montezuma Triple Sec, and my mix.  However, a friend recently gifted me a bottle of Avion Silver Tequila which she says is the best and Avion's site says it’s due to the special Blue Weber Agave used to make it – don’t know if it’s a category 1 or 2, but suspect 2.

My go to premium tequila has been Herradura (category 1) for a long time so when Joe came over, a taste test was in order, at least for the first margarita – I can’t afford to drink these full time.  The test had six difference versions using the same ingredient amounts in each. 

• Avion, Triple Sec, mix
• Hera Dura, Triple Sec, mix
• Hornitos, Triple Sec, mix
• Avion, Grand Mariner, mix
• Herradura, Grand Mariner, mix
• Hornitos, Grand Mariner, mix

I was pretty sure 4 & 5 would be preferred but wanted to see if the tequila rating was the same in both.

And for the results – drum roll please.

Bev – Avion with Triple Sec - more tart than the Grand Mariner which she thought it was too sweet.

Joe – Avion with Grand mariner – for the first one and Herra Dura with Triple Sec after.

Larry - Herradura with Grand Mariner for the first one and with Triple Sec after that.        

As can be seen, the premium tequilas came out on top, as expected, and I was a little surprised that we all thought those with Grand Mariner were a little too sweet for more than just one drink.  Maybe I just need to use a little less of it than triple sec.  I’d planned, but we forgot, to taste them straight before the Avion was gone.

.

From my perspective, the good tequila flavor was more obvious with the Avion and Herradura over the Hornitos.  While the Avion is a very good tequila, I still prefer the Herradura as it has a unique smoky flavor that I think comes from cooking in the brick oven.

So now you know what to do from here:

• If you like sweeter, use Grand Mariner
• Sample the two different flavored premiums and pick the taste you prefer
• Make your first margarita from the above
• Make the next ten from Hornitos and triple sec - especially the 10th one.

Okay, so maybe this wasn’t THE definitive word on tequila , but it was some words and a fun little event for Bev, Joe, and I J

Photos best if enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

4/19/13 event date

Crappie With Shrimp In Lemon Scampi Sauce & Nicoise-Like Salad

I’ve said many times that my favorite cookbook is your blogs and I have way too many saved, which is why I’ve been trying to make them soon after your posting so they don’t get lost.  When I saw these two recently I immediately put them in the schedule and it worked perfectly as storm Yogi was moving thru and it was too rainy to work outside.

Dennis from “A Culinary Journey With Chef Dennis” commented that he is not a big fish eater, but his dishes always look sooo good and his Sea Bass With Shrimp In Lemon Scampi Sauce is no exception.  Check out his fine blog for some great photos and the complete recipe, which I followed (except the screw up) and I subbed crappie from the freezer for the bass.

The vegetable and starch part of the meal came from the salad which was inspired by Tricia’s post over at Saving Room For Dessert for Vegetable Nicoise Salad – check out her very nice blog for the recipe and great photos.  

I’d never had the salad so did a little research to discover that there are several versions but it’s basically greens and vegetables (green beans and tomatoes for sure) topped with tuna, anchovies, and a vinaigrette and since mine has no tuna or green beans, I’ve called it a nicoise-like salad.  I used the vinaigrette recipe from Simply Recipes as it was very similar to Tricia’s but contained shallots, which I like.

Vinaigrette – copied from Simply Recipes

1/2 cup lemon juice

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium shallot, minced

1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves

2 Tbsp minced fresh basil leaves

2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk lemon juice, oil, shallot, thyme, basil, oregano, and mustard in medium bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Salad:

1¼ lb. waxy potatoes, large cubes

6 hard boiled eggs, quartered

Big handful  asparagus spears from the garden

3 med. tomatoes, cut onto wedges

½ cup Kalamata olives

Most of a jar marinated artichoke hearts       

2-3 tbsp. capers, rinsed

3 anchovies (just for me)

Small red onion, thinly sliced

S&P

1. Bring potatoes and 4 quarts cold water to boil in a large pot.  Add 1 tablespoon salt and cook until potatoes are tender.  Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon (do not discard boiling water). Toss warm potatoes with 1/4 cup vinaigrette; set aside.  I used the same bowl to toss everything.

2. Bring the water to a boil again, add the asparagus, and cook for 3-4 minutes (depending on size), remove from water with tongs and add to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process.  When cool, dry and toss with 3 tbsp. of the vinaigrette.

3. Toss the lettuce leaves with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette and arrange them on a platter.

4. Gently toss tomatoes, red onion, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Arrange everything on the lettuce bed and drizzle the eggs with vinaigrette.  Sprinkle entire salad with capers (if using), any remaining vinaigrette, as needed, and serve immediately.

I had too much stuff for the platter so it wasn't very pretty.

Plate the fish and let everyone serve the salad to themselves.

I really liked both dishes, but the fish wasn’t as good as it would have been had the cook done it right.  The recipe was for two servings, but I had fish for five and failed to triple the sauce recipe – duh.  I'd like to say that I had too many things going on at one time or that the cooking happened after a tequila taste test (details in a later post), but the reality is I laid out and printed the recipes while sipping my morning coffee in the peace and comfort of my chair.  Sorry Dennis, but I’ll do better next time.

I had salad the next morning for breakfast and while the lettuce was not as crisp, it was more flavorful than for supper.  Next time, I think I'll go with halved cherry tomatoes, which was my first instinct for this time and make it an hour or so before serving.

Photos best if enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

4/19/13 meal date