My schedule hadn’t allowed me to visit this one before- it runs from 9 to 1 on Tuesdays in an uptown parking lot near the river, and hearsay kept me from re-arranging my work to take a visit (foodie friends I trust didn’t exactly seem impressed with the pickings at this market).

At first all I saw was the usual, selection of ready-to-eat foods like spreads, pies, and juices for sale. These products are nice, but typically not too wholesome, nor what I am looking for. Like the last few times I visited the farmers market, I started to remind myself that I’m not in Cambridge anymore (where I was spoiled with fresh organic options all around) when …

Wow oh Wow! I spotted all the fresh flowers, and felt pleasantly pleased that I took the trek. I picked out vibrant sunflowers with dark purple leaves as the centerpieces for the table arrangements I was in charge of making. (They were a huge hit!)

Then I found a nice selection of fresh produce stands, none organic but some displaying “biodynamic” or “no spray” signs. They were full of mounds of fresh Creole tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, and lots of greens. This made me happy!

Enticed by the size and strangeness of a big leafy green vegetable which the vendor described as a “sweet cross between bok choy and mustard greens” for only $3, I handed over the cash and carefully eased it into my oversized shopping bag. Of course I was too excited about this enormous bargain that I didn’t catch the name of the cultivator.

Below there’s a picture of the Mystery Vegetable from the Crescent City Farmers Market. It was even larger when I bought it– it had been wilting out of refrigeration for 6 hours when this picture was taken!

Challenged by how to even wash this vegetable’s mammoth leaves, I decided to chop it up and cook it as I’d cook any leafy greens, as detailed below. I recommend using a cast iron pan.

Leafy Greens Recipe

This recipe works well with any leafy greens (such as chard, kale, or collards). Its a great source of fiber, vitamins A & K, and cancer-fighting compounds. It makes a great dinner alongside some baked butternut squash and grilled fish.

Ingredients:

• Washed greens
• Chopped fresh garlic
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
  
• Optional: hard cheese (like Pecorino or Romano).
  

Instructions:

Rip the green part of the leaves off of the hard middle stem, making two piles (the stems are completely edible, but need to be cooked longer). Chop the leaf pile part coarsely, then the stem pile as thinly as possible, to even out the cooking time of both parts of the plant.

Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat.

Chop a few cloves of fresh garlic and throw it in when the oil gets hot. Saute until the garlic appears very light brown- just a few minutes.

Add the stems of the greens and stir around for a few minutes.

Add the leaves, stir until they wilt, adding salt as the greens cook (some salt is needed in this recipe to cut the bitterness of the greens).

Add freshly ground pepper and little shredded sharp cheese over the greens. Bon Apetit!

This big vegetable lasted my household greens for about 2 weeks, although I am still trying to find out what it is called!

I admit, it is a little cliche, but the New Year has brought about a good excuse for me to become more motivated to eat well and exercise.  Truthfully, I am feeling quite positive about my new lifestyle, except for one thing:  I know I need to cut back on my over-consumption of pasta.  Pasta is my achilles heel.  I love it.  Not only is it the first thing that usually comes to mind when I am thinking about what to cook, it is usually what I crave whenever I am seeking any sort of culinary comfort.  For these reasons, I eat a lot of pasta.

As part of my resolution, I am seeking ways to get the same comfort and satisfaction I get from pasta without actually using any pasta, and this was the first dish that really hit the mark.   Preparing it was as easy as throwing together pasta dish, and eating it felt deliciously familiar and comfortable.  The other bonus to this dish is that the mushrooms could be stuffed with many different ingredients.

Allow one large portabello for each person you are feeding.  I served the dish with a light salad, and I was stuffed - no pun intended.

Ingredients:

• 4 large portabella mushrooms, with stems, brushed clean
• 5 pieces of Canadian bacon, chopped into 1/2 inch peices
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 small red or greed chili, finely diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons of bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 can or jar of tomato sauce
• Salt
• Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Brush the mushrooms clean with a most towel.  Remove the stem, chop into 1/4 inch dice and reserve.  In a shallow baking dish, season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and sprinkle with a tablespoon of olive oil each.  With the underside of the mushroom cap facing up, place in the oven to begin roasting.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add two tablespoons of olive oil.  When the oil is hot, add the Canadian bacon.  Once the Canadian bacon is beginning to brown, add the onion, peppers, and garlic and salt to taste.  Cook until the vegtables begin to soften.  Add the mushroom stems.  Continue to saute until the vegtables are soft, about 7 mimutes. Turn off the heat and add the breadcrums and the feta cheese.  Toss throughly until mixture is combined.

Remove the mushroom caps from the oven.  Carefully remove the caps from the dish and pour in the tomato sauce.  Return the mushroom caps so that Top the caps with the stuffing mixture.  Cover with mozarella cheese and return to the oven.  Bake the mushrooms at 375 for twenty minutes.  Turn the heat up to 475 for the last few minutes just to brown the cheese.

Serve one stuffed mushroom to each person and cover with the tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.  Serve immediately.

See the title of this post?  Really just fancy talk for coconut shrimp that you can get all over the place, but these really are good - especially when you can dip ‘em in some awesome sauce.  The Panko breadcrumbs also are a great addition, coarse and crunchy - they add a great flavor and texture to these delicious morsels.

I don’t know about you, but I’m the type of guy that usually goes into a market with a plan of what I feel like cooking or eating - but I’ve found that these plans can get screwed up thanks to bad looking ingredients or lack of ingredient altogether.  Today was no different, as I was planning on making some salad as the main event of tonight’s dinner, and was going to accompany it with some seafood - salmon or something.

So after becoming fed up with the seafood at the local supermarket, I decided to make the somewhat longer trip over to the local fish monger - New Deal Fish Market in East Cambridge.  The first thing I noticed was that fact that they had some great looking Monkfish, which is pretty hard to find (local markets are AWESOME).  They also had some awesome looking clams, but as you can see from the previous post, that would be redundant. The shrimp also looked great, and were wild and American which is awesome too.  These are the shrimp that you just want to buy.

So salad and shrimp it was - Aimee’s Caesar in this case, which really goes with anything it’s so good (especially when she makes it).  The orange maple mustard is a great accompaniment (original from the fringe of my fridge BTW) - check below for the recipe.  Here’s how the shrimp turned out:

• 12 (21/lb) Raw Shrimp - Peeled and de-veined, tails on
• 2 heaping Tbsp. all purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup shaved dried coconut
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• Orange Maple Mustard (see below)

Start with the oil and a heavy bottomed pot - a dutch oven or cast iron skillet (skillet in my case, thanks to Taylor’s Xmas gift).  Heat the oil to 350F, or until you see a tiny bit of current coming from the bottom of the pot.

Set up 3 bowls.  Add the flour to one, the egg to another (scramble it with a little water), and the panko and coconut to another.  Mix the coconut and breadcrumbs together.

Once the Shimp are prepped, start with the flour, coating the shrimp but dusting off any excess.  Take them from the flour to the egg wash to the Panko and into the oil.  Fry, turning once and then move them to a rack or paper towels.

For the Orange Maple Mustard:

• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. orange marmalade
• 1 tsp. grade A maple syrup
• 1 to 1.5 tsp. lemon juice (depending on taste)
• Few drops Tabasco

Mix ingredients together well and serve alongside shrimp.

New England is famous for “steamahs“, a dish often found at traditional lobster shacks and clam bakes. This dish typically is made by steaming clams or mussels in ocean water or white white and serving them with melted butter and clam wash to take care of the sand. Hard to complain about that. However, many dining establishments are now upgrading this classic by adding a few more ingredients to the steaming broth and serving the dish with a nice crusty piece of French or sourdough toast.

The bread (example recipe below) is used for the ultimate dipping instrument - sometimes decadently topped with some aioli or basil mayo. There is a little place in Cape Porpoise, Maine called The Ramp that has mastered this dish by offering three different varieties, all of which by far outshine the wine and butter method. Delicious. The recipe that I have included here is still simple and quick, but is satisfying as a meal on its own.

I use Little Neck or Manila clams, since I began making them when I was living on the west coast and steamers are not available.

They can be made with steamers, but be prepared to deal with the beard. This recipe would also be delicious with mussels. Serve with plenty of hot garlic bread, because you will want to soak up every last bit of that broth.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds of Little Neck or Manila clams, scrubbed and rinsed to get rid of sand or grit
• 4 strips of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 3 large shallots, roughly chopped
• 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 container of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 cups of dry white wine
• 3 cups of chicken stock
• 1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley
• Salt and red pepper flakes to taste

Heat a large, deep skillet with a lid over medium high heat. Add the cut bacon and cook until brown and crispy. Add the shallots and cook until they begin to become translucent. Add the garlic and salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Once the garlic softens, add the wine. Bring the wine to a boil and then add the stock. Once the liquid is boiling, add the clams and tomatoes and cover.

Reduce the heat to medium and let the clams cook for 7-10 minutes, or until almost all of the clams have opened and released their juices into the broth. Discard any clams that did not open, as this means they were dead before you cooked them and are not safe to eat. Just before serving, add the parsley and taste to see if you need to add any more salt. Serve immediately. Recipe makes four or five dinner sized servings.

Quick Garlic Bread Recipe:

Ingredients:

• Good, crusty French or sourdough baguette
• 4 tablespoons of room temperature butter
• Minced fresh herbs (parsely, thyme, rosemary)
• 3 cloves of glaric
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, add the minced herbs to the butter. Using a garlic press, add the garlic to the butter and herbs. Add salt. Slice the baguette in half lengthwise, and spread the butter mixture over the bread. Bake for 10 minutes or until the bread becomes golden on the top.

Greetings from Kauai!  This story starts when we were invited to a friend’s home for a Holiday breakfast. There’s a nice tradition on the island that everyone invited for a meal brings a dish or two to share, even if the host tells you not to. We’re bringing musubi, an island favorite. Musubi means something like ‘sandwich’. Out here it refers to a slab of Spam, with sticky rice, wrapped up in typical sushi nori (seaweed wrap).

I know, Spam is gross, whatever. The first time I brought it to a pot luck in Maine, despite Lisa’s protest, people made icky faces and sniffed un-approvingly. Then they tried one. Trust me, these things disappear like minnows in the shark tank; you won’t have to deal with leftovers. For you East coast folks, they’re an easy to make novelty. Musubi is generally sold in convenience stores with a slice of spam the size of a cellphone, almost meal sized. For parties, I like to serve it in bite size wheels, sushi roll style.

You can follow my directions, or there’s a very entertaining instructional video available showing the traditional musubi way, without the Spam: http://www.musubi.org

Ingredients: (makes about 50 wheels, an appetizer for 10-12 people)

• 1 can of Spam

• Sushi Rice, about 2 cups cooked.

• Nori wrap, 12-15 half sheets, about 4 x8 inches.

• Wasabi

• Soy Sauce (here it’s called shoyu)

Method:

Bring rice pot to boil, 1-1/2 cups rice with 2-1/4 cups sushi rice, stir and turn to low heat until all water is absorbed. Stir occasionally to keep the bottom from forming a skin. Slice the Spam loaf lengthwise into four slabs, then again making 16 square sticks. Brown the Spam fingers in a skillet, nice and brown; this leaves a hint of crunchiness which is very satisfying.

You need to roll ‘em while the rice is still warm; the steam cures the dry, crackly nori into a sturdy wrapper. The secret to this whole thing is to keep your fingers free of sticky rice, which will make a mess out of the fragile nori. Keep a bowl of water and a roll of paper towels handy for frequent clean-up.

Place a half sheet on a clean, dry surface. Use a wooden or plastic spoon to scoop rice onto the nori. Use a scoop about the size of two golf balls. Starting at one end, gently spread the rice into an even layer, about ¼ inch thick that covers about one half of the wrapper. Finger paint a stripe of wasabi across the rice layer. Place a Spam stick across the rice and roll it up. The aim is to get the Spam centered in the roll with an even layer of rice around it.

Don’t wrap too tight, the nori will shrink as it cools and dries, it will split like a boiled hot dog if it’s too tight. Place the rolled musubi on a plate with the flap on the bottom, the moisture from the rice will glue the whole thing together in about 10 minutes.

Use your sharpest knife to slice the rolls in half, then in half again to make 4 wheels from each roll. You can trim the ends if you like. Take care not to crowd them on the plate, they can stick together as they cool and ruin your party. Most people like to dip them into soy sauce, with a little wasabi stirred in.

Here are some other Hawaiian Recipes to remind you of the islands:

Kalua Pig: http://singleguychef.blogspot.com/2007/07/no-nonsense-kalua-pig.html

Tuna Poke: http://www.foodfashionista.com/food_fashionista/2008/09/sam-choys-spicy.html

Lomi Lomi Salmon: http://www.fishmaui.com/fish-recipes/lomilomi.html

I’ve always thought that the potato was a great vegetable.  It’s nutritious, easy to grow, and can be prepared many ways.  If I were to compare it to a vehicle, it would most resemble a ski bum’s Subaru:  road tested, well decorated, and sturdy.  You may have seen an example of one basking in the muddy parking lot of a ski area or tooling down the mountain for some apres beers, its back window an off white due to many miles of travel on dirty, salty back roads, flaunting some ski stickers or funky bumper adornments like antlers or macrame (for those living in crunchier areas).

With that image in mind, and an idea for some apres ski food that might not fit into the traditional mold, I’d like to contribute a recipe for some mashed potatoes that have some extra ingredients that are sure to help you warm up after a long day of shredding the gnar (for non skiier’s, “gnar” refers to “gnar gnar pow pow” or “gnarly powder” or “great conditions” -Editor).

I grew up in Buffalo, and while there isn’t much in the way of skiing there, people have instead adopted a healthy enthusiasm for food that might not be the most heart friendly, but is very delicious, especially when gearing up for some skiing (700 ft. of vert!), or more appropriately, attending a Bills game.  I am speaking about wings, or as many know them “Buffalo Wings.”  You may ask what wings and mashed potatoes have in common, and I have the answer: blue cheese.  I find that adding a generous serving of blue cheese to mashed potatoes, in addition to at least a head of roasted garlic (depending on how many people are being served), makes the dish more exciting, more stimulating to the taste buds, and definitely more interesting.  Without further ado, here is the recipe:

3 to 4 lbs. of potatoes  - I usually go for a mix of new (red) potatoes and Yukon Gold’s, with no real favor given to one type or the other - basically, I just pick out what looks good at the market and take a few more of one depending how I’m feeling that day.

1/3 stick of butter (maybe more) cut into chunks
2 cups of heavy cream
some freshly ground pepper to taste
salt to taste
1 full head of garlic
olive oil as needed
four ounces of blue cheese crumbles

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

To start, take the head of garlic and cut the top bit off so that a large majority of the cloves are exposed.  Grab a sheet of aluminum foil, place the garlic in the center, and wrap the sides of the foil around the garlic, leaving the top of the wrap open.  Drizzle about two table spoons of olive oil over the top of the garlic, making sure that the oil soaks into the garlic.  Scrunch up the top ends of the foil around the garlic and toss the whole thing in the oven for about 30 minutes, making sure that the garlic is standing upright.  While the garlic is roasting, you can prepare and boil the potatoes.

Begin by cutting the potatoes into small chunks - roughly the size of those big, two-toned erasers that you used in grade school.  I like to leave the skin on, as I feel that it adds a nice flavor to the dish, but you can skin ‘em if you wish (just do that before you cut the taters into chunks).

Toss the chunks of potatoes into a pot of lightly salted water and bring to a boil.  This could take a while, depending on the amount of potatoes that you use.   You’ll know when the potatoes are finished when they easily slide off the tines of a fork stuck in them.  Turn off the heat if they’re done.

Check on the garlic - you want it to take on a carmel color, but avoid letting it get too dark brown.  If it is ready, take it out of the oven and let it cool off.  Once cooled, take it out of the foil and remove the cloves with a fork or your fingers.  This can be messy because of the olive oil, but it smells great and if you’re brave and no one is looking, you can pop one of the cloves in your mouth and sample the goods.

The next step would be to drain the liquid from the potatoes.  Make sure to reserve about 2 or 3 cups of the liquid - you might need it to add to the potatoes to facilitate the mashing process.  Begin to mash the potatoes in the pot they were cooked in, and add the butter chunks.  If the mashing is a bit tough, add some of the reserved boiling liquid, as it will help the situation quite a bit and add a little more flavor.  Once the mixture is pretty smooth, slowly pour in the cream as you mash.  Add the garlic cloves and mash some more.  Finally, add the blue cheese.  At this point the potatoes should still be very warm and can be served.   Salt and pepper to taste, or leave out the spices and chow down!

Serves about 10 people (fewer if everybody has been slaying the pow and is HUNGRY).

The scenario: It’s been a hell of a day. The weather is somewhere between snow and rain - not bad enough to warrant a snow day, but plenty dreary to make it hard to get out of bed. You spent too many hours at work. You feel like putting on your slippers and taking a nap on the couch rather than going to the grocery store, but you are in no position to drop forty bucks on take-out that will feed you once and will only only satisfy you until twenty minutes after you begin eating, at which point you know you will feel bloated and slightly guilty for overeating.

You grab your reusable grocery bag and head over to your local market, which is overcrowded and understocked. One thing is for sure: you want pasta, which, let’s face it, is the ultimate comfort food. You start at the meat counter, but everything looks sadly picked over. They are even out of Italian sausage. Yikes. The seafood counter is no better, offering mostly frozen and farm raised selections, none of which seem to work well with what you have in mind. It’s decided - tonight you are going vegetarian.

Pick up an eggplant, a red bell pepper, basil, some mascarpone cheese, and a package of whole grain linguine and make a beeline for the checkout.

With these ingredients and a few other pantry staples, you have a healthy, delicious dinner under control that will fill you up and taste so delicious you will forget about the rest of your day. And the best part is you will be eating it in about 35 minutes. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed, and neither will anyone you feed it to.

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 large red onion
• 1 large or 2 small red bell peppers
• 5-6 cloves of garlic
• Fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 large can San Marzano tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of capers
• Salt
• Crushed Red Pepper
• 1 package whole wheat linguine
• Mascarpone cheese

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Place the bell pepper(s) on a baking sheet and roast in the oven, turning the pepper every five minutes or so until your sauce is ready for it.

Boil water for your pasta. By the time it is boiling and the pasta is done, your sauce will be done.

Peel and slice your eggplant into 1/2 inch cubes. Liberally salt and place in a bowl. Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large, non-stick skillet. Slice red onion into quarter rings and add to the skillet. Peel and half or quarter six cloves of garlic. Don’t be afraid to leave these so large. They will become sweet and caramelized and will add a wonderful flavor to your sauce. Add garlic, red pepper, and some salt to the skillet. Once the onions are beginning to become translucent, add the eggplant. Cover with a secure lid. The eggplant will steam itself as it releases it’s liquid and will break down into a sweet and beautiful mush (see picture above). Cook the vegetables for about 15 minutes. Keep covered, but stir occasionally. Keep turning your red pepper, too!

Once the eggplant becomes mushy and golden (almost like the consistency of a cooked banana), you are ready to add the wine. Cook the alcohol off, and then add the canned tomatoes. If they are whole, crush them with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to low.

Pull your red pepper from the oven. If the skin is not sliding right off, put the pepper in a bowl and cover with saran wrap. The steam will loosen up the skin and continue cooking the flesh. Peel, remove the stem and the seeds, thinly slice, and add to your sauce. Add the capers. Slice the basil into ribbons and add to the sauce. Toss the cooked linguine in with the sauce. Garnish with the mascarpone (mixed with black pepper for an extra kick). Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

Few things in the culinary kingdom are better than mushrooms in my mind - especially when you slow cook them over low heat to get all of their moisture out and concentrate their flavor.  Comforting to no end - especially when paired with a good salad and some bread to soak it all up.

Trust me, this soup is not your traditional out-of-the-can variety cream of mushroom.  It is also not over the top creamy, which I like.  It’s focus is on the mushroom flavor, as it should be in my opinion.  This recipe is one that I owe to Elise over at Simply Recipes - I’ve adapted it a little, but the base is from her site (which I discovered actually appears to be a Wolfgang Puck recipe).  When I was initially searching for a mushroom soup recipe, I decided to try hers because of her inclusion of lemon juice - which I though would pair very well with the flavor of the mushrooms and add something extra that other recipes lacked.  It worked too - you couldn’t really taste the acid of the lemon per se, but there was certainly something there that was bringing the whole soup to life.

I decided to use Crimini mushrooms in this soup, but the better the mushrooms you can gather, the better your soup!  If you can afford it, shitakes, chanterelles or ever porcinis would only enhance this soups flavor - but I was cooking on somewhat of a budget being holiday time, so I decided to go with a more affordable mushroom.

To make this recipe you will need either a food processor or a blender, and both will work (see my instructions below).  A great accompaniment to this soup (a topper) would be garlic croutons from Aimee’s Caeser Salad recipe, and some parsley. Enjoy!

• 1 lb. Mushrooms - A combination of Criminis, Shitakes, Portobellos, Chanterelles, Porcinis (I used all criminis (baby portobello), which is totally fine)
• 3 medium sized shallots - minced or grated
• 1 clove garlic - finely minced or crushed into a paste
• 5-6 thyme sprigs - leaves removed and chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
• 2-3 c. chicken stock (homemade preferable) - amount depends on the consistency you like your soup to be - for a thicker soup, use less stock
• 1 1/2 - 2 c. Cream (half and half or heavy cream or both)
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper
• chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Start out by prepping the mushrooms:

• Criminis (baby bellas): clean any dirt off the mushrooms (try not to run them under water though!!!) and trim the ends of the stems off, then quarter them.
• Shitakes: remove the stems and quarter the caps.
• Porcinis: clean off any dirt and quarter them, stem and all.
• Chanterelles: cut them lengthwise into quarters.
• Portobellos: stems should already be removed - cut the caps into 1/2 inch strips and then half the strips.

**Food processor method**: Once you have your mushrooms prepped: load them up into you food processor with the juice of half of the lemon and chop until they are the consistency of a fine dice. (see the ‘no food processor method’ below)

Meanwhile, in a heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium heat, add in the shallots and cook for 4-5 minutes until translucent.  Add in the garlic, thyme, bay leaves and mushrooms and continue to cook over medium-low heat.  Salt the ingredients at this point to help the moisture release.  As the mushrooms begin to cook, you’ll see that they release some moisture.  This is a good thing - continue to cook them until you can see that all of this moisture has cooked off - may take 10-15 minutes.  Make sure the heat is low enough so they don’t brown too much.

Once the moisture is gone - add in the stock, cream, lemon zest, black pepper and a little more salt.  Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer and let this cook for around 15-20 minutes.  Add in the rest of the lemon juice and stir to combine.  Taste the soup at this point and adjust the salt levels as needed for your tastes.  If the soup is too thin at this point, continue to cook - if it is too thick, add a little more stock.

If you desire a less chunky soup, you can run the soup through a blender at this point, but I would not recommend using a sieve to strain this soup.  If you are fine with the consistency, serve it as is!  Top with some croutons and chopped parsley - and if you really want to take it over the top, finish it with some truffle oil.

**No food processor method**: Cook the prepped mushrooms in the pan as you would with the chopped mushrooms, but you will need to cook them for a little longer to render out the moisture.  You will also want to use a blender to puree the soup after it is done cooking, then bring back to the heat and cook down or thin as necessary.

Serves 4-5

Don’t let me fool you, this recipe is rather rich and rather French.  If you’ve never poached fish, go ahead and try it with a fish with a fairly high fat content like Salmon, Sea Bass or Sardines even.  It’s tougher to overcook and will stand up better to this cooking process.

Salmon is always a tough protein for me to judge.  I think everyone can relate to walking into the supermarket or fish monger and seeing the typical two types of salmon staring you in the face.  You have the more commonly found farmed salmon, which as we know allegedly get ‘dyed’ with pink dye to look like the real thing.  Then there’s the wild stuff, which usually doesn’t look as good as the farmed to the naked eye.  The wild stuff is usually about double the price too, so how is someone supposed to decide?

Well I usually go with the wild salmon, as I think it just tastes better, but I will buy farmed too - it’s still delicious if you can get past the whole dye thing.  A note about wild salmon is that in many cases, it doesn’t need to be cooked as long.  We got some wild Sockeye salmon for this recipe and it literally was done in 5 minutes.  You don’t want to overcook salmon, and while it can be hard to do this when poaching, a nice medium rare is really what you’re looking for.

Chanterelles on the other hand are such a treat when they are around.  You can usually find them dried year round, but are only fresh on the shelf for a short period (right around Oct-Dec they’re exquisite!).  Chanterelles are wild mushrooms harvested from the forest floor and usually grow very well in the pacific northwest.  Their flavor is very potent, almost resembling truffles - just taking a good sniff of a ripe Chanterelle will let you know that this is a rich ingredient.  If you do happen upon some, make sure they’re in really good shape before you buy them, they’re not worth the money otherwise (usually around $25/pound…no joke).

I decided to poach some salmon and make a little Chanterelle pan sauce and serve it over the salmon.  This is also one of those meals that is fairly simple and easy to make, but it will make you look like you’ve been slaving away for hours.

• Fillet of salmon - .4-.5 Lb per person (this recipe serves 4 people - so 1.75 fillet is perfect) - cut into steaks.
• 1 lb. Chanterelle Mushrooms (use less if you want) - chopped lengthwise and leave them fairly big!  you want the pieces to be big enough to chew!
• 1 1/2 c. Fish/seafood stock
• 1/2 c. white wine - a decent chardonnay or sauvignon blanc
• 1 medium yellow onion - julienned or sliced into half moon shapes
• 2 cloves garlic - roughly chopped
• 7-8 sprigs of Thyme - leaves left on
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 Cream (1/2 and 1/2 works fine too)
• 2-3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating your butter in a medium-sized pan over medium heat.  Add in the Chanterelles and cook, browning the mushrooms a little bit but be sure not to burn them or overcook!  Some juices from the mushrooms will be released, just leave that in the pan.  Remove the mushrooms from the pan, leaving the juices behind and set them aside.

Lower the heat a little bit and add the onion garlic and thyme sprigs to the pan and cook quickly.  You don’t want them to get any color whatsoever.  Add in the stock and wine next and use a utensil to pick up any mushroom bits that get stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Add in the salmon (there should be enough liquid to cover the fish) and cover the pan.  Monitor the Salmon though, it will cook pretty fast.  You want it to be medium rare as I mentioned before, to if necessary, use a fork to check its doneness.  When it’s finished cooking, remove it from the pan, leaving the poaching liquid.

Turn the heat up to medium-high and let the liquid cook off and reduce by half to 3/4.  You then want to strain the liquid through a sieve into a separate bowl (don’t let this go down the drain!!!).  Bring the heat down to low and add the liquid back to the pan.  Add in the Dijon mustard, cream lemon juice and salt and pepper to the mixture and bring to a gentle boil.  You want this to cook for a little while and thicken into more of sauce like consistency.  Add 1/2 of the Chanterelles back into the sauce.

To serve, ladle a puddle of the sauce onto the middle of a plate and place the salmon in the middle on top of the sauce.  Put some chanterelles on top of the fish and a little sauce on top of them and serve!

Serves 4

Here are some more insane looking Chanterelles recipes!

- Herbivoracious: Bruchetta with Chanterelles and Brie
- CD Kitchen: Bucatini With Chanterelles, Spring Peas & Prosciutto
- RecipeZaar: Mashed Potatoes with Chanterelles and Truffle Oil

Ok, so back to the list.  The following is the top 10 of the Top Beers in America post.  These beers that are mentioned here are my favorite beverages in any season.  I’m not separating these out by type (lager, bock, IPA, etc…) - that post might come later on.  I am also trying to keep this list to beers that are “fairly accessible” nationally, though there will be some that may be only available on either coast or in the middle.  I’m also not limiting this to ‘year round’ beers…there may be a few that are only available seasonally.  If you agree or disagree let me know, I welcome any input!  Here goes my top 10:  (ABV = Alcohol content)

**Bonus Beer**: Yuengling Traditional Lager, Yuengling Beer Company, Pottsville, PA

Yuengling Lager is brewed in the oldest brewery in the United States.  Opened in 1829 in Pottsvile, PA, Yuengling has been producing their Traditional Lager pretty much ever since.  While the beer itself has gotten a face lift or two over the years, the recipe for this Lager has its roots in the grand traditions and method of German beer makers where the Yuengling family emigrated from.  While you can only find Yuengling in certain eastern states, I highly recommend trying one the next time you’re in Philadelphia or New York City.  It’s light, crisp and refreshing - a bit of sweetness and a clean finish make it extremely drinkable.
Food Pairing: Philly Cheesesteak - Ordered “Wiz With” - Don’t let ‘em fool you, it’s the only way to go.

10. Long Trail Double Bag Long Trail Brewery, Bridgewater Corners, VT

Look out for this beer my friends.  A few bottles of this stuff will set you on your rear end, that’s for sure.  Aside from Double Bag’s reputation around the New England region for being one of the stronger ale’s of choice, I think the Double Bag stands out for it’s stellar color and robust flavors.  Next time you get some of this stuff, pour it into a glass and enjoy the aromas before drinking.  The first taste notes I got are toffee and a bit of citrus, but then it finishes pretty hoppy and then very clean.  Very drinkable for the amount of alcohol it contains, so watch out.  ABV: 7.2%
Food Pairing: I think this would go great with a Pasta dish with some hearty Ragu.

9. Sam Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner Boston Beer Company, Jamaica Plain, MA

A few years back I got the opportunity to take a brewery tour of the Sam Adams operation in Jamaica Plain, just south of Boston.  I was both impressed by the simplicity of the operation and the openness of the people who were working there.  Though I really do enjoy Sam Winter Lager and find it the most drinkable of the Sam Adams family, I do believe that their Imperial Pilsner is the best beer they produce.  This beer is right up there with Pliny the Elder for bringing the most amount of hops to the table.  It’s intense, almost overwhelming.  One tip I’d give you is to get this beer very cold.  It’s a treat to enjoy on special occasions.  ABV: 8.8%
Food Pairing: Ribeye Steak - or something that will stand up to it…it’s a force to be reckoned with.

8. Victory Prima Pils Victory Brewing Company, Downington, PA

First of all, thanks to Rob Childs for turning me on to the Victory line-up.  All three of their beers that I’ve tried have been very good - Golden Monkey, Hop Devil and Prima Pils.  The Prima Pils is here because I think it’s hands down the best pilsner being produced in America today.  Pouring it into a glass, the aromas are of wheat and bread, a clean taste - like a super good PBR or Bud.  This beer is great in the summer, but good at anytime.  If you’re a fan of light beer, give the Prima Pils a shot.  ABV: 5.3%
Food Pairing: Swordfish, salmon, sea bass….or just burgers and dogs.

7. Geary’s Summer Ale D.L. Geary Brewing Company, Portland, ME

This beer is close to my heart, as I grew up heading to the Maine coast for vacation in the summertime.  This beer was always the choice Summer Ale (along with Shipyard summer) to chill with.  The beer has great citrus flavor and aroma - though not strong enough to overpower the hops, which are subtle but there.  This isn’t a totally light summer beer, but very refreshing on a hot day.  ABV: 6%
Food Pairing: If you happen to find yourself in Maine in the summer, grab a 6-pack, a few lobsters and cook them in ocean water from the beach (if available) and you’ll satisfy your soul.

6. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE

Beers #6, 5 and 3 are the best IPA’s that I believe are being produced in our country today.  I’m going to start the lineup with a beer from a truly great brewery: Dogfish Head.  To be honest, I have always drank more of their 60 Minute IPA and Raison D’Etre brews, which are both more widely available than the 90 Minute.  This brew is citrus in the nose with a heavy malt taste and clean finish…definitely enjoy it from a glass.  It’s less hoppy than your typical “Imperial IPA”.  The alcohol content is up there, likely the reason for it being sold in the unique 4-packs.  If you can find this beer locally, pick some up - it’s a treat.  ABV: 9%
Food Pairing: Spicy pork chops with ancho chili sauce

5. Bridgeport India Pale Ale Bridgeport Brewing Company, Portland, OR

Our buddy Walters turned me onto this beer when he was working at the brewpub up in Portland, OR.  I had always wanted to try it and then finally discovered it in a Safeway (of all places) in Oakland, CA.  This is a truly great IPA.  Lots of hoppiness, but incredibly well balanced at the same time.  The taste packs lemon and citrus, with that perfect sort of clean malt aftertaste.  This beer is great on any occasion, plus the bottles are sweet.  ABV: 5.5%
Food Pairing: Cedar plank roasted wild northwest salmon

4. Mirror Pond Pale Ale Deschutes Brewing Company, Bend, OR

Mirror Pond falls at #3, and this was a tough call.  Initially this was my favorite beer on the west coast, and it’s one of the most unique labels in the beer store and really jumps out at you.  Trying Mirror Pond for the first time is like a dream come true.  It’s so smooth you almost think it’s not even a beer at all.  It pours a beautiful dark amber color that just looks like someone knew what they were doing.  Its hop and bitterness levels aren’t that intense, but are still there to be enjoyed.  Deschutes is the only brewery to have 2 beers make my top 20, and if you’re ever in Bend, OR, go to the brewery but get there early, it’s always packed.  ABV: 5%
Food Pairing: Love this beer with Sushi

3. Racer 5 IPA Bear Republic Brewing Company, Healdsburg, CA

Ok, top 3 time.  Racer 5 sits at the top of the beer chain that has been started in the little brewery hotbed around the Santa Rosa, CA area.  This brew is awesome - great hoppiness, a little bitterness, but also some fruit and floral notes.  Pours a great deep golden color (like the NorCal hills in the summertime) that is just so inviting.  This brew will not disappoint, it will only grow on you over time.  The alcohol content is a little high, but you definitely cannot taste it.  This is the best American IPA I’ve ever had.  ABV: 7%
Food Pairing: Risotto with Barolo or Saffron or something big.

2. Rogue Dead Guy Ale Rogue Ale’s Brewery, Newport, OR

Rogue Dead Guy is here because it’s my favorite of the Rogue Ales.  It’s also the stain of Rogue that you’re most likely able to find in your area (if you’re lucky).  But this is tough because Rogue produces what seems like 150 different types of beer and most of them are really good.  Dead Guy is so simple and so easy to drink - it’s fairly sweet in the nose, with a hint of malt.  The taste is a little toasty and a little citrus, but very clean all around.  The color of this beer is perhaps its most impressive quality - it’s almost what I’d call a bright orange, it literally shines in the glass.  If I can find Dead Guy, I’m usually buying it.  Tough call here at #2.  ABV: 6.5%
Food Pairing: Great pub brew to grab with a burger that you know is going to be good.

1. Ipswich Original Ale Mercury Brewing Company, Ipswich, MA

That’s right, my number 1 beer is Ipswich Original Ale from Mercury Brewing - in my opinion the best all around beer in America.  There are simply no flaws with this beer at all.  If you were to pour this beer to someone who doesn’t even like beer, they would be hard to argue that this isn’t a thoughtful and well constructed beverage.  It pours that classic bright amber color, with a great white head.  It’s flavors are perfectly balanced, a little bitterness, but incredibly easy to drink.  It’s smoothness is something that I really value and look for in a beer.  It’s alcohol content isn’t overwhelming (which is good so you can enjoy more than one).  If you can find Ipswich Ale in your area, I (obviously) highly recommend it - it won’t disappoint.
Food Pairing: Mussels, clams, other shellfish - or just on its own.  ABV: 5.4%

So this concludes this years list of the top 20 beers.  If you have any comments or questions, please don’t hesitate to leave them below.  Cheers!