~~ GRANDMA'S FAVORITE CHICKEN FORK ~~

Parkville High Graduation 1964

(Grandma's on the left) lol

photography by Wilbur M. Reeling

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Grandma would not eat any part of a chicken. That's because she and Grandpa owned a chicken farm in Baltimore County where they sold eggs and chickens until the end of W.W.II.

For Thanksgiving Grandmom would eat turkey. Every time my Mom or an Auntie would make chicken they'd just tell Grandmom ... "it's okay Nanny, that's turkey" ... and then she'd eat it and love it. --LOL--
Recently I roasted a whole chicken and stuffed, under the skin, with black French truffles and V.B. & C. 86% European Style butter. Salted it with Tartuflanghe Italian white truffle sea salt and Penja Pearl of Cameroon Peppercorns and it was not as good as Grandma's chicken.

Searching in an old junk box recently I found Grandma's original 7 1/2 inch chicken fork and after close scrutiny I noticed her initial carved into the wooden handle. Guess she thought somebody was gonna steal her fork. I'll bet this fork is 90 years old or more and even has the 3 prongs worn out unevenly.

I don't think anyone uses a cooking fork like this anymore. We have become a bunch of cooks that only use high tech stuff like Japanese ceramic Kyocera Kyotop knives and forged alloy tongs and have no respect for a fork-wielding old Granny anymore.

Nanny passed away over 30 years ago and almost got to be 90. Out of respect for her I bought a special fancy box to keep her old chicken fork in forever. It is the only thing I have from old Grandma, that and lots & lots of delicious 'Nanny-Chicken' --
(turkey) hehehe ... memories.

I'm showing Nanny a little chicken fork love!

MODERATED COMMENT:

I too have my mom’s chicken fork, just like the one in your mention...never knew that ‘s what they were called...but it’s a handy tool in the kitchen
Todd Holden
-silverbird-

BALTIMORE'S RYLEIGH'S OYSTER MAKES THEIR BETS ON THE ..."SENSUAL OYSTER TRIFECTA"...

WHEN YOU TALK THE TALK

YOU HAD BETTER WALK THE WALK,
AT RYLEIGH'S OYSTER

CHEF PATRICK MORROW DOES BOTH!
...is he Baltimore's New "IRON CHEF"?

CLICK IMAGE FOR FULL VIEW

photography by Wilbur M. Reeling

Most BLOGERS have a moderator who edits what people say on their blog but Ms. Elizabeth Large (Food Critic for the Baltimore Sun) seems to allow about anything. That's good. It should be open to any comments -- even stupid ones and people that don't agree or don't even know ... what we call "CLUELESS."

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/reviews/blog/2008/01/oysters_the_trendy_food.html#comments

On her recent trends blog she spoke of oysters in Baltimore. She said that restaurants were offering more varieties lately. I agree, but strangely enough there are few or none from the Chop Tank, Kent Island or Lynn Haven areas here on the Chesapeake Bay. If you want them, drive to the Chop Tank and see Kool Ice Seafood or Soft & Salty at Ragged Point on the Chop Tank -- they are rare! http://www.freshmarylandseafood.com/ KOOL ICE LINK

At one point Maryland exported tens of millions of bushels annually to the world, but in the last several years production dropped off to around 30,000. or less total bushels annually. Dermo and DSX disease ripped us a new one and we are not catching back up yet. Maryland oysters are around -- but very scarce.

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/recreational/articles/oyster_history.html

The pint jars most of us see at the local seafood market or grocery store say "product of USA" and packaged in Virginia. I always thought that means Chesapeake Oysters from Virginia. It's not. They are brought here from Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana to be packaged in a jar that looks like a local product.

The oyster laws state that all oysters have a packaging label on the BAG or BOX they came in with the location where the oyster was harvested -- ALWAYS ASK TO SEE IT -- know what you are eating.

They will try and trick you in some places. In Fells Point at Sal's I always ask where they came from -- and they always say "Chincoteague" ... period! They don't know any other word.

Then, when the sack of oysters comes out, the label says "Mississippi"
... OOPS!

Ms. large made a list of trends for 2008 and these were un-moderated comments ... SGI says: McCormick and Schmick but I say no-no, I had tired and dried out old oysters.

David said: I like the BPs ... me too, but Blue Point from where? That's like saying somewhere on the N.E. part of America. BP from what State or area Davis?

Fairfax says: her best oysters are Lewes Delaware, fresh-caught. Enormous, salty and delicious ... (Lewes oysters are hurting too and have the Dermo and DSX disease and are usually pretty small guys so I wonder if Fairfax took a gander at that LABEL? --I wonder if it could have said Missippi?)

Jane Martin agrees with me: ... Ryleigh's Oyster is by far the new place SERIOUS about oysters.

Oyster writer Jairemarie Pomo lists 48 North American versions of oysters in her book http://www.hogislandoysters.com/ . I have four other oyster books but hers is the best recent one. She does a poor job with her knowledge of the Chesapeake Bay Oystermen and their product. But, she is selling Hog Island and a book and not our Chesapeake Bay.

I tried lots of other oyster places and to many to mention. Gibby's, Whistling Oyster, Koopers Tavern and a host of other "not worth mentioning" joints. The only one serving FRESH & ICE COLD oysters in abundance is Ryleigh's Oyster.

There is no place else in town, or probably the state, that is doing it this good with oysters!

So ... is Chef Patrick Marrow Baltimore's Iron Chef? I think he may be. Look what else he's serving at Ryleigh's that isn't an oyster.

















What I like is the bar at Ryleigh's Oyster seats about 20 and I never saw more than two ugly guys seated there, including me. I saw stunning beautiful oyster eating women.

If I was a guy in my 30's, for sure Hon, I'd park my new Porsche 960 Turbo out front and be sniffing the "Opium" perfume from the nape of the neck of these girls. After a cold glass of Dom Pérignon and a dozen slurpers I'll be offering them a drive around the block in my 960 Turbo to my "High Rise" but we're not talking condo!

See and be seen! That's the game and I'm not going anywhere else for my EYE CANDY & APHRODISIAC-OYSTERS.



Hon says: oysters they're ..."aphrodisiac"!! ... and she gets the BLUE RIBBON. These salty, cold, slimmy-slurppy morsels are just that. A little French Dom Pérignon Champagne or frozen Premium Imported Chopin Vodka with that ice cold oyster starts it off with near perfection. Maybe add some Beluga Caviar and Cazart! ... you are gonna get lucky Bunky.











The Sunday afternoon that we were there, Ryleigh's Chef Morrow brought out, and we tasted Discover Bay -- Beau Soleil -- Wellfleet -- Foggy Cove -- Alpine -- Nantucket Bay -- Chincoteague -- and Snowhill Oysters. All fantastic!! Some raw on the half and some sauced and others baked. RYLEIGH'S OYSTER

... it's the real place for a Baltimore Oyster

MODERATED COMMENT:

shizuokagourmet has left a comment on your post

"BALTIMORE'S RYLEIGH'S OYSTER MAKES THEIR BETS ON T..."

Dear Wilbur:

Do not worry about the "only 2 ugly guys and 1 was me".

It bleeding happens to me all the time on this side of the Pacific!

Oysters! I'm a lucky bastard here in Japan, as I can and do regularly buy them fresh at the market in Shizuoka Station when they don't come directly from nearby Hamana Lake!

Tend not only to eat them fresh (although I think Tabasco is a bit of an insult to such delicate morsels! Oh, well... Fleetwood Mac, 1967) but also cook them in all manners. Last Sunday I concocted a Gratin with some of them for my worse half. Also made a mean souffle with them!

Great article and great pics! (But who am I to judge? LOL)

Cheers,

Robert-Gilles

... Beluga Bomb's Baltimore! ...

HEAD LINES - HEAD LINES

READ ALL ABOUT IT!!

Iranian Beluga Bombs in Baltimore

photography by Wilbur M. Reeling

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Beluga Caviar & White Godiva is a Beluga-Bomb

Ms. Elizabeth Large, Baltimore Sun Food Critic, made a list of trends for 2008.

By chance, I had just written about Baltimore's Hot Oyster Scene and Ryleigh's Oyster in Federal Hill, which she published with my permission. It was one of her trends.

My next "tale" was to be about "Molecular Gastronomy" but I'm doing this "Umami" thing instead because she also mentioned Umami in her trends. Her list also includes some of what I feel is bad info on UMAMI.

She speaks of MSG with Umami Bombs but I think a more accurate story is this ...Check out her earlier post.

UMAMI in very simple terms means a "5th quintessential flavor of deliciousness after sweet, bitter, sour and salt that triggers a sensation of craving" ... maybe your Mamma's fried chicken or Poppy's Christmas Cookie with those tiny little chocolate chips he always brought back memories of the Old Country.

So, is Umami the FAT and SUGAR ingredient, we crave it, it makes you salivate ... remember?

There's a good book I've had for several years, written by Anna Kasabian and David Kasabian on UMAMI [ümami is pronounced, oo-ma-me] and here's a link http://www.umamicafe.com/

I think David and Anna would both rather eat Plutonium from a rusty glowing tin can in Chernobyl, Russia than eat a Umami Bomb in NYC. --LOL--

What is happening, in my opinion, with this Umami Bomb is more "Molecular Gastronomy" than Umami.

Dr. Hervé This and Dr. Kurti get all the credit for "Molecular Gastronomy". They're the fathers. http://khymos.org/pairings.php

Think more about that great Sunday Mom's fried chicken you miss (fat) than the $185. cup of Truffles and Parma cheese custard from NYC that you don't miss and never will.

All these new Umami chefs are doing is what was done ages ago by Chefs preceding them. Think Tailevent -- La Varenne -- Careme -- Escoffier or even Bocuse, who eliminated lots of fat in Nouvelle French Cuisine.

Almost anything tastes better with a little Guerande 'Fleur De Sel and freshly cracked Sarawak Lampong-Sumatran black pepper corn, so that must make salt and pepper Umami?

Gary Danko's Tomato Soup, shown on the Sun link, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119706514515417586.html isn't so different than most great chef's soups but he adds Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, so does Umami take place?

If Baltimore's most-extraordinary-chef, Cindy Wolf, http://www.charlestonrestaurant.com/ made a Umami-roasted-tomato-soup and put it through a French Chinois she would probably call it a bisque and substitute a better Parmigiano-Reggiano Vacche Rosse (from the original red-cows that are now very rare) add a dab of the best French butter, Jean-Yves Bordier French La Beurre and then shave some fresh French Perigord Black Winter Truffles on it and according to Danko it's now become Umami.

--NOT!-- and Chef Wolf's will taste better than Chef Danko's too ... and only cost us $109.00 with 6 courses from the tasting menu.

Another Bomb that I've made recently is a Beluga-Bomb. Dr. This combines flavors that ordinarily you would not combine to made a dish -- IE: fish eggs and chocolate.

It is a recipe paring from Dr. Hervé This, but I never got much 'Bang for my Buck'!

You can try this at home with high end white chocolate (I made it with Godiva) and Iranian Black Beluga ooo Caviar, I did it in my home so it was a bit cheaper but still pretty dear.

Trust me it's FAD not Umami either. It's "Molecular Gastronomy"
You won't go home saying to your self ... mmmmm, if I'd only stopped off for a box of $185. Parmigiano-Reggiano Rosse cheese custard with white truffles at Jean-Georges'.

You can try this "Molecular Gastronomy" cuisine locally in Washington D.C. at Jose Andrés Restaurant. Seems I paid $800.00 for elBulli Chef Ferran Adriá, trained in "Molecular Gastronomy" but I only got Amuse-Bouche -- SO NOT WORTH IT--

QUINTESSENTIAL C U I S I N E©: ~~Jose Andrés MiniBar in Washington D.C.~~

"elBulli" in Roses, Spain is the current World's Best Michelin 3 star Restaurant. According to Michelin 3 star chef Chef Ferran Adriá, he's making "Molecular Gastronomy" ... not Umami.

http://chuckeats.com/blog3/2006/06/22/el-bulli-roses-spain-the-mad-scientist/


We all have opinions -- this one is mine.

I left a message for David Kasabian to comment and his partner Craig Purdy of Umami Cafe just did.

HERE IT IS:

He also said Umami Cafe owner's Anna Kasabian and David Kasabian will do an interview on NBC's Today Show tomorrow morning, Thursday January 10th, to talk the talk about Umami.

Dear Wilbur,

According to Dr. Peter Cooper, Professor of organic chemistry at Cornell University's Medical School; Glutamic Acid, the organic basis of the “umami” taste, whether it comes from duck, foie gras, truffles, potato chips or caviar, is chemically identical to the crap they make by the shipload at Ajinimoto in Japan. Technically both are Monosodiumglutamate. It is unfortunate that the chemical name confuses both natural and fabricated flavorings. The difference is, that, at Umami Café, as well, I am certain, at Jean Georges, etc. we simply select natural food products known to have high levels of glutamic acid (umami) and use these foods to their best advantage. Neither Umami Café nor Jean Georges use food additives to create the umami flavor. Also, tomorrow, Thursday, January 10th, David and Linda Kasabian will both be appearing on the Today Show, NBC, to broadly discuss the topic. Although you could feed a party of 6 for less than $ 185 at Umami Café, I have no judgement about the ability, nor wisdom of Mr Vongerichten’s “umami bomb” at that price. Umami is “real”. It’s been a trade secret for years, that certain foods make you crave. We select those foods and try to incorporate at least 2 ingredients with high levels of “umami” to create that “gotta have some more” flavor experience.

Hope that’s helpful.

Sincerely,

Craig Purdy Partner -

Umami Cafe

I AM SUCH A PIG ABOUT CAVIAR

MODERATED COMMENT:

shizuokagourmet has left a comment on your post:
"... Beluga Bomb's Baltimore! ..."
Sweet and salted ... Why not?
I do love my caviar, too! I have this Russian music Professor friend, Alexander in Shizuoka City, who once brought back a present of 200 grm. just for me! My worse half hating it, I just gorged myself on it!
Have you heard or tasted French caviar from sturgeons raised in the Gironde Estuary?
Cheers,
Robert-Gilles

Hi Robert-Gilles in Japan:

I was shocked whilst doing the research for the Beluga Bombs caviar post that only 100 Beluga Sturgeons are allowed to be caught (now) each year for the whole wide world, yummmmmmm, it seems we ate them all! There are still lots of others like the smaller fish, Osetra & Sevruga, that are not "ENDANGERED" SO, LET'S EAT THEM FROM NOW ON ... or that other Petrossian tasty treat, 'French Gironde Estuary'. fish-egg-stuff **lol**

Wilbur in Maryland, USA

~~ A MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE RED SNAPPER & OYSTER STEW IS A WAY TO BITE THE DOG THAT BIT YOU! ~~

~ OMG! IT'S 01/01/2008 ALREADY~

GET THAT FUR OUTTA YOUR MOUTH BOYS!

... IT'S A BRAND NEW YEAR !

IT'S TIME FOR VODKA & MARYLAND OYSTER STEW

photography by Wilbur M. Reeling

CLICK PHOTOS FOR FULL VIEW

My Maryland family has some EASTERN SHORE traditions that I really like.

Maryland Oyster Stew on New Year's Day is one. A Red Snapper is another.

When the New Year's Eve Celebration hangover-dog bites you on the ass, here is exactly what to do.

We drink a straight-up (sans ice) frozen Polish, triple distilled, 80 proof, Potato Vodka called "LUKSUSOWA" ... add some chilled Sacramento T. J., splash over a bit of Original Louisiana® Hot Sauce, a dash of Lea & Perrin's, (did you know (L&P) it's made from fermented anchovies?) spoon in a bit of fresh horseradish, then crush a touch of black pepper and a tiny bit of fleur de sel.

[BUT NO BEATING IT UP OR SHAKING IT, STIRRING IT OR IN ANY WAY BLENDING THE SEPARATE FLAVORS SO A SEPARATE TASTE OF EACH INGREDIENT WILL COME THROUGH AFTER YOU'VE GULPED. THAT'S IMPORTANT!]

After you'd made it and you are ready to drink, just down the whole 6 oz. thing in one gulp. If you make a 12 oz. cocktail then it becomes a nurse's drink, a lil girls sipper and what you need is a hammering gulper to snap you back to reality.

Hence the name Red Snapper. We call this a Ms. Mary's Quintessential Red Snapper.

The original Bloody Mary has some garden stuff that we don't like. Say no to lime salted rims, slices or wedges of lemon or lime, no ice cubes (dilutes the flavors) and no celery salt? Well, it's just that ... celery salt.
Originally in Europe the drink was called a "Red Rooster" and it was made with GIN, not VODKA, then a "Ruddy Mary" and then a "Red Eye" and finally a "Red Snapper" before Hemingway's famous consumption of these, with a raw egg thrown in, took place in 1921 at Harry's New York Bar in Paris. Made with Gin.

The real reason for the success of the Bloody Mary is when Bartender Peter Petiot, Harry's NY Bar's original famous bartender, took his recipe with him and left to work at a New York City hotel.

Vodka was so cheap that the Russians couldn't give it away and Heinz 57 had just introduced T. J. in a can for the very first time. Mr. Petiot no longer had to run the fresh tomatoes through a hand mill to jus them. He'd pop open a can of Heinz 57 T. J. and pour the dirt cheap Russian Vodka over his other secret ingredients brought from Paris.

BINGO! -- It's all about making money. He used 2¢ worth of products and had the $$ signs in his eyes, so he charged "top-shelf" liquor prices to the rich and famous of the Big Apple and the Vodka Bloody Mary was born.

... the rest is now a New Year's Day dog biting history lesson. Within a matter of minutes the dog bite will disappear and you can make Maryland Oyster Stew.

I make this Maryland Oyster Stew with a dozen "large select oysters" per serving.

My Maryland Oyster Stew Recipe:

1 T. small shallot finely minced

1 T. broad leaf Italian parsley, also minced

1 t. (level) celery seed (not salt)

2 - 3 T. European butter [high end 82% fat]

-- start with med. heat and wilt the shallots

and above items in the butter

*** add the 12 oysters 1/2 Pt. jar of large select)

*** but drain the water off from the Pt. jar

-- the oyster will release it's own oyster jus

when it begins to cook

-- add 1/4 C. heavy cream

*** add when the oyster just starts to curl it's edges

Continue to cook for a few more minutes and

watch the boil does not over cook the oysters.

Total cooking time is only 4 to 5 minutes

from the start of the entire process.

Pour into a warm bowl and crack some black pepper

and French sea salt over the top.

IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS ...