Dinner with Friends: a Tribute to “Homesick Texan”

I recently hosted some friends from Quality Seafood for a farewell dinner party. I made the food and they provided the adult beverages (Hi-C, milk, imbibe-ables of that nature). There were two inspirations for the menu: first, between our CSA farm box, my in-laws, and the garden at Flat Creek, I had a serious quantity of summer squash and jalapenos that needed to be dealt with. Second, I asked myself, what do we have a plethora of in Texas that we won’t have in Virginia? Ehem…Mexican food. And where better to look for authentic Mexican recipes than a Texan gringa living in New York? She may not be from south of the border, but her recipes have an authentic essence that is hard to replicate. I hope you enjoy oggling at the photos. Please forgive my amateur point-and-shoot camera.

A Fishmongress’ Farewell-to-Texas Party Menu

Chile Con Queso – Note: Make right before serving to avoid separating!

Sopa de Lima – Note: My friend Sandra recommends using lemon juice instead of lime to avoid bitterness. Garnish with lime slices if preferred.

Summer Squash Enchiladas

Watermelon Agua Frescas – Note: Add mint simple syrup to taste.

Key Lime “Itty Bitty” Bundt Cakes (from Whole Foods Market) and Black Forest Bundt Cake (brought by Skylar)

Behind the Scenes at the International Boston Seafood Show

Recently Sarah and three colleagues from Quality Seafood Market attended the International Boston Seafood Show – the largest seafood trade show in North America. The exhibition hall was filled with 1700 vendor booths, all pushing their product or service. Here’s a list of some of Sarah’s favorite sites, flavors, and other experiences from Boston, Mass…

1. CleanFish’s Amazone Paiche – This freshwater fish is native to the Amazon River. The wild populations are suffering from overfishing, but CleanFish has a more sustainable farm-raised product. Paiche actually has lungs and surfaces for air. Fish or mammal? Friend or food? Who cares! It’s delicious.
   

   Amazone Paiche

   

   Paiche fillet

2. Ballard Fish and Oyster Co. – No picture for this one. But pictures of raw oysters rarely do the bivalves justice. This shellfish purveyor had a raw bar set up in the exhibition hall where you could sample their Cheriton oysters and Littleneck clams. Highly recommended if you’re in Cheriton, VA and have access to these.
3. The Shrimpster – Sadly, this chopper was not for sale. Sarah’s boss attempted to take a photo of Sarah next to the bike, but she was too tall to fit in the frame.
   

   Wanna ride my Shrimpster?

4. Loch Duart’s Kiln-roasted Salmon – The best smoked salmon we sampled at the entire show, and quite possibly the best smoked salmon Sarah’s ever sampled. Yes folks, you need to buy some.
   

   Kiln-Roasted Salmon

5. Pearl Reef Gulf Coast Oysters – Each pint of shucked oysters comes with a real live-cultured pearl. How cool is that? Eat enough oysters and you’ve got a necklace!
   

   Pearl Reef Gulf Coast Oysters

6. Giacomo’s Fried Calamari with “Hot Peppers”– We waited almost an hour outside Giacomo’s Ristorante (355 Hanover St Boston, MA), but as soon as we sank our teeth into this appetizer any lingering impatience was swept away. When Sarah asked the waitress what kind of peppers were served with the squid, she bluntly replied “hot ones.” The homemade marinara was heavenly, the staff all spoke to each other in Italian, and a “glass” of red wine would qualify as a half bottle in other establishments. Two words: go there.
   

   Fried calamari at Giacomo's Ristorante in the North End

7. Raw bar at the historic Union Street Oyster House – How neat to get to visit the oldest operating restaurant in America! You’d expect it to be cheesy (it wasn’t) and touristy (it sorta was), but the ambiance, the food, and the service were out of this world. A must visit.
   

   The Union Street Oyster Bar

In addition to touring the floor, the Quality Seafood team also attended several educational seminars designed for industry professionals. You can read a recap of the panel “Restoring Consumer Confidence in Gulf Seafood” on the Quality Seafood Market blog.

 

The Quality Seafood Market delegation: Sarah Harper, Tom Cantu, Lee Chandler, and Carol Huntsberger with rep from Pacific Seafood Group

 

 

Not a bad day at the office

Everyone has good days and bad days at the office. Today was an exceptionally good day for Sarah. She drove to Flat Creek Vineyard & Winery in Marble Falls to interview Chef Sean Fulford – an avid consumer of Quality Seafood wholesale products. Between touring the winery, filming the chef in action, lending a hand in the garden, and tasting the estate wines, Sarah almost forgot that she was actually working. Not a bad day at the office, indeed.

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