the arugula files

Eating Well and Sitting on the Beach On the Outer Banks (Plus "I Forgive the Shark")

Last week I spent seven lovely days in Hatteras on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  I had never been to the OBX, as the locals like call it.  What a lovely place.  Hatteras surprised me in so many ways.  Unlike most east coast beaches, including the favorites of my youth, it was not overdeveloped.  Most days it was us, the beach, and a few hyperactive sand plovers. 

Oh, and sharks, too.  A week prior to our arrival there was a shark attack on Ocracoke Island, the next "bank" over from us.  A shark ATTACK.   On a small child.  Named Lucy.  Although the shark took a big chomp on Lucy's foot, she's ok and reportedly forgives the shark.  Turns out, she always liked dolphins "way better."   Who can blame her, really.  I'm terrified of sharks.  Usually my love for floating among the waves outweighs my fears.  This time, 8 months pregnant, I felt a little more nervous.  I was swimming for two and found myself defensively covering my belly with my hands and arms while I floated.  In the event of an attack, I would probably lose my hands and arms, but no shark was feasting on my pregnant belly.  Absurd?  Probably.

Grilled Shrimp with Cilantro, Lime, and Peanuts

I've been getting a lot of mileage out of my grill this summer.  Marcus bought it on Craigslist for $20.  Not bad for a gas grill.  It's not fancy, and it's old, but, heck, it works. So far I've made steaks, burgers, lamb sausages, even tofu.  Up until now, I hadn't tried my hand at grilled shrimp.  I'm not sure what I'd been waiting for.  This dish is light and delicious, a perfect meal for a summer night.  Bonus: it took 15 minutes total to prepare (8 to prep and about 7 at the grill).  Any longer and the grill would have melted my face off.  Man, it was hot today.  

Grilling the shrimp in their shells protects them from the harsh heat of the grill and intensifies their flavor.  Make sure to watch them closely, as noted: they cook up fast, turning pink and lightly charred.  

Capellini with Lemon and Anchovy Sauce

I want to like anchovies.  I really do. But when I see them: their little, hairy, smelly, brown bodies, I get the willies.  I know, my reaction sounds pedestrian, but there's no other way to say it: anchovies freak me out.  In the past, I've been ok with my unsophisticated fear of anchovies.  But occasionally, I'll hear someone credible, someone I admire, talk about the advantages of cooking with anchovies, and I'll re-think my fear.  Usually, my reconsideration of anchovies as something edible lasts about 30 seconds, but recently Jane Black of the Washington Post wrote this article.   Ms. Black succeeded where many others have failed: she helped push me off the anchovy avoiding fence.  As a first step, I made this simple dish.

Sustainable Chilean Sea Bass with Blood Orange Salsa and Toasted Hazelnuts

Buying seafood is not only expensive; it's hard.  I stood in front of the seafood counter for ten minutes trying to zoom in on an appropriate substitute for halibut that was sustainable and wouldn't empty my bank account.  I chose this Chilean sea bass because it was MSC certified and it was caught off the coast of South Georgia Island.   The fact of the matter is that Chilean sea bass has been on the "avoid" watch list for a while, but this small fishery has changed its practices and now I can enjoy sea bass without guilt.  

I was a little squeamish about the price, but it was well worth it.  This dish was as good as any fish dish I've had at a restaurant.  This says a lot because even though I'm usually happy with the fish I cook at home, I've never quite reached restaurant quality.  This recipe does the job.  The fish was creamy and contrasted nicely with the citrus and onion.  The toasted hazelnuts gave it one more unexpected dimension in flavor and texture.  It's a keeper.

Baked Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes

Barton Seaver, the Chef at the helm of Blue Ridge restaurant, says "if you can turn on your stove, you can cook fish." He's right.  Cooking fish is easy.  And, more importantly, it's TASTY.  I would happily give up meat if I could eat fresh, sustainable fish every night for dinner.  The problem is that fish is expensive and most varieties you find in the supermarket are unsustainable and usually not that fresh.  Further, I want to know the origin of the shrimp. I don't want to eat farmed shrimp from China because I've read the news articles.  I don't want to get into that here, because this blog is about arousing people's appetites, but let's just say that imported farmed shrimp is definitely bad for the environment and it's probably bad for you.  That is why I'm eagerly anticipating the opening of Seaver's new fresh fish market, which will feature sustainable fish choices.  

Enough about that.  Let's talk about this dish.  It's basic, easy, and packs HUGE flavor from the onions, thyme, and garlic. Cooking the shrimp in the tomato broth produces a juicy, tender shrimp, and the feta brings the salt.  All you need to add is crusty bread to sop all the goodness up from the pan.  

Baked Shrimp Scampi: Perfect Party Food

Baked Shrimp Scampi is one of Jeffrey's favorite dinners.  Who the heck is Jeffrey?  Well, Ina Garten's husband, of course.  You know, "here comes Jeffrey," he's just in time for supper.  Barefoot Contessa is my favorite show on the Food Network.  When I'm watching Ina's show, I often wonder how Jeffrey feels about being a minor on-screen character in her multi-million dollar enterprise.  Granted, he's no slouch, but she's a sugar tycoon, a major sweetie.  I guess he seems pretty happy about it; especially when he's spooning large bites of chocolate cake into his mouth.

This recipe comes from her most recent book, Back to Basics, which is, in my opinion, the best cook book of the year.  Buy it. 

I put the dish together ahead of time, stuck it in the oven when I arrived at a friend's baby shower, and in less than 15 minutes it was ready.  It was gone in less than five minutes.  Perfect party food!

Lobstahs, Steamahs, and Scallops. Oh My!

I pulled my kah into the pah-king lot at Mah-key's Lobstah Pool at 11:45.  There wasn't a soul in sight.  It was Tuesday in Seabrook, New Hampshire, and most people were either lying on the beach a few miles down the road or at work.  Not me, I was on the hunt for some lobstah.  As a kid growing up in Boston, I wanted nothing to do with those red bugs.  Not anymore. There's nothing better than pulling hunks of lobster meat out of a giant claw, letting it steep in butter, and then savoring each sweet morsel.

Classic Maryland Crab Cakes

Today I made classic Maryland crab cakes.  That means a tiny bit of filler and big lumps of fresh, sweet crab meat.  Unfortunately, no filler also means crab cakes that lack structural integrity.  These lovelies are very delicate, and, just like Boston's Big Dig, one false move and they fall apart.   A possible solution, which I will try the next time I make these, is refrigerating the cakes for a few hours before cooking. 

I served the cakes with chipotle-mayonnaise, my new favorite condiment.  These two go together like Barack and Michelle: perfectly.