the arugula files

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.  

Blog for the Bay!

Photo by flickr user zoopmon

Can you imagine DC cuisine without soft shells, crab cakes and crab pickin’? Neither can we!

Calling all District foodies!  FoodieTots and The Arugula Files will be co-hosting “Blog for the Bay” this Wednesday, April 22. Please join local food advocates on Earth Day and help rally District foodies to support clean water in the Chesapeake Bay. To participate, simply post about the Chesapeake Bay (a favorite memory, favorite place to eat crabs, best crab cake recipe, anything!) and include a link to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s petition urging the EPA to quit delaying action to help save our Bay. Please mention “Blog for the Bay” in your post and link to hosts FoodieTots.com and ArugulaFiles.com.

See the Facebook event page or contact foodietots@gmail.com for more details. Links will also be posted in round-ups on FoodieTots.com and ArugulaFiles.com, and will be updated throughout the day. Please help us spread the word and check back on Wednesday for the “Blog for the Bay” round-up!

They're Back!

photo by flickr user bob.fornal

The blue crab population in the Chesapeake Bay is increasing.  Yes, you heard that right, increasing.  According to the Washington Post, the blue crab population increased by 43 percent.  Scientists attribute some of the increase to fishery management, including cutting back on catching females and banning "dredge" fishery methods.   They warned that while the news is encouraging, "blue crabs are a species prone to explosive swings in population, so there is no guarantee that the growth will continue."  In other words: don't crack open the champagne just yet.  The restrictions need to continue, and once we have an upward trend over a longer periods, we can feel better about the future of blue crabs.

Slow Cooked Arctic Char with Sorrel Butter

Last Saturday I took a sustainable seafood cooking class at CulinAerie on 14th Street in DC.  Local chef Barton Seaver (formerly of Hook and Tacklebox) was the instructor.  The class started with a discussion of which fish we should be eating and which we should leave behind to procreate in the ocean.  (You know, so we can eat their grandchildren.  I'm terrible.  No, seriously, so we can save them for our grandchildren.)  Turns out, there are lots of sustainable fish.  Can't live without salmon?  Switch to arctic char, which tastes similar, but with a milder flavor.  Here's a link to the list of sustainable seafood.  The saddest sight on this list, at least for me, is scallops.  They get mixed reviews in terms of sustainability. 

Sustainable Seafood Cooking Demonstration with Barton Seaver

Photo by Flickr user Tuasssi

CulinAerie, a cooking school that recently opened on 14th street in DC, is offering a cooking demonstration on sustainable seafood.  The class, taught by Barton Seaver formerly of Hook and Tacklebox, will provide tips on buying and storing seafood, and will "encourage confidence in seafood cookery."  The class format is listed as "demonstration," which basically means you sit around, watch, and listen.

I signed up.  Sustainable seafood is an issue I grapple with a lot.  The problem is that I have a tough time reconciling my urge to eat all the scallops in the ocean, like a movie goer scarfs down popcorn, and my interest in making sure that my kids (and their kids too) get to enjoy buttery crustaceans. 

Registration information is here.  You should come too (let me know if you plan on it!).

Angel Hair Pasta with White Clam Sauce

I really enjoy eating seafood. But, I'm concerned.  I'm worried that some day there will be no more fish in the sea, and my kids (who are theoretical at this point) will ask me what lobster tastes like, and, instead of serving some, I'll have to describe it to them.  Even worse, I'll have some explaining to do when the next question--why aren't there any more lobsters in the ocean?--comes up.  Um, because Mommy ate all of them.

Bay Scallop Gratin for One

This recipe is adapted from Ina Garten's book, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: How to Get Great Flavors from Simple Ingredients.  As far as I'm concerned it's the best cookbook of the year. 

Since Marcus doesn't eat scallops, I had to turn this dinner for four into dinner for one.  I made guesses on how to adapt the ingredients so that I could use a half pound of scallops instead of two pounds, which is what the original calls for--and I had to omit some ingredients that I didn't have on hand, and I wanted to cut down the butter (just a bit).  In spite of my guess work, the dish turned out perfectly.

The original recipe is here.  I must say that Ina is one of my favorite cooks.  Her recipes always work and they are full of flavor.  Did you know that Ina started off her career in Washington, DC as an examiner at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)?  Crazy.