johnnyd

Agreed: Cheese has no business even being near fish...

I hear you. I've had excellent ones in Portugal so I was nostalgic for them one day. Took two days to soak the bacalhau and carefully folded in potato/onion, then went to my friend's restaurant on an off-hour and used his frialator. They came out great. Tried it at home in a couple quarts of Wesson and they sucked. Haven't made 'em since.

Absolutely! Good bunyols de bacalla depend on the oil temperature they are fried in. I've struggled to find the right range however tight because when they are done properly they are the tastiest thing on the planet; if the oil temp is too low they become little sponges of oil that mess up your stomach. We might even have a thread somewhere...

Another level indeed, Herr Duvel My parents visited Portugal often when I was growing up. They brought me there one summer and we toured all over the country - it was magical. When my Dad retired they moved there and built a little 'fazenda' in the Algarve and lived there for 20 years (70's & 80's). We had water delivered for our cisterne, fired up the gas generator for four hours every night, the fridge ran on propane. They didn't get a phone line until 12 years had passed. They planted vegetables and grapevines but there already was a 100 year old fig tree next to the front patio. I slept in a hammock affixed to that tree when I was home from boarding school. There was a famous chicken piri-piri place in the hills of Monchique that looks exactly like Tres Turons. The busier beaches had open grills where you could get your fill of grilled sardines caught that morning. The Wine was excellent. I'm on Coast of Northern New England now because my time in Europe shaped my preferences. If I don't have some sort of seafood every 3 days I get pretty cranky, and it's really good here. But I miss our place in Portugal, but it's not at all the same. The Algarve is built up now. Google satellite shows a tennis court where our vineyard used to be and the acres and acres of olive and almond trees I remember are all villas. Your trip to Catalonia is wonderful and shain's trip to Greece too. I know there are some nooks and crannies on the Spanish coast that are still hidden. We should stay in touch...!

Tres Turons was stunning. Thanks for the pics. I would freaking move there for that place...

Whoa! So I googled that monkfish with clams dish because I'd never heard of that kind of preparation and found three or four recipe pages in Catalan, including this elaborate version that starts with making a fish stock that eventually morphs into a sauce (containing almond milk and honey!) in which monkfish and gambas are added. Served with fried potatos and clams poached in white wine. Not the same as Duvel's fascinating plate but this is the opening for a serious experiment ahead! https://catalunyacuina.com/peix/rap-rostit-moixernons-mel

Outstanding pictures, Master Duvel! Seeing what's popular there is most intriguing. Thank you. My family had a little spread in Portugal for 20 years so much of these are familiar. Saudades...

Katie. You are indeed trying to be catty. You automatically surmise that I - a person you know little about - has aimed to, and executed a life-decision to commit ecological crimes by moving to a place that harvests ocean species for the purpose of personally consuming them. I almost didn't dignify your post with a response because you are clearly committed to a pre-loaded judgement of what constitutes politically "correct "and morally "responsible" behaviour towards the planets' animal species. Is that wrong? Of course not, but you are accusing me of reprehensible behaviour in a public forum, and clearly without bothering to research your accusations. In short, because I posted a picture you thought was offensive, I must be offensive too, right? In fact, NOAA removed North Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna from the endangered species list in 2011. The Mediterranean biomass is not seeing the rebound in Blue Fin biomass so their harvest is much more restricted. Licenses for commercial harvest of Blue Fin Tuna were allowed to increase this year and last as the most recent stock assessment showed a rebound. Without cluttering up the OP's thread I'll encourage you to look into the facts at your own pace. Start with a simple Wikipedia search. I moved to Maine to become a commercial fisherman. We used SCUBA to harvest sea urchin which we sent overnight to Tokyo's Tsukiji Market. I spent seven Maine Winters in a dry-suit and wool sweaters. Before that I spent five years BOH in Vermont restaurants. I made it my business to know all about where food is going and where it's coming from. I understand it's fashionable to swipe at commercial interests and flows but guess what? Commercial interests will still flow after you and I are on the wrong side of the grass. You can hold up as many signs and go to as many protest marches as you want but if you don't learn to help change the way things are exploited and deployed from within it's circuitry you're just blowing smoke.

Guys are pulling 400lb bluefin tuna off-shore everyday in Maine this Summer. I just came back from the fishmonger who cut a 1lb slab from a huge loin brought in yesterday. It's part of the reason I moved here.

Betcha two drachma that's sumac on your chickpea dish. I'm with Heidih: mezze style is informing my menu all week now. Beautiful blog!

That's an olive grove with some really old trees.

Yellowfin poke with Hijiki, sukemono, Edamame and house-made ponzu.

With a bottle this old, it's curious that the contents hasn't seemed to age, like turn a gold color.

I spent a few years in Suisse and saw the bottles affixed to pear branches in Spring. I asked about them and everyone said it was a gimmick for tourists, and that the good stuff never has a pear in the bottle. So there's that, but if it tastes good, who am I to say.

Well, to be fair, we are in a 2k' 100yr old condo that had already been reno'd 20 yrs ago, so we were replacing cheap chipboard cabs with solid maple ones; pulled out an electric range on it's last gasp; put in a sink with a faucet that works, then capped the island with a stone slab. Cab guys were chums from my old life as a commercial water/fire damage restorer, so it all came together like old times. Nothing special, just fresh and functional. I'll make something and post soon - it's been a while.

Just finished our reno. New cabinets, new sink, new gas range with powerful hood fans, stamped tin backsplash, new stone island countertop, new range-side laminate countertop. Whole thing took two weeks - bought a new carbon-steel wok to celebrate!

This post demystified szechuan peppercorns in short order. After the ban was lifted I bought a 100g bag and it tasted like dirt so I threw it out. Now that I know how to use them I'm game to get some more. Coincidentally, I learned what 'mala' was just this week. Psyched!

Haresfur: Maine has strict size restrictions for harvestable lobster - 3.25" to 5" carapace to eye socket. Anything smaller stays in the water. Anything larger becomes breeding stock.

Yeah, the trade "deal" with China shut that market right down. China buys Canadian lobsters now.

Today's lobster price...

Blood orange scallop ceviche, avo, tomato, togarashi and chili oil

Thanks man! Juice of three limes, two blood oranges, a shot of Dole pineapple juice, minced garlic, poblano pepper. Probably hit it with togarashi and cilantro sprig for plating.

Blood Orange Scallop Ceviche

I still haven't opened it! I know!! Good to know it's not habanero-level hot though. Our regular rotation features Harissa, Sambal Oelek and a kind of piri-piri I brew myself using fresnos and whiskey.

Every year involves a quest to find something different. My wife clearly won this round with this stuff - Banana sauce. When tomato shipments evaporated in WWII, an enterprising Philipina started tinkering with bananas to find an alternative to catsup. It's still popular apparently. Can't wait to try it!