johnnyd

...also, a couple bouquets of flowers on the back shelf looks good in my book too. His walk-in is set in a mirrored wall, cool as well. I noticed the CHEVAL in the foreground; are they tenderloins??? are they... *gulp*... like, really, really big?!

Ellie, I did freeze the headless shrimp with their shells one year and when they thawed, the shells had maintained their shape somewhat but the meats were mushy. Since the flesh have a primarily water-based composition, I feel they freeze and thaw at a different rate than calcium-based exoskeletons. Since I failed to preserve the beasties as they were in season, it's peeled only. The larger commercially available shrimp are flash frozen in a nitrogen-fired freezer that does the job in a fraction of the time my old GE can do it, thus the displays of shell-on tiger (and other species) shrimp at your local seafood purveyor. Recent Shrimp Auctions: 3/18/05 - 10,327lbs - 5 boats, 3 trucks Low price: $0.53 Average: 0.53 High: 0.53 3/21/05 - 14,478lbs - 5 boats, 2 trucks Low price: $0.41 Average: 0.41 High: 0.41 3/22/05 - 10,590lbs - 4 boats, 2 trucks Low price: $0.40 Average: 0.47 High: 0.55 Made a chowder y'day with pollack (@$2.49/lb, I couldn't pass it up) and about a pound of peeled Maine shrimp. I use a variation of a mid-Cape recipe that adds finely diced green pepper and carrot to bacon rendering, to which I add diced fennel and large dice potato. I used four cups of shrimp-head stock I made last week and two cups heated milk, plus some fresh thyme leaves and a bayleaf. When it was all said and done, I realized I'd forgotten onion, and the vegies I had used were too far front-and-center. Hrrmph. It'll have a whole different character today, so we'll see what can be done to the quart I blithely put in the freezer before tasting the whole batch first! I never said I was that bright now, did I...?

You guys rock! What a great blog! It's a total bonus that other eGers are present here! Very cool!

...ding! ...just under twenty minutes. Yield: three containers, each enough to add to a pasta dish for two. I made a quick shrimp salad sandwich w/cucumber using another handful of shrimp in the pot so I guess I ate a pound and shucked four. Time to go back for more! It's a race against time, I tell you!!!

So I got home with five pounds of fresh shrimp... and the first handful on the plate became sashimi. I had to struggle a little bit to keep them straight for cleaning, because to my surprise, there was a slight tug going on, like they were trying to jump out of my hand! Next, I par-boiled a handfull... ... and had them with a little meyer lemon juice. Scrumptious! I'm peeling the bulk of the bag to get ready for the shrimpless months ahead...

Depending on weather and the whim of wholesalers, there will still be shrimp available at retail up to five or so days after the 25th. After April 1st, buy only the frozen Maine Shrimp.

Harbor Fish Market on Custom House Wharf in Portland had Shrimp in the shell for sale today for $1.59/lb or $1.29 for 5+lbs. Guess which way I went on that deal? and also shells-off at $6.49/lb. Note the local scallops to the right - monsters! Friday's Auction yielded 41,564 lbs 12 boats, 7 trucks Low price: $0.40 Average: 0.48 High: 0.52 Then this week, the volume plummeted: 3/14/05 - 16,745lbs - 7 boats, 3 trucks Low price: $0.40 Average: 0.46 High: 0.51 3/15/05 - 7,780lbs - 2 boats, 1 trucks Low price: $0.50 Average: 0.50 High: 0.50 Could be that the shrimpers are beginning to call it quits for the season or pissed off that the price is so low. Hard to say. One thing's for sure...

Anytime I start thinking of Fresh Maine Shrimp I have to go get some. I went back to Harbor Fish Market today and last night's auction yield was sitting right in the middle of the store... So I got the ever ebullient Zach to bag up five pounds for me... Some were still wiggling! Zach also gave me some 1/2lb plastic containers so I could freeze small batches for use during the rest of the year. As I exited Harbor Fish, I had to capture the wildlife down on Portland's wharf. Harbor Fish has a collection going at the register for wharf kitty welfare. Not so the sky rat further down the walkway who has made off with a plastic fish container.

Here is my favorite Seafood Purveyor here in Portland, Harbor Fish Market.. They get fresh shrimp the morning after the Auction and sell it out of fish totes for about $1.79 per pound. Unfortunately, I seem to arrive (three times now) a little too late to take a picture of these totefull o' shrimp and have to settle for a tray of heads-off shrimp at $3.99/lb Regular tigers are to the left.... but who cares about those??

Incredibly... yes! After 30 years too. It has a detachable top, copper as well, that tapers down into a funnel that, at it's mouth, is about three inches wide.

When I was a teen in São Paulo Brasil, my dad came back one day with one of these monsters. It was about five foot high and four foot in diameter, all hand-hammered copper. Guess who got to polish it?

That looks interesting, loper. A ribbon of fresh daikon on top, I presume? More pix of shrimp everybody! I'll try to get some up of my own this weekend. Our townhouse overlooks the entrance to Portland Harbor. Last night, I swear the phone poles were gonna come down. The lines were whipping up and down, the snow was going horizontal, and I thought I saw Auntie Em's cow fly by. Things will calm down enough for the fleet to leave port by Thursday. edit to add answer for slbunge: The fleet loses the weather days, which is okay because in effect, it's a built-in control on fishing effort, thus preserving the biomass. This storm was big enough to keep everybody in - the rumour is that it got to hurricane force in the gulf.

Tonight's Boiling Point (from BBC America website): Indeed a show older than 'Nightmares. Perhaps repeating now to make way for his new show? Having worked a short spell in a busy BOH, calling your colleagues anything better than "shithead" was disrespectful. I am therefore not offended by the "spic" call, no matter how sociopathic Gordo appears to be, that's life in a kitchen, boyo!

Bummer. Your shrimp were out of the water too long. These guys are sooooo delicate. It's also the very smallest that "turn" first, sometimes ruining the whole bag. These have a yellower tint I've noticed. Interesting note: between your post and chrisamiraults, the price at Whole Foods dropped a dollar, possibly reflecting the need to move these critters faster. ... and the price could go south even more! Last night's volume was massive: 3/7/05 - 58,765lbs - 11 boats, 7 trucks Low price: $0.55 Average: 0.56 High: 0.60 The season ends on the 25th so there are 17 days left.... edit to add: Really bad weather the next two days will prohibit shrimping. Seas are expected as high as 22feet and gale-force winds to 45knots. Last night is the last auction for a couple days so the time to shop for them is tonight and tomorrow!

Holy Hannah, jhlurie! It's mole! You simmer this sucker for a month at least! But seriously folks, when Mr. Lee sent this to me and I saw Avocado Leaves I went "screw this!" and went and bought Maria so n' so jar o' mole instead. Got so sick I vowed I'd never "buy" mole sauce again. So I keep this damned recipe around thinking I'll eventually stir up a pot. My strategy was to just leave out or substitute the nuttier items, get it going at noon, turn off the simmer when I went to bed and leave it to meld overnight. On the other hand, Abra's amazing photo essay is a far better looking strategy for making mole. It pays to keep a dish as close to the original method as possible, no?

Just picked one up after much research. I'm thrilled at the possibilities. Check out this Thread about my visit to Portland's Fish Exchange which I shot four days after buying my A85. I humbly submit this report to my better-skilled colleagues in hopes of constructive criticsm. I have noted: A) I knew better (thanks to this thread) than to use flash but I couldn't resist the fascinating contrasts in the flash and non-flash photos of the boxes of fresh shrimp. B) I like the movement of the pier guys sliding the boxes along the auction house floor but could have gotten a more stable shot of the boat w/spool unloading. Maybe I was nervous about the fifteen drop into the ice-chunk studded seawater to my left! I was lucky to get Hank stable enough on deck of his boat for a sharp shot (pic #2) I am still getting to know how to work this thing. I am familiar with some photoshop functions such as unsharp mask and the brightness/contrast, especially in ImageReady. I haven't a clue how Macro Mode works yet, but I do have a plan for lighting when it's time to shoot plates. I just hope I get to it before shrimp season ends!

This was sent to me from eGmember Bicycle Lee back in June: Mole Poblano From The Red Iguana,736 W North Temple, S.L.C. Ingredients: 6.30 Oz. Mexican Chocolate 2 Very Ripe Plantain Bananas 1 Cup Peanuts 1 Cup Pecans 20 Passillas, Stemmed and Seeded 2 Oz. Guajillo Chilis Stemmed and Seeded 1 Cup Raisins 1 White Onion Quarted 4 Avocado Leaves 1 Bunch Cilantro 1 Bunch Epazote 2 Tsp. Sugar 5 Piloncillo Sugar Pieces 2 Tsp. Thyme 2 Tsp. Majoram 6 Cloves 8 Cinnamon Sticks 1/2 Tsp. Allspice 1/2 Tsp. Anise 1 Tsp. Coriander 8 Bay Leaves 1 Tsp. Mexican Oregano 3 Tsp. Black Pepper Salt to taste Chicken Broth (Optional) Instructions: Saute all ingredients. Blend, slowly adding 2 quarts water. Put blended ingredients back into pot, reheat and simmer. Add salt or chicken stock to tastes. Serve over meat or seafood of your choice. edit to add: I was missing a few of the ingredients so I never made it

We toured the JFK museum the day after Thanksgiving which took the better part of an afternoon. There is little to look forward to at their eatery - mostly prepared sandwichs and soda. Work up your appetite then head back into town.

Whew! ...I feel exhausted... Great blog Rochelle; I feel I've been scrubbing the grill grates and whipping up salad bar ingredients right next to you all week! Thank you for your insights and reflections on your job at the sorority. The Dinner with your parents was most welcome, too. On Soba's recommendation, I started reading the very first few blogs (Fat Guy, Sam, Maggie...) and boy have we come a long way. Reading them easily shows the genesis of eGullet as a whole. Our weekly foodblog is one of the Society's finest features. Thanks again, Rochelle!

Jason, I lived in Sao Paulo in my early teens and lived for the day my Mom (who was born in São Vicente nearby) made those little meat-filled pastries. They are called Empadinhas (empa - deen - yah) and they are also made with chicken. Splash a bit of piripiri (hot sauce) on 'em! We used to drive to the coast on weekends and usually in the direction of one seaside area because on the way was a road-side churraso that turned out perfectly grilled pork cutlets served inside a sliced pãozinho, or "little loaf". Splash of piripiri, delicious. I still make them at home now in a sliced baguette but the USA pork can't hold a candle to the Brazilian pig. [looks over shoulder for cleaver-wielding southwest eG members] The beef and corn combo I remember hazily. Maria's On-line Brazilian Cookbook is a great source of food from Brasil for those interested in going beyond Feijoada or the Rodizio routine.

That's the punchline of a joke an irish friend used to tell: "What d'you call a seven-course Irish meal?" [buddum bum!] ...but this septet looks mighty good:

It also reminds me of the Marmots I'd see in the Alps. That fractal cauliflower is amazing!

Yesterday's auction saw the biggest load of shrimp I've seen to date: 2/28/05 - 44,736lbs - 8 boats, 4 trucks Low price: $0.58 Average: 0.60 High: 0.63 Made a small shrimp chowder yesterday for the snow-day expected today. It was so good I ate it all before a single flake fell. 2 slice diced bacon rendered and removed to which I sauteed diced onion and fennel bulb, about a cup each. Added one diced potato until glassy, then one minced garlic clove. I only had a cup of chicken stock so I peeled my half pound of shrimp and simmered the shells in a cup of water for a half an hour. Added both stocks and a dash of hon-dashi for good measure. When bubbly, I added my shrimp, a cup of good heavy cream from our local Smiling Hill Dairy, and stirred in the bacon bits with the heat off. My "test" bowl got a grind or two of white pepper and off I went to read Malawry's Foodblog. I kept coming back for another "test" and by the time I finished eGulleting, the pot was empty. This is a chowder that I'm going to have to make in bulk to freeze for the summer.

Wait a minute here! I have been wandering around, lost in a fog, ever since project blew up the Great eGullet Novel; where's the talent? thread! You guys are terrific. Great surprise ending, Lucy! I have to catch up with everybody else now...