johnnyd

Old urchin colleague now fishing shrimp out of Portland. From his iPhone this morning: Today's weather:

Fresh squid ink is extremely perishable, decaying by the hour, according to the Portuguese I knew in the Algarve. It must be used immediately or the flavor turns unpleasant.

Prices are not going down - most expensive I've seen since late 90's: @Harbor Fish 12noon today: Whole: $2.29/lb ($1.95/lb if over 5lb) Headless: $5.49/lb Clean meats: $9.99/lb bought 1.5lb whole shrimp - the stock makes an amazing chowder

Yeah, I know I know! They'll be considered one of our holiday luxuries this week. Harbor's facebook page noted that the sample harvest discovered an awful lot of shrimp out there. I hope the prices are high enough to support the fishermen, but low enough for consumers' budgets, and that they are able to truck them to major metropolitan areas. To members within 400 miles of the Gulf Of Maine: Please post Maine shrimp sightings in your local markets here once the shrimp season begins next week. Thanks! Edit to add: For those interested in eGullet 5+ year coverage and commentary on Gulf Of Maine Shrimp, this link is a great place to start

Harbor Fish Market in Portland Maine has acquired 200 lbs of Gulf Of Maine shrimp meats from the pre-season biomass sample harvested from the Maine Fisheries Management test trawl completed yesterday. I snagged one pound at $9.99/lb, and it's going fast. Haven't decided what to do with yet, but a simple steaming and various dipping sauces would probably be the most honorable way to go.

They were reasonably plentiful last season. $1 to $2 got you a pound of whole (heads-on) shrimp at the littler seafood purveyors, or a roadside truck with a sign. The typical buy is $5 and that's over a hundred or so count. Cleaned, they sell for $3.99 or $4.99 per pound at a supermarket like Hannaford

You're right: All shrimp harvested in December are egg-laden, but they don't release their eggs 'til February in a typical season. I don't mean to cast your friend as nefarious or dubious by any means, but I did learn to be cautious about anything said or heard on the waterfront during my seven years as an urchin diver.

Not your fault - apologies are unnecessary, Country. I seem to remember a similar argument while setting the urchin season back in the '90s. It was widely believed that lobster men who took out us divers lobbied to wait until January to start the season because there were still lobsters to be trapped in December and they didn't want the fisheries to overlap, so I am suspicious of your fisherman friends agenda. ...and I am sorry about that!

The season starts January 2, 2012. :angry: This completely ruins my traditional December menu - pulls all my maine shrimp dishes out of the equation, and raises the budget - Maine shrimp costs only a dollar a pound,

Yo quero enchuchar con Guayusa durante sus proxima cafecito, por favor. So the artesanal classification allows for home-based production? That is most logical in a country with deep culinary tradition and trust in it's home cooks. Laws regarding the selling of home-prepared foods are finally relaxing here in North Eastern USA. Looking forward excitedly to this SA foodblog!

This blog is the bomb, SB. Really enjoying your cheffing, markets and repasts at cool local spots. I wish I had the knees to be by your side doing it too. Tokyo Fish prices look pretty decent. Curious about the East Coast Halibut because they run around here in Spring. Yours must be from off Labrador or somewhere. Hold on while I dig out my monster Maine scallop pic...

Beer Advocate Magazine rated Ebenzer's Pub in Lovell, Maine, the number one beer bar in America and the world for the last five years in a row. The 7th annual Belgian beer festival runs from August 18th to the 27th and features an incredible meal as a finale: Moules Escargot Prince Edward Island Mussels baked with Trappist cheese, butter Ebenezers grown Garlic 2004 Drie Fontenein Oude Gueuze Magnums Charcuterie Plate Traditional Belgian Head Cheese - Earthmonk infused Sour Cherries, Duck Confit and Fois Gras Terrine with 2009 OerBier Reserva Reduction Smoked Pork Tenderloin – Au Poivre Pickled fiddleheads, Spicy Pickled Green Beans and variuos relishes. 1972 Rodenbach Grand Cru, 2011 Rodenbach Grand Cru Cream of Tsjeeses Chicken Stock, Mirepoix, and Jansel Farm Leeks with Tsjeeses Tripel and Sherman Farm Cream Served with Locally Baked Trappist Bread Fantome La Gourmande Smeus Butter Poached Lobster Tail, Poached Egg, Green Thumb Pureed Potatoes served with Caviar and Tsjeeses Hollandaise Sauce. Val Dieu Triple 6liter Belgian Frites White Truffle Oil, Garlic, Parmesan, red pepper and malt vinegar Stillwater Special Beer Venison Aux Poivrons Vert a la Moutarde Served with green peppercorn mustard sauce. Tsmije 2009 BBB Cask Framboos Sorbet Exhibition Course made with Eggs Whites, Fruit, 1983 Drie Fontienen Framboos and Liquid Nitrogen Saddle of Rabbit With Watou Cheese, Ruccola and dried tomatoes in Tripel Karmeliet, accompanied by crayfish in their gravy and mashed celeriac. Allagash Special Beer Country Salad Veal Kidneys, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Quail Egg and St Louis Kriek 1997 Cantillon Kriek Cheese Selection Ruth Miller’s handpicked selection of World Class Cheese! Orval/Saison Dupont Chocolate Selection Truffles by three of the world’s greatest Chocolatier’s: Pierre Marcolinni, Jospeh Blondeel, and Valentino! Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada/Pannepot Reserva 2008 Goat Cheese White Chocolate Mousse Served with Sugar Glass Sculpture 1997 Rose De Grambinus I hear this event is amazing. Camping is encouraged. Ebenezer's Pub Info Host Note: Click here for the terms under which this event is listed in eG Forums.

Considering all the culinary action in town, it may seem unfair to mention Masa Miyake's new place again, but a revelatory article in today's local paper describes Masa's new farm in Freeport where he is raising fowl, pigs and japanese vegetables for his two restaurants. He has employed Chad Conley - formerly of Hugo's - to manage the farm: "Farm To Table - The Miyake Way" Portland Press Herald

Tons of uses. They are entirely edible. Think of them as basil concentrate. Works in tomato sauces, Asian noodle soups, egg dishes... I've had good luck in my microdish experiments but my everyday use is usually as edible garnish.

Masa Mayake has moved his tiny sushi bar into a more elegant space at 468 Fore Street. This is not your average sushi bar so go if you are in town. Full review on Downeast.com 8-3-11 Reservations are recommended.

There comes a point in a man's life when he must contemplate selling all possessions so he can purchase a one-way ticket to Sydney.

Love your blog, zeemanb. Engaging writing, compelling life story, abundant dry wit and necessarily appropriate culinary obsessions. I'm on board. I'm screwed.

We have an open floor plan with a kitchen island as well. My tools, condiments, vinegars etc are all within reach of the main prep area so when things are just right, I feel like a drummer on stage that's hitting all the cymbals and toms.

One of my favorite meals, hands down. Lovely blog FP

What kitchen lets a "batch" of bad mussels get in the door? You can smell 'em a mile away. Too much hashish in the morning, I suspect.

Maine's elver season saw a jump in violations due to a spike in prices. Little Eels - Big Bucks

I helped a pal with his elver weirs one late night in '95. The price was about $400/lb. There was a lot of shooting and yelling in the dark at one point so I thought best to decline the invitation for another go at it.

Say, what flavor are your light bulbs?

That's magnificent, andrew. And talk about fresh. Finally found the NYC restaurant with the killer scrambled eggs: Elaine's. Her Recipe Here - NYT.

@andiesenji - that is a revelation. Thank you!