Peter the eater

Great video -- isn't that guy's name Hung from Top Chef? Geoduck is anatomically similar to the soft shell clams we get here on the Atlantic coast. Their siphons are good to eat but they are too small to peel and slice like that. People often make clam strips with the meat. The trick is to get the sand out of the clams by soaking them overnight in salty water with cornmeal. I wonder if it's necessary with the geoducks.

I asked my favorite sushi guy how long it takes to make a good maki. He said something like "ten years and ten minutes".

I've never knowingly wore or used a shower cap. This discussion reminds me of the versatility of paper coffee filters. They're perfect for weighing things on the kitchen scale, and in between bowls when moving and storing them.

I'm glad to be home after two weeks of cooking and eating on the road. Thank you all for reading and posting -- there should be a little more time for any comments.

Seafood, check. I was hoping for more cheese chat but our wedding guest from Madison forgot to bring his suitcase full of Wisconsin's best. I almost cried. There is a guy in PEI who does award-wining cloth-bound cheddar that is not be missed if you're ever out this way. Next time I'm in Cape Breton I'll stop by Glenora where they make North America's 1st Single Malt Whisky.

When you cross the Confederation Bridge to New Brunswick there is an excellent Natural History Centre which, among other things, explains the traditional way of harvesting seafood. The text is a bit hard to read but the drawings give a general idea. Clams, oysters, scallops, lobsters, smelt, mackerel, herring and crab.

Yesterday was National Parks Day in Canada and they were all open for free from coast to coast to coast. We took a walk through Green Gables where Lucy Maude Montgomery set much of her Anne stories more than a hundred years ago. I figured a few images of the Late Victorian kitchen would be an interesting thing to share. Lots of cast iron forms for baking, wooden utensils and contraptions, a pantry full of ceramic jars and glass containers, and a handsome wood stove.

I finally got the chance to try this interesting food product created on PEI. It's a small hexagonal candy made almost exclusively from honey. Somebody figured out how to make such a thing stable and tasty and packaged it up for distribution. I recall seeing the pitch on Dragon's Den -- a Canadian reality show for entrepreneurs to pitch their clever ideas to investor/judges. They are a pricey but tasty.

Fascinating. I wonder how Saskatchewan, Saskatoon's Province, got it's name. Could it be an entire Province got named after a berry?

Down here, we'd call that a fish cooker, and it'd do double duty to boil crawfish or shrimp in. Great blog. I want that Stilton mushroom cap, and a lobster roll, and half a dozen grilled Malpeques, please! It is a nice set up for doing a whack of seafood outside. I guess I'll to make another topic to share my PEI lobster boil photo essay, and step aside for a new eg Foodblogger.

Ohhhh, I'm late to the party. Ive had the pleasure of experiencing both Peter's cooking( yummy lobster rolls) and his cute kids!!( and some vomit, but we wont talk about that......)This is kinda making me nostaglic for the east coast. What are those cookies called that I loved? Oat cakes? Hi Randi, glad you could make it. Maybe you're thinking about fat archies? Could be oatcakes though -- they are not hard to find.

I find it really hard to toast buns that load from the top. There was more than enough butter consumed the night before.

Along with the oysters we grilled some local boneless pork loins and an assortment of vegetables. I'm prepared to call it Surf'n'turf.

I promised extreme cheese. I don't think I could handle that Mediteranean cheese with the insect larvae (name escapes me) but I can share with you . . . drum roll please . . . the Stilton mushroom cap: <edit because there's apparently no spell check on this computer>

And for tonight's dinner we got into the oysters. This a 2 pound bag of Malpeques which is the name of the bay just down the road. Apparently they can last for weeks in your fridge if you store them right. We enjoyed a few of them raw and some with a splash of the hot sauce on hand. The rest went on the upper deck of the barbecue until they were nice and dry and slightly ajar. I suppose fresh, raw and unadulterated is the best way to enjoy these wierd little creatures. The barbecue method is good because they open themselves and they taste great warmed through. The downside is that you lose a lot of the delicious juices aka liquor.

Do you remember where it was or what you ate?

While my comprehensive photoshoot from last night's lobster boil is unavailable, I can jump ahead to the lobster rolls we had for lunch today. Nice and simple. Mayo, a scallion, fresh white top-loading hotdog buns, and plenty of meat.

I don't think there is a nicer tartan than the Nova Scotia Provincial one, though. My NS tartan tie is almost enough to make the choking feeling bearable. Does PEI bluefin tuna still contain a lot of mercury? Do they still ship it to Japan for sushi? I saw some bluefin boats the other day but there was nobody around for a Q&A. As you can see in the "tuna wall" photo upthread the industry is thriving. A single fish can means tens of thousands of dollars to the catcher.

So are you cheap like my parents were and only buy the culls with one claw? I can't remember if I asked in your Nova Scotia food thread if you use sea water or not. Where do you stand on eating the various slimy bits? Great blog. Thanks. I used a few inches of tap water in the bottom of a big pot with a few scoops of sea salt. There will be photos and and explation soon, when I get my camera working again. I cherish the slimy bits. Green tomalley and the crumbly pink stuff -- it's all good. Like most, the tail is my overall favorite part.

Just came from Green Gables. LMM attended a college in PEI, not Dalhousie U in Halifax, she was working for a publishing company in NS. Not going to NB this trip, although that would be an excellent Province for an eG Foodblog.

Ready Aye ready.

I like to wear the MacIntosh, same as the Nairn, my daughter's second and maternal name. This eGFoodblog I wore the Black Watch, pix to follow.

Annabelle, I am grateful for your questions. There are many French speakers outside of Quebec. Prince Edward Island was known earlier as L'Île Saint Jean. Acadian communities on the Island define the music and food heritage. Come to my kitchen.

How long have you got? There are no more proud Canucks than me but many are more eloquent. In my estimation, Canada's culinary tradition is a product of England, France and those who came before and after. My Latin may be vulgar but Nova Scotia means New Scotland.

The lobster boil was a raging success. Six pound-and-a-halfers for a smallish crowd and there's nothing left. Photos to follow . . .