rlibkind

Those "rocks" could have been pea crabs, a.k.a. crunch crabs. They pose no harm to the eater, other than the tactile disturbance. While the restaurant should do a better job cleaning the beards (which certainly could introduce "rocks" if they were wild-gathered) and avoiding broken shells, not much they can do about the pea crabs, since you don't know they're there until you open up the mussel. Pea crabs were a lot more common when mussels were mostly wild-gathered; not unknown with farmed mussels, but not as common now. Because of this I think aquaculture of mussels is one of humankind's greatest achievements.

I think Ludja makes a good point about being careful with which fruit you use; I certainly don't want you to create a thin fruit sauce! But given the quick cooking time, the studier fruits will merely be warmed, not broken down. One other advantage of the foil packets: minimizes pan clean-up compared to broiling.

You might also want to consider baking the fish in aluminum foil packets. I find this works better than broiling for diets, because the packets (akin to cooking en papillote, just using foil instead of parchment) keep those delicious juices in. The only fat needed is some cooking spray or olive oil (latter preferred) lightly brushed onto the foil to prevent sticking. It also encourages a wider flavor palette, I think. Dice some vegetables to enclose with the fish, along with your herb or spice flavorings. I'd pre-cook veggies like carrots, potatoes, because cooking time for foiled filets won't be that long -- a six-ounce, three-quarter inch thick filet in a 450 oven should take 12-13 minutes or so, maybe less (the wrapping increases cooking time) if the filet is thoroughly thawed first. You might also want to consider adding fruit instead of vegetables! A bit of fresh papaya or mango, or even pineapple, diced into the packet would be a nice touch; grapes (peeled if you're compulsive) would make it veronique-ish. Or you can even use dried fruit, after letting it steep in boiled water for 15 or 20 minutes first. Your favorite olives (a mix of varieties is nice) would add a trifle of additional fat but lots of flavor. Chopped scallions (green onions) are always a nice addition, especially after brushing the fish with your choice of an Asian fish sauce and perhaps adding a touch of fresh grated ginger. Of course, good flavor depends on getting good fish. And there's no reason why you can't get good frozen fish. If you have a Trader Joe's available, they offer an excellent selection of quality frozen fish filets, considerably better than that found in the some supermarkets, though I've seen improving quality there.

When I first saw this topic headline I thought it was referring to mackerel, not sardines. That's because two days before the topic started, Mark Bittman in his Minimalist piece in the Times used that headline (at least the video on the website did) to offer a mackerel recipe. I think a strong case can be made that mackerel gets less respect. Just look at the grocery shelves of tinned fish: lots more sardine selection than mackerel! (I'll grant you that mackerel may be more prevalent than sardines at your local fishmongers, but when the latter are available at my fish store at Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market, they usually display nearly as much sardines as mackerel.) Right now is the perfect time for mackerel as they move inshore. The spring run is underway and, if you live anywhere near the coast along the Mid-Atlantic, very fresh fish should be available of both the Boston and Spanish varieties, which are closely related and can be cooked in the same ways. Recent prices at my fishmongers were $2.49 for Bostons and $2.99 for Spanish. (The Boston's western Atlantic range runs from North Carlina to Maritime Canada; the Spanish mackerel's range runs from Cape Cod south into the Gulf of Mexico. So, if you live in the Mid-Atlantic area, you generally can get either one.) Because it's an oily fish (related to tuna, btw) it works well with acidic accompaniments. Bittman's recipe was poached in a Japanese inspired soy-based liquid liquid spiked with sake (or sherry) and vinegar. I think mackerel also has an affinity for tomato. (As a pre-schooler, I recall my mom baking it with a can of tomato soup.) Just plain baked with some lemon works for me, too. It's a rich, delicious fish. Properly cooked, avoiding absorbing too much of the pan butter, you can even do a sauté meuniere. When it's not the height of the spring run, even though fresh mackerel is pretty much available year-round, I enjoy salt mackerel, which is generally imported from Canada. I can find it at most of my local supermarkets packed as filets. It's not dry, like baccala, but wet packed after being sufficiently brined, like many herrings. After soaking I treat it like I would fresh, though the flesh tends to be pleasantly firmer. How do you enjoy mackerel?

It's not "on the street", it's been in the paper. Michael Klein reported this Feb. 18. Scroll down this article link to find the item.

The article would need to address the toxicity issue, real and imagined.

LOL! And did your courage flag, Sam?

I haven't been to Vetri's Osteria yet, but last week in Phoenix I visited Pizzeria Bianco. Well worth the $12 for a pizza margherita (I splurged and added anchovies). Given that Philadelphia's a slightly pricier town, the $14 Vetri charges for what I imagine is a similarly well-crafted pie may be expensive, but not outrageous for the quality.

There was in the mid-1980s, iirc, located where the Down Home Diner is now. It was, however, more of an "appy", i.e., appetizer store, than a deli, in the sense that they had a wide selection of both cured meats, smoked fishes, and salads, but they didn't do hot pastrami, corned beef, brisket. I thought they did what they did well, but I think the slightly out-of-the-way location and concentration on take-home rather than eat-here contributed to their demise; the biggest factor is that, iirc, they opened immediately prior to (or was it in the midst of?) the big reconstruction of the RTM in connection with the building of the convention center.

I stopped by RF for happy hour last night. Can''t speak for the entire menu, of course, but the green chile pork stew was as good as it's been on previous visits. The lamb chops with butternut squash are still on the appetizer menu, too.

Steven, Welcome to eGullet, and many thanks for taking my comments as they were intended -- constructive criticism. I don't expect you to be Katz's, the Famous, or even Goodman's (the deli of my wasted youth in Elizabeth NJ). And given the quality of your response and your commitment to making things better, I certainly look forward to regular visits (and purchases). I'm out of town this week but will stop by and say hello when I'm back at the market. Good luck dealing with the Flower Show crowds.

Hi, Maria. I'm here from Philadelphia right now. Roaring Fork is stil here, though I haven't tried it this trip yet, since I just arrived Saturday afternoon. Happy Hours are a great deal there, and I find it hard to pass up the lamb chops appetizer. Hardly a fine restaurant, but I found a nice hole-in-the-strip-mall family-run Mexican, El Bravo, 8338 N. 7th Street not far from the Pointe Tapatio Cliffs Resort. Nothing fancy or out of the ordinary, but just well done basic fare. Instead of one of the standard combo dinners (which looked better than decent), it was a chilly night so I went for a bowl of the special soup of the day, posole with shredded pork, and the green corn tamale and sauce. Both were exceptionally good and satisfying. Enjoy your visit (I hope it's warmer; the high temp this week looks to be 72. Oh, well, it's better than being in Philadelphia today.)

The "Tastings" column by Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher in today's Wall Street Journal looks at how some wine retailers are presenting their product. Mentions include Bottlerocket and Pour of NYC, Moore Bros. of NYC, South Jersey and DE, Best Cellars chain, Sam's of Chicago, and others. Sorry, no link 'cause WSJ doesn't permit it, but see if you can find a print copy.

Today I tried the lox I purchased yesterday. Not as adequately sliced as I initially thought. Some pieces nicely thin, others thicker than the pre-sliced packs you get at the supermarket. In addition, slicer didn't bother to pull the pin bones nor trim the dark center spot away, which can taste nasty. The lox itself (salty belly) was Acme and was fine. I also picked up two knishes yesterday for reheating at home: one kasha, one potato. The kasha was very good. The potato would have been good, but it was overcooked. The person who served me said he didn't have a cold potato knish, so he would pack a warm one for me. That's fine, but I think it was overdone even then -- by the time I reheated it at home it was over the edge. But other than that problem, the knishes were very good: excellent pastry wrap, oniony potato, and a surprisingly light but still nutty kasha (looks like their knish supplier uses the fine-grain kasha, which is okay for knishes; if I'm serving kasha as a side dish I prefer the coarse).

I was hoping for better from Hershel's East Side Deli, the new Jewish-style stall that opened yesterday at the Reading Terminal Market. Based on today's visit, the Famous Fourth Street need not worry. One hopes the proprietor and staff can make a quick recovery from today's disappointing experience. What I won't hold against them is running out of matzoh ball soup at 1:30 p.m. and falling behind on pastrami (a 20-minute wait was forecast if I wanted any). That's the sort of thing that can happen to any new restaurant as it tries gauge demand. What I will hold against them was the quality of the corned beef. A fair (but by no means large) sized sandwich arrived with stringy, pedestrian tasting meat. It looked like it was a combination of overcooked/steamed and/or sliced with the grain rather than against it. Cutting corned beef, pastrami and brisket with the grain is a shandah of the first magnitude. I give them credit for hand-carving the meat, and passing out tastes a la Katz's. But when I looked at the carving stations, each one was filled with stringy shards of overcooked flesh. When I asked my waitress for a Cel-Ray, she looked at me cross-eyed. When I told her the owner would know what it was, she then asked me what I wanted to drink. It took about 10 minutes to get my sandwich (adorned with two small slices of pickle, though it was a very good pickle) even though I was the only unserved customer at the seating counter and there were only a couple of people lined up at the take-away counter. They did stock belly (salty) lox, which I ordered to take home. It appeared to be sliced competently, though not as thin as at The Famous. With the Flower Show coming up in just over a week's time, Hershel needs to get its act together, and quickly. Otherwise, they're gonna get slammed. Failing to come through then will mean a lot of bad word of mouth. I'll give them a couple more tries before passing final judgment, especially after the Flower Show when things calm down and they've had a chance to improve the operation. I hope they make it. But I'm not optimistic.

Rather than Kibbitz, I nominate the Famous. Under new ownership the food is better, the menu more wide-ranging. Open breakfast, lunch, dinner. (Try the kishke with gravy.) And they cure/smoke their own corned beef and pastrami now. Down Home Diner at the RTM. They stay open until 7 p.m. Mon-Sat.

That would be Rick's. While hardly up there in the Pantheon of Cheesesteaks, it's okay, so if you must have a cheesesteak but can't get out of Center City it will do. That said, the choice sandwiches at the Reading Terminal Market would be: Roast Pork at Tommy DiNic's. (Tommy also has his adherents for the roast beef and brisket sandwiches). If you get the pork, be sure to order greens and aged provolone. Hoagie at Salumeria. I usually order the prosciutto, but take your pick. It would be wise to order it with the house dressing and marinated artichokes. Carmen's also has its boosters, and they make a very nice hoagie, too, but I prefer Salumeria. The RTM is a great place for breakfast. Either the Dutch Eating Place (cheap and filling) or the Down Home Diner (not as cheap, but still fairly priced, filling and excellent quality). At either place, be sure to order scrapple. The Dutch Eating Place is closed Sunday-Tuesday. Down Home Diner is a seven-day operation. You can also pick up baked goods, breakfast sandwiches, etc., at any number of other stalls. The only establishment I avoid is Profi's Creperie; maybe they've gotten better but I thought they were pretty awful. Other of my favs at the RTM: Pizza at By George Pasta & Pizza Cupcakes at Flying Monkey Patisserie Spring rolls at Little Thai Market Various pakoras, fritters, etc., at Nanee's Kitchen Roast Pork/Duck and noddle soup or rice/veggie plates at Sang Kee Peking Duck Ice Cream at Bassett's

Lots of onions, sliced very thinly (I usually use a mandoline for two large Spanish onions if I'm cooking two or two-and-a-half pounds of beef) so they disintegrate during the slow braise. No other veggies. And I slather good mustard (usually dijon) on some decent white bread to help thicken the pot. And, of course, good dark beer. A discreet amount of nutmeg is a nice seasoning addition.

The only reason not to make your own slaw is because sometimes it's just a pain to shred the cabbage and carrots, or you just want a little and a whole head of cabbage is, well, a WHOLE HEAD OF CABBAGE! The solution is to grit your teeth and pick up pre-shredded cabbage or slaw mix at your greengrocer's. Then make the dressing to your liking. The quality and sanitary quality of the cabbage is going to be no worse than that of most delis or deli departments.

Despite your aversion to cutting it up I think such a fish deserves Bergen fish soup. Or a New England style fish stew or chowder. It's an absolutely perfect winter fish dish. Too bad you don't have the head, though.

I stand (well, sit at the moment) humbly corrected, V. Pasteurized is the stuff that largely goes into the cans; the plastic container product at the RTM is fresh, though this time of year it does make a long trip to get here. But it is, as noted earlier, just fine for crab cakes. I actually prefer crabmeat that isn't too large for crabcakes; tends to hold together better with a minimum of binder. Though not too small: you still want to know it's crab meat, not minced ersatz stuff.

Flats or drums? It's like the lyric to the old song "Love and Marriage": You can't have one without the other. The meatiness of the drums sets off the intensity of the flats. Can't appreciate the flats without the drums.

All you're going to find this time of year is packaged pasteurized crab meat, at various price points depending on size of flakes/lumps. Pretty much all comes from Gulf Coast this time of year, and no significant differences among retailers, other than their ability to keep it cold and sell it quickly. I've found the packaged crabmeat at John Yi at the RTM just fine in crab cakes. As for BJ's, while they have lots of stuff I like (beef for braising is pretty good value), I haven't been impressed with the refrigerated and frozen seafoods, but I haven't tried their crab, so maybe that's an exception.

Except for Sunday brunch. Very Scandinavian then.

Lots of sweet butter and either Wilkins' ginger or tawny orange marmalade.