The Death of Sushi

A friend of mine sent me a link to something called a Sushi Popper.

This unholy item makes sushi more convenient with a push pop candy apparatus, so that it may be eaten at the ball park, in stadiums and other such places. This is part of a trend that I blame on the popularity of sushi.

Restaurants that have no business making sushi want sushi on their menu. So they get someone else to roll them up a supply, which they leave in their fridge until someone orders it--not unlike what you'll find at a Publix in the sushi case. At least there, you know that your roll might have been made up the day before. At a restaurant you expect that the chef is rolling it up when you order it.

What I like about the Sushi Popper is its sheer audacity. One look at the packaging, and you know that baby wasn't made-to-order. They, like the sushi you sometimes get at non-sushi restaurants, are made up ahead of time. Sushi Popper hires local rollers to fill their blasphemous tubes (Hi Kellie, I stole your phrase!)The tubes are then refrigerated and await your order.

I don't think they're a horrible health hazard. After all, I've eaten sushi from the case and lived. Many people have.

But it still makes me sad because the real, made-to-order deal is just so much better. If I had kids I wouldn't want them to grow up in a world where sushi came in tubes.

A Trip to Fresh Market: Hydroponics and Swedish Pancakes

Get Your Hydro Here.
I picked up a decently sized basil plant from Fresh Market the other day when I was waiting for one of their food demos to start. (It was an Italian Beef Tenderloin served with Gorgonzola butter. The beef was excellent, particularly set off with the butter, but the pasta served with it, wasn't entirely my cuppa.)

The basil was grown hydroponically and the fragrance hit me from a couple of feet away.

I grow my own herbs at home. Sometimes I grow them from seed, like my purple Thai basil. I've got a large rosemary bush which I didn't grow from seed, some chives, parsley and a little bit of thyme I rescued from one of those refrigerated packages which leave the roots and some soil intact.

I knew that the basil I was looking at was exceptional. The copious amount of leaves and their size were one thing-- but the important part is how it smells, and this basil was quite possibly the most fragrant I'd encountered.

I've since transplanted the beauty into a pot after using some of it in a diced strawberry and honey mixture, as well as in a pasta dish (angel hair pasta with a Parmesan basil and olive oil sauce, topped with tilapia.)

All very delish.

This plant has piqued my interest in hydroponics, which was formerly relegated into categories labeled "Pot growers" and "moon colonists." Narrow minded, I know. But it's not just me. Type in a google search.

The only problem is that it looks like I'd have to use specialized equipment and buy nutrients. This translates into money, and I certainly don't have much of that, despite the fact that I just told you I was in a Fresh Market.

Swedish Pancakes

I actually got out of there for about $21, namely because I found Lund's Swedish Pancakes. I then cleaned them out of Lund's pancakes. Except for one box, which I left out of a misplaced sense of guilt.

You don't know what I've gone through to find Lund's Swedish Pancakes. I called both Native Suns, a Euro specialty market, I went to four different Publixes, called around to Winn Dixie, I went to the other Fresh Market (the one on San Jose) and I called the distributor. They were willing to ship me a large amount, but I'd also have to pay shipping. I could also get them over the internet. Same deal with shipping, even if I didn't have to buy a case.

So imagine my shock and joy at finding the box that had burned itself into my brain--when I wasn't even looking for it; when I had given up all hope.

You might imagine that I really like Swedish Pancakes. I do. My father likes them more and he can't find them either. I plan to share some of my bounty with him. In this way, he will know that I love him.

Swedish pancakes aren't spongy and thick like most pancakes can be. They don't bubble as pancakes do when you cook them. No, indeed not. This batter is thin, the result of which I can only describe as the holiest of matrimony between a crepe and a pancake.

Code Organ OR I stole this from Jax Con

I surf Jax Con aka Jacksonville Confidental and they had something on there called code organ, a fun way to waste your time. It takes the html coding of a site and translates it into music. I must say, my Epi Jax blog sounds pretty sweet! One side note though, do make sure you cut/paste the whole thing, including the http://

Spice of the Moment: Spanish Smoked Paprika

Like most Americans my first experience with paprika came on deviled eggs. It didn't taste like much and it was only trotted out for that particular dish. When I experimented in my mother's kitchen, I opened different spices and took a whiff. I even gave the paprika a chance, but it didn't pass the sniff test.

What I didn't know is that there are different varieties of the spice and that it has a relatively short shelf life as far as spices go. When I found a recipe which called specifically for Spanish smoked paprika, I didn't use the stuff in my cabinet (because there was none) so I had to buy it.

It was a whole new experience--the difference between a skeleton and a living being. You might know the general shape of an animal from its skeleton, but you wouldn't know the important details. There's beauty in the flesh. That's what smoked Spanish paprika is to the musty stuff I knew growing up: alive rather than a pile of bones.

Smoked Spanish Paprika comes from very mild sweet peppers that are ever so slowly smoked, generally with oak chips (though not always). Sometimes a combination of peppers are used. Despite peppers being the base, the most commonly found paprikas here in the US don't add heat to a dish. In some ways, it reminds me of chipotle, without the heat and with less dramtic sweet notes. Instead it's savory and smokey, with just a touch of the sweet.

I'm gaining an interest in trying to smoke my own paprika, though it really seems involved and I would have to get a smoker. I do have a dehydrator, so I can experiement with drying and grinding various peppers, but I won't get that smokey flavor.

I'm also interested in some of hotter Hungarian and Spanish paprikas. I'm unlikely to find these in a typical supermarket, but some of Jacksonville's ethinic markets and the interweb should should serve me well.

Not a Shack.

I expected Salt Life Food Shack to be more, well, shack-like. The atmosphere is, instead, more beachy-but-upscale. The food is mid-range in price and the servers are beach girls, dressed more decently than Hooters girls, but meant to be eye-candy just the same.

I ordered the soft shell crab BLT. It includes a whole soft crab, two slices of crispy bacon, tomato slices, some shredded lettuce and a po' boy type sauce between ciabatta. It was the prep of the crab, the quality of the bread and the sauce that launched the sandwich into awesome.

Can't say the same of the sushi tuna roll I ordered, but I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to sushi.

My dining companion ordered their burger, which he declared tasty.

I do want to go back and explore more of their more expensive dinner options. As long as you aren't freaked out by the prospect of a whole soft shell crab in your sandwich, I do highly recommend the soft shell blt for lunch.

Lunch for two, with a sushi roll, a burger, soft shell blt and two non-alkie drinks came to just over $29 before tip.

Romance on the River: Valentine’s at The Landing

Just a Press Release for the Landing and the deals they got goin' on for Valentine's. As to me, I'll be staying home on the day and rescheduling my V-day dinner on a different day!


WHAT: Romance on the River: Valentine’s Day at The Landing and FREE parking

WHEN: Sunday, February 14, 2010

WHERE: The Jacksonville Landing participating restaurants
2 Independent Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32202

WHY: Downtown Jacksonville along the St. Johns River is one of the most romantic places in Northeast Florida. The Jacksonville Landing is home to seven riverfront restaurants, all of which are offering Sweetheart Specials for Valentine’s Day (see below for individual specials). From chocolate-covered strawberries to “Dinner for Two” and complementary champagne, The Landing has it all for this special day. No need to worry about paying to park! The Landing is offering up to four hours of free parking with purchase from the following locations:
American Cafe, Benny’s Steak & Seafood, Chicago Pizza, Cinco de Mayo, Hooter’s, Koja Sushi, The Twisted Martini or Vito’s Italian Cafe. Valid only with purchase. 4 hour max, $1 per hour thereafter.
Not valid with any other offer. Good only 2/12-2/14/10.

Individual merchant specials are as follows:
American Cafe
Sweetheart Special: Dinner for Two only $27.99 +tax
Add a bottle of wine to your meal for only $15.00.
Benny’s Steak & Seafood
Gourmet Three Course Dinner for Two $89.95 +tax
Also enjoy a champagne split with your meal.
Cinco de Mayo
Buy one margarita or draft beer get one 1/2 off.
Hooter’s
One free dessert per couple with purchase of any entree.
Koja Sushi
Choice of free drink, appetizer or dessert with purchase of $15.00 or more.
Sundrez
Heart Box Valentine’s Candy
Stuffed Animals
Jumbo Valentine’s Day Cards $6.95
Valentine’s Day balloons and much more!
-more-

Dipper Dan’s Ice Cream & Treats
6 Jumbo Hand Dipped Chocolate Strawberries $9.95
3 Jumbo Hand Dipped Chocolate Strawberries $6.95
Vito’s Italian Cafe
Three Course Meal for Two, only $85.00 +tax
Complimentary Glass of champagne included.
Don’t Forget!!!
The Landing offers valet parking every Friday and Saturday evening for only $10.00

For a complete list of all events at the Landing, please log onto www.jacksonvillelanding.com , www.myspace.com/jacksonvillelanding or www.facebook.com/jacksonvillelanding



The Jacksonville Landing, located in the heart of downtown Jacksonville adjacent to the St. Johns River, is a multi-purpose facility providing year-round dining, shopping and entertainment. With more than 40 shops and restaurants, visitors are sure to find exactly what they are looking for, as well as enjoy the fabulous view of the river. Hours are 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. Restaurants and clubs stay open later. For more information, or a complete list of events and entertainment, please call (904) 353-1188 or visit www.JacksonvilleLanding.com.

White Meat Vs. Dark Meat

This week I'm fixing my toasted garlic and smoked paprika boneless chicken thighs.

Now chicken thighs tend to put off those that prefer white meat. White meat doesn't have as much flavor as dark because it doesn't have as much fat. Those who prefer white hold that it isn't as greasy and is a better "blank canvas" for flavors.

These differences mean that in certain recipes, one or the other is the better choice.

Such is the case with my toasted garlic and smoked paprika chicken thighs. The dark meat is just better.

I'm actually thinking about throwing in a few pieces of white meat for those who claim a strong aversion to dark meat--but, I hesitate. It doesn't feel right or true.

I've never been one of those cooks who wail about a recipe's integrity. The fact is I feel for poor maligned dark meat. This a recipe where boneless thighs are given the chance to shine--to be a star on the plate--not everybody's second choice.

The specter of my mother rises and I feel the urge to say things like "Just try a bite" and "I can't believe you don't like it. It's so good!"

Taste is a personal thing. I can't impose the experience on others that I'm having with a particular mouthful any more than my mother could. I can't make light meaters (thus I have coined a term)experience dark meat in the same way I do.

But.

If I toss some white meat into the recipe, nothing will stop me from placing a small pile of dark meat on their plate. "Just try a bite," I'll say, after extolling the virtues of dark meat in this recipe. And maybe, just maybe, one of them will have a revelatory experience.

Smoked Paprika Boneless Chicken Thighs

Olive Oil
1 head of Garlic
Chicken Thighs
Smoked Paprika
Bay Leaf
White Wine
Salt and Pepper

To begin with, slice fresh garlic. Don't crush or mince the garlic, you're going to be toasting the garlic in slices. One head of garlic or 10 cloves should be sufficient. I like to wear gloves. Because otherwise I smell like garlic for several days, even after the spplication of soap.

In a large deep pan, I heat olive oil. Once it's heated, I throw in the garlic. Some slices will cook faster than others. Have a plate nearby with a paper towel on it to place the toasted garlic and drain the oil.

Leave the remaining oil in the pan, but take it off the burner whilst you prepare the chicken thighs. A little salt pepper and a liberal amount of smoked paprika should go on the thighs. Make sure you get smoked Spanish paprika--it's better than the other stuff.

Place the pan back on the burner and let it heat up. Toss your thighs in the pan. Let them brown and turn twice. Then pour enough white wine into the pan to cover half the chicken. Throw a dried whole bay leaf or two into this. Bring the wine to a boil and then bring down the temp to about medium and then to simmer. Place the lid on and allow to cook for about 12-15 minutes more.

After the 12 minutes is up, check on the thighs. Turn them over and turn up the temperature to reduce the liquid a little, if need be. Boneless chicken thighs normally take about 20-40 minutes total to cook on the stove top at medium heat.

Allow a few minutes to cool, off hot burner and top with garlic slices to serve. Bread goes well with the tasty sauce, made possible by dark meat goodness.