The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

This vacation thing is not at all like I imagined it would be. I figured I would sleep well at night, relax well during the day, etc., etc…. But this adorable beach that watched me grow up is now obnoxiously loud and overcrowded, all of our allergies are on crazy attack mode, and I can’t seem to get even the simplest things to function correctly around here. Oh, and I’m not exactly sleeping well, neither is my husband and most importantly, neither is our two year old. He is simply refusing to sleep. He’s acting like we’re forcing him to sit on an ant hill; screaming and jumping up and down like a mad-man on fire. (And all you mothers out there know that when Baby isn’t happy, Mama isn’t happy.) Its been a challenge, so say the least, to get in some relaxation time every day.
But… the coffee is strong and the food is good. Those things I can control. So I thought I’d talk about all the good things that Food has done to us while we’ve been here. Thank you, Food and please tell your cousin, Coffee to keep up the good work.
-Last night’s dinner was:
*Pan-Seared Virginia Monkfish over a Raw Corn, Zucchini and Tomato Salad
I love Monkfish and have a tough time finding it at home, so after visiting the local seafood monger and seeing that they had it, I couldn’t resist. If you’ve never seen a picture of a Monkfish you need to Google it now and I’ll patiently wait for you to return.
Done? Good. Pretty Ugly sucker, isn’t he? Now let me assure you that it is actually very yummy and not scary-tasting at all. It’s referred to as, ‘the poor man’s lobster’ and rightly so. It has an almost crustacean-like texture to it and is absolutely delicious. My husband cooked the meal to perfection and according to him, all he did was lightly dredge the fish in flour seasoned with salt, pepper and a little Adobo. Then at the last minute he threw in some minced fresh rosemary, thyme and parsley and lemon juice for a pan sauce to pour over the golden brown delight. We washed it down with a bottle of Broadbent, Vinho Verde, which was perfection.
(I am happy to report that in our salad we were able to feature our very first baby Zucchini and two of our early Sweet 100 tomatoes we brought from our home garden:)
-Today’s lunch was:
*Soft Shell Crab Sandwiches with Grilled Scallions and a Lemon Aioli and Roasted Okra Spears with Garlic
Now if this meal doesn’t scream South-Eastern Cuisine, I don’t know what does! Soft Shell Crabs and Okra? Well I’ll be derned if we don’t need some hushpuppies to round out this meal! I love Soft Shell Crabs and if you haven’t heard of them or eaten them before, then get in your car and drive here right now. I’ll wait again…
It’s a blue crab that you eat whole, shortly after it has molted its hard shell. So everything (shell and claws included) gets delightfully crispy when fried and the meat inside is insanely sweet and juicy. I grew up eating them here and I happen to know that my poor mother is salivating as she reads this, as Soft Shell Crab Sandwiches are a favorite of hers, (sorry mommy!). And my current favorite way to prepare okra is to slice them in half, lengthwise, and toss them in olive oil and salt and pepper and roast them on high heat until crispy. So those of you who are afraid of the Okra Goo, then this is the way to eat them.
Oh, and you have to drink a beer when eating a Soft Shell Crab Sandwich. It’s like a law.
-And tonight we will be having…
*Local Shrimp, Scallops and Clams Picatta over Crispy Red Skinned Potatoes with Roasted Garlic
We went back to the seafood monger and got some more treats!
I’m actually more of a general seafood fan than I am a fish fan, if that makes any sense. My father would agree with me, (but maybe he’s not the best source because, according to him, salmon tastes like cat food…) I love shrimp and adore scallops (so does daddy:), clams and oysters make me super happy and mussels are wonderful if done right. So tonight’s dinner has gotten me quite giddy, so say the least. What I’m hoping will happen is that the crispy potatoes will serve as a soaking bed for the sauteed seafood and all their Picatta juices. Husband is cooking again and by the looks of it so far, it will be fantastic. But for tonight, Wife works hard on trying to be on vacation… More Bubbly Please!