Let's get through the semantics: I know trout, catfish, crawdads and the like aren't literally food from the sea, but if it's aquatic and it's edible, I'm calling it seafood. This is my blog and I'm the king here, so as king I hereby decree a decree that henceforth and hereafter shall hushpuppies be deemed and classified as seafood! Glad we cleared that up!
Secondly, I realize there be religious taboos against consuming crustaceans and mollusks and bivalves and stuff, so if you abstain from these in your devotion, you may wanna skip ahead a few paragraphs. I wouldn't want to tempt you to violate your conscience! (Bacon-wrapped scallops must be doubly sinful!)
Some words about clam chowder: You've got New England clam chowder, and then there's Manhattan clam chowder. One is white and creamy, the other brown and soupy. It's like the Yankees and the Red Sox: either ya love the one and hate the other or else you hate the one and love the other; don't trust anyone who says they like 'em both. What the hell is Rhode Island clam chowder? I dunno! Third base! For me, on a cold, raw, yucky day, give me the New England Clam Chowder! With those tiny crackers!
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| Working on the second of twin lobsters! |
My wife loves lobster. Wendy could chow down a whole lobster faster than Madison from Splash! We celebrated our first Valentine's Day at Westbrook Lobster in Wallingford, CT, and have been going there for great seafood ever since. Me, I'm a baked, stuffed lobster fan. Westbrook makes a wicked lobster quesadilla too! (Sometimes we visit Red Lobster just for those cheddar bay biscuits.)
Years back when we stayed with my mother-in-law ("Mama'") Onieda, she took us on a trip across D.R. to the region of Samana. It was an all-day journey on the road over treacherous terrain, and by the time we got there, we were hungry! Wendy and I each ordered the fried fish. The waiter supposed the plate was too big for the little lady, and invited us back to the kitchen to behold just how big those fish were (about a forearm's length). He don't know my Wendy! Needless to say we both ordered- and completely devoured- those deep fried fish!
(My wife dared me to eat the eyes....have you ever tried them?)
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| Fish at Playa Ensenada, |
I recall years ago my sister Jodie and her husband Dave took me to their fav Italian restaurant. I ordered the Catch o' the Day, and the waitress was like, uh, there is no catch today. I have never returned to that establishment, which shall remain nameless!
For our summer vacations, we occasionally rent a friend's beach house in Clinton, CT. And Wendy is the queen of the grill! Jumbo shrimp, salmon: forget about it! I'm in heaven!
Now I admit some seafood is kinda gross. Like fried soft-shell crab sandwiches, and raw oysters, which are all slimey and squiggly. I remember my Dad used to eat shrimp cocktail, and sardines right out of the can. He and his dad and uncles used to go out into Long Island Sound for some flatfishin'. (Flatfish are gross because they have both eyes on the same side of their face---creepy!)
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| Dinner on the beach in Jamaica |
A cool thing about seafood is the regional variety and specialties. If you head down Maryland way, you've gotta have them crabcakes; you journey Down East to Maine and the lobstah is a must-have. You go down South and you can't miss the catfish! Some stuff you can only get- or get done right- in just one place!
I could talk about the health benefits of seafood, nutritious and delicious Omega-3 fatty acids, whatever! This blog is all about the emotional health benefits to your heart and soul! My wife loves seafood and I love to see her lovin' what she loves.
Life is beautiful and seafood, in all of its amazing forms, is definitely one of the things we love about life!
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