Hook And Reel Seafood In Your Neighborhood

 Usually you have to head to the shore if you want good seafood. yet thanks to Hook and Reel , that's notnecessary. This seafood restaurant offers a wide array of different seafood. You don't have todrive an hour for lobster or shrimp.

I visited my local one in elmwood park new Jersey the other day. I've seen their flyerss in my local ValPack and wondered about it and the menu. It looked interesting and was much closer than those places down at the Jersey shore. It's roots are Cajun so there re boils and some fiery spices. There is also the raw bar which offers blue point oysters , perfect for a hot summer's night.The appetizers are varied. We ordered the hushpuppies and garlic bread sticks. These came with cups of melted butter for dipping. They were crunchy and flavorful. The next time it's a definite order of the crab bites which are miniature crab cakes along with breaded chicken wings.(yes, they have them along iwth wings for a main course). There are also crabmeat fries (another must try) and coconut shrimp. There are also steamed oysters that come with a choice of sauces and fried calamari. The mozzarella sticks  are another must try. As for the main courses. There's are also soup and salad. Hook and Reel onlyu serves new england style clam chowder and lobster biaque for the soups. I had theclam chowder. It had a tangy taste, sort of like a warmed Ranch dressing, but rich with potatoes and large chunks of clam. Next time I'll have the lobster bisque. There are different salads from a simple Caesar to salads topped with chicken, shrimp or crab.

Hook and Reel are famously known for their boils. These are any kind of seafood , from something as big as a whole lobster or crab legs to calimari and crawfish. It';s then picking the sauce from  the dry rub Old Bay toCajun and garlic. Ther'es even a Hook and Reel Special blend that mixes fiery hot chili powder with fresh garlic, lemon pepper and herbs and spices. Then ther'es the heat, You can pick mild, spicy and fire. The whole things comes in a big plastic bag where' it's shaken at your table. It sort of looks like a popped Jiffy Pop  foil container in a giant pie pan. Diners are given elbow length plastic gloves to eatt this .It's a wild look for a  fun seafood festival. There are sides too, with corn on the cob and potatoes. There are mini boils (another must try on the next visit) of  half a pound of shrimp, black mussels or snow crab legs.  These too come with corn and potatoes.Their baskets are also filling with a choice of fried chicken, catfish ,oysters and flounder. For more lux there are baskets of fried jumbo shrimp and lobster tail. Po'Boy lovers will appreciate their mega big sandwiches. A cat fish po boy can feed too and it even comes with a generous side of sweet ptoat fries ro sou[p. There are also sliders and even a pasta dish chock full of shrimp and mussels. There's also a kids menu and a wide variety of alcoholic drinks to choose from. Unfortunately there are no desserts.

Try Hook and Reel for a tasty seafood dinner without heading to the shore. They have a wide variety of differnet seafood plush chicken that make for the perfect summer dinner. Try them for a fun night out.

The May Facets Of Nigerian Cooking

Nigerian cuisine is as multifaceted and diverse as the nation itself. There is street food, and celebration dinners.All reflect the country's different groups and history. It is  history full of flavor and taste.

Recipe writer and Nigerian born Yewande Komolafe wrote an interesting and extensive article - really a guide - in today's New York Times Food section. It has every aspect of Nigerian cooking and it's exciting to read it. Chef Komolafe has been here since she arrived at the age of sixteen, bewildered by such American staples as fried chicken sandwiches and the classic Slushie. She has created and cooked in such prestigious restaurants as Momofuko Milk Bar as well as testing recipes for The James Beard Foundation and Bon Appetit magazine. She had been questioning whose culture was being reflected in her cooking. She realized she hadn't included her heritage. That's changed. She shows us how truly dimensional Nigerian cooking is. The country is three times the size of Italy  and has just as many different cuisines. The dishes in the north is influenced by the availability of cattle and other livestock. Coastal regions are more into seafood than their inland counterparts who prefer smoked or dried fish. Red palm oil is a staple in the south. The dishes featured are from the country's southwest  where she's from. Some of the ingredients  such as selim pepper, calabash nutmeg and uziza seeds may be hard to find but you can find  most of them on Amazon.Make it now to combat the heat.

The recipes are just plain exciting. There are so many I'd like to try. What is surprising is that she doesn't include fufu, a staple like rice in many central African cuisines.It may be because she included the recipe for jollof rice which could be made as a side or as a main. The recipe includes a Nigerian basic obe ata which is a kind of spicy tomato  - pepper sauce spiked with ginger and a
habanero pepper. Keep in mind that this sauce can also be used in the braised goat leg recipe. Braising is quite common in the cuisine. The meat usually comes bone in and skin on. Goat is the most used in stews however Nigerian home chefs also use beef pork chicken or fish when available.If you can't find goat then use lamb,beef or pork cubes. As a side you could use Chef Komolafe's Umani Rich greens recipe. This is sort of like the Caribbean and Southern callaloo recipe. Again obe ata is the base while amaranth greens or mature spinach is cooked with dried crayfish and green peppers. She also includes street food - beef suya - which is generously seasoned thin strips of meat. What gives them their kick is yaji a dry rub mix of ground ginger , cayenne and roasted peanut powder. Tomato slices and raw onion is added to it in its' newspaper wrap. Another recipe is the pepper soup, rich with fish such as mackerel , red snapper and black bass. Exotic and familiar spices are added to it for kick and heat.

Nigerian cooking is as diverse as the country itself.Try any of Chef Komolafe's recipes and experience the rich variety of flavors and textures. It is a trip into a diversity of different veggies and meats blended with an array of exciting spices.

A True Cajun Mardi Gras

This is the time for Mardi Gras and all the flavors of New Orleans.However, it's the cuisine of the Cajun backwoods that's the true taste of the holiday. some recipes have been handed down , first originating in Nova Scotia and France and marrying dishes from Africa and Spain. Their traditional dishes is what the holiday is all about.

Gumbo is an excellent example of  Cajun cooking. Every family probably has a recipe handed down through the decades. Its origins are from the French seafood stew bouillabaisse and the hearty soups of West Africa.Okra is the binder in it,In fact the name gumbo comes from the Bantu word for the plant nkombo. Any kind of caught meat , from squirrel to venison is used. A meatless variation, gumbo z'herbes for Lent. made with beet greens spinach and turnip greens. Spanish colonists brought paella to the area and it was refashioned in jambalaya.Again, the recipe varies from family to family. The basic one is made with chicken and shrimp along with the holy trinity of Cajun cooking, celery onions, and bell peppers. Thyme, bay leaf and parsley are also added.  Some parish home chefs add andouille the homemade garlic laced sausage along with alligator (!). Tomato paste is omitted from the recipe unlike the professional ones in New Orleans.Crawfish is a huge part of any celebration and the spicier the better. The fish is dipped in a blend of paprika , cayenne and chile powder along with garlic , salt and pepper.

Sweets also plays an important part in any Cajun country celebration. There is the King Cake a fun sweet yeasty brioche type  bread. It's decorated with a vanilla glaze that's been sprinkled with gold, purple and green sugar. Gold symbolizes power, green means faith, and purple means justice . Home bakers hide little trinkets inside such as a coin meaning prosperity in the coming year, a baby doll representing the infant Jesus and a wedding ring , hinting at a possible marriage for the finder. Another sweet Mardi Gras treat is chocolate yummy  or pudding cake..It begins with a cookie base , followed by layers of chocolate pudding, sweetened cream cheese and Cool Whip. Every house has a different spin on it. Instead of cookies, the first layer can be a cake or a mixture of  flour , pecans and butter.. Some home bakers will add an extra layer of vanilla pudding to the layer of chocolate pudding. Instead of a third layer of Cool Whip, freshly whipped cream can easily be used as a third layer.Chopped pecans or chocolate chips can be sprinkled on top.


True Mardi Gras celebrations are in the parishes surrounding New Orleans. Locals revel and eat these delicious dishes that have been  handed down. It is a fun way of enjoying the last day before Lent.

Simply Ramen, Simply Good

Ramen soup sometimes get a bad rap. After all most people associate it with those brittle bricks of noodles with the flavor packet nestled inside.Yet it's so much more than that. Imagine fresh noodles in homemade broth along with the addition of meats and vegetables. Home chefs can, thanks to a new cookbook.

Simply Ramen (Race Point Publishers ) was written by Amy Kimoto-Kahn , a Yonsei or fourth generation of Japanese American (her great grandparents emigrated from Japan to the US). She gives us an entire cookbook dedicated to the soup which can be made not just for lunch and dinner but for breakfast too.Another plus comes at the end when she lists the best ramen houses in Tokyo too. Yet it's the recipes that bring good Japanese cooking into the home. There are other recipes too such as tamogoyaki, Japanese omelets,basic rice and a tasty cucumber salad with a seafood topping.. There's the surprise of a Korean potato salad  recipe along with pickled vegetables and beef and chicken croquettes topped with a funky ketchup- soy sauce mash up. What I like about the cookbook is the way that Ms. Kimoto-Kahn breaks the recipes down into sections, They're devoted to chicken, beef, pork and seafood as well as to veggies and spicy versions. there is also a section dedicated to the broths that make up the soup .It's shared with toppings (yes, ramen soup can have toppings) such as braised  pork, and marinated half cooked egg.

The book is a great how to for all those novice ramen makers.It is a labor intensive project that does require a pasta maker. however it's no difficult than making homemade spaghetti or linguine.The plus is that the noodles can be made in large batches and stored for future use. The dough is a mix of cake , bread and wheat flour along with a baked baking powder that can be easily made.Then there are the bases, Home chefs can choose from miso,  tonkotsu base,a blend of two soups, the soy rich shoyu base and the shio base. Chicken lovers can try the chicken meatball ramen made with nod to Ms. Kimoto- Kahn's husband's Jewish heritage of matzoh balls.There are lush recipes that involve Kobe beef and lobster along with new creations that feature crawfish and cheese. Vegetarians will love the all vegetables ones,from the nasubi  or simmered Japanese eggplant to the kabocha, Japanese winter squash served with tempura battered arugula.Pork and fish are also represented in such dishes as spicy pork tantanmen and furikake salmon. Home chefs can try the chilled ramen and cold broth for those hot summer days.

 Simply Ramen shows that ramen soup is not those bricks of tasteless noodles jazzed up with flavor packets. It's homemade noodles simmered in a homemade broth with toppings. Buy the book and start making your own tasty and fresh creations!

From Blog To Cookbook The Homesick Texan Cookbook

Many bloggers dream of turning their daily weblogs into books and from there into solid gold. This has happened to Lisa Fain, creator of the great blog The Homesick Texan Cookbook. Her insights and recipes will be available September 13th when the blog turned book goes out to the public. It's a cookbook that has a definite appeal. Why? Because it features all old fashioned Texan recipes.There are chilis and biscuits, cornbreads and barbecues. Any foodie can recreate a perfect Houston barbecue or San Antonio Tex Mex feast.

Ms Fain was the subject of yesterday's weekly Feed Me column in The New York Times Dining section. The interview ,conducted by Alex Wichtel, highlights this former office worker's love of her native Texan cuisine. She started her blog when she was working in the magazine production section of Advertising Age . It became a full time job and she quit to work on it and the accompanying cookbook. It paid off. There are many people who follow her and love the down hominess of her recipes. These are family recipes with the chief ingrdients being love.

I checked out the site and it is a good one. The recipes are true Texan , using native chiles and produce. Since Texas is also part of the South the recipes also reflect that cuisine. There are a lot of cornbread, crawfish and biscuit recipes along with sweet buns and cobblers. I love her black eye pea dip and will try it along with her pea salad, a Texas classic.Ms. Fain also has a section where you can buy other authors' cookbooks featuring barbecue and Southern cooking. You can also buy chilies , Mexican chocolate and other ingredients along with pots and pans too.

The Homesick Texan Cookbook is a great blog and it will be neat cookbook too. If you haven't visited this site yet please do. You'll pick up some tasty homestyle Texan recipes and some interesting down home advice.