A Food Weekend

 The New York Times had an excellent food themed weekend Sunday paper.The magazine was chock full of cuisine stories along with the Best US restaurant guide insert. It was a tasty read all around.

The magazine had six different food journeys. One was the amusing tale of their son Ollie by Peden and Munk.They went to France to get their son to like eggs. He even made homemade mayonnaise which has  - eggs.That he liked. It was fun to see which dishes got a thumbs up and a thumbs down.Then there was chicken that tastes like home about funding a chicken dish in Senegal.This was a spicy mix of chicken cooked in a flavorful spice stew that starts with MAggi broth and has fire added to it thanks to Scotch Bonnet peppers. Another story was about California sea urchins and how to fix a sex drive with them. Another interesting article was about Peruvian peppers. It can be made into a salsa to serve with various Peruvian dishes.The tastiest was about real Italian gelato, Tamara Shopsin wrote about trying to find the best taste after she lost her own .Italy now makes a yogurt version which looks creamy and tasty just like the milk based one

Then there's the Best Restaurant guide This is perfect for anyone traveling this fall.It could be a day trip to Mystic CT to eat at the Shipwright's Daughter. You would think it would be a seafood restaurant given it sits on the end of the Long Island Sound but it also has a mouth watering tete de veau and a roast chicken.If you;re going further failed look into North Of BOurbon in Louisville. This is Cajun country like fried cat fish served with Haitian pikliz, pickled vegetable relish. Chicago does have garden dogs but stop at the Spanish eatery Asador Bastian for Galacian ribe eye, rimmed with yellow fat or even plancha and a simple tortilla.Even small towns like Alna in rural Maine offer good and inventive food. Try The Alna Store for a buttermilk wedge of lettuce dusted with crispy fried shallots and capers or the shrimp on top of a creamy mound of grits.If you're not planning on leaving the New York area there's; Shaw-Nae's House ,a soul food house serving Soul Fries , fries buried under collard green ,fried chicken chunks and baked Mac and cheese.There's also Pennty for good seafood like grilled squid stuffed with tuna.

The Times always has excellent food articles. Yesterday's were no exception. Read them and get inspired. = and hungry.

Bouillabaisse A Different Kind of Seafood Dish

August has two great harvests right now - seafood and vegetables. Combine them together to create a Southern French classic bouillabaisse. This rich , briny soup is a perfect dish to make for a late August supper or party. It has the appeal of both freshly caught fish and crustaceans along with just picked produce.Not only that , bouillabaisse can be tailored to everyone's tastes.

This classic dish originated in Provence and is comprised of actually two dishes. The first is the actual seafood itself and true Marseillaise one will have conger eel, sea robin, John Dory, bream along with monkfish and sea urchins. The fish would be washed in seawater and then added to a mix of vegetables and spices. The second part is the rouille which is an egg yolk beaten with olive oil,garlic and saffron and served with the fish and broth.It's smeared on waiting crusty hunk of French bread and then the bouillabaisse is poured over it.

For an American style bouillabaisse, use mussels, sea bass and shrimp. You can also throw in lobster if you wan t or oysters for some variation. Use your garden harvest of tomatoes and leeks along with potatoes for the vegetable part. Garlic and saffron are the biggest must haves for this because they represent the flavors of Southern France. You can also use bouquet garni for taste as well. Most recipes from Julia Child to the Food Channel all include the rouille which is again just a simple mix of egg yolk, olive oil and lemon juice. Some recipes call for chili peppers or parsley to give it more flavor. What you want to do with it is up to your tastes. Once made smear on slices of crusty French baguettes, then place the bread in the bowls. Pour the soup over it to cook the rouille and to have it mix with the seafood.

This is the time to enjoy August's twin harvests of seafood and veggies. Their flavors alone are amazing, together they're perfect together, complementing each other perfectly.Why not combine them in this French classic sure to be a crowd pleaser.