Salty Language

Sea salt is a daily par t of our lives nowadays. Once, thought to be gourmet, It's now on every table an din every restaurant.it's even considered a health food. What most people don't know is that several different countries, including the US produce different kinds. These also come with different flavors and colors as well as aromas. Salt now is just as varied and nuanced as pepper.

This was the topic of a great article by Harold McGee in yesterday's New York Times The Curious Cook section of Wednesday Dining section. Mr McGee delves in to what makes even ordinary table salt what it is. Standard table salt is produced simply by injecting water into salt mines to dissolve the minerals. It then has the sodium chloride leached out of it which would leave it with a bitter taste. Culinary or gourmet salts come fresh direct from the ocean themselves or from areas that once held ancient seas. They're produced by evaporating salt water or boiling it at high temps.

Sea salts also come in different flavors and colors too. Kilauea Onyx comes from Hawaii and is black sparkly salt. Andes Mountain Rose comes form Bolivian salt mine s an dis colored a light pink thanks to the iron found in them. Maldon sea salt which are lovely melt in your mouth flakes is made by heating sea water over a gas fire to form those hollow flakes along with pyramids. Then there is the ultra rich sel gris de L'Ile de Re . This is salt harvested from France's famed Bay of Biscay (where most gourmet shop sea salts comes form ). It is a coarse salt grey from minerals and clay.

Sea salt isn' t your ordinary table salt.It comes form all over the world and has different colors and flavors. Some go well with some foods, while other highlight simple dishes like fries or tomatoes. Get acquainted with all of them for a variety of different tastes.

Tampa Delight Devilled Crabs

Florida has always been known for its' vast array of seafood and seafood dishes. The hot spots for these were always Key West and , of course, Miami. However Tampa is known for it as well. The city's specialty is devilled crabs, the perfect dish for watching the sun go down over the Gulf of Mexico. It's a local favorite and one that has a few variations.


New York Times regular contributor, John T Edge, wrote about the dish in today's Dining section.. The dish is sort of similar to Maryland's famed crab cakes except that devilled crabs are more flattened patties than cakes. They are rolled crab meat and breadcrumbs that are then deep fried. The breadcrumbs come from Cuban bread which is sort of a variation of Italian or French baguettes.. The bread goes stale almost overnight and makes for crispy crunchy crumbs kin dof similar to the Japanese pangko ones.. The fritters are also made with paprika and a little salt for flavor and color. They were first made during a violent strike in the 1920s to sustain striking tabaqueros or cigar rollers and factory owners.





There's also the debate of who has the best devilled crab.It used to be Tampa's favorite Sea Breeze restaurant that closed almost a decade ago . Others swear by the still operating Bracato's Sandwich Shop. There is also the West Tampa Sandwich Shop that sells the sandwiches that are as big as a boxer's fist. Actually it doesn't matter where you go in the town . Sandwich shops all over the area sell devilled crab sandwiches right next to the Tampa's other favorite: Cuban pork sandwiches.





Tampa is known for beautiful sunsets and azure Gulf waters. It's also famous for these killer sandwiches that locals and visitors clamor for : devilled crabs. This is Tampa's best and tastiest attraction!

Spotted Dick Really???

The British do dessert or pudding well. They have cozy custards, lovely tea cakes and spotted dick.Yes, spotted dick( stop the sniggering now).It's a tasty dessert that can be made at home or store bought It has been much beloved by Britons for centuries and part of the cuisine like fish and chips and Yorkshire pudding.

Spotted dick came about in the late 1840's and its' origin is surprisingly not English but Irish. It may have been a variation of a sweet called sweet cake or curnie cake. There is another legend regarding it . Actors or gypsies first brought the raisin studded pudding over.It was named after their dogs that traveled with them, the Dalmatians. Dalmatians then became such a fad in the UK and with that the pudding named after them (dick is dog in 18th and 19th Century British vernacular).Since then spotted dick has been popular at every holiday and birthday table.

What is spotted dick?. It started out as a sweet suet pudding studded with dried raisins. However it has evolved into a vanilla steamed pudding . Using raisins to flavor it hasn't been changed. There are no variations with other fruits and nuts.It's just been what it is with a side of custard for almost two centuries.It can be made at home however a tinned version is also tasty.

Spotted dick is one of Britain's much loved dishes. It holds a special place in the nation's cuisine,and is one of England's most adored comfort foods. It is truly a treat.

A Proper British Tea

Now with the Royal Wedding at the end of the week people are actually going to be craving British foods. What better than a British tea? In all honesty a high tea is the way to go for any Spring event. I;ts classic,and elegant yet, surprisingly filling. it;s also th eless headache way to go for anyone planning a party.

Any one can plan a British tea party. It 's much easier to navigate around than say an outdoor barbecue or typical celebration party. For one thing you don't have to make sure the food is hot because it's all finger sandwiches and cakes . Another plus is that it's not messy so you can nix the bibs and wet wipes. A tea is even better than a Sunday brunch, You don't have to scoot from kitchen to table , worrying about the frittatas or stratas. The bonus in planning a tea party with the girls? Only tea is served , not boozy fruity drinks that could lead to heavens knows what.

A tea is easy to assemble. There's are usually watercress and cucumber filled sandwiches. If these; aren't to your liking you can make a very easy egg salad along with chicken and ham salads. These are a snap to whip up because you can use devilled chicken and ham with some mayonnaise . Sprinkle in tarragon for the chicken and celery seeds for the ham and voila, an instant sandwich filler. As for the sweets, you can easily order petit fours and macaroons from your local bakery as well as scones . Some specialty stores do sell those tea must haves clotted cream and cream. However you can also sub in the sweet Irish butter most supermarkets do sell. Have a variety of teas on hand to vary it, although both Earl Grey and Lady Grey teas fit high tea - to well - a tee.

You don't have to be British to throw a delicious tea party. It's easy to create for any gathering and just as fun as a barbecue or a picnic. Best of all it's s less stress than these others to plan just as fun and just as tasty.

Lamb For Holy Week

This is the time when lamb reigns supreme.It's the most desired meat of the season, especially for both Easter, . Italians and Greeks along with the French make the most lamb dishes now, with either a roast leg of it or the entire animal. This tradition is taking on a new twist - the meat is organic and usually bred in the American Southwest - not New Zealand.

Most lamb now is organic. which is what most restaurant and home chefs both demand. Like any free range meat, the lambs are bred without any chemicals or hormone injections. The lambs are now raised (as basically they have been for centuries) in New Mexico.Most of the sheep are descended from the original ones the Spaniards brought to the area in the 1500s and the bloodlines are pure. The diets seem basically the same as they have for five hundred years too. These sheep eat wheat grass along with native snowberry and yarrow as opposed to the usual farm feed.

How does organic lamb taste? The meat is usually flavored with the greens that the animal has lived on. it gives it an herbal yet earthy taste, usually not associated with lamb. The meat itself is tender, perfect for grilling and braising. There's no need for marinading and there's always a guaranteed melt in your mouth quality about it.

The is the season for lamb. The organic kind is probably the best to serve . It is a new spin on a traditional Holy Week standard and a much improved version too.

Good Friday

Today is one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar -Good Friday. It's considered a meatless day and a time for reflection and prayer.It is also Earth Day so remember to recycle and reuse your containers and empty jars. They are great for homemade sauces and leftovers.

Be reflective on today's double meaning.

Ramps The New Truffle

What exist sin the forest and goes for twelve dollars a pound? What plant is so over harvested that it's considered illegal to pick them in Canada? The humble ramp. This leek cousin is getting a whole lot of fuss because it;s used in locovore dining and it represents a push into foraging. This was the subject of a very interesting article in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. The author,Indrani Sen, even sat down with botanists ad discussed the shortage problem.


Yet why is the ramp considered the new truffle? Probably because it can be used in place of leeks or even onions. Ramps have a sharp, almost garlicky taste. They go well with any pasta dishes because they don't overpower the sauce, just adding just a slight hint of garlic and onion. Ramps can also be sauteed in butter and served with new potatoes alongside a Spring lamb or even roasted chicken. There's even a ramp soup, similar to onion and they can even be added to biscuit recipes to liven them up.

There is one problem however. The ramp is now being over harvested and with that comes the usual shortage. Since they grow in the wild, they're up for grabs so anyone can just walk by and pull them out of the ground. The problem is that everyone had the same idea and there are now shortages in the area . Botanists strongly recommend that harvesters replenish the picked over sections with seeds or avoid taking younger ramps. Ramps can take six to eighteen months to germinate and five to seven years to produce seeds.Over picking them could mean possible extinction in some areas, especially outside of New York City. Manhattan chefs go mad for them, including them in a number of recipes.

Ramps are becoming the new truffle. They're much loved and much wanted by American chefs especially New York ones. However use them sparingly if you like them. There's a shortage going on and one that would mean leading to their extinction.