Category: Foodie Awareness Days

I am all for chocolate, don’t get me wrong. But you can’t just go throwing chocolate on things willy-nilly. Why diminish or demean chocolate covered raisins by lumping them in with chocolate covered – oh, I don’t know – frogs’ legs.

Why further alienate the people who love chocolate covered pretzels by making it just one of many things and not letting have the chance to shine on it’s own (I’ve only recently come around to chocolate covered pretzels myself and I feel certain that given time and a bit more attention, they’d catch on with more people.

So yes – celebrate the covering of food stuffs in chocolate. But in slightly a slightly more focused way.

By the way, my favorite item in this field is the frozen chocolate covered banana. Long ago, you see – I worked at the Renaissance Festival and . . .  Um, you know. That’s another story for another time.

As it’s Bouillabaisse Day, I thought we could spend some time on this iconic dish.

I don’t know why people say “seafood bouillabaisse” since by definition it’s a fish stew but these are likely the same people who say “1:00 am in the morning.” AM means morning, people. In the dictionary under redundant, it says “see redundant”. But I digress. So, bouillabaisse = fish stew.

As a child, I understood the process to be that you take all the fishy and shellfishy bits and pieces you’ve got on hand, toss them together into furiously boiling water, stock, clam sauce and veggies, spice to taste and leave to simmer. Easy. But apparently, the construction of “authentic bouillabaisse” is a subject open to wide (and often heated) debate – Do you use five different fish or seven? Which fish – all white fish? Some white, some oily? How much cod, snapper, flounder, halibut, sea bass, monk fish? Wine or no? Potatoes – secret to success or heresy? Can you serve it to fewer than 8 people?

As far as I am concerned, recipes are evolutionary, changeable, fluid and almost never the same twice – with the exception of baking which is a bit more of a science. So if you find yourself thinking, “Gosh, I’d like to make bouillabaisse but I’m just not sure I can handle all the pressure” – worry not. Just grab your largest pot, any fish you fancy, some onions and the like, set it to cooking and call your friends.  Here are so recipies to inspire and guide you but remember – it’s YOUR bouillabaisse. Make it the way YOU want.

• Search results for bouillabaisse at Cooks.com. 47 of them!
• Search results for bouillabaisse at RecipeZaar. 16!
• A bouillabaisse from Emeril Lagasse
• Lady’s Bouillabaisse from Paula Deen
• bouillabaisse at wikibooks  (if you haven’t checked out the “cookbooks” a la wikipedia, make some time)

Or just punch the word bouillabaisse into your favorite search engine and wade right in.

In an attempt to impose order (or just their opinion) on the topic, a group of chefs drew up The Marseille Bouillabaisse Charter (Marseilles being where the dish is said to have first appeared as we know it today). Seems a bit slapdash upon perusal. Far more interesting was the history of bouillabaisse from Clifford Wright. In fact, his food history section is very interesting in general.

So, Happy Bouillabaisse Day to one and all.

P.S.: Don’t tell anyone but I actually prefer gumbo.

As years go, 1912 was pretty remarkable. Scott reached the South Pole. Sadly for him, so did Amundsen. Happily for Amundsen, he got there first. The Republic of China was established, starting a trend that continued a few months later, when Tibet declared a Chinese republic as well. The Titanic sank and a new cookie hit the streets. Its name was Oreo.

It was introduced in response to the introduction of the Hydrox cookie a few years before. Now, I don’t know about you but I always thought it was the other way around. Now that I know the truth, I feel my belief in the superiority of Oreos is totally justified. It was a latecomer, an underdog and trounced the competition!

So today we have two things to celebrate – the birthday of an American classic cookie and the confirmation (as if we needed it) that first isn’t always best. Milk and cookies for everyone!

I know it’s National Gumdrop Day (and may your day by as gummy as any that has come before it) but I am too distracted to think about gumdrops at the moment. At the moment, all I can think about is paella. Why? Because apparently it is what a lot of people online are thinking about, Googling, and searching for.

I’m aware of the exciting nature of paella. I’ve gone on about it at some length myself in my Ode to Paella but seriously? The Fabulous Foodie webstats seem to indicate a paella trend. A lot of people are searching for paella. Specifically, they seem to be searching for Alton Brown paella. I don’t know why. Don’t get me wrong – I’d love to hear what he has to say about it. I just never have. I’ve never come across an Alton Brown recipe for paella. Plenty of his fellow Food Network stars have them.

At some point last year, Tyler Florence went in search of the ultimate paella. I wish someone would pay me to go in search of the ultimate roast chicken. But I digress. We are talking about paella. Anyway – off Tyler went. He encountered Paella Cubana and Paella Valenciana. But in the end, his journey led him to create The Ultimate Paella Recipe. Ultimate, Tyler? Really? But what about your previous Paella with Seafood, Chicken, and Chorizo? Is this better than that?

Ultimate? Sounds unlikely since everyone at Food Network seems to have addressed paella (except for Alton Brown which we have already discussed).

• • Bobby Flay has his paella throwdown (sounds like a very messy affair) wherein his recipe of choice was Shellfish and Chicken Paella with Saffron Rice Chorizo and Green Peas.
  • Rachael Ray (who I candidly admit I don’t care for) has her Perfect Paella (which suffers from the same hubris as Flay’s Ultimate Paella).

• Emeril Lagasse (who alone amongst them I would trust to really understand paella and it’s semi-related food of the gods jambalaya) has his paella recipe as well as his grilled paella mixta.
• Ina Garten has a Hampton’s spin on things with her easy lobster paella

TV is not the only place to find the paella of your dreams. Grab a cup of coffee and peruse a cooking magazine or two. OK, maybe grab a cup of coffee and peruse and cooking magazine website or two. Try One-Hour Shrimp Paella from Bon Appétit or Quick Paella from Gourmet magazine.

You can also check out hundreds – yes, I said hundreds – of paella recipes at recipe round up sites.

• Cooking.com has a round up of paella from various publications such as Outdoor Entertaining and EatingWell Magazine.
• RecipeZaar has over 150 paella recipes.
• RecipeSource has 62 paella to consider – I even saw a microwave based one. Not sure how I feel about that but never say never.
• All Recipes has everything from saffron-scented lobster paella to an increasingly familiar option – vegetarian paella.

So you can see – a plethora of paella awaits you should you venture forth and try this flexible, delicious, highly personal and customizable dish. Just don’t go ask me what Alton Brown thinks because try as I might, I can’t find a place where the two intersect.