The culinary lifestyle as art.
The past week I have been taking a online writing workshop called Romancing The Palate. Some of you know I am working on a foodie based romance . The whole genre is new to me and I’m learning a lot from a great group of writers. The teacher of the workshop is “Becca” , who I really got to know this fall as we entered a Mills and Boon competition. She’s a wealth of info with some great blogs.
I decided to post one of my assignments , a piece about eating one of my favorite dishes ,Salt and Pepper Shrimp and the process of eating it. Debate is rampant on the best way eat this dish. I’m old school and like it the traditional Chinese way with the head on. Because any good chef knows the flavor is in the shells, bones, and other nasty bits. Look at this beautiful oil after I fried the shrimp. That’s all that inner roe and shell in the head infusing the oil with flavor. If you want to be a wimp , take off the head, but keep that shell ON! First the story and then the recipe.
Amuse Bouche
It’s Better With The Head On
“Come on” Alexandre pulled Sidra up from the bed. It was Sunday and they were lazing around after a particularly brutal Saturday evening service at Le Boite. Normally either Alexandre or Sidra would make some breakfast and French pressed coffee, to be in bed. Classic traditional continental breakfast with the best pastry and breads from the best restaurant in London.
“We need to do some research in Soho, Chinatown for a new concept I’m working on.” Alexandre said playfully with a hint a promise.
“New concept?” Sidra pulled the sheets up over head, reluctant to leave the confines of the billowy goose down bedding. She could still smell the sandalwood scent of him on the sheets as she squinted against the sun beaming onto the room. They had been serious about each other for some months now, and she loved their normal laid back ritualistic Sundays. As their romance was not yet public, Sidra had reservations about being seen with the hottest playboy chef in London, traipsing around So Ho. Anyone could spot them as Alexandre was a household name. She could just envision the Daily Mail.
Alexander and Sidra quickly got dressed. Their style was a pared down elegance that the French mastered for eons. Sidra, a quick study, followed suit. She needed no makeup as she glowed. She was in love and just where she wanted to be. Work, love, all conjoining into the perfect flow. It showed on Alexandre too. He felt alive, inspired, and for the first time, really in touch what and who he wanted. No room for games or ego here. Could it be Sidra tamed the fiery chef?
They entered a small nondescript restaurant called Madame Changs. The sounds of various dialects of Chinese filled the air, and the menus written on the wall were not in English. The clanks, whooshes of steam, and sizzling hisses from the kitchen, could be heard at their table. An elderly lady, who was perhaps Madame Chang herself, greeted Alexandre warmly. They seemed to be old friends.
“You let me choose what you will eat today Alexandre?”, said Madame Chang.
“My taste buds are in your hands”, said Alexandre with relish.
The first dish was presented with flourish. To start, large fried shrimps with heads on were seductively arranged on bed of chilies and peppers. Each shrimp is fried and coated in a crispy batter, with the shells and head left intact, with a sprinkle of some spicy Schezwan salt and cracked black pepper.
“I have had salt and pepper squid, but the shrimp always wins as my favorite.” Alexandre said excitedly as he waved his hand in a flourish to take in the garlicky aroma of the sizzling shrimp that just left the wok.
Sidra’s mouth started to water. She could just taste the tiny bits of fried garlic and hot chilies of the red and green varieties are tossed with shrimp and finished with a boost of briny soy sauce. With her bare fingers, she took a shrimp straight from the dish, ignoring the white rice just being served. Alexandre looked at her as she licked the entire shell and suck off the crispy fried batter and pieces of the peppers sticking to it.
“I see you are no stranger to Salt and Pepper Shrimp? “, he grinned at her sexy yet youthful appreciation of the food. “Finally a woman who is not afraid to eat and enjoy”, he said as he dug in.
Sidra took the head off gingerly with her fingers and sucked at it. The taste of salty garlic with a tinge of spice overwhelms her mouth. She then ripped a solid lump of mild sweet white flesh of the shrimp from the shell. Each piece of fried morsel is a gem to her mouth. Before she could repeat the process, she licks her fingers clean, not wanting to waste a bit of it all. Oil, salt and spice cling to them. Forget the chopsticks.
All Alexandre could do was beam with pride. Someone not afraid to tackle salt and pepper shrimp with the heads on.
Madame Chang came over to check on her favored guests. She looked down at the discarded heads of shrimp with respect.
“I like her Alexandre. The flavor is in the head”, she purred.
“She eats it like a true Chinese person.” she said with a wink as she brought the rest of the Dim Sum .
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AMERICAN AIRLINES, THROUGH BLACKATLAS.COM, TO HOST EXCLUSIVE
MUSIC, FOOD AND WINE TASTING EVENT AT MARCUS SAMUELSSON’S
NEW RESTAURANT, RED ROOSTER HARLEMRegistered Users of American’s BlackAtlas.com Website Can Win Tickets to Meet Celebrity Chef and Sample Food and Wine at Pre-Opening Party on Nov. 15
Grand Prize Includes Trip for Two to New York City with Airfare,
Hotel, $200 Gift Card and Tickets to EventNEW YORK – American Airlines, through BlackAtlas.com, the first online travel community for people interested in Black culture, will host a private music, food and wine tasting for some of its lucky members next month. Registered users of BlackAtlas.com will have the opportunity to join Travel Expert-at-Large Nelson George and celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson on Nov. 15 for a preview of his eagerly-anticipated restaurant, Red Rooster Harlem.
Award-winning chef and cookbook author Samuelsson is the youngest chef ever to receive two three-star reviews from The New York Times, the first in 1995 after just three months as Executive Chef and co-owner of Aquavit, and the second in 2001, also for Aquavit. He has received consecutive four-star ratings in Forbes’ annual All-Star Eateries feature, was named one of the “40 Under 40” by Crain’s, and has been hailed as one of The Great Chefs of America by the Culinary Institute of America. Recently, Chef Samuelsson won out over 21 fellow chefs on the second season of the television competition “Top Chef Masters” on Bravo, and received $115,000 for the UNICEF Tap Project. A video of Chef Samuelsson exploring Harlem, the location of his new restaurant Red Rooster Harlem, can be found on BlackAtlas.com.
American Airlines and Chef Samuelsson will host a pre-opening dinner party at Red Rooster Harlem. The restaurant will celebrate the roots of American cuisine in one of New York City’s liveliest and most culturally-rich neighborhoods. The event will consist of a four-course meal, prepared specially by Chef Samuelsson. Each course will be paired with a South African wine, provided by Heritage Link Brands, the preeminent importer and distributor of wine produced by people of African descent throughout the world. A musical performance by American R&B and soul singer-songwriter Chrisette Michele will conclude the evening’s activities.
“These unique BlackAtlas.com events in New York allow those of us at American Airlines to share and support our customers’ interests and build a closer relationship with them,” said Art Torno, American’s Vice President for New York. “It also allows us to show our support for such beloved New Yorkers as Chef Marcus Samuelsson, a ‘global citizen’ whose new restaurant, Red Rooster Harlem, will represent the diverse tastes of American cuisine.”
Currently registered members of BlackAtlas.com, and those who register between Oct. 27 and Nov. 4, will be entered to win a grand prize of one pair of tickets to the exclusive event, which will include round-trip Economy Class airfare for two to New York City on American from anywhere in the 48 contiguous united States, two-night hotel accommodations for two and a $200 gift card. The grand prize winner will be announced on or around Nov. 5. In addition, 15 users of BlackAtlas.com who live in New York and New Jersey, who are currently registered or who register between Oct. 27 and Nov. 9, will also be entered for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the event. Local winners will be announced on or around Nov. 10. See www.blackatlas.com for full terms and conditions.
“BlackAtlas.com, has taken social networking to new heights for Black travelers,” said Monte Ford, American’s Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer. “The online community has become the resource for those looking to explore their passions and interests in Black history and culture worldwide. BlackAtlas.com has given Black travelers everywhere the opportunity to better plan their next trip and share their stories when they return.”
BlackAtlas.com is the first-of-its-kind social networking site combining the best features of a travel site with the power of an online social network for travelers to share experiences unique to the Black community. Through video, commentary, photos, and blogs, BlackAtlas.com users can share content across social networks, create profiles, rate content, save content to Favorites, create downloadable travel guides and link to promotional fares on AA.com. Content is categorized into destination/city-specific information and category-specific information, such as travel tips, restaurants, nightlife, culture, arts and museums, historic sites, beauty and barber shops, and places of worship. The Red Rooster Harlem Music, Food and Wine Pairing event is part of a series of events that American Airlines has been presenting exclusively for members of BlackAtlas.com in New York.
For more information on Black culture, the Red Rooster Harlem Music, Food and Wine Pairing and the BlackAtlas social network, please visit BlackAtlas.com.
About American Airlines
American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection® serve 250 cities in 40 countries with, on average, more than 3,400 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American’s award-winning website, AA.com®, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld® Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve nearly 700 destinations in more than 130 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, We know why you fly and AAdvantage are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR)
AmericanAirlines® We know why you fly®
Current AMR Corp. releases can be accessed on the Internet.
The address is http://www.aa.com
The city of Rome has always fascinated me. I remember my mother coming back from her honeymoon with my stepfather with fabulous clothes, clothes, cosmetics, and magazines she had purchased there. One day I would get there, I vowed. In my teens I was captivated by Princess Luciana Pignatelli’s vintage The Beautiful Peoples Beauty Book, full of musings on growing up and life in Rome, beauty secrets of La Dolce Vita, and diet advice ( from an glamorous Italian perspective). Even today the book is a good fun read, as I thumb through my well worn copy, picked up in garage sale long ago. The book provided even more fuel for my desire to go to Rome one day to see the Beautiful People. When I looked up my late great uncle Bob Curtis, after my mother’s death, I had found he longer lived in Rome, but in Vienna. I put visiting Rome on a back burner. Certain Someone had also had had a longstanding desire to go to Rome as well. When Bobs good friend Renate , informed the family of a memorial/ommagio for Bob in September, we knew we had to go.
What can I say that hasn’t been said about Rome? It’s amazing, fabulous, and really makes a person feel small and mortal. Like an ancient woman, people still flock to her and find beauty, wisdom. Naturally with any tourist destination there is a side of cheesiness that can be avoided. You walk and realize the thousands of years that have passed, and those who stood in the very spot. For a lover of history and art it’s a dream come true, but overwhelming at times. One would need many visits to get a handle of Rome.The old mixes with the modern way of life beautifully and amusingly. Its a common site to see a pack of “suits” on mopeds ,with cigarettes, at a traffic stop as they commute through the city for work. Luckily I had a full agenda with a little time for site seeing thrown in. I finally got to meet NYC Caribbean Raggaza for an upcoming interview, see old friends of my uncle Bob, meet new ones and family I hadn’t met before. I even got to meet the leading figures of Italian modern dance. The Ommagio was wonderful with students and colleagues of Bob, and their students giving outstanding performances in Afro dance, which my uncle brought to Rome decades before.
Certain Someone and I took full advantage of our time and made it count. Acting like unashamed tourists, we got on a 48 hour hop on , hop off bus tour to get acclimated to the city and really assess what we wanted to explore future. Rome is pretty compact and once we found our way, it was nothing to walk back to hotel while taking it all in.Who measures time and distance amongst such beauty? While not openly very religious, I loved seeing Certain Someone’s reaction and captivation in the Vatican. St. Peters leaves one breathless.
Unfortunately we didn’t get to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. I think our favorite church was an unassuming from the outside ,Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, which we discovered in our final few hours in the city. It was one of the elderly Michelangelo’s last projects which incorporates modern day works of art within.
As this is food blog, I would be remiss not discuss the food. Oddly , while he food was good, we weren’t overwhelmed. Armed with suggestions from the high to low end, we just didn’t have that food revelation moment. The best bites were off the cuff while sampling salamis and other pork products in a shop , an odd pizza, and a few scoops of gelato here and there. One of the best, but overpriced dinners was on the Via Veneto at a place called the Café de Paris, ironically. I liked the place for the outstanding service (after dismal service at some other locations), excellent presentation, and the historical fact that La Dolce Vita was filmed on that very spot. It seems to had a notorious reputation until recently.Don’t let the fact that the menu was in Italian, English and Russian, and the cheesy guys racing their white Ferrari’s up and down the Via Veneto put you off. The food really stood up to my critical palate. I regret I didn’t get to dine on the famed Roman Jewish cuisine. We went to the traditional tratorria’s, to more high end restaurants, and a few tourist traps out of hunger and convenience in between. Feeling odd about my Rome dining experience, I asked friends why I was underwhelmed. The response was that while Roman food was good, it’s not the destination for great Italian food like Florence, or Tuscany. Having talked about my views with others, they voiced the same opinion. So I wasn’t to off in my views but I feel weird voicing it.
One question that baffled Certain and I was why most of the public toilets we encountered in Rome were seat less. I hadn’t seen this in any other place I traveled, and neither had he( we travel a lot). I found my answer here.
A week is Rome isn’t enough. I really need to come back and explore and eat more. Like a smart wise woman, Rome doesn’t reveal all she has on the first date.
There is something about Stockholm. When we landed close to midnight last Sunday evening, I felt I was home. It’s been two years since my last visit to the Land Of The Midnight Sun. However its Autumn now and the days are getting colder and darkness falls earlier and earlier.
The colorful berries are still present but the beautiful assortment of Chanterelles and other mushrooms are in profusion. Dare I say it, I’m eating better here in Stockholm than in Rome. Fresh, clean simple flavors served in cutting edge Swedish design. While Swedes may long for more spice, I found the simplicity wholesome and fresh.
Dagmar and her husband, of Cat In The Kitchen were gracious to invite Certain Someone and I to dinner in her gorgeous home in walking distance from the sea. Anne of Annes Food showed up with adorable Baby Titus and her husband. Can I say I’m love little Titus, and Dagmars house. Titus is such a fun baby with a healthy refined appetitite. He stayed up with the big folks and then came to say goodnight in his Cinnamon bun pajamas. Look at Dagmar’s kitchen! Dagmars excellent Swedish Meal was outstanding and she claimed it was her first time serving such.You know we sometimes wonder in the food blogger world if the person really has kitchen chops. Dagmar does. I hope to be able to come come back more frequenrtly to enjoy the girls company in the future. Here was Dagmars traditional Swedish menu. Did I also mention she effortslty pulled this off on a Monday night before jetting off for work in Coppenhagen? I’m grateful.
*A note on the photos. Maybe I’m overwhelmed or finding it difficult to focus, but I’m not having a good relationship with the camera on this trip. I’m relying on Certain Someone to capture most moments. I hope these photos do the incredible meals some justice.