Learning, Understanding, and Empathy Through Food

I have been cooking and posting on this blog for many years, well over a decade. Over that period of time, my blog has evolved, from my first posts about Italian cuisine to my many posts about everyday cooking, and to my more internationally-focused cooking. However, in recent weeks and months, I have been thinking about how this blog has caused me to evolve.  

Indeed, for the few who follow this blog, you have probably seen that evolution yourself. I have been spending a lot more time learning, not just how to prepare a dish, but what's behind the dish. The history, the culture and the people. I started a project known as Beyond Borders, where I go one step beyond my Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge to learn about those who do not have their own countries. I have been posting about the struggles of people in various parts of the world, whether it is the Uyghurs, the Rohingya, the Palestinians or the Sahrawi. Put simply, I have been opening myself to learning just as much about cultures as I am about cuisines, as much about the history, good and bad, as current events and situations. 

As I thought about this evolution, I came to picture it as more of a path ... one that has been walked down before.  I found myself taking this path that was made possible by others, most notably, the three people pictured above -- Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, and Jose Andres. Each of these individuals epitomize the evolving focus of my personal culinary blog. Each one of them embodies the qualities that are often missing in a large segment of the world: a desire to learn, understand and empathize.  

Take, for example, Anthony Bourdain. He did more than simply eat and drink his way around the world. Tony used his shows, No Reservations and later Parts Unknown, to educate, not only himself but others about cultures and cuisines around the world. Tony took something that, at least in the United States, was often the province of public television and injected into mainstream media, whether it was the Travel Channel or CNN. He brought understanding of other cultures and other cuisines to a wider audience.

Anthony Bourdain accomplished this feat in a way that, at first glance, may not seem very Bourdain-like. Tony often portrayed himself as a brash chef, with an uncensored tongue. However, when traveling, Tony was perhaps his true self. He did not walk in as the celebrity. He approached people in a more humble way, seeking to understand them by allowing the people to explain their culture and their cuisine. Tony listened, humbly and with gratitude.  

Anthony Bourdain in Haiti (Travel Channel, Source: Human Connections)

Anthony Bourdain summed it up best during an interview with Fast Company, which happened to his last full interview with them (Tony died about 8 months later). At around 3:00, Anthony noted: 

I think the most important, you know, be humble, be grateful. Be aware of the fact that you are probably the stupidest person in the room. As far as you are the least prepared, least equipped person to know who really is in charge and what's really going on. 

Bourdain demonstrated this humble approach during visits to areas with long histories of suffering, such as Sri Lanka (Season 5, Episode 9); Liberia (Season 6, Episode 16); Haiti (Season 7, Episode 1); Nicaragua (Season 7, Episode 3); and the special two episodes when Tony was in Beirut, which tied together Season 2 and Season 3. The Parts Unknown episodes that continue this learning and understanding include Tony's visits to the Democratic Republic of Congo (Season 1, Episode 8); and  Jerusalem (Season 2, Episode 1).

Then there is Andrew Zimmern, perhaps best known for his Travel Channel series, Bizarre Foods. Much like Tony, Andrew used his platform for a specific purpose. Andrew did not want to just showcase weird and exotic foods, but he sought to understand the people and cultures behind the food. In his words, the show "explored culture with a goal of engendering more patience, tolerance and understanding in the world." Put more simply, "come for the bug eating, get a lesson on humanity." 

Andrew Zimmern (Travel Channel; Source: Mashed)

Over the course of twelve seasons, Andrew Zimmern seemingly hit every part of the planet, delving not only into the present day cultures, but also their history. One example could be found in Season 4, Episode 4, where Andrew explored the island of Madagascar. He met a fisherman, who had almost no possessions, except for a house (which blew away with the storms), a boat, and, of course, his family. When Andrew asked the fisherman if he was happy, the fisherman laughed and replied: "I have everything a man could ask for: my family and a boat." There are many more episodes where Andrew and his crew went beyond simply filming people to take the extra step to learn more about them and their lived experiences, such as Season 12, Episode 7 when Andrew followed the Underground Railroad, eating the meals that were available to the escaping slaves. 

Finally, there is Jose Andres, who once said, "without empathy, nothing works." With empathy, Jose has built one of the most prominent humanitarian organizations, World Central Kitchen (WCK). Since 2010, beginning with an earthquake in Haiti, WCK and Jose Andres have provided critical relief to people around the world, crisis after crisis, disaster after disaster. Jose is there, with WCK, delivering water, ready-to-eat meals, or other important supplies to people who have lost everything due to natural disaster, man-made disaster, and wars. 

Jose Andres in Ukraine (Photo: Efram Lutasky/AP; Source: New York Times)

Jose Andres does not try to organize and operate local relief operations from the outside. Jose recognized the importance of recruiting local volunteers and enlisting local kitchens to help with the relief efforts. Rather than imposing an outside (western-based) approach to relief, Jose draws upon the knowledge, skills and experience of the people themselves. Jose and WCK adapt to the people and their circumstances, rather than having them adapt to him. But, they are not alone, because Jose and WCK are on the ground, taking the same risks that they are. 

And, there are a lot of risks, as well as a lot of catastrophes and disasters, both natural and man-made at this day and time. I keep sensing that we collectively are heading toward a darker time, where the forces that seek to divide us are on the verge of victory, having pitted group against group, person against person. I could retreat inward in despair at this realization, as I watch hatred and intolerance on the rise. I could also simply ignore the oncoming darkness, turning away from the suffering to come. 

But, that is not me. I know what is coming, but I also know what is still out there. To borrow words better spoken than I can write: 

I think something that brings America and the world together is understanding.... It seems a very big percentage of Americans believe that every child and every person in America should have the right to a plate of food. In the worst moments of humanity, I learned through food that the best of humanity shows up. People that may be different skin, color, religion, or political inclination and party. They put everything away ..., and they become one with the people. That's what gives me hope.

Those are the words of Jose Andres. They give me hope as well, but I know that we need more than hope. We need action, such as reminders of how the best of humanity can show up. That can only happen when we are presented with opportunities to learn, understand and empathize.  

These three individuals -- Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, and Jose Andres -- have in many ways become some of the guiding stars for my blog and myself. They went beyond their own culture  and world, to learn about other cultures, and draw value from everything about the people, their experiences, and their ways. They have worked to bring us together by emphasizing what we have in common, rather than what divides us. 

That has become the goal of my blog. I am not fortunate enough at this time to travel the world and I do not have a television show that I could use to broadcast a message of learning, understanding and empathy. I have done so vicariously through Anthony, Andrew and Jose, watching their travels on television or online. I will continue to spend my time learning from afar with the hopes that someday I will be able to see it firsthand. 

I realize this is just a small blog with a very limited readership. I could be fooling myself into thinking that this very small contribution will make any difference. Still, I look forward to starting the new year with a renewed commitment to try to show how food can unite us. It is better than doing nothing. 

PEACE.

Source of picture at the beginning of the post: World Red Eye

An Internal Struggle

This is not the post that I planned. I have a relatively long line of finished posts ready to be published. I also planned out the timeline for publishing, posting on a weekly basis about my exploration of cooking and cuisine both here in the U.S. and around the world. 

This past week was no ordinary week. 

I am still struggling to process what happened. How a majority of Americans could vote for an openly racist and misogynist candidate for President. How could Americans vote for candidates affiliated with the Republican party, whose platform not only embraced racism and misogyny, but contains a Spanish Galleon's worth of planks that are truly unpopular with a majority of Americans? How could a majority of Americans vote for politicians who openly campaigned on such racism, targeting communities of color, and who publicly called for utilizing the government to inflict substantial harms on groups who have known little else than discrimination and persecution by the supposedly greatest democracy in the history of civilization?

Cooking provides an escape for me. It is a way to close the door to my daily anxieties and stress. I can immerse myself in learning about food and the people who prepare it. I often joke that this blog also serves as an outlet for my international studies degree, as I travel virtually around the world to learn more about people. I try to learn as much as I can about their history, culture, and, of course, their cuisine. 

In recent months, I have viewed my culinary journeys as following the footsteps of someone who I have respected ... Anthony Bourdain. He traveled the world in a quest to learn not only about food, but the people who prepare it. His travels took him to some very troubled places, like the Middle East (Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank), Haiti, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He detailed in an open, objective way, the struggles of the people. In so doing, Anthony would ultimately show how food united people, showing how much more we have in common than what divides us.

Anthony Bourdain in Beirut, Lebanon (Source: No Reservations)

I have been "walking" in those footsteps for some time. Over the past few years, I have explored the cuisines of Armenia, Vietnam, St. Helena, Portugal, China, Mexico, Thailand, The Gambia, Argentina, India and Sri Lanka. I have also explored the cultures and cuisines of some very troubled places, like Gaza, the West Bank, Myanmar, Xinjiang, and Kashmir.  

It is the posts about those troubled places that have profoundly moved me, just as I expect it did to Anthony Bourdain as he walked the streets of Gaza or visited with home cooks in Haiti or the Congo. I learned about the struggles and suffering of people, the cause of which more often than not lied outside of their direct control. While it has been hard to write some of my posts (like those about what is happening in Gaza right now), there was always a small light off on the horizon. A beacon that, if it could guide humanity, would lead to something better: an end to conflict, an amelioration of suffering, and a restoration of human dignity. 

This past week revealed that such a beacon may, at best, be further off in the distance than I thought, or, at worst, may be nothing more than a mirage. Setting aside the untold level of masochistic pain that Americans have just unleashed upon themselves, they have also opened the floodgates to a further torrent of violence, suffering and pain around the world. 

For example, the past week's election represents an "all-clear" to the far-right wing Israeli government to continue and perhaps intensify its campaign of genocide in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. It waved on Israeli fighter jets to further clear the southern reaches of Lebanon of not only Hezbollah, but also of Lebanese civilians.

The past week's election will also embolden Russia in its effort to recreate what it lost back in 1991, pushing it to not only eliminate Ukraine's existence, but to further destabilize other countries, like Georgia, Armenia, Moldova, and the Baltic States. 

However, it goes beyond Ukraine and the Middle East. As Lady Liberty's torch goes dark, I look at the prospect of not just more suffering and blood in many other places around the world. Places where the strife was the result of a history that bears the marks of our past foreign policy or our current capitalist economy. (Just look up and down the Western Hemisphere.) Strife that will only get worse because the next administration lacks the empathy, knowledge, and understanding to do anything about it. 

Source: ABC News

As Lady Liberty's torch fades into darkness, I find myself struggling with whether the path that I am on is one that I should continue to explore. Why try, even in the smallest way, to promote empathy and understanding when a majority of people in your country just don't care. Why try to promote what unites us when that majority seems quite content to drown in what divides us. 

I've come too far to go back to posting what random dish that I made on a particular day. I could choose to explore the cuisines around the world, confining myself to places free of suffering and pain. I could limit myself to just cooking out of cookbooks or recipes off of the internet. But, that is not who I am or who I want to be. I can't turn a blind eye to what is going on or what will happen, which means that the road ahead is one that may be too overwhelming and unsustainable. I just don't know right now. 

While I try to resolve this internal struggle, I will continue to post what is in my queue. After that, only time will tell. Until then, I will close with my undying wish for everyone around the world ...

PEACE. 

Oysterfest 2024

It is that time of year again. The leaves start turning various colors. The cool breeze kicks up now and again. And there are oysters aplenty. That is, if you happen to find yourself in St. Michaels, Maryland and on the grounds of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum for its annual Oysterfest. 

The Oysterfest is perhaps one of my most favorite events. I look forward to it every year. To be sure, I love the opportunity to eat oysters in a variety of ways, whether raw, steamed, fried (or, this year, they even had smoked oysters). It is even better when one can chase those bivalves with a beer from a local brewery, such as RAR or St. Michael's Brewery. I also like perusing the stands of local artisans of every kind, taking a particular interest in the photography of everything about the Chesapeake Bay, from the iconic Bay Bridge, to the workboats that ply the waters, to the crabs, fish and oysters that take residence in the bay.

Everyone obviously comes for the oysters, and there are always the mainstays at the event. There is the Talbot Watermen Association, who have numerous shuckers preparing plates of six or twelve oysters, raw or steamed. The six oysters to the right came from the Talbot Watermen Association. Other oyster vendors included the Choptank Oyster Company, which had a much smaller crew shucking choptank sweets oysters, and Slow Descent Oysters, which introduced smoked oysters to the event. 

There were other food stands as well. In addition to a few food truckers, there was the Tilghman United Methodist Church. Volunteers offered fried oysters, as well as their cookbook, What's Cooking at Tilghman's Island, which I purchased a few years ago and which I occasionally peruse looking for something "local" to cook. And, lest I forget, one of the favorite stands in the opinion of my little big guy - Big Bad Wolf Bacon. They are a regular at Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum events; and, in this case, bacon works very well with oysters. (One piece of advice for the future - they should work with the Talbot Watermen Association to sell a bacon wrapped oyster.) 

However, there is one part of the Oysterfest that always piques my interest, or, I should say, the culinary motivation of Chef Bolek. It is the Oyster Stew competition. Every Oysterfest features the competition, where local restaurants, chefs and cooks compete to see who has the best oyster stew. 

We have been going to Oysterfest since 2018; and, with the exception of last year, every year that we attended the event, we took part in the competition. Not as someone who has offered an oyster stew for judging (although the thought has crossed my mind on a couple of occasions), but as a judge. People have an opportunity to sample each of the oyster stews and then vote for their favorite one. 

Having judged several of these competitions, I am always struck by the different approaches that one can take with something like an oyster stew. This year's competition was no different. There were six oyster stews from six different restaurants or chefs. 

Here were the six contestants:

Bistro St. Michaels: This entry had the creamy broth, with right the right amount of herbs and spices. The execution of the chowder was polished, but it was more like a bisque than a chowder. I thought that the oysters were cut up too much, with some of them to have been almost minced. In my mind, a good oyster stew has oysters that should be a decent size. 

Ruse at Wildset: This entry presented more of what one would expect of a chowder. There were clams, but there were also potatoes, peppers and other ingredients in the mix. And, there were a lot of ingredients. Perhaps too many, as the oysters seemed to get a little lost in the overall presentation. But, it did have a very good smoky note from the bacon.

Theo's Steakhouse: This entry followed in the footsteps of Ruse at Wildset, presenting a more traditional chowder. Theo's Steakhouse also got the proportions a little better, with more oyster and less peppers, potatoes, and onions. I also liked the broth a little more with this entry than the Ruse at Wildset, as I felt that there was more of an herbal presence.

Gourmet by the Bay: This entry took on a slightly darker color, and I could not quite figure out the reason. It did not have the smoky elements of the Ruse at Wildset, although I did get some of that bacon flavor in this one. The rest of the flavor profile was a little different and it took some effort to try to figure it out. This entry did its part to set itself apart from the rest.

Oaks Waterfront Inn: This entry had the most oysters in it; and, the most whole oysters. That immediately elevated it above the ones that I had tried up to that point. While I could get the sense of other ingredients, they definitely took the back seat to the oyster. This stew also had the right balance of herbs and pepper, making it one of the more rounded entries.

Hambleton House Catering: The final entry really tried to set itself apart. Like the very first one, this chowder took on a more bisque like texture and approach. The difference between this entry and the first one was that the oysters were blended into the chowder (which is more of a bisque approach). This entry also had a different flavor profile, one that suggested curry rather than smoke.

To be sure, I had my favorites. My vote was for the Oaks Waterfront Inn, which I believe created the best overall oyster stew. My beautiful Angel chose Gourmet by the Bay, while my little bean voted for Ruse at Wildset. My little big guy decided not to participate. Our voting was all over the map.

But, we live in a democracy, and the overall vote produced a different winner than the one I chose. The overall winner was Bistro St. Michaels. (I should note that Bistro St. Michaels also won the oyster stew competition the first year that we attended the Oysterfest.) Oaks Waterfront Inn came in second and Gourmet by the Bay came in third. 

With every year that we attend the Oysterfest and every year that we judge, there is an after effect. It is the motivation on my part to make my own oyster stew. Two of those stews -- one motivated by our time at the Oysterfest in 2018 and another inspired by our time there in 2019 -- have made it as posts on my blog. 

I think it may be time to come up with another oyster stew recipe. Only time will tell and only if I can find the time. Until then ...

PEACE. 

An Urgent Appeal - Help Save Haitian Mango Farmers!

Chef Bolek is stepping away from the stove for a moment to bring attention to an urgent issue involving small family farms and workers in Haiti. The issue involves the production of mangoes, and the immediate threat to their livelihood. 

Small farms throughout Haiti, including the community of Gros Morne, Haiti, grows what are known as Francis or Fransik mangoes. These mangoes are well known for their soft, juicy flesh that are full of rich, sweet flavors. They are also known, in the words of one blogger, as "a big deal for Haitian people, particularly for the rural population." Thousands of Haitians work in the production of mangoes, from growing them on those small farms to processing the fruit to transporting the mangoes to their ultimate destinations. 

Gros Morne provides an example of how it works. There is a cooperative that operates mango collection center. Each center purchases the mangoes from growers and then sells the fruit to packing houses. The packing houses process the mangoes for export. Those mangoes that are not destined for export would be sold by Madanm Sara in city markets. 

The mangoes are also important for another reason: they are a major export item and an important source of income. In 2022, Haiti exported 28 million mangoes to the United States. However, the United States Department of Agriculture ("USDA") cancelled the mango export contract with Haitian mango producers. The USDA cited insecurity, namely, for its inspectors to disinfect the crop and clear it for export. Those inspectors are based in Haiti and they disinfect the mangos by placing them in hot water for 60 to 90 minutes to kill any fly larvae. The Francis mango is the only mango that comes out of the process without being damaged. Without the inspectors and the disinfectant process, the mangoes cannot be exported to the United States. 

Without an export partner, these small farms do not have a buyer for their mangoes. Without a buyer, the mangoes will be left to rot on the ground and the farmers will be left without the needed income. If this problem persists, the farmers may be left with no other choice than to cut down the mango trees for their wood. This apparently has begun taking place, as farmers try to satisfy their short term needs but at their long-term expense.

The Quixote Center, is a non-profit organization dedicated to working on community led development in Haiti. The center has announced an emergency initiative to raise $35,000 to support the purchase of 168,000 mangoes from farmers and producers in Gros Morns and, with the assistance of the local Catholic parish community, transport the mangoes to remote areas that lack fresh fruit. This emergency measure is necessary to address the needs right now, while the Quixote Center and other non-profit organizations work toward a long term solution that, hopefully opens the U.S. market to Haitian mangoes once again. 

Please support this initiative by making a donation to the Quixote Center. You can learn more about this initiative by clicking on this link and make a donation by clicking on this link. 

Full Disclosure: I serve on the Board of Directors of the Quixote Center. I also made a donation to support this initiative.

Thank you, and ... 

PEACE.

The Long History Told by Bones

Salmon are an intrinsic part of us. They're in our blood. They're in our being.

- Hereditary Chief Don Svanvik, 

Namgis First Nation, 

Alert Bay, British Columbia

Recently, an online article caught my eye. The article's title was "Salmon Bones Confirm Sustainable Chum Fishery for 2,500 Years Under Tsleil-Waututh Nation."  That title represented a ray of light, a little bit of good news, that brightened what is becoming an otherwise dark picture.

It seems - to me at least - that much about what I have been reading about Pacific salmon has ranged from bad to ominous. This sense seems particularly the case for the salmon in the Pacific Northwest.  For example, a report in 2019 found that, while the preliminary forecasts for chum salmon in the Puget Sound hovered around 550,000 fish, the actual amount may have been more along the lines of 243,000 fish. That statistic is particularly alarming given that the chum salmon has traditionally been the most abundant of all the different types of salmon. 

There are many reasons for the population declines. At first, the culprit was overfishing in the 19th and 20th centuries. The loss in fish numbers was compounded by the loss of their habitat, which was primarily due to the construction of dams that blocked the rivers used by the salmon, along with the timber industry, which damaged the rivers and streams.  And then there is climate change and, in particular, the warming of the Pacific Ocean. As it turns out, just a few degrees of increased temperatures can have a significant impact on salmon populations. As the oceans warm, it favors subtropical zooplankton, which are not eaten by juvenile salmon. Warmer water also has less oxygen, making it harder for the fish to breath.

Yet, this is all the bad news; and, I started out this post noting a ray of light. Research has shown that one of the Salish peoples of the Pacific Northwest - the Tsleil-Waututh - have a long history of managing the chum salmon populations where they live. The story actually explains that the Tsleil-Waututh have a much longer history of managing that important resource.

Archeologists had already known that the Tsleil-Waututh, who live in the Burraud tribal territory, have been sustainably fishing chum salmon for about 1,200 years, from approximately 400 BCE to 1200 A.D. However, recent finds at an archeological site at təmtəmíxʷtən, a very important site for the Tseleil-Waututh, have revealed that this fishery has existed for an additional 1,300 years. This history is important because of one fact: chum salmon are especially vulnerable to overfishing. 

This story has led me to think about how we develop our guidelines for sustainability. Often times, those guidelines are dictated from the top down, from the government to the people, with a healthy disdain for guidelines coming from the reverse direction. As long as people are motivated by capitalistic desires, such as the private ownership of resources and maximizing profit for personal gain, that disdain is warranted. But, what if the people are motivated by something else. What if, like the Tsleil-Waututh, the people are motivated by preserving the resources for future generations to enjoy. Resources that are able to thrive in a larger, more balanced ecosystem. 

All of the foregoing also got me thinking about the salmon recipes that I have made over the years. This is perhaps my most favorite recipe on my blog: 

COPPER RIVER SALMON WITH AN ORANGE-SAFFRON SAUCE

Adapted from recipe by Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

Serves 4

Ingredients for the Orange-Saffron Sauce:

1/2 cup of white wine

1/2 cup orange juice

A healthy pinch of saffron, crumbled

A healthy pinch of sugar

1 shallot, minced
Salt
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

Ingredients (for the fish and greens):
1 1/2 pounds of tender spring greens, such as spinach
5 tablespoons of unsalted butter or vegetable oil, divided
A splash of water (no more than 3 tablespoons)
Grated zest of an orange
1 1/2 pounds of Copper River Salmon (or any wild salmon)

Directions:

1.  Make the Orange-Saffron Sauce.  Make the sauce by bringing the white wine, orange juice, saffron, sugar and shallot to a boil in a small pot.  Simmer strongly for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and puree the sauce in a blender.  Return the sauce to the pot and turn the heat to low.  Add salt to taste and keep warm, but do not boil it or simmer it any further.

2.  Make the Greens.  Cook the greens in 2 tablespoons of butter or oil over high heat in a large saute pan, stirring constantly until they wilt. Add a splash of water, the orange zest and some salt and cover the pot. Lower the heat to medium-low and steam the greens for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.

3.  Sear the salmon.  Heat the remaining butter in a pan large enough to hold the fish.  (If you don’t have such a pan, put a baking sheet in the oven and set the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit so you can keep the fish warm as you do this in batches.)  Heat the butter over high heat until it stops frothing. Pat the fish dry with paper towels and set it skin-side down in the hot butter. Turn the heat down to medium-high for a typical fillet  or to medium if you are working with a thicker piece of fish.

4.  Continue cooking the salmon.  Let the fish cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then use a large spoon to baste the meat side of the fish with the hot butter. Baste the salmon for 90 seconds, then give it a rest. A thin fillet will only need one quick basting, but thicker pieces of fish will need a second or even third round of basting.  It took about four to five rounds of basting for the fillets that I had.  When the basting is done, salt the meat side. The skin side should lift off the pan easily after about 4 to 5 minutes of steady cooking. The moment you take the fish off the heat, salt the skin side.

5.  Finish the dish.  To serve, swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into the sauce, one tablespoon at a time. Pour some sauce on everyone’s plate. Top with the greens and then with a piece of fish. Serve immediately.

OTHER DELICIOUS SALMON RECIPES TO TRY

If you are looking for other recipes to honor the salmon and its place in the foodways of different cultures, or if you are just looking for a delicious recipe, I suggest these possibilities:

Smoked Sockeye Salmon: This is about as close as I can get to trying to pay homage to how Native Americans and First Nations would prepare their catches. You can check out the post and learn about the Legend of the Lost Salmon. This is one of the recipes that I wish I made more often, if only I had the time and the memory to remind myself. 

"Imperial" King Salmon: This dish features king salmon grilled on an alder plank. It also features a crab imperial over the top. The imperial literally places this dish over the top. 

Cedar Plank Salmon: This recipe was truly an educational experience for me. The "smothering" of the salmon with onions serves an important purpose. The water in the onions help to keep the salmon moist.

Pike's Place Salmon Burgers: The final recipe comes from one of my Super Bowl parties, when I prepared a dish from the city of one of the Super Bowl contenders. Back in 2014, that contender was the Seattle Seahawks. So, I prepared a salmon burger recipe that comes from the city's iconic Pike's Place market. 

These are just some of the salmon recipes on this blog. If you want to see the other posts, just click on "Salmon" in the word cloud in "What's in my Fridge + Pantry." Until next time, 

ENJOY!

Defending Against the Blue Crab Invasion

If you find your waters have been invaded by blue crabs, do what we do and soon they will be an endangered species.

- Anonymous

I have found myself intrigued by the recent stories about how blue crabs have invaded the waters of the Mediterranean sea. Having lived near the waters of the Chesapeake Bay for decades, I am very familiar with the small, bluish-green crustacean.

For a period spanning three summers, I worked at a crab house. My principal responsibility was to stuff crab pots for steaming. Each pot was stuffed with a particular size of crab: small, medium, large, extra large and jumbo. As each pot was stuffed, one alternated between layers of crabs and crab spice. There were bushels of blue crabs, in various state of agitation, and barrels of crab spice. It was not an easy job working for hours in a one-hundred degree kitchen for low pay. It even killed my interest in cooking for years.

As long-time followers of this blog know, it was not until approximately 10 to 12 years later until I revived my interest in cooking. That revival occurred during a trip to Italy. I fell in love with the cuisine, starting with the two regions that I visited: Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany.  I then began to explore other Italian regions and eventually other countries, which has led to this globally-inspired cooking blog. 

Artist: Albert Kallis

Yet, it was a recent story in Nature.com about the invasion of blue crabs caught my attention. The story talked about how the species was threatening the northern Adriatic Sea, including the Po River where it is threatening the local clam harvests. Blue crabs can be voracious eaters of clams, mussels and oysters. They also reproduce in large numbers and, if left unchecked, can quickly overtake a local ecosystem, turning into what some describe as an underwater desert. The crabs are also difficult to catch, being able to use their sharp claws to cut through nets. To a region with a long, venerated culinary history and traditions, the appearance of blue crabs may seem very threatening. Kind of like a old horror movie.

I should note that the recent events in the north Adriatic are not the first blue crab invasion in the Mediterranean Sea - or even the Adriatic Sea. There are reports of blue crabs invading the river deltas of Croatia in 2020, the shores and lagoons of Albania in 2021, as well as shorelines of France and Spain and Gibraltar. In each case, the blue crab was able to take over an area, creating a threat not only to the local molluscs, but also the fish and even the plant life.

Source: Kim Cover

As voracious as the blue crab may be, they have a natural predator that can be just as insatiable - us. For those of us who live around the Chesapeake Bay, we know the troubled history of the blue crab in our waters. Overfishing and consumption, combined with poor regulations and the introduction of the crab pot - led to significant declines in blue crab populations. The population declines have been worsened by runoff from farms, whose pollution has affected not only the blue crabs, but the environs around which they live. From the mid-1990s until 2004, the blue crab population in the Chesapeake Bay fell from 900 million to about 300 million. The population fell to its lowest level in 2022, as determined by 33 years of surveys.  

Quite ironically, where Italy has dedicated nearly $3 million Euros to reducing the numbers of crabs in its waters, the U.S. government - along with the governments of Maryland and Virginia - are taking various steps -- such as improving water quality and restoring oyster reefs -- to protect the species and grow its numbers. 

For this post, I thought I would do my part to help those along the shores of the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas suffering from an "invasion" of one of my favorite foods to eat. I am reproducing my all-time favorite (as of right now) blue crab recipe below, as well as links to other very good recipes that one can find on this blog.

MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE BLUE CRAB RECIPE (AS OF RIGHT NOW)

CAROLINA CRAB RICE

Recipe from the Smithsonian Institution

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long grain rice, uncooked
• 2 cups water
• Small pinch of salt
• 2-3 strips of thick cut bacon, diced
• 1 celery stalk diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, any color, diced 
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 pound of crabmeat, cooked (preferably lump)
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Salt
• Black pepper

Directions:

1.  Prepare the rice. Rinse the dry rice under cool water 3 to 4 times and drain. Put the rinsed rice into a small pot, cover with 2 cups of water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover the pot and let the rice cook undisturbed for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, crack the lid of the pot so the rice can stop cooking and set aside. 

2. Fry the bacon. In a small skillet, fry the bacon pieces over medium-low heat until all of the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove the bacon pieces and set them aside. Reserve the rendered fat in the pan.

3. Fry the vegetables. Over medium heat, add celery, bell pepper and onion to the pan with the bacon fat and sauté until vegetables have softened and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add crabmeat and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until crab has begun to crisp. 

4. Finish the dish. Add the cooked rice, bacon and seasonings to the pan with the vegetables. Incorporate all of the ingredients until evenly mixed, turn to low and let cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately. 

OTHER DELICIOUS BLUE CRAB RECIPES

If you want some more culinary ideas on how to control blue crab populations, I strongly suggest these possibilities: 

Blue Crabcake Algonquin: This recipe comes in a close second to the Carolina Crab Rice. This recipe comes a book called Renewing America's Food Traditions, which discusses endangered ingredients across the North American continent. This recipe is a very traditional and very delicious crabcake.

Steamed Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs: This is the traditional method of preparing crabs in along the bay. Just replace "Chesapeake Bay" with "Adriatic Sea" and you are good to go. Also, if you need a recipe for Old Bay seasoning, check out my attempt to recreate that iconic spice mixture.

Crab Flake Salad: This recipe could be found on the menus of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad's dining cars. It is a very simple preparation that makes an amazing appetizer. A similar version of this dish hails from the coastlines of Mississippi and Alabama, which is known as West Indies Salad.

Fire Roasted Gazpacho with Maryland Lump Crab: This recipe combines perhaps my most favorite soup - Gazpacho - with one of my most favorite proteins, blue crab. The fire-roasting of the gazpacho ingredients is an idea of master griller Steven Raichlen.

Chesapeake Paella: This recipe utilizes blue crab in a seafood paella (also, if you happen to find some soft-shell blue crabs, then you can enjoy eating the entire crab - minus its face and gills, of course). This recipe provides a wonderful combination of Chesapeake and Valencian culinary influences.

These are just some of the blue crab recipes on the blog, but they are definitely among my favorites. I offer these suggestions as my part to help those living survive the invasion of blue crabs. Until next time ...

ENJOY!

My 1000th Post! (And Some News)

I published my very first Chef Bolek blog post - Benvenuto - on April 9, 2008. Since that time, I have written 998 more posts for this blog. I had fourteen years to prepare for this moment: my 1,000th post. However, I have to admit that I was not prepared. When I eventually realized that my 1,000th post was approaching, I did not have any ideas about what I would do.  

I sought some ideas from friends on social media and I got some responses. Those responses provided a good starting point. One  suggestion was to make the oldest known recipe. That recipe would most likely be found on the walls of a tomb outside the ancient city of Thebes in Egypt. The tomb belonged to Senet, who was most likely the wife of a vizier named Antefoquer (or Intefiquer). This individual served Pharaoh Amenemhat I, who reigned during the start of the Twelfth Dynasty, which ran from 1991 BCE to 1962 BCE. That dynasty was often considered to be the highest point of the Middle Kingdom of Egypt. (It came after the Old Kingdom, whose Pharoahs built the pyramids and before the New Kingdom, which is known for Pharoahs such as Akhenaten, Tutankhamun and Ramses II.)

Source: At the Mummies Ball

The walls of Senet's tomb contain a recipe for bread. At the time, yeast had not been discovered. Therefore, the recipe was more akin to how one would prepare and bake a flatbread. Craftworkers did not chisel that recipe on the tomb walls so much to remind Senet how to make the bread after she passed through the Duat and reached the Field of Reeds. Rather, it was advise those who would be baking the bread for Senet in the afterlife. If I had to venture a guess, Senet probably enjoyed eating this bread while she walked this planet. I tracked down a possible recipe on the Internet. I thought about making the bread for my 1000th post. In the end, I decided against it. I wanted to do more with this post than just a recipe. 

Other friends provided suggestions. One friend suggested preparing a dish from the cuisine of El Salvador. I looked at dishes like Lomo Rellano and Coctel de Conchas, as well as tamales and pupusa recipes. However, some of these dishes could find their way into Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge. Another suggestion was to bring back my favorite classic of all time. The problem I had with this suggestion is that there are quite a few classics and I could not settle on one.  And, again, I wanted to do more than just make a recipe. 

The ATW Challenge for Bhutan

The question returned to what did I want to do. The answer to that question lies with what I have done. It is a journey that reveals how much my hobby of cooking has evolved over time. I began this blog with my love for Italian cuisine. A trip that I took to Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany sparked that love for cooking and eating Italian food. Many of early blog posts featured my Italian cooking. Early on, one of my best friends presented me with a challenge: go beyond Italy and prepare dishes from other parts of the world. I accepted the challenge in two ways. At first, I started my Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge (the first post - Ethiopia - came on September 22, 2010). I tried to study the cuisine, culture and country for each challenge, which gave rise to my desire to learn more about what I prepared and ate. However, I then expanded my everyday cooking to include dishes from around the world.  

As I continued to explore dishes and cuisines from around the globe, I went beyond just learning about the ingredients and cooking processes. I strived to learn about the people themselves, and, to the best of my ability, gain an understanding of their perspective. The blog helped me grow as a person by recognizing the privilege that I have, and acknowledging the struggles of others to obtain the same dignity, respect and, in many cases, justice that has eluded them for years and even generations. 

Beyond Borders - Palestine

This evolution is reflected in my blog. I moved beyond my Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge to start a series called Beyond Borders. This effort catalogues my efforts to learn more about those who often go unnoticed and whose plight does not make the headlines of mainstream news outlets. I have used my hobby to learn more about peoples such as the Chagossians, Kashmiri, Rohingya, Palestinians, Ojibwe, Tibetans and others. I learned not just about their cuisines, but also their struggles and fight for human rights, justice, and dignity. 

I have to say that I am proud of this growth; and, I plan on continuing these endeavors (as well as the other projects that I have done over the past fourteen years). However, I feel that I need to take another step, another evolution. 

To that end, I have some news:

I am changing the ways I cook and eat. I will be weaving Buddhist principles into my cooking. I plan on becoming more mindful of what I prepare and how I prepare it. This will, in turn, make me more mindful about what I eat. 

The incorporation of Buddhist principles into my cooking is actually a logical step for me. For years, I have been learning (mostly self-taught) and practicing Buddhist meditation. I started studying Theravada Buddhism (which is practiced in southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Laos and Cambodia) but I have migrated toward Mahayana Buddhism (which is practiced in China, South Korea, Vietnam and Japan.) I began learning about Buddhism and meditation to deal with the anxiety and stress from my work. It has worked well to help bring balance in my life. I try to use what I have learned in the way suggested by the Dalai Lama: 

"Do not try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist; use it to be a better whatever-you-already are." 

Those words will serve as a guide on this new culinary path. The goal is not to become a Buddhist or even eat like a Buddhist. In other words, I am not going to become a vegetarian, let alone a vegan. Nevertheless, I will incorporate Buddhist principles to evolve my cooking experience. I want to bring a mindfulness to the ingredients, the processes and the final dishes. The end result, if I am successful, will be a diet that will gradually incorporate more vegetables and less meat. A diet that will be better for the environment and, of course, my own health.

My new path begins with a book about Buddhist temple food. The book was written by Wookwan, a Buddhist nun who is the head of the Mahayeon Temple Food Cultural Center. Wookwan provides an excellent description of the relationship between Buddhism, cooking and diet. 

The book is only the starting point. I also plan to build on what I have already been doing with my blog to help me along this path. I am going to use what I have learned about various cuisines and cultures to build a more mindful diet. For example, I can draw upon what I have learned about rice dishes from sub-Saharan Africa (from Senegal to Nigeria) or curry dishes from across Asia (from China to Sri Lanka and from Pakistan to Vietnam). I can used what I have learned about indigenous cuisine and their approach to nature, including my exploration of Native American and Pacific Islander cuisines.

In sum, the goal is to become more mindful about what I cook and what I eat. The process is going to be gradual (so don't be surprised if there still seems to be a lot of posts about meat - I have to clear out a backlog of posts). The reason is simple: dramatic changes rarely last, gradual ones can be built upon over time. I will chronicle my journey on this blog, starting with my blog project, The Mindfulness Foodways.  My hope is that, as with my prior evolutions, this journey will also make its way into my everyday posts. 

Finally, I want to thank everyone who has read my blog, commented, and/or reacted on social media. The input and reactions from family and friends is very important and helpful. I am looking forward to the next 1,000 posts (and, hopefully, it won't take another fourteen years for that to happen). Until next time ...

ENJOY!