SEAFOOD

Growing up in New Orleans, one of the most fun experiences of my youth was going to the seafood restaurants on Lake Pontchartrain. You walked from the waters edge down a wooden ramp over the water and entered a building held up on pilings. We always requested a table next to the windows so that we could see the water. My father would start our meal and order a dozen and a half hard shell crabs, two dozen boiled shrimp and three dozen crayfish. We ordered Barq's Root Beer or Cream Soda which New Orleanians called "Red Drink" and then we opened and ate all the treasures of the sea in front of us. Our waitress would then scoop up all the debris and take our orders for fried seafood platters. I always ordered the fried shrimp plate which consisted of a dozen shrimp, expertly fried, french fries and two pieces of toast that no one ate. Other times I ordered a fried oyster Po boy . I requested only butter on the french bread; no lettuce and tomato, and tarter sauce, lemon, ketchup, hot sauce and lots of sliced dills on the side. Yummy! My favorite place was called Brunings and when I became eighteen (the legal age to drink then), I ordered the most divine specialty drink they were known for, called a "Dreamsickle". It consisted of nectar liqueur and cream and it was so good! Unfortunately Brunings along with all those wonderful seafood establishments on the water are now gone, swept away during Katrina.

Last weekend we had a seafood boil and all the memories came flooding back. We had crabs and crayfish and although the setting was different, the eating experience was the same. My grandchild laughed and laughed when a couple of the live crayfish climbed out of the box and took a dip in the swimming pool, before being rescued
and sent to their fiery end.

If you have not tried sea bass in a while I recently made a dish at home that my husband thought was delicious. He doesn't often put such a glorious description on my cooking, but we both thought the dish extremely good. To begin,I shaved a few strips of fresh ginger and chopped a little green onion. I wilted fresh spinach by sauteing fresh garlic and olive oil with it. I steamed the sea bass until it was flaky and I made a sauce of soy, dry sherry, sugar and water and warmed it. I cooked some Jasmine rice and then assembled the dish. I placed a generous spoon full of the fresh spinach in a wide bowl. I placed a couple of ginger shavings on the spinach and sprinkled the green onion over the top. I then placed the fish over the vegetable and brushed the fish with a mixture of vegetable oil and sesame oil. I put two heaping tablespoons of rice next to the fish and spooned three to four tablespoons of the soy mixture over the entire dish. So good! The dish is a meal all by itself and is very rich: but, if you want a starter, I would suggest either a cold Asian cucumber salad or a mixture of iceberg lettuce, tomato, cucumber and carrot tossed in a good ginger dressing.
I am laboriously , but having fun with it, still working on my cookbook. Additionally, I love writing this blog. I get to remember and share with others my life experiences and if you find something interesting in my diatribes, please use and enjoy.