Festivus Gastronomicus
General: Last Week In Food
Lots of amazing food things have happened since the last post. However, circumstances beyond my control led to the loss of all the pictures of the exciting holiday foodness. Let’s not dwell on what could have been. Instead, let us embrace the new year with open cookbooks, preheated ovens, and a willingness to test our limits.
Just a little bit about the holidays before we get started.
My family had our annual dessert party which is the pinnacle of all that is food in my world. It was, as always, an amazing feat of pastry greatness with many cooks participating in the most wonderful spread yet. I would show you pictures, but they were all erased as I was downloading them from the camera.
I will not be un-dude and get pissed about that though.
My mother is responsible for the backbone of the dessert party. She brings out the big guns with an English Triffle, Tiramisu, and Cream Puffs that are irresistible. In consideration for my grandfather (who has diabetes), sugar-free cream puffs are always made because only putting the regular ones out there could be considered an attempt on his life.
I spent my day making some apple tarts and a pear tart tatin. The tart tatin was a hit and I will definitely be making that some more. The apple tarts tasted great, but don’t really keep well. They need to be served right after making them and not stacked. Lesson learned.
So Jen and I got back to Boston last week and were ready to get cooking. We went shopping in the North End and went to the Haymarket to get provisions.
We got 4lbs of strawberries for $1!!!
It was crazy at the Haymarket. We were getting deals left and right. 4lbs of strawbs for a dollar, then 3lbs of asparagus, then parsley and peppers for a dollar too. It was heaven on earth. Huge multitudes of tasty fruits and vegetables, and the vendors asked only a pittance in return.
Of course there was a downside. I was surprised to hear a man behind me calling out, “Poisson! Poisson! Bon Marche!” Interested in what he might be offering I turned around and looked at the fish in boxes at his feet. Five dollars bought me a big old red snapper and we were on our way home.
I should have noticed that all the other fish mongers have their fish exposed on big beds of ice and this guy had his fish bagged in boxes at his feet. There was no way to examine the fish. This was done on purpose.
We noticed the smell on our way to the subway. Once we got going on the train, two girls moved across the car away from us, then out of our car completely. They noticed the smell too.
Despite the cloudy eyes and bad smell, I went and cooked the fish anyway. After all, maybe it was just old fish parts from wherever it was bagged that made it smell.
No.
It was the rotten fish I bought that made it smell. One cooked, I realized it was way way way too old to eat. Oh well, even after wasting $5 I still got a deal on the strawberries and the other produce.