OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL

I'm not quite Boss Tweed yet, who allegedly downed about 150 oysters in one sitting, but, I'm slowing getting there. Every Wednesday morning you can find me tasting my way through the farmer's market in Santa Monica. This is my happy place where I go to check out what's in season and have my pre-breakfast oysters. Yeah, I get strange looks for this morning ritual but that cold ocean taste and shot of B-12 wakes me up better than the strongest cup of coffee. This new habit has grown from morning snack to evening indulgence (it's only $10/dozen, how can I not indulge?) where I have to shuck them myself. Luckily, no fingers have been lost or stabbed...yet, but I'm pretty slow and careful, nowhere near Bill Lowney, the 1885 oyster shucking champ who opened 100 oysters in 3 minutes and 3 seconds. I dare you to pick up and set down that many oysters in that time, let alone shuck them. I think I'm coming at 20 seconds per oyster, so...yeah. Not a shucking champ. If you're going to be eating raw oysters, always taste your first one unadorned, just to get a true sense of its flavor, texture, and oystery loveliness. From there, go crazy! I included three of my favorite raw oyster recipes below. Get shucking!

By the way, if you're wondering where my nerdy knowledge on bivalves is coming from, it's a combination of Mark Kurlansky's fascinating The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell and the knowledgable Geography of Oysters by Rowan Jacobsen. Buy them, read them, and then go eat some oysters.

To Shuck

Cover your hand in a kitchen towel, and hold the oyster in this hand. Have the hinge (what looks like the back of the oyster) facing out. Take your oyster knife and wiggle it into the hinge. Don't force it, it should go in pretty easily. If it's difficult, try moving the knife to the side a bit to get a different angle. When it's in, twist the knife to pop the hinge, and the shell, open. Slide the knife against the top of the top shell to slice the abductor muscle. Remove the top shell, and slice the bottom abductor muscle under the oyster. I then like to flip the oyster so it looks pretty in the shell. Flick out any loose shell. Hooray! You've shucked an oyster, now eat it.

Watermelon, Lime and Sake

Oysters with Sake, lime and finely chopped watermelon. Make sure to pick a dry sake, I prefer the Junmai style ones.

Ponzu and Sriracha

This was recommended to me by a shucker: Ponzu and Sriracha. You can buy ponzu in the Asian aisle at your market, or make your own by combining the following:

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, more to taste

1/4 cup fresh lime juice, more to taste

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup dry sake

1 tablespoon honey

Pinch cayenne

Whisk together the ingredients in a bowl and let it sit in your fridge over night. Strain. The ponzu will keep for at least several days in your fridge. Enjoy!

Lemon and Tapatio

A very California combination. The Tapatio has that lovely vinegar kick, but you can use any hot sauce you like. Squeeze a little lemon on top (just a few drops) and a shake of the Tapatio.

EVERYTHING'S COMING UP ROSES

Not being one to do the whole “big date” thing, I prefer spending romantic afternoons sipping tea, reading books, and just enjoying quiet company. And with Valentine’s Day around the corner, my mind can’t help drifting to the thought of flowers; I absolutely adore floral flavors: lavender ice cream, violet chewing gum, and rose water jellies spring to mind immediately. But as I find my offers of ice cream, gum, and jellies getting turned down by friends left and right, it has become clear to me that floral flavors can be a polarizing force; pushing the fans of that delicate top note to one end, and the “it tastes soapy” camp to the other. So to celebrate Valentine’s this year, I thought I’d whisk up some of my boyfriend’s favorite cookies with a little rose-y twist. The Raspberry Rose Thumbprint cookies rolled in almonds are a simple spin on an old favorite (and last forever in your freezer) and the delicate crumb of rosewater madeleines my seem like an intimidating force, but honestly it’s like whipping up pancake batter (you can make it ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge!) and makes the perfect dunking partner for some green tea. Enjoy!

Raspberry Rose Thumbprint Cookies

Makes 3 dozen cookies

12 oz unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 brown sugar, packer

1 large egg

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely chopped toasted almonds

3/4 cup raspberry rose jam

Ingredients for the Raspberry Rose Jam

2 pints raspberries

1 pint blackberries

1 fragrant rose, or 2 teaspoons rose water

1 cup sugar

1 lemon, juiced

For the raspberry rose jam, combine the raspberries, petals from the rose (or rosewater), lemon juice, and sugar over medium. Once the mixture clings to the back of a spoon and takes a second or two to ooze together after you stir through it, the mixture is ready to jam. Meanwhile, boil you jars and their tops in water for at least 10 minutes, then allow them to dry out on a clean kitchen towel. Pour it into the jars, seal tight, and turn upside down. Once the jar as come to room temperature, store the jars in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg, and beat until completely combined. With mixer on low, add flour, and mix just until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm (at least one hour).

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll them in the chopped almonds. Set them on a greased cookie sheet. Moisten your thumb with water, and gently press the center of each ball, making an indentation about 1/2 inch wide and inch deep. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of the jam into each indentation. Bake until cookies are golden brown around edges, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Enjoy!

Rosewater Madeleines

Makes 18

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour, plus more for dusting

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon rosewater

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature, plus additional melted butter for preparing the molds

Brush the indentations of a madeleine mold with melted butter. Dust with flour, tap off any excess, and place in the fridge to chill. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, whip the eggs, granulated sugar, rosewater, vanilla and salt for about 5 minutes until light in color and thickened. Sift the flour and baking powder over the batter, gently folding it into the batter to incorporate. Next, drizzle the butter into the batter, a few spoonfuls at a time, while simultaneously folding to incorporate the butter. Don’t over mix it and cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

To bake the madeleines, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Put enough batter in the center of each indentation to fill it by about 3/4′s. Do not spread it. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until the cakes just feel set. Remove from the oven and tilt the madeleines out onto a cooling rack. Try to let them cool to room temp before noshing, but I won’t say anything if you can’t help yourself. Enjoy!

GRILLED RADICCHIO WITH GOAT CHEESE

Everyone will be grilling something this weekend for the big game, so if you don't feel like hot dogs, burgers, or whatever else is typically charred to perfection, go with a little seasonality. And cheese. Always opt for cheese. Radicchio is popping up at the farmer's market, and with its lovely bitter bite it's sensational with some earthy goat cheese and sweet, acidic Balsamic. Grill it until it looks overdone, and you're there. Super simple, kind of sophisticated, and perfectly delicious. Enjoy!









4 heads Radicchio, halved
1 small wheel bloomy rind Goat Cheese
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar (the more syrupy, aged, and tasty the better)

Drizzle the radicchio with olive oil, some salt and pepper, and grill over high heat until thoroughly browned. Flip, and brown a little on the back. While still warm, cut the grilled halves in half, plate with some slices of the goat cheese, and drizzle the whole thing with balsamic and olive oil. Enjoy!