Whole and Fresh, Please !

Black-Lung Rockfish

You'd think it would not be hard to find fresh whole fish in a big harbor city like San Diego. Unfortunately, it is not an easy task. The average Joe has a pretty dismal choice of fillet, fillet, or fillet at the grocery store. Unless you are looking for a rainbow trout, prepacked whole and ready to go. Maybe it's a consequence of mass markets, the consummer does not want to know where the food is coming from. Everything is precut, prepackaged with a sticker on it so you know what you are buying. It's fast and convenient, but it disconnects the consummer from the food he's eating. And in some cases, it removes any clues on the freshness of the product.

Fish is the perfect example. I grew up near Marseilles, where seafood is an important part of the diet. Think Bouillabaisse, Soupe de Poissons, Loup au Champagne, Moules Meunieres, Fruits de Mer...There freshness is what ranks fish shops, and hearsay can make or break a reputation. Owners proudly display whole fresh fish on beds of ice to attract shoppers. I was always told to find a fresh fish you have to look at its eyes. A clear eye means fresh, a cloudy eye means it is old (basically the proteins in the eye have started to degrade, creating a cloudy residue). That's it ! It's a simple rule. If only the fish was not sold with its head chopped off....

Fish Shop in Aix-en-Provence

I had a very pleasant surprise on Friday. I just happened to run into a recently new farmer's market in the Mission Valley area in San Diego. There I met a very nice man from Poppa's Fresh Catch, selling, gasp !, fresh fish, both whole and filleted. Their slogan "any fresher and it's underwater" made me laugh ! But I have to agree, the whole rockfish they sold me, descaled and gutted, was caught today. The eye was absolutely clear, and the meat, once cooked, was still clinging to the bones (another sign of freshness). The local company operates at many other farmer's market in the San Diego area. Make sure you stop by their booth, it's worth a look and it's good for the tummy :)


With fresh fish in a bag, I gleefully went home and started the oven. A fresh catch does not need much to taste good. A dash of olive oil and rock salt, a few slices of lemons in the gut (or dried fennel, as my mom would do), and a piece of aluminum foil on top to keep the juices in. In the oven at 360F for 30 minutes and it was ready. Moist and firm. Served with the juices in the pan.

The hardest part ? Waiting for next friday !

"You Are What You Eat"

...or in its original form "Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are", as written by Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, an 18th century frenchman and early foodie, who is famous for his essay "La physiologie du Gout" (The physiology of Taste). For more information on the man, check out the wikipedia entry.
The quote popped out unconsciously as I was looking over my latest bloodwork results today. Not sure why. All was normal, included the dreaded HDL and triglyceride levels. A bit odd for someone who cherishes butter, adores cheese, and carries a big old sweet tooth. Or just plain lucky. But then I got to think about it. It's not just what you eat, but how you eat and how much you eat.
Yes, I use butter, but only in desserts. Anytime I need oil, I reach out for olive oil, a main staple of the mediterranean diet.
Yes, I eat cheese, but in moderation, mainly because of the high prices.
Yes, I love desserts. But I am not a big fan of highly sweet cakes and icings. I'd rather binge on fruit tarts or creamy desserts. Hmmm, maybe that one will be my downfall :)

Let's go over what I do right :)
1) I eat small portions (it helps to use small plates at home !),
2) I shy away from fried foods, most of them anyway,
3) I always have a serving of vegetables (carrots, zucchinis, broccolis, french beans, califlower, squash...),
4) If I have a choice, my veggies are steamed, to keep most of their nutrients,
5) I eat fresh fruits every day,
6) I balance my protein sources between beef, chicken, fish and beans, for diversity and choice of dishes.

The result? My weight is a constant 150 lbs for a 5'10" frame, I eat what I want and I'm enjoying it !
So what would Monsieur Brillat-Savarin say about me ? Well, I don't need to read his essay to know that I found the diet appropriate for my body and my lifestyle. And that's probably what is the most important in all of this: figuring out your body's needs, wants, and the don't-go-there-or-you'll-regret-it-tomorrow. I believe it is a balancing act, that gets reevaluated constantly and where your weight and your cholesterol level both act as impartial judges. Who knows where I'll be in 10 years....

One level in my blood analysis was off though: Vitamin D, of all things ! Yes, vitamin D is found commonly in milk, yogurt, butter, breakfast cereals. And it is synthesized in the skin under exposure to UV light. Living in Southern California, and eating yogurt and cereals every morning apparently does not cut it ! In fact, oddly enough, my doctor told me Southern California is currently seeing a vitamin D deficiency. Time for me to go look for other natural sources of vitamin D !

It's party time !

Strawberry and Blueberry Tartlets

Back in full baking mode ! I was asked to bring some finger food for a ceramics show tonight at the Spanish Village in Balboa Park. So I was thinking something small, something elegant, something sweet. That's right ! The Tartlets are baaaaack !!!

Tarlets are so much fun to make. The dough is made in 10 minutes, you can use a muffin pan, and prebake the mini crusts. Then you've got to decide on the filling. Lots to choose from, fruits, chocolate, nuts...Tarlets are a great way to let your imagination run free, even mixing and matching the flavors.

A personal favorite are fresh fruits and cream, especially when we get in full Spring and Summer. Local fruits are ripe and full of flavors. A good thick cream will add some sweetness without overpowering the fruits. Here I use a cream called "creme patissiere". It is a custard typically used as filling for cakes or cream puffs.

The night before, I prepared both the crusts and the custard, which I kept in the fridge. The next day, it was a simply a matter of adding the custard in the crust, cutting fresh fruits and decorating the top. Voila ! A multitude of small tarts, full of colors, full of flavors, and certain to make an impression !

Creme Patissiere:

Mix 2 eggs+4 egg yolks+4 oz sugar in a bowl until the mixture whitens a bit, then add 4 oz flour and the flavoring (here I used 2 tsp vanilla and 3 tsp rum). Boil 2 cups of whole milk and add it little by little to the above mixture while stirring. You want to avoid cooking the eggs, so go slow. Once all the milk has been added, cook the resulting cream on slow until it boils again (about 15-20 minutes), and don't stop stirring! The cream should thicken. Take it off the stove and let it cool. Add 1/3 stick of butter to the warm cream to avoid a thick layer of hardened cream to form on top.

Keep the cream in the fridge if you plan on using it the following day.

For the crust, see my lemon tart post.

Rinse and cut the strawberries. Add a tablespoon of sugar to the wet fruits, it will create a light sirup that will coat the fruits and make them shiny as well as sweeter.

Rinse the blueberries.

Arrange to your liking.