OYSTERS

SEARCHING FOR OYSTERS

Lake Mattamuskeet - egret, to inform you, can lead to good eating. . .

TUNDRA SWANS come in for their evening meal, and so do we, nearby, for the very best oysters - from not this lake water - but from the Pamlico Sound just a few miles away as the crow, or swans, fly . . .

The US Park Ranger directed us to MARTELLE'S FEED HOUSE (www.martellesfeedhouse.com)in Engelhard, just a few more miles east on HWY 264. Martelle's only serves local oysters and local shrimp, as well as chicken, steaks, etc.

Local means Rose Bay, Stumpy Point, Swan Quarter - bays along the northern edge of the Pamlico Sound.

This year NC's oysters are among the best remembered in a long time. They're plump and juicy, numerous, salty - tasting of the water from which they're plucked.

Sitting at the Oyster Bar at Martelle's, we kept tabs on the oysters being shucked for us, and enjoyed them dipped in butter and a spicy cocktail sauce with an ice cold beer.

What a perfect way to end our day trip down to see the winter birds that flock to Lake Mattamuskeet. We watched the movements of swans, egrets, herons, various ducks, and bald eagles, while listening in on their continuous conversations.

We had something to "crow" about, too, that evening, as we sat and slurped our oysters.

RECIPE . . . . .. . . .for OYSTER FRITTERS

Oyster or Clam Fritters

Ivadean Priest was such a talker, and a good cook. She lived her entire life in Manteo, and unfortunately died last year. One of her favorite things to make was Oyster Fritters. Clams may also be used.

Ivadean taught me this secret: Mix up the batter and pour spoonfuls into the hot oil in a cast iron skillet. They'll look like silver-dollar pancakes. Then, quickly drop an oyster or two onto the fritter. That way the oysters will be more evenly distributed. That's the way I also do Blueberries when I'm making pancakes.

Traditionally, on the Outer Banks, fritters are served with applesauce. I'd suggest creme fraiche, or, I love a dollop of softened goat cheese, or chevre, esp on clam fritters.

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup self-rising flour

1/2 cup oyster or clam juice, water, and/or milk

vegetable oil for frying

1 pint oysters (or clams)

topping of your choice (creme fraiche or sour cream, chevre,

ketchup or cocktail sauce)

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with paper towels (to keep cooked fritters warm)

2. In a mixing bowl, mix eggs and flour together for a thick paste. Add as much of the liquid as is required to make a thin batter that is thick enough to hold together when put into the hot fat.

3. Pour enough vegetable oil into frying pan to reach a depth of 1/2 to 1 inch. Heat over medium-high heat.

4. When oil is hot, hold the bowl over the pan, and dip oysters into batter individually, then drop 2 to 3 oyster together in a cluster to make one fritter. Or, pour a spoonful of batter into the il, then quickly add a couple of oysters. If you are doing clam fritters, spoon a dollop of batter into the oil, then quickly add a spoonful of drained clams to the batter. Do not crowd the pan.

5. Cook each fritter until golden, then flip and cook the other side. Remove and drain on paper towels, on the baking sheet kept in the warm oven.

6. Serve stacks of the fritters on a serving platter, along with the topping.

YIELD: 1 dozen or more fritters, 4 to 6 appetizers, or 2 to 3 entrees.

from THE OUTER BANKS COOKBOOK: Recipes & Traditions from NC's Barrier Islands, by Elizabeth Wiegand, 2008, Globe Pequot Press.

SENTIMENTAL MIX

"That's our old scrambled egg bowl!" exclaimed my sister as she wandered into my kitchen.

I cringed. I had brought the bowl home when my mother pulled everything out of her kitchen cabinets when doing a remodel last year. Take it, she had said, I've got new ones. The other two bowls were long broken.

Obviously, both my sister and I were more sentimental than our mom. In that bowl, we mixed up eggs we had just gathered just about every single morning, at least during the summer. At one time, Dad had 5,000 chickens in what today would be oh-so-politically-incorrect-above ground cages. We kids "got up eggs" twice a day during the summer. Each chicken laid an egg just about every day. Believe me, that's a lot of eggs to mess with. Once, both my sister and brother were fighting and turned the egg cart over, destroying 50 dozens. They had to pay Dad back, forfeiting their 50 cent per week allowance for almost a year. It's a wonder we ever ate any eggs, but we did, every day.

Fresh and local? You bet. Maybe not as "green" as today, but still some were warm, their yolks golden and perky.

So scrambling eggs means something to us. The second time that Amy picked up that bowl in my kitchen and starting remembering eggs and mornings, I guiltily told her to take it home.

This Christmas, she drew my name. And she went to eBay and bid on a set just like ours from Hall China with blue glaze on the bowls' outside, with a delicate rose pattern inside, just like the ones Mom received as a wedding present in 1950.

Wasn't that the sweetest, most sentimental Christmas present? I loved it.

MOM FARY'S POUND CAKE

So here's a recipe that can be mixed up in that sentimental bowl. Ubiquitous in the South, this recipe is the pound of butter, pound of lard, pound of sugar, pound of flour, pound of eggs . . . that our grandmother made. Our grandfather would come into the kitchen and jump up and down in front of the oven to make the cake "fall" for that sweet, dense streak of love in the middle of the cooked cake.

Pound cake is great by itself, with berries and cream, or soaked with apple brandy.

3 cups flour, sifted

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups sugar

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened

1/2 cup Crisco or vegetable shortening, softened

5 large eggs, at room temperature

1 small (6-ounce) can evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon flavoring

1. Grease and flour a round tube baking pan.

2. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream sugar, butter, and Crisco together. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Pour evaporated milk into a 1-cup measuring cup; fill empty milk can with water, swirl to rinse sides, and add that to measuring cup until you have a total of 1 cup liquid.

4. Alternately add flour mixture and milk and water, and when blended add vanilla and lemon flavoring. Pour into prepared tube pan.

5. Place in a cold oven, set oven temperature at 300 degrees, and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Do not open the oven door until that time; then check to see if cake is pulling away from sides of pan, which means the cake is done. If not, allow to bake longer.

6. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes.

Recipe also in THE OUTER BANKS COOKBOOK.

CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS FOR FOODIES

CHRISTMAS GIFTS for FOODIES

Yep, it's getting late for you Santas out there. So am I. But here are a few things you might be able to pull off in time for the holiday exchange.

Is there any gift better than chocolate? Artisianal chocolates are available in the Asheville area, esp, as well as in the Triad and Triangle.

For bakers, order some chocolate drops from BLACK MOUNTAIN CHOCOLATE www.blackmountainchocolate.com.

Or order a jaw-dropping beautiful box of CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES (www. from Asheville's FRENCH BROAD CHOCOLATE www.frenchbroadchocolates.com

COOKING CLASSES and a LUXURIOUS GETAWAY.....

Imagine roaming this garden at THE MAST FARM INN and gathering fresh veggies and herbs, then gathering in the kitchen to learn from Chef Danielle Deschamps some innovative and delicious ways to prepare them, as well as meats and desserts. And then, you get to snuggle up in one of the deliciously made beds in this inn that's been open for over a century. Perhaps you can give your favorite cook, and/or yourself, an overnight stay and cooking lesson. www.mastfarminn.com

LET YOUR LOVED ONES LIVE HIGH ON THE HOG . . .
AB VANNOY HAMS of West Jefferson does hams the old-fashioned way, curing them for over nine months in a climate-controlled ham house, wrapped in paper and mesh after coating them in sugar. This ham is so fine, it should be called a state treasure, and surely a package of ham slices, or a whole ham itself, would make someone really happy on Christmas Day. Stay tuned for an even more aged ham that's akin to prosciutto. http://site.abvannoyhams.com/

EVEN SOMETHING FISHY.......

SUNBURST TROUT COMPANY www.sunbursttrout.com/ Located at the base of Cold Mountain, of movie fame, this trout company has been operating since the '40s, and now features along with their lovely filets, smoked trout, tomato jam to go with it, and lovely trout caviar that's awesome. Jacques Pepin loved his visit there. The Jennings family makes extra efforts to be eco-friendly, too.

Exotic Rainbow Trout Caviar *now in season!

Our unique gift box, appropriate for any time of the year! Free shipping on all gift boxes!

Red Trout Boneless Filets

CIDER HOUSE RULES

SIPPING CIDER

photo courtesy of Foggy Ridge Cider

Apple cider has a image problem. Or perhaps a "name" problem.

Most of us buy "apple cider" at roadside stands or in the grocery store. That brown liquid is actually just apple "juice," which should be more appropriately named "fresh cider" if ya wanna call it cider.

Real cider is sometimes referred to as "hard cider," which by definition, is fermented up to 8 percent alcohol, so you can get a "buzz" better than with beer.

Diane Flynt, owner and artisan cider maker at Foggy Ridge Cider in southwest Virginia, (www.foggyridgecider.com,) says she's had some old-timers who've visited her cidery and say, "Well, I just left some on the back porch and it got hard all by itself."

Well, sure. Just like cheese will develop a mold all by itself, juice will ferment.

True cider is the work of an artisan, and like wine, it takes a serious application of techniques, with stainless steel tanks or oak barrels, with added yeast and careful monitoring of brix, or sugar levels.

But it all starts with the apple. Diane grows 30 different varieties that are full of tannin, acid and aroma.

The best cider apples are often heirlooms and, well, ugly. As with wine, most ciders are blends of several varieties of the fruit, providing a balance of sugar, tannin and apple taste.

After a visit to Foggy Ridge Cider while researching THE NEW BLUE RIDGE COOKBOOK (out in March 2010), I was hooked on cider. I love it with pork, esp., or sipping with cheese. It's a sophisticated taste and looks lovely. What a lovely tradition to bring back to America!

HISTORY

As "American as apple pie"? Nope. Apples came from England with the Jamestown settlers. The Cherokees loved them, and used sophisticated grafting techniques to establish large orchards. Every early American homestead eventually had their own apple orchard, because it ensured they'd have something to eat and drink.

Cider was the drink of choice for most settlers. John Adams had a tankard of cider before breakfast each morning. Most ciders during the 18th century were better for them than water, which was often polluted. In fact, apples were "drunk" more than eaten at that time.

For an interesting account of the history of apples, read THE BOTANY OF DESIRE by Michael Pollan.

Appalachian and Grayson cheeses from Meadow Creek Dairy, Galax, VA

photo courtesy of Meadow Creek Dairy

PAIRING CIDER AND CHEESE

Last week, Diane was at Wine Authorities, a wine shop near Forest Hills in Durham, pairing her cider with several local cheeses.

Hillsborough Cheese Company makes a wide range of cheeses from purchased cow and goat milk. Fresh chevre, rolled in ashes from grape vine leaves, had a mushroomy flavor, and paired nicely with the sweeter cider from Foggy Ridge called Sweet Stayman. Spicy foods would also be a good contrast with this sweeter cider.

A rule? Balance spice with sweet.

Another fresh herbed cheese paired nicely with the Serious Cider from Foggy Ridge. Because it is crisp and more acidic, with a higher tannin level, it's a more food-friendly cider that begs for veal snitzel, perhaps, or a nice pork dish, or even smoked trout.

Pair acidic foods, like fresh cheeses, with acidic wines or cider.

Meadow Creek Dairy is located near Galax, VA, near Foggy Ridge Cider. Because their Jersey cows are raised on pasture, they only produce seasonal cheeses. The Appalachian is a luscious creamy yellow cheese that paired nicely with the more acidic Serious Cider.

That's one of the pairing rules for both wine and cider.....the higher the fat level of the food, the more tannin is needed.

The Grayson cheese from Meadow Creek was quite pungent, with a big beefy, mushroomy flavor. It needed something to stand up to its big bite, like the Serious Cider.

photo styling by Kathryn Wiegand

Pippin Gold is a Port-style blend of cider from Foggy Ridge, made with only Newtown Pippin apples, and apple brandy made by Laird & Co, a VA distillery that is the nation's oldest. Diane entertained us with how she freezes the cider at a local ice house, then takes a huge pick and climbs onto the huge cube of ice and breaks it, then withdraws the melted liquid, which concentrates the flavors. Then it is blended with the brandy, producing a smooth and sweet liquore which we've enjoyed as a drizzle over fresh pound cake. Diane also recommends sipping it as an aperitif with walnuts, almonds or dried figs, or as an after dinner drink, or poured over fresh peaches.

WHERE TO FIND FOGGY RIDGE CIDERS?

At Wine Authorities, of course. Wellspring. A few restaurants in DC and along the Blue Ridge and in the Triad. Diane hopes to expand in the Triangle area. When spring arrives, plan a trip to the cidery near Dogspur, VA, that's near the funky little town of Floyd, VA, and Chateau Morissette, a delightful winery along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Read all about ciders, and how Diane changed careers from a banker to cider maker at www.foggyridgecider.com.

SMASHING PUMPKINS

SMASHING PUMPKINS?

Maybe not. But I thought about it. Just to add some fun to my busy holiday kitchen.

This 4-lb beauty, a "pie pumpkin" was purchased at the State Farmers Market for a buck, or two, can't remember. Thought I'd go local with my pie, esp. given the phrase "easy as pie." It truly does not take long to cut open a pumpkin, slice it and then roast. And I knew it would taste better than the canned variety that I was tripping over during my last foray at the grocery store.

So slice a pumpkin, then with a metal spoon, scoop out the seeds and scrape the threads that cling to the pumpkin slices. I rubbed their wounds with a tiny bit of olive oil. You can cover with foil, or not. Roast in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until a fork can pierce the flesh easily. It took about 5 to 10 minutes to slice and clean the pumpkin, then another 30 to roast (while I did other kitchen chores).

BONUS SEEDS

Here's where this project got time consuming - dealing with the slimy seeds.

Your hands are your best tools for many cooking chores. In this case, I stood at the sink and popped the seeds into a colander with my gooey fingers.

And this is why I love to work in the kitchen alone, at mundane tasks such as this. I wondered about our Thanksgiving dinner, the first holiday and family gathering without my father sitting at the head of the table, and wondered how we would all react to that. It will be sad. And then I remembered that my daughter invited two gay friends who are hilariously fun to be with, and wondered how my conservative extended family will react to them. It should be a hoot with lots of laughs. And wondered also if my namesake, Elizabeth, will bag a deer before her husband and father on their traditional Thanksgiving hunt. They all filled their freezers last year with fresh venison.

Roused from my reverie, I finished rinsing the seeds and patted them dry, then laid them on a baking sheet and sprinkled them with sea salt. I slid them into the oven to roast along with the pumpkin slices, for about 20 minutes, until golden brown, stirring twice.

But hey, it was worth it, and I ate a good portion of them warm, straight out of the oven before I got them all off the pan.

SCOOPED

I let the pumpkin cool slightly before scooping the flesh from the outside peels and pureeing in the food processor. That four pound baby produced about 2 3/4 cups of pumpkin puree, about 22 ounces. A typical can of pumpkin weighs 15 oz.

So I did the math and figured I must add perhaps about half more to the typical pumpkin pie recipe. However, knowing that the pumpkin all by itself was "sweet", I cut back on the sugar. The hubby loves cinnamon, so I happily added another half portion and also to the allspice and cloves.

Wrong! The pie was too sweet. The spices overwhelmed my gorgeous fresh pumpkin flavor. So the recipe below gives what I believe to be better proportions.

The pie still tastes terrific. Better than store-bought. Better than the canned variety.

FLAKY

Me, not the pastry. I will admit a secret.....I used a store-bought rolled up pie crust, rather than making my own. I ran out of time, and I love the convenience of those long boxes with two rolled up pastries inside. Purists may chastise me. Go ahead. I'm still thankful I've got a pie!

During these hard economic times, be thankful for the food that graces your table, no matter where it comes from; thank the farmers who work hard to produce the veggies, fruits and meats, the troops who have no choice but to be over there fighting, and thank the good Lord that we are here in the good old US of A, where PETA and vegans and carnivores can all have a choice.

RECIPE * * * * FRESH PUMPKIN PIE

1 prepared pie crust

1 medium-sized pie pumpkin (about 4 lbs.)

3 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 small cans (5 oz. each) evaporated milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Prepare pumpkin puree first. Slice pumpkin, remove seeds and flesh, place in oven for about 30 minutes until flesh is tender. Cool slightly then scoop out flesh. Place in food processor or blender and puree.

3. Mix eggs and sugar together. Add spices and salt. Stir in pumpkin puree and blend thoroughly. Stir in milk.

4. Pour mixture into prepare pie crust, and bake for about 45 minutes or an hour, until the center of the pie is set.

5. Cool slightly before slicing, give thanks, and then ooh and aaah as you taste the freshness of the pumpkin.

STALKED BY B.S.

STALKED BY BRUSSELS SPROUTS

My BS created a stir at the checkout lane at Trader Joe's. "What's that?" one young man wanted to know. "So that's how they grow!" said an older woman behind me. Down South, we don't see many brussels sprouts offered at our markets, much less grow them. They need a cold snap, much like our collard greens, and take up to five months to grow and lots of space.

Why "Brussels"? Belgium is responsible for their breeding, back in the 13th century. They're truly tiny cabbages.

I broke my Buy Local rule because I love brussels sprouts. And this stalk looked fresh and had small heads.

They're easy to cook. NEW YORK TIMES writer Mark Bittman likes to pair them with bacon, which suits Southerners used to cabbage and pork. Some cooks like to sprinkle them with toasted pecans, or grated Parmesan. They can be shredded as well, but then you miss out on presenting them with their gorgeous beautifully round little heads. They need a quick cook, just until wilted.

I like to saute them in butter. I find that by parboiling them for just a minute or two, they'll cook more evenly without toasting the outer leaves in the saute. And the boiling water needs lots of salt to cut that bit of a bitter taste. Then I slice them in half and saute. Use a cast iron skillet so that you can get the pan hot and a nice browning on the cut half of the sprouts.

***RECIPE ***

Brussels Sprouts - on a stalk, or loose, about 2 pounds

4 tablespoons butter

salt

toasted pecans and/or Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Prepare an ice bath (sink or large bowl full of cold water and ice). Add 1 tablespoon salt to the boiling water, then the brussels sprouts. Let sprouts boil for just two minutes, then drain and place in the ice water bath to stop the cooking and maintain that gorgeous green color.

2. Drain when sprouts have cooled and pat them dry. Slice in half.

3. Melt butter in large saute pan or cast iron skillet. Add sprouts, cut side down, and saute until just turning golden brown on the cut side. Flip sprouts over and stir around, carefully, until they have reached your desired tenderness. Salt to taste and serve immediately. Add toasted pecans or freshly grated Parmesan if desired.

Fish Flash

OUT of TROUT

Speckled trout are running along North Carolina's coast, but my fishing line sure didn't snag one. What did I catch while out at Cape Lookout on a gorgeous, warm fall day this week - pre-Ida? A lizard fish.

We were at the beach to celebrate the hubby's birthday, and he loves to fish. His brother offered his boat, the wind was mild, the waves nil, so out the Beaufort Inlet we went, skirting Shackleford Banks to the Bight at Lookout. Along the way, we got up close and personal with a pod of bottlenosed dolphin, who enjoyed "surfing" between the hulls of our catamarin.

We also stopped and fished along the way, as well as within the bight. The Birthday Boy got skunked. I got a lizard fish. Other boats were reeling in speckled trout. We figured we needed cut bait, which we did not have.

I love speckled trout for its mild, sweet flavor, and tender meat. So I figured there is more than one way to catch a trout. On the way home to Raleigh, I stopped at a favorite fishmonger, B & J Seafood on HWY 70 in New Bern (252 637-0483), where Ray filleted two gorgeous specks for me. We discussed baking them whole, but decided that because they were quite big, it would be best to fillet and saute them. They filled my largest saute pan, and when I turned them, I goofed. Thus, I decided the above photo of the newly painted Lookout Lighthouse was more appetizing!

~~~RECIPE ~~~SAUTEED SPECKLED TROUT

No need to feel intimidated at cooking fish. Trout has a very delicate flavor and texture, so its preparation needs to stay simple. My advice is to just leave room in your saute pan to flip the fillets after the first side is browned! You might need to use two pans.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper

1/2 cup flour

4 speckled trout filets

lemon

1. Heat equal parts butter and olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan, in a large saute pan over medium high heat.

2. Meanwhile, lay both sides of fillets in flour, then shake off excess. You just want a dusting.

3. When butter/oil is hot and sizzling, lay fillets with skin side up in pan. Saute until golden brown. Turn. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon juice over each fillet.

4. Continue to cook with the skin side down until fillet is cooked through, meaning no pink color, and flaky. But be careful not to over cook. Trout is very tender.

5. Carefully lift each fillet onto individual plates, and serve with slices of lemon.

WILD HORSES OF SHACKLEFORD BANKS