STRIPED BASS

STRIPERS. STRIPED BASS. ROCKFISH (because they like to hide under rocks). It's the fish of many names. My favorite is "Mr. Pajama Pants" (because of their stripes).

Ari Weinzweig is one of the creative forces behind Zimmerman's, a grand yet earthy source of fine foods available online and at its Ann Arbor, Michigan home, as well as a bakehouse and creamery. He's the author of the Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating, a fabulous resource. After picking up a copy of THE OUTER BANKS COOKBOOK, he called to chat about Fish Muddle, the quintessential North Carolina fish stew that was traditionally made during the spring runs of rockfish, as they are more often called on their inland cruise up rivers to spawn where they themselves were spawned. Rockfish, or stripers, then return to the ocean and head up north with the Gulf Stream, only to migrate during late winter, early spring down along the Outer Banks, then turn into our sounds and head up river to repeat the spawning cycle.

Ari wound up recalling our conversation in the introduction to his recipe for NC Fish Muddle in his latest book, Zingerman's Guide to Better Bacon. The connection to bacon? It's a major flavoring in the traditional recipe, and, pigs were slaughtered during colder weather, meaning the bacon was cured just in time to add it to a late spring muddle that was stewed right at the rivers' edge at the fish camps that dotted the shores.

The hubby and I made a road trip two weeks ago to Weldon, a small mill town on the Roanoke River, where at times the small fishing boats are so thick that you can hop from stern to prow all the way across the river. The river was up so high that the rocks that almost dam up the river could not be seen. You can't catch much in muddy water, and the stripers and the shad had yet to arrive, according to the few fishermen lining the banks. After casting with no results for about an hour, we went home empty-handed.

But a quick run to the beach this past weekend netted us a magnificent striper at B & J Seafood on HWY 70 at New Bern. While cleaning him, Ray told us that one of their fishermen had caught this 4-pounder that morning.
Striped bass is a very mild fish, and like most bass, its firm white flesh could use a little more flavor. So I stuffed the cavity with fresh thyme and thinly sliced onions and lemons, with a generous pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I forgot to slash the flesh on each side, down to the bone, about an inch apart. Some folks also place half a lemon slice in each slash. On the Outer Banks, the fish would then be wrapped with slices of bacon, which I did not have on hand.

So instead I placed more onions, and some bell peppers and lemon slices around the fish, then massaged it with olive oil on both sides, allowing a bit of oil to collect under the fish to keep it from sticking. I sprinkled it with more sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Notice I placed the fish on heavy duty aluminum foil, which aided clean up, but also, I topped it with another piece of foil and folded the edges together to form a tight seal that would help steam the fish.

Into a preheated 400 degree oven it went, for about 45 minutes.

Perfecto! When the foil top was opened, the flavored steam that escaped was downright sinful. The skin slid off easily. And it was easy, using a spatula and a large fork, to cut pieces of the fish from the top half, down to the backbone, and slide them onto plates. After discarding the backbone, the rest of the fish lifted readily off the other skin. The onions and peppers were soft and succulent, giving the fish a lovely depth of flavor and mouthfeel.

We enjoyed this striper with flavored jasmine rice and a sauvignon blanc.

Now that's a significant "bone to pick." Think we liked it?

There's a tale I like to tell about walking down the beach at Nags Head one late Feb afternoon and seeing a bevy of fishermen casting over and over, dragging up huge stripers on the beach. After watching for a while, I went to look at a huge striper one fellow was putting into his ice chest, which was already full of the big boys.

"This must be pretty exciting," I said to him.

"Ma'am, this is THE most exciting thing I've ever done in my life," he said, with such a great big grin on his face.

"Better than sex?"

"Ma'am, that only last a minute, and this has been going on for hours!" he said emphatically.

RIB-TICKLIN' GOOD

I committed a cardinal sin. I went to the grocery store hungry. I had forgotten to take dinner out of the freezer that morning, and so thought perhaps I'd buy some fresh fish.

Walking by the meat dept., I saw a couple of packages of ribs. Hhmmm....and they were from Niman Ranch, the national brand that attempts to produce their meats on small, family farms in an humane way with no antibiotics.

The "no antibiotics" thing has become important to our family. The hubby is an ER doc, who over the last decades has seen an alarming and dramatic rise in the number of germs and nasties that do not respond to an ever-increasing array of antibiotics. There is no need to add antibiotics to animal feed, unless they are being raised in an overcrowded, inhumane and rather unsafe environment.

Go see FOOD, INC, or FRESH, both movies that will make you head straight to your farmers market for pasture-raised, grass-fed meats. (Joel Salatin, the farmer/guru from the Shenandoah that Michael Pollan wrote about in THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA and featured in both films was in Raleigh this week for a Film Feastival at Meredith College, co-presented by Slow Food Triangle. He's entertaining while he making his point.)

photo by Mollie Nicholie, Maple Creek Farm

MEAT with a BETTER CONSCIENCE

Niman Ranch infiltrated into our huge hog-producing state back in the early '00s, partnering with about 30 small NC farmers in eastern NC. Rather than hog-factory style with huge waste ponds, these farmers raised hogs the way their ancestors did - free-roaming (within electric fences), which allowed them to snooze mud-caked in the sun or under the canopy of trees and shrubs. Niman claims to have "happy pigs." Then in 2006, when fuel prices were high, getting the hogs to the processing plants in Iowa proved to be too expensive, so contracts ended in NC. I read that some of those farmers tried to find restaurants to sell to, like The Pit in Raleigh.

You can find pork from free-ranging pigs at Cane Creek in Chatham County, or at various farms near Asheville, like Maple Creek Farm, and a few even in Wake County. You will be amazed at the difference in taste, and how much less fat there is.

IMPORTANT TRICK for RIBS

Like tender ribs? Here's the first thing you need to do: Slide a knife or your finger under the thin membrane under the rack of ribs. Grab it with a paper or cloth towel and pull it up and away from the ribs. Now, these "naked" ribs will absorb more rub or sauce, and you will not have to bite through that tough membrane.

RUB MY RIBS

I've adapted a couple of recipes together to come up with a great tasting rub for pork. If I want them real hot and spicy, I add the chili and cayenne. Sometimes I prefer the ribs without the heat, and they're still delicious. I also like to grind the spices all together in my old coffee grinder.

This rub is enough for 3 racks (about 7 lbs)

1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds (buy it that way or grind it yourself)

2 tablespoons smoked Spanish paprika

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

OPTION: To make the rub a bit "hotter"

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne red pepper

NOTE: Reserve 2 tablespoons of the mixture for the glaze.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Using the best tools in your kitchen - your clean hands - rub the spice mixture onto both sides of the ribs.

Place the ribs in a large roasting pan, and cover with foil. Cook for about 1 1/2 hours. Rotate the ribs, cover tightly again, and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes longer, or until very tender.

For the GLAZE:

Reserved 2 tablespoons of the above spice rub

1/2 cup apricot or guave preserves

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Place all in a small glass bowl and microwave on high for about 20 seconds, or until preserves melt enough to mix all together.

When ribs are tender, remove from oven. Turn oven to broil. Quickly spoon or brush glaze over the meaty side of the ribs. Broil the ribs for about 10 minutes or until browned. If there is any remaining glaze, you may also do the other side of the ribs.

Slice between the bones and serve immediately.

Enjoy the ribs with a zinfandel, syrah, or Cotes du Rhone . . . a hearty red.

Grass-Fed

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

These beauty queens, who reside happily at Border Springs Farm just into Virginia at Patrick Springs, know that beauty comes from within, that you are what you eat. And come spring, these Texel sheep will get to eat al fresco, with the Blue Ridge as a backdrop, on green, green pastures, with Border Collies keeping them in line.

They have their own Mr. Rogers, too, in their neighborhood. Owner Craig Rogers is one of the happiest and friendliest fellows I've talked with in my research for THE NEW BLUE RIDGE COOKBOOK, which will be out April 13th. A former CEO and professor of engineering, Roger has now found his true passion - raising sheep (an turkeys et al) and training his beloved dogs.

(photo credit Mike Suarez)

SALAD BAR MEATS

Rogers is one of many farmers employing what Joel Salatin, the Virginia farmer featured in FOOD INC and THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA, calls the "Salad Bar" method of raising meats for our tables. Rather than confined in a feedlot, stuffed with corn, their animals spend their lifetimes happily moving about, going from pasture to pasture to munch on fresh grass each day. They are raised and treated humanely, and are processed in a humane way, as well - something we meat-eaters seldom think about but worthy of our respect.

Why eat grass-fed meat? It truly is so much healthier for us. It's leaner. There are more omega-3 fats, vitamin A and E, and cancer-fighting CLA. And, there's less of an environmental footprint. And the flavor is different - perhaps sweeter and more intense.

HIGHER COST

Yep, grass-fed costs more than meats you find in the grocery store or big box warehouses. Rather a bit more, like double. But the benefits - for my health, for the environment, for animal welfare - weigh in heavily on my conscience these days. So our compromise for the high price? Eat less meat, which is healthier anyway.

COOKS THE SAME?

Not quite. Because grass-fed meat is so lean and has less marbling, it can be a bit more "tough" if it's not cooked right. Beef steaks, for instance, need to be seared on high for about a minute on each side, to lock in the fats and juices, then cooked on medium low heat until desired doneness. Roasts need to be cooked low and slow, like in a crock pot.

LAMB CHOPS

I pulled some lamb chops from the freezer recently that had been vacuum-packed, grown on the Little River Ranch near Hillsborough, NC. Owner Bruce Roberts is a friendly, knowledgeable fellow who sells at the farmers market on Durant Road in North Raleigh, and bubbles with enthusiasm as he shares his farming philosophy and all its benefits.

Out came my trusty cast iron skillet, the cooking instrument of choice with grass-fed. I snipped some rosemary, chopped some garlic and mixed them together on my cutting board. Then I rubbed each

chop with a coarse grainy mustard, then pressed it into the herb mixture.

Grass-fed needs to be seared on high heat first, so I heated up the skillet and added a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Just before the oil began to smoke, I added the prepared chops. I cooked them on high heat for three minutes each side, which left them a bit more rare than I would have liked.

Next time, I'll sear them on each side for a minute, turn the heat down and cook them for a bit longer, but not much longer as lamb really does taste better when it's still red. I cleaned the pan with some red wine, reduced it, then dribbled it over the chops. Dished up with sweet potatoes and sugar snap peas, and a glass of Cote du Rhone, these grass-fed lamb chops made a fine dinner.

The flavor was divine - not "mutton-y." The texture was firm but not tough. They were worth the extra cost.

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.