Dazzled by the cover photograph on the ultra-elegant cookbook Poisson Coquillages et Crustacés -- a scallop on the half-shell with a perfectly formed scallop shell pastry top -- I snapped the book after a few seconds of flipping through the pages. So that's the source of this recipe, a French riff on classic paella. Every page of this book has … [Read more...]
SUSHI PARTY! AUTHENTIC HOME MADE SUSHI RECIPES FROM TOKYO’S PREMIER SUSHI SCHOOL
Steve and I had the good fortune to live in Tokyo for six months a few years back, where one of the many eye-opening experiences included an abbreviated sushi course at the prestigious professional Sushi Daigaku school. This introduction to the exactingly precise methods of preparing the perfect sushi rice, fish, and tradition-bound assembly … [Read more...]
DUCHESS OF WINDSOR SHRIMP AND CORN PIE
What to make of Baltimore's Wallis Simpson, better known as the Duchess of Windsor? Well, if you happen to be Diana Mosley (née Mitford, yes, one of those Mitfords), there's very much to make of her indeed. Spectacularly Delicious concerns ourselves today with one of the Duchess's signature dishes, Shrimp and Corn pie, via a circuitous … [Read more...]
SAGAPONACK BLUE CRAB SAUCE
This recipe for Sagaponack blue crab sauce reminds me of summer trips to the beach growing up. For as long as I can remember, growing up we always headed to the beach every summer. From Prince Edward Island's surprisingly warm waters (wow, the Gulf Stream works!) down to our grandparent's home in Jupiter, Florida, we decamped in rented cottages and … [Read more...]
CHOWDER FROM THE MAESTRO
Daniel Labbée Sullivan and his beautiful wife Mary Patricia (née Brennan) were welcome visitors at Springy Banks last week. When Danny and MP come to town a big ol' cauldron of the planet's best clam chowder is always a certainty. Dan is of course the conduit of the seminal quahog chowder, the legendary Buttonwoods … [Read more...]
QUAHOG CHOWDER DELUXE
Yes, there are already a couple of exemplary chowders on Spectacularly Delicious, notably my dad's Buttonwoods Chowder recipe, and the homage to those most pedigreed of East Hampton locals, Bonacker Chowder. Fortunately these can be whipped up by anyone with access to good, fresh seafood. Quahog Chowder Deluxe sets the … [Read more...]
STUFFED SQUID FLORENTINE STYLE: AN ED GIOBBI CLASSIC
This recipe for Stuffed Squid Florentine Style comes to us from Ed Giobbi's Eat Right, Eat Well, The Italian Way. In continuous print since first published in 1985, Ed inscribed our copy in 1991 though it's taken me lo these 20 years to undertake this intriguing and completely satisfying recipe. The correct Italian name for this dish is Calamari Ripieni … [Read more...]
10 RULES FOR SPECTACULAR PAELLA
Once you get the hang of paella, which won't take long if you heed these simple guidelines, you will be able to spread your wings and fly with any combination of tasty enhancements that strike your fancy. After years of academic study (reading tons of recipes) and hands-on trial and error (lots of trial, minimal error -- I said … [Read more...]
FRIED PUFFER FISH – LEGAL AND NON-LETHAL!
East Hampton's bays are teeming with puffer fish. Frequently served up in local restaurants this time of year, I scooped up a few from an honest-looking fisherman for some leisurely home-frying . The puffers here are apparently innocuous cousins of the notoriously lethal fugu of Japan, which packs enough poison in its liver that … [Read more...]
TRUCHERO DE AMOR (LOVE TROUT)
Love is many-splendored thing indeed when you share this scrumptious crab meat-stuffed Love Trout drenched in a lemony beurre blanc. The recipe for Truchero de Amor comes from one of the odder cookbooks I've come across lately, "Making It -- A Cookbook for Lovers: Elegant and Simple Cooking for Two as Taught by the … [Read more...]