I apologize, I know I fell off the face of the earth there for awhile. Well, I wouldn’t say I left completely, I just fell into a large crevasse and I’ve just now climbed out. It was the conference I blame my absence on. And while it was a fabulous event (if I do say so myself!) it took all my attention away from you. But I’m back now and promise to share more with you daily!

We took some time Memorial Day weekend to recharge on our sailboat Miss Eulie. With gorgeous weather, water like oil,  and two Orcas to escort us along Alki beach, we sailed south to a little island called Hope. What more could one ask for!?

Once we anchored at Hope Island (a tiny, non-inhabited island packed with mollusks) we launched the dingy and paddled over to shore. Buckets and shovels in hand we were ready to go clamming! Initially, this was no easy feat. Most of the beach was hard pack making it almost impossible to dig. And how frustrating that was since we found siphon hole after siphon hole filled with geoduck! If you are not familiar with geoduck (pronounced gooey duck) it’s the largest and most expensive clam around. Indigenous to the Pacific Northwest, its name means “dig deep” in Nisqually Indian. And dig deep you must! These guys have exceptionally long siphons, the part for which they are most prized, and are found a good foot and a half or more below the surface. Finding a soft enough spot on the beach to dig was a challenge but we were successful and dug up three!

Admittedly, these are not the most elegant creatures. In fact, they are down right ugly and enough to make a girl blush. Let’s be frank and honest here, when the siphon is extended it’s not something you really want to stare at (or at least get caught staring at)!

But once you get past its unfortunate appearance you can embrace its delicacy for indeed, it is a delicacy. It has a sweet flavor that’s unparalleled. To me, this is not the clam meat that you want to throw in a creamy clam chowder, but rather in a simple preparation so as to enjoy its natural flavors. (We counted the rings on this one and found it to be 50 years old! They can live up to around 150 years!)

One of our favorite preparations is an easy ceviche. We sliced some up and let it “cook” in lemon and lime juice. If we’d had some fresh ginger on board we would have added some of that too!

I do believe my spirit has been renewed…

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We don’t eat much octopus in the U.S., which frankly is a darn shame. My guess is that we shy away from it because of its large tentacles, something that can bet daunting. But fear not! The way I look at it is this: if you can cut up a whole chicken, you can cook a small octopus! Just think of it as yet another culinary adventure! When octopus is prepared properly it is tender, delicate and delicious – though, admittedly, when not, it’s like chewing on erasers. The trick is to cook it slowly for a long period of time until the flesh is tender and succulent.

One of my favorite dishes is ceviche de pulpo. Once the octopus (pulpo in Spanish) has been thoroughly cooked it is then marinated for a few hours (or overnight) in citrus juices and salt. When mixed with diced red onions, cilantro and a bit of avocado it is pure delight! The best thing about any ceviche is it lasts a few days in the fridge – only getting better and better as it marinates in the limey juices. Perfect for a warm weather al fresco dinner or a lovely lunch in the sun.

Click here for the recipe and more on Ceviche de Pulpo:

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Ceviche has been an “it” food for quite awhile now, but I never tire of this South American dish in summer. If you’re too hot to stand over a hot barbecue, or are just in the mood for something light and fresh, try this citrus-marinated seafood salad.

The hot and humid evening decided our dinner menu for us: fresh gazpacho and ceviche tostadas. We made our ceviche with shrimp and scallops, but just about any seafood is delicious: octopus, red snapper or any white fish. One year went to Whidbey Island and dug up a couple of geoduck (not easy!) and made ceviche. What a delicacy!

Ceviche requires no cooking, just marinating. The citric acid of citrus fruits will cause the proteins of the seafood to become denatured, essentially pickling the fish. You want the seafood to “cook” at least 3 hours, but I’ve found if you cut the pieces small enough you can often get away with a 2-hour marination time. Just make sure the fish is no longer translucent in the center if you’re not using sashimi-grade.

Dice the fish into 1/2 inch pieces (smaller for a quick cook) and place in a bowl.
Squeeze enough fresh lemon and lime juice to completely cover the fish.
Add 2-3 healthy pinches of Kosher salt, stir and refrigerate.
After about 2 hours I strained the ceviche and mixed in some diced red onion, avocado and fresh cilantro, and served on top of a toasted tortilla.

Fresh squeezed orange juice is also quite tasty to add to the marinade mixture!

Check out Angelfire.com’s various ceviche recipes from Peruvian to Japanese.

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It’s cold outside and the fire’s going, you’d think I’d want a nice hot soup. But, no, I want ceviche! Normally I think of this as a warm-weather dish: chilled, citrusy, something you’d eat al fresco. But last month we visited El Salvador and the ceviche we had there is still ever-present in my mind. It was perfectly “cooked” and had a wonderful hint of fresh ginger. While not exactly the same this Peruvian recipe looks quite appetizing and encompasses much of what was in our dish. I also love variations with cilantro, mango, avocado, etc.

I’ve had a difficult time finding a really good, comprehensive ceviche cookbook while there are thousands upon thousands of sushi cookbooks. Why have we not embraced this delicious South American dish con mucho gusto!? For inspiration and entertainment check out Chef Melissa’s blog on ceviche, the wrath she endured over her stated provenance of this dish and a great clip of Anthony Bourdain’s show No Reservations. If you’re not familiar with this show and love food and travel (and New York humor) then put this show on your TiVo list.

For even further inspiration check out the beautiful variations of ceviche on Flickr.

Cheers and good eats!

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