Costa Rican Whole Fried Snapper

My head has been in the clouds ever since I returned from Costa Rica two weeks ago. It's taken a bit of time for me to get back into the swing of things and adjusting to not enjoying a cocktail at 10:30 or enjoying the freshest fish imaginable at just about every meal has been a bit rough. I figured sharing my recipe for whole Costa Rican fried snapper may help. I promise this is some of the best fish you will ever eat.

Here's the ingredient list:

1.) Sunscreen

2.) A mix of cold Imperial and Bravaria Lights (or any other Costa Rican beer).
3.) Two whole fresh snapper

Here's the step-by-step:

1.) Head to Pirate's Cove after a hearty breakfast

2.) Apply sunscreen. Sit.

3.) Get up and go for a walk then lightly body surf.

4.) Toss cooler ice and pull out a few cold ones. Drain thuroughly and quickly.

5.) Take a quick nap. Resting is done when you hear the boats beaching.

6.) Walk towards restaurant to see "what's fresh."

7.) Order fish, and nothing else.

8.) Enjoy a cool glass of white wine.

9.) When fish arrives feel free to have your uncle de-bone. Note: the fish will be hot, flavorful and well seasoned.

10.) Devour and watch for bones!

I'll be back soon with something a bit more insightful.

Happy Eating,

-Teddy

Epic Sandwich: b. Matthews' Fried Green Tomato Sandwich

Every year my family and I take a fishing trip down to the bayou. We usually head to New Orleans to get our blood warmed up, crush some giant redfish and eat some killer food. This year would be a bit different as I had a cousin gettin' hitched in Hilton head, so we decided to take so we packed our bags and headed there instead. I missed New Orleans and especially Cochon, but had an awesome time at the wedding and in Savannah, GA the day after.

Now, all good weddings are usually followed up with an immense hangover, and this venture was no different. Needless to say, this boy was hungry by the time he got to Savannah. Now, there were tons of restaurants serving creole Cuisine down by the riverwalk, but everything seemed like a total tourist trap.  That was until we headed up to the city and found a very cozy looking restaurant named b. Matthews Eatery. My brother and I looked at the menu quick and were delighted to see some of our cajun favorites. A quick glance inside at all the locals packed in the place verified that this was indeed the spot to eat.

When it came to ordering there was no question in my mind - Fried Green Tomato Sandwich, all the way. I love fried green tomatoes, and they're impossible to find around here (Big E where are you!?). The menu description was fairly blase - wheatberry bread with sharp cheddar cheese, tomato, oregano aioli and fried green tomatoes - seems unimpressive, but the FGT are key.

The bread was soft and chewy and the cheddar was nice and sharp, but the true hero of this sandwich was the perfectly crispy, yet soft fried green discs of tomato. The raw texture is similar to an apple, but it really softens up as it cooks. The breading (this is the make-it-or-break-it part of the sandwich) fried up perfectly and the herb mixture was simply intoxicating. A really nice oregano aioli was seriously strong, boasting a wonderful accompanying flavor that added an awesome savory twist to the sandwich and made for a deliciously satisfying lunch. I never would have thought to pair fresh oregano with the FGT outside of spices in the breading, so it was nice to see it all together.

Sandwich rating: Tasty. There wasn't much to this sandwich outside of the aioli and tomatoes, which I would have devoured on their own, but it was just really nice to get an old comforting favorite on my last day of vacation. Without it, the trip would not have been complete. Oh, and by the way their cheese grits were good too!

Happy eating,

-Teddy

Mexican Food Extravaganza

We are blessed to have good friends who have their own place down in Puerto Vallarta and are generous enough to share their escape with us. We headed down to Puerto Vallarta for the New Year and had a great time. The food was great, the weather was superior, and the friendship was incredible. We visited a number of beaches, took a boat out into Banderas Bay and enjoyed several meals at nice restaurants along with too many cervezas.

The highlight of the trip may have easily been getting back to fresh, locally sourced produced straight from the farm. Some people may find it intimidating to cook your own food in the land of Mantazuma's Revenge, but our friends had found good places to go and we enjoyed several nice meals at their place. The one thing I will mention is that a foreign butcher shop is not for the faint of heart!
The produce down there is super fresh and best if used immediately. We made several trips to the market over the course of the week, and each trip was well worth it. We got our hands on fresh cilantro, ripe avocados, fresh sour cream, tortillas that were pressed right before our eyes and delicious, lip-burning and flavorful salsas. Cooking and gathering around the table together was a special treat elevated by the fresh and flavorful foods.

We also enjoyed several nice meals in local restaurants that featured settings that could not be matched. We were lucky to have such knowledgeable hosts that also have an eye and stomach for good food, and they helped us navigate our way to some great meals in places that thankfully, were not crawling with tourists.

I already miss Puerto Vallarta and have to get back down there soon. For now, I'll just try and stay warm by keeping my oven busy. The chicken is roasting and the bread is rising!

Happy Eating,

-Teddy

New Orleans: Best Meal Year-to-Date

For the past two years my brothers, my father and I have headed down to New Orleans to go Fishing for the athletic Redfish that inhabit the salt marshes of the deep south, though I will mention the anticipation for the most recent  trip was equally strong for our return to Cochon. Cochon is quite simply, a culinary celebration of the pig (although they do many other Cajun specialties, mind blowingly well). They do masterful things with swine down there, and pretty much cook everything but the stink - Mmm Hmmm even the nasty bits make their way in, and itwouldn't be right if they didn't. 

One of my favorite menu offerings on the menu is the Boucherie plate. It's a handsome little plate full of all the great charcuterie that these southern  hog wizards conjur up on the premises. In the shot above you can see that we start with perfect little toast points and a substantial (delightful, actually) stone-ground mustard. From there you pick your various toppings including pork rilletes (which were awesome), perfectly smoked ham (dissolved on the tongue), a nice salty salami, what they called "homemade Slim Jims" which were great little jerky sticks, and some good old head cheese (I won't get in to too many details, but it's the nasty bits, and it's good!). Sometimes it's just better to eat and not think about it. Everything is made in house and was completely fantastic. You can also see the salad I ordered to start the night off - a perfectly fresh cucumber salad with fresh herbs and vinegar.

Our waitress actually brought out the above - wood roasted oysters because we had to wait a few minutes to be seated. The oysters were amazing, I was told (I'm allergic to shellfish), and the aroma alone made me glad we stuck it out a few extra minutes.

Next we'll get into my entree, which was a braised Ham Hock with a Cajun gremolata, lima beans and rice. It was utterly and completely to die for. Simply breathing in the vicinity of this perfect portion of pork would have shed the meat right off the bone. It was perfectly salty, smokey and all together rich. The beans and rice soaked up all the hearty braising jus, and it was totally outrageous - the perfect meal for a fisherman fresh off the saltwater; tired from pulling in the red beasts swimming in the shallows just beyond the Louisiana coastline.

I've also attached my brother, Pat's entree, which was the Louisiana Cochon - it was quite good, perfectly meaty, with a well seasoned yet sensual taste of pork. The cracklins that were served with were amazing.

If you find yourself in New Orleans anytime soon, I highly recommend you check it out. It's not in a touristy location and there is no Bourbon Street commotion to detract you from the great Cajun cuisine that they serve up. All you have to do is pour a nice cold Abita Bitter Beer and enjoy the warm aromas until you food arrives.

Happy Eating,

-Teddy