The Cape Cod Table

In case you haven't figured it out, I'm a major foodie. And as a newbie to the Cape Cod area, I've been busily building my Cape Cod food knowledge. This adventure has included wiling away countless hours in local bookstores and the Wellfleet library, checking out as many cookbooks as I could get my hands on.

So far, my favorite is The Cape Cod Table by Lora Brody, which I picked up at Main Street Books in Orleans. It's a great collection of traditional Cape Cod dishes, and includes many favorites like clam chowder and kale soup. There are also a series of recipes that I was surprised to find, like the "dirt ball" from the Cottage Street Bakery. If you're unfamiliar with the dirt ball, don't be put off by its scuzzy name. In reality, it's a maddeningly delicious spherical donut that's been rolled in cinnamon, sugar, and butter. Yes, you read that right.

So, I have a question for you all. I need your help. Can you point me towards your favorite Cape Cod cookbook, and let me know where I can find it? I'd love to pick up a few cookbooks that capture the essence of the amazing food that this part of New England is famous for.

Cooking with Tamar and Kevin

Today was an epic day - I was visited by Tamar Haspel and her husband Kevin, who brought with them huge bounty of shellfish. We're talking a boat-load of clams and oysters, for which I am eternally grateful.

If you're not familiar with Tamar, you should be. She blogs over at Starving Off the Land, where she talks about her and Kevin's move from Manhattan to Cape Cod, where they now raise oysters and keep a bevy of farm animals. If you're interested in the adventures of two people who are extremely passionate about knowing where their food comes from, you should read their blog.

With the shellfish they brought today, Tamar prepared one of her favorite clam recipes: Goan Clams. This dish is incredibly rich and flavorful, using some of my favorite Indian spices, cumin and coriander. I'm a big fan of pungent spices, and I can't recommend this dish enough. I'll be dreaming of today's lunch for the next few weeks, that's for sure.

Thanks, Tamar and Kevin! I really enjoyed your company today and I'm looking forward to further adventuring. :)

Shucking My First Oyster

When Sandy and Sven left for Cambridge earlier in the week, they left a sack with a dozen fresh Wellfleet oysters in the refrigerator. I'm a lover of oysters, so I sure as heck wasn't going to let those babies go to waste! Unfortunately, I've never shucked an oyster before. After some poking, prodding, and copious amounts of expletives -- it's a good thing oysters can't blush -- I finally got them open.

I ate a few raw, because that's just how I roll, and then figured I should cook the rest. I decided to follow Sandy's lead from the day before and make Oysters Rockefeller. I wasn't able to use breadcrumbs because I have a food allergy, so I opted to use cornmeal instead. The final product was delicious and very rich! So rich, in fact, that I gave myself a stomach ache. Turns out that eating almost a dozen buttered and battered oysters in one sitting isn't a great idea. They tasted so good, though, that I'd probably do it all over again if given the chance. ;)

If you're interested in seeing the recipe or hearing the long version of the story, you can check out my other post here: Oysters Rockefeller Recipe (gluten free!)