Sorry for the absence. I've had a few things going on.
Currently I am in Iceland working as an Art Roadie. Hired Muscle as it were. Driver, Carrier, Court Jester. Working for The Lost Bird Project. Please read all about here. It is a wonderful project.
And wouldn't You know it, they have Sardínur here. Ora Sardínur, í olíu og í tómatsósu.
And they suck.
Brisling, mushy, crap olive oil in one can, crap tomato sauce in the other. Doesn't say where they are from. Paired with a decent sliced Gouda and a Baguette. Forgot the wine. Meh. Two out of Five Tins, barely.
Such a loser. I rolled up to Portland and had many beers with A23, I mean Old Nevermore, ANDOldschooly. Guess I'm the only one not getting old. But I am a loser due to the fact I had planned to take a dozen tins with me and in the excitement of the Wife's Moms moving in to housesit and getting on the road and blah blah blah. Forgot the tins and was later disgruntled about it.
So to the Pantry I go.
I received two shipments smuggled out of Turkey. The first, ahh the first with it's Giant Round Tins... they shall wait for another day. The second was brought back by Friends of Becky's. Thank you Friends of Becky's.
Two tins from Dardanel, but as it turns out one is Hamasi Sosyete (Anchovy Society, I kid you not, that's how it translates). The Sardalya tin is in Sunflower Oil with a bit o' salt.
The Kizli (girl, daughter, blonde, woman) is from the Gelibolu region, produced by Alaeddin..
Let's start with the anchovies. They are not the anchovies Your used to. These are not for Your césar salad. Actually, these would be quite nice with a césar. They are prepared just like sardines. I don't taste any smoke but they have tiny vertebrae and a nice sweetness. Maybe sixteen fun and yummy fish in a clean oil. We had already eaten four or five by the time the above picture was taken. Four out of Five Tins.
I know these are unobtainium and if they were delicioso I would tell you more. The Dardanel Sardalya are not pretty, have light smoke, tasty vertebrae and are just OK. The Kizli are tiny tots and nothing directly good or bad about them. Light smoke, verts, fairly firm, clean finish. But not wowzers. They both are calling up Three out of Five Tins.
I rushed through that, no really I did, so I could tell You about the aram style sandwich.
Lavash hummus feta tabouli couple of olives, dolmas, and greens on the side piri piri
Spread it thin. Roll it up. We didn't take the time to plastic wrap and refrigerate them (as recommended). We just got to them.
Come On!
I looked around for Turkish Beer and brought home the Pinkus Trilogy (USDA Certified Organic).
Turkish Tins, a nice change up after all the fastballs. If you know someone going to a Sardayla Sosyete meeting, get a few.
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) today (July 13) advised the public not to eat a certain batch of NOSTROMO canned sardines which were found to have a high bacterial count by the European Commission (EU).
According to the EU authorities, the manufacturer is recalling the product. Details are as follows:
Product name: NOSTROMO SARDINE ALL'OLIO DI OLIVA (120g) Use-by date: December 31, 2014 Consignment/lot no.: AN 155J Country of origin: Morocco
The EU authorities informed the CFS that some of the affected product had been exported to Hong Kong. "According to information provided by the importer, a small quantity (around 50 cans) of the affected batch had been put onto the market. The importer is recalling the affected batch. The importer (Lorence & Company) has set up a consumer hotline (Tel: 2293 9395) for enquiries," a CFS spokesman said.
He advised consumers who have bought the affected product not to consume it and to seek medical advice if they feel sick after eating it.
"The CFS has alerted the trade to stop selling the product and is closely communicating with the EU to monitor the situation," the spokesman said.
Julia Child (August 15, 1912 - August 13, 2004) was an American chef, author, and television personality. She introduced French cuisine and cooking techniques to the American mainstream through her cookbooks, beginning in 1961 with Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her television programs, notably The French Chef which premiered in 1963. Child was born Julia Carolyn McWilliams in Pasadena, California. wiki
Tonight's dinner is from the Book of Julia (10th printing, August 1965) - a California Native. I will be trying to stick to the recipe as best as possible AND use only California Products.
It was quite easy procuring the produce. There are Farmers Markets every day somewhere around here and The Bowl always tells the veggie's origin. Petaluma eggs, Central Valley olives and olive oil, Au Bon Climat chard, almost every ingredient needed to make the primary and secondary recipes was grown or produced in Sunny C.
Except for those damn anchovies. I'm sure I could have located some locals, but...
And as for the tins, You know that I know that You know Who's fishing and tinning these local waters.
If You don't know about the Cannery Row Sardine Company, they are the only sardine company tinning in the U.S. I know You've heard the demise of the East Coast Tinneries, but the CRSC are California Tinned. From they're website:
Cannery Row Sardines are harvested from the frigid waters of the Pacific Ocean, and canned locally. They are being sold on Cannery Row and at local Farmers’ Markets, as well as globally via their Web site. The first CRSC cans contain boneless, skinless filets, packed in pure olive oil. Other varieties, including sardines in tomato sauce, will be introduced soon. With the Omega-3 craze in full swing and the sustainable way that Pacific Sardines are harvested, this entrepreneurial venture appeals to history buffs, nutritionists, and environmentalists alike.
I scored these tins on a Field trip ($7.95), but I did recently see this at the corner of 4th and Harrison, SF.
And You wonder why all the tinneries are gone. It is cheaper to ship the fish to Asia, have them tinned and shipped back. If You want U.S. Tins it starts here. Support Your Local Tinnery. If they can turn a profit others will see this and bring competition. I know they're spendy but once in awhile, now and again, with a nice bottle of Central Coast chardonnay.
Too soon, too soon, let's look in the tin.
It's a round tin, which I'm pretty sure was dictated by the tinnery. I know from experience the traditional tins are not readily available in the U.S. It would have raised the price again and 3.25 oz is barely lighter than most traditionals. Custom packed by Dave's. At least You can grip it and rip it.
I know I should love these hand packed beauties. They are super clean with a mild marine flavor. I like the bits mixed with the whole fish. They are very firm and I feel a little too lean. They Are Tuna Texture.
Any Tuna Recipe, Anywhere, Anytime. Including tuna salad, tuna melt, or tunafish sandwich; this tin can be substituted with love and tenderness. There's Love in There! It's a good tin. Four out of Five Tins.
We were vacationing in Lisbon, wandering in the Alfama district as it was getting dark. As we reached the bottom of the hill, just by luck we found a shop that was all canned fish- sardines, tuna, anchovies, mackerel, and more. What a revelation for a sardine fan from America! The shop, Conserveira de Lisboa, at Rua dos Bacalhoeiros, 34, was closing for the day so I took photos and purchased a few tins to bring home.
The shop owners referred us to a nearby restaurant for a dinner of freshly grilled sardines that were wonderful.
I wish I had an extra suitcase full. Cary
Who's going? I need an Importer. I'll have a suitcase waiting for you in a bathroom in a bar by the beach.
Oldschooly is Living The Dream in Paris. Philippe is off controlling the Mediterranean Riviera and Educating the Masses. A23 is the busiest man in Portland. And The Wife is basking in Barbados.
Me? I'm in the middle of a homestand with the night off. This is what dinner looks like.
A trip to the Tokyo Fish Market, a new rice cooker, and Kill Bill 1 and 2. I have a selection of Japanese craft beer, some more of that Tazukuri, and for some reason I felt like Kimchee. I bought one larger tin that I'm going to save in hopes that it is Sushi Appropriate. Four tins for tonight.
I've got a load of Euro Sardines, and I'm thankful. But we've got Euro Members for that. I'll get to them soon. I have a plan.
I am going to Kill Bill. And Japanese Tins with Rice. My rice cooking skills are shite. I bought a cooker. See how that goes.
I can't read a thing on these Locally Sourced tins. Two producers. One each of In Soybean Paste and one each of In Soy Sauce. One set is from Mahura Nichiro.
Kokuho Rose Heirloom Varietal Rice. California's oldest family-owned and operated rice farm and mill, established 1928.
Just sayin.
Oh and first up is the Coedo beers; Ruri (Czech Pils) and Kyara (Vienna Lager). I like beer.
The Japanese tins are soy soy soy. Sauce. Bean Paste. Soy.
These are all Gigantor. Poured the sauce over the rice. Starting with the Soy Sauces. Two very big fish. Firm, bit of vertebrae. Reminds me of those Latvians. I like 'em. They aren't epic, but tasty. I do have a sweet tooth.
I have had better kimchee. It's a bit mild, but it's working.
The soybean paste are different. Three big meaty fish in each tin. They're all right, but not exciting or interesting. The fish themselves are fine, but the flavor just isn't quite for me. Meh.
These tins (from two different companies) could easily have been tinned at the same, uhm, tinnery (ha!). They are very similar.
I would recommend soy sauce tins for a nice change up, in a Three Tin kinda way.
The soybean paste tins are edible and some folks might dig them. For me, it's Two out of Five Tins. They might make a fine base fish for another recipe, but on there own, well, there are better meals out there.
