Andrew Zimmern

Inspired years ago by a five-ingredient recipe in a supermarket magazine, my wife tweaked and perfected this recipe and it's a family favorite. Our son calls it his favorite meal. When Meyer lemons are in season I stir in a scant quarter cup of the juice during last few seconds of cooking as my little addition. Even when not in season some of you might like to season with some fresh lemon at the end of cooking time. I think it's the affinity for citrus that make the tarragon and chicken beg for a threesome.

We know the list does not include Daniel and Le Bernardin, but these are our four favorite Michelin-three-star restaurants in the Big Apple. We also had two memorable lunches at Sigiri (Sri Lankan spicy noodle, rice and curry dishes) and Momofuko Ssäm Bar (duck dumpling soup and rotisserie duck in chive pancakes).

Masa
So many memorable bites including blowfish (liver, skin, intestines and roasted on the bone), Kobe beef with white truffles, shabu shabu with Japanese grouper and monkfish liver, 20 sushis including Toro belly and cooked sinew from the belly and the rare golden eye snapper plus an amazing Santa Barbara sea urchin roll. The Zen atmosphere of sitting at the beautiful wooden sushi bar (sanded nightly), our wonderful sushi chef, and the perfect, unobtrusive service is difficult to replicate any where in the States. masanyc.com, 10 Columbus Circle, Time Warner Center, 4/F, 212.823.9800

11 Madison Park
Chef Daniel Humm’s new tasting menus offer many interesting choices. We enjoyed heirloom beets with goat cheese nage, crab salad wrapped in avocado slices, sherry and butter poached lobster with matsutaki mushroom foam, and a special fontina cheese stuffed tortellini with white truffle shavings and chestnut puree and foam. The venison and guinea fowl main courses were delicious, and the chocolate and hazelnut desserts were excellent. This newest three star is well deserving of its recent recognition, and the high ceilings and understated elegance make every diner feel this is a special experience.  www.elevenmadisonpark.com, 11 Madison Avenue, 212.889.0905

Jean Georges
Long one of our favorites we ordered a la carte while dining with our friends Robert and Susan. Among the many highlights were the scallop sashimi with crispy rice and chipotle mayonnaise, the Comte cheese risotto with white truffles, the classic garlic and parsley soup with frog legs, a wonderful complimentary offering of arctic char, turbot, sea bass and cod, a crunchy rabbit with citrus chili paste, and Colorado lamb chops with a Thai red pepper sauce. Jean George is using more Asian spices to accent his French cooking, which he understands better than many other chefs because of his early experience with Vong. jean-georges.com, 1 Central Park West, 212.299.3900

Per Se
Sharing another meal with our chef son Todd, we enjoyed both the regular chef’s tasting menu and the tasting menu of vegetables. The many highlights included a Hudson Valley foie gras torchon with a coffee-chocolate financier, Spanish mackerel, Snake River Farms wagu beef, a salsify veloute with black walnut puree, a Yukon gold potato mille-feuille with tarragon custard, and chestnut agnolotti with chestnut crumbles. A special course offered to us to sample,risotto with Castlemagno cheese and black truffles, gnudi with duck gizzards and hazelnuts and polenta with smoked ricotta cheese and black truffles were an accent point for the meal. The desserts were numerous and delicious as usual, and the view of Central Park on a bright Sunday afternoon is always special. This is one of the greatest kitchens in the United States. perseny.com, Ten Columbus Circle 4/F, 212.823.9335

Chicago

Graham Elliott
Over Thanksgiving in Chicago we dined at Chef Graham Elliott Bowles’ restaurant where his recently revamped 19-course tasting menu revisits his successful run at Avenues. Among the special offerings were a delicious lobster risotto with sea urchin, pig jowl with date and Iranian pistachios, a perfectly cooked guinea hen with matsutake mushrooms and maple and pine accents, wagu beef with bone marrow and quail egg, and several flavorful desserts.The atmosphere is comfortably casual, but the food is to be taken seriously. www.grahamelliot.com, 217 West Huron St., 312.624.9975

Thanksgiving Dinner
Our family dinner was awesome with the best fresh turkey ever which was brined and then stuffed by Todd with none other than White Castle hamburgers, no pickles, ketchup or mustard, which he dried out on the counter, coarsely chopped, and tossed it with butter and sage. Yes, yum!

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of my mother's passing. We celebrated the life of this amazing woman last Friday at a small "memorial cocktail party" in Minneapolis. As some of you know, my mother had unique and fabulous ideas about the way things should be in this life and the hereafter. The memorial cocktail party was one of them. We all wore green (her favorite color), listened to Frank Sinatra and shared stories about a woman who did everything with flair.

Caren Zimmern (or Clara Betty Heyman as some of you also might remember her) passed away the morning of October 4th, 2011. Mom is at peace and I imagine her shelling on a beach somewhere, or painting, maybe designing a carousel for Lever House, perhaps reading a great book with any of her beloved animals, or gardening in East Hampton smiling and wondering when she will have time to make a batch of her amazing gazpacho. She was delighted by everything and everyone, brilliantly caring, and magnificently kind.

She was born on March 27, 1930, to Herb and Pauline Heyman, had a younger brother Herbert Jr. and lived in Pittsburgh PA, Avon NJ and New York City. She attended Mills College, where Vic Bergeron—Trader Vic himself—taught her to cook. She was active in theater, art and became politically liberal in those years, a passion she held on to until her last days.

In 1954, she met my father Robert Zimmern and fell in love. They had a storybook wedding, and though they divorced years later, they always remained great friends. She visited him many times in Portland Maine. In a sentence, she simply adored Bob.

In 1961, they had a son, their only child. My father became successful in the advertising business, while my mother marched against the war. She taught me to read, to have social awareness in all things big and small. She taught me to love, laugh, swim, cook and be the best person I could be. I will never forget sitting on an East Hampton lawn with hundreds of other people, watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. As we gazed from the TV to the night sky and back, my mom told me, “Anything is possible, just look what you can do with your life.”

Mom juggled career goals and motherhood, bouncing around between seasonal creative jobs like the one at Lever House, and designing the windows at Bendel’s, Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdales. She painted and studied, tried to write a book on astrology, on shells, and turned down several proposals from some great men she dated. She was always freaked out that getting re-married might jeopardize the stability in my world. Her family was always top priority. Even when our relationship was strained due to my alcoholism, she never gave up on me. My sobriety was something I think she was proud of and smiled when she spoke about it.

Caren loved animals. She made sure that I understood the importance of preserving our earth, and taught me compassion for all animals (and most humans!). Over the years she had many pets, most importantly cats! She’d often wear animal print and any kind of cat jewelry to show the world how important they were to her. And she had a knack for giving them unforgettable names—there was Colette, Pandora, Madame Gin Sling, Puddles, Munchkin,  Courageous and Gutsy. Caren also our cat Belle and our dogs, Bella and Pretzel. She was famous for standing next to dogs left outside stores, unattended, while their owners shopped. She’d wait with the animal (to make sure it wasn't kidnapped) until the owner returned. She would proceed to lecture them on how inhumane and irresponsible it was to do this. She was always a Defender of Wildlife!  

Caren worked as a receptionist at Van Eck Global for over 25 years. She regarded this job as her greatest achievement outside of her family. The Van Eck family and their employees cared very deeply for her, and because of that she was happy to work with them. She gave them her heart and soul, and loved decorating the office for every holiday season. What they did for her was something that went above and beyond even her family’s ability to understand, and I personally consider them to be among the finest human beings I have ever known.

Several years back, mom and her beloved cat, Munchkin, moved to an apartment in St. Paul, Minnesota, then to Champlin Shores, and finally to Sholom Home in St. Louis Park. Our family’s deepest gratitude and un-repayable debt goes out to all who took such good care of her at those amazing residences.

Mom began to have some challenges physically with a series of operations, ailments and strokes, but she always remained happy and determined to "get on her feet."  When she began to use a wheelchair, she would let Noah push her. One Christmas, our whole family had foot/wheelchair races. She absolutely loved to speed down halls as fast as we could push her. Literally.

Mom suffered a stroke on the last Monday in September. Anyone who knows my Mom is aware that she’s a tough old NYC broad. We stayed by her side around the clock for five days. She was still with us in her own way, occasionally squeezing back when we held hands, even opening her eyes and smiling once or twice.  My wife and I had a business commitment in NYC that my Mom would have not been OK with us missing. With the help of the Sholom Hospice, my in-laws and the Mack family, we were still able to attend. When we returned, we spent another day with Mom before she died, with a small smile, on a warm and sunny morning in October. She was surrounded by photos and memories, stuffed cats from her favorite charity, drawings her grandson made, and her favorite possession—the Law and Order hat that Jerry Orbach gave her. And yes, she had green nail polish on to the very end.

My mother was always the best mother she could be to me. Now that I am a parent, I am truly grateful for my mom's warm spirit and her amazing creativity. She will live on with all of us..

We’ve received inquiries in to making donations in her honor. Please direct donations to her two favorite charitable entities, the Robin Hood Foundation or Defenders of Wildlife.

Robin Hood Foundation
You may make an online donation here. 
If you prefer, you can send in a donation (check or money order) to:
Robin Hood
826 Broadway, 9th Floor
New York, New York 10003
Please be sure to include the following information: your name and address and Caren Zimmern as the honoree.

Defenders of Wildlife
You may make an online donation here.
If you prefer, you can send a donation (check or money order) to:
Defenders of  Wildlife National Headquarters
1130 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Please be sure to include the following information: your name and address and Caren Zimmern as the honoree.

With my favorite Holiday of the year just around the corner, I thought it would be timely to post some Thanksgiving help for the culinarily challenged among you.

No holiday is as confounding as this one for the home cook who, it is expected, can rise above the normal hellfires of daily cooking for 2-4 persons, and produce a stunning memorable meal of 8 to 12 elements all while being judged by their harshest critics whose sole happiness is at stake.

Included in the dozen recipes listed below is my perfect-turkey-every-time technique....enjoy!

Where to find the bird:
D'Artagnan, Lobel's, Callister Farms (Twin Cities), Herbert's (for turducken)

My Favorite Thanksgiving recipes:
Oyster Stew
Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey, Stuffing and Gravy
Puree of Peas & Watercress
Root Vegetable Pan Roast with Brown Butter Sauce
Sweet and Sour Beets with Pearl Onions
Steamed Green Beans with Toasted Almond-Mushroom Pesto
Pate Brisee (pie dough)
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Tart
My Dad's Prosciutto and Fontina Gougeres
Endive Gratin
Boneless Stuffed Turkey

Cascal is my drink of choice because of its dryness, its diversity of flavors and taste combinations. How does it work? Well, flavors work well together when they are complimentary or present opposing or contrasting profiles in the mouth and nose. Not to get too scientific, but there’s a reason why cookies and milk work so well, or pizza and root beer, or wild mushroom pasta and a jaunty glass of Barolo. Cascal’s dryness works superbly with food because the fermented “dry” effect enhances the flavors consumed with the drink. Don’t think I am serious as a heart attack? Try a glass of Tropical and a spicy bowl of Thai curry and drop me a line. It will blow your mind. Take a sip of the Cascal, then the curry, then the Cascal again. Trust me, the conversation will be over then and there, but for those without a bowl of green curry in front of them, let’s go through the flavors and talk complimentary or contrasting foods that would pair up nicely with the drink. Now, remember soda pops these days are lacking the decidedly adult appeal of Cascal whose light, dry, wine-y flavor depth comes from fermenting the fruit juice without any added sugars, and then lightly carbonating it.

Crisp White (Pear/Apricot/Magnolia) – this is one of my favorites, and I drink it all day long. The magnolia gives a floral aroma and the pear and apricot notes are subtle. It reminds me of a great cider--fruity and dry. Like a fruity German, Austrian or French wine, it’s the perfect drink for when you are serving cheese (contrast), chicken, shellfish or fruit (complimentary).

Ripe Rouge (Cherry/Rose/Chocolate) – the rose is on the nose, the cherry fruitiness is in the middle of the swallow and the chocolate rebounds with both as you breathe after chugging. I love this flavor. Its perfect with grilled meats especially beef (complimentary), or with barbecue or spicy foods like pork with red chilies or Szechuan food (contrast).

Fresh Tropical (Mango/Jasmine/Kaffir Lime) – This is the most singular soda that Cascal makes, the flavor is primarily all mango, with a whisper of sweet jasmine and a nice subtle tang of lime that makes the mango all the more palatable. Try this soda with Indian, Thai or Jamaican jerk chicken and you will flip for it. On its own, it’s a nice tropical refresher and a great mixer for rum or gin (contrast) but taste it with a Lamb Vindaloo (complimentary) and you will not be able to stop drinking it.

Bright Citrus (Lemongrass/Tangerine/Pineapple) – Like the lime in the tropical soda, the lemongrass in the Bright Citrus is a delicate backbone for the citric and pineapple one-two punch that this soda packs. Try marinating salmon (contrast) in some for a half hour before grilling, and then enjoy it on ice with the fish and you will be amazed at how the soda cuts through the fattiness of the salmon. I love drinking this soda with really strong cheeses (complimentary) like Gorgonzola and really runny ripe goat’s milk brie cheeses. This is a very versatile soda and quite drinkable in every sense of the word.

Berry Cassis (Black currant/Tangerine/Lemon) – The superb black currant, berry/cherry flavors makes this the Beaujolais of the Cascal lineup. Try this on ice with a grilled veal chop and roasted wild mushrooms and you will see how elegantly this Cascal flavor drinks. The backbone of the Berry Cassis stands up perfectly to grilled steaks, red sauces pastas and any other foods typically consumed with red wines (complimentary). Try this experiment, grab some spicy Oaxacan chicken mole (contrast), the kind that is deep and chocolaty and hot with dark chilies. The berry and tangerine flavors literally explode out of the glass when paired with those contrasting foods.

The second part of our fall trip featured these two great cities – the food capital and the art museum capital of Spain. In San Sebastian, we enjoyed some of the greatest tapas in the world in addition to meals with legendary local chefs.  On our way to Madrid, we visited the amazing grill man Victor Arguinzonis at Etxebarri in the tiny Basque village of Axpe.  We sampled his incredible shrimp, oysters, tuna, and bone in rib eye steak cooked on his special grill.

Akelarre (San Sebastian, Michelin 3 stars)
While enjoying one of the most spectacular coastline panoramas of any restaurant in the world, we sampled two different eight-course tasting menus created by Chef Pedro Subijana.  Among the many highlights were white prawns blanched table side and served with pea puree, crab cooked in its own juices with pasta resembling rice grains, an unusual flavor and texture combination of razor clams, veal shank and cauliflower mushrooms, and suckling pig with crispy skin in an Iberian ham reduction sauce. Desserts were equally creative including an apple tart with edible apple paper. The day was bright and sunny, the food and service amazing, the view stupendous – what a memorable lunch! akelarre.net, Paseo Padre Orcolaga, 56 - 20008 San Sebastián, +34 943 311209

Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Michelin 2 stars, San Pellegrino 2011 Top 50, ranked #3)
The brilliant Adoni Aduriz keeps pushing the envelope with 19 courses of small plates including a deconstructed bloody Mary featuring a slow cooked tomato with vodka, olive oil and spices added, mozzarella in whey emulsion infused with smoked black tea, a faux cheese made from fresh milk, linen seeds and edible clay for the rind, beef tongue straws with garlic flowers and onion gel drops, pork belly skin noodles in antiki fish broth with crispy rice, and white tuna belly with green chili pepper paste.  A serene country setting contributes to the Zen like experience, friendly, attentive service, and a cuisine full of wonderful surprises. mugaritz.com, Otzazulueta baserria Aldura-aldea, 20, 20100 Errenteria, Spain, +34 943 522 455

Arzak (San Sebastian, Michelin 3 stars, San Pellegrino 2011 Top 50 ranked #8)
The father/daughter team of Juan Mari and Elena Arzak are revered for their many contributions to Spanish gastronomy.  The special menu Elena cooked for us included a yucca crisp tower stuffed with foie gras, green tea and coffee flavors, lobster with a parsley puree and chorizo oil, crab with an anise sheet and a cone filled with crab coral and vegetables, tuna with a peach curd and seaweed sauce, and an aromatic lamb with verbena and sheep’s milk crisps.  A sponge cake with beet sauce and candied pistachios and a lemon custard tart with banana and passion fruit ice creams closed out a memorable meal.  This is a special place for us and we were lucky enough to have a post dinner visit with the Arzaks sharing food stories and Champagne together. www.arzak.info, Avda. Alcalde Elosegui, 273-20015 Donostia, San Sebastian, +34 943 278 465

La Terraza del Casino (Madrid, Michelin 2 stars)
Chef Paco Roncero who studied under Ferran Adria at El Bulli does his magic at the spectacular rooftop restaurant with great views of the city.  A creative tasting menu had many highlights including a carrot meringue with tarragon, a brioche with crab and coriander, faux broad beans with clams in green sauce, tuna with seaweed and an olive oil noodle ejected from a test tube, oxtail stuffed with rice, noodles and foie gras, and a fruit ravioli wrap stuffed with yuzu cream and a frozen green tea powder on top.  This was a fun dining experience full of very interesting flavor combinations.  We also visited Roncero’s cutting edge tapas bars, Estado Puro, for two lunches in Madrid. www.casinodemadrid.es, C/ ALCALÁ, 15 28014 Madrid, Spain, +34 915 321 275

Hey LA. Want to skip ahead in line at the Master Chef casting? Then keep reading (and break a leg).

FOX is serving up a third season of the hit culinary competition series MasterChef, so now is your chance to show them that you’ve got the right stuff. Casting calls start in Los Angeles on Saturday, Oct. 29. Prove that you can impress Chef Gordon Ramsay and fellow judges, restaurateur Joe Bastianich and Chef Graham Elliot, and you could find yourself battling other amateur chefs in the kitchen for the title of MasterChef…oh, and $250,000.

When you check in, mention that you heard about the casting call from AndrewZimmern.com and you will get priority consideration (faster and shorter line.)

Here are the details:

Saturday, Oct. 29 from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Le Cordon Bleu
6370 West Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Applicants are STRONGLY encouraged to pre-register at www.masterchefcasting.com so casting producers can access preliminary information prior to the open casting calls 

If L.A. is too far away, don't worry. A casting call is  coming to a location near you. Keep an eye out for the dates and locations at  www.masterchefcasting.com.

Hey, it's Molly from AZ HQs. I'm finally getting around to posting this five days after returning from the NYC Wine + Food Festival-- what can I say? The entire experience was equal parts fun and exhausting, and I am finally coming out of my too-much-food-and-too-little-sleep haze.

If you're anything like me, and I'm just going to assume you are, you like your blog ratio of words to photos to be about 20:1. Since I have so many wonderful photos from the weekend, that's about what you're getting.

We kicked off the weekend at the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop. Just because it's Friday morning doesn't mean you can't eat dessert. Doug Quint & Bryan Petroff, the evil geniuses behind BGIC, gave us a shop tour, gossiped with us about celebrity chefs (they have a lot of dirt!), and let me fulfill my life long dream of making a soft serve ice cream cone. As you can see from the above pic, my form could use some work.     

 

That night, we hit up Burger Bash, hosted by Whoopi Goldberg this year. Dirt Alert: I heard she requested all of her burgers "well done." Ha. AZ judged the contest, along with David Burke, Adam Richman & Anne Burrell. I was impressed with Anne's overall program. She was cutting a rug, singing along with the music, making time to talk to every fan who approached her. Bravo. 

AZ in his La Frieda Meats hat.  

Marc Forgione's burger was my favorite. He did the Hangover Burger: dry aged burger, everything bun and spicy bacon. I think the bun is the most overlooked aspect of any burger, and it's the key to taking a good one to a great one.  

Post-Burger Bash, it poured rain. Luckily, our knights in shining Big Gay Ice Cream Truck came to the rescue. We hid out in the truck (with AZ in the driver's seat) until our ride came. 

Me, Doug, & Rishia (AZ's wife) packed like sardines in the BGICT. 

Fun Fact about Food People: We eat a lot. After Burger Bash, we had dinner at Osteria Morini. Yes, we were still hungry after Burger Bash. This was one of 9 pasta dishes that arrived at our table. It was insane.

 

We kicked off Saturday at a panel discussion, hosted by the lovely Dana Cowin of Food + Wine. AZ, Marcus Samuelsson and Mario Batali shared their ultimate restaurant experiences while the rest of us looked on and pretended not to be completely jealous of where they've been and what they've eaten. 

I want to rummage through Marcus Samuelsson's closet. Best dressed man in the food biz... and maybe any biz, for that matter. 

Next, it was off to Harlem for Fun & Fit in the City (hosted by Target). AZ did a cooking demo geared toward kids/families. He made a salmon dish, which is one of my least favorite food items, but it was somehow delicious. He even got this kid, a self-proclaimed fish loather, to try the stuff. Consider him a seafood convert.  

Mingling in Harlem.  

Salmon + 3 yr old = Cutest picture of the weekend.  

 

Our final event of the weekend was Carts in the Parc, hosted by Andrew. Nearly 20 food trucks from around the city, plus a cameo from James Beard Award-winning mega Chef Michael White (above, along with two gigantic pork shoulders). I'm biased, but this was my favorite party of the weekend. Instead of every vendor making one kind of food (eg only burgers at Burger Bash, only meatballs at Meatball Madness... you get the picture), they get to make what they're good at. From biryani and french fries to Korean tacos and ice cream sandwiches, it was a little bit of everything.  

Here's AZ with the trophy-- fit to put on any truck's dashboard. 

AZ's agent Josh & I in our Andrew Zimmern Hollyhoodz. Get yours here. 

Lee Schrager, the mind behind NYCWFF & SOBE, enjoying fries from the Souvlaki Truck. 

Look at those puppies. I dare you to tell me you don't want to eat that.

Sugary goodness from Sweet Street.  

Mexicue pork tacos. 

Though I didn't get a chance to try everything, the squash soup from Rouge Tomate was my favorite of the day (AZ's, too). Talk about changing your perception of street food! Topped with candied pumpkin seeds and apples, this wasn't the greasy, messy sort of street food we've all come to love and expect. It was perfect for a chilly fall day. 

The Biryani Cart, with its outstanding roti, took home the first-ever Carts in the Parc People's Choice Award.  

Finally, another great moment from the fest: Andrew leaving Carts with his wife, Rishia. Shortly after this, we all collapsed in exhaustion-- eating, talking, and standing all afternoon will do that to a person. Then, we went out to dinner. Naturally.

We've got lots to share with you from last weekend's NYC Wine + Food Festival, but let's start here. Andrew, along with the talented Driftwood band, did this cover of "The Weight" by The Band at AZ's event Carts in the Parc. It was a fun time-- great food, friends, music & almost perfect weather.

In 2009, Erin Byers Murray left her cushy office job as a writer for Daily Candy, and headed to Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury, Mass., where she learned what it takes to work on an oyster farm. Murray took her experiences and chronicled them in her new book, SHUCKED: Life on a New England Oyster Farm. We talked with Murray about what led her to the oyster farm, what she learned and how to pick the perfect oyster.

AndrewZimmern.com: What prompted you to leave your job at DailyCandy for a job at Island Creek Oysters?

Erin Byers Murray: I was on the lookout out for story ideas when I visited the farm a few years back and was mesmerized by both the work and the setting. Something about these farmers making their living on the water year round really spoke to me.  I was also at a point in my writing career where I needed a break – I really wanted to get my hands dirty for once. And believe me: there’s no better place to do that than on an oyster farm.

AZ.com: Your new book, SHUCKED: Life on a New England Oyster Farm, chronicles your time at the farm. What is the most important thing you learned there?

EBM: Growing oysters requires so much more than a good boat and a healthy body of water; it’s an art form that takes into account water temperature, tidal flows, and the whims of Mother Nature. The growers at Island Creek live and breathe oyster cultivation. I think it’s important that oyster lovers understand how much time, attention and energy goes into growing these briny, little wonders.

AZ.com: Best thing about being an oyster-farm hand? Worst?

EBM: The best: Getting to watch the sun rise over the water almost every morning of the year. The worst: Not being able to feel my hands for most of the frigid New England winter.

AZ.com: How has learning about farming affected the way you think about food?

EBM: Having never worked in farming or food production before, I was surprised to learn just how much physical work goes into growing one single ingredient. Whether it’s carrots or caviar, producing food requires an extraordinary amount of physical, human labor. I used to take for granted that the food at my grocery store, in my CSA, or on the plate at a restaurant appeared so effortlessly. Understanding that there’s a human life (or, more likely, many) behind every single ingredient gives me a deeper appreciation for everything I eat.

AZ.com: Selecting oysters can be a bit overwhelming. What are three things to look for?

EBM: If you’re buying oysters at a market, examine the shell for any nicks or chips which could mean the oyster inside is dry or dead. Look for oysters with a deep cup (the rounded, bottom shell) since they’ll have more meat and oyster “liquor,” which is the briny juice that surrounds the meat. Lastly, once you shuck the oyster, look for opaque meat that fills the entire cup. And always smell your oyster before you slurp it – not only will that tell you that the oyster is fresh but it helps prep your palate for the sea-salty goodness you’re about to enjoy: a good oyster smells like the ocean.

AZ.com: What is your oyster of choice? How is it best prepared?

EBM: Yes, I’m biased, but I love Island Creeks. They are, in my opinion, the perfect representation of an East Coast oyster – lots of brine up front with a hint of sugary sweetness at the end. (And you can have them shipped anywhere in the country from islandcreekoysters.com!) I usually eat my oysters naked or with a squeeze of lemon, but as Skip Bennett, founder of Island Creek taught me, they’re also pretty fantastic with a hit of green Tabasco sauce and a couple drops of vodka (see Patriot Oysters for recipe.)

AZ.com: Where are your five favorite places to grab a bite in New England?

EBM: Tough to narrow it down to five! But here goes (in no particular order)

Island Creek Oyster Bar
500 Commonwealth Ave.
Boston, MA 02215
612.532-5300
www.islandcreekoysterbar.com

Coppa
253 Shawmut Ave.
Boston, MA 02118
617.391.0902
www.coppaboston.com

Craigie on Main
853 Main Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
617.497.5511
www.craigieonmain.com

La Laiterie
184-188 Wayland Ave.
Providence, RI
401.274.7177
www.farmsteadinc.com/lalaiterie

Corazon del Mar
21 South Water Street
Nantucket Island, MA 02554
508.228.0815
corazonnantucket.com

AZ.com: What’s in your fridge?

EBM: Fresh tomato sauce from the last of this season’s tomatoes, peanut butter and jelly, apple cider, bacon, maple syrup, eggs, Bibb lettuce and fresh cilantro from my CSA and a couple of excellent craft beers courtesy of my beer-loving husband.

 

Erin Byers Murray is a Boston-based editor and freelance writer who took a break from the media world to work on an oyster farm for 18 months. In 2009, she convinced Skip Bennett and the growers at Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury, MA to let a completely unprepared, aquaculture-illiterate food and lifestyle writer work for them to learn the business of bivalves. Her book, SHUCKED: Life on a New England Oyster Farm (St. Martin's Press) chronicles the journey from oyster flats to fine dining tables. Today, she is back to writing full time, covering food and sustainability for publications like Food & Wine, Boston magazine, and Edible Boston.