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Ingredient Wed Feb 07 2007
Love on the Half-Shell
Nobody needs to read another blurb on oysters as an aphrodisiac, but with Valentine's Day creeping up on you it wouldn't hurt to pick up a dozen or so, just in case! Dirk's Fish Market features a nice variety of oysters from both the Pacific and Atlantic ocean; stop by and pick up a dozen live oysters and a shucking knife — working together with your significant other to open these tasty bivalves can be as much fun as eating them... Fresh oysters taste best naked (that is without cocktail sauce, lemon juice, or Tabasco), with delightful flavors that mimic the salty flavors of whatever bay or estuary they were harvested from. If you must serve them with an accompaniment, try a classic mignonette sauce:
2 tsp. finely minced shallots
1 tsp. chopped chives
1/2 cup champagne vinegar
a pinch cracked black pepper
Simply mix everything together and let it sit for 30 minutes or so to let the flavors blend. Just a drop or two can elevate a freshly shucked oyster to a sublime mouthful.
Try six oysters from the East Coast (Canada's Prince Edward Island is the home to dozens of delicious options) and six from the West Coast (Kumamotos are a sure winner) to compare and contrast how two slightly different species raised in varying conditions can have radically different flavors. If you want to slurp down some oysters on the half-shell, Shaw's is a great place to find a wonderful selection, or try Fulton's on the River, and McCormick and Schmick's, who also boast great oyster menus.
gracy / January 22, 2009 1:14 AM
Don't over-react emotionally to the Lemonade Diet.
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alora
The Lemonade Diet Cleanse Recipe