Summer-Fresh Fish Shacks

Last year, on the Friday before Father's Day, I wrote this post about my husband's Father's Day tradition: he treats himself and his dad to a big ol' pile of the fresh New England seafoods they love—as good Massachusetts boys do—and miss so much now that they are both left coasters. This pic is from that post about a favorite comfort food:

[SWAN RIVER FISH MARKET, DENNISPORT, MA]

Because it's "clams on a plane" time again—they may well be flying over the middle of America right now actually—I thought I might write another post featuring the charming seafood shacks that dot the east coast. Luckily, someone else had the same idea way ahead of me. Only, instead of writing about such establishments on a little bitty blog that hardly anyone reads, smart seafood lover Elizabeth Bougerol went and published an entire book that everyone can read, keep on their bookshelves and carry along when they travel (that's what I plan to do anyway).

[CLICK THE PIC TO SEE MORE IMAGES FROM THE BOOK]

Now, I am not a fan of the clam or the lobster, but I do love a basket of fresh fish and chips. And, I swear, the best fish and chips I have ever eaten were at Moby Dick's.

[MOBY DICK'S, WELLFLEET, MA]

One day, I'll go back and prove to myself that I am correct about their crispy, battered fish being the very best ever and that I didn't just imagine it because we were having such a great time stuffing ourselves with all the seafood we could find on that particular trip. To be certain that I'm right, I think I should visit all of these other places in the book and sample their fish and chips too. In the name of scientific research, of course.

[LOBSTER POT, PROVINCETOWN, MA]

[WESTFAIR FISH & CHIPS, WESTPORT, CT]

[LENA'S SEAFOOD, SALISBURY, MA]

[CAP'T CASS ROCK HARBOR SEAFOOD, ORLEANS, MA]

[CINDY'S, FREEPORT, ME]

[CLAM CASTLE, MADISON, CT]

[THE PLACE, GUILFORD, CT]

[ROY MOORE LOBSTER, ROCKPORT, MA]

Summer is upon us. Time to get out for some fresh air and even fresher seafood. Have a lovely weekend and say Happy Father's Day to your dad for me! Mine was just here and is on his way back to New Mexico tonight. No fish shacks there, though I'm sure he wishes there were.

Comfort Food Friday

Fresh vine-ripened tomatoes. Grown in my own backyard. One of my favorite summer foods. But not this year. The remaining days of summer are few and I have become acutely aware that I missed out on one of the season's best treats. Because I didn't plant my tomatoes. Got too "busy" and let planting time pass me by.

So there were no lush vines heavy with tiny grape tomatoes warming in the sun, begging to be eaten by the handful. No Big Boys or Early Girls ready and waiting to grace an impromptu BLT. No Romas ripening faster than we can use them on fat, shrubby plants.

Last year's garden yielded all of that and more. Beautiful, bright, juicy tomatoes that became the main ingredients for salads and salsas and sandwiches. One day in late summer, we picked every single ripened fruit--our last harvest--brought them into the house, washed them up and super-chef husband turned them into a great big batch of marinara. Of course, we ate some fresh that night. The rest was frozen in batches and used over the next several months in all sorts of yummy, savory recipes.

No last-harvest marinara this year though. Or fresh pico de gallo chopped up in a jiffy because company's coming.

I think this weekend I'll make a stop at the farmers market and pick up a selection of someone else's homegrown tomatoes to turn into something yummy like this:

a cheesy tomato tart,

a light tomato linguine,

fried green tomatoes (that I will eat by myself because I still can't get super-chef to give them a try),

or maybe this delicious looking ham and tomato pie. Recipes for all of these fresh tomato dishes, including the pico and at least a dozen more, can be found at southernliving.com. I'll be sad that I'm not cooking with my very own, but I know the farm-grown tomatoes will be every bit as good. Just not as special. I won't let this happen again next year!

What's your favorite summer comfort food?

And did you get your fill?

Farmers market photo via sunset.com

Recipe photos via southernliving.com

Others either taken by me or borrowed from an unknown source

Comfort Food Friday

Ever go through the drive-thru just to order fries and a Coke? At some random time in the middle of the day when you're out running errands? Because it sounds yummy and, more importantly, because you know it will make you sooo happy? Mm hmm. Me too.

And look what I found while searching for an image of french fries... a device that turns your car cup holder into a fries holder! So bad and wrong that I'm not even going to tell you where to get one. (but I'll let you know how mine works out!)

Now, before you all gang up on me for promoting stress eating, let me say that it didn't even occur to me that that's what I was doing... either which way you want to understand that. So here, to provide some balance, is a story I saw in my local newspaper that you might want to take a look at.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/16/health/main5092604.shtml
Just don't ask me whether I'm giving this to you as a warning or as a show of solidarity. Ok... maybe both.

Comfort Food Friday (on Thursday)

Saturday is Independence Day. The Fourth of July. The start of a three-day weekend. (Or maybe the middle--depending on whether you take Friday off or Monday.) It's our most patriotic holiday. And time for one of the most American of activities. A cookout. A picnic in the park. A celebration with family, friends, community, country.

If you pack your picnic basket early, you can go straight to the park after the parade.

And when you unpack that basket, what favorite picnic foods of yours will come out? Burgers and dogs to throw on the grill?

Cold fried chicken homemade last night just for today's occasion?

My favorite picnic food is the perfect side dish for either of those two mains. It reminds me of family cookouts and day trips and potluck get-togethers.

Full disclosure: Not having a photo of my mom's actual potato salad, I borrowed this one from companyscoming.com. But I will say that this is a near perfect visual. (Except for the fancy lettuce underlayment. And the artfully placed egg slices. And the chives. Sorry Mom. Your salad might be plain looking on the outside, but it's beautiful, and delicious, on the inside!)

My mom's potato salad. Creamy and crunchy and seasoned just right so you can eat gobs and gobs of it without being overwhelmed. An old-fashioned mayo and mustard dressing. Regular ol' Idahos--no fancy red-skinned or new potatoes here (Though I'll bet Yukons would make a pretty yummy version. Mom, are you reading this?). Hard-cooked eggs, some chopped celery and onions, a little pickle relish, and just the right amounts of salt and pepper. She's made it exactly the same way for as long as I can remember. And ruined all other potato salads for me. Oh sure, I've dined on delicious variations of this classic side dish in all kinds of restaurants, delis and friends' kitchens. But they're just not the same. They don't come with childhood memories built in. And isn't that what makes a comfort food so comfortable?

Enjoy your holiday! And if you don't already have a favorite picnic food, maybe this will be the weekend you find it.

Top image via www1.american.edu/heintz/postcards.htm

Other food pics via countryliving.com

White House fireworks and parade images via ??? I need to learn to keep better records!

Comfort Food Friday

Because this Sunday is Father's Day, I present a favorite comfort food that is not mine, but my husband's. He grew up on the East Coast. Massachusetts to be precise. But for thirty years now he's lived here on the West Coast. Still pahks his cah in the yahd though. And still loves loves loves fresh New England-style seafoods. Most of all, long-neck steamers. Hard to find here, but the clam of choice if you grew up there. Or so I'm told.



Now, you might say "yum!", but I say "yuck!". Clams belong in a chowder. Swimming in a creamy, buttery broth with a few potatoes. That's as far as I'm gonna go with clams. But my clam-loving husband goes all the way. To Maine. It's become something of a Father's Day tradition. No, he doesn't actually go to Maine, but his steamers do come from there. By FedEx. With a couple of lobsters to keep them company. And their journey's not over when they arrive on our doorstep. The very next day, they'll take a drive down the coast to my father-in-law's house. He's lived here for a few years now too. Together, father and son will steam a big pot of freshly-delivered seafood, bake a couple of potatoes, divvy up some crusty bread and dig in. More than a few cold beers will be employed to wash it all down. It will be a good day.

What food from your childhood or faraway hometown is your favorite?

Top image is Swan River Seafood in Dennisport, Cape Cod, MA. Looks like our kind of place, though we haven't been there. Yet. Bottom image via Flickr. Long-necks and lobsters are ordered from mainelobsterdirect.com

Just for Fun: Comfort Food Friday

Chocolate chip cookies, homemade of course, and an icy cold glass of milk. I make these for myself when I've had a tough week. And they're still considered "homemade" even if it's only because they are, in fact, baked in my home, right? Don't tell my foodie friends, but I keep a tube of ready-to-bake Pillsbury cookie dough in my fridge. Almost all the time. Because when I need a chocolate chip cookie, I need it NOW. There's no time to measure and mix or, God forbid, run to the market for a missing ingredient. And besides, this is my comfort food, not Martha's, and they definitely do the trick! What kind of cookie comforts you?

These "Comfort Food Friday" posts will appear occasionally, on a Friday (of course), and are meant to be a fun departure from so much "serious" designer talk. And, after all, with a blog name like "Comfort and Luxury", how could I not talk about one of the best things that brings us all the cozy, cared-for feelings of comfort and love: food. Sweet, salty, creamy, crunchy, just like mom used to make it or found only in a hometown restaurant, we all have our favorite comfort foods. Some that we enjoy regularly, others that are 'special occasion only' treats. Please don't misunderstand though. There will be no recipes shared here. No cooking techniques exchanged. Just images and memories and all the warm, fuzzy feelings that comfort foods evoke. A nice way to end a busy work week, don't you think?

Image via southernliving.com