I love raw oysters, so I was skeptical the first time I heard of grilled oysters. Then I tried them at the Acme Oyster House in New Orleans, and I was more than willing to change my mind.

Last weekend, we tried grilling our own, following Emeril’s recipe. The oysters are shucked, topped with a compound butter (with garlic, parsley, chives, lemon juice, cayenne, hot sauce), and grilled (we have a special rack to make sure they don’t tilt and lose those delicious juices, which are divine when soaked up with some crusty bread). They were almost perfect – next time we will add an extra sprinkling of Parmesan for that crispy texture.

As J was shucking the oysters he made an interesting discovery – an Oyster Crab! They’re tiny (1/2″ or less) crabs that live inside oysters. I did exactly what you’d expect me to do: I took a picture of it, Googled it, then fried and ate it.

Last month, we bought a grill and entered a whole new world of outdoor cooking.  While searching our chest freezer for grillable items, I came across lamb hot dogs and lamb kielbasa from a family friend with a farm.  It seemed a shame to top lamb sausage with the usual ball-game ketchup and yellow mustard combo, so I sorted through the jars in our fridge and threw together a condiment with a little class.  It went with the sausage so well, I’ve already made it a few times.

Mediterranean Relish

• Black dry-cured olives
• Red onion
• Capers
• Roasted red peppers – I  used jalapenos, but a less spicy alternative might be better
• Squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

Dice the olives, onion, and red peppers into approximately 1/4 inch pieces.  Mix with the capers and add lemon juice to taste if desired.  Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the sausage.

I think mint or basil would make a tasty addition – what would you add?

I have a confession: I have a type A personality when it comes to vacation planning.  Luckily, once I’m at my destination, I relax, have fun, and am open to spontaneity.  But from the time I book a vacation until I’m on the plane, I take great pleasure in obsessively researching my destination and collecting places to go.

My favorite tool for vacation planning is the “My Maps” feature in Google Maps.  Here’s how I use it:

• I create a map for each vacation.
• Every time I read about a place I’d like to visit, I add it to the map.
• I choose appropriate icons for each location (like a bed for the hotel, cutlery for restaurants) so they’re easy to spot on the map.
• If I have additional information about a location, like hours, I add it to the description.
• I share it with J in case he wants to add to it or view it on the road.

If you’ve never created a map in My Maps, these instructions will get you started.  But you may not need instructions – it’s pretty easy: if you ever find somewhere you’d like to go on Google Maps, you can simply click the place marker and choose Save To Map.  To find your maps, click the My Maps link under the Google Maps logo.

Here’s the map I created for last weekend’s DC trip:

View Washington DC in a larger map

Before I joined the smartphone world, I’d simply print the maps. I even survived a few days of driving around Memphis, mostly alone, based on a 1-page printout.

Now that I have an Android phone it’s even easier, because I can view my map on my phone’s Maps app, which means it integrates with the GPS features.  This is done in the Layers section of Google Mobile Maps (the default Maps app for Android, but also available on other phones).

How do you keep track of must-visit vacation spots?

Thanks to Katy for telling me about the Mitsitam Cafe, a cafeteria-style dining spot in the National Museum of the American Indian. I’m glad I previewed the menu on their website – the food service area, which is divided by region, can be overwhelming to the indecisive.  The regions represented are Northern Woodlands, South America, the Northwest Coast, Meso America and the Great Plains.

The star of our meal was the Native Woodlands Mixed Grill, which consisted of two delectable appetizers:

• Cast Iron Seared Breast of Pheasant, Dried Cherry Pemmican
• Grilled Hardwood Smoked Venison, Wild Rice Pudding, Red Wine Cherry Reduction

This was up my alley – game is always tempting, I love the idea of wild rice pudding and I’m a fan of dried cherries. Both dishes had a good balance of flavors, and the meats were perfectly cooked.   This would be an inspirational addition to a game dinner menu.

Next, we shared a 5 Region Sampler Platter with two extra sides.

• Grilled buffalo strip loin
• Cedar planked salmon
• Hearts of palm salad
• Wild rice and watercress salad
• Black beans
• Side of seaweed and musrooms
• Three sisters salad (not pictured – giant beans, corn, squash)

Even though we were ravenous after a 5+ mile morning walk, this was a lot of food – maybe we should have just gotten the buffalo with a couple of sides.  The variety of dishes was irresistible, though.    I’ll be inspired to recreate some of these at home – I didn’t pick up a copy of the Mitsitam Cafe Cookbook during my visit because I was traveling light, but it’ll surely be a part of my next Amazon order.

• Mitsitam Cafe Website
• Link to Map

We took a whirlwind weekend trip to DC.  The timing was perfect – leave at 6am on Friday, return late Sunday night.  The price was also perfect at $98 round trip!  It’s such a short flight from Providence, just a little over an hour.

Fairy Duster flower at the Botanical Gardens, lights at Birch & Barley (fantastic brunch)
Chinatown gate, The Silk Rainforest by Sheila Hicks at the Renwick Gallery

We walked at least 12-15 miles a day, visited every museum we could find, and ate some memorable meals (I promise you’ll see another post or two about those…)

The Whiskey Republic is a new addition to Providence’s bar roster.  Opened by Ken Casey, bass player and vocalist for the Dropkick Murphys, the bar ”blends Irish roots with rock and roll style.”  I’ve had a soft spot for the band ever since I was lucky enough to catch them at a tiny American Legion hall in New Jersey twelve years ago – it was one of the most energetic shows I’ve seen.

We finally made it to The Whiskey Republic for a beer and a bite. The menu can best be described as creative bar food.  Instead of the usual buffalo sauce, their wings have a BBQ whiskey sauce.  I had a flavorful pulled pork sandwich with a spicy cumin  kick, and  J tried the chicken schnitzel sandwich, which was topped with a sunny side up egg.   Tasty food, nice water views, and of course a great playlist.

• http://www.thewhiskeyrepublic.com/
• 515 South Water Street, Providence, RI 02903

A poached egg is like a choice piece of jewelry; it has the ability to make a normal dish luxurious. The contrast between ethereal white and thick orange yolk is sensual. (But if you’ve had one, you already know that.)

L: Smoked salmon eggs benedict

R: Fall veggie hash (sweet potatoes, acorn squash, onions, leeks, garlic, sage) topped with an egg

If you enjoy poached eggs but have never made one, try. The first few may not be perfect, but after a bit of practice, you’ll be ready to host a top-notch brunch (maybe for mother’s day?)  Speaking of mothers, mine can poach eggs very well. I’m sure I called her a few times trying to remember her tricks – but now I’m confident enough to make 6-8 at a time.  After coffee.

L: Winter vegetables (romanesco cauliflower, napa cabbage, carrots, garlic, chili) in a lightly seasoned broth, topped with a poached egg.  Inspired by a breakfast at Nick’s on Broadway, a great place for egg-spiration.

R: Fall vegetables (delicata squash, onions, garlic, carrots, mild radishes, peppers, tomato) with sriracha hollandaise

There are step-by-step instructions for egg poaching on Simply Recipes.  My method is similar.  I don’t time my eggs, instead testing the egg with a very timid poke, and I err on the early side when removing the eggs, especially if they are headed for a warmed dish in the oven. I use a large skimmer from Ikea to remove each egg and gently shake off excess water.

Don’t forget that poached eggs can be great for dinner as well: on a hearty salad, bean stew, warm lentil salad… How do you like yours?

We went on our honeymoon to Hawaii over a year ago, in January 2010. Here’s a little peek from our stay at the Lucky Farm Bed and Breakfast in Kona, on the Big Island.

This B&B is not what usually comes to mind when you think “farm” – there are no rows of anything… just a jungle-like lush property with fruits, macadamia nuts, and coffee growing everywhere.   Avocados the size of a shot put, trees dripping with starfruit.  From our bed, we could see tiny lizards playing on the yellow-green skins of ripening bananas.

Cannonball avocado and grapefruits, by Jeremy May, Coffee berries and macadamia nuts, by me

We stayed in the Coffee Barn, a private cabin with an outdoor shower, formerly used for drying coffee berries.  At breakfast we drank coffee grown on the premises, which blew my mind.  And the morning fruit plate, freshly picked…

Fruit Plate at Lucky Farm

I developed a Caesar Salad habit when we first participated in a CSA, as a response to the bounty of lettuce, farm fresh eggs, and my spring salad cravings.

My favorite Caesar recipe is in Arthur Schwartz’s Cooking in a Small Kitchen (a cookbook I love so much, it’s losing pages). I adapt the recipe to use a blender jar – it’s quicker, and extra dressing can simply be stored in the jar.

Caesar Dressing
Adapted from Cooking in a Small Kitchen by Arthur Schwartz

• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce (I use Tabasco brand)
• 1.5 tsp red wine vinegar
• 4 anchovy filets
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 raw egg*

Combine all ingredients in a blender jar. Blend until creamy, about 30 seconds.

Toss dressing with romaine lettuce. Lately I’ve been skipping the croutons and just topping with thick shavings of Parmesan, which I make with my favorite OXO vegetable peeler.

* I don’t, as he does, coddle the egg. If you are wary of raw eggs, you can coddle an egg by boiling water, turning off the heat, and placing the egg – with the shell still on – in the water for a minute.

My interest in censorship issues was first piqued by the Parental Advisory Label; its standardization in 1990 coincided with my first music purchases. At the time, my strong feelings about the PMRC led me to write a letter to Tipper Gore (it was written in pencil on 3-hole paper from my Trapper Keeper). I’m not sure if I ever sent that letter, or if she received it, so consider this blog post my 20-year-late follow-up.

Even as a pre-teen I sympathized with parents’ desire to know about their kids’ musical choices (though this would be better accomplished through research and conversation), and I knew that limiting sales to those under 18 was not exactly tantamount to censorship. But the movement and its leaders’ intentions made me wary of the creeping scope to which civil liberties infringements are susceptible.

For example, the PMRC originally proposed labels that were more specific than, say, the FCC’s guidelines for obscenity (which I also find suspiciously subjective). One of their proposed categorizations was “O”, which would apply to music with occult content. This was clearly religious discrimination. After the senate hearing, the RIAA dropped these categorizations in favor of a general label, and the labeling program is voluntary; still, it left me suspicious about the motivations of would-be censors.

The ladies of the PMRC, my remix

A related 1985 quote by then-president Ronald Reagan:

“Music and the media floods [parents'] children’s world with glorifications of drugs and violence and perversity, and there’s nothing they can do about it, they’re told, because of the first amendment. Well, I don’t think James Madison, author of the Bill of Rights and one of Virginia’s proudest sons, ever imagined that his great document of liberty would be twisted into a pretext for license. I don’t believe that our Founding Fathers ever intended to create a nation where the rights of pornographers would take precedence over the rights of parents and the violent and malevolent would be given free rein to prey upon our children.”

Civil liberties have been on my mind a lot lately. Last week, I went to see Glenn Greenwald present about “Civil Liberties in the Age of Obama” at Brown University. He made many great points, including that civil liberties are hard rules…not negotiable, for example, in “times of war”. We can’t, as Reagan did in the above quote, speculate on the intentions of our founding fathers. The Bill of Rights is so powerful and relevant because of its non-specificity: it continues to protect the minority from the majority reglardless of the specifics of current issues.

I’d like to share a few of the points he made (undoubtedly less eloquently):

1. Many people believe if they aren’t currently targeted, civil rights violations shouldn’t worry them. But Mr. Greenwald emphasized that they should, because civil liberties violations are subjective and bound to have a creeping scope: a scope which may very well include them someday. This really resonates with me.

2. Potential civil liberties violations are “sold” to the public by the use of repugnant examples. A case I saw recently: US can conduct off site searches of computers seized at borders. It’s OK, because it helps us catch pedophiles, right? We should be suspicious of this kind of marketing.

An endorsement of civil liberties does not have to be an endorsement of everyone they protect. This famous quote comes to mind: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” (Voltaire summarized by Evelyn Beatrice Hall)

3. Bi-partisan disregard for civil liberties is deadening the public debate about these issues. When a Republican was in the White House, Democrats were eager to point out violations of civil liberties, and Obama explicitly promised a change in the way civil liberties were handled. Now that civil liberties violations have continued, and in many cases gotten worse, it’s important to keep the public discourse alive. Two related links about the Obama administration’s failings in the civil liberties arena:

• Glenn Greenwald for Salon, on Obama’s civil liberties violations
• A more humourous version: Jon Stewart on the Daily Show talks about Obama and civil liberties