Week of Jan 24, 2022 Update
In the summer of 1993, I spent three months travelling through Europe with my girlfriend at the time. We met up at one point with a American friend who had a German boyfriend with a VW van. They picked us up in Paris and we made our way down to Spain.
Taking our time winding through the wine country of Bordeaux, quiet little towns like St. Emillion and Pomerol, we made our way down the coast and decided to camp out in St Jean De Luz, a gorgeous little fishing town in French Basque country right across the border from San Sebastien. After about a week of spending 24/7 with another couple, we were looking for some alone time (as the other couple were too) and so we split up for the day.
We had such a lovely and romantic day walking around admiring they beauty of this historic area. Late in the afternoon, we walked along the fishing dock area and saw fishermen grilling up fresh sardines. We looked at each other and decided we may have stumbled upon dinner. So, we bought some sardines which they wrapped in newspaper for $2. We walked back through town and picked up a baguette for $0.50 and a no name bottle of wine for another $2. We were poor travelers after all but we had taste.
We made our way up to the campground up near a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, laid out a blanket, our food and poured the wine into plastic cups. The sun would be setting over the next hour and we enjoyed the spectacular beauty of the place, the freshness of grilled sardines sprinkled with lemon juice and sea salt, a crunchy piece of bread and some tasty fruity red wine. Looking at each other with love in our eyes and hearts made everything taste that much better.
Now, I've gotten into plenty of conversations with people about the best meal I ever had and that answer has always been focused on a restaurant like Daniel in New York or even Bibou right here in Philly. However, if I were to be standing in line to go through the Pearly Gates and one of the angels offered us the opportunity to pick a meal we would like to have for all time in heaven, I wouldn't pick any of those. I would pick that meal in St Jean De Luz at that place with the woman I love. That, indeed, is the best meal I ever had.
Now the reason I tell you this is that so many of you last week shared with us very dear and very important memories about eating sardines but especially with eating walleye. Many of you got to taste a piece of the home you left over the weekend. The stories about going fishing or growing up and eating this fish in the Midwest are as deep as my own memory for sardines. Food can have quite an amazing power in our lives. As you cook or learn to cook some of the seafood you have risked cooking at home over the past two years, I hope you may have created some more memories for yourselves and maybe even for your kids. Pretty awesome.
Anyway, to get to the fish stuff for the week. Things are still a mess our there as far a fishing goes. The ocean has been quite rough and turbulent though things seem to be dying down a bit and more boats are going out. So, I am not totally sure about the whole selection but it looks like we will be seeing some yellowtail sole fillets, scallops and maybe crabmeat...
The salmon salmon of the week remains coming from the Faroe Islands. This stuff, uchhhh..so good and sushi grade to boot. Mussels are the shellfish of the week. All other usual suspects will be around as well.
Another collab this week is a selection of cheeses from Meadow Creek Creamery in Galax, Virginia. I think it is kind of neat to focus on one creamery at a time. You get a good sense of their personality, so to speak. I will give you a description of the three cheeses with the order form email.
That's it from me. Let's see if something else shakes out.
I know, I know.. that's a lot of words....
Look out for the order form for Fairmount/444 N 4th St on
Look out for the order form for Fitler/Rittenhouse/Washington Sq Thursday at 9am.
Peace
Robert Amar
Small World Seafood
Owner