While on this trip I discovered many wild and wonderful things, including 7 of the 12 entries below on my list and several of the honorable mentions. I met the amazing food writer John T. Edge whose book “Southern Belly: The Ultimate Food Lover’s Companion to the South” was one of my key culinary guides to my trip and who in turn introduced me to chef John Currence of City Grocery (and James Beard award winner, Best Chef, South) and they both in turn pointed me in the direction of Chefs Frank Stitt and Chris Hastings of Birmingham, AL and Mike Lata, Sean Brock and Robert Stehling of Charleston, SC. More on all of them, later.

Through these folks and Sigrid Tiedtke of the Enzian Theater in Winter Park, FL (home of the Florida Film Festival) I was also introduced to Southern cuisine and a wonderful organization called the Southern Foodways Alliance, with which I hope to have a long and fruitful relationship!

So here, without further rambling, my top food moments of 2009, presented in chronological order.

Unassuming doesn't cover it, but inside is pure pie gold!

March – Craig Brothers Cafe & Mary’s Family Pie Shop (De Valls Bluff, AR):

Good lord. De Valls Bluff is pretty much the capital of Nowhere, Arkansas, has fewer than 800 residents, is a 90 mile drive SW from Memphis and is 8 miles off the interstate but good lord the lunch you can have, there. You’d never run into this place by chance, of course so take heed. The only reason I know about it comes from reading “Southern Belly,” which guided me to a number of fine eateries in the South. Calling Craig Bros. Cafe a shack is not an exaggeration. It’s a small, unassuming building on Walnut Street and is the kind of place unadventurous eaters and “safe” travelers would avoid. Sucks for them, because it’s exactly that kind of place where one can finds sublime eating experiences, as is the case with their BBQ chopped pork sandwiches. Served with mild, medium or hot sauce (I go with medium) the sandwich is the perfect mix of juicy slow-smoked pork and crispy burnt bits served, as is the Memphis-area style, with slaw on the sandwich, wrapped in tissue paper.

After lunch, head across the street to Mary’s Family Pie Shop (look for the house with “Pie Shop” spray painted on it) for some of the most delectable pies on earth. $8.60 for a large! Try the chocolate, coconut or any other kind she’s got. You’ll thank me.

March – Smitty’s Market (Lockhart, TX): My first experience with real Texas BBQ was a serious exercise in excellence in meat. No plates, no forks. Plastic knives & Shiner Bock. And meat. Sweet, spicy, smokey meat!

March/April – New Orleans: From your first “Where y’at, cher?” this city says “Come on in, take a load off and eat well!” A city with its own cuisine, a city with a soul like no other and a city where you can eat a different meal every day for a year and still have something new to eat on New Year’s Day. From breakfast at Stanley on historic Jackson Square in the Quarter http://stanleyrestaurant.com/ to a Johnny’s Special Po-Boy at (duh) Johnny’s http://www.johnnyspoboy.com/ to dinners at Cochon, NOLA, K-Paul’s and Lüke, my 2 visits to The Big Easy were food heaven.

Bread pudding and vintage port, Lüke restaurant, New Orleans.

Spring – Southern Chefs: Sean Brock, John Currence, Chris Hastings, Mike Lata, Robert Stehling and Frank Stitt

Brock, 2009 James Beard Rising Chef of the year nominee, is the executive chef at McCrady’s http://www.mccradysrestaurant.com/ in Charleston and my two dinners there in early May were among the best meals I’ve ever had, with the 7 course tasting menu a magical mix of molecular gastronomy and the locavore ideal. Makes sense, since Brock runs his own farm that helps supply the restaurant.

New Orleans native Currence runs a mini-empire http://www.bigbadbreakfast.com/ in Oxford, MS which includes  City Grocery, Bouré, Big Bag Breakfast (BBB) and Snack Bar, four very different and wonderful eateries in this relatively small University town of 19,000 (almost doubled, when you include students). Johnny Snack, as he’s sometimes known, was named Best Chef, South at the 2009 James Beard Awards and he continues to dazzle, acting also as the culinary coordinator for the Southern Foodways Alliance’s annual symposium (see below). Skip breakfast at the BBB at your peril.

2 eggs, country ham, grits, red-eye gravy and a biscuit at the BBB!

Lata’s joint FIG http://www.eatatfig.com/ (stands for Food Is Good) in Charleston, SC is fine dining in the guise of a neighborhood joint. The proof that one doesn’t have to charge astronomical prices and put on airs to cook extraordinary fresh food. The best chefs are the ones that change their menu according to what’s the freshest, tastiest and local and Lata’s at the top of his game.

Sautéed Young Greens, chile and garlic w/ Anson Mills Farrotto and English peas at FIG.

Hastings’ Hot & Hot Fish Club http://www.hotandhotfishclub.com/ which he operates with wife Idie is a jewel in a surprisingly (to this Yankee) robust Birmingham, Alabama food scene. Sit at the open kitchen and watch them shine. I can’t say enough about the Fudge Farms pork shoulder noodle bowl with poached farm egg. Again, “local” is the word that unites these chefs and their work speaks for themselves.

Fudge Farms pork shoulder noodle bowl with poached farm egg.

2008 Beard Award winner (best chef, Southeast) Stehling’s Hot Pepper Jelly is reason enough to visit his Hominy Grill http://hominygrill.com/ in Charleston. Sure, come for the jelly, but stay for the shrimp and grits. Seriously, Charleston deserves an entry all of its own and could make a case for  being the best per capita food city in America.

Much like Stehling’s hot pepper jelly (which has become a staple on my own table), Frank Stitt’s parmesan souffle at Bottega http://www.bottegarestaurant.com/ in Birmingham is the stuff of dreams. Literally. The godfather of Birmingham chefs, Stitt single-handedly put the city on the culinary map when he opened Highlands Bar & Grill http://www.highlandsbarandgrill.com/ in 1982. I’ve had 3 meals at his joints and they’ve all be exceptional, even revelatory.

Parmesan Soufflé w/Galloni prosciutto, wild mushrooms and thyme at Bottega.

June – Round Swamp Farm http://www.roundswampfarm.com/home.html (East Hampton, NY): There are loads of farm stands out in these parts, but this family-run spot is head and shoulders above the rest. The family have run the stand for over 40 years and come from a long line of farmers and fishers. The fish counter has a sign each day indicating what fish were brought in that morning by local bay men. It can seem pricey, but it’s the best local produce and fish and the friendliest place around.

June – Matt & Ted Lee’s The Lee Brothers Southern Cookbook http://mattleeandtedlee.com/lee-bros/our-first-cookbook/ and Boiled Peanuts Catalog http://www.boiledpeanuts.com/: Along with my Spring swing through the South, this book and catalog from the fabulous Lee Brothers did more to shape my recent culinary explorations than anything else. Combining Lowcountry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowcountry_cuisine and Bonac cuisine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonackers has delighted me (and my many guests) for the better part of this year. Shrimp, local littleneck clams and caramelized leeks over Lady Cream and red-hulled peas or fried local fluke, Peconic Bay scallops and Spanish chorizo over red-hulled peas are just two ways these two coastal cuisines have merged in my kitchen.

Shrimp, local littleneck clams and caramelized leeks over Lady Cream and red-hulled peas.

Labor Day Weekend – My first home-smoked pork butt: It took 11 hours, I didn’t have any meat syringes to inject the brine, had never smoked anything before and had a party full of discerning Southerners but I managed to pull it off. The BBQ sauce I had on hand from Craig Brothers didn’t hurt.

September – Almond Restaurant’s roast chicken (Bridgehampton & NYC, NY): Quite simply, the greatest chicken dish I have ever had. In its current state it’s served over a bed of cavolo nero (Tuscan black kale, w/house-cured bacon in the NYC locale) and celery root puree with natural juices. The thigh and leg are cooked en confit, while the breast is roasted. The difference in textures along with a wonderfully crisp flavorful skin (I usually can’t stand chicken skin) and the pan juices over the kale and celery root make for a rich, hearty and satisfying dish, perfect for an East End winter’s night!

Halloween Weekend – The Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium: I have never experienced something so short (3 days) that so quickly captured the summer camp vibe of my childhood. Run by an organization dedicated to preserving and teaching the legacy of southern food culture, the symposium was part lecture, part cocktail party, part group feed and all fun. I met some people on my first trip this year that I hope will be friends for the rest of my life.

David Chang's Bo Ssäm (slow-roasted pork shoulder) with kimchi Brussels sprouts & whole peanuts.

Halloween – My first Hog Pickin’: After the SFA symposium,  I was lucky enough to be invited to a hog picking. Basically a whole hog roast for about 40 people in a backyard. The pig is roasted for over a day and the host makes his own BBQ sauce. I’d never had it before, but I sure want to have it again. It was one of the most purely community-oriented food experiences I’ve ever had, with the vibe of a culinary barn raising.

Thanksgiving at the Rattray’s – East Hampton, NY: I look forward to this gathering for about 11 months and 29 days each year. Great family friends, good wine and food: local oysters “Rattray,” ham, turkey, ham, cranberries, ham, pumpkin cheesecake (par moi), ham and the sublime persimmon pudding. I’m drooling like Homer….. Next year I plan on bringing one of Colonel Newsom’s aged Kentucky hams! http://www.newsomscountryham.com

Mmmmmm, ham!

Peconic bay scallops with local littleneck clams & chorizo over purple-hulled peas.

December – Maine Shrimp & Peconic bay scallop seasons: This one’s easy. It’ll be on my list every year from now until the day I die. If I lived in Damascus, I’d figure out how to get these delicacies mailed to me. The deep water shrimp are so delicate, only the slightest amount of heat is needed to cook them and in fact, are perfectly good to eat raw (they are served as ama-ebi on sushi menus all along the East coast). Don’t use heavy sauces because much like the bay scallops they are sweet and full of flavor all on their own. If you can get them from your fish market with the heads still on, all the better, since the heads contribute incredible flavor to a wonderful stock. See my risotto recipe: http://www.eatingisfundamental.com/2009/12/18/recipe-maine-shrimp-risotto/

As for the scallops, pretty much everything I said above for the shrimp applies for these bivalves. Infinitely more delicate and sweet than their larger cousins from the sea, bays cook up in no time and make for a marvelous, quick and easy special dinner. At $17/lb more than the Maine shrimp, bay scallops are not really every day fare, but for a special dinner or as a part of a seafood feast, they can’t be beat.

Honorable mentions:

BBQ Spaghetti, The Bar-B-Q Shop – Memphis TN: Seriously. It’s fucking great.

Beef Stew, my house – East Hampton, NY: Yes, I listed something I make myself. Why? It’s that goddamn good.

Coca-Cola Cake at Jestine’s Kitchen – Charleston, SC: Yep. You read right. It’s all good at Jestine’s.

The Candy Kitchen’s Peanut Butter & Bacon sandwich on white toast -  Bridgehampton, NY: Duh. The place has been around since 1925 for a reason.

Hog’s Head Cheese, Cochon Restaurant- New Orleans, LA: If only for teaching me that head cheese isn’t, in fact, some really nasty-ass shit, but can be fantastic.

Nikki’s West – Birmingham, AL: Where I learned of a tasty fish called Scamp, ate of the most wondrous onion rings on earth and was so intimidated by the buffet line that I chose to order off the menu. Big mistake, apparently. Word has it, the buffet is akin to the 8th wonder of the world. http://www.nikiswest.com/

Sam’s Pizza http://www.samseasthampton.com/, East Hampton, NY: 2x shrimp, clams, garlic, gorgonzola and bacon, light on the mozzarella and well done. Perfection. An East Hampton landmark since 1947!

1 good glug extra virgin olive oil

2 medium Spanish/Yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped

6 cloves garlic, smashed

A few springs of fresh Thyme

1 cup white wine

2 quarts Water

1 Lemon, halved

A few cloves

shells/heads from 1 lb of Maine shrimp, preferably raw

Salt and pepper

N.B. You can throw all sorts of things in the stock. The original recipe called for celery and fennel, nether of which I really care for, so I left them out and milled tomatoes which didn’t really fit the flavor I was going for (and I don’t have a food mill nor access to really nice, fresh tomatoes in January) so I left them out too. I didn’t hew too closely to any one recipe and adapted a few different ones to suit my taste. Also, the amount of stock you can make will depend on the amount of water and shells you use. The amount I gave you should make enough for two.

Heat a large pot (4+ quarts, preferable enamel) over medium-high heat and add oil. When the oil gets hot, add onions and sweat them for a minute or two. They don’t need to be cooked/translucent. Add garlic and thyme and cook for another minute or so. Add the wine and simmer for another minute and then add the water. Squeeze the juice from the lemon in the water and then drop the lemon halves in. Toss in the cloves and shrimp shells and heads, season with a very little kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Simmer the stock for a good hour, until it’s reduced. Try not to boil it or it will reduce too quickly. If this happens, add more water. The trick is to have 3-4 cups of stock for every 3/4 cup of uncooked risotto (2 main servings) you will end up using.

NB: Don’t be afraid to taste the stock and add ingredients to suit your tastes.

When the stock is done, pass it through a fine sieve or a chinois. If you are going to use it immediately, put it back on the stove at a very low heat. Enough to keep it hot, but not high enough to boil/reduce it any further. If you’re not going to use it right away, let it cool slightly and it can be refrigerated for a few days or frozen for an extended period of time.

Risotto recipe after the jump:

Risotto:

2 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T high quality butter, unsalted

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 T tomato paste

1 lg. clove garlic, finely chopped

3/4 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

3-4 cups of hot Maine shrimp stock

1 lb of Maine Shrimp

1/2 cup of grated parmesano reggiano

white pepper

minced parsley for garnish

Shell the shrimp and reserve the heads and shells (for your next batch of stock, natch!) Try to keep as much of the roe with the shrimp as possible, as they add flavor and color to the dish. They’re sticky, but worth it! Don’t rinse the shrimp. They don’t need it and are so delicate that the water will wash away some flavor.

Heat olive oil and butter in large, heavy bottomed pan over medium heat.

Add shallots, cooking until shallots soften and turn golden, about 2-3 minutes.

Add tomato paste and stir until paste darkens, about 1 -2 minutes more, stirring frequently.

Add garlic and stir for a brief 30 seconds. Burnt garlic means you have to start over!

Add rice and stir to coat with oil until rice turns translucent. 2-3 minutes. Add white wine and simmer, stirring, until wine is just about absorbed.

Over a medium/high heat, start adding stock to the rice mixture in 1/4 to 1/2 cup increments, stirring constantly until the rice absorbs the liquid. The constant stirring is vital in order to keep the rice grains from sticking to the pot and each other.

When the rice is softening just past the “al dente” stage (about 3 cups and 15-18 minutes) and is taking on a creamy texture, stir in the cheese. If the rice thickens too much, add another 1/4 cup of stock and stir for 2-3 minutes, then turn off the heat and add the shrimp, stirring gently. Let sit for a few minutes. The shrimp need almost no cooking (they are eaten raw in sushi restaurants as “Ama ebi” and the heat from the rice will do the job.

Season with pepper to taste. No added salt is needed with the shrimp and parmesan.

Serve in bowls with a sprinkle of curly parsley and grated parmesan.

Serves 4 as an appetizer or two as an entree.

Now on to seafood. Two of the most delectable sea creatures I can imagine come into season during the fall and winter months: bay scallops and Maine shrimp. In the Northeast, Peconic and Nantucket bay scallop season starts around early November and continues until March. This year’s Peconic haul looks to be the best in years (similar stories are floating south from Mass.) and may even top last year’s haul of 9,942 pounds. If that seems like a small amount to you, it is but consider this: according to Newsday.com the entire statewide haul (which comes exclusively from Long Island waters) was a mere 53 pounds as recently as 1996 while in 1982 it was 500,000 pounds. As a resuly, prices fluxuate greatly. This year the retail price during the first week was about $19/lb where I live in East Hampton and it’s since ballooned to about $25/lb. However, consider that even at 10,000 lbs for the season, that’s only $250,000 retail! The Baymen are getting much less than that.

All things considered, that’s a lot of money to pay and certainly not an every day meal, but they are so sweet and so rich, that a mere 1/4 lb with some veggies and pasta can make a satisfying meal. See?

A quick dinner of Peconic bay scallops, shrimp and caramelized Brussels sprouts over rigatoni

Don’t worry if you don’t like scallops (I used to hate them). Odds are the scallops you’re exposed to are sea scallops (much larger with a less delicate flavor than bays) and treated with something called sodium tripolyphosphate, or STP. If you can find “dry packed,” untreated sea scallops, give them a shot but in the meantime, try the Bays if you have access to them. They’re sweet, delicate and rich, all at once and don’t taste anything like what most people think of as “scallops.”

As for Maine shrimp, these are a variety of deep water shrimp that are only in season for 6 months or less each year (this year’s season started December 1st and runs 180 days). They’re also very small, around 50/pound. If you’ve seen ama ebi or “raw sweet shrimp” on a sushi menu, odds are it’s these babies. While I’ve never had them raw (that’s a goal for this winter) they are easy to cook and extremely cheap. Even at fancy markets like Citarella in New York, they are only about $7/pound. If you’re lucky enough to be in driving distance of the Maine coast, you can find them sold along the road for as little as $2-$3 a pound. Maine shrimp begin life as males and after a year become sexually mature and swim out to deep water where they mate with females who in turn swim back to shore, laden with roe. Most of the shrimp sold in markets are these females and the bright blue roe (which turns red with heat) adds a wonderful color and flavor to dishes.

I’ll post a few of my favorite recipes in following posts, but you can google these wonderful crustaceans and bivalves and find some you can make as well!