Go Shuck An Oyster

Daniel Klien's "Eat An Oyster, Save The Environment" - Repost

2012-01-11T17:57:00.003-05:00

A fun and educational video about a benefit of oysters, cleaning our waters!

The Perennial Plate Episode 86: Mine Oyster from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

For more information about Daniel Klein and The Perennial Plate, visit http://www.theperennialplate.com/.

Used with permission - Episode 82: In the Name of Queens

Holiday Oyster Photos - Thanks for sharing!

2011-12-23T17:20:00.011-05:00

We love receiving photos from our readers showcasing the oysters they eat. Feel free to send yours to us at josh@goshuckanoyster.com and we'll add them to our blog from time to time. Here are some recent submissions:

The DiGiammarino Family sent in a photo from "our second annual Feast of the Seven Fishes. We enjoyed twice as many oysters this year - Island Creek, Moon Shoal and Beach Point. To round out the meal, we also enjoyed shrimp, smoked salmon, calamari, scallops, conch, and mussels. Yum." What a great family!

Mrs. Spencer (sideways - sorry, I couldn't figure out how to turn the picture) shared with us her empty plate after enjoying oysters at her home in Maine. (we hope the three extra oysters were consumed!) I had the opportunity to meet her last year at the B and G Oyster Fest. Being a seafood family, a picture of her daughter Lesley is below, posing with a lobster roll when she worked at Five Island Seafood years ago in Maine.

Finally, our very own Rachel, shucked this wonderful plate of Island Creek Oysters at a recent house party. Rachel learned to shuck oysters at a class offered at Mercato del Mare in Boston, MA.

We hope your holidays are filled with happiness and oysters. Please feel free to share your photos with us, during the holiday and throughout the year.

Old Catonsville: Oyster lovers appreciate shucker's skill Wednesday nights

2011-12-21T21:23:00.000-05:00

(Photo by Maggie Schorr)

Frank Welsh started shucking oysters when he was 13 years old. "My father taught me and my two brothers. He taught me to shuck a 'pretty' oyster," said Welsh, who has taught his son and grandson the craft.

The 68-year-old Welsh shucks oysters and clams every Wednesday night at Chef Paolino's, 726 Frederick Road, for dozens of regulars and first timers. He also shucks at events at La Fontaine Bleu in Glen Burnie and at private parties.

He said he makes the weekly drive in from Sussex County Delaware, for his "best friend," Paul Delfico, the owner of the Catonsville restaurant. "Shucking oysters is an art," he said. "I make it look like a picture, with no shells and no holes."

The Wednesday evening raw bar features plump, cold, oysters and clams from the Tangier Sound served with cocktail sauce, lemon or hot sauce.

Regulars come from all over the metro area, including Dundalk, Pikesville and Highlandtown.

Welsh recalls one customer who so enjoyed the offerings that he ate 11 dozen oysters in one sitting.

By Maggie Schorr, MaggieSchorr@comcast.net
8:50 PM EST, December 18, 2011

Posted with permission. Original story online at:

Old Catonsville: Oyster lovers appreciate shucker's skill Wednesday nights

Happy Bivalvus!

2011-12-07T21:33:00.000-05:00

December 10th is Bivalvus day on Cape Cod:

Happy Bivalvus to all those who celebrate!

The Atlantic launches late-night Oyster bar

2011-11-29T17:20:00.000-05:00

Oyster lovers can now enjoy can enjoy the pick of Australia’s best rock, flat and black-lipped oysters at the newly opened Champagne and Oyster Bar at The Atlantic at Crown Melbourne.

Newly opened Champagne and Oyster Bar at The Atlantic at The Crown sets up as the Southern Hemisphere's own Oyster shrine

Open until 1am, seven nights a week, Champagne and Oyster Bar centres around the thrill of oyster serving seasonal stand outs that include varieties such as the sweet St Helen’s Moulting Bay, the salty Coffin Bay, the creamy Dunalley shucked to order. Menu staples include oyster shots, the classic Kilpatrick and chef Donovan Cooke’s tempura oyster.

Oysters are accompanied with chilled Friend & Burrell Superior Osetra Caviar by the spoon and an extensive menu of champagnes, beers and wines, including preferred champagne Laurent Perrier.

Launch event at The Atlantic's Champagne and Oyster bar

Champagne and Oyster Bar executive chef, Donovan Cooke has created a bar menu that includes hot snacks like yakitori skewers, tempura soft shell crab with jalapeño ponzu and the classic Atlantic seafood chowder.

“I wanted to stick with exceptional ingredients, simply and quickly prepared to order. That is the heart of a great bar experience,” said Donovan.

“It’s about serving food that is casual, fast and most importantly bloody good.”

Launch event at The Atlantic's Champagne and Oyster bar

Informal bar and table seating, along with a flaming purple banquette for larger groups have been designed to cater for groups of all sizes and is all complete with in-house DJs and a VIP private room.

Positioned to take in the Yarra River views, the bar oversees an intriguing series of illuminated steps that lead down into The Den, a subterranean New York style bar devised for any combination of nightcap and late-night rendezvous.

“Start with oysters upstairs and see what happens downstairs,” said Hatem Saleh, managing director of the Atlantic Group of Companies advising guests wanting to experience the new bar.

For more information visit www.theatlantic.com.au

Original article online at: www.spicenews.com.au/2011/11/29/article/The-Atlantic-launches-late-night-Oyster-bar/SGOQHGFSIX.html

Oyster Stuffing for Turkey

2011-11-12T21:55:00.001-05:00

We always love when readers send us their favorite oyster recipes, stories, pictures, etc. Here is a recent email from John C for you to enjoy this Thanksgiving:

For those who want to add a flair to turn that often-bland turkey stuffing into a special treat on Thanksgiving Day, Grand Central Oyster Bar executive chef Sandy Ingber offers Oyster Stuffing for "Turkey-Day." Chef Ingber also recommends Bay Scallops Scampi as an appetizer for the Thanksgiving Day feast, and that recipe is also below, as well.

Oyster Stuffing for Turkey

Yield: enough stuffing for 1 Turkey

Ingredients:

1# loaf of white bread, cut into ½" cubes
2 cups medium diced Spanish onions
1 cup med diced celery
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¾ cup chicken stock
¼ cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
24 pieces of shucked Bluepoint oysters

Directions:

1) Dry cut bread cubes overnight or toast in a low temp oven until crisp. Melt ½ the butter in a medium skillet. Add onions and celery, cooking until onions are translucent about 5 minutes. Add garlic, sage, thyme and nutmeg; cook for 30 seconds more.

2) Combine cooked vegetables with bread cubes, parsley, stock, milk and eggs, mixing gently. Fold in Oysters. Season with salt and pepper. This stuffing can be made up to 2 days in advance. If not stuffing into poultry for roasting, transfer mixture to a large oiled baking dish, dot surface with pats of remaining butter. Take a piece of wax paper and lightly oil both sides and place of top of stuffing. Bake in a 350 degree oven until crisp on top and stuffing temperature reaches 160 degrees.

NOTE:

This stuffing can keep refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. First remove oysters then transfer stuffing to a microwaveable dish and reheat in microwave to 140 degrees. Add oysters back in to dish a microwave for 1 more minute. Serve immediately.

Pan Fried Nantucket Bay Scallops Scampi

Ingredients

2# unwashed fresh Nantucket Bay Scallops
1 tablespoon white wine
4 ounces Feta cheese, cut into small chunks 1 avocado, large diced
Spaghetti Squash, recipe follows
Fresh arugula, for garnish

Preparation

-Place 2/3 of the scampi butter in a large saute pan over high heat and melt.

-Add in bay scallops and cook for about 1 minute, moving them around in the pan.

-Sizzle with the white wine and cook for just another minute more.

-Remove from heat and stir in the remaining scampi butter, Feta cheese, and avocado
chunks.

-Serve over hot spaghetti squash and garnish with fresh arugula.

Scampi Butter Ingredients:

1/4 # unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash ground white pepper
Dash Worcestershire sauce

Pan Fried Nantucket Bay Scallops Scampi

1 lemon, juiced

Preparation

-In a bowl with a wire whisk, mix together all ingredients until well
blended.

Spaghetti Squash directions

-Cut 1 large Spaghetti Squash in half the long ways.

-Remove seeds with a spoon.

-Place the 2 halves of squash, cut side down, on a sheet pan and add enough warm
Water to fill up about ½ inch on sides.

-Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until skin feels soft.

-Immediately remove from oven and flip the squash over, being careful because they
will be hot, but you don’t want the squash to absorb the water on pan.

-Gently use a fork to separate the strands of spaghetti squash.

Special thanks to John C. for providing the information above.

Oysters for Thanksgiving and Christmas

2011-11-08T18:36:00.001-05:00

Here is a list of our top five places to choose from to order your oysters for Thanksgiving and Christmas:

Island Creek Oysters
www.islandcreekoyster.com
781-934-2028
- Fresh oysters from Duxbury, MA, razor clams by the pound, or try the "Yankee Thanksgiving sampler" which contains one dozen of three oyster varieties (Island Creeks, Moon Shoals, and Chathams) from Cape Cod, a shucking knife and gloves. With all that other food, three dozen is the perfect amount to add to your Thanksgiving wherever you live.

American Mussel Harvesters
www.americanmussel.com
401-294-8999
- Live mussels, oysters and clams shipped daily fast and fresh.
- Read a review from our blog

Taylor Shellfish Farms
www.taylorshellfishfarms.com
360-432-3300
- Fresh shellfish from the Pacific Northwest including: oysters, clams, mussels and geoduck.
- Read a review from our blog.

Farm 2 Market - F2M
www.farm-2-market.com
800-477-2967
- Your order will leave the farm and arrive the next morning to your kitchen, anywhere in America.
- Enter Promotional Code: GoShuck to receive a free oyster shucking knife.
- Read a review from our blog.

H.M. Terry Company, Inc.
www.hmterryco.com
757-442-7777
- Fresh ocean oysters and clams from VA.
- Read a review from our blog.

Don't forget your oyster shucking knife and glove. Pick up a few for yourself and your holiday guests.

Happy holidays!

Book Signing: Shucked.

2011-10-15T18:07:00.002-04:00

If you live in the Northeast, you had a few good options to get your fill of oysters today. Our staff split up with Adam covering the great Wellfleet Oyster Fest in Wellfleet, MA and some of us went to the Barnes & Noble in Hingham, MA to hear Erin Byers Murray as she read from her new book, "Shucked: Life on a New England Oyster Farm".

Having just received the book last night, I am only on chapter 3, so I'll have my complete review sometime next week. For now, I can tell you that it has alreadly exceeded my expectations as it has my mind wandering toward the water picturing Erin and her crew culling (sorting) oysters. Having visited and toured many oyster farms, I was very familiar with this sorting process but I had missed an important point that perhaps separates the good farmers from the best farmers. During the sorting process, Erin let us know that she wasn't just sorting by size but also looking for cracks in the shell, hollow shells that signify dead oysters, and even thinking about how the oyster would sit on a plate at the restaurant it would ultimately be delivered to. I'm really looking forward to finding the time to finish this book.

After the book reading and speaking with Erin for a few minutes, more than half of the crowd walked a few steps over to Jasper White's Summer Shack for oysters and to discuss the book. It had been a while since I had been to one of Jasper's restaurants; what a mistake, as I really enjoyed everything I ate. All of us enjoyed the mussels cooked in fra diavlo sauce. We used every inch of our bread to soak up as much of the sauce as we could. The peel and eat shrimp, cooked in a mesh bag that had been steamed to perfection with old bay, celery and onions, were very tasty and fun to eat. The selection of oysters was impressive but the prices tend to be on the higher side. We ate Onset oysters today that come from Buzzards Bay. They were plump, salty, and had hints of seaweed taste. "Very yummy," as wife says.

Erin has several book signings and events coming up. I suggest attending one and getting your copy of her booked signed. This young author's signature will probably be worth a lot someday, especially if that signature is on her first book. For a list of upcoming book signings and events, visit Erin's blog by clicking here. The book is a great buy for those who know nothing about oysters, to the oyster aficionado, and especially for anyone who ever thought about leaving a job to experience something different or something more satisfying.

"Shucked" is now shipping!

2011-10-13T19:50:00.000-04:00

Anxiously waiting for my copy of
"Shucked" to arrive from Amazon!

Mass Oyster Project and Mayflower Brewery

2011-09-27T17:15:00.000-04:00

Many of us enjoy oysters with beer. Recently, the folks from the Massachusetts Oyster Project (MOP) held an event at the Mayflower Brewing Company for an afternoon of just that, oysters and beers.

Here is a video from the event:

Rumor has it that the two groups will be getting together again in the future to repeat the event with more oysters. To stay up-to-date on events organized by the Massachusetts Oyster Project, follow them on Facebook or read the MOP blog online by clicking here.

If you would like us to post news about your oyster related event, please send your stories (including any pictures, links and videos) to josh@goshuckanoyster.com for consideration. There is no fee for this service, we just love to spread the word about oyster happenings around the world.

Tongue-in-Cheek Oyster News

2011-08-07T12:31:00.001-04:00

If you are someone who looks for information about oysters online and you have not found the work of Richard Rush yet, you've been missing out. With his new tongue-in-cheek approach on Facebook, information about oysters is accessible in a new, fun, and entertaining format. His most recent writings include "Child's Pet Oyster Escapes" and "Monster Oyster from Outer Space is a Proven Hoax". 'Like' his Facebook page to receive his information. As of today, he has 12 Likes. I'm willing to bet a dozen oysters that Oyster Information Newsletter will have triple digit 'Likes' soon.

Once you've done your homework, try your luck with his free oyster exam. If you do well, you'll receive a Certificate of Achievement, suitable for framing.

For those into crossword puzzles and oysters, Richard Rush designed an oyster-related crossword that I trust you'll enjoy.

And, for those still with questions about shucking oysters at home, check out his The Home Shucking News for the missing information you've been looking for.

I hope you enjoy Richard's Oyster Information as much as we do. Let us know by posting a comment below.

Rome’s Leading Oyster Aficionada: Emanuela Gismondi of Tuna

2011-07-23T16:48:00.002-04:00

By Travel Editor: Rand Hoch

Italy has so much coastline and so many lakes. How could the country not produce great oysters?

That was out thinking when Michael and I planned our summer road trip from Rome southward to Italy’s Amalfi Coast.

We knew we could find oysters on the menus of Italy’s leading restaurants. But when we first arrived in Rome, we found only Bélons from Brittany.

While Bélons happen to be among our favorites, after last summer’s road trip through Halifax and Prince Edward Island, we longed for some variety.

Unfortunately, Our concierge at Hotel de la Ville Roma did not have a clue where to find a restaurant with a selection of oysters in the Eternal City. So Michael and I spent our next few days wandering around the city, inquiring – in vain -- about oysters.

One evening over cocktails at our hotel’s Emperor Terrace bar, we watched the sun set and the stars emerge. Enjoying the view of Saint Peter’s in the distance, we began to eavesdrop on our fellow guests. Soon, we overheard a local businessman giving restaurant advise to clients who were staying at the hotel.

Should we admit to eavesdropping and ask for advice?

Absolutely!

We picked the right man, as he frequented a restaurant called Tuna, which specializes in shellfish and seafood.

“You need to speak with Emanuela Gismondi,” he said with an air of certainty. “She knows more about oysters than anyone in Italy.”

I sent Emanuela an introductory e-mail message and she quickly responded, inviting us to Tuna the following evening.

Located on the Via Veneto just off Piazza Barberini, Tuna is simply alluring. The ice filled window display of today’s fresh offerings from the sea beckons you in. Elevated just behind a huge steel basin of seafood, the chef is busy working his magic – much to the delight of people strolling by.

The restaurants’s all-white interior removes any distractions from the purpose of your visit – the most creatively prepared raw shellfish and seafood in Rome.

Minutes after a waiter seated us on white couches in the Oyster Bar – just across from the chef’s station, Emanuela came out to greet us.

“I apologize. I only have four varieties of oysters today. We usually try to have at least seven,” she told us. “It has been a busy weekend.”

I assured her that we would be delighted with “only four.”

Suggesting we pair the oysters with champagne, Emanuela selected one of our favorites: a nonvintage Gosset Brut Excellence. Although Tuna has one of Rome's best wine lists, we stayed with champagne throughout our visit.

As we sipped the Gosset, we asked Emanuela about her clientele.

“We have a lot of politicians and business leaders.” she said. “They deserve the very best
seafood.” And, relying on Emanuela and her staff, that is what they enjoy at Tuna.

“One of our clients was so impressed with our oysters, he insisted I write a book about them,” she mentioned. The book is due out later this summer. (Unfortunately for us, it will only be available in Italian).

On the day of our visit, the featured oysters included Bélons, Marie Morgans, Speciales d’Utah Beaches and Royale d'Isigny.

Starting from the top of the platter were a pair of Marie Morgans from Brittany. Meaty and crunchy, strong and flavorful, the oysters were perfectly complemented by the Gosset, as well as Emanuela’s ruby red mignonette sauce.

Moving clockwise, the next pair were the Royale d'Isigny. We loved the uniquely sweet taste of these soft meaty oysters from the Bay of Veys in Northern Normandy.

Next were the plump Speciales d’Utah Beach from Normandy. They were were succulent and briny, with a sweet, almost creamy taste.

And finally, a pair of the petite Bélons from Southern Brittany, These firm fleshy oysters were immensely flavorful, very briny yet slightly sweet, with a almost gentle flavor.

Each type of oyster was uniquely different – and wonderful. We were definitely in the right place

Tuna’s well deserved reputation is due in great part to Emanuela’s meticulous talent in selecting the items which appear on her ever changing menu. Three times a week she gets up at dawn and makes her way to the Mercati Generali. There she has her choice of the freshest shellfish and seafood from all over Europe.

Although we had planned on just sampling the oysters, Emanuela insisted we try some of her amazing house specialties.

Her first offering was a beautifully plated Tartare di Ricciola (amberkack) and Carpaccio di Pesce Bianco (sea bass).

The nicely chunked pink amberjack in the center of the plate presented an incredibly sweet flavor. The tartare perfectly complemented the thinly sliced sweet sea bass. Truly a remarkable – and beautiful - combination of fish and flavors.

Watching us savor the carpaccio, Emanuela asked, “Have you ever had shrimp carpaccio?” Before we could answer, she nodded to the chef, who began to prepare.

From across the room, Michael and I watched as the chef selected, prepared, butterflied and marinated the shrimp, before he gently pressed them down between the sheets to shape his Carpaccio di Gamberoni Rossi.

The waiter bought the dish over for Michael to photograph, and then offered just a hint of fresh ground pepper.

I meant to ask Emanuela about the marinade – specifically about the olive oil she used. But after my first sweet mellow taste of this elegant carpaccio, my mind wandered. The freshness of the shrimp was distracting.

Another glass of the Gosset appeared as if by magic. Again, the perfect complement to this wonderfully presented house special.

Drawing our evening to a close, we thanked Emanuela for a truly remarkable experience.

“But, how can you leave without trying our pasta?”

Obviously, we could not, especially since all of Tuna’s pasta is hand made.

In minutes, a plate of Pasta alle Vongole, wonderfully plated with an abundance of fresh clams, appeared at the table.

While Michael was fascinated with the rhomboid shaped pasta, I was impressed with the abundance and the freshness of the claims. And again, I was so distracted, I forgot to ask about the olive oil that brought it all together.

That just gives me yet another reason to return to Tuna next time I am in Rome.

Tuna Restaurant
11, Via Veneto - Rome
Phone: +39.06.42.01.65.31
www.tunaroma.it

All above photography by Michael Ira Thayer.

Old Ebbitt Grill - The Place for Oysters in Washington, DC

2011-07-20T21:59:00.000-04:00

By Travel Editor Rand Hoch

When I was a student at Georgetown back in the 1970s, every now and then friends and I would gather at Old Ebbett Grill near 14th and F Streets, Northwest. While the restaurant had been a local institution since the 1850s, by the time I arrived in town, it had fallen on hard times. Still, we would sit at the great mahogany bar, enjoy burgers and beers, and relish in the history of Washington’s oldest tavern.

So when a friend and I were attending a White House conference last week (I just love saying that!), he suggested we stop by Old Ebbet Grill for lunch.

I didn’t know what to expect and started to head over towards 14th Street. Steering me in another direction, he informed me that the restaurant moved in the early 1980s. It is now conveniently located in a beautiful Beaux-Arts building on 15th Street, across from the Treasury Department.

The restaurant, which is now flourishing, is simply amazing and its Oyster Bar is Washington’s best place for oysters.

Once seated, our waiter handed us the Oyster Menu, which he explained changes daily.

Today’s menu featured six northeastern varieties, so we ordered two of each – a dozen for $23.95.

As can be expected, Wellfleets were on the platter and ours were just perfect, quite plump and briny.

Ever since last summer’s road trip to Prince Edward Island, I have become extremely partial to the island’s oysters. So I was pleased to find Rocky Bays, Conway Royals and my favorite Raspberry Points on the platter. They were all almost just as sweet as they were last summer when we would get them fresh from the water.

New Brunswick was represented on the platter by two small, brown-shelled St. Simons, which slightly less briny than the PEI oysters, but tasted almost as sweet.

The final selections were nicely sized East Beach Blondes from Ninigret Pond in Rhode Island. These were crisp, with a sweet buttery finish.

If we did not have to head back to the White House, I would have spent a little more time exploring more of the menu, and the restaurant. But that will have to wait until my next visit.

Old Ebbitt Grill
675 15th Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20005-5702
(202) 347-4800
www.ebbitt.com

Island Creek Oyster Festival

2011-07-04T22:01:00.004-04:00

An event not to miss, the September 9th & 10th Island Creek Oyster Festival in Duxbury, MA.

Some reasons to attend this incredible Festival include:

- 40-foot raw bar stocked with 30,000+ Island Creek Oysters
- Money raised goes to the Island Creek Oysters Foundation
- 20 celebrated chefs will be dishing out small tastings made from locally sourced ingredients
- Narragansett Beer
- Wines from Au Bon Climat and Pascal Jolivet
- Two bands and a DJ will be playing throughout the day
- Kid Zone
- The festival is under a huge tent, along the beach
- Saturday is limited to 3000 people
- Convenient hotel and transportation package

Not convinced yet? Have a look at some photos from last year.

See you there,

Josh and Rachel

Group Overcomes Odds to Replenish Oyster Reefs

2011-06-29T21:55:00.001-04:00

WILMINGTON, Del. — Sea captains employed by the Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Task Force are currently wrapping up efforts to replenish oyster reefs off Delaware and New Jersey. This comes after the task force successfully raised $200,000 to continue its seven-year-old program.

According to past experience, these efforts will boost the economies of local bayshore communities by approximately $5 million over the coming years. Rutgers University has estimated that past investments in shell planting have resulted in a return of at least $25 for every $1 invested in oyster restoration, and in some years much higher. A report released by the University of Delaware in May notes that retailers and wholesalers paid almost $3.7 million for last year’s harvest alone.

In addition to stimulating the economy, oyster restoration also results in cleaner water and better fish habitat. But shell planting needs to be done in June or July, prior to spawning season, to be effective.

“We worked hard to raise these funds in time,” said Jennifer Adkins, executive director of the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. “Members of our task force met with fishermen, state and federal officials, local community groups, and businesses in an attempt gain support. We had nine months, and a couple of key donations came just in time.”

The money raised was used to strategically place, or “plant,” 159,000 bushels of mostly clam shells onto historic reefs in Delaware Bay. Approximately 100,000 bushels were planted off Seabreeze and Money Island, New Jersey, and 59,000 bushels were planted off Leipsic, Delaware. Another 52,000 bushels were planted off Leipsic under the settlement terms of the Athos I oil spill that occurred in 2004.

Shell planting is needed because baby oysters, or “larvae,” require a clean, hard surface where they can attach and grow after floating in the water. Without the new shell, oyster reefs would simply disintegrate due to natural processes. This has already happened to over 90% of oyster reefs in Chesapeake Bay, but not in the Delaware.

“The 2011 New Jersey harvest will exceed 90,000 bushels, the highest value since 1998 and the third-highest value since the early 1980s,” said Dr. Eric Powell, a Rutgers University professor and chairman of the task force. “This story of success comes from wise management of the resource and a dedication on the part of all participants to the shell-planting program.”

Those who contributed funding include: the Delaware Bay Section of the New Jersey Shell Fisheries Council, in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; the Delaware Shellfish Advisory Council, in partnership with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control; the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, thanks to funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; DuPont Clear into the Future; PSEG Nuclear; and dozens of private donors.

Members of the business community also lent a hand. Those who helped with fundraising events include Johnny Brenda’s and the Oyster House, both of Philadelphia, and Flying Fish Brewery in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

“Oyster reef restoration is important to Delaware’s economy, our commercial oyster industry and the health of the Delaware Bay,” said Collin O’Mara, secretary of Delaware’s DNREC. “Shell planting is the most cost-effective way to increase harvests in the long term and support our watermen and women and the many businesses that sell Delaware Bay oysters.”

“The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is proud of this program and the partnership that has made it a success,” said Dave Chanda, director of the NJDEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife. “Oysters are so important to the overall ecology of the bay and the economy and quality of life in southern New Jersey.”

Scott Bailey, chairman of the Delaware Bay Section of the New Jersey Shellfisheries Council agreed and added, “The oyster industry in Delaware Bay is a willing contributor to shell planting because we understand that healthy oyster populations are good for business and the bay’s future.”

Members of the PDE Alliance for Comprehensive Ecosystem Solutions recently identified shell planting for oyster restoration as one of six Priority Projects for the Delaware Estuary in 2011. This alliance of more than a dozen member-organizations picked it from over 70 projects submitted by environmental organizations in need of assistance.

Members of the Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Task Force include the:

- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
- Rutgers University’s Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory
- Delaware River Basin Commission
- Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
- Delaware State University’s College of Agriculture and Related Sciences
- Delaware River and Bay Authority
- Cumberland Empowerment Zone Corporation
- Delaware Bay Section of the Shell Fisheries Council
- Delaware Shellfish Advisory Council
- Commercial Township, New Jersey

Further details about the Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Task Force can be found on DelawareEstuary.org, the online home of the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.

Wellfleet OysterFest is Hiring

2011-06-09T20:44:00.000-04:00

A Part-Time Manager

Apply now to join the fun!

(Wellfleet, Mass...June 7, 2011) Wellfleet Shellfish Promotion and Tasting (SPAT) is seeking a part-time manager for this community-based organization that produces the annual Wellfleet OysterFest. Start date is July 1, 2011.

Under the supervision of and with support from the Board of Directors, the SPAT manager will provide a variety of support functions for the planning, coordination and implementation of the annual Wellfleet OysterFest (WOF), as well as provide year-round administrative support for the necessary functions of the organization.

Familiarity with the Lower Cape and the community of Wellfleet is highly desired, but not essential for this position. Applicants should have a proven track record in event planning and/or non-profit administration. SPAT is looking for an independent self-starter, able to manage direction from multiple people and to meet the established goals of the organization and event. Knowledge of Microsoft Office programs and database management is desired.

Become a part of the team that brings you one of New England's most popular and successful fall festivals. (The Wellfleet OysterFest was featured in Parade magazine!)

Join our year-round efforts to help spread the good word about Wellfleet's shellfishing community beyond the Cape. (Wellfleet oysters and shellfishermen were featured in this New York Times Sunday travel story on Memorial Day weekend!)

Applicants are requested to send a cover letter and resume to Nicholas Gulde at nicholas@wellfleetoysterfest.org by Sunday, June 12. Job position requirements are here.

A help wanted ad has already appeared in The Cape Codder and The Banner. Please feel free to pass this information to anyone you think appropriate.

About Wellfleet OysterFest
The eleventh annual Wellfleet OysterFest takes place the weekend after Columbus Day, Saturday and Sunday, October 15 and 16, 2011, in Wellfleet, Cape Cod, Mass. This two-day street party celebrates the town's famous oysters, clams and shellfishing traditions and brings together locals and visitors alike for a weekend full of hometown flavor and big time fun. There is something for everyone: local cuisine, arts and crafts, road races, children's activities, educational exhibits, walking tours, theatre, live music and the Oyster Shuck-Off competition. The 'Fest is made possible through collaboration with the Town of Wellfleet, the support of many generous area businesses and shellfishermen, a wonderful group of volunteers and, most importantly, the weekend's dedicated revelers. Entry is free.

About SPAT
SPAT's mission is to foster interest in Wellfleet's shellfishery, support the Town of Wellfleet by educating the community about its aquaculture history, and award grants and scholarships to local individuals pursuing careers in shellfishing and related fields, or to those whose creative and educational work increases awareness of this important part of the community's life. The non-profit organization sets aside proceeds from its annual festival, the Wellfleet OysterFest, to fund these scholarships and grant awards.

Video from an oyster shucking lesson

2011-05-25T22:17:00.000-04:00

A fun day was had at Mercato del Mare by members of the Massachusetts Oyster Project.

Visit http://www.northendfish.com for more information about an oyster shucking lesson and visit http://massoyster.blogspot.com or
http://www.facebook.com/massoyster for more information about the work of MOP.

Spoto’s continues tradition of fresh seafood done right

2011-04-28T20:49:00.004-04:00

Thank you to Travel Editor, Rand Hoch, for sharing this article written by his friend, Scott Simmons.

Spoto’s continues tradition of fresh seafood done right

Here are a few pictures from the research:

3rd Annual Oyster Invitational - Boston, MA - May 1st

2011-04-11T17:50:00.003-04:00

Join B&G for an oyster extravaganza to celebrate the opening of the patio and the beginning of summer! The B&G team will be joined by fellow chefs and shuckers from local restaurants and oyster companies for a number of friendly (and tasty) competitions.
~
Across the street at Stir, B&G servers and chefs will host “Champagne and Oyster” classes throughout the afternoon. The 45 minute class will explore east and west coast varieties and include a sampling of oysters and a tasting of bubbles.

Tickets are on sale now and are $70 per person. Included in ticket price is admission, three drink tickets, and unlimited oysters along with passed signature dishes & competition dishes. Deluxe tickets are also available for $100 and include admission to the Stir class as well.

***You must purchase tickets in advance, as they are not available at the door. To purchase tickets for the Oyster Invitational and the Stir class, please call B&G Oysters at 617.423.0550.

See you there!

Boston Museum of Oysters - Help make it happen.

2011-03-17T18:05:00.002-04:00

Submitted by:
Richard D. Rush, Editor in Chief, Oyster Information newsletter

Please allow me to take this opportunity to make you aware of the "BMIP" (Boston Marine Industrial Park) art competition underway sponsored by the City of Boston Art Commission.

As you will find, I have submitted an entry entitled "Boston Museum of Fine Oysters." It suggests a small kiosk that will contain an oyster exhibit featuring significant scientific subjects, sea farming, and the social history of the edible oyster.

The winning art competition entries will go on temporary exhibit in the South end of Boston at one of three predetermined sites. The emphasis of the exhibit is innovation and the new marine industrial park. The marine industrial park itself is designed to emphasize local seafood. The authors of the competition have posted all of the entries on the Boston Art Commission Facebook website for viewing. They have encouraged Facebook members to indicate their entry preferences with the typical "like" sign. It is not yet clear whether the "like" scores will impact the final selection.

Please take a few moments and review the entries. If you feel so inclined, and have a Facebook account, indicate your preference for the Oyster Museum idea. I believe the entire oyster community will benefit from the success of this idea - and I will get my 15 minutes of fame.

For more information, contact Richard through his website.

Oyster Apps for your iPhone

2011-03-17T08:16:00.006-04:00

With Verizon introducing the iPhone last month, it allowed my wife to have one of her dreams come true - to own an iPhone. Naturally because she got one, I "had" to get one as well.

As I began searching for apps, my mind wondered toward oysters and seafood. To save you some time searching, here are four apps for you to consider adding to your iPhone:

- Seafood Watch - free from iTunes. This free app is for those interested in sustainable seafood.

"Sustainable seafood is seafood from either fished or farmed sources that can maintain or increase production in the future without jeopardizing the ecosystems from which it was acquired. The sustainable seafood movement has gained momentum as more people become aware about both overfishing and environmentally-destructive fishing methods."

Use the app to find out which fish and sushi are "Best Choices," "Good Alternatives" and which to "Avoid." GPS allows the app to point you in the direction of sustainable seafood near you and you can contribute to the app by adding the names of restaurants and stores where you've found ocean-friendly seafood. This app is maintained by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program.

- Fish4Health - free from iTunes. Given my wife is now pregnant with our second child, we love this free app! It provides advice for pregnant and nursing women (by the way, more women should breastfeed!) and for women who may become pregnant. It also provides information for children ages 2-6 years. This app also explains the benefits of eating fish, how much to eat, fish consumption advice, and information about avoiding eating raw fish while pregnant or being too young. Other great features include: Recipes and a log called "MyLog" to help pregnant women watch Mercury intake.

Unfortunately for my wife, the app validates what we already knew, "Pregnant women should not eat raw oysters." Don't worry Rachel, August will be here soon enough and I'll get you plenty of oysters to shuck and eat!

- Oysterguru - on sale from iTunes for $1.99. This great app allows you to:

1. Search over 350 North American Oyster entries alphabetically, by region, or by salinity;
2. See individual flavor profiles and the time of year it is farmed;
3. Save your favorites, add your own notes, ratings and flavor profiles
4. Find restaurants that sell oysters, and;
5. Allows you to shop for oysters to be shipped to you.

- Oysterpedia - on sale from iTunes for $1.99. This cool app allows you to start your search by West Coast or East Coast. Choose East Coast and you are brought to an alphabetical listing of most of the East Coast oysters. Click on the name for a photo and detailed information about the oyster. Then you can rate the oyster, or post comments directly to Twitter and Facebook. The color photos are a nice touch and I enjoy reading the the Notes that describe what Oysterpedia knows about the oyster and farmer.

I'm glad I was able to find and share these apps for the iPhone. They provide additional ways to enjoy oysters and seafood and help us to be a little more educated.

If you know of any noteworthy seafood or oyster apps, feel free to let us know about them.

Big Rock Oyster Company

2011-02-13T19:01:00.005-05:00

I love the guys at Big Rock Oyster Company. Thanks for the invitation to visit the farm again this Spring to see your updates!

Above is a winter picture of the "Big Rock" with their operation in the background.

Here is an older post about Big Rock Oyster Company.

Travel Channel's Man v. Food - An Oyster Recap

2011-01-18T19:44:00.012-05:00

I'm a big fan of the Travel Channel television show Man v. Food with Adam Richman.

Man v. Food recently featured Joe's Stone Crab in Miami, a restaurant I'll be visiting for the first time in March of 2011. Have a look at this fantastic picture of Adam with stone crab claws at Joe's.

I have had stone crab several times, mostly when I stay with my Uncle Rand, if I can convince him to wake up in time to get us some stone crab claws from the West Palm Beach GreenMarket. It should be an easy task given Rand lives on Palm Harbor Marina across the street from the farmers market but given we frequent Echo in Palm Beach and always eat and drink way too much, it's never easy to be up early the next morning!

Anyway, the recent episode of Man v. Food got me thinking about what Adam has done on his show with oysters. So after a visit to the Travel Channel website, here is a recap of what I was able to find:

- Adam took a tour of an oyster hatchery at Frank M. Flowers and Sons, Inc in Long Island. Have a look at the video tour.

- He enjoyed "fresh seafood and hospitality in New Orleans, and shares his fears about the upcoming oyster challenge." See the video here.

- Adam challenged himself to eat 15 dozen oysters. Watch the video to see if he won the challenge. Would you be able to eat 15 dozen? I don't think I could but I'd be willing to try.

- For more on oyster featured on Man v. Food, visit the Travel Channel website.

- Think you have what it takes to be on Man v. Food? Check out the online casting call and submit your own video to Travel Channel:

DiGiammarino & Famiglia Enjoy Oysters

2011-01-06T19:54:00.011-05:00

I always appreciate hearing from my readers. Here is a recent email that a reader shared with me:

"Our Christmas celebration included the traditional Italian meal, The Feast of the Seven Fishes. We started our multi-course feast with a sampling of fresh oysters: Onset, Wellfleet, Island Creek and Beach Point. We served the oysters with fresh lemon and a homemade mignonette sauce...delicious. By the way, The New Deal Fish Market in Cambridge, MA is a great place to purchase fresh shellfish."

Happy New Year,

Robin DiGiammarino & Famiglia

Thanks for the email Robin! I look forward to checking out the fish market.

To submit your oyster story email us at josh@goshuckanoyster.com.

Mignonette with a twist, or squeeze, at Tosca in Hingham, MA

2010-12-23T23:05:00.001-05:00

Reprinted with permission. Original posting is online here.

By Joan Wilder
Wondering what would be special for holiday eats, I called one of my favorite chefs, Kevin Long, to see what he was doing.

“I thought oysters with a pomegranate mignonette would be kind of fun,” said Long, when I walked into Tosca in Hingham one afternoon last week. The chef stood all in white behind the marble bar in the open kitchen presiding over a countertop covered with colorful foods. Behind him, smoke and steam wafted up as several cooks prepped the evening meal.

At first I thought there wouldn’t be much to a raw oyster dish to share with readers.

But, I was wrong.

Long treats each ingredient with such care that even a simple preparation becomes an education (and an inspiration) in good cooking. Mention something about food, and he’s all over it: a fount of enthusiasm and ideas about everything that has anything to do with food.

Turns out a mignonette is a simple sauce typically served with oysters. Long decided to flavor this one with pomegranate because the fruit is available this time of year, delicious, and festive.

Before my arrival, he’d prepped all the ingredients in pretty little bowls (left), along with a few ounces of deep crimson pomegranate juice.

Of course the chef hadn’t used a juicer, he’d mashed the seeds with a mojito mallet (actually called a muddler), then pressed the juice from the mash in a strainer.

As Long assembled the ingredients in a small stainless bowl, I gathered some of his comments.

Four tablespoons of ice water: “Ice water is an integral part of my world.”

Two tablespoons plain white vinegar: “You want the taste of the juice to shine.”

One tablespoon fresh minced thyme: “Buy one package for the holidays and use the rest for stuffing.”

A couple pinches of cracked black pepper: “You crack it with the side of a knife.” (“Really?” “Yup.”)

One tablespoon chopped shallots: “We dice them then run them under cold water for 20 minutes through a colander. We do it with all onions – the whole allium family. It takes away the mucilaginous film and makes them taste cleaner, brighter, better.”

One tablespoon raw brown sugar: “I prefer demerara, it’s a little more molasses-y.” But he didn’t have any.

Three tablespoons pomegranate juice: “I’d have 10 guys squeezing pomegranates all day for the juice if I could, it’s so delicious.”

After swishing the sauce all together, he let it sit.

Long has his way of handling oysters, too. He keeps them iced down in the sink for at least an hour prior to shucking to make them easier to open. He uses the sink so the melted ice can drain.

“You don’t want to drowned them, they’re alive,” he says.

After shucking, he keeps them on ice in a perforated pan, so they don’t get all wet.

We talk for five minutes about ways a home cook who doesn’t have a perforated hotel pan could do this.

“If there’s snow on the ground, you could lay them in a show bank,” he says, pretty seriously. (I’m imagining little structures I could build around them for protection from animals out there on the snow.)

The chef shucks an oyster so easily it doesn’t seem like a real oyster. He says the key is a razor sharp knife. Holding the bivalve in a folded kitchen towel, he tucks his blade into the little notch at the hinge end and slides it in and around one side, then the other, and lifts off the top. But, that isn’t the end of it.

Before severing the muscle that attaches the bivalve to the bottom shell, he swishes it in an ice bath.

“I tell people I wash them, and they go crazy, but it really works,” says Long, opening another oyster and rubbing his finger along the edge of the shell to show me all the grit that comes away.

“I insist that you bathe them.”

He then cuts the muscle and lifts the meat free to reveal a pool of oyster liquor beneath.

Setting them on ice, he spoons some pomegranate mignonette over each and sprinkles a few ruby-colored seeds on top, and we each have one.

They’re beautiful: briny, sweet, savory, exciting mouthfuls.

As we sit in the rich atmosphere of the magnificent, bustling restaurant for a few last minutes before Long has to hustle back to work, somehow the idea of left over shucked oysters comes up.

“Stuff and bake them,” he says. “I’m obsessed with the lost classic New England dishes like seafood newburg, lobster thermidor, anything with bread stuffing drenched in Dry Sack sherry. I love them!”

It’s tempting to conclude that attention to detail makes a great chef.

But really, what makes a great chef is attention to everything involved in the procuring, handling, preparing, and serving of food.

Whether it’s chasing down locally grown produce, dedicating a cooler to dry aging meats, or running water over shallots for 20 minutes, obsessive, passionate love and focus on food is at the heart of a chef’s talent.

And Kevin Long’s got it bad.

Massachusetts Oyster Project now on Facebook

2010-12-06T13:57:00.005-05:00

As you know, we are always happy to post information for oyster related non-profits on our blog.

Recently, the Massachusetts Oyster Project joined Facebook and we'd like to encourage you to be a part of the page. Simply click on the "like" button below.

To learn more about MOP, visit the new Facebook page or visit the MOP blog by clicking here. They have a great event planned at the Harpoon Brewery in early 2011. Hope to see you there!

Chloe Little

2010-11-21T20:38:00.003-05:00

Here is a great picture of Chloe Little about to eat a Fin de Claires #2.

Oysters in Stowe, VT?

2010-11-11T10:30:00.003-05:00

This weekend we will be vacationing in Stowe, Vermont at The von Trapp Family Lodge. Any suggestions for oysters or raw bars in the area?

Chincoteague Island Oyster Festival - Oct. 9th

2010-10-05T06:50:00.002-04:00

Chincoteague Island Oyster Festival
October 9, 2010

Maddox Family Campground
6742 Maddox Blvd.
Chincoteague Va, 23336  

All you can eat from Noon to 4 p.m. OYSTERS, OYSTERS, OYSTERS... on the half shell, steamed, single fried, fritters, clam chowder, clam fritters, steamed crabs, cole slaw, potato salad, hush puppies, hot dogs, Pepsi.   

Sponsored by The Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce

See www.chincoteagueoysterfestival.com for more information.

Shucking Contest: Sept. 25 in New York!

2010-09-21T18:15:00.009-04:00

ATTENTION PROFESSIONAL OYSTER SHUCKERS!!!

ENTER THE GRAND CENTRAL OYSTER BAR’S

PROFESSIONAL OYSTER SHUCKING CONTEST

TO BE HELD ON SATURDAY, AFTERNOON SEPTEMBER 25TH

GRAND PRIZE $1,500!!!

$500 for 2^nd Place, $250 for 3^rd Place

Contact:

THE GRAND CENTRAL OYSTER BAR

Phone: 212-490-6652

Fax: 212-949-5210

E-mail: jpoccia@OysterBarNY.com

ENTER NOW!!!

Oyster Happy Hour at Five Fisherman in Halifax, Nova Scotia

2010-09-19T18:34:00.013-04:00

By Rand Hoch, Travel Editor

After more than a week exploring Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia in our rented convertible, Michael and I were happy to wander around Halifax on foot, searching the waterfront and for all things oyster.

When we saw the sign inviting us to indulge in the Oyster Happy Hour at Five Fishermen Restaurant and Grill we immediately knew this was going to be an worthwhile stop.

Five Fishermen’s Oyster Happy Hour, which takes place from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 pm. seven days a week, features $1 oysters. Since the going rate for quality oysters averaged out at a little over $3 per oyster, who could turn down a bargain like this?

We sat up at the restaurant’s ground floor oyster bar and introduced ourselves to oyster shucker and barman Patrick. He and barmaid Celeste were busy selecting, shucking and plating oysters for the ever growing happy hour crowd – but not to busy to help out an oyster blogger.

The day’s featured oysters were from Nova Scotia (Eel Lake and Scotians from Digby, Nova Scotia, and Tatamagouches from the Northerrn Coast) and Prince Edward Island (Sinners in Heaven from Cascumpec Bay and more of the wonderful Raspberry Points).

We decided to start with the Eel Lakes since we had been invited by oysterman Nolan D’Eon of Eel Lake Oyster Farm in Yarmouth to take a boat out on the lake to see the oyster habitat. Unfortunately, we couldn’t squeeze it into our roadtrip.

Patrick paired the Eel Lakes with the Sinners in Heaven. And since we were no longer driving, we had Celeste make us some Grey Goose martinis (doubles!) to accompany the oysters.

Patrick’s shucking technique was excellent, as was his patter about the featured oysters. While was assumed he had been working with oysters for years, he candidly admitted that he was a relative novice to the world of oysters. Fortunately for Patrick, Five Fisherman’s general manager Shane Robilliard had taken him under his wing and has been doing an excellent job teaching him about all things oyster.

Eel Lake oysters, which are also known as Ruisseau oysters, are cultured in the clean cold waters of Eel Lake. The ocean currents add the perfect salinity. Tasting these wonderful oysters, Michael and I regretted we missed the opportunity to spend time with Nolan.

Patrick told us the Sinners in Heaven were the favorite of his patrons for the past few days. At first I though maybe they had just been intrigued by the playful name, but after a taste, I knew it was the oysters’ creamy, full bodied flavor.

While Celeste prepared another round of martinis, Patrick handed over the Raspberry Points and Scotians.

Due to poor planning on my part, we had missed the Raspberry Point Oyster Slurp on Prince Edward Island. We had enjoyed them back home before the road trip, courtesy of American Mussel Harvesters and here and there along the way as we drove across Prince Edward Island. Consistently superb, the salty, meaty Raspberry points were now becoming a familiar delicacy.

The Scotians were next, but by this time, the martinis must have kicked in, as I appear to have lost my tasting notes about them. That having been said, I am sure they were fantastic.

Shane stopped by to see if we had yet tried the Tatamagouches from northern Nova Scotia. Since we had not, they were next up on our afternoon tasting.

He smiled a bit as he watched Patrick work extra hard to open the Tatamagouches. Once opened, we could see the sandy-colored oysters resting in liquor filled cups. The taste was mildly sweet, with a crisp briny finish.

Shane next asked if we had ever tasted a fat bastard. It was Patrick’s turn to smile this time, as he explained that “Phat Bastards” were very large oysters from New Brunswick that were gaining in popularity. Celeste went off to the kitchen and returned with a pair of Phat Bastards for us to try next.

The Phat Bastards were huge – the largest oysters we had seen on our road trip. Full-bodied with a wonderful aftertaste, they went perfectly with the last round of martinis Celeste passed our way.

Oyster Happy Hour at the Five Fishermen Restaurant and Grill was the perfect ending to our oyster-centric road trip to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. When we return to Halifax – and we will – we will enjoy another Oyster Happy Hour and dine at the restaurant upstairs from the oyster bar. The menu looked amazing.

Photo of Five Fisherman Restaurant:

Thus ends our road trip to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Next summer’s trip in search of all thing’s oyster takes us to where the word for oyster is ostrica – Italy.

Five Fishermen Restaurant and Grill
1740 Argyle Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2W1, Canada
(902) 422-4421
www.fivefishermen.com

Eel Lake Oyster Farm
P.O. Box 185 Ste. Anne-Du-Ruisseau
Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia
B0W 2X0 Canada
(902) 648-3472
www.ruisseauoysters.com

American Mussel Harvesters
165 Tidal Drive
North Kingstown, RI 02852
(401) 294-8999
www.americanmussel.com

Thank You to Island Creek Oysters from TJS

2010-09-12T17:33:00.012-04:00

Each June the staff of Go Shuck An Oyster.com participates in The Todd J. Schwartz Softball Classic, a fundraiser for the Jimmy Fund. This event honors the life of Todd J. Schwartz (TJS), a vibrant college student and Dana-Farber patient who died of cancer in 2002 at the age of 19. This all-day event incorporates a softball tournament and countless activities for individuals, families and children, as well as a large silent auction and barbecue. For more information see For Todd.

Since 2003, this event has raised more than $250,000 for the Jimmy Fund's Family Festival, an annual event for Jimmy Fund Clinic patients and their families.

This past June, after I got in touch with Erin of Shucked, Island Creek Oysters donated an oyster gift package that included 3 dozen Island Creek oysters, a knife and a t-shirt. Todd Lieberman was the highest bidder during the TJS silent auction, and was the winner of the oyster gift package. Overall, the event raised over $31,000 this year.

On Friday, June 10th, Todd L. picked up his oyster package in Duxbury, MA. He told me things were busy at Island Creek headquarters as they were getting ready for the Island Creek Oyster Festival (held on September 11, 2010) but that didn't stop them from taking time to prepare his oyster gift package.

Go Shuck An Oyster.com and the planning committee for the TJS event thank Island Creek Oysters for the generous gift.

It is also fitting that this post is written today as many family members and friends of Todd J. Schwartz walked 26.2 miles today during the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk to raise money in his name. If you'd like to donate to the team, click here. As of this post, the team has raised $25,881.75.

The Halifax Waterfront

2010-09-07T22:09:00.015-04:00

By Travel Editor, Rand Hoch

As usual, Jeremy’s advice was right on point: There is no need for a car when visiting Halifax for two days.

After our two hour drive from Annapolis Royal along Route 101, we checked into The Prince George Hotel, dropped off our bags, and said goodbye to the convertible.

There is a lot to do and see in Halifax, but, being oyster-centric, we were concentrating on the waterfront area along the harbor. Although we had been told several times throughout our road tip that finding oysters in Halifax might be challenging, that did not prove to be the case.

Stopping at the first restaurant we saw on the Halifax Waterfront, we were pleased to learn that Salty’s was serving Beausoleils oysters from New Brunswick. Sitting on the deck at water’s edge, we ordered Grey Goose martinis to accompany the oysters and watched the Sunday boaters enjoying the waterfront.

Having been spoiled by the incredible oysters on Prince Edward Island, we found the Beausoleils to be relatively basic: juicy and firm, with a pronounced brininess. That having been said, we enjoyed two dozen Beausoleils along with our martinis.

Heading out to explore the waterfront, we paused briefly at Cow’s to check out the fun T-shirts – and have some ice cream. (Michael won’t let me post the photo of him by the chain’s ubiquitous life-size plastic cows, so you’ll just have to use your imaginations.) Cow's is widely recognized as one of the world's top places to get ice cream.

After our long drive across Nova Scotia and our snacks, it was time to head back to the hotel for a rest. We checked out the historic buildings – and tourist traps – in the Waterfront District and then headed up the hill towards the hotel.

Along the way, we passed The Press Gang, a restaurant and oyster bar that had been recommended to us by Suzan, our host at The Bailey House in Annapolis Royal. We ducked in to check out the day’s featured oysters on the chalkboard above the bar: Rocky Bays from Prince Edward Island; Black Points from Pictou, Nova Scotia; and Beausoleils from Peacock Cove, New Brunswick. I also learned that elk chops were on the menu. We made our dinner reservations.

Well rested, we returned to The Press Gang for a leisurely dinner. The elk chop was amazing – and surprisingly tender. But then, we were there primarily for the oysters.

Our barman Brian shucked the first dozen oysters, four of each of the featured varieties. He told us a bit about the oysters as we sipped Grey Goose martinis.

Going clockwise in the evening’s oysters are the Rocky Bays, the Black Points and the Beausoleils.

As we expected, Prince Edward Island’s featured oysters were the best. The deep-cupped Rocky Bays were plump and bursting with salty liquor. Nova Scotia’s Black Points were light and only mildly salty. And for some reason, these Beausoleils did not taste as briny as the one’s at Salty’s.

Over our leisurely and exquisite dinner we tried to figure out what to do on the last day of our roadtrip. Earlier that afternoon we overheard travelers at Salty’s talking about the humpback whale they had seen that afternoon, so Michael suggested we go on a whale watching expedition.

The next morning we took the ferry to Dartmouth, where we met up with another couple to spend a few hours in the harbor watching for whales.

And that is what we did: watch.

There wasn’t a whale in sight the entire time. Our captain and guide were very apologetic, but if there are no whales, there are no whales. So, Michael and I took turns shooting photos of the same lighthouse – a lot of photos – and listened to our guides tell us about whales and the history of Halifax.

Slightly disappointed, we took the ferry back to Halifax with a new mission in mind: lobster.

During the road trip, we learned that a lot of the lobsters caught in the Atlantic Provinces are one to one-and-a quarter pounders which are canned for commercial use. Since those are barely legal in my mind, I had ordered only lobster rolls throughout the roadtrip. But today, I wanted steamed lobster and french fries.

Passing Bluenose II one of Halifax’s landmark restaurants, I noticed a sign for a $23.95 lobster dinner. That was all it took. The one-and-a-half pounder was great – and Michael always gets a kick out of seeing me in a bib!

On our way back to the hotel after lunch, we passed a sign reading “Oyster Happy Hour”. As you will soon read, that deserves a posting all of its own.

The Prince George Hotel
1725 Market Street
Halifax
Nova Scotia B3J 3N9, Canada
(800) 565-1567

Salty's
1869 Upper Water Street
Halifax
Nova Scotia B3J 1S9, Canada
(902) 423-6818

The Press Gang
5218 Prince Street
Halifax
Nova Scotia B3J 3X4, Canada
(902) 423-8816

Bluenose II Restaurant
1824 Hollis Street
Halifax
Nova Scotia B3J 1W4
(902) 425-5092

Charlottetown, PEI and Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia

2010-08-23T19:48:00.005-04:00

By Travel Editor, Rand Hoch

Having spent time hiking, exploring the beaches, chatting with oystermen and riding bikes along the Points East Coastal Drive from the Inn at Bay Fortune to the Inn at Spry Point, Michael and I thought it might be worthwhile to spend a day in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Islands’s provincial capital.

We were wrong.

There really isn’t much to Charlottetown to justify spending a day there, but we had planned a night there, which was a smart decision.

We booked a Hideaway Suite at the Great George, a series of impeccably restored townhouses in the city’s national historic district. Our suite had a spacious bedroom with a fireplace and a staircase leading up to a loft with a double Jacuzzi.

We followed John Bil’s suggestion and booked ourselves a table for dinner at Lot 30,

Arriving a bit in advance of our reservations, we sat up at the bar where bartender Laurence Hertz made us some of his vodka ginger mojitos. This proved to be a great way to start of the evening.

Our server, Michael Good, suggested that we put ourselves in the hands of Chef Gordon Bailey and go with a five course tasting menu.

Chef Bailey, who has worked at some of Canada’s leading restaurants – including the Inn at Bay Fortune – is known as the “biker chef”, since he has augmented his income over the years by customizing motorcycles.

We followed our server’s suggestion, but insisted on starting off with a dozen of Rodney’s Oysters which were being featured that night.

Not knowing what else would be served, Michael and I ordered a bottle of Mumm’s Cordon Rouge brut champagne which we had enjoyed a few days earlier with dinner in Baddeck. Champagne does go with everything!

Following the impeccable oysters was our first course of the tasting menu – a presentation of sea scallops gratin with red pepper butter and fennel roasted almonds. Michael and I now realized that we should have brought the camera to dinner - in addition to our appetites. The second course was PEI halibut with Italian sausage pepperini and horse radish tomato.

Having concluded the seafood portion of our tasting, we next enjoyed Chef Bailey’s maple braised pork belly with potato puree, wilted spinach and natural reduction. This was followed by grilled prime rib eye steak, with potato pave, sautéed red peppers and peppercorn vinaigrette.

Although we were totally satiated by our offerings thus far, we could not turn down the dessert sampler which included crème brulée, chocolate pot de crème, double chocolate cake, chocolate mousse and vanilla cheesecake.

Clearly, John Bil had steered us to the right place in Charlottetown, making our brief stopover here quite memorable.

We got up early the following morning for our long drive out of Prince Edward Island across the Confederation Bridge into New Brunswick, then on to Annapolis Royal in Nova Scotia, where we spent two restful days at the Bailey House B & B.

We had booked the Joseph Totten room on the second floor of the main house. Michael and I were glad we chose a room with a water view, as we spent a lazy afternoon watching boats sail by as we enjoyed some well deserved R & R. Throughout the day we could smell cakes baking in the kitchen below. Our host Suzan Hebditch spoiled us each morning with the best breakfasts we had on our road trip. She used ingredients from her own garden, as well as those from her neighbors. She also made some of the best preserves we have ever tasted.

We are both going to have to diet a bit when we get back to the states. But there is still one last stop - Halifax.

The Great George
58 Great George Street
Charlottetown, PEI, C1A 4K3, Canada

Lot 30
151 Kent Street
Charlottetown, PEI C1A 1N5, Canada

The Bailey House B & B
150 St. George Street
Annapolis Royal, NS B0S1A0

John Bil’s Quintessential Oyster

2010-08-22T17:36:00.010-04:00

By Rand Hoch, Travel Editor

After our last breakfast at the Inn on Bay Fortune, Michael and I ventured to PEI’s famed oyster capital – Malpeque.
We drove west along Veteran’s Memorial Highway to Saint Peter’s Bay, not far from Prince Edward Island National Park where we had spent the previous day hiking along the unusually large and mobile parabolic dunes. We were pleasantly surprised by the warm water at the park’s beach in Greenwich.

On the way back from the beach we treated ourselves to a snack of South Lake oysters on the veranda of the Inn at St. Peters.

From St. Peter’s Bay, we traveled west along Route 6, driving through farmland along the coast, stopping briefly at the resort at Delvay-by-the-Sea.

Reaching Cavendish, we stopped to take a picture of the Anne of Green Gables House for our friend Rebecca.

Just outside of Cavendish, we stopped at Raspberry Point Oysters Co to personally thank James Power and Scott Linkletter for the oysters we enjoyed before the trip. However, everyone was busy preparing for the company’s 1st Annual Oyster Slurp on August 21, which Michael and I were unfortunately going to miss. So we just took a few photos and continued along our way.

We continued west to Route 20 to meet PEI’s foremost oyster maven John Bil at his Ship to Shore Restaurant and Lounge in Darnley.

John was behind the bar when we arrived, pressing oranges in an old-fashioned juicer in preparation for a private party that night. He seemed happy to take a break and talk oysters with us, but then, I’ll bet he’s happy to do that with everyone who shares his love of oysters.

He drew us a couple of local red draughts and brought over a tray of his favorite oysters – “Johns ‘2 L’ Private Stock – from the seafood shop.

“When I think of oysters, these are the ones,” he said factually. “I’ve been getting them for years from my friend John MacDonald, who lives right across the street.”

Oysters really don’t get any fresher than these.

Since John is a three time Canadian oyster shucking champion, and a two time North American shucking champion, we wanted to learn from the master.

Having placed an oyster cup down on a dish rag, John inserted his knife in a narrow slot at the hinge. With a firm push and a quick twist, he lifted the lid up off the cup. John then scraped the knife along the lid and again across the cup, to separate the muscle from the shells. Displaying the oyster to us, he made sure there were no bits of shell or other debris on the oyster. The entire process took him only a matter of seconds.

While Michael shot a great video of this process, we are not currently able to upload it. Fortunately, someone else caught it years ago:

The “John’s ‘2 L’ Private Stock.” oysters were large and meaty. Biting into the oyster, I tasted a perfect oyster with slight touch of brininess from Darnley Basin.

“That’s the way they taste today,” John explained. “It is based on what has just passed the oyster lips before they came out of the water this morning. Try them in another week or so and they’ll probably taste different, but they’ll always be good.”

Before we left, we sampled some Indian Creek and Raspberry Point oysters, and John gave us a restaurant suggestion for the night – Lot 30 in Charlottetown.

All in all, it was a great way to spend some time on the way to Malpeque, where we spent a little while checking out the bay before heading on to Charlottetown.

Ship to Shore Restaurant
2684 Route 20,
Darnley, Prince Edward Island, C0B 1M0
(902) 836-5475

Colville Bay Oysters

2010-08-18T06:26:00.000-04:00

By Rand Hoch, Travel Editor

After a hearty breakfast at the Inn at Bay Fortune, Michael and I took the 20 minute drive to a grey shingled shack at the mouth of the Souris River in northeastern Prince Edward Island, which serves as the base of operation for the Colville Bay Oyster Company. We enjoyed the famed oysters at the Inn last night, so we wanted to spend some time with owner Johnny Flynn.

For the past seventeen years, Flynn and his family have been cultivating oysters in Colville Bay’s pristine waters, where the frigid, nutrient-filled currents flush and feed their young oysters. The uniquely soft, silty bottom of the bay adds to the environment in which these oysters plump as they mature.

Johnny explained that the shallow waters of Colville Bay contributed in several ways to the uniqueness of his oysters.

Being farmed so close to the ocean’s surface gives Colville Bay oysters their distinctive teardrop-shape and jade-green shells. In addition, the bay's periwinkle population routinely cleans the oyster shells. And since the water is teeming with plankton, the growing oysters are constantly being nourished.

Once they reach maturity, which may take up to five years, Colville Bay oysters are harvested, graded and packed – all of which is done by hand, often by family members. When we stopped by, Johnny was sorting, his daugher Sarah was rinsing and his son Tom was out in the bay harvesting.

Colville Bay oysters, which are only available in Canada, are among the world's most sought after oysters.

Click here for a slide show.

Johnny spends no money on marketing; relying in great part on word of mouth advertising by chefs -- and patrons -- from the nearby Inn on Bay Fortune.

Colville Bay Oyster Co.
Ltd.83 Lower Rollo Bay Road
Souris, PEC0A 2B0
(902) 687-2222

Onward to Prince Edward Island

2010-08-18T04:19:00.002-04:00

By Rand Hoch, Travel Editor

I’ll admit it. I made a mistake in planning this road trip.

Having just stayed overnight in Baddeck, we were now heading out of town.

Big mistake.

I should have planned for one more day so we could have explored the Bras d'Or Lakes Scenic Drive. Oh well. That just gives us a reason to return to Cape Breton again.

We traveled southwest on the Mabel and Alexander Graham Bell Way (Highway 105), along the lake’s north shore. Reaching Whycocomagh, we traded our view of the lake for a view of the wooded mountains, as we continued our drive along the Big Ridge towards the Casno Causeway. Passing through farmland and villages, bald eagles soared overhead. Back on the mainland, we picked up Trans-Canada highway, retracing our route towards Antigonish. No time for scenic detours today.

We had to catch the North umber land Ferry from Nova Scotia for the 75 minute ride to Prince Edward Island.

Since we took the ferry over to PEI and will be leaving the island by the Confederation Bridge, there was no charge for the ferry.

(You only pay – dearly – to leave the island).

Since there are no reservations for one-way trips, we spent almost two hours playing rummy in the ferry terminal, awaiting embarkation. The ferry ride provided a nice respite from the driving (and waiting) and soon we were disembarking in Wood Islands, PEI. Back in the car, we headed northeast for a one hour drive to the Inn at Bay Fortune.

After greeting us upon our arrival, Innkeeper Dave Wilmer introduced us to Chef Warren Barr. He had been tipped off about our stay at the inn by his mother, a fan of the GoShuckAnOyster blog.

Since our dinner reservations were for 8:00 p.m., Warren suggested we reserve some oysters for the evening. No sense in letting the early diners enjoy all of the oysters sent over earlier in the day from nearby Colville Bay.

Dinner at the Inn is served on the veranda, and all of the tables have views of the bay. As we watched the late afternoon turn into dusk and then night, we feasted on Warren's specialties. To start off, we split a dozen Colville Bay oysters.

Since I prefer them naked, they were accompanied only by wedges of lemon. To accompany the oysters, I selected a bottle of Chablis (2007 Domaine Laroche from Saint Martin) from the Innkeeper's Reserve portion of sommelier Jean-Sébastien Morin's award-winning wine list.

Beautifully presented on slate. Each of the oysters rested atop a mound of sea salt. Sweet, and creamy with a perfect little saltiness at the end. The oysters shared with us a taste of the waters of nearby Colville Bay.

Our plans for the morning were to visit with Johnny Flynn, owner of Colville Bay Oyster Company to learn how he managed to grow such perfect oysters.

To show us what else could be done with these amazing oysters, chef Warren also sent over his oyster special for the evening: the Colville Bay oysters served out of the shell in horseradish espuma with diced crunchy vegetables from the Inn's garden, cider gelée, white wine poached pear and lemon granite.

These were so good, Michael and I ended up dipping the last few of our naked oysters into the creamy espuma. Since we had not yet finished the chablis, we also ordered a carpaccio of Nova Scotia swordfish and tuna which was garnished with a sweet and sour corn relish, oishi sauce, and sesame and crisp sour apple.

Having dined exclusively on seafood thus far on the roadtrip, we opted for something that would go well with a 2005 La Fiole du Pape Châteauneuf-du-Pape that caught our attention on the wine list.

Michael opted for the Atlantic AAA beef strip loin, served atop semolina and a cake of aged cheddar. I chose the Avondale Meadows Farm lamb tasting. As with everything we saw emerge from Inn's kitchen, both were beautifully presented. And both surpassed all expectations as well!

After ending our meal with our desserts, we climbed the stairs up to our tower suite and passed out contentedly.

Cape George Scenic Drive and The Cabot Trail - Nova Scotia

2010-08-16T19:06:00.007-04:00

By Rand Hoch, Travel Editor

“We’ll get a convertible,” I told Michael when we began planning our road trip to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. He smiled, knowing that I say that every time we rent a car.

Stepping out of the airport in Halifax in mid-August, we knew we made the right choice. There really is no better way to explore the eastern Atlantic Provinces – by land – than cruising with the top down.

Heading north along Veteran’s Memorial Highway (Highway 102) in our Sebring towards the Northumberland Strait, iPod set to his 'Road trip' playlist (Lady Gaga, La Roux, songs from Glee, etc.), we began our seafood-centric adventure.

Oysters, lobsters, scallops and mussels take note – we’re on our way.

Heading east on the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 104) towards Cape Breton Island, we eyed a sign which read, “Sunrise Trail - Cape George Scenic Drive.”

“Detour!”

Veering north onto Route 245, hugging the coast, we drove through several fishing villages overlooking the Northumberland Strait. We passed through Arisaig, a lobster fishing village and then followed the signs to the Cape George Day Park, climbing the rolling hills towards the peak. We took the short hike from the park to the Cape George Point Lighthouse and took in the view across the water to the Cape Breton Island highlands.

After our short break, we continued along Route 337 towards our original route, passing through Ballantyne’s Cove, which we discovered is the world’s leading supplier of Bluefin tuna. Being sushi lovers, we stopped, only to learn that fishing season begins in September.

Ballantyne’s Cove
At the end of our detour, we stopped for a great lunch at Gabrieau's Bistro on Main Street in Antigonish. We then rejoined the Trans-Canada Highway and continued eastward crossing the causeway over the Strait of Canso that separates the mainland from Cape Breton Island.

Heading north, we followed the winding Ceilidh Trail (Route 10) along the western shore of Cape Breton Island. Passing by seaside communities and the Mabou Highlands, we enjoyed views of the rugged coastline and cliffs, bays and harbors, and an abundance of farms along the way.

Crossing through Margaree Harbor, we admired the two lighthouses protecting the village. Just past the harbor, we began our drive along the Cabot Trail, as we traveled north to the Acadian fishing village of Chéticamp, our stop for the night.

After checking out the local restaurants, we were dismayed to learn that not one had any oysters. Since the closest place that was serving them was one-half hour away in Pleasant Bay, we drove north into the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, over the mountains, towards the Rusty Anchor Restaurant.

With the sound of the surf crashing against the cliffs below, Michael and I took in the incredible views of not only the ocean below, but also the park's highlands and mountains.

Just minutes after we laughed at our first "Moose Crossing" sign, we noticed a car pulled over to the side of the road. As we approached, we saw a couple taking pictures of a female moose nibbling on a roadside shrub.

We slowed down to admire the moose, but kept on driving towards our oysters.

At the restaurant, owner Donna Timmons explained that many of the local oyster beds had been damaged a few years ago. As a result, she served her customers whatever oysters she could get her hands on. Fortunately, her supply of Malpeques had arrived that day, so Michael and I ordered those along with our lobster rolls.

We hope that we won't be limited in our oyster selections during the rest of our stay in Nova Scotia.

Arising early the next morning, we drove north back into the park along the Cabot Trail.
We passed through Pleasant Bay and a few picturesque fishing villages, occasionally heading towards the cliffs, hoping to spot some whales. Unfortunately, none were to be seen.

After only a short time in the car, we passed a “Bog Tail” sign, so we pulled off the highway for a short hike. Eagles flew overhead, as we hiked along the trail. While we expected to see another moose (which we did) and perhaps a black bear (which we did not), we were surprised to find a variety of orchids in bloom.

Heading south along the Atlantic coast, we drove past lighthouses and fishing villages such as Neil’s Harbor, where piles of lobster traps covered the wharfs. Harbor after harbor sported brightly painted boats adding splashes of color to the scenery.

Along the way, we kept seeing signs for puffin boat tours.

Having nothing better to do, we followed the Donelda's Puffin Boat Tours signs towards Englishtown.

Michael and I and another couple joined Donelda and her husband on a two and one-half hour cruise around the Bird Islands.

We learned that Atlantic Puffins are actually very small birds, about the size of sparrows. I'm glad we brought a camera with a zoom lens!

We saw several puffins bobbing in the water, and a few mid-air. Dozens of both Great and Double-breasted Cormorants sunned themselves along the rocky shores of the islands. Young bald eagles occasionally perched along the islands' peaks.

Off in the distance we saw what appeared to be floating footballs in the water. As we got closet, we were pleasantly greeted by playful seals -- lots of them.

Returning to shore, we hopped back into the convertible and continued south through several more towns, finally reaching Baddeck, our home for the night.

Our summer road trip is off to a great start. We'll write more in a few days, stay tuned.

Inn at Bay Fortune and Colville Bay Oysters

2010-08-06T16:42:00.008-04:00

By Rand Hoch, Travel Editor

Time for a confession. . .

Our road trip is planned around spending time at the Inn at Bay Fortune.

Located on 46 acres along Prince Edward Island’s scenic Points East Coastal Drive, the inn sits on a rise overlooking the mouth of Bay Fortune, the harbor and the Northumberland Strait. Some of the island’s best beaches are just minutes away. Researching for the road trip, my partner Michael, an actor, was drawn by the Inn’s theatrical history. Originally the home of Broadway playwright Elmer Harris (Johnny Belinda), the Inn subsequently was owned by the two time Tony winning actress Colleen Dewhurst (A Moon for the Misbegotten and All the Way Home). As for me, I was more impressed with what Innkeeper Dave Wilmer has managed to make of the property over the past two decades.

In recognition of the efforts of Wilmer and his staff, the Inn at Bay Fortune has been recognized in Where to Eat in Canada as "the best place to stay on the Island, and certainly the most exciting place to eat.

"Being foodies, both Michael and I were impressed that chef Warren Barr’s efforts have earned the Inn at Bay Fortune the exclusive Four Diamond Award from the American Automobile Association. Chef Barr, known for his emphasis on fresh local ingredients that reflect an intensely regional cooking style, captures the essence of Prince Edward Island. Personally, I’m hoping that during our stay, he will feature his lobster carpaccio with pickled carrot and a spiced carrot sorbet. Dave also promised to have the world-renowned oysters from nearby Colville Bay available.

Additionally, thanks to the efforts of sommelier Jean-Sébastien Morin, for the third consecutive year, Wine Spectator has bestowed its coveted Award of Excellence to the Inn for his wine list and wine program. Michael and I look forward to dining at the Inn.

The Inn's architecture reflects its maritime setting. The weathered shingles, sloped roofs and traditional details caught our attention. Since this is a bit of a working vacation (I’m in the process of restructuring my law practice), I advised Dave that we would need some space to work, and some inspiration. After being tempted with a variety of rooms, we booked the spacious suite on the top floor of the Inn’s north tower. Dave assured us that we would be able to see all the way to Cape Breton from the balcony. Ever the accommodating innkeeper, Dave also mentioned setting us up with Johnny Flynn of Colville Bay Oyster Co so we can spend time with him and learn about the distinctive teardrop-shaped moss-green oysters he farms nearby. Michael and I are looking forward to that!

Inn at Bay Fortune, here we come!

A Tease of North Atlantic Oysters from American Mussel Harvesters

2010-07-30T18:29:00.014-04:00

By Rand Hoch - Travel Editor
Having read about our road trip to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, James Power – one of the island’s leading oyster growers – invited us to the Raspberry Point Oyster festival on August 21st. When I told James that we would be exploring the Fundy Coast that weekend, he offered to personally show us around during our stay on Prince Edward Island.

James and Scott Linkletter run Raspberry Point Oysters. Their small farm is on New London Bay, bordering Prince Edward Island National Park on the island's north shore. The two also grow Pickle Point and Shiny Sea oysters, and as you can see from the video, they have fun doing it.

Since the oysters are exclusively distributed in the United States by American Mussel Harvesters, I contacted sales representative Matt DiMatteo for some inspiration.

To assist me in my research for the road trip, Matt shipped an assortment of oysters Michael and I would encounter on our road trip: Raspberry Points, Pickle Points, Shiny Seas and Canada Cups from Prince Edward Island, and Cape Bretons from Nova Scotia.

For good measure Matt sent along some oyster knives made specifically for American Mussel Harvesters. The knives are available online by clicking here.

My friend Don Todorich, a REALTOR who, in a previous life managed food and beverage services at one of Palm Beach’s private clubs, hosted our poolside sampling at his home. I invited two native Alabamans – Tim Horn and David McRoy – in the hopes that the taste of North Atlantic oysters would take their minds off the devastation occurring to the oyster beds along their beloved Gulf shores. Rounding out our group Scott Simmons, Managing Editor of the Coastal Star.

To accompany the oysters, we had several bottles of Veuve Clicquot, along with a 2008 Domaine Pinot Gris from Oregon’s King Estate and a 2008 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Sauvignon Blanc.

Since I recently received my Oyster Aficionado Certificate of Achievement before we began shucking, we drank and toasted to Richard D. Rush, Professor of Edible Oysters and Editor in Chief of the Oyster Information Newsletter who awarded the certificate.

Don had made his famous mignonette, which he had let standing at room temperature overnight, as well as a standard red sauce with horseradish. While I prefer my North Atlantic oysters totally naked, my friends assured me that both sauces worked perfectly.

Together we spent a wonderful Florida night shucking and slurping these perfectly salty oysters from points North.

The exceptionally sweet Raspberry Points had just the right amount of salt, as did the plump Shiny Seas, which also had a distinct sweet finish.

The oyster liquor surrounding the fat Pickle Points brought me back to my childhood days, swimming in the salty waters off northern New England’s beaches, taking in more water than I should have.

The beautifully formed Canada Cups were a touch less briny, but still incredibly flavorful.

We found the Cape Bretons from Nova Scotia firm meat to have taken in less salt than those from Prince Edward Island.

After the last of the oysters and wine was finished, I called Josh, Owner of Go Shuck An Oyster, on Skype to pose a question asked by Don.

“What do you call a group of oysters?” It is a legitimate question since we were pretty sure the answer wasn’t a “school.”

Grinning, Josh replied, “a snack.”

But after tonight’s festivities, I have another suggestion; “A tease of oysters.”

So, thanks to James and Scott for growing such great oysters, and for American Mussel Harvesters for teasing us tonight.

Michael and I are look forward to spending time in New London Bay next month, taking in all things oyster.

To purchase a tease of your own, contact Matt DiMatteo at:
matt @ americanmussel.com

American Mussel Harvesters
165 Tidal Drive
North Kingstown, RI 02852
401-294-8999

Annual Milford Oyster Festival - Volunteers Welcome

2010-07-29T17:34:00.001-04:00

The Annual Milford Oyster Festival is right around the corner (August 21, 2010) and the organizers are seeking volunteers including: cashiers, runners, judges, timers, crowd management specialists, hawkers, fry chefs and soda sales people. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Kathy Rhodes.

More about the Festival:

Started in 1975, the Annual Milford (Connecticut) Oyster Festival is held on the third Saturday of August every year and attracts local residents and visitors from around the globe who want to enjoy the sights, sounds, tastes and history of Milford at a family-oriented festival.

For the fifth consecutive year, the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association (ECSGA) will be a major player in the festival. Thanks to ECSGA member companies, they are able to serve a wide variety of oysters and clams including raw bars on Friday evening and Saturday. They expect to sell almost 20,000 oysters and clams, and more than 1,000 portions of cooked shellfish, too, from a 60-foot long food booth staffed by about 50 volunteers.

2010 marks the 36th Annual Milford Oyster Festival. The festival has grown from a tiny local one-day celebration of the oyster and our wonderful seaside community into one of Connecticut’s summer highlights. Today the many facets of the festival include various high caliber entertainment acts seen free of charge, over 200 arts and crafts vendors from around the country, our non-profit area that brings awareness to the local non-profit civic, health and environmental groups, a "Main Street" area which helps to promote the local small and medium-sized businesses, children's amusement rides and games, a classic car show, canoe races and the tremendous food offered by many local non-profit civic organizations to help raise money for each of their causes.

It is through ECSGA’s participation that the Milford Oyster Festival is again living up to its name. For a number of years the oyster was virtually absent from the Festival. ECSGA have restored it to its rightful place. The festival participants can now enjoy eating oysters if they so choose and can cheer on some of the fastest shuckers in the world in the shucking contest. And a whole bunch of people will know that oysters, like wine, come in many different varieties and flavors.

The oysters you can expect to find at the festival include: Norm Bloom & Son, Muscongus Bay, Pangea Shellfish, Matunuck Oyster, Island Creek Oysters, Moonstone Oysters, The Ocean State Shellfish Coop., Atlantic Capes Fisheries, CherryStone Aquafarm, Bivalve Packing, Cowart Seafood and Salt Pond Oyster Co. and perhaps more!

For more information about the festival or about volunteering, contact Kathy Rhodes or visit the event website.

So Many PEI Oysters, so little time!

2010-07-15T21:35:00.002-04:00

By Rand - Travel Editor

I have always lived by the ocean and for years, my choice of oysters was dictated by my locale.

Growing up in Massachusetts (with relatives on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard), I could choose from Cotuits, Cuttyhunks, Duxburies, Martha’s Vineyards, Tomahawks, and of course, Wellfleets. While attending college in the nation’s capital, my oyster world expanded to include Rappahannocks, Yorks and Chincoteagues – all from Chesapeake Bay.

But when I moved to Florida, the only local oysters were Apalachicolas. As a result, they were all I ate locally for decades until a local restaurateur, John Spoto, opened his first eponymous oyster bar just steps away from my home in downtown West Palm Beach. (Having outgrown that location, John moved the restaurant to a more accommodating space in Palm Beach Gardens a few years ago).

During my first visit to Spoto’s Oyster Bar in 1997, John suggested that I try the Malpeques. They were buttery smooth, a perfect balance of sweetness and ocean brine. I’ve been hooked on them ever since. Every time I have been to John’s restaurants since, oysters from PEI have been on the menu. So, in a way, John Spoto is responsible for this summer’s road trip to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

In need of research for the blog, I asked a client to meet me at Spoto’s last Sunday. It turned out to be a wise decision. Not only were oysters from Sunberry Point, PEI being featured, but also 2 lb. lobsters were on a Sunday Special for $29.75 each.

Now, I know my lobster. My hometown of Swampscott, MA, which was established by disgruntled Pilgrims in 1629, has a rich lobster history.

After more than a century as a seafaring center in the New World, Swampscott’s townsfolk became innovative leaders for the fishing industry. Lobster harvesting was revolutionized in 1808 when a townsman, Ebenezer Thorndike, invented the lobster pot. In 1840, another townsman, Theophilius Brackett, invented The Swampscott Dory -- a fishing boat used to row and to pull lobster pots. After 170 years, the boat is still widely used by lobstermen worldwide. More importantly I had friends who spent their summers working on lobster boats. So, on good days, we were able to get lobsters fresh off the boats. Back in my high school days, life just didn’t get much better than that.

Our knowledgeable waiter at Spoto’s was Wolfgang, who has been with the restaurant for almost 4 years. Although he guided us through the entire oyster selections, we ended up with a platter of the Sunberries – with a few Wellfleets to keep them company.

Harvested in the crystal clear waters of the Northumberland Strait, Sunberries look like most oysters from PEI’s Northumberland Strait, with nicely sized brown, green and white shells. However, because the frigid tides provide a constant flow of nutrients, we found the oysters possessed a unique and wonderfully briny flavor. As for the lobsters, they were incredibly fresh. The meat was sweet. The lobsters were perfectly prepared and artfully presented with lemon wedges held upright in each claw. (I ended up having two of the 2 pounders.) A reasonably priced 2009 Simi Sauvignon Blanc rounded out our dining experience. All combined for a wonderful way to conduct business and research for the blog.

Leaving my GoShuckAnOyster.com business card with Wolfgang, I asked him to pass it along to John, who in turn, might spend an hour or so with me before the road trip, talking about – and sampling – oysters for the blog. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he’ll have some time in the next few weeks.

Preparing for our culinary pilgrimage next month, I have learned that Prince Edward Island Oysters were judged the world’s tastiest oyster at the Paris exhibition in 1900. Michael and I look forward to seeing if, after more than a century, the reputation still holds water.

As a result of my research, I now know that PEI’s oyster world extends far beyond Malpeques and Sunberries. Dozens of other oyster brands are now growing – and being cultivated – in the cool waters around PEI, including Alpines, Bedeque Bays, Blackberry Points, Canada Cups, Canadian Coves, Carr’s, Cavendish Cups, Colville Bays, Cooke's Coves, Chedabuctos, Conway Cups, Conway Royals, Cooke's Coves, Gooseberry Bays, Green Gables, Hurricane Harbors, Indian Creeks, Lucky Limes, Mermaid Straits, Mill Points, North Points, Northumberlands, Osprey Points, Pickle Points, Pipers Points, Raspberry Points, Red Points, Rocky Bays, Rocky Points, Rocky Shores, Salvation Coves, Salt Aires, Salutation Coves, Shiny Seas, Stanley Bridges and Summersides.

While Michael and I hope to sample a wide variety during our stay on the island next month, tasting all of them will be impossible, as some will not be harvested until the Fall. So, we’ll have to be patient, and place our orders for those to be enjoyed later this year, back at home.

So many Prince Edward Island oysters, so little time!

The Quarterdeck in Falmouth, MA

2010-07-11T20:02:00.007-04:00

While visiting friends and family on Cape Cod this weekend, we had the chance to sample oysters and clams being served at The Quarterdeck Restaurant in Falmouth, MA. The menu offered local oysters from Chatham and Pemaquid and clams from Waquoit Bay, so naturally we tried them all. They were shucked to order, fresh, tasty and well presented. I highly recommend oysters from the Quarterdeck in Falmouth, MA and I look forward to returning! I hear they often serve oysters from different locales. The rest of the menu looked great as well, but it is always hard for me to get past the appetizers. Go, and enjoy. And say hi to the rowdy bunch of Falmouth Track Club members who frequent the bar on Friday nights, after their weekly 5 mile race, The Coffee-O Five.

Summer Road Trip - Nova Scotia and PEI

2010-07-07T08:46:00.008-04:00

I love taking food-centric road trips with family and friends. Before Josh married Rachel, he and I headed north along on Australia’s east coast from Sydney to the Great Barrier Reef. Along the way, we sampled local shellfish, seafood and Aussie hospitality. Josh’s now-famous “before and after” food photos began on that trip with an afternoon snack of Sydney Rock, Coffin Bay and Kangaroo Island oysters at Coff’s Harbor. The “before” picture was an artfully presented platter of three dozen oysters; the “after” was our own oyster mound.

On last summer's road trip, my partner Michael and I spent a few days in Bilbao, Spain before we picked up a car and headed off toward Paris. During our week wandering wine country in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley on the way to the City of Lights, we enjoyed the culinary expertise of some of the world’s most creative chefs. Our rented apartment on Île de la Cité in the heart of Paris was a short walk from a great huîtrerie (oyster bar). Enjoying platters of fines de claire, speciales de Normandie, speciales de marennes (the Belons were overpriced) and a few bottles of Sancerre proved to be a wonderful way to spend a lazy afternoon.

So when Michael and I began to plan this summer’s road trip, we went in search of some of the world’s best oysters, mussels, scallops and lobster. A little research led us to one place we can find them all. So, we're off to Canada’s easternmost Atlantic Provinces: Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
Our itinerary is set -- more or less -- and we leave in mid-August. Upon landing in Halifax we’ll head to Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton, driving through Highlands National Park from Chéticamp onto Baddeck. Along the way, we’ll do some hiking, check out a few beaches, visit a raw bar or two and maybe even hop on a boat to see some puffins.

Leaving Baddeck, we’ll drive to the ferry landing in Carabou to cross the Northumberland Straight to Prince Edward Island. There we will be based for several days on the island's northeast coast. We'll also spend a night in Charlottetown.

During our stay on PEI, we'll be zigzagging across the island, meeting with oysterman and restauranteurs, sampling an amazing array of oysters along the way.

Next we'll head back Nova Scotia via the Confederation Bridge, driving down the Fundy Coast to Annapolis Royal. Our stay on Nova Scotia's west coast will include a drive down to Tiverton for some whale watching from Zodiacs off Long Beach.

Winding down our road trip, we'll head back east, visiting Lunenberg and Peggy’s Cove on our way to Halifax where we'll spend our last few days.

With the basic logistics under control, we now have to get ready for a surprisingly wide array of oysters from both provinces, as well as the famous Prince Edward Island mussels, the renowned Digby scallops and the unsurpassed North American lobsters. With the help of a few seafood purveyors in the Northeast and a few raw bars owners here in the Palm Beaches, it ought to be a great trip.

We look forward to keeping you updated along the way with pictures and stories, stay tuned.

Rand
Travel Writer
Go Shuck An Oyster.com

Food Network Challenge - McMurray and Stiles

2010-06-24T19:35:00.009-04:00

Tonight's episode of Food Network Challenge featured Fastest Foods. Among the head-to head-competitions was an attempt to shuck the most oysters in 1 minute. The Guinness World Record was on the line. The current Guinness World Record is 33 oysters in 1 minute. The contestants were Patrick McMurray and Scott Stiles. After time expired they each shucked 31 oysters. A good attempt at the record!

pictures from www.foodnetwork.com

Recently, McMurray set a world record when he separated 38 oysters from their shells in China. See World Record Academy for more information. But he doesn't just open oysters, he has written one of the best books on the market, and in my bookshelf, Consider the Oyster, and runs the famous Starfish Oyster Bed & Grill and The Ceili Cottage: Irish Local.

Scott Stiles has also been competing and winning oyster shucking competitions for years. Some of his accomplishments include:
- Winning the 2004 and 2005 National Oyster Shucking Championship
- 2006 - Finishing 4th in the National Oyster Shucking Championship
-1996 - He opened two dozen more oysters than anyone else.

How many oysters can you shuck in 1 minute?

H.M. Terry Co, Inc. - Sewansecott Oysters

2010-06-03T21:39:00.010-04:00

It was a spectacular treat from Hog Island Bay, Virginia that we enjoyed today! The Sewansecott Oysters from H.M. Terry Co, Inc. were fresh, having been harvested on June 2nd and in my house on June 3rd and wow, what flavor! I could smell and taste the ocean and all of us thoroughly enjoyed the salty taste! These oysters are a must try. If you can't find them where you get your oysters, just call 757-442-7777 and Heather will gladly take your order.

I can't believe I've been eating oysters for so long and didn't know about these. So, what did we learn today other than how great they taste and how fresh they arrive at your door?

These Virginia oysters originated in 1903, under the care of Henry Terry's brand of oysters, the Sewansecott. Today, 106 years later, they are still grown and harvested in Hog Island Bay on the eastern shore of Virginia, among 80 miles of a protected ocean and wildlife reserve. The Sewansecott brand is known for dedication to ecology, biological preservation and sustainability.

Their oysters are so fresh from the ocean they have a remarkable salty finish that makes them irresistible. Most of the oysters we received were medium to large in size and had a meaty, solid texture. The salty, briny finish yielded an addictive oyster.

My shipment arrived around 10:30 AM but a busy day didn't allow me to open the package until 6:30 PM. They were shipped via UPS next-day air, and packaged in a nice box, covered with an ice pack. For my order, each and every oyster was alive and filled with liquor. They were simple to shuck and because of the great taste we enjoyed them as is. No lemon, no cocktail sauce, no mignonette.

To learn more, see the new H.M. Terry Co website. You can read about their story, and learn more about their oysters. When you place your order with Heather, tell her that Josh from Go Shuck An Oyster sent you. I promise you, you will enjoy this rare treat as much as we did.

Nice "Belons" Brett

2010-05-24T22:29:00.005-04:00

Thank you, Brett, for sharing a picture of early morning Belons:

Belons No3. 5:00am (you read that right) at Maison D'Alsace, Paris 8eme.

Nutty, intensely briny, good meat, heavy minerals ... just about the best I've ever eaten. Superb.

Oysters Can Raise Money this June - act now.

2010-05-15T09:13:00.001-04:00

Staff members from Go Shuck An Oyster.com have been working on the planning committee of the TJS Softball Classic and Family Fun Day since it started. The Todd J. Schwartz Softball Classic honors the life of 19-year-old Todd Schwartz, a vibrant college student and Dana-Farber patient who died of cancer in 2002. This all-day, round-robin softball tournament incorporates countless activities for individuals, families and children, as well as a large silent auction and barbecue. Since 2003, this event has raised more than $250,000 for the Jimmy Fund's Family Festival, an annual event for Jimmy Fund Clinic patients and their families.

This year, as we aim to add new and exciting items to the silent auction, we decided to combine two of our passions: raising money for charity and oysters.

If you are reading this blog and you have something you can donate to the silent auction, please get in touch with us by emailing Josh. We are interested in oyster items including:

- A raw bar at our event

- Gift certificates to fish markets

- Farm tours

- Oyster related merchandise and

- Festival entry tickets

- and anything else you might have to donate.

Financial contributions can be made through the Jimmy Fund website. Just click here and then click on the link to Make a Gift.

If you would like to attend the event on Saturday, June 12, 2010, we'd love to have you there. You may register online here. The cost is $25. $75 if you want to play softball. You can submit a team or be placed on a team. Families pay just $100. Food, drink and a good time are included.

We thank Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury, MA for donating an oyster gift pack. Learn more about Island Creek Oysters here.

Upcoming Oyster Festivals

2010-05-09T18:08:00.001-04:00

May 14 - 16, 2010 Norooma Oyster Festival, AU

May 22, 2010 - Bluff Oyster and Food Festival, NZ

June 19, 2010 - Arcarta Bay Oyster Festival, CA

July 24, 2010 - 8th Annual Samish Bay Bivalve Bash and Low Tide Mud Run

July 24 - 30, 2010 Whitsable Oyster Festvial, UK

Winning wines with oysters

2010-04-27T07:31:00.002-04:00

Winning wines with oysters Posted by Bill Daley
On http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/thestew/2010/04/wines-oysters.html

Pairing oysters on the half-shell with a chilled glass or two of white wine is one of life's simplest yet blissful moments. Finding which wines work best is the delectable job each year for judges in the Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition. The top 10 wines in the 2010 contest, the 16th annual, were announced today.

Wineries from California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington were invited to submit wines. Some 167 wines were entered in the competition, according to a contest press release. Twenty wines were chosen as finalists and they, in turn, were tasted by 34 judges.

The judges' mission: Find the 10 best West Coast "oyster wines."Here are their winning wines in alphabetical order:

2009 Anne Amie Muller-Thurgau Cuvee A (Oregon)

2009 Anne Amie Pinot Gris (Oregon)

2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle Sauvignon Blanc (Washington)

2008 Columbia Pinot Gris (Washington)

2008 Franciscan Sauvignon Blanc (California)

2008 Hedges CMS White (Washington)

2009 Heitz Sauvignon Blanc (California)

2008 King Estate Acrobat Pinot Gris (Oregon)

2008 King Estate Pinot Gris (Oregon)

2009 Kunde Sauvignon Blanc (California)

The 16th Annual 2010 Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition is sponsored by Taylor Shellfish Farms of Sheldon, Wash. Taylor is a fifth-generation, family-owned company producing oysters, Manila clams, mussels, geoduck and shellfish seed for national and international markets.

Tribune file photos

Support Oyster Restoration in MD - "Sprint for Spat"

2010-04-08T20:59:00.004-04:00

On April 18, 2010, runners will take over downtown Silver Spring, Maryland for the "Sprint for Spat" Earth Day 5K to show their support of oyster restoration in the Chesapeake Bay. Net proceeds raised at this race will help build an oyster sanctuary in the Chesapeake Bay.

The Goal? Raise $25,000 to plant 5 million baby oysters (called spat) in Maryland waters.

You can help in two different ways:

Sign Up For The Race: After you've registered for the Earth Day 5K, create a fundraising page on firstgiving.com and ask your friends and family to donate money for oyster restoration on your behalf.
Make A Donation: Can't attend the race? You can still make a donation to support this oyster restoration project.

For more information on Oyster Restoration in MD, visit The Nature Conservancy.

Restoring Our Oyster. Cleaning Our Bay. Preserving Our Future.

www.oysterrecovery.org

Oyster Orgy - April 15 in MA

2010-03-30T14:26:00.003-04:00

Oyster Orgy at Tavern on the Water.

On April 15th, 2010, Charlestown's Tavern on the Water will be hosting the second annual benefit for the Massachusetts Oyster Project from 7:00-10:00pm. With paid admission to the Oyster Orgy you get five oysters, a beer, a great time and the opportunity to help improve Boston Harbor. Admission is $15 if registered in advance and $20 at the door. The event will feature oysters from sponsor Island Creek, an oyster shucking competition, prizes, and lots of good times. The Oyster Project is a non-profit organization restoring water cleansing oysters to the Charles River estuary. To register please call Tavern on the Water at 617-242-8040 or stop by the Tavern, which is located at 18th Street in Charlestown.

If you'd like your event listed on our blog, please contact us at josh@goshuckanoyster.com.

Oyster Dinner - A Huge Success

2010-03-03T23:12:00.014-05:00

When Slow Foods, the Cambridge Brewing Company (CBC) and Island Creek Oyster got together on March 3, 2010, 60 people had an evening they won't soon forget. Overall the evening benefited the non profit, all volunteer run, Mass Oyster Project. Frequent readers of this blog are no strangers to MOP but for those visiting for the first time, MOP is doing great and important work placing water cleansing oysters in the river mouths and bays around Boston harbor to help clean the water. Learn more about MOP here.

MOP supporters at the fundraiser learned that Slow Foods Boston is an organization dedicated to:

1. sustainability and bio-diversity through educational events;
2. promoting the consumption of seasonal and local foods;
3. supporting those who produce local foods; and
4. having fun eating well.

To become a member or to learn more about the national organization of Slow Foods, click here.

So what made the night unforgettable? The food and beer pairing!

CBC Sous Chef Jonathan Gilman and Brewmaster Will Meyers worked magic to create a menu of oyster dishes paired with beer brewed right in Cambridge, MA at CBC. Here is the five course menu:

First Course
Three Island Creek Oysters on the Half Shell
- 1 with House cocktail sauce
- 1 with Enlightenment Mignonette
- 1 with Cascade Hop Hot Sauce
Beer Pairing - a generous amount of Enlightenment - biere brut

Second Course:
Three Classic
1. Oyster Rockefeller with Weekapaug Gruit, an ancient herbal beer
2. Oyster Bienville with Regatta Golden - Cologne style ale
3. Oyster Casino with Big Man Ale - Strong stock ale

Third Course:
Oyster Bisque with Maine Potato, Leeks and Fried Salsify
Beer Pairing: Generous pouring of Cambridge Amber - malty deep copper ale

Fourth Course:
Oyster and Chorizo Stuffed Cavendish Quail
with Cranberry Bean Succotash, Sweet Onion Tart , Natural Jus
Beer Pairing: Full glass of Tripel Threat - Belgian-style strong blonde ale

Fifth Course
Taza Chocolate Dipped Madeleines
Beer Pairing CaCow! Chocolate Milk Stout

The beer was plentiful and the food was top notch, local and fresh.

MOP, you're doing great work and making it easy for people to support you at your events. I can't wait to see and taste what you have next for your supporters!

(left) Laura Aowalski, MOP Maps and GIS Expert
(lower middle) Rich Bradshaw, MOP Master Diver
(top) Andrew Jay, Founder of MOP

Oyster Stew Recipe

2010-02-11T23:27:00.004-05:00

My new Squidoo friend, Dianne, shared one of her favorite oyster recipes with me:

OYSTER STEW

2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot sauce
1 pint shucked oysters not drained
1/4 cup butter
1 quart milk, scalded

Blend flour, seasonings and 2 tablespoons water in a 3 quart soup kettle.
Add undrained oysters and butter. Simmer over very low heat 3 to 4
minutes till edges of oysters curl, stirring gently. Add hot milk;
remove from heat and cover. Let stand 15 minutes. Reheat briefly. Top
each serving with a pat of butter. Serves 4 or 5.

For those who don't like whole oysters but like the flavor, whirl the oysters in the blender before adding to the stew.

Once you try this recipe, let me know what you think.

For more great oyster recipes, visit Squidoo.

The Oystergate Scandal Email

2010-02-08T19:55:00.004-05:00

I received the email below today and wanted to share it. I welcome your comments.

"I'm sending you this email because desperately we need your help to save the Drakes Bay Oyster Farm.

As you probably know, Kevin and Nancy Lunny lease their oyster farm property from the National Park Service. This lease is set to expire within the next growth cycle of their oysters so it is very important to get the lease renewed as soon as possible. Unfortunately there are those in the Park Service who are not supportive of local farmers and they are doing everything they can to prevent the lease from being extended.

The decision to renew the lease is in the hands of the Secretary of Interior, Ken Salazar. It is extremely important that Secretary Salazar hear from citizens who want the oyster farm to stay in business. This is where we need your help. Please take a minute and go to this web site that we created to tell the story, http://oystergate.org , watch the video then click the "Take Action" button and enter your name to send a letter to Secretary Salazar and others in Washington. It will really make a difference.

Also, if you could please forward this email to all of your friends and ask their help it will make a huge difference in whether the oyster farm stays in business or not.

Thank you so much,

Nicole Adams
Supporters of Drakes Bay Oyster Farm
and sustainable agriculture in West Marin, California."

Aw shucks, Harpoon’s brewing oyster beer

2010-01-22T20:38:00.002-05:00

Aw shucks, Harpoon’s brewing oyster beer

Freshly shucked oysters and beer go hand-in-hand like milk and cookies - but a beer actually brewed with the slimy, salty delicacies and their liquor?

It was a go yesterday for Harpoon Brewery and Island Creek Oysters. The Boston beer maker teamed with the Duxbury oyster farm to produce the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Island Creek Oyster Stout.

Not to worry, drinking the beer won’t be like downing an oyster shooter, nor will there be an intense oyster flavor, according to brewer Katie Tame. The oysters are poached in the heat of the liquid during the brewing process and disintegrated.

“All those proteins boost up the body of the beer, and an increased protein content adds head retention, which is great for the stout,” said Tame, the first female brewer for the 100 Barrel series that started in 2003.

“A lot of the oyster quality - be it the brine or actually the oyster itself - will blend with the darker malts,” she said.

The expected result is what Tame describes as a full-bodied beer that’ll be a bit sweet, with lots of roasted flavor, “bready, biscuity” flavors from the malt and a little dryness at the finish.

The collaboration with Harpoon was the first of its kind for Island Creek Oysters, said owner Skip Bennett.

“It’s really exciting because it’s . . . a great, small local company that has the same passion for their products that we do,” he said. “We have a lot of similar customers.”

At the brewery yesterday, his shucking crew made quick work of the oysters harvested that morning from Duxbury Bay and dropped into the brew kettles.

The Island Creek Oyster Stout, the 30th beer of the limited-edition series, will be bottled in two weeks. It will be available next month in 22-ounce bottles and on draft at retailers and restaurants including Boston’s Eastern Standard, B&G Oysters, Neptune Oyster and the Union Oyster House.

Eastern Standard bar manager Jackson Cannon was on hand to watch the brewing process.

“I just wanted to be able to say that I saw the oysters going into the beer myself,” he said. “I was down right from the start. We do 1,000 oysters a week, and our No. 1-selling oyster is Island Creek, and our No.1-selling beer is Harpoon IPA.”

from http://news.bostonherald.com/business/general/view/20100122aw_shucks_harpoons_brewing_oyster_beer/srvc=home&position=also

2010 Oyster Festivals Around the World

2010-01-12T20:37:00.003-05:00

Here is a current list of upcoming oyster festivals:

January 31, 2010
27th Annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival, LA

March 19 - 21, 2010
Amite Oyster Festival, LA

May 14 - 16, 2010
Norooma Oyster Festival, AU

May 22, 2010
Bluff Oyster and Food Festival, NZ

May 7, 2010
The North East Oyster Festival, UK

June 19, 2010
Arcarta Bay Oyster Festival, CA

July 10, 2010
8th Annual Samish Bay Bivalve Bash and Low Tide Mud Run,WA

September 10, 2010
Clarenbridge Oyster Festival, Ireland

October 9 - 10, 2010
Oyster & Welsh Produce Festival, UK

November 5, 2010
Apalachicola Bay, FL

If you know of other oysters festivals, email us at josh@goshuckanoyster.com and we'll add them to the Events page of our website at www.goshuckanoyster.com/Events.html.