PopSugar

How to Store Raw Oysters

partysugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:15:36 -0800

Although raw oysters are best consumed as fresh as possible, sometimes it's necessary to store them for a couple of hours or even overnight. My dad purchased 50 oysters on Friday for a small party Saturday. Since they were on the menu raw, we had to keep them cold for about a day. Following the technique described in the Hog Island Oyster Company cookbook, this is how to properly store oysters:

Stack the oysters right side up on a plate or in a baking tray.
Wet a kitchen towel and ring out as much water as possible.
Drape the damp towel over the oysters, covering completely.
Place in the fridge on the shelf closest to the freezer. You want to keep the shellfish really cold without freezing it because this will kill the oysters. If the towel becomes to dry, rewet it with water.

Do you have a tip for storing or enjoying oysters? Please share with us below!

View 5 Photos ›

Would You Rather Eat Raw or Cooked Oysters?

partysugar — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 01:30:49 -0700

A couple of weeks ago when I was browsing Hog Island's Oyster Cookbook, I came across an interesting and truthful quote by food legend M.F.K. Fisher, "There are three kinds of oyster-eaters: those loose-minded sports who will eat anything, hot, cold, thin, thick, dead, or alive, as long as it is oyster; those who will only eat them raw and only raw; those who with equal severity eat them cooked and no other way." While I love oysters in any way, shape, or form, my mother only enjoys cooked oysters. What kind of oyster eater are you? Do you prefer fresh and cold or baked and savory?

Yummy Links: From Dungeness Crab to Turkey Cookies

partysugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:50:32 -0800

San Franciscans get excited: it's dungeness crab season! - SFoodie
This holiday season, why not bake a beautifully festive cake or cupcakes? - Hostess With the Mostess
Eating dark chocolate may help you handle stress. - The Epi-Log
The FDA has withdrawn the ban on the sale of Gulf Coast raw oysters during warm months. - Eater
Introducing: people talking on bananas. - People Talking on Bananas
Could Jose Garces be the next Iron Chef? - Grub Street Philadelphia
Rachael Ray on the Martha Stewart Show makes for some uncomfortable television. - Eat Me Daily
Learn how to fight wine snobbery. - Chow
Turn Keebler Fudge striped cookies into Thanksgiving turkeys. - Serious Eats

How to Store Raw Oysters

partysugar — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:45:21 -0800

View Slideshow ›

Holiday Appetizer: Raw Oysters or Shrimp Cocktail?

partysugar — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 01:30:35 -0800

Source

Must-Read: The Summer Shack Cookbook

YumSugar — Tue, 19 May 2009 03:30:03 -0700

In case you hadn't noticed, the warmer Spring-to-Summer weather has put me in the mood for seafood 24/7. In the last few days, I've drooled over mussels and eaten oysters raw and fried at the Oyster Fest. As though someone read my mind, I received a copy of The Summer Shack Cookbook, a compendium of New England shack-style seafood recipes from Jasper White, the chef and owner of the East Coast's Summer Shack restaurants. Don't live in proximity to one of the shacks? You can still have the shore food experience; read more

Oysters: More Than Sexy

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:45:00 -0700

Oysters inspire no middle ground, you either love them or hate them. I fall in the former category and am always happy when oyster season comes around. Months that contain the letter "R" are the months of oyster season (that is September through April), so the season is upon us!

People gulp them raw hoping they are truly the aphrodisiac of legends, but some folks shy away from oysters because they think the mollusk is high in cholesterol. Well, truth be told they are a lean source of protein and they contain Omega-3 fatty acids. In fact 6 oysters contain one third of your RDI of the uber healthy fatty acid. Seems like a reason to split a dozen with your honey to me.

On the other hand, 6 oysters only contain about 55 milligrams of cholesterol, about 1/5 of the cholesterol found in an egg. So the effect on blood cholesterol caused by oysters is minimal at most. Plus they are high in the immune supporting mineral zinc, as well as B12, copper, iron and selenium,

Fit's Tip: You want to look for oysters that have tightly closed shells. They should smell like the sea and not at all sulfurous. Pregnant women, children and people with compromised immune systems should avoid eating raw oysters due to the potential of toxic bacteria that can lead to food poisoning.

And you, how do you feel about oysters? Do you like them raw? Do you prefer them on the BBQ. Tell me about it in the comment section below.

Source

What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 09:30:17 -0800

Manchego cheese lends a nice sharpness to a pizza with chorizo and shrimp or a turkey sandwich with pear butter.
Learn how to store raw oysters at home.
In response to kosher salt, one religious man has developed Christian salt.
Find out which wines topped our list at this year's San Francisco Chronicle wine competition.
Ritz Carlton chef Ron Siegel tells us how winning Iron Chef changed his life.
For PartySugar's half-birthday celebration, she's planning an idyllic oyster picnic.
Get solace from Winter weather with these six tempting gratin dishes.

Eat More Oysters, Fight Cancer?

YumSugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 03:00:44 -0800

The shellfish known as the oyster has long been thought to have aphrodisiac properties, but now researchers at Louisiana State University have come up with yet another reason to eat them: they may help prevent and treat cancer.

Oysters contain fat compounds called ceramides, which researchers found can restrict the growth of breast-cancer cells as well as prevent the formation of blood vessels, which inhibits cancer from spreading. In a seven-day study, cancer growth decreased by 57 percent.

In case you're wondering, both raw and cooked oysters apply. The only exception would be the use of fat-reducing grills, because ceramide is found in oil, which is lost when using a tilted grill. Does this finding make you want to eat more oysters?

Source

A Valentine's Menu That Won't Break the Scale

partysugar — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:00:53 -0800

Recently I received a personal message from a reader asking for advice on what to cook her boyfriend for Valentine's Day. They've been working out together and eating healthy, so she was looking for a menu that wouldn't ruin their diet. Here, I've come up with a decadent dinner menu that won't pack on pounds. To start, serve an appetizer of the freshest raw oysters (if you dislike oysters, opt for shrimp cocktail) with a glass of sparkling wine. For the main course, pair a huge green salad alongside classic cheese fondue. Select dippers that are diet-friendly like crudités, wheat bread croutons, and lean proteins. Instead of indulging in a calorie-packed dessert, splurge on a high-quality bar of dark chocolate and enjoy with a bottle of port.

What menu would you advise for a health-conscious couple? To check out these recipes, read more.

Raw Oysters
From Martha Stewart

1 tablespoon pink peppercorns
1 tablespoon green peppercorns
1 tablespoon fennel seed, lightly toasted
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
1/2 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 dozen fresh oysters

In a small bowl, combine peppercorns, fennel seed, vinegars, and salt.
Shuck oysters just before serving; arrange on bed of crushed ice.
Drizzle with mignonette, or serve on the side. Serve immediately.

Serves 8.

Print recipe with images | without images

Cheese Fondue
From Gourmet magazine

1 garlic clove, halved crosswise
1 1/2 cups dry white wine (preferably Swiss, such as Fendant)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons kirsch
1/2 lb Emmental cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)
1/2 lb Gruyère , coarsely grated (2 cups)
cubes of French bread on fondue forks or long wooden skewers
Special equipment: a fondue pot

Rub inside of a 4-quart heavy pot with cut sides of garlic, then discard garlic. Add wine to pot and bring just to a simmer over moderate heat.
Stir together cornstarch and kirsch in a cup.
Gradually add cheese to pot and cook, stirring constantly in a zigzag pattern (not a circular motion) to prevent cheese from balling up, until cheese is just melted and creamy (do not let boil).
Stir cornstarch mixture again and stir into fondue. Bring fondue to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.
Transfer to fondue pot set over a flame and serve with bread for dipping.

Serves 6.

Print recipe with images | without images

Mixed Green Salad With Tarragon Vinaigrette
From Gourmet

Ingredients

4 teaspoons Sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 lb frisée (French curly endive), torn into bite-size pieces
1 head Boston lettuce (1 lb), torn into bite-size pieces
1 bunch arugula (1/2 lb), coarse stems discarded
1 bunch watercress (1/2 lb), coarse stems discarded

Directions

Whisk together vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Whisk in tarragon.
Toss greens with dressing in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Serves 8.

Print recipe with images | without images

Source