Louisiana Oyster Jubilee 2010 will be held on March 27th, 2010
300 Block of Bourbon Street
Open to the Public
Get ready to enjoy Louisiana Oysters at the Fourth Annual Louisiana Oyster Jubilee. Join Louisiana's chefs, restaurateurs, oyster aficionados and others as they celebrate Louisiana's savory oysters.
2009 Participating Restaurants:
Acme Oyster House
Antoines
Remoulade
Bourbon House
Café Beignet
Café Giovanni
Café Reconcile
Chad's Bistro
Deanie's
Desire Oyster Bar and Bistro
Galatoires
GW Fins
Hoshun Restaurant
House of Blues
NOLA
Parkway Bakery and Tavern
Red Fish Grill
Wolfe's
Zea's Restaurant
Friday, March 26, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Oysters - the Tudor version of cinema popcorn
Isn't it great that we live in a place where oysters are still "common man" food, where a dozen on the half shell doesn't set you back, $20 ... shuck that, California!
Oysters - the Tudor version of cinema popcorn
LONDON (Reuters) - Elizabethan theater-goers chomped on an exotic array of foods while enjoying the latest plays of the day, new evidence found at the sites of Shakespearean playhouses in London suggests.
Archaeologists say choice Tudor snacks included oysters by the cartload, crab and other shellfish like mussels, whelks and periwinkles.
Dried raisins and figs, hazelnuts, plums, cherries and peaches were also consumed in great quantities, according to experts who excavated The Rose and The Globe theatres on the south bank of the River Thames.
Baked blackberry and elderberry pies and sturgeon, common in British waters at the time, were also popular with the masses who packed the playhouses.
New published research also suggests that the theater diet varied along social and class lines.
Commoners, referred to then as "groundlings or stinkards" who paid just a penny to stand in the yard or pit regularly chomped on oysters.
"Oysters were in fact the staple diet of the poor, right up to the Victorian period, and certainly we find oyster shells by the thousand on nearly every archaeological site we do," said senior Museum of London archaeologist Julian Bowsher who excavated the two theater sites.
The gentrified classes, who paid more to sit on cushions in the galleries, were more likely to have munched on crab and sturgeon, he said. Sturgeon may well have been slightly more expensive than other fish at the time.
"Underneath the gallery seating, we found fragments of crab which could also have been more costly," he told Reuters.
There is evidence the better-off could also afford to snack on imported foods like peaches and dried fruits.
Museum of London Archaeology has published the findings in a book of the excavations, which began in 1988, called: "The Rose and the Globe: Playhouses of Shakespeare's Bankside, Southwark."
Authored by Bowsher and fellow archaeologist Pat Miller, it contains decades of research on all aspects of the playhouses from superstructure to dress accessories of the classes who attended.
The Rose was originally built in 1587 as a 14-sided polygon where many of Christopher Marlowe's plays, including "Doctor Faustus" and "The Jew of Malta," were first performed.
The Globe, home to many of Shakespeare's plays, was first built in 1599 by the Bard's playing company, burned down in 1613, was rebuilt in 1614 and, like all other London theatres, was closed down by the Puritans in 1642.
A modern reconstruction was opened in 1997.
Oysters - the Tudor version of cinema popcorn
LONDON (Reuters) - Elizabethan theater-goers chomped on an exotic array of foods while enjoying the latest plays of the day, new evidence found at the sites of Shakespearean playhouses in London suggests.
Archaeologists say choice Tudor snacks included oysters by the cartload, crab and other shellfish like mussels, whelks and periwinkles.
Dried raisins and figs, hazelnuts, plums, cherries and peaches were also consumed in great quantities, according to experts who excavated The Rose and The Globe theatres on the south bank of the River Thames.
Baked blackberry and elderberry pies and sturgeon, common in British waters at the time, were also popular with the masses who packed the playhouses.
New published research also suggests that the theater diet varied along social and class lines.
Commoners, referred to then as "groundlings or stinkards" who paid just a penny to stand in the yard or pit regularly chomped on oysters.
"Oysters were in fact the staple diet of the poor, right up to the Victorian period, and certainly we find oyster shells by the thousand on nearly every archaeological site we do," said senior Museum of London archaeologist Julian Bowsher who excavated the two theater sites.
The gentrified classes, who paid more to sit on cushions in the galleries, were more likely to have munched on crab and sturgeon, he said. Sturgeon may well have been slightly more expensive than other fish at the time.
"Underneath the gallery seating, we found fragments of crab which could also have been more costly," he told Reuters.
There is evidence the better-off could also afford to snack on imported foods like peaches and dried fruits.
Museum of London Archaeology has published the findings in a book of the excavations, which began in 1988, called: "The Rose and the Globe: Playhouses of Shakespeare's Bankside, Southwark."
Authored by Bowsher and fellow archaeologist Pat Miller, it contains decades of research on all aspects of the playhouses from superstructure to dress accessories of the classes who attended.
The Rose was originally built in 1587 as a 14-sided polygon where many of Christopher Marlowe's plays, including "Doctor Faustus" and "The Jew of Malta," were first performed.
The Globe, home to many of Shakespeare's plays, was first built in 1599 by the Bard's playing company, burned down in 1613, was rebuilt in 1614 and, like all other London theatres, was closed down by the Puritans in 1642.
A modern reconstruction was opened in 1997.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
State Reopens Louisiana Oyster Bed
KPLC-TV
Posted: Jan 19, 2010 6:28 PM Updated: Jan 19, 2010 6:29 PM
Posted: Jan 19, 2010 6:28 PM Updated: Jan 19, 2010 6:29 PM
The following is a news release from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals will reopen Area 29 to oyster harvesting at sunrise Wednesday, January 20, 2010. DHH evaluations of Area 29, located in Lower Calcasieu Lake, have determined the molluscan shellfish growing waters there are suitable for harvest of oysters.
DHH closed Area 29 on January 14, 2010 as a precautionary measure. It is believed that oysters harvested from these waters may have been responsible for a norovirus outbreak in North Carolina last month.
Today, State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry and DHH Secretary Alan Levine signed the order to reopen this oyster harvesting area. This action rescinds the precautionary closure order, allowing oystermen to resume operations in Area 29.
The DHH Office of Public Health continues its regular monitoring of conditions in Louisiana's shellfish growing areas to ensure the public's health. The Louisiana Oyster Task Force, an organization made up of oyster industry and regulatory agencies, supports the reopening. Water standards for oyster harvesting areas are set by the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference and can be found at www.issc.org. DHH has the authority to open and close these waters under LSA-R.S. 40:5,3.
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state citizens. To learn more about DHH, visit http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov.
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals will reopen Area 29 to oyster harvesting at sunrise Wednesday, January 20, 2010. DHH evaluations of Area 29, located in Lower Calcasieu Lake, have determined the molluscan shellfish growing waters there are suitable for harvest of oysters.
DHH closed Area 29 on January 14, 2010 as a precautionary measure. It is believed that oysters harvested from these waters may have been responsible for a norovirus outbreak in North Carolina last month.
Today, State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry and DHH Secretary Alan Levine signed the order to reopen this oyster harvesting area. This action rescinds the precautionary closure order, allowing oystermen to resume operations in Area 29.
The DHH Office of Public Health continues its regular monitoring of conditions in Louisiana's shellfish growing areas to ensure the public's health. The Louisiana Oyster Task Force, an organization made up of oyster industry and regulatory agencies, supports the reopening. Water standards for oyster harvesting areas are set by the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference and can be found at www.issc.org. DHH has the authority to open and close these waters under LSA-R.S. 40:5,3.
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state citizens. To learn more about DHH, visit http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Oyster Facts
An average sized American oyster (Crassostrea virginica), as we find in the Gulf region, can filter about 50 gallons of water per day.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Smoking Oysters (heat)
As promised ... notes on heat-smoking oysters:
There's perhaps no other seafood which is more appealing to me than smoked oysters. Many of you may have had the canned variety, which are sold in most grocery stores. Obviously, the quality and flavor varies greatly, and the good ones are rather expensive. That got me thinking that there's really no reason at all that I shouldn't try preparing them myself.
My first try was not entirely successful, as I ended up with tiny chewy bits which even the cats weren't interested in. My technique, or lack thereof, was simply to place them on a sheet of foil, which I poked some holes in so the smoke could circulate better. I expected them to dry out quite a bit, but not to the extent that they did ... pretty much a total loss.
I adjusted my technique on the second attempt, however, and the results were far superior. What I was really looking for was a moderately firm but juicy oyster which I would ultimately marinate in a good olive oil. This time I started the process as before, placing the oysters on a piece of foil and poking a few holes in it to allow for better circulation (and for the oysters to drain a bit). I removed the oysters after smoking them for about 15 minutes at around 145 degress. As the temperature control in many smokers is difficult to measure, just keep an eye on them until they begin to shed some of their liquor, and begin to become more plump and round, under cooking them a bit is OK, because we're not finished with the process yet. The next step is actually to remove the oysters and place in a small pan then pour in enough extra virgin olive oil to completely cover them. Place back in the smoker at the same temperature for another hour or more, depending on how smokey you want them to become. Personally, when I taste the olive oil and get a slightly smokey (but not bitter) flavor, that's perfect. Just remove the pan and set aside to cool. Once they're near room temperature, I generally add some sliced raw onions, and a touch of white wine vinegar. You can store these in the refrigerator, or even can them.
Besides just eating them straight or with some good bread, there are numerous ways to to use them, including:
- Throw a few in with your seafood pasta dish
- Use them on top of salads
- Make a delicious sandwich with whatever strikes your fancy (I like them with artichoke hearts, roasted piquillo peppers and a slice of good cheese)
There's perhaps no other seafood which is more appealing to me than smoked oysters. Many of you may have had the canned variety, which are sold in most grocery stores. Obviously, the quality and flavor varies greatly, and the good ones are rather expensive. That got me thinking that there's really no reason at all that I shouldn't try preparing them myself.
My first try was not entirely successful, as I ended up with tiny chewy bits which even the cats weren't interested in. My technique, or lack thereof, was simply to place them on a sheet of foil, which I poked some holes in so the smoke could circulate better. I expected them to dry out quite a bit, but not to the extent that they did ... pretty much a total loss.
I adjusted my technique on the second attempt, however, and the results were far superior. What I was really looking for was a moderately firm but juicy oyster which I would ultimately marinate in a good olive oil. This time I started the process as before, placing the oysters on a piece of foil and poking a few holes in it to allow for better circulation (and for the oysters to drain a bit). I removed the oysters after smoking them for about 15 minutes at around 145 degress. As the temperature control in many smokers is difficult to measure, just keep an eye on them until they begin to shed some of their liquor, and begin to become more plump and round, under cooking them a bit is OK, because we're not finished with the process yet. The next step is actually to remove the oysters and place in a small pan then pour in enough extra virgin olive oil to completely cover them. Place back in the smoker at the same temperature for another hour or more, depending on how smokey you want them to become. Personally, when I taste the olive oil and get a slightly smokey (but not bitter) flavor, that's perfect. Just remove the pan and set aside to cool. Once they're near room temperature, I generally add some sliced raw onions, and a touch of white wine vinegar. You can store these in the refrigerator, or even can them.
Besides just eating them straight or with some good bread, there are numerous ways to to use them, including:
- Throw a few in with your seafood pasta dish
- Use them on top of salads
- Make a delicious sandwich with whatever strikes your fancy (I like them with artichoke hearts, roasted piquillo peppers and a slice of good cheese)
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Pearls ...
“Oysters are the most tender and delicate of all seafoods. The stay in bed all day and night. They never work or take exercise, are stupendous drinkers, and wait for their meals to come to them.”
Hector Bolitho 'The Glorious Oyster' (1960)
Hector Bolitho 'The Glorious Oyster' (1960)
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