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Biting History one
meal at a time |
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These Callos (Scallops) are fresh! |
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After a particularly long run
of WORK, with almost
no days off since July Fourth, Bob and I decided on
a much needed few days rest in Mexico. I know what
you're thinking, "too damn dangerous"! Maybe so,
but it was also very much worth it!
After a leisurely breakfast overlooking the ocean
at Manny's in Puerto Penasco, we ventured on
south
to el Desemboque. (one of two towns with the
same
name within fifty miles of one another) a tiny
fishing
village on the Sea of Cortez. "Our" little town is
on
the desolate, and spectacular, desert west coast
of Sonora, our neighboring state south of Arizona.
We had had a rough night before, so
we went straight to our motel. It's the only
one in town, very cute and clean. Our room
faced the ocean and the views were spectacular!
We immediately placed our reclining lawn chairs on
the
veranda, mixed drinks and commenced keeping a close
watch over the sea. (Just in case something
happened.)
We were fortunate to arrive at our destination when
the moon was in a quarter phase which means the
tides were right for harvesting the callos.
(Scallops
to us) We watched, over coffee, each morning
as the pangas raced to about three or four
miles out.
We could see them well with our super binoculars as
they lined up on the horizon and deployed the
divers.
By early afternoon the boats would come speeding
back
to us, laden with their catch. The shells of the
scallops
would be clearly visible, high above the sides of
the
pangas as they sat very low in the water.
The launcheros
would get busy hauling the boats from the water as
fast
as they could and take each one the the captain's
home.
Most would be slid from the trailer to a spot on
the ground
under a shade tree. At that point, a crowd would
gather
and the frenzied work of shucking would begin.
Soon,
the large pile of callos in the boat would
become a
large pile of shells on the ground. Buckets would
abound
with the freshly harvested, meaty adductor muscles
of these delicious sea mollusks.
Children would move the meat morsels around in the
sand,
then men would rinse them by swishing them
vigorously
in big tubs of sea water. |
The work is grueling
and only
finished for
the day after the last
scallop has been shucked, weighed and bagged
to sell.
At sunrise the next
morning the entire
cycle begins
again. |
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We knew we would never find
fresher scallops than these,
(nor pescadores who needed the income
worse). Bob
set out walking from boat to boat along the beach
to
negotiate for the delicacy. This is one of his
favorite
things to do. His Spanish is lousy and few of the
sellers
spoke English. It doesn't seem to matter to anyone.
They laugh and slap each other on the shoulders
and make the deal.
Everyone is happy and we get to bring home some
fabulous seafood from one of our favorite locales!
Don't forget the recipe at the bottom of this
article. |
bon appetit!
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For a real treat,
try this wonderful recipe for
Grilled Scallops with Red Chile Sauce |
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Scallops, one of the
world's most popular mollusks, are as
delicious as they are beautiful. While it's
the two fan-shaped shells that make these
bi-valves so attractive, it's their large
meaty adductor muscle that's given them
their status as a
gourmet food. Their soft tender texture and
mild sweet
flavour make scallops a favourite among
seafood lovers.
And their versatility means they are
enjoyed in cuisines
all over the world.
Read on to learn more about scallops, their
nutrition highlights, and easy ways to add
them to your diet.
Scallops are high in protein, contain
virtually no saturated
fat and are a good source of important
minerals including magnesium, phosphorus
and potassium.
Scallops are also a great source of vitamin
B12 -
a three-ounce serving (90 grams) provides
half of a day's vitamin B12 requirement.
The body needs vitamin B12 to make red
blood cells
and to maintain a healthy nervous system.
Vitamin B12 is also used to make and repair
DNA,
the genetic material of cells.
Here's how a
3-ounce (90 gram) serving of
steamed scallops (bay or sea) stack up in
terms of nutrition:
Calories
101
Protein 21 grams
Fat 1.3 grams
saturated fat 0.1 grams
Cholesterol 48 milligrams
Plus, you get 50
milligrams of magnesium, 304 milligrams of
phosphorus,
and 1.2 micrograms of vitamin B12.
Leslie Beck, RD
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READ HERE ABOUT DRY VS WET SCALLOPS |
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Chow!
Bob (and
Mardi)
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* For more
information about
(and to get your own)
Heirloom Tomatoes, visit:
www.Aravaipa.com |
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Our Culinary Festival continues in
October and November with,
SATURDAY, in November
TBA
TAMALES WORKSHOP
> A Southwestern tradition for
centuries!
Learn to prepare the chile sauce and the masa. Make
and take
home
wonderful Tamales!
MANY
OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER CLASSES ON
SALE!!
Saturdays our Original
Basics of Gourmet Cooking
continues! please see our schedule for more
info. |
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Remember, we sell most of the tools and small
appliances
and those wonderful Messermeister knives we
use in class on our sister site;
www.Sharpknives.com
Great Grilling Tools
on Sale now! |
Mardi
Burden
shares
ownership of
Cuisine Classique School
of Good
Cooking
with her husband Bob.
Mardi loves to cook
and she brings her
professional expertise
from restaurant kitchens
and large catering events
to the lessons she
teaches
in her classes.
Mardi's
love of cooking,
and
her
knowledge of food
and
cooking is truly
exceptional and
she is always eager to
"share the love"!
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