My Summer Reading List: Tender at the Bone
Originally published on June 4, 2009.
Recently I ventured over to amazon.com and purchased a box full of foodie books to read over the summer. As I complete each one I will review them here for all to see. The list is an impressive one and I have chosen to lead it off with Ruth Reichl’s 1988 opus Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table.
Others on my summer reading list include Kitchen Confidential (Anthony Bourdain), Heat (Bill Buford), The Man Who Ate Everything (Jeffery Steingarten) and The Making of a Chef (Michael Ruhlman). I know what you are thinking, “Shouldn’t he have read those already?” The answer is yes I should have. You know what? I haven’t seen Rainman or Switch Blade yet either. I’ll get around to it. But first, Tender at the Bone:
First published in 1988, Tender at the Bone was way ahead of the curve. After all, the phrase foodie didn’t really even exist at the time nor the Food Network for that matter. Bobby Flay was still in Culinary School. Emeril LaGasse was only known for being the guy who replaced Paul Prudhomme at Commander’s Palace.
Tender is the story of a lifetime immersed in food, a coming of age tale a lifetime in the making. When reading, one feels that Reichl is telling you her life story over a bottle of red and a plate of brie and grapes rather than leafing through an autobiography. On more than one occasion I was left thinking, What an amazing life – she should write a book about it. That’s how easy the prose is, it reads more like conversation.
Ruth Reichl grew up during an amazing period of strife and growth in America’s history but she was not a bystander; she was in the thick of it. When hypocritical Northerners ridiculed the Deep South while keeping minorities at a safe distance in their own lives Reichl was color blind. While many hippies dreamed of joining a commune, Reichl lived in one. And through it all there was food.
Tender at the Bone is a must read for anyone who loves food and believes in the force that food can be in a person’s life. There is a reason why Reichl sits at the head of the table of food writers with the likes of Bittman, Ruhlman, Steingarten and Burford. The reason? She is damned good at what she does.
Next: Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.
Fish Dish: Blackened Swordfish
I was excited to find that my local market has started stocking Full Circle all natural, wild caught, US fish in its freezer section. I live on the Gulf Coast and can get fresh Gulf seafood but these are not indigenous fishcicles. So I have decided to share this culinary voyage with you. I won’t be providing recipes per se but instructions on how I fixed each Fish Dish.
Blackened Swordfish
Fish Dish: Blackened Swordfish with Cajun Rice and Crème Fraîche Tarter Sauce.
Contrary to popular belief “blackening” food is not an age old Cajun or Creole cooking technique. It is, however, born from the imagination of one of America’s most important chefs, Paul Prudhomme.
Blackened anything has been seen on menues across the nation ever since Chef Prudhomme made Blackened Redfish the signature dish at K Paul’s, his famous French Quarter restaurant. The technique is as risqué for the cook as it is for the dinner as it temps both with high heat and a touch of danger.
The first thing you should do when attempting any blackened dish is open the closest window and turn your hood vent to HIGH. Coat your swordfish generously with blackening seasoning (Paul Prudhomme’s is available at your grocer or make one from scratch, the recipe for mine follows). Heat an iron skillet to medium-high to high, it should be smoking. Although traditional technique uses clarified butter, the purpose of this is to keep the dish healthy so I used canola oil, about 3 tablespoons. Add the swordfish; there should be LOTS of smoke.
After about 2 to 3 minutes turn your fish; it should looked nearly burnt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. If you are cooking on electric you may want to remove the pan from the burner for about 30 seconds until the temprature levels out. Remove the fish to a plate. Add finely diced onions, celery and bell pepper to the pan and saute briefly before adding brown rice. Toss until heated through and season with a pinch more of the blackening seasoning.
The tarter sauce was easy. I added a tablespoon of Mrs. Renfro’s Hot Chow Chow to 3 tablespoons homemade Crème Fraîche. Using the same ratio you can add pickle relish to mayo to make a less fancy tarter sauce.
Blackening Seasoning from Third Coast Cuisine
* 6 teaspoons paprika
* 1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon each finely ground black pepper, finely ground white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, & celery salt
Mix together and store in an airtight container.