6.29.2012

Visiting Choptank Sweets Oyster Farm & Eating Oysters "Bubba" Feller

After we left J.M. Clayton Seafood and Captain Billy, our next destination was the Choptank Sweets Oyster Farm. Waiting to greet us and teach us how to grow and harvest oysters were Kevin and Bubba.

I knew I was going to like Bubba when he started by passing around cold beers and shucking oysters that he'd just pulled out of the water.
Welcome to Choptank Sweets
They even supplied sriracha! We decided to up it a level and top our oysters with fresh picked Maryland blue crab. Two words: DO THIS
Heaven is oysters topped with crab and sriracha
Bubba started our lesson by teaching us about the floating oyster beds - that they make - and are constantly working to innovate.
Bubba of Choptank Sweets
There are hundreds and hundreds of these floating oyster beds and each needs to be flipped every two weeks to ensure the oysters get the proper ratio of sunlight and nourishment. That means that Bubba goes in and flips them. All of them. Which didn't sound so terrible on a gorgeous summer day, but consider winter when Bubba dons waders and an ice pick to get the job done.
Oysters growing in their beds
The baby oysters are raised under cover in this boat house. Just those two floats there have hundreds of millions of baby oysters getting bigger every day. When they are large enough, they are moved to the beds.
Baby oysters
Not to give bloggers a bad reputation, but after our early departure from DC and long drive to the Eastern Shore (plus stuffing ourselves with beer, crab and oysters), it was time for a break. I popped my trunk and unloaded a beach chair, towels and a tablecloth so that we could relax and catch some rays supervise the oyster farm.
Bloggers hard at work...
Ok, not all of us were lazing in the sun. Amanda had discovered that Bubba's dad was actually one of her teachers back in school. He'd now retired over to Cambridge and Bubba put him on the phone with her.
Amanda reconnecting with her toes in the sand
With all of the touring and working done, it was time to say goodbye to Kevin and Bubba and go get some lunch. The guys recommended we hit Ocean Odyssey which served both beer and oysters sourced from Choptank Sweets.
Bloggers on the Bay with Kevin & Bubba of Choptank Sweets
 [More after the jump]

6.27.2012

Catching Maryland Blue Crabs on the Choptank River

When I got back from Europe, I was exhausted. But no amount of jet lag was going to keep me from "Bloggers on the Bay."

I'd been plotting an excursion on the water with Steve Vilnit for months. Y'all remember Steve, he's the one that who promotes Maryland seafood to chefs... like, for a living. I can confirm after spending a Saturday on the water with him and a few of my favorite folks that, indeed, it is one of the better ways to earn a buck.

I picked up Jenna, Nikki and Laeticia bright and early in Washington, DC and we aimed my rig towards the quaint Eastern Shore fishing village of Cambridge. Within five minutes of arriving at J.M. Clayton Seafood, we were on a boat in the Choptank River with Captain Billy. The first step was getting friendly with the crabs. We each were forced got to hold a blue crab and learn what the markings mean. This guy that I'm holding is a Jimmy (boy crab), which you can tell by the "T" shape on his abdomen.

Me holding Jimmy
The females ("Sally" or "she crabs") have a triangle on their abdomen and bright, red "nail polish."
Sally and her red nails
Crabbing in the Choptank is old school. Forget those big crab traps you think of when you see Deadliest Catch (they do that out in the Chesapeake Bay.) When you crab in the river, you haul out a line that's about a mile long and tethered to a buoy. About every three feet on the line, Captain Billy ties a small net "clam bag" that acts as bait. The boat approaches the buoy and feeds the line along the side. As each clam bag passes, you can wait with anticipation see any attached crabs approaching. Then you scoop them up in a net and toss them in a bucket. Each crab has to meet certain size standards - about six inches during this part of summer (the requirement is larger later in the season.)
He's a keeper!
Now, I made that seem fairly easy, right. Run the line, scoop the crabs into a net and move on to the next buoy. When my turn came, I got excited as I saw the first crab and moved to get him. I anticipated how he'd drop wrong and lost him. Another one came down the line and I told Captain, "I got this." Yeah, I didn't have that. The third try was a charm and as I dropped him into the bucket, Captain informed me that had now earned twelve cents.

Way to put it into perspective.
Captain Billy
The other thing that is cool about this form of crabbing is that it has zero environmental impact on the watershed. And that means more sweet and delicious Maryland crab for generations to come.

Here's THE ONE I caught.
After we all took a turn, we headed back to J.M. Clayton where we'd learn how those crabs would get from the boat to our table. The crabs are sorted and weighed, then those destined to be lump or backfin are tossed into these giant steamers where they are cooked.

Giant Crab Pots
The cooked crabs then head to the pickers. During the busy season, as many as 80 women are picking crabs. They are paid by both the hour and by the pound. Some of the best can clear up to 60 pounds of crab a day!
Bad ass crab picking women!
This is where the shocker happened. We learned that most restaurants that say they serve Maryland crab are not actually serving you Maryland crab! That's right. Between Philly and Northern Virginia, restaurants import 43 million pounds of crab. Maryland produced about 700,000 pounds. Do the math. (Ok, fine, I'll do the math. That means about 2% of the crab on those menus is actually coming from Maryland.)

For the Clayton clan and Captain Billy, the 80 women picking crabs and for the amount restaurants charge for crab, I think we all deserve to know when Maryland crab on a menu actually means Maryland crab. As Jessica from Washington City Paper called them, "crab fakes" not "crab cakes."

There are two ways you can help:
1) Ask. When you see Maryland crab on the menu. Ask your server to confirm with the chef that it's actually from Maryland. Don't feel like a pain in the butt. Ask. Otherwise, you're getting cheaply-picked Indonesian crab (and paying Maryland-quality prices) that took two weeks to get here and sat on a shipping dock for who knows how long.

2) The State of Maryland has launched a "True Blue" Maryland seafood authentication seal. Chefs who use "True Blue" on their menus must prove once a month, with receipts, that what they are calling Maryland seafood is Maryland seafood. Ask your favorite restaurants to join the program and patronize those that do.

Here's the deal folks... Whether it's wine or cheese or meat... Location matters. That doesn't mean you have to be snobby, it just means things taste different and you may have a preference. In a recent test taste, Maryland blew away the imported crab. And why not? It's fresher because it's local. Also, because it gets chilly up here, Maryland crabs have a little fat (what they call "mustard"). Doesn't everything taste better when it's cooked with a little fat? (See: bacon, duck fat)
Steve showing us the crab picking machine at JM Clayton... they invented it!
The other thing I wasn't really aware of is that you can eat crab off season because J.M. Clayton pasteurizes it. Steve reported that when they did blind taste tests, some of the chefs that did the tour actually liked this product best.
J.M. Clayton's Epicure Crab - look for it at Whole Foods
But the way I like it best? Fresh picked and sprinkled with a bit of Old Bay.
Fresh picked crab on the river it was caught... life is good.
PS. We hope you enjoyed reading about this adventure. We all agreed, it was one of the most inspiring, interesting and delicious things we've done.
Jenna, Laeticia, Nikki and Amanda
 PSS. I've got one more post from this day coming your way... on Maryland oyster farming!
me, Nikki and Jenna... clearly working hard...
PSSS. And, I'm working on the next Maryland seafood adventure with Steve... and possibly a snakehead hunt! So follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to get the latest!

PSSSS. Which of my favorite spots are serving True Blue certified Maryland seafood? Woodberry Kitchen, Dino, Equinox, Cantler's, Tony & Joes, Nick's Riverside Grille, Bistro Bis, Gertrude's, Vidalia and area Whole Foods.

UPDATE: The fantastic Ben Fortney has a Foursquare list of all of the Maryland True Blue certified restaurants. Follow it here

6.19.2012

Weekend in London: Shopping, Spuntino & the Queen's Diamond Jubilee River Pageant

When I booked this trip, I didn't know it was the Diamond Jubilee, celebrating 60 years of Queen Elizabeth on the throne. But, it made for a very Union Jack experience... and I've never met a Union Jack I didn't covet.

I started off walking over to Monmouth Coffee at the recommendation of Eric, one of my friends who is espresso-obsessed in Baltimore. It happened to be closed on Sunday, so I decided my next destination was going to be TopShop on Oxford Street, where I was convinced I would find a non-cheesy, subtle Union Jack something to wear to the Jubilee that afternoon. TopShop was totally over the top and I didn't find something I wanted or really needed (what I still needed most was my Hunter boots that I decided against packing.)

On the way back to my hotel, dumb luck took me down Carnaby Street which ended up being my favorite shops of the day.  I still wish I had picked up the Grumpasaurus t-shirt from David & Goliath and the cool punk jewelry at The Great Frog.
Shopping on Carnaby Street in London
I'd been hearing all about friends who had great meals at Spuntino, so I popped in for brunch. They had me at truffled egg toast and a Bloody Mary.
Truffled Egg Toast & a Bloody Mary at Spuntino
Everyone had also been raving about Hummingbird Bakery cupcakes on Portobello Road, but honestly, trendy cupcakes are getting on my last nerve. I passed a Hummingbird outpost near Spuntino though and their Jubilee Union Jack cupcakes sucked me in. I decided I could justify it by getting one to take with me down to the Thames and that my personal tribute to the Queen would be toasting her with a cupcake.
Union Jack cupcakes at Hummingbird Bakery
After that, I booked it back to my hotel to blow dry my shoes and decide where I wanted to attempt to watch the royal barge on the Thames for the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant. I decided that since I hadn't yet seen Parliament or Big Ben or the London Eye yet, I'd head down to the Victoria Embankment. It was perfect - jam packed with partying and even though I couldn't get a spot on the river, they had enormous big screen TVs to watch the royals go by.


Kate, Harry and Wills got lots of cheers
It was neat to be near the spectacle and with such history all around me. But, honestly, what I was most impressed by was the Queen's stamina. She stood for hours and hours and hours. At some point, I had to head back home to dry off and relax before dinner. But, she was still there, in the rain, taking it all in. Sixty years ain't nothing to shake a stick at... as soon as I got home, I downloaded this biography to learn more about her and her ascension to the throne.
Me toasting the Queen as she passed by on my left.
With the River Pageant behind me and a long flight home the next day, I had a great wild rabbit tagliolini at Jamie's Italian with Dominic, enjoyed a walk back through Piccadilly Circus to my hotel and settled in to a deep sleep.
Piccadilly Circus
PS. Clearly, I'm smitten with London, but if you need a Union Jack fix back in Washington, DC, stop by Foundry on U Street. Designer Yvette Freeman is equally obsessed and has a store full of unique Union Jacks for your home.

6.18.2012

Weekend in London: Tate Modern, Borough Market & Sweeney Todd

The work trip officially ended about 3pm, Friday in Zeist and I switched into vacation mode as I boarded the plane to London for the weekend. I checked into the W Hotel in Leicester Square (but equally as close to Piccadilly Circus) and as luck would have it, my friend Koren who lives in Seattle was in town. We met up for dinner at The Punch Bowl which was the perfect entry to a Diamond Jubilee weekend. No, it didn't involved the Queen. But, it does involve Guy Ritchie (he owns the joint), Winston Churchill (in a portrait over the fireplace) and the second oldest pub in Mayfair.
Photo: coolheadhunter. blogspot.com
The next morning, I woke up and I know this will shock you, but I had planned something. I had tickets to see Damien Hirst's exhibit at the Tate Modern museum. I expected freaky animals submerged in formaldehyde, skulls encased in crystals and exhibits involving prescription drugs and cigarettes. What I didn't expect was a well made latte (proceeds benefiting the Tate) and this gorgeous view of downtown London:
View from the 4th floor espresso bar at the Tate Modern. (Photo: Tammy Gordon)
I wasn't sure what I wanted to do next but I had markets on my mind. No less than three people that I trust told me I'd love Borough Market more than Portobello Market, so I decided to check it out. Between Tate and Borough, I passed the Millenium Bridge (cool pedestrian bridge across Thames River) and Shakespeare's Globe Theater.

I loved it so much, I have to do another post focusing just on Borough Market, but the food, the drinks, the ingredients, the shopping, the vendors, the people... I wanted to move in.
Borough Market with Southwark Cathedral in the background and Monmouth Coffee on the left.
(Photo: Tammy Gordon)
I had heard about Roast, but I was curious about other vendors with lines queued up, like Hobbs Meat Roast, which featured pulled pork sandwiches with slaw. 

Pulled Pork Sandwich from Hobbs at Borough Market (Photo: Tammy Gordon)
I balanced that with a fresh squeezed watermelon juice, but there were so many things I wanted to taste, I had to settle for photographs and get the heck out of there. I walked through the courtyard of Southwark Cathedral where those in the know relax with their market picnics. From there I crossed London Bridge and hopped the tube to see how Portobello Market compared. It was kind of like Dupont Circle Farmers Market vs. Eastern Market. One's good for food and one's good for gifts and home goods. I'm a foodie girl, so Borough Market's my choice any day.

After all of that walking around in drizzling London, I was ready to head back to the hotel and blow dry my shoes some more. This is something I would repeat often over the weekend.

I had a lot of dinner targets, but I was still full from snacking at Borough Market so I opted for last minute theater tickets. I mean, when in London, you have to see Sweeney Todd, right? Less than an hour before the show, I popped by the Adelphi Theater and snagged second row, center tickets, a glass of champagne and a pistachio macaron from Paul Bakery across the street.
Sweeney Todd (Photo: london-theatreland.co.uk)
After the engrossingly gory show, the cast came out for their usual encore and applause but stayed and sang "God Save the Queen," my first hint of the patriotic fervor to come for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebration. The Australian couple next to met told a nearby Scottish gal that they used to do that after every show in the United Kingdom. It was a neat throwback to days of old and one that made me excited about the next day's River Pageant down the Thames River.

6.17.2012

What to Do With a Couple Hours in Amsterdam in the Rain...

So, I do this thing when I find myself in unknown territory. I boldly act like I totally know what I am doing even though it is very clear that I do not. This is how I found myself at the Amsterdam Central Train Station, launching off on a quest to find dinner and see canals wearing a falling-apart pair of Tom's ballet flats and no umbrella during a rain storm in a foreign country where I do not speak one word of the language (luckily they speak mine.) I did have a lightweight hot pink Patagonia rain jacket that I procured because I looked at weather.com before I came to Europe in Austin when I arrived unprepared for four days of rain during SXSW Interactive.
Cute Canal Overload!
Instead of heading off in the general direction of a restaurant to assuage my growling stomach, I got distracted my adorable canals. I found myself winding down roads lined with shops of all kinds, yet somehow none carried wellies which was the thing I would need most over the next three days. So, me, in my sopping wet shoes, carrying a sopping wet map that I can't really read, but wearing an awesome rain jacket barrel through town, dodging almost getting hit by bicyclists left and right.
There's this other thing I do... I make the perfect the enemy of the good when it comes to food. And, I get hangry. So, I'm passing by these recommended places and they just don't have the vibe I'm looking for... not that I know what that is... but, I fired up Foursquare to see if I could get any local "popular" check in places. On the way to one of those, I found Cafe Wester and stopped in my sopping wet tracks at one word: albondigas. In addition, discuss this trifecta: Friendly, good-looking bartender + free wifi + a French bulldog named Lola wandering around... 
Lola at Cafe Wester
I ordered up the albondigas. They were sold out, but the bartender recommended the Indian sweet & spicy version and they were fantastic. 
Meatballs from Cafe Wester
When in Amsterdam... Heineken at Cafe Wester
With a warm, fully belly I set back towards what I thought was the direction of the train station. I think it might have been, but I was walking down one side street and thought, hey, there's a lady in the window... OH. MY. THERE. IS. A. IS. THIS? OMG. THERE. ARE. ACTUALLY. RED. LIGHTS.
Holy crap! Red lights! Red lights! Walk faster!

I'm a wuss and I booked it out of there, asked some kind stranger to help me buy my train ticket back to the hotel since I couldn't read a word on the ticket machine and slept like a rock.

[More after the jump]

6.15.2012

Hiking to Prague Castle and Everything Along the Way

The next day, I was more confident in myself. Mind you, I still didn't know a word of Czech, but I had some korunas in my pocket, and I had a speech to give (and even knew how to take the train from my hotel to the Prague Congress Centre.) The conference had terrible wifi (I swear that's the last time I complain about connectivity in the United States) and so my Prezi fizzled and I had to default to the dreaded PowerPoint. Tech dramas aside, it went well and I was done with work by around 2pm. Now, what to do with the day?

The day before, I had seen Prague Castle up Petrin hill in the distance and thought it was pretty. But, I had to meet colleagues that evening for an event, so I figured there was no way I'd make it to the top. But I figured I could fit in a stroll across the Charles Bridge so, I dropped my laptop at the hotel and set off on a gorgeous, sunny spring day:
Me, basking in a sunny day on the Charles Bridge.
I wasn't the only one with the idea, so the Charles Bridge was packed with tourists and locals, musicians, artists and jewelry makers. The bridge has a long history in Prague. It was started in 1357 by King Charles IVand until 1841 was the only means of crossing the Vltava River. I loved the towers on either side and the statues that lined the bridge.
Walking across the Charles Bridge
Once you cross the bridge, you are delivered into Mala Strana, the marketplace and village around Prague Castle. The winding stairs that lead to the top make the Exorcist Stairs look like a stroll in the park.
Heading up to Prague Castle...
I was fascinated with the intricate doors.
Prague Castle stands as the largest coherent castle complex in the world. Since I was speedwalking through the experience, I didn't have time to explore the castle and cathedrals, but it is still the Office of the President of the Czech Republic and is open for tours.
St. Vitas Cathedral at Prague Castle
At the top, you can see for miles and really take in Old Town Prague across the river:
The stickers on this mirror reminded me of Cape Patton Lookout in Australia
I'd love to while away the day at the St. Wenceslas Winery where people were picnicking and sampling the local wines.
St. Wenceslas Winery at Prague Castle
Alas, I had to head back down and get back to meet my colleagues, but along the winding stairs, I encountered more musicians...
 ... and more places recommended by friends, like Vinograf, a wine bar in the shadows of the Castle.
Vinograf Wine Bar
My iPhone died shortly after this, but Prague kept going. I met colleagues and we got to see Bohemian dancers perform at the Prague National Theater. For dinner, we scored a patio table at CottoCrudo overlooking the Prague Castle and settled in for an Italian feast. I know, I know, I didn't immerse in the local... I didn't have cabbage or meat or dumplings or absinthe & Sprite... or get drunk on local beers and wine... but it was one hell of a first impression, Prague, and I'll be back one day.

[NOTE: If you missed day one in Prague, catch up here.]

6.14.2012

Arriving in Prague Armed with Nothing But a List of Restaurants

I don't know why I thought Prague would be self-explanatory. I mean, I had booked the flight, the hotel and even made a Google map of all of the restaurant suggestions people sent me. After all, I was only going to be there for 48 hours and much of it would be at a conference.
Me, blissfully surprised by what was around every corner in Prague...
So, that's how I found myself getting off the plane not knowing one word of Czech nor the currency nor the "deal" about taxis. But I spoke the international language of airport Starbucks and "free wifi" so a quick trip to Google and I was heading into the city.

I checked into my hotel, badged up for the conference and decided to take a walk. Again, I didn't so much as Google search "Prague sights" so I decided to take my restaurant map, walk to each one and scout menus for what I wanted for dinner. Along the way, here's what I found (and yes I had to Google what each was when I returned to my hotel)... 

First up, I had been wondering why everyone gushes about Prague, popped off the train at this stop, not really knowing what would be there and saw the Prague National Museum:
Prague National Museum
The museum spilled out an avenue lined with flowers, cafes and shops, like this cute one in the center lane made from an old trolley car:
In the shadow of the museum...
I turned a corner and saw a small gaggle of people gawking at this gorgeous medieval clock. I snapped a few photos and later learned that it's the famous Prague Astronomical Clock, first installed in 1410 and the oldest clock that is still working.

The Astronomical Clock
Across from the clock, I gaped at the Old Town Square which was hopping with musicians, tourists and people just sipping and shopping at the nearby markets. It seriously felt like you had stepped back in time with the mix of buildings over the centuries, the stone streets and winding alleys. The dramatic Gothic spires in the photo below are the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn:
Musicians in Old Town Square, Prague
More musicians in Old Town Square
[More after the jump...]