Friday, July 31, 2009

Huevas:Mahi-Mahi Roe Part One




Shad roe is a great delicacy, and because it is seasonal, both celebrated and legendary. Cute story from the early nineties, when I was first earning enough money to take a date to a fancy restaurant (that's what we called joints back then). At the Washington, DC, organic Restaurant Nora (Al and Tipper Gore were regulars), I sat passively while my then-girlfriend ordered it as a special-she had a notion that the eggs of a shad were similar to caviar. I did not disabuse her of this notion. I was in a heavily passive-aggressive stage back then, and saw this simply as two appetizers for me, none for her. Yes, I was a prick. (FYI-'Appetizers' is what we called 'small plates' back then. FWIW the term FYI was also just coming into vogue.) She took one look and passed it to me with disgust. It was delicious and I ate it all with no guilt. C'mon-I'm an American artist. I have no guilt. Just ask Patti Smith.



I would occasionally cook fresh shad roe in season, in a little bacon fat, as is the tradition. Well not really 'a little'. If you've never eaten it, shad roe comes in a 'set' or sack, and tastes a lot more like a delicate fish liver with a subtly nutty flavor (as opposed to caviar, which it does not resemble at all), and has a texture that is not to everyone's taste. When I popped into Food Giant on the Kennedy Causeway yesterday, I had no intention of buying anything other than a lemon for a simple linguine and bottarga dish. Passing by the meat/fish counter, I saw a sign that read "Mahi Row". I had an inkling, then a suspicion, and when I asked in Spanish I was told 'huevas'. Jackpot. I took the frozen 'row', bought a pound of cheapo bacon, and dashed home to tell the cat. She was, not unexpectedly, rather unemotional about the whole thing. But how should I cook this stuff? And how much would end up in the cat's bowl? Here the girl had no response. Stay tuned for the answers...










Is this right?


Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Eggs is Art:The Collabo Show


The filmmakers...


The outhouse...


O squiggly lines...


Arpt...



T-Shirts 4 sale...




Artist/Cook Jason Hedges' Spanish Tortilla, made with with bagged potato chips a la Adria. I have tried to do this many times, but you really can't replace the taste and texture of real fried potatoes. Then again, it was pretty tasty, and no one was complaining...



That wheel of huevos was fresh...with a little help from someone with major whisk skills...

Monday, July 13, 2009

Roast Pig, Organic Chicken Tacos, and one Meatball

Meatball and his girl, who I shall refer to as Utah-wey (Mexican slang for a Utahn), left me feeling that I haven't been doing my job as a food writer. Why aren't there any good tacos in Miami? they asked. Utah-wey says they have better tacos in Utah. Embarrassing. I mentioned the Orale! taco truck. Two dollars for a taco! That's too expensive! Don't even mention Ver-Daddy's unless you are looking for a fight. Do I have to go MAKE the tacos myself? Maybe not, as soon as the spot that was host to the second-biggest must-go of last Saturday's Wynwood/Design District artwalk, on NE 2nd Ave, um, opens. Could be a while, but let's hope they sail through the permitting process and get licensed real quick. I don't want to disappoint Meatball (a collaborator on 'The Youth Fair, bro!') and Utah-wey. And seriously, are '70's porno-style 'staches back in style, bro'? How did I miss that?




The kids were out...



The pots on the stove...


Jesse Jackson sat in...and the Downhome Southernaires also played sounding like a cross between Television and The Dead Milkmen. Squeaky and abrupt. Next up...


What's left of a conceptual art piece by Jason Hedges that started out as a roast pig in a caja china, which is used mainly by Cubans instead of a pit to roast a whole pig (means chinese box).
[at Locust Projects]


The piece, Untitled (Judd Caja China), was a salute to an iconic Donald Judd piece that is basically a big metal box (feel free to google Untitled 1968). The pork was excellent, served by the furiously sweating artist himself (see below). And then we all stumbled through the back door to Oliver Sanchez' studio/gallery for some Swamp Punch. I recommend a flask for these excursions, by the way, due to the shitty wine you are usually served, but the Grolsch was cold all night, so I didn't have to pull out my sake too much. Sake is the perfect flask beverage as it goes with everything, won't knock you on your ass, and no one likes it, so you'll never have to share. And you will be asked to share.


Art/Dinner






In between these two events, spent some time at a guerrilla installation in the empty lot at NW 2nd Ave and 25th St, projections on wavering balloons, by buddy Luis Valle and his friends, whom I had met at the World Erotic Art Museum for Gregory de la Haba's closing party last month. Apparently a lot of plans get hatched over the fiberglass cock-and-balls sculpture from Clockwork Orange that is displayed at WEAM. Who knew?