Food and Beverage Blog

It is obvious to anyone who loves seafood at dinnertime what a great piece of fish looks like. If you love wild Alaska salmon or Cod, you look for the healthiest, clearest skin and texture. Wild shrimp and scallops are also without imperfections if they are frozen and stored properly. However, most people aren’t aware of the tasty and inexpensive seafood option of Alaska Surimi.

What is Alaska Surimi? First of all, contrary to some erroneous reports circulating around the rumor mill, Surimi is definitely real seafood. The main ingredient is Alaska Pollock, the white fish known for its clean flavor and excellent texture. When making Surimi, this Pollock serves as a base, to which is added shellfish from Alaska. Pieces of shrimp, scallops and even lobster or crab give the true flavor of the finished product. It is packaged and sold in a few different forms – as chunk meat or as legs – and can be stored and used whenever the mood strikes you.

(more…)

Rack of lamb is so easy to cook and so impressive. It should be in everyone’s cooking arsenal. The ingredients, other than the rack, aren’t that complicated and substitutions are fine and exact measurements aren’t important either. And you can easily cook on a grill or in the stove. It’s hard to mess up.

First you need a rack of lamb. Try your butcher shop or supermarket. You’ll need to marinade at least all day or preferably over night. Marinade is simple. For two racks, I use 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons freshly chopped garlic and two teaspoons of kosher or sea salt. I’ll also add one to three additional herbs, whatever I have fresh and handy. Oregano, sage, and thyme are my favorites, and if I have some available, great. If not, that’s OK too. Fresh herbs make an enormous difference so don’t waste your time with dried ones for rack of lamb. I may also add some pepper, and the juice of half a lemon or lime. Sometimes I’ll add a couple of tablespoons of tequila or bourbon too. It’s not critical at all; your rack will rock.

Next, cook. On the grill over medium heat is fine or on a rack in the oven at about 350 degrees is good too. You do need an instant read thermometer. I like 125 degrees for rare/medium rare up to maybe 140 degrees for medium rare to medium. Do not over cook! Expect roughly 20 minutes of cooking time.

If cooking on the grill, I’ll often cover each protruding bone with aluminum foil to prevent them from burning. It makes for a slightly more impressive presentation, but doesn’t affect the flavor.