Sunday Nite Dinner » Seafood

Asparagus Crab Soup (Sup Mang Tay Cua)

Chuck — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 01:07:12 +0000

Last week, my brother, Trung, left me a message saying that he didn't see asparagus crab soup (sup mang tay cua) on the site. In Vietnamese, asparagus is mang tay and literally translates to "bamboo French". Anyway, I think it's one of his favorite soups.

So, I asked my mom for her recipe and she gave me the steps to making the soup. It's amazing the amount of recipes she keeps in her head. I have a hard enough time remembering just one of them. That's one of the reasons why we started documenting everything on SND.

The soup is easy to make and is essentially an egg drop soup with asparagus and crab. Like making pho, a charred onion is used to add more flavor to the stock. Hungry Bear and I don't like our asparagus mushy and brown, so I only cooked it for a few minutes. The soup turned out great and tasted like my mom's, which made me and my tummy very happy!

There you have it, Trung. Ask and you shall receive. Now, does anyone else have a Viet recipe request for my mom?

Asparagus Crab Soup (Sup Mang Tay Cua) Recipe

SND Note: If you are using homemade chicken stock, the charred onion is not necessary. If you have an electric burner, place a piece of aluminum foil on top of the burner and char the onion on top of the foil. Don't over-beat the eggs if you want ribbons of white and yellow eggs in the soup. For a thicker soup, add additional corn starch.

Ingredients

8 cups (64 ounces) low-sodium chicken stock
1 medium onion, halved
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of salt
2 1/2 pounds (2 bundles) asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 1 inch segments
1/2 pound cooked crab meat, remove any shells or cartilage
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 large eggs, barely beaten
Handful of cilantro, chopped

Directions

Char the onion halves directly over a gas burner or under a broiler, until blackened and fragrant. Reserve 1/2 cup of chicken stock in a small bowl. In a large stock pot, add the onion halves and remaining stock; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add fish sauce, black pepper, salt and asparagus and cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, make a slurry by whisking and dissolving the corn starch into the reserved chicken stock. Reduce heat to medium and add the crab meat. Slowly stir in the corn starch slurry into the soup. Continue stirring to thicken, about 1 minute.
While stirring the soup, slowly pour the eggs in a steady stream. Continue stirring eggs to create shreds or ribbons and until eggs are set, about 1 minute. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve by garnishing with cilantro and a little freshly ground black pepper.

Makes 6 servings

Tags: asparagus, chicken stock, crab, easy, onions, soup, vietnamese

Shrimp, Fava Bean and Zucchini Pasta

Chuck — Sat, 31 May 2008 04:24:45 +0000

Over the last two months, we've seen a lot fava beans at the farmers' markets. We both like fava beans, but for some reason (too much peeling) we haven't bought any. It wasn't until last week that we finally picked some up. Hungry Bear wanted to make a healthy pasta dish and created this shrimp, fava bean and zucchini pasta on a whim.

It was a simple pasta to prepare and required only sautéing the fava beans, zucchini and shrimp in a little olive oil and garlic. Since we both love angel hair pasta, we used it in our dish. In hindsight, we would have picked a tubular or shaped pasta, because it would have been easier to mix with the vegetables.

Despite all the peeling required with the fava beans (some you know I hate peeling things), the pasta was great. It's a simple dish that really highlights the fresh fava beans. To put it over the top, add a poached egg to each serving!

Shrimp, Fava Bean and Zucchini Pasta Recipe

SND Note: Any type of pasta can be used for this dish. Tubular or shaped pastas will be easier to mix into the fava and zucchini mixture.

Ingredients

1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds fava beans (3 cups shelled), removed from pods
7 small zucchinis, ends trimmed and chopped
4 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon hot pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
16 ounces pasta
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
Salt and pepper

Directions

Remove fava beans from pods. Then cook fava beans in large pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, about 2-3 minutes. Remove fava beans and peel outer skin. Set aside in bowl.
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add shrimp and sauté until barely cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Remove shrimp and garlic and set aside.
Meanwhile, salt the boiling water, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve pasta water.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to skillet and sauté the zucchini until crisp-tender, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add fava beans and hot pepper flakes and mix together well. Re-adjust seasonings.
Add the pasta to skillet and toss with bean and zucchini mixture. If pasta is dry, add a few ladles of pasta water and/or olive oil. Adjust seasonings to taste and mix in parsley. Serve pasta immediately topped with grated parmesan, shrimp and a drizzle of olive oil.

Makes 6-8 servings

Tags: angel hair, cheese, fava bean, parmesan, parsley, pasta, shrimp, zucchini

Asparagus Crab Pasta with Leeks and Mushrooms

Chuck — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:54:42 +0000

Last week, I planned on making a tomato based penne. But as we were grocery shopping, I saw a cheap can of crab meat (1 pound for $7.99). Since we are on a recession budget, I decided to give the canned crab a try. And the penne dish morphed into an asparagus crab pasta with leeks and mushrooms.

I tried to keep the pasta simple and make it a one pot dish... well two pots, you need another one to cook the pasta, but you get my point. After I sautéed the garlic, leek, asparagus and mushroom mixture, I gave it a taste and it was great by itself. I opened the can of crab and finally realized it was all claw meat... damn it! No wonder it was so cheap.

I usually eat my steamed crab dipped in a mixture of lemon juice, salt and pepper. So, I added the juice and zest of a lemon to the pasta. Even with the canned crab claw meat, the pasta was really good. It had great flavors from the leeks and asparagus, while the lemon juice and zest brightened up the pasta. Sadly, I overcooked the asparagus by being overzealous with my picture taking.

Next time I make this dish, I'll use fresh crab meat, not take pictures while cooking and this asparagus crab pasta will be even better. Let's hope this recession ends soon!

Side Note: Hungry Bear and I will be moving next week... a long distance move of 1.5 miles. We'll be busy with packing and un-packing for the next two weeks, so new posts will be limited during this time. The good news is we'll be cooking and baking in a much nicer, remodeled kitchen. I can't wait for the first Sunday night dinner in the new place!

Asparagus Crab Pasta with Leeks and Mushrooms Recipe

SND Note: Don't forget to salt the water before cooking your pasta. If the pasta is dry after all ingredients are combined, add a little pasta water and/or a drizzle of olive oil. I used penne in the dish because it was in the pantry, but any pasta can be used.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large leeks, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 large bunch of asparagus (about 1.5 pounds)
10 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus additional to taste
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
2 lemons - 1 lemon zested and juiced, 1 lemon cut in wedges
1-2 Thai chili peppers, minced (optional)
1 pound cooked crab meat, remove any shells or cartilage
1 pound pasta (penne, fettuccini or your favorite type), cooked

Directions

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add garlic and leeks cook until leeks are softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add butter, remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, asparagus, mushrooms, salt and pepper; sauté until vegetables are tender, but with a bite.
Add parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, chili pepper, crab meat and mix in with vegetables. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add pasta; mix thoroughly and heat through. Serve with lemon wedges and a drizzle of olive oil.

Makes 4-6 servings

Tags: asparagus, crab, easy, leeks, mushrooms, pasta, penne

Fried Eggs and Shrimp (Trung Chien Tom)

Chuck — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:33:21 +0000

Sometimes the simplest food is the best food. It doesn't get any easier than fried eggs and shrimp (trung chien tom). Throughout my childhood, my mom made this dish, serving it with steamed rice. It was so simple, yet so satisfying.

This past Sunday night, I made fried eggs and shrimp for the SNDsters and Hungry Bear baked a carrot cake. We'll share the carrot cake recipe next time. In my family, we served trung chien tom on a bed of greens and tomatoes. Then we dunked it all in Vietnamese dipping sauce (nuoc cham) and ate it with jasmine rice. I'm not sure how normal it is to eat it this way, but it's ingrained in me and I'm sticking with it. Does anyone else eat it like this?

The meal has a nice combination of sweet, salty and slightly bitter from the watercress. The greens and tomatoes cut down the richness and makes it a little healthier. Fried eggs and shrimp is such a comforting Vietnamese dish for me. It's super easy to make and is absolutely delicious!

Fried Eggs and Shrimp Recipe (Trung Chien Tom)

SND Note: Don't worry if the eggs run together and overlap in the skillet. Just separate the shrimp and surrounding egg with a spatula before flipping. Since the fried eggs and shrimp is served with nuoc cham, the egg mixture is only lightly seasoned with soy sauce and black pepper.

Ingredients

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 green onion, chopped
1 bunch of watercress or 1 head of lettuce, washed and dried
8 ounces tomatoes, sliced
Canola oil
Nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce)

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, soy sauce and pepper together. Mix in red onion, green onion and shrimp.
In a large nonstick skillet, add enough oil to thinly coat the surface and heat over medium heat. Ladle 1-2 tablespoons egg mixture into skillet, making sure to include a shrimp and some onions in the ladle. Repeat process to fill skillet. Fry for 1-2 minutes and flip when the eggs are lightly browned. If the eggs run together, separate them by cutting the egg with a wooden spoon or spatula, and flip each shrimp with surrounding egg. Cook for another 1-1 1/2 minutes until the shrimp is done. Transfer to a plate with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Between batches, add more oil to the skillet if necessary.
Serve the fried eggs and shrimp on a bed of watercress/lettuce and tomatoes. Dip the fried eggs and shrimp into nuoc cham and eat with a bowl of rice.

Makes 4 servings when eaten with rice

SNDsters: Jane, Mark, Hungry Bear, Chuck

Tags: easy, eggs, fried, nuoc cham, red onions, shrimp, tomatoes, vietnamese, watercress

Spicy Crab Cakes

Chuck — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 06:59:38 +0000

Crab or lobster? Which crustacean do you prefer? I'm a crab person, without a doubt. Yes, it's more work to eat crabs, but crab meat to me is more flavorful and sweeter. Each summer, when I lived in Delaware, we would get a bushel of Old Bay seasoned Maryland blue crabs and a keg of beer and have a crab eating fest. Hungry Bear is sick and tired of hearing this story every time someone brings up blue crabs, so I'll stop reminiscing now.

Through the years, I've looked for a good crab cake recipe and tried out many of them. I've tried recipes with fillers of white bread, saltines and breadcrumbs. I've tried ones with eggs, mustard, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, Old Bay and many other ingredients. In the end, my favorite recipes were the ones with simple ingredients that didn't overpower the taste of the wonderful crab meat.

After tweaking a recipe my Mom clipped out of a newspaper years ago, I finally have a great crab cake recipe. For the binding agents, I used a few tablespoons of mayonnaise and a little milk. And for the filler, I used panko breadcrumbs, which are lighter and flakier than regular breadcrumbs. I've made the crab cakes with Italian parsley and cilantro. Both are good in the cakes, but I prefer the cilantro. The last touch is a little bit of chili garlic sauce for some spiciness.

The final product is a lovely crab cake with hardly any filler and pure sweet crab flavor. There's not much more to say. I think this picture of crab cake innards speaks for itself.

Spicy Crab Cakes Recipe

SND Note: To prevent the crab cakes from falling apart while cooking, make sure to refrigerate the cakes for at least an hour before frying. For more traditional Maryland crab cakes, replace the cilantro with flat leaf parsley and omit the chili sauce.

Ingredients:
1 pound cooked crab meat, remove any shells or cartilage
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup fat-free or low-fat milk
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
6 green onions, trimmed and minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or to taste (optional)
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
3 cups mixed greens
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, combine crab meat, panko, milk, mayonnaise, cilantro, green onions, salt, pepper and chili sauce. Moisten hands with water and form crab mixture into 8 cakes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2) Lightly coat each cake on both sides with flour. Heat olive oil or butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the crab cakes until crispy and golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Serve crab cakes on a bed of mixed greens with lemon wedges.

Makes 4 servings

Tags: breadcrumbs, cakes, cilantro, crab, easy, panko, Seafood, spicy

Cauliflower and Mushroom Sticky Rice Risotto

Chuck — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:20:33 +0000

We don't make risotto very often, but when we do, Hungry Bear makes a cauliflower and mushroom risotto using sticky rice (glutinous/sweet rice). I love all things made with sticky rice, and this risotto is one of my favorite sweet rice dishes. The best part is that minimal stirring is required to make it.

The recipe is adapted from the Susanna Foo Fresh Inspiration cookbook. For the most part, we like to reduce the butter and fat in a recipe whenever possible. But we also know when not to mess with a good thing, e.g. potato salad, nicely marbled meats and dessert. The main changes Hungry Bear made to the recipe were — removing the butter, swapping out milk for chicken stock, and increasing the quantity of mushrooms and cauliflower. Before anyone boos the removal of the butter (ahem, Jane!), Hungry Bear added extra coconut cream.

In case you are wondering why our recipes always serve 6 or more, we are either cooking for a large group, making mass quantities for leftovers (Hungry Bear's favorite part) or increasing proportions to avoid the partial use of an ingredient, e.g. cauliflower and cabbage. There have been many times when we used half a head of cauliflower and the other half spoiled in the fridge before we could use it again.

Back to the risotto, the only stirring required is to mix in the mushrooms, cauliflower and chicken stock to the steamed rice. It has a great combination of flavors and textures from the earthy shiitakes, sweet cauliflower and creamy rice. Still, the rice retains a slight firmness and the coconut cream keeps the grains separated. Hungry Bear likes her sticky rice risotto without cheese, but I like the extra flavor the Parmesan adds. It's a unique twist to traditional risotto and goes wonderfully with seared scallops!

Cauliflower and Mushroom Sticky Rice Risotto Recipe

SND Note: Coconut milk separates into two layers when stored undisturbed in a can. The bottom layer is a thin milk and the top is the thicker coconut cream.

Ingredients:
2 cups sweet sticky (glutinous) rice
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut cream
12 ounces chanterelle, oyster, or shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
6 cups (1 head) cauliflower florets (1/2 inch pieces)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups baby arugula or watercress leaves, washed and dried
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, soak the rice in enough water to cover for 2 to 4 hours. Drain well.

2) Prepare a steamer by placing a layer of cheesecloth in the bottom of a rack. Spread the rice in an even layer over the cheesecloth. Fill the bottom of the steamer with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Place the rack on top, cover, and steam for 5 minutes; the rice will still be very firm.

3) Transfer the rice to a bowl and add the coconut cream. Mix well to separate the grains of rice. The rice can be prepared to this point up to 3 days in advance. Store in a tightly closed container, refrigerated.

4) Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the cauliflower, turn the heat down to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower is soft. Remove from heat.

5) Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick saucepan over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes to coat them with oil and heat them through; they should be barely cooked. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with a salt and pepper.

6) Add 1 tablespoon oil to saucepan. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the rice and cauliflower, along with half of the chicken stock, and cook until heated through. Add additional chicken stock to obtain desired consistency. Stir in the mushrooms. Mix in the Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the arugula or watercress and serve.

Makes 6 servings

[Adapted from Susanna Foo Fresh Inspiration: New Approaches to Chinese Cuisine]

Tags: cauliflower, coconut cream, fusion, glutinous rice, mushroom, rice, risotto, scallops, shiitake, sticky rice

Vietnamese Crispy Spring Rolls (Cha Gio)

Chuck — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:33:15 +0000

Crispy spring rolls, egg rolls or imperial rolls, whatever you call them, it's cha gio in Vietnamese. My mom's cha gio was one of my favorite things to eat growing up. Nothing compares to my mom's crispy spring rolls. I know I say that about all of her cooking, but I really mean it. When I was younger and attended a lot of Viet gatherings and parties, I would always leave thinking my mom's cooking was better.

Cha gio comes in many different sizes and can be made with spring roll wrappers or rice paper. Traditionally, rice paper is used in Vietnam, but my mom has been using spring roll wrappers for as long as I can remember, so I'm partial to them. I grew up on pork and shrimp cha gio, but a few years ago, my dad became a pescetarian. So last month when I visited my parents, my mom made shrimp and crab rolls.

I don't eat cha gio very often because it's deep fried. So it was a really special treat when my mom made the rolls. Of course, she doesn't measure any ingredients and just cooks by taste and feel. She knew I wanted to document the process for SND and indulged me by measuring everything out. Isn't she great?

The cha gio were fantastic. They contain a few of my favorite things — crab, shrimp, cabbage and shiitake mushrooms. Since they are deep fried, they are obviously nice and crispy. Wrapped up in a fresh piece of lettuce and dipped in nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce), they are absolutely delicious and take me back to my childhood.

Vietnamese Shrimp and Crab Crispy Spring Rolls Recipe

SND Note: Pork and shrimp cha gio can be made by using 1 pound ground pork and 1/2 pound shrimp. 1-1 1/2 ounces of thin cellophane noodles, chopped into 1/2" pieces and soaked in water until soft, is a common ingredient and can also be added to the mixture.

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, small dice
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 head small cabbage, thinly sliced
4-5 Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, diced
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 pound crab meat
1 egg, white and yolk separated
1 package large (8 inch) spring roll wrappers

Directions:
1) Blanch cabbage and place into ice bath. Drain and squeeze out excess water. In a large bowl, mix together garlic, carrots, green onions and cabbage.

2) Chop shrimp into small pieces. To the large bowl, add shrimp, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and black pepper and mix. Add crab meat and egg white to mixture and combine evenly.

3) Brush egg yolk on three corners of wrapper. Add 2 tablespoons of filling in center of wrapper, diagonally. Fold the two sides on the diagonal over the filling. Fold the non-egg yolk corner over and tuck snugly under filling and roll up. See the slideshow for pictures of the rolling process.

4) Deep fry the spring rolls in peanut oil at 350°F for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Work in batches. Flip half way through. Remove and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Eat wrapped in lettuce with nuoc cham.

Makes 25-30 rolls, which serves 4-6

Tags: cha gio, crab, crispy, deep fried, mushrooms, shiitake, shrimp, spring roll, vietnamese

Stir-Fried Garlic Crab

Chuck — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 10:06:08 +0000

Dungeness crab season started late this year in San Francisco because of the terrible oil spill in the bay. We were lucky that the spill wasn't worse, and Dungeness crab season was only delayed for a few weeks. Still, I was worried that we wouldn't have crab for Sunday night dinner before all of us left for the holidays.

My parents came to the rescue by sending Jane and Mark a Christmas gift, crab crackers and forks. I had no idea they were sending them a gift, and Jane was especially surprised and happy. Jane wanted to christen the crab tools with a dinner of Dungeness crabs. Way to go Mom and Dad!

On Sunday, Jane picked up crabs at Sun Fat Seafood Company, where they quartered and removed the gills for her. The crabs were a reasonable $3.99 a pound. With the dismantled crab, Garry made stir-fried garlic crab. It's a really simple recipe with a lot of garlic... think garlic fries. We used three heads of garlic for four Dungeness crabs.

The crabs were served with a side of brussels sprouts with Chinese sausage and jasmine rice. The olive oil and garlic from the crabs were great mixed in with the plain white rice. To enhance the sweet crab meat, we dipped the chunks in a salt, black pepper and lime juice mix.

Dinner was delicious and was literally finger licking good. It's definitely a meal you eat with close friends who don't care about table etiquette. We really enjoyed eating with our hands and making a mess. I was particularly elated each time I was able to pull out a big hunk of crab meat from a claw.

Thanks again, Má and Ba, for sending the gift and motivating us to make garlic Dungeness crabs!

SNDsters: Karen, Garry, Mark, Jane, Hungry Bear, Chuck

Stir-Fried Garlic Crab Recipe

The recipe calls for whole crabs. If you want to save time or are squeamish with live crabs, ask your fish monger to quarter the crabs and remove the gills for you.

Ingredients:
4 live Dungeness crabs, 1 1/2 pounds each
1/4 cup good olive oil
3 heads garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional to taste
1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:
1) Fill a large stock pot with 3-4 inches of water. Add steamer basket or colander insert, cover and bring water to a boil. When the water is heating, place the crabs into the freezer for 10-15 minutes to knock the crabs out, making them easier to handle.

2) When the water is at a boil, remove crabs from freezer and place them into colander insert. Cover and steam for 20 minutes, until the shells are bright red.

3) Once cooked, remove the crabs with a pair of tongs. Rinse crabs under cold water briefly before dismantling. Remove shell, reserve crab butter (soft yellow matter and green spongy stuff) and remove gills. Quarter the crabs with a big knife, leaving the legs attached to the four sections.

4) Working in batches, if necessary, heat the olive oil in a large wok over high heat. Add the garlic, salt and reserved crab butter and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add quartered crab sections and toss to cover with garlic and oil. Stir-fry the crabs for 4-5 minutes. Adjust salt to taste. Serve with jasmine rice and a squeeze of lime or with dipping sauce.

Salt, Pepper and Lime Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
2 limes, juiced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions:
1) In a small bowl, mix lime juice, salt and pepper.

2) That's it!

Serves 6

Tags: brussels sprouts, crab, dungeness, garlic, lime, lop chong, sausage, Seafood, stir fry

Oysters and Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs

Chuck — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 05:01:42 +0000

Oysters and hot dogs? What the hell? That was my first reaction when Jane invited us over for dinner last Saturday. I asked her what her inspiration was for this odd food pairing. She responded with "it's what I'm craving." Alrighty then! I have to admit, oysters and hot dogs is the most original surf and turf combination I've ever heard of.

The actual dinner dishes were...

Champagne and oysters with three different type of sauces — cocktail sauce, red wine mignonette and champagne mignonette.
Grilled bacon-wrapped stuffed hot dogs
Stir-fried Chinese long beans and eggplant
Banana cream pie

Hungry Bear and I brought over the vegetables that we got from the Serramonte Farmers' Market and Garry's friends picked up a banana cream pie from Mission Pie. Not only did we have a really peculiar surf and turf, the rest of the meal was an eclectic pot luck.

Jane ordered eight dozen oysters form Royal Hawaiian Seafood...

Malpeque PEI
Kumamoto Point Reyes
Fanny Bay B.C.
Malaspina B.C.
Effingham Inlet B.C.
Kusshi Petite B.C.
Beau Soleil
One more type I didn't catch

We had the oysters raw with the three sauces, which Garry made from the Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home cookbook. I'm not a big champagne person, but it went really well with the brininess of the oysters. My favorite oyster was the Malpeque PEI with the cocktail sauce, however I'm not an oyster expert. After sucking down a few, they all tasted the same. Maybe Jane, our oyster connoisseur, can add more commentary on the oysters?

I thought the highlight of the meal was the bacon-wrapped hot dogs. Garry made the dogs using this grilled bacon-wrapped stuffed hot dogs recipe. The frankfurters were stuffed with mustard, ketchup, cheese, onions and sauerkraut, then wrapped with bacon! I usually don't like sauerkraut on my dogs, but I didn't mind it this time. Who's not going to like a bacon-wrapped hot dog on a toasted bun?!? I really liked the extra crunch the grilled bacon added to the stuffed dog. The wieners were accompanied by a side of stir-fried long beans and eggplant. We definitely needed some healthy veggies with the heart attack on a bun.

For dessert, we had banana cream pie from Mission Pie. The pie was good and was not overly sweet. The predominant flavor was banana and not sugar... a big thumbs up from me. We are going to have to try different pie types from Mission Pie.

Overall, dinner was fantastic. It was the strangest assortment of dishes I've had in a long time, maybe ever. Oysters, champagne, hot dogs, Chinese vegetables and a banana cream pie. Can anyone else top this meal in terms of goodness and quirkiness?

SNDsters: Garry, Karen, Eva, Yvonne, Keith, Jane, Mark, Hungry Bear, Chuck

Tags: bacon, banana cream, champagne, eggplant, hot dogs, long beans, mission pie, oysters, pie