Fishies

Maybe because it’s February and I'm a bit tired of beef stew. Or maybe because I had some cooking back on Boston’s scenic North Shore this week (Valentine’s Day, of course). But I’ve cooked quite a bit of seafood this week. And while there are all kinds of great places to buy seafood along the coast, my favorite, for almost 20 years (gasp!!) is Rowand Fisheries, in Beverly, MA. They’re right on the waterfront , at the base of the Beverly-Salem bridge. Sure, you can get good seafood at Whole Foods and other places. But Rowands goes way beyond good.

For the Valentine’s Romantic Dinner for Two, I made a variation of scallops piccata, as well as a fresh crab appetizer. The scallops were so flavorful that all I used with them were olive oil, dry vermouth, and capers. It was easy: I heated the pan over a medium-high heat, added the olive oil, and added the scallops. After a couple of minutes, when the scallops were browned on the bottom, I flipped them over, added the vermouth and capers, and finished cooking them for a few more minutes, I served them with rice pilaf and roasted vegetables. It was a simple, and elegant meal.

The next night was even simpler. The entrée was organically-fed salmon, from Rowands. All I did was put a light schmear (coating?) of olive oil on the fish. Added a bit of salt and pepper. And broiled it. Oh my. It was spectacular.

So, wherever you are, jump in your car and get to Rowands. It’s open seven days per week. And tell them I sent you. You’ll love their fish.

The Chili Contest

Yesterday was a fun day. It actually started the day before, at Delta Organic Farm in Amherst. I used their commercial kitchen to get ready for the Chili contest at the Amherst Winterfest (http://www.winterfestamherst.com). It was fun having the horsepower of a commercial stove again. Yup, when it comes to stoves and btu’s, size does matter…

So, after I finished cooking, I went to the megatropolis of Sunderland, MA, to have a rendezvous with a marketing manager of Australis, the folks who grow and sell baramundi, a fish that tastes great, and, quite oddly today, is farm raised in a very healthy and safe way. No mercury or PCBs for these fishies. And why the baramundi? Because I may be using it for appetizers for the wine tasting at our local (Springfield, MA) PBS station. But more on that in a posting in the next week or so.

So, lets fast-forward to the Winterfest. The chili tasting involved five restaurants and me. When I arrived, a few of the other places were setting up. But I was worried about the turnout. It was a nice day, but there were only a few dozen people hanging out at some of the events at the Cherry Hill golf course where all of this was happening.

So, there we were in the clubhouse, setting up. And when noon arrived (the tasting was supposed to go from noon-2:00), people were already lining up for the chili. I was fourth in line (what are the odds that “ChefBill” would be fourth in alphabetical order? Oh well) for the tasting. And I got all kinds of great comments from people. Some thought my chili was sweetened, but it was the hint of cinnamon, along with the corn in it, that made it seem sweet. And when 2:00 rolled around, the line of people was still out the door. Finally, around 2:30, they ended the tasting. The timing was perfect, as I’d gone through three gallons of chili. I was the only one with a chicken and black bean chili. The others were beef based, except for a vegetarian chili.

Alas, in this electoral season, I did not prevail in winning the coveted Winterfest ChiliBowl trophy. It was won my Atkins Farms Market. Which wasn’t a bad thing, because their chili really was good.

So I’ll spend the next 364 days refining my chili recipe, in the hopes of bringing home the ChiliBowl trophy.

Meanwhile, here’s the recipe. It’s not hard to make. And it’s really good.

Chicken Chili

34medium onions, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil (or cooking spray)
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (or thighs) cut into cubes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 16 oz cans black beans
8-12 oz package frozen corn (try to thaw in advance, but not crucial)
1 lime, use zest, and juice from one half
salt and pepper to taste


In a large pot, over a medium heat, add the onions. Sauté these for approximately 30 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the garlic, and raise the heat to medium-high. Add the chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, and oregano, and mix well to combine. Add the cubed chicken, and stir frequently, for approximately 5 minutes, or until the chicken is browned, but not cooked through.

Add the tomatoes, beans, corn, and lime zest and juice. Simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust the seasonings (especially the chili powder, cumin and salt) to your liking, and serve.

Makes around two quarts, or 6-8 servings.

Super Bowl Food

Much to my surprise, I’m hosting a small Super Bowl gathering tomorrow. So what’s a guy to do to keep it simple and edible? Well, how’s this:

• Swedish meatballs
• Fresh vegetables with a homemade bleu cheese dip
• Reuben sandwiches
• BBQ coleslaw (with a vinegar dressing, not mayo)

The total prep time for this is just over an hour. Yes, I’ll be cheating on the meatballs. My good friends at Trader Joe’s make that easy. I’ll fire up the crock pot (oops. That’s now called a “slow cooker”) at 3:00, and pop in the meatballs and sauce. Tonight, I’ll make the coleslaw (the recipe is below) and the bleu cheese dressing. That means, tomorrow, all I’ll have to do is assemble the Reubens and cut the vegetables for the dip. Total prep time? Less than an hour. Which will leave me more time to watch the pregame show, which started last Tuesday.

And in keeping with tradition, I just might throw in a bag of Ruffles with California Onion Dip. Would it be a Super Bowl without them?

Here’s the coleslaw recipe. It comes from a long-time family friend, in Ballston Spa, New York.

Dorothy King's Cole Slaw

1 large head, green cabbage, shredded
2-3 large carrots, shredded or shredded
1 large onion, grated
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine the cabbage, carrots, and onion in a large bowl. Whisk together the sugar and vinegar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Keep stirring. It may not all dissolve. That’s okay. Pour over vegetables. Add the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Chill for at least 30 minutes (or overnight, which is better), and season to taste with salt and pepper.

OPTION #1: Add 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds to the coleslaw.