tuna

Freshé gives tinned fish a bright new start

Freshé gives tinned fish a bright new start

Posted on by David
As diligent readers of HungryTravelers might know, I grew up on the Maine coast. But before I was old enough to crew on fishing boats, I also worked in the blueberry barrens during harvest season. We harvested low-bush blueberries (aka, ‶wild″ Maine blueberries) with multi-tined scoops that stripped the berries off the low shrubs but left the twigs and leaves behind. It was stoop work in the hot sun, as the harvest season usually stretched from mid-July to mid-August. Moreover, the fields tended to be remote. We were dropped off early in the morning and picked up late in the afternoon. That made lunch tricky. None of us had coolers, and lunch meat sandwiches that have baked for hours in the sun were less than...Read More
Banks Fish House throws some kind of birthday party

Banks Fish House throws some kind of birthday party

Posted on by Pat and David
It's been a harrowing couple of years in the restaurant trade here in Greater Boston. As we've been watching this summer on Hulu's ‶The Bear,″ small restaurants struggle to keep their heads above water in the best of times. During pandemic shutdowns, the waves got too choppy and many of them sank. One such casualty was the Post 390 chop house in Boston, a friendly spot with a great wine list and bar program that lasted for a decade. But last summer, the owners gave the space new life by opening The Banks Fish House (406 Stuart St, Boston, 617-399-0015, thebanksboston.com). For us, it became the new upscale answer to the question we receive most from out-of-towners: Where do I go for good fish in...Read More
Fassolia Piaz: Greek bean salad for summer

Fassolia Piaz: Greek bean salad for summer

Posted on by Pat and David
Back in March, when no one knew what the pandemic food supply chain would be like, we reflexively purchased bags of dried beans. They were cheap, shelf-stable supplies that could guarantee a source of quality protein if we were suddenly faced with food insecurity. In hindsight, we overreacted. On the bright side, we have a lot of beans on hand to make summer salads. Fassolia piaz is the Greek variant. In its simplest form, boiled beans are mixed with chopped parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil. We like it expanded a bit to include chopped tomato, chopped cucumber, and skewers of fresh tuna cooked over hardwood charcoal. That makes it the Greek cousin to Salade Niçoise. You could add Kalamata olives or even sliced hard-boiled...Read More
Château des Charmes: French connection pioneers

Château des Charmes: French connection pioneers

Posted on by Pat and David
vqaontario.ca We couldn't visit the Niagara wine country without paying homage to Château des Charmes (fromtheboscfamily.com/chateau-des-charmes). In 1978, founder Paul-Michel Bosc planted the first all-vinifera commercial vineyard in the region. He was determined to prove that the grapes of Burgundy and Bordeaux could flourish in cold-climate Niagara. Bosc represents the fifth generation of family winemakers. Raised in Algeria, he earned a degree in viticulture and oenology from the University of Burgundy. After evacuation to France at the end of the Algerian war in the 1960s, he took his young family to Canada. Unlike some Niagara pioneer wineries, Château des Charmes remains a family operation. It has expanded to four vineyards covering 280 acres (110 ha). They lie in the Four Mile Creek and St. David's...Read More
On a hot day, good Vouvray lifts a salade Niçoise

On a hot day, good Vouvray lifts a salade Niçoise

Posted on by Pat and David
The mercury was pushing 95°F (35°C) and the dew point was well into the sticky zone. When we brought a chilled bottle of Vouvray to checkout at the wine shop the clerk sighed. “Hooray for Vouvray!” she said. To which we could only add, “Amen.” Chenin Blanc doesn't get a lot of respect in the wine world. It makes naturally sweet, loosey-goosey wines that go well in picnic baskets. But a good Vouvray, like the 2015 Marie de Beauregard from Saget La Perrière, shows how polished Chenin Blanc can become. The chalk and flint of the soils from the vineyards in La Roche Corbon outside Vouvray city come through quickly on the nose. Pears and acacia honey dominate the first tastes, followed by a hint...Read More