It Is What It Is: raw

So as I said, I just got back to Boulder, Colorado this past Saturday and of course the FIRST THING I did was... visit my second home, AKA: Whole Foods.

Whole Foods + Me = The love affair of the century, FOR SURE!

Every single person in the store (there are actually 4 of them in the Boulder area, so I am talking about the one located on Pearl Street... along with a Sprouts Market & a Sunflower Market) knows me by my first name or simply: FISH GIRL... Because you guessed it, I am obsessed with their fish; which brings me to today's POST!

After gathering my typical "goods" (Salmon Belly, Hamachi Collars, Eel Fillets and yes, some King Salmon because it looked, THAT GOOD) I ventured over to the frozen seafood section and to my surprise and HAPPINESS there were HUGE frozen loins of sushi grade Albacore Tuna.

I couldn't resist... and at $12.99 a pound, it was a steal.

I sliced is sashimi style that night and wrapped it in nori sheets... dipping it in soy sauce (reduced sodium, wheat free if you MUST know) with every bite.

Pure deliciousness.

The taste was buttery, melt in your mouth good and when I finished my serving I was almost depressed because I wanted more! ha ha.

Well... my depression didn't last long because... I have already bought a second fillet.

So is this going to be a new staple in my diet? YOU BET IT IS!

Oh and another WONDERFUL part about this tuna... IT'S SUSTAINABLE! SICK BUSINESS© (that's one of my phrases...), another fish I am obsessed with is actually sustainable! Go me! No ounce of guilt here about eating over fished or mercury laden tuna! Wooo!!

Now while I ate this succulent piece of fish raw, you can always sear it... Personally I think sesame seared tuna is magnificent... but each to their own!

So if you do happen to stumble upon this tuna, don't hesitate, and pick up a package today! And if you think $12.99 is too expensive, well, splurge a bit and only have a tiny bit at your meal (serving it with some less expensive fish) so you can at least get the taste sensation!

I must mention though... I have officially promised myself that I cannot VENTURE INTO WHOLE FOODS FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER WEEK! OFF LIMITS, NO! ha ha!

(Well now that's a bit extreme... I will only "TRY" to boycott for a week! ha ha)

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Whole Foods Salmon Sashimi Review

So I got a huge craving yesterday for sashimi... but the thought of going out to sushi didn't sound so hot so I decided, let's get some sashimi from Whole Foods!

And I mean look, it's way cheaper than what I probably would have gotten at a sushi restaurant anyways so I am being financially savvy too! Wow, Whole Foods and inexpensive in the same sentence? How in the WORLD is that possible!?!** [for answer - see bottom]

I settled on some salmon sashimi [that's what I was craving, hard core]... or SAKE if you really want me to get all Japanese technical! Typically this sashimi is... uh... carved[?] from Whole Food's farm raised Norwegian Salmon... Yes, I know what you're thinking: GAHH, you are eating FARM RAISED SALMON... but I have done EXTENSIVE research on Whole Food's farm raised salmon and have found that it comes from a legit source and the fish is not fed unhealthy and unnatural foods.

So anyways on to the good stuff....

Well what sashimi dinner is complete without Nori, Soy Sauce & Sesame Seed = NONE THAT'S WHAT! So of course I had to have them!

Then I sliced the sashimi [and to all you plate decorators and professional chefs out there... I am sorry for my UGLY plate presentation, but honestly, it ALL tastes the SAME! Whoops, I am sorry if I just broke the news to you!]... and placed it a top of a bed of spinach [because spinach tastes amazing with everything]. Of course I am not just going to eat this sashimi, ha, if you only knew me... I am known for eating a TON so of course I had my...

Spaghetti Squash sauteed with Broccoli in Olive Oil over another bed of Spinach...

And "FRIED" Green Beans [by far the BEST thing in the world, seriously: they taste JUST like French Fries... although maybe you should trust me on that because I haven't had a French Fry in oh about 10 years... or maybe even longer!]

Oh wait, isn't this suppose to be a review of the Whole Foods Sashimi Salmon? And here I am showing off my side dishes to the MAIN SUBJECT! [Oh wait, isn't the new thing... focusing in on vegetables are the MAIN part of a meal and simply using protein as a garnish? Well not in my life that's for sure!!!!!]

Well let me tell you... first bite to last... I was having a mouth-gasum... and if you have NO CLUE what that means... I was in serious HEAVEN the entire time I ate!!! The butteriness of the fish complimented the crunchiness of the nori perfectly [I wrap sheets around the fish - not rice, no nothing... the reason for this... is meant for another blog post!]. The fish also tasted incredibly fresh and melted in my mouth the instant it touched my tongue.

So if you ever get a craving for some sashimi [and you can use this sashimi to make roll if you so choose], then get your booty on down to Whole Foods [it's GiGi recommended!]! They also offer Hamachi/Yellowtail, Unagi/Eel, Maguro/Red Tuna, Octopus, Spicy Tuna [A delicious mixture sans MAYO]... and depending on where you live they may offer more or less!

Oh and if you live in the Boulder Area... go into the Pearl Street location - say the name GiGi to the fish counter, and they will know exactly who you're talking about! I swear I think I am going to ask them if they could make some sort of discount deal for the people who come in and mention my name... sort of like a coupon code! ha ha!

**Probably because it takes about 10 to 12 ounces of fish to fill me up... which would probably be the equivilent to about 2 platters of sashimi [which can JACK UP any bill]... While about 10 ounces from Whole Foods is... well you see how much it is above!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Restaurant Review: Brasserie Ten Ten

Restaurant: Brasserie Ten Ten
Cuisine: French Bistro
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Pricey?: ** 1/2 out of *****

Review: I am completely obsessed with food and when it comes to going out to dinner, the restaurant has to have a certain amount of selections that I like in order for me to actually attend.

Since I am French, I figured this restaurant would have SOMETHING that I would like to eat... and after browsing the menu (on-line first BEFORE making reservations) I decided the place was a "go-go".

My mother and I have lots of dietary restrictions which is also a factor when I choose restaurants. There must be an abundance of fish on the menu for when we go out to dinner we never touch anything except that protein. We won't touch the red meats because they are more than likely grain-fed and that just doesn't fly... my brother and father on the other hand... bring on any steak house that serves a 16 to 20 ounce Porter House steak and a cold brusky and they're there!

The reason for my parents being in Boulder and my brother coming down (or maybe... up?) from Denver was because my grandfather (whom we all haven't seen in about 4 to 5 years) was in Boulder giving a speech about Nuclear Physics (that's his shtick... more power to ya!). My parents drove 8 hours... for dinner... and then left the next morning to drive 8 hours back home - Aye Carumba!

We arrived a bit early for our reservation but were allowed to STAND by the bar... there was a lot of traffic in this "standing zone" so it wasn't the most pleasant of situations but... my father, brother and grandfather got their drinks, so they didn't mind. I could already tell though... the conversation was going to be stilted... but that's a completely different story!

We were seated at around 7:15pm... even though our reservation was for 7... but right away our server asked us what we wanted to drink.

After perusing the menu for a bit we all made our final decisions on our meals... My mother always has the same thing I eat... so I ordered for the both of us... We both has the Nicoise Salad (sans potatoes & dressing on the side) as well as the Grilled Trout. We had ours simply grilled with no tabouli but extra spinach. The others at my table ordered Steamed Mussles, Chicken and Steak.

It may have felt like hours before our meals arrived... but really it was the average amount of time... the only reason why I say this is because it was extremely loud in the restaurant and with two who are hard of hearing (grandfather and father)... it was a bit painful waiting for the meals (and watching everyone leaning over one another to speak).

The meal my mother and I ordered was 100% perfect. Typically when I modify menu items there is always something off but not at Brasserie Ten Ten. Our waitress seemed very used to people modifying things and I could tell when our meals arrived.

Everything was cooked to perfection. The tuna on the nicoise salad was seared beautifully (nice and raw) while the trout was grilled until crispy (skin that is) and just melted in my mouth.

I got rave reviews from the rest of my table which definitely says something too considering we are all French. So over all, the FOOD experience was a good one!

The reason for my emphasis on food... well the conversation didn't turn out to be the best as I predicted... in fact my father and grandfather got into quite an argument... pushing my mother to tears - Oh how I love family dining experiences! ha ha!

My Rating: 8 out of 10 (strictly food... Points off for on the small side portions - for me at least - and the whole place was extremely loud)

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

HAMACHI KAMA Review

(Sashimi Platter)

DROOLING YET?

Oh how I adore Japanese Food! I eat it weekly and could certainly eat it daily if my wallet and bank account permitted me! But no no. I must restrain myself... Weekly is enough! Whenever I go, I order so much it's crazy, and I am known for eating such large quantities. I don't order rolls because I don't eat rice, but I do order the exotic menu items like eel sashimi, escolar sashimi, uni, etc...

(Eel Sashimi)

One menu item that I order every single time I go out to sushi (and buy at Whole Foods too when they have it) is Hamachi Kama!

(Oh the most delicious food: hamachi kama)

What is Hamachi Kama exactly? Well it's the neck of Hamachi or Young Yellow tail Tuna. It is the most fatty and delicious part of the fish. When prepared it's grill to perfection and served piping hot with soy sauce & some shaved cabbage and or diakon (depending on restaurants). They range in size from small to large and boast roughly 4 to 6 ounces of meat!! For once ounce of yellow tail tuna... you get 31 CALORIES!!!! 31! That's NOTHING! Which is why I... uh... order 2 or 3 of them depending on how hungry I am and what other things are on the menu! Wait, why did I sound embarrassed... I CERTAINLY AM NOT!! The smooth and buttery taste is sensational and the omega-3 fatty acids are abundant! Oh and get this... all that hype about Vitamin D being absolutely amazing for your health... well hamachi Kama (and hamachi in general along with other fatty fish) have LOADS OF IT packed RIGHT IN!

(Hamachi Sashimi)

SO.... what are you going to do the next time you go out to sushi? That's right, order hamachi Kama... and if they don't have it on the menu ask their server if the sushi chef has any whole hamachi in the back that he can cut and grill! The chef will be impressed with your fish knowledge and your taste buds will be impressed with how delicious this piece of fish really is!! ENJOY!

(yummy yummy - a food you don't have to be afraid to eat with your HANDS!)

*Salmon Collars are also avaliable but not nearly as scrumptious! (oh but still very yummy!)

*Next up in the sushi review: Escolar

(Escolar Sashimi)