The Freshest Creme Fraiche
Very, very, quiet around Seattle Caviar today. I just finished reading a nice article about creme fraiche in the Gourmet Retailer. Our favorite brand to keep at the shop and to use at home, is the Bellwether Farms brand. It is delicious, not only with caviar, but with myriad of recipes. Use a bit in salad dressing, mixed with lemon or vinegar, with berry desserts, in sauces, on potatoes. Add a spoonful at the last minute into a sauce to lend a silky, creamy richness to a dish. I just had some creme fraiche and and Ikura (again) on some toast for lunch.
Try making some fresh, just like a French farmwife:
This recipe is from “The Cheese Lover’s Cookbook & Guide”
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 buttermik
1/4 cup yougurt with acidophilus cultures
Place the cream, buttermilk and yogurt in a sterilized jar or bowl. Stir vigorously to mix. Cover the container with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for four to eight hours, or overnight, until thickened . Refrigerate once the creme fraiche has almost reached the desired consistency. It will continue to thicken as it chills. Use within one week.
Bagels, Cream Cheese & Ikura!!
Sunday we took our little boat to Anacortes and launched at Cap Sante Marina. We had a one o’clock appointment, but went very early so we could picnic out on the water. It was a beautiful sunny day, but it was COLD in Bellingham Channel! Our picnic was simple as can be. Nice smoked salmon, cream cheese and Bagels. A few bing cherries, and a few (!) potato chips and a jug of sweet tea. Unfortunately, no wine with this picnic because of the afore mentioned appointment. While drifting about, out of the wind, and the sun shining we were visted by a couple seals, several eagles and porpoises!! It was wonderful to see them dive. They actually put on a performance just for us!
It occurred to me today how much we enjoyed our picnic and while I was hungry had to make do with a leftover bagel. The leftover bagel, turned to extraordinary with creme fraiche and chum salmon ikura!
Try it sometime. 2 ounces of Ikura $10.00 about the same as a package of smoked salmon and just as delish.
Dick Oshira and Seattle Caviar Signs
All I am trying to do is upload a photo of our original caviar sign. Unfortunately, I may be a dinosaur. My idea was to spotlight our most loved caviar signs that gem of a man, Dick Oshira, created with his genius talent of Signcraft. When we were in our first location, down on the shores of Lake Union, we posted an oval sign, appropriate for a very large yacht, on the side of our building. It simply said “CAVIAR”. Black glossy background, metallic gold letters, with red outlines. Our logo in gold in the center top. ( Now if I knew what I was doing, my photo should appear.) Alas, words will have to do until I figure this out. Dick is a signmaker and as fine as they come. Our next sign, actually says SEATTLE CAVIAR COMPANY, with caviar in large gold leaf caps, a swimming sturgeon in “beluga blue” and the word Beluga in gold. It is a huge sign that says we are in business and we are here to stay. Our latest sign was just finished and it is above the door at 2922 Eastlake Avenue East: Gold Seattle Caviar Letter, nice white oak logo painted gold, on a black background. Crowning glory at the end of the sign in a red oval: established 1990. We will soon be twenty years in business, a milestone indeed. Now if I could just figure out how to post these photos……
Tags: Add new tag, Signcraft
My First Adventure in Blogosphere…05/22/09
Dale just said, “You have a “blog” on your site…you better go find out what it says.” My response, of course, “it says nothing, because I don’t know how to do it….” Feeling rather sheepish, I decided to figure it out. So here goes….
It finally seems to be spring and it is gorgeous today, but since this is supposed to be about caviar and not the weather, I will write about caviar and my latest, DELICIOUS caviar creation.
While Dale was visiting Brussells for the International Seafood Show and sneaking off to Paris( I will save that for another blog) I found myself alone for a week with one nine month old Brittany, a ten year old Pug and a neurotic Siamese Cat and the only one to cook for was MOI!! I love poached eggs and my darling husband actually turns green at the thought of them, so every time Dale leaves town, I treat myself to eggs. Washington State asparagus was just coming into season and so wonderful, so that was it!
Steamed Asparagus topped with a Poached Egg and Paddlefish Caviar. Absoulutely delicious. I love the way the egg acts as a dressing for the Asparagus and the caviar as the perfect seasoning.
The recipe is simple:
6 spears of Yakima Asparagus, woody ends snapped, then steamed
1 freshly poached egg
1 Tblsp. Paddlefish caviar
Steam the asparagus
Poach the egg
Place steamed asparagus on a pretty plate and top with a freshly poached egg and top with caviar. Sit down and enjoy
Tags: Paddlefish Caviar
Make a Seattle Caviar Pie this weekend
Make a Seattle Caviar Pie this weekend!
Six ounces for $60.00
2 ounces Paddlefish
2 ounces Golden Whitefish
2 ounces Ikura
Seattle Caviar Pie
Herb Cream Cheese:
1 eight-ounce package of Philly Cream Cheese
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste
-In a small mixing bowl combine the cream cheese with the garlic and season with salt and pepper.
Egg Salad:
6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1/2 C. mayonnaise (I use Best Foods)
1 tsp. minced garlic
salt and pepper
1/4 C. minced chives
1/4 C. minced shallot
1/4 C. capers
-In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs with the mayonnaise and in corporate all the egg salad ingredients.
Topping:
7.5 ounces Bellwether Farms Creme fraiche
2 ounces Seattle Caviar Golden Whitefish Caviar
2 ounces Seattle Caviar Ikura (chum salmon caviar)
2 ounces Seattle Caviar Paddlefish caviar
To assemble:
In a spring form pan spread the cream cheese mixture over the bottom of the pan. Spread the egg salad over the cream cheese. Spread the creme fraiche over the egg salad and top in concentric circles, the paddlefish in the center, golden whitefish and finish the outer edge with the Ikura. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Remove the spring form and slide the pie on to a pedestal cake plate. Serve with toast points or rounds. Enjoy!
Tags: Golden Whitefish, Ikura, Paddlefish
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