Once apon a Gastro Pub...

Once apon a Gastro Pub...

According to the New York Times, The Obama administration is considering a full ban on the importation of Bluefin Tuna...

Now for all you sushi lovers out there, don't start crying just yet. The ban is not official and is awaiting an report by the ICCAT (international commission for the conservation of Atlantic tunas) which will try to state the tuna population.

Bluefin tuna is a prized delicacy and the majority of prime tuna is snatch up quickly by the Japanese for a hefty price. Last week alone a single tuna sold for over $50k!

These Bluefin tunas are seen throughout the Atlantic but are primarily fished in the mediterannean sea. Last week the United Nations decided to rank BlueFin as an appendix 1 species, basically classifing them as endangered.

The other tuna species including yellowfin, big eye, and albacore are also overfished but not to the same extreme and are unlikely to be effected.

My advice is to run and get some great Tuna sashimi before it is too late. The proposed ban will likely fall through but you are sure to see an increase and price due to basic supply and demand!

Top Chef Masters 2!

According to BuddyTV, the line up and schedule for Top Chef Masters season 2 has been confirmed and released!

The second season will begin on April 7th and feature 22 world re-known chefs from around the globe trying to compete to be named a Top Chef master. Last season, after a grueling battle Rick Bayless of Chicago and renown expert on Mexican cuisine was the first chef to behold the title of top chef master.

Here is the line up!

• Jody Adams - Rialto Restaurant, Cambridge, Mass.
• Govind Armstrong - 8 oz Burger Bar, Los Angeles, Calif.
• Graham Elliot Bowles - Graham Elliot Restaurant, Chicago, Ill.
• Jimmy Bradley - The Red Cat, New York, N.Y.
• David Burke - David Burke Townhouse, New York, N.Y.
• Wylie Dufresne - wd~50, New York, N.Y.
• Susan Feniger - Street, Los Angeles, Calif.
• Debbie Gold - The American Restaurant, Kansas City, Mo.
• Carmen Gonzalez - Chef Consultant, New York, N.Y.
• Maria Hines - Tilth, Seattle, Wash.
• Susur Lee - Madeline's, Toronto, Canada
• Ludo Lefebvre - Ludo Bites, Los Angeles, Calif.
• Tony Mantuano - Spiaggia, Chicago, Ill.
• Rick Moonen - Rick Moonen's RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas
• Mark Peel - Campanile, Los Angeles, Calif.
• Monica Pope - t'afla, Houston, Texas
• Thierry Rautureau - Rover's, Seattle, Wash.
• Marcus Samuelsson - The Red Rooster, New York, N.Y.
• Ana Sortun - Oleana, Cambridge, Mass.
• Rick Tramonto - TRU, Chicago, Ill.
• Jerry Traunfeld - Poppy, Seattle, Wash.
• Jonathan Waxman - Barbuto, New York, N.Y

Fungus has taken over Kennett square

Who would have imagined that driving through a small, quaint town on the Delaware/Pennsylvania boarder that I would stumble upon the mushroom capital of the world. Let alone know that there even was a mushroom capital of the world and I'm not talking about the ones that take you on a trip to imagination land or turn luigi into a real man. These are the real, meaty and delicious, deal!

Unfortunately, mushrooms tours are rarely offered these days to help protect the crops. It makes sense if you think about how the fungii are grown, in a cool, damp and extremely DARK atmosphere.

A rumor that hundreds of fingers are lost each year with the picking of the mushrooms, especially since the mushrooms pickers work at a steadfast pace cutting the caps from the stems in the pitch dark of night sometimes up on 40 foot shelves digging through compost and moss, could scare some from diving into the compost shelves of the factories but not me.

over 400 million pounds of mushrooms are produced in this area and shipped throughout the country every year. It takes, on average, about 6 weeks to plant, seed, grow and harvest a crop of mushrooms. The most cultivated variety is the common, plain Jane button mushroom ranging in three sizes from small to large. Second is the hearty portabella (yes you can end it with an A or O), which is commonly used to replace meat in vegetarian dishes and fantastic grilled and marinated. Other varieties include cremini's, which are the children of portabellos. Very flavorful shittakes, which originated from oak trees in Japan. Also oyster and maittake mushrooms which originate in asia where they have been used for centuries to help cure body ailments and reduce cholesterol, the eastern culture obviously is on to something.

Mushrooms can be used in a variety of ways. I suggest sauteeing them over high heat with some olive oil, garlic, mushrooms and salt. Shittakes are amazing in broths adding a rich depth of umami flavor. try steeping them in stock and adding them to steamed vegetables, herbs and a dab of butter, an extremely healthy and deliciously fresh dish or side.

Mushrooms are so versatile it is no wonder why Americans consume over 500 million lbs of them every year! The next time you find your path crossed with a beautiful yellow oyster mushrooms staring you in the face, remember a few key rules.

Never leave mushrooms in water!

store mushrooms in a paper product to let them breath, they are a living, breathing fungii!

and always, yes always treat them simple and don't over complicate their natural earthy flavors.

Until next time
-Chefcraw