Flash in the Pan

I just finished a draft of a story, for a publication on New York's Long Island, on smoked fish. As part, I was looking for good local purveyors and got pointed to Shwartz Appetizing. The company sent samples and I'm in complete heaven (and jockeying with my wife for portions). With a couple of stores in Brooklyn and one in Cedarhurst, I don't know exactly where the proprietors find their wares, but, good heavens, they are gastronomically trancendental.

Pickled herring in cream sauce and a Mediterranean style had subtlety and a continuing echo of flavors that makes any other brand I've had from a store taste like so much library paste. Like lox? Try the creamed pickled variety and realize that you only need to nibble on a piece - forget the bagel and absolutely avoid the cream cheese. The whitefish chubs were magnificent, and although my wife didn't care for the Matjes herring, it was the first time I've tried this style and found myself looking forward to a second bite. (Don't care for that dear? Don't toss the rest of that piece - here, let me take care of it for you.) Finally, smoked sable, when prepared this deftly, is something you should start with, because the delicate flavor is something you should savor and enjoy before more raucus tastes come into play.

If you live anywhere near Cedarhurst, Flatbush, or Boropark, drive over immediately. (Well, not during Shabbos starting Friday afternoon and lasting through Saturday.) If you don't, look up the number of one of the stores and call - if you're lucky, maybe they'll ship some to you. And if it's expensive, pay for it anyway, as this is an experience that you should have at least once in your life.

Labels: fish, opinion, product, review

A weekly round-up of food and drink oddities:

• Chocolate in Moderation A recent study suggests that daily dark chocolate reduces blood pressure. Unfortunately, the necessary ingestion is around 6 grams, with the restriction undoubtedly leading to depression. (AP)


• Penguins and Garlic Shanghai zoo keepers are feeding garlic to the penguins to ward off respiratory problems, sutffing a few cloves in each fish the birds eat. For some odd reason, there has also been a sharp drop in the number of people wanting to see the birds. (AP)


• Paris Hilton Goes to Dogs Someone supposedly poked through Paris Hilton's garbage, found a can from some organic dog food, and sold it on eBay for $305. Hopefully they will recycle it. (AP)


• Porn Pizza A western Canadian pizza joint has been putting a pornographic picture in the bottom of each box, under the pizza. The restaurant sold hundreds of pizzas in one week. Do delivery personnel ask if it was as good for the customer as it was for them? (AFP)


• Movie Munching There's a new documentary on speed eating. Get to the theater early - the snack stand lines will be fierce. (AP)


• Really Fresh Fish A chef in Taiwan got into trouble for serving a fish that wasn't quite dead. Boy, and ususally people complain because the fish isn't fresh enough. (AP)

Labels: blood pressure, chocolate, dog food, fish, fresh, garlic, Paris Hilton, penguins, pizza, porn, speed eating, Taiwan, weird

At a riverside festival in western Massachusetts last weekend, I had a chance to try samples of a number of products that were new to me. Over the next week or so I'll mention more of them, but let's start with Myron's 20 Gauge Sauce from Myron's Fine Foods of Millers Falls, Mass. Here's a combination of ingredient list and description from the company's site:

Low sodium, naturally brewed soy sauce (water, soy beans, wheat, salt), red wine, natural brown sugars, fresh garlic, olive oil, rice vinegar, juniper berry and Myron's distinctive blend of unique spices. It has a deep and slightly malty flavor base, a piquant/sweet, pungent and peppery bite and subtle "evergreen" (juniper) flavor points.

It's supposed to be for wild game and fish, but I tried some chicken that had marinated in the sauce before grilling. The description is close enough, though far more subtle than I would have expected from something intended for game, and pleasant. The company's site indicates distributors carrying the products, though not retail outlets. However, you could ask a local spot to place an order, or you can purchase a 2-pack of 16-ounce bottles for $24.45, including handling and continental US shipping via UPS ground.

Labels: chicken, fish, game, Myron's, sauce