Scotland: Food, Glorious Food!

Glasgow, Scotland

June 19, 2012

Sometimes it pays to ask.  I spotted this nice display of fish while walking somewhere in the West end of Glasgow...I entered the store and asked in my most polite voice, if I could please take a photo of his fish on display.  The shopkeeper shrugged and said yes.  

It's not the most exciting shot ever, maybe I was just excited to see some mackerel fillets in the window.  At any rate, I'm glad I took 'mundane' shots of grocery store shelves and shots like this one.  If anything, I regret that I didn't take more!

Pentz United Lobster Roll Dinner

Lobster Roll Dinner

Pentz, NS

Aug. 19, 2012

First off, apologies for the lack of posts in recent weeks.  Hopefully the delicious shots from this church supper back in August make up for it.

Believe it or not, this was my first lobster roll dinner.  I know, I know...shocking.  My mom and her sister were the instigators to attend this event.  It was held on the same day as the Conquerall Bank Planked Halibut Supper.  That was my first choice, but we checked that one out last summer so we decided to try something different this time around.

Tickets were sold in advance, by all accounts most were sold before the day of the event.  We had no problem finding a table and our plates arrived shortly after we sat down.

The lobster roll was....amazing.  I'm not sure what I loved more, the food or the presentation.  The cardboard 'sleeve' was just right.  The white bread, New England style hot dog roll was perfect.  The potato salad sure hit the spot, especially when combined with a nosh of delectable cucumber salad.  Not as good as mom's, but a close second!

The desserts were to die for, are the shots making you hungry?  I'm getting hungry remembering the great meal.....

For dessert, I sampled the blueberry cake.  It was moist and sweet as it should be. There was a dusting of sugar (and...cinnamon?) on the top too.   Combined with the usual weak tea (not as good as the Maitland suppers, that's for sure!) it was a great way to end my meal.

We probably lingered longer than 'allowed', but I have seen plenty of oldsters take liberty with their post-meal chats so I didn't feel bad about having an extended sit, digest and chat.

Next summer, keep your eyes peeled for this event and add it to your 'must attend' list!

Dessert Table

What lies beneath: Illex illecebrosus

So, I managed to land my first squid last night!  Turns out it is a Northern shortfin squid; aka Illex illecebrosus.


I think it was just in the wrong place, at the wrong time.  Getting it in the boat happened rather quickly so I can't recall exactly 'where' I got it with my mackerel jig.  I think it was likely in the non tentacle end (is that the head or tail?  Neither?).


Once it was over the gunwhale, it squirted ink all over the inside of the boat and in the bucket where we stuck it to try to contain that black self defence liquid.


After I arrived home, with the help of a youtube 'how to clean a squid' video, I managed to clean and cut up the tube.  Then, I tossed it in flour and quickly fried it in some hot olive oil.  You'd be hard pressed to find squid fresher than that!

Last feed of local asparagus, first feed of fresh mackerel

Sad to see the end of the local (read = Lun. County) asparagus, delicious as always.  


SO EXCITED to have my first feed of fresh mackerel.  Tastes even better when you catch 'em yourself.  Mack attack is ON!

Nothing like a good feed of clams

Digging for clams used to be an annual ritual for my family.

Every summer, my grandparents would secure their 'usual spot' at Little Risser's campground. Under the tutelage of my grandfather, we would extract the clams from the Petite Riviere clam flat, using a plunger of all things!

But, it's been ages since those days, that clam flat has been closed for a long time. It's a constant reminder of my past when I see people digging for clams and quahogs around the South Shore.

Here is a nice bucket full of soft shell clams spotted this past week at a local beach. Apparently it's a long hike to get to the clams, but well worth it once the clams are boiling in the pot!



Tools of the trade and the spoils