By Compiled by JANET K. KEELER
Published October 13, 2004
STONE CRAB SEASON
The season for this succulent Florida delicacy opens Friday and continues through the middle of May. The majority of stone crab claws are harvested in southern Florida, from Fort Lauderdale to Sarasota. Prices won't be set for medium, large or jumbo claws until after the first few days of harvest, when availability is determined. The beginning of the season can be slow because warm gulf temperatures make the crabs lethargic. As the water cools, catches increase.
COOKING CLASS
To prevent the filling of an overstuffed sub sandwich from spilling out, remove some of the interior crumb from the top and bottom halves of the bread. This creates a trough for the fillings and helps to stabilize the sandwich. - Adapted from The Best Kitchen Quick Tips by the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine.
HEAD OF HIS CLASS
Greg Hutto of Plant City will compete in the third annual Almost Famous Chef competition this week in Las Vegas. Hutto, 21, is a senior at Johnson & Wales University in North Miami.
Hutto beat five students to win the regional competition and earn a spot at the nationals. His winning original dish was grilled grouper with beurre noisette foam. Beurre noisette is clarified butter browned slowly and seasoned with vinegar or lemon juice and capers. The dish included braised vegetable salad with herb oil and beaten risotto. The winner of the Las Vegas competition gets $1,000 from sponsor San Pellegrino and a trip to the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners in Italy.
DISHING WITH RACHAEL
The Food Network's new show Inside Dish with Rachael Ray has the perennially perky chef taking viewers to the homes - and kitchens - of celebrities.
Premiering at 9 p.m. Nov. 5, Inside Dish follows the host as she hangs out with actors and other entertainers to bring viewers the "inside dish" on their favorite foods, secret family recipes and most-beloved restaurants. The premiere features NYPD Blue star Dennis Franz and his family.
The half-hour show continues each Friday and features such guests as Morgan Freeman, Daisy Fuentes and Cheech Marin.
SHELLFISH IN A BAG
Chicken of the Sea used to mean tuna. But the company has come up with a line of single-serve, ready-to-eat pouches of crab, shrimp, clams, smoked oysters and imitation crab.
We've got to say that the photos on the bags look a bit unappetizing, especially the pile of smoked oysters. But with our recent spate of storms, the bags o' shellfish definitely earn a spot in our hurricane kits.
Prices range from $1.49 to $2.99 a pouch. For more information, visit www.chickenofthesea.com
EATING YOUR WORDS
William Grimes, former restaurant reviewer for the New York Times, playfully uses a familiar phrase, Eating Your Words (Oxford University Press, $20.), for the title of his new book. It's subtitled "2000 Words to Tease Your Taste Buds."
An A-to-Z section takes readers from acorn squash and adobo to zuppa inglese and zwieback. These may sound familiar, but in between are the exotic regions of cherimoya and feijoada, nuoc cham and stifado, where a little help may be welcome in pinning down an exact definition.
THEY TASTE QUICK
Quick isn't necessarily better for frosting or for biscuits. Pillsbury's new frozen Microwave Buttermilk Biscuits are a bit heavy and reminiscent of fast-food offerings.
If zapping a buttermilk biscuit for 20 seconds means the difference between eating breakfast or not, go for it. But to serve with dinner, or at any time when 20 minutes are available to make Pillsbury's baked variety, it's best to go with a biscuit that needs baking.
CLARIFICATION
A story in Taste on Sept. 29 identified India Grill as the first restaurant with Indian food in downtown St. Petersburg. The Moon Under Water (332 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg; 727-896-6160), which opened in 1997, was the first. It serves Indian food along with other British pub favorites and traditional dishes.
