Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: One If On Land, Two If In The Sea; Eating My Way Up The Food Chain in Boston

My first introduction to seafood was working as a waitress in Faneuil Hall. I was 20, a vegetarian, and slightly traumatized by the experience of eating anything with tentacles-i thought they belonged in scary stories, definitely NOT in my stomach! However, upon eating fried calamari with spicy peppers and a lemon garlic aioli, I was surprised to find that I in fact loved the flavor (although, to be honest, you can fry just about anything, and I will think it tastes yummy). 6 years has passed since then, and I will eat all creatures, great and small : )

For my Foodbuzz 24-24-24 May event, I decided to eat my way up the food chain in Boston, stopping at historical as well as contemporary seafood restaurants. All sea creatures rely on other sea creatures for food to survive. At the bottom of the food chain are the sea plants and plankton. Many types of fish and animals such as the snail, shrimp, jellyfish, and sea star eat the plankton. The small animals and fish who eat plankton then become food for larger crustaceans, such as lobster or fish such as tuna or mackeral. Octopus prey on lobster (try searching for these oceanic show-downs on you-tube, it is great fun, I promise you!) These fish are then eaten by larger fish and animals, such as the shark and dolphin.

I set out upon this odyssey with my boyfriend. Our first stop was Skipjack's Seafood Restaurant located near the Copley Church. We shared a sesame-seaweed salad with salmon roe. I had a Sapporo-a delicious if not extremely large Japanese beer.

Haymarket occurs every Friday and Saturday between Faneuil Hall and the North End, Boston's Little Italy. For 1 dollar, you could purchase clams on the half shell in the market. Fresh vegetables, fruits, seafood and meats can be found for great prices. I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to eating raw fish...more so when it's sold on the street, but others were slurping away, enjoying their clams and then tossing the shells into a bucket next to the stand.

Our next stop was at Union Oyster House, America's oldest restaurant. It opened in 1826 and served many famous Bostonians, such as Daniel Webster, as stated in the sign below.

Our seafood platter was comprised of oysters, shrimp and clams, slightly higher on the totem pole than roe and seaweed. Horseradish, lemon and cocktail sauce were served alongside. Sitting at the oyster bar is a very no-nonsense experience, full of the famous Boston charm...I say this with a wry grin. Bostonians are known for being less-than-friendly, but once you get to know them, most are incredibly generous-you just have to get through the tough, protective exterior (much like the oysters our servers were shucking) before you can truly appreciate their personalities.

For local oyster lovers, the ninth annual Wellfleet OysterFest takes place the weekend after Columbus Day in Wellfleet, Cape Cod, Mass. This two-day street party celebrates the town's famous oysters, clams and shellfishing traditions and brings together locals and visitors alike for a weekend full of hometown flavor and big time fun. More information can be found at:

http://www.wellfleetoysterfest.org/

Our next stop was at Ned Devine's, an Irish restaurant in Faneuil Hall. Ned Devine's serves consistently good pub fare and local seafood. We shared a lobster roll BLT...it was my first lobster salad (I am ashamed to say) and is a classic Boston sandwich, chunks of lobster meat, mayo, perhaps some mustard or lemon. Served with lettuce, tomato and crispy bacon kicked it up a notch, adding texture and flavor.

Our last stop was at Tapeo Restaurant, a Spanish tapas spot on Newbury Street. There we ordered octopus, served in a fiery paprika and olive oil sauce. Although it appears small on the plate, the octopus can take out more sea creatures that it'd care to admit (if it could speak). On the plate, the meat was tender, not chewy and a light ending to our many meals.

At the top of the seafood chain is the shark. And who eats the shark? Apparently not us that night! Try as we might, shark evaded us that evening. Perhaps due to overfishing, perhaps due to its intelligence and fierce teeth, we may never know the reason that shark was lacking on every menu Saturday night. Having had mako shark in Chile, I assure you, it is delicious! And, really, I have no qualms about eating any creature that also could make a meal out of me. Look out sharks! Next time you shall not be so lucky. Rather you will be sauteed and served with a lovely sauce, perhaps a spicy razor clam sauce, a la Santiago. I will find you, and I will eat you.

Avocado Smoothies

So, the first time I drank this, I was a bit dubious upon learning the ingredients, but upon first sip I fell in love with Avocado Smoothies. The blended avocado makes the creamiest smoothie and is a nice alternative to sweet fruit smoothies.

Ingredients:
1 avocado
1 1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups ice cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup ice

Heat up 1/2 cup milk with vanilla in small saucepan until steaming (to cook out alcohol from vanilla). Remove from heat and let cool.

Wash and peel the avocado, removing its pit. Cut into large chunks.

Pulse together vanilla milk, remaining cup of milk, ice, sugar and avocado, adding in scoops of ice cream slowly. Blend until puree is smooth and one uniform color.

Pour into tall glasses and serve with a straw, or use fun margarita glasses with sugar coated rims.

Ginger & Lemon Martini

So, I have been experimenting with my new, oh-so-cool lemon and ginger-infused vodka. I decided to combine a bunch of my favorite ingredients and see what happened. Dee-lish-us!

I played around with the quantities, and settled on this (adjust according to your preferences):

2 ounces ginger and lemon-infused vodka
4 ounces ginger beer
1 splash lemon juice
1 generous splash Angostina bitters
1 lemon wedge
Sugar
Ice

To be all sophisticated (remember, I am 26, a big girl now!) I used a large martini glass for this drink.

Pour vodka, lemon juice and bitters into cocktail shaker filled with crushed ice. Shake vigorously.

Run lemon wedge over martini glass's rim. Press rim into sugar on plate.

Pour contents of cocktail shaker into martini glass. Top with ginger beer and garnish with lemon wedge!

White Wine Sangria

This drink is easy to prepare, light and delicious for the summertime. It goes well with food or can stand alone. A plus is that unlike its red partner, this sangria does not need to sit overnight to blend the flavors. It's a great alternative to a traditional red sangria-perfect for the 4th of July, Independence Day!

1/2 cup thinly chopped pineapple
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup diced mango chunks
1/2 cup raspberries
3/4 cup peach schnapps
1 bottle Sauvignon Blanc (Vinho Verde would be a nice & sweet alternative)
Seltzer water (for Sauv Blanc)
Sugar, to taste

Place fruit in large pitcher. Pour peach schnapps over fruit and muddle slightly with a large spoon.

Pour white wine over fruit (if using vinho verde, this is an effervescent wine and should be added a short while before serving...muddle the fruit A LOT in this case).

Refridgerate sangria at least one hour.

Taste sangria before serving, add sugar if needed (about 1/4 cup).

Scoop a little fruit into each glass.

Top with ice cubes and pour sangria over ice.

Splash a little seltzer water over sangria.

Serve with a straw, and a fruit garnish.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

This is a salad in the same way one can eat chicken salad. My friend and coworker brought in a very similar Chilean avocado salad for lunch one day; this is my version of her dish. Not terribly full of roughage but still very pretty and healthy and tasty! Avocado are high in lutein and beta carotene (good for eye health, especially for all of us who stare at a computer screen for hours), and have "healthy fats." Shrimp are a protein powerhouse, high in omega-3s, low in fat and have "good" cholesterol (the kind that takes bad cholesterol from cells to the liver and out of the body) and (What more can you really ask for?). And let's face it, avocado and shrimp are two of my favorite foods at the moment.

Ingredients:
2 avocados, ripe but still firm to the touch
1/2 lb medium de-veined cooked shrimp, with heads & tails removed
1 lemon
1/4 cup cilantro
2 tablespoons mayo (okay, this is not good for you, but is a vital part of the yummy-ness)
Salt
Pepper

Wash avocados and slice in half vertically. Remove pits and peels from both avocados.

Wash cilantro and let dry. Mince cilantro and mix with mayo. Juice lemon and mix into mayo mixture (lazy woman's aioli).

Chop up shrimp into quarters. Mix shrimp into aioli.

Place avocado halves onto 4 plates, pit-side up. Scoop shrimp salad equally into avocado halves. Salt and pepper to taste.

This is a great summer alternative to a typical salad.

Ginger and Lemon-Infused Vodka

I had a ginger and lemondrop martini almost 4 years ago at a Cuban restaurant in San Francisco. I haven't seen it in any other restaurants or bars and thus was inspired to make my own infused vodka. In a few days, I will post the martini recipe & photo! Very excited to taste how it turns out.

Ingredients:
3 lemons
1 small piece fresh ginger
A decent vodka (anything at the level of absolut or better is fine)
1 large glass container with lid (original vodka bottle is okay)

Wash lemons very well and dry with a paper towel. Cut off peel and remove white pith entirely, as this will become bitter in the vodka.

Peel ginger and cut into a few chunks.

Place ginger and lemon peel in container. Fill with vodka and cover.

Store in a dark place at room temperature, inverting the infusion several times every few days.

Strain and pour into decanter or bottle.

Cupcakes and Tea at the Ritz Carlton

I was lucky enough to enjoy cupcakes and tea this afternoon at the Ritz Carlton in Boston, MA-a birthday gift from my good friend Ayako. All month long, the Ritz is holding teatime with a flight of mini cupcakes. (Classy, but still comfort food for the kid in all of us).

The five cupcakes (starting with the cake at the top of the photo) were:

• Boston Cream Pie (Vanilla Sponge Cupcake, Fresh Pastry Cream, Valrhona Chocolate Glaze)
• Black Forest (Valrhona Chocolate Cupcake, Kirsch Cherries, Chantilly Cream, Valrhona Chocolate Shavings)
• Lemon Meringue (Lemon Chiffon Cupcake, Zesty Lemon Curd, Toasted Meringue)
• Irish Coffee (Valrhona Chocolate Cupcake, Kirsch Cherries, Chantilly Cream, Valrhona Chocolate Shavings)
• Tiramisu (Sponge Cupcake, Mascarpone Espresso Cream, illy Espresso, Rum Drizzle)*

The cupcakes were delicious; the gorgeous presentation was perfectly matched with each cake's delectable flavor.


Pots of steeped tea were kept warm by a small candle (rather fondue-like in its functionality). Our waiter Andres kept our cups full by pouring the tea through a small strainer.


At the end a single cupcake with two candles (my friend Margo also had a birthday-she is 2 days older than me), macaroons, chocolates and a chocolate ganache happy birthday wish.

If you are in the Boston area (or potentially near any Ritz-I would imagine this is going on throughout May at other locations) I would highly recommend bringing your friends or family to enjoy these tiny but tasty treats.

*(Descriptions are from the Ritz's website.)

West Virginia Road Kill Cook-Off

My mom on occasion has been to known to answer the phone with a line like "Diane's Road Kill Diner. You kill 'em. We grill 'em." In her honor, it is my pleasure to inform you of some upcoming festivities in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia.

So, if you are in the area....

The 18th Annual WV Road Kill Cook-off takes place 26 Sept. 2009 and is one of the region’s most exciting and fun annual events.

In years past, the Food Network, the Travel Channel and the Discovery Channel have all done filming of this wild and wacky festival! If you’ve ever wanted to taste exotic dishes like squirrel gravy over biscuits, teriyaki marinated bear or deer sausage, this is the place!

Cookin’ starts at 9 .m. — judging starts at 2 p.m.— and you can taste the grub whenever your stomach’s ready!

ROADKILL COOK-OFF RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. All entries must have, as their main ingredient, any animal commonly found dead on the side of the road -groundhog, o'possum, deer, rabbit, squirrel, snake, etc. Pigs, cows, chickens, horses, and goats are also in that category. However, it need not actually come off the side of the road (and most of the judges would prefer that it didn't).

2. Each contestant will provide a written recipe with the application to include, as a minimum, ingredients and preparation instructions. Recipes will be provided to each judge and must be provided to the RoadKill committee in advance so that copies may be made for the Judges. The recipes will be considered by the Judges in the presentation category.

3. Prior to cooking, the main ingredient (the RoadKill) will be inspected to ensure it has not been pre cooked. Entries may be fried, stewed, baked, sautéed or prepared in any way desired. Dishes must be prepared and cooked on site; however, pre-treatment of the meat, such as soaking, boiling, or marinating, may be done prior to the cook-off. Gutting, skinning and cleaning of the animal should be done off site, although special allowance can be made for fresh RoadKill occurring in route to the cook-off.

4. Contestants must provide their own tables, stoves and other cooking equipment and utensils. Recommend each contestant bring trashcan and garbage bags. There is no electric available at the site; however, clients may bring generators if desired. Fires may also be built but contestants must have their own firewood. Contestants are required to remove all trash and debris after competition.

5. For planning and judging purposes, each contestant will be allocated a site approximately 15' X 15'. Space is limited so judges will be looking at how well each participant utilizes the space in the presentation category.

6. The cooking period will begin at 11:00 AM or earlier. Cooking during the entire period is at the sole discretion of the contestant; however, samples of recipes must be available for public consumption during the day.

7. Only pre-registered assistants may assist the contestant in any manner during the cooking period.

8. A select board of highly qualified judges will determine the winners based on taste, originality, presentation, and showmanship to include compliance with these rules.

9. Judging will begin at 2:00 P. M. Each contestant will be given a general time of judging on RoadKill day so they can be prepared. Contestants will present their fare to the Judges and have approximately 10 minutes to taste the dish and ask questions. Following tasting of all entries, the judges will meet to discuss their opinions and determine the winners.

10. Judges will deduct points for every chipped tooth resulting from gravel not removed from the RoadKill.

11. Cash prizes will be awarded a follows: 1st place -$600.00, 2nd place-$300.00, 3rd place-$150.00. In addition, a prize will also be awarded for Showmanship.

12. We have tried to select highly qualified judges who will be fair, unbiased and open minded. All judges have been tested for cast-iron stomachs and have sworn under oath to have no vegetarian tendencies. The decisions of the judges are final.

13. The judges reserve the right to refuse to taste anything that appears unhealthy or spoiled, or unfit for consumption.

Yes, this is for real.

http://www.pccocwv.com/

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Fra diavolo sauce, Italian for "brother devil," is usually tomato-based and always spicy. It's often served with a lobster tail or other shellfish. Here I prepare it with sauteed shrimp.



Ingredients:
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes (I like Delmonte or Contadina)
1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1 lb linguine
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil in large saute pan over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and turn heat to medium. Saute 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent being careful that garlic does not brown.

Add tomatoes and white wine and turn heat up to medium high until mixture is bubbling. Turn to a simmer and cook 10-15 minutes.

After adding tomatoes and wine, heat up large pot of salted water. Once boiling, add linguine and stir to prevent noodles from sticking together. Cook according to instructions.

In separate saute pan, heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil in large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and crushed red pepper and saute for about a minute, toss, and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir into tomato sauce and cook 1-2 minutes. Stir in parsley and basil.

After pasta has been drained, toss with remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Mix in shrimp-tomato mixture and plate fra diavolo. Grind a little black pepper over each plate and salt to taste. Top with Parmesan cheese.

A Modern Caprese Salad

Slow roasted tomatoes and a fresh basil dressing update this classic Italian salad.

Ingredients:

1 lb slow roasted tomatoes
1 lb fresh mozzarella
1/2 cup basil leaves, shredded
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Prepare slow roasted tomatoes 6 hours prior to serving this salad (preferably overnight). Drain liquid from tomatoes after cooking. Reserve olive oil.

Slice fresh mozzarella into circles about 1/3 inch thick. Arrange overlapping slices of mozzarella on serving plate.

Chop garlic clove. Blend with reserved olive oil from tomatoes, extra olive oil, vinegar and fresh basil leaves.

Place roasted tomatoes over mozzarella slices.

Drizzle salad with fresh basil dressing. Salt and pepper to taste.

Strawberry Basil Summer Cocktail

One of the best drinks I have had was a strawberry basil martini served at 28 Degrees , in the South End of Boston. At first strawberries and basil seemed an unlikely combination, but after trying my friend's drink, I was hooked. Bursts of fresh basil and sweet strawberry flavor ensure this will be a staple on my balcony this summer.

To make:
3 fresh basil leaves
3 large fresh strawberries
2 ounces vodka
2 ounces seltzer
1 lemon wedge
1 teaspoon sugar + extra for glass rim
Ice

Muddle the basil and strawberries in the bottom of a shaker. Add the vodka, sugar and ice. Shake well. Rub rim of glass lemon wedge and dip in sugar. Pour cocktail into glass, top with seltzer and garnish with the lemon twist.

Easy Strawberry, Goat Cheese & Spinach Salad

This is a classic early summer salad. Pair with a frittata and some crusty bread, and you have an easy, flavorful Mother's Day brunch!

Ingredients:
2 cups strawberries
4 oz crumbled goat cheese
8oz baby spinach
Balsamic vinaigrette

Wash strawberries well and remove stems. Slice in half vertically.

Wash spinach and let dry.

Divide spinach among 4 plates. Top each with 1 oz goat cheese and 1/2 cup sliced berries. Drizzle vinaigrette over salads.

Easy Artichoke and Bell Pepper Frittata

1 14 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 red bell pepper
6 large eggs
4 large egg whites
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/3 cup Asiago cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper plus extra pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to broil.

Coarsely chop artichoke hearts. Wash bell pepper and slice into thin 1/2 inch long pieces.

Whisk together eggs, egg whites, basil, salt and pepper.

Heat up olive oil in ovenproof skillet. Add artichoke and bell pepper and cook 2 minutes over medium heat. Pour egg mixture over vegetables. Cook about 5 minutes until egg begins to set. Lift edges with spatula to let runny eggs fall to bottom of skillet. When frittata is almost set, sprinkle cheese over eggs.

Put skillet in oven. Broil about 4-5 inches from oven top 2-4 minutes, until cheese is melted and starts to turn golden.

Serve with side salad and a crusty bread!

Peking Duck at Chef Chang's House

Cinco de Mayo coincided with my 2nd fanniversario (a combination of anniversary in Spanish with "fan"=2 years of my boyfriend and I enjoying dating each other). Surprisingly, we did not hit up the Mexican circuit in Boston, but rather he brought me to a Chinese restaurant, Chef Chang's House, which is located at the St. Mary's stop on the C line in Brookline.

Carlos has been talking up Chef Chang's Peking Duck for quite some time (2 months...possibly more...but 2 months of thinking about a dish can create high expectations only to crash back to reality upon consuming it). We meant to go their for Easter (it is sort of a tradition to eat on an American holiday, but completely avoid traditional meals and eat the unexpected...unintentional but fun) but that didn't happen, so 5 de Mayo was my first time at Chef Chang's.

I could describe the restaurant...but it would provide nothing unique to this post...so on to the duck!

(I asked Carlos was his favorite kind of duck was. He replied, a dead one...the answer I had been thinking...great minds think alike!)

The duck came de-boned, sliced horizontally into round sections and served upon incredibly crispy skin. I normally avoid eating the skin on meat, but this was so crisp, sweet and deliciously fatty that I dug right in.

The duck was served with homemade "crepes," more like tortillas in reality, green onions and plum sauce. I did not waste too much time eating the crepes, focusing on the duck and its trappings.

The meat was delicious-moist, and with the perfect amount of salt.

I am not ashamed to say that I ate half a duck that night, in fact, I'm rather proud of having done so.

The duck may take an hour to prepare, so call ahead before devouring your own Peking duck at Chef Chang's House...even if you cannot call, it is definitely worth the wait!

Peanut Noodles with Shrimp and Mango

After work I set out on the mission of finding rice paper to make summer rolls. I had a recipe in mind, presentation all set...and no rice paper! (D@mn you Shaw's, Foodmaster and Trader Joe's!). Disappointed but not defeated, I had to alter my recipe a bit...rice noodles in place of rice paper...and the plum dipping sauce was out, peanut was in.

Salad Ingredients:

1 pack wide rice noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped mango
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into thin sticks
1 lb cooked shrimp, peeled, de-veined and de-tailed
2 green onions (about 1/2 cup chopped), cut horizontally
1/3 cup diced cilantro
1/4 cup crushed roasted peanuts
1 lime

Peanut Sauce Ingredients:

1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Mix peanut butter with coconut milk in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, sugar and crushed red pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook about 5-10 minutes until mixture has thickened slightly, stirring to prevent the sauce from burning. Remove from heat. (Add more spice according to your personal preferences!)

Heat up a large pot of water. Add rice noodles to boiling water and cook according to instructions. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Toss noodles in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

Toss cold noodles with 1/2 cup sauce. Add more until noodles are thinly coated with peanut sauce. Add shrimp, mango and cucumber and toss salad. Squeeze lime over salad. Top with cilantro, green onions and crushed peanuts.

Margaritaville!

Let's celebrate Mexico resisting the French invasion with some tasty margaritas! Blood Orange, Blackberry-Mint or Frozen Strawberry Watermelon !

As we cannot go to Mexico right now, we might as well bring a little bit of Mexico to us ; )

Frozen Strawberry Watermelon Margarita

Ingredients: (Makes about 4-6)

5 cups diced watermelon, frozen
1 cup fresh strawberries, stems removed and sliced in half (reserve a few to garnish)
1 cup silver tequila
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4-1/2 cup sugar (depending on how sweet melon is!)

Add frozen watermelon, berries, tequila, lime and sugar to blender and pulse until mixture is softened, then blend until smooth.

Blackberry Mint Margaritas

Blackberry Mint Margaritas

Ingredients: (Makes about 4-5 drinks)

2 cups fresh blackberries
1 ½ cups reposado tequila
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup simple syrup

In large pitcher, muddle mint leaves and blackberries (reserve a handful of berries to garnish).

Mix in tequila, lime and simple syrup.

Pour into tall thin cocktail glasses until about 1/2-2/3 full. Top with ice and garnish with remaining blackberries.

Blood Orange Margaritas

Ingredients:
4 blood oranges, juiced
2/3 cup fresh lime juice (from about 4-5 small limes)
2/3 cup orange liquor
1 ½ cups tequila
¼ cup simple syrup (or to taste)
1 blood orange, sliced into wedges
Crushed ice
Ice cubes, for serving

Mix blood orange juice with lime juice, Cointreau, tequila and simple syrup.

Pour mixture into cocktail shaker filled with crushed ice and shake vigorously.

Place a few ice cubes into short cocktail glass and pour margarita over ice.

Garnish with blood orange wedge.

Ostrich Jerky

When I first received an e-mail from Doug of Jerky.com I though someone who knows my love of jerky was playing a cruel joke on me.

I am a born and bred Midwesterner...I grew up knowing the "Links," of the Jack Links beef jerky chain. I know my beef; the good, the bad and the ugly.

Fortunately, this e-mail turned out to be on the up-and-up, and as a result, I received a package of Ostrich Jerky in the mail this past week. (They also sell Beef Jerky, but I wanted to try something a bit more adventurous).

A few quick facts about the Ostrich:
The Ostrich is the largest living bird in the world.The Ostrich is native to Africa, yet thrives in countries all over the world.Adult males are eight to nine feet in height and weigh 350-400 pounds. Females will weigh up to 300-350 pounds. Ostrich meat is high in protein, yet low in calories, cholesterol and fat in comparison with other red meats.

The ostrich jerky had a rich flavor, but didn't have the salty, processed taste that some jerkys tend to have. The texture was slightly chewy. It was not a shocking departure from traditional beef jerky, but has a more natural flavor to it, and is definitely a healthier snack choice!

If I could find this in stores, I would definitely buy it-so let's hope that Jerky.com's products become available locally in the near future!

Walk For Hunger

Walking 20 miles today for Project Bread's Annual Walk-For-Hunger....wish me luck!

You still can donate to my walkpage:

http://www.projectbread.org/site/TR/Walk/General?fr_id=1110&pg=pfind

search for "caitlin mcdonnell"

I'll update y'all to let you know how far I walk...hopefully all 20 miles... :)