USVI-On-Line

liamsaunt wrote:I have not posted in this thread forever! Here is a loaf of bread I baked yesterday, crusty cheesy bell pepper-provolone bread

Wow, looks super yum!

Here's my Valentine's Day dinner. Nothing says love like tater tots! .... and pecan-smoked grilled snapper and oysters....



pmk

Warning - if you are anti-hunting, stop reading now







This might be a first for the food porn thread - black bear.

We were invited to the hunting camp all my uncles and cousins belong to, it goes back three generations, my great-grandfather and his brothers were the founding members back when the only way to reach this area was by rail.

On the menu that evening was PA black bear taken in the state forest that borders our cabin.

I have eaten (and enjoyed) a wide variety of game in my 40+ years but this was a first for Mr. PA and me. We walked up with an open mind and an open bottle of wine.

I am happy to report, it was very tasty, we both had seconds. (Husband had thirds and fourths) The meat was very tender and flavorful in a non-gamey way.

The hunter was the chef and he did an excellent job.

The picture doesn't do it justice, I used my little point and shot. My taking pictures of the food caused a line of questioning that couldn't be explained. (try explaining food porn to a group of old hunters who just want to eat already..)



Bear with sides of mashed taters and gravy (Mr. PA and I thought the the sides need help but we were chased from the kitchen)



The best part of the evening was listening to a 90 yo member telling us about his time on wooden Coast Guard sail boat during WWII above the artic circle.

Wow, I can't believe how little is posted to this thread these days, but I'm as guilty as anyone.

The amazing beet ravioli from Sorrelina in Boston:

PA Girl, I guess I'm just too "citified" because I've never heard of eating bear meat. If it wasn't gamey tasting, that's even better... I'm not much of a lover of game meat, but this sounds very interesting.

I agree that it's hard to explain "Food Porn" pictures to someone! LOL!

I'm still taking food pictures, I just forget to post them here sometimes. Here's something from yesterday. I joined (or rather, John joined me up as a surprise) an 8-week spring CSA that has stuff from all over New England. It's not just vegetables and fruits, it also includes seafood, meat, cheese, bread, etc. Yesterday was my first delivery. Here's what came: a whole chicken, a small pork tenderloin, bacon, a half dozen eggs, oyster mushrooms, onion sprouts, shallots, potatoes, apples, mussels, parsnips, spinach, olive oil and balsamic vinegar (apparently from Italy but bottled on Cape Cod so it counts, I guess), a loaf of bread, two types of cheese, a cookbook, and a copy of Edible Boston magazine. Picture:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/6978094017/" title="farm and fork week one by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7066/6978 ... c30819.jpg" width="500" height="366" alt="farm and fork week one"></a>

And last night's dinner: the the mussels cooked in a garlic-white wine-shallot-parsely sauce:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/6831967138/" title="mussels by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7061/6831 ... 719ece.jpg" width="500" height="368" alt="mussels"></a>

It is rather unusual, even in the heart of hunting country, to eat bear meat. Most people consider it unedible due to the smell and fat content.

This was probably the most surprising meal of my life.

I have eaten A LOT of game in my life (it seems like every male in PA except my husband hunts) but this was a first for me.

The man responsible for the meal said range and diet and even changes in the weather (as it relates to growing seasons) make the difference. This was a "good" bear.

Liamsaunt - that is an awesome CSA! Every year I pick up the forms but never follow up. The ones in my area are veggies only.

liamsaunt wrote:I joined (or rather, John joined me up as a surprise) an 8-week spring CSA that has stuff from all over New England.

Wow, that some wicked nice CSA!

pmk

Made bear chili last week it was great.

I made some bear muffins the other day. Actually, I whimped out and just used ban.



pmk

So Tom, where did you get bear meat to make chili with?

PA Girl, you mentioned the smell... what about the smell?

Everything looks great.

liamsaunt wrote:olive oil and balsamic vinegar (apparently from Italy but bottled on Cape Cod so it counts, I guess)</a>

Is the olive oil and balsamic from Gustare's? I like their stuff. They have stores on the cape in Chatham and Mashpee and recently opened one in Wellesley.

That bear had no scent at all aside for the nornal smell of cooked meat but i remember my grandmother and aunts not allowing bear meatr in the house because of the unpleasant gamey smell.

Along the same lines, I grew up eating and enjoying venison but a year after marrying my husband, we were gifted meat that completely turned my stomach because of the gamey scent. I grew up on deer that had a woodlands diet. The venison gfted to us that yearate a very different (farm) diet that bled thru when cooking.

My brother was drawn for a bear permit last year and got a 400 lbs one so he was giving some of the meat away I smoked the ribs about a month ago it was very good too.

jayseadee wrote:Everything looks great.

liamsaunt wrote:olive oil and balsamic vinegar (apparently from Italy but bottled on Cape Cod so it counts, I guess)</a>

Is the olive oil and balsamic from Gustare's? I like their stuff. They have stores on the cape in Chatham and Mashpee and recently opened one in Wellesley.

Yes, it is Gustare's. The vinegar is a back cherry balsamic vinegar. I am glad to hear that it is tasty.

Ohmygosh, that CSA looks gorgeous. Who's offering it? I'm assuming that it's probably already closed to new customers since they've started already, but if they have a rolling subscription, I'd be very interested in joining! Let me know!!