Hi again!!  did you miss me?! Did you run out last night in search of a plate of oysters?! hope so!
Well, as promised, I am continuing my post about oysters..

And one of the very best oysters in the world, in my opinion, is the Kumamoto.
It is a tiny oyster, and almost round.
It is now, like most oysters, farm- raised in the Pacific Northwest or in Europe- but it originated from Kyushu island in Japan.

Hog Island Oyster Company- In Tomales Bay- is where we used to get ours when I was a Chef in SF- and if you are over there, I really recommend a trip there! It’s amazing! Fun! and you can eat as many oysters as you want!

the Kumamoto’s flavour is creamy- almost buttery- and has no harshness or aggression whatsoever to it.  By the way, they go perfectly with sevruga, osetra,

or of course, if you have plenty of spare money lying around- Beluga- caviar.

And speaking of caviar, spare money lying around, and other APHRODISIACS- let’s briefly discuss the legend that oysters will give you a Tiger in the Tank in the bedroom!

it’s no secret they look and taste sexy…
but, well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but research pretty much disproves that eating them will turn you into a Sex-God.. sorry.. 
Although in the case  of the mythologically fantastic lover Cassanova, he was famous also for eating 50 oysters for breakfast every morning, so who knows!!!!

I don’t know why talking about sex reminds me of this place, but-
Next time you are in my home town of San Francisco, make sure that you go to my all-time favourite restaurant there :

Zuni:

1658 Market St San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 552-2522

Get at least 36 of them! And order a sapphire martini to with them! Trust me! I used to do it all the time!Sadly, it’s almost impossible to get Kumamotos outside of Japan or the States, so I have taken up eating Belons, or Fines de Claires- also absolutely top grade oysters, and carefully and proudly grown and harvested in Brittany and Marennes by people who have generations of history as oyster producers-Beautiful Breton

And when I’m in France- I have been known to devour them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! 
here are two places which you MUST go to-  if in Paris:

I was sitting in Paris for 2 days waiting for Alon to join me after a meeting in Zurich, and every night I sat there (by myself) and ate 36 Fines de Claires and drank a whole bottle of Sancerre!
they treated me like a God! You will love it!

And in the unfortunate event that you are ever in Nice:
(sorry, but it reminded me of Netanya! Not that there’s anything wrong with Netanya, mind you- but when in France, I like to feel like I’m in France!!)

We were there filming “Duet” with Chef Christian Plumail of the Michelin- starred “L’Universe”!
Oh La La!

Alon and I were lucky to find this place!
We ate perfect oysters and oursin every day there after I finished shooting!
while the rest of the crew was sitting in some tourist trap, eating 25-euro pizza! 
Why?!  because they do not eat oysters!! Ha!

Cafe Turin
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/France/Provence_Alpes_Cote_dAzur/Nice-100528/Restaurants-Nice-Le_Cafe_de_Turin-BR-1.html

Now- I gess you guys think I will be giving some sort of recipes, blah blah blah.
Sorry- as well as my hatred for recipes, I truly believe nothing more than a squeeze of lemon belongs on a fresh Oyster..
Oh- and maybe a spoonful of Tobiko caviar! (NOT the tiny, yucky,”mintay”  used for making ikra that is  sometimes passed off as Tobiko by unscrupulous sushi bars here!)

Tobiko is Flying- Fish caviar, crunchy, delicate, and excellent!
You can order it from Moshe! It’s damn cheap, too! it comes in Wasabi flavour as well! Yum!

Other than that- great company, and a great bottle of wine (or two!) are the only things you need to have a truly memorable Oyster feast!

Enjoy!!

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If there’s one thing I simply cannot get enough of- it’s oysters!!

Freddy eats an oyster at our wedding

The season has just started this week, so I thought, what better time to write about the celestial joys of the noble Ostreidae ?!
 

First of all- I find it a crying shame that many people here in Israel have never tried an oyster.
It’s a crime! A sin! It’s inexcusable!
I’ve heard people say things like: “You want me to.. eat that thing?!”
But it’s..alive!!” “it’s slippery… slimy!”   “it’s fishy!”
And you know what I say to this?! “NONSENSE!!”

www.rimaolvera.com
( See my blog updates www.rimaolvera.com/blog )

A really fresh oyster is one of the most sublime of culinary delights-
The first of it’s surprises is it’s ability to transport one back in time, to places of happy memory- 
in my case,  I grew up always next to the sea- and some of my happiest times were when I was wading through tide-pools with my dad, him showing me the infinite worlds contained in these saline microcosms- salt spray from the breakers beyond the cliffs misting over us from below, the clean, salty, air full of freshness and life-

THAT is the scent of a really fresh oyster- the ONLY scent, by the way, it should have- If it has even the remotest hint of , let’s say, *ahem*, the beach in Jaffa in summer, or anything similar or worse- Throw it away!

here is a link to Monterey Bay Aquarium- It’s an incredible place, like no where else in the world..
This is the place where I grew up, and my dad, a marine biologist, did a lot of research in this area in the 60’s.
They have one of the world’s top Ocean Research and Conservation Centers there, and I strongly urge you to read about Sustainable Seafood-
Your choices in what you eat from the sea impact the fate of the world’s oceans!

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx

The second of it’s gifts is the delicacy of it’s texture- There is nothing slimy about a fresh oyster! it has a crisp, yet delicate feel, like a perfectly cooked al-dente pasta!

Each type varies in flavour and colour depending on where they are from, the temperature of the water (the colder the water, the better. That’s why the season ends at the first of the warm months, and begins at the end of them.) what type of material it feeds on, and the salinity of the water.

And perhaps the very best of the sensory treasures the oyster will bestow on you, is the unmistakable Frisson of feeling absolutely decadent and privileged when you are eating them!

We are lucky now to be able to get good oysters in Israel- you just have to know where to get them!
I order mine from Moshe Penster, in the Shuk ha’ Carmel- you remember- the guy I recently had the “Night Shuk Sushi Bar” with?!
Here’s his number: 03-510-1863. Make sure you tell him I sent you!
and make sure to specify that you want them only on the day they arrive here from France!

2 Yoezer Ish Habira St.
Jaffa (near the clock)
03-6839115

And make sure to ask Shaul Avron, the charming, sophisticated, and knowledgeable owner, to choose for you an Aligote  (A lovely Bourgogne white wine!) to accompany them!

I had a 2004 Aligote over there recently (by the way, 2004 and 2007 are two of the very best vintages for Aligote in recent years..) which blew my mind!
it actually TASTED like a plate of fresh oysters! Whoah!!

Another wine which goes great with oysters (besides Champagne,obviously.. And I mean CHAMPAGNE, not Cava!!) is Sancerre, as I mentioned before.
It is just perfect.
And a really top-notch French Rose (NOT Israeli- sorry- not dry enough at all)  is excellent, too. As a matter of fact, there is a Rose de Sancerre!

As for different kinds- well, that would take a whole separate post to really get into-
and as usual- this post has gotten out of hand!
so let’s say I will continue this tomorrow.. and include lots more details, links, and places to go.. both in France, and in California..  so see you tomorrow!!!

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