Mercato del Mare

Don’t miss the new fish store that opened in June at 99 Salem Street. I think it’s the prettiest store in the North End - Mercato del Mare. It’s been a couple of years since we have had the opportunity to buy really fresh fish in the neighborhood. Kudos to both Elizabeth Ventura and Keri Cassidy who after having worked in the restaurant industry decided to follow their dream of becoming entrepreneurs in the food business.

First, as you step down from the street into the store you will see a typical European market including details such as black and white tiles, tin ceiling, and butcher block displays. The shellfish sink is filled with a variety of iced mollusks, crustaceans and other marvels of the sea. The showcase highlights the regular Atlantic varieties of haddock, cod, whole red snapper, swordfish, tuna, calamari, salmon, and halibut. Depending on the season and luck of the catch you might find dorado, sardines, and other coveted varieties.

Keri and Elizabeth are committed to purchasing local products whenever possible – such as calamari from Point Judith and sea scallops from Nantucket (both incredibly sweet). Look for fresh sushi, marinated anchovies and seaweed salad delivered daily. There is also a variety of home made prepared foods: lobster rolls, crab salad, clam chowder, lobster bisque, a variety of ready to grill skewered fish and tuna teriyaki.

Party platters can be special ordered and delivered (within reason) – think about a beautiful platter with smoked salmon, bagels and all the traditional garnish. Tuesday is Taco Tuesday with home made fish tacos! Breads are from Sel de La Terre. There’s a rack of shelves brimming with dried pasta, olive oil and other condiments and produce to accompany seafood. Keri and Elizabeth have a commitment to high quality products and service, presented in a casual, open and friendly atmosphere. Don’t be afraid to call on them for cooking tips and seasoning advice.

Please stop buy, welcome them to the neighborhood and treat yourself to some very fresh, healthy seafood.

Mercato del Mare
99 Salem St.
Boston, MA 02113
mercatodelmare@gmail.com
Mon-Fri 10am-8pm
Sat 10am-6pm
Sun noon-5pm or when they run out of fish

August Moon Festival

In Boston’s Chinatown the community is getting ready to celebrate one of the most important dates of the lunar calendar. August 17, 2008 is this year’s date for the August Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Mid Autumn Festival always falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. This is the Chinese harvest festival, and somewhat akin to our Thanksgiving Celebration. It is the time when Chinese traditionally came together to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Families would gather for a traditional harvest feast, and, after the meal go out to view the full harvest moon. Children are given bright colored lanterns to carry.

According to legend, the harvest festival played an important role in establishing the Ming Dynasty as well. From 1280 AD until 1368 AD, China was under the rule of the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty. Under the Mongolians, the Chinese were persecuted an oppressed. It was a pastry that saved them. Officials instructed bakeries to create a pastry to be delivered to all of the Chinese households. People were asked not to eat the pastry until the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, during the family gathering to celebrate the harvest. When they cut into the pastries, they discovered secret messages hidden inside. The messages called upon all of the Chinese citizens to rise up and slaughter the Mongolian oppressors that night during the moon viewing. The Mongolians were overthrown, and the Chinese Yuan Dynasty was established.

Today, these pastries are known as Moon Cakes, and are typically sold year-round at traditional Chinese pastry shops, although they still are strongly associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival. Moon Cakes come in a variety of sizes, and with a variety of fillings, such as sweet lotus paste, black bean paste, and mixed nut and candied fruit. Traditional Moon Cakes are somewhat round, which represents both family unity and the unity of the Chinese people in the overthrow of the Mongolian rule. The cakes are made in a wooden mold, which marks the top of the pastry with the baker’s emblem. Boxes of Moon Cakes are displayed in the window of the bakeries around the time of the Mid Autumn Festival, and are often given away as gifts to close friends and relatives. Many Moon Cakes contain a salted duck egg yolk in the center, which symbolizes the full moon. The most expensive pastries have double yolks. (Since Chinese pastries are not considered dessert, and are usually eaten as a snack in the middle of the afternoon along with a cup of tea, many traditional pastries blur the line between sweet and salty). Moon Cakes are traditionally consumed under the light of the full moon.

This year, there will be a celebration of the mid Autumn Festival on Sunday, August 17th, at the Chinatown gateway Arch. The celebration will begin at 10am and end at 5pm.

written by
Jim Becker
Chinatown Guide

Summer Figs

Yes, there’s more to figs than fig leaves and fig newtons. Figs epitomize the Mediterranean--its climate, its food, its way of life. Figs most likely originated in Asia Minor and are thought to be one of the few trees to survive the ice ages. There is said to have been a fig tree in the Garden of Eden, and in fact, the fig is one of the most talked-about fruits in the Bible. Whether or not it was the “forbidden fruit” is debatable, but it is definite that the fig tree provided the first clothing. Figs are grown all over Italy, often intermixed with grape vines and olive, almond and citrus trees. Thanks to the hot climate, Sicilian figs are perhaps the most luscious of all. Anyone who has been to Italy in the late summer would surely remember eating figs, especially if snatched from roadside trees. If you haven’t eaten a fig straight from the tree, you don’t know what a really good fig tastes like! There are about 700 fig varieties, but only about half a dozen are grown in California, our main source of fig supply.

Look for fresh figs at the greengrocer from late June to early October. “The first to come into the market in late June will be the black Mission figs which are a deep purple with pink flesh. They will be followed by what are often called the green figs: Kadota figs with their thick skin and creamy amber green color; Calimyrna figs, noted for their delicious honey-nut-like flavor and tender, golden skin; and the Adriatic fig with its golden-green skin and pale pink flesh,” said “Albee” of Alba Produce on Parmenter Street. “The North End favorite is the Calimyrna,” said Albee, “Probably because it is the most sweet and succulent, reminding people of their summer in Italy.” The popular Calimyrna is the Smyrna variety that was brought to California from Turkey in 1882, and was renamed Calimyrna in honor of its new homeland.

No need to touch figs to see if they are ripe. They don’t ripen once picked, so they must be at their peak when harvested. A short season plus difficulty in transporting make this delicate, highly perishable fruit a high-priced delicacy. Look for unblemished fruit, which exudes beads of honey-like nectar at the blossom base. Ripe figs are extremely delicate, so take great care not to squash the figs on your way home. Use figs as soon as possible, but if you must store them, carefully lay them on a paper towel, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to three days.

Fresh figs are most delicious served on their own, warmed by the sun, eaten slowly and savored. Some people peel figs, or discard the skin, but it is perfectly edible. Trim and discard the stem, which can ooze a bitter liquid. As an antipasto, fresh figs are often paired with Prosciutto crudo or salami. Try them wrapped with a very thin slice of prosciutto crudo, prosciutto affumicato, or pancetta and grilled over the barbecue. They can also be stuffed with a mixture of goat, mascarpone or gorgonzola cheese combined with chopped walnuts, almonds or pistachios. Poached in dry red wine with a hint of cinnamon or nutmeg, they make an excellent accompaniment to grilled sausages, liver, duck and game. For dessert they are fabulous when simply paired with mascarpone, fresh mint and honey. They can also be poached in sweet wine, baked in a crostata or rolled in sugar and baked in the oven until caramelized. Baked figs are fabulous on vanilla or pistachio ice cream.

Buon appetito e buon estate!

PROSCIUTTO CRUDO CON FICHI
Serve this classic antipasto with the finest cured ham from the region of Parma.
8 ripe figs
12 paper thin slices of prosciutto crudo
crusty bread
sweet butter, optional
freshly ground black pepper

Arrange the slices of prosciutto on a serving platter. Wipe the figs with a damp cloth and discard the stem. Cut the figs downward from the stem end into quarters, leaving them attached at the base. Open them up like flowers. Arrange the figs on top of the prosciutto. Serve with bread and sweet butter. Pass the pepper mill for those who like a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper.


FICHI D'ESTATE CON MASCARPONE
This dessert can be prepared in less than 5 minutes and is a perfect ending to a summer meal.
fresh black or white figs
1 T. honey per 2 figs
heavy cream
mascarpone cheese
sugar/honey
fresh mint leaves

Beat the mascarpone with some heavy cream and possibly some sugar or honey to taste. The mixture should be a little less firm but not runny. Place the cheese in a mound in the middle of a serving platter.

The figs must be at room temperature or consider warming them in a 325°F oven for 5 minutes to bring out the perfume in the fruit. Cut the figs lengthwise into halves or quarters depending on their size. Arrange them in a pinwheel fashion outside of the cheese and along the rim of the serving platter. Just before serving, heat some honey to make it easy to pour and drizzle the warm honey over the figs.

Sprinkle with minced fresh mint leaves and garnish the platter with mint sprig tips. Serve each person one or two figs with a dollop of mascarpone cream on the side.

Fresh figs available at:
Alba Produce
18 Parmenter St.
Boston, MA
no telephone