Hi Everyone!

I've decided to write this blog because I love to eat and my friends and relations enjoy my cooking.  My Sicilian-american grandmother taught me how to cook when I was a little girl.  As a young woman I became a vegetarian and got into macrobiotics which, to be brief, is a philosophy of eating and cooking based largely on what is fresh and local.  These days, I combine my Grandma's cooking with my own.  I do eat seafood, fish , dairy and occasionally a free-range bird. I'll be posting what I'm eating for dinner with the recipe for the meal.  

Whenever someone asked Grandma how she cooked something she always said, "First you take a pot."  So here we go!

Broccoli Rabe and Fried Oysters:

The rabe is best when it has a lot of flower clusters.  Wash it and tear it into smaller pieces. Tearing is a lot gentler than cutting or chopping.  Saute a couple of cloves of garlic in a tablespoon or so of olive oil and add salt.  I like to smash the garlic using a knife and the palm of my hand.  When the garlic is browned a little, add the greens, a little water, pinch of salt, cover and cook over a low flame for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

So much has been written about the oyster, the taste of the ocean!   I resolved to eat more oysters this year because I love them, and it's working out.

I eat 1/2 lb myself, and prefer larger plump ones for frying.  Dredge them in the flour of your choice.  Corn meal is good too.  The most important thing is getting the oil really hot.  Use corn or peanut oil.  Use enough to cover the bottom of your pan thoroughly.  A note about frying pans:  nothing beats a seasoned caste iron fry pan.  Your food will fry beautifully and NOT stick.

OK, back to the oysters.  Drop them into the very hot, but not smoking oil.  They should begin to brown after a few seconds.  When they look browned on one side turn them over.  If the oil is hot enough they will not stick.  They should cook about a minute on each side.  The should be crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle.  mmmmmmm, enjoy!!