Free Range Friday ~ Goin' Out and Havin' Fun~~~

(I can't help it, life is so often like a stage play with word bubbles above the action, the dialogue often, in my head anyway, being made of song lyrics. Luckily for me, I didn't grow up when the song lyrics suggested killing everyone I don't care for. Yet another reason to love the 60's and 70's music and times. Peace and love, baby.)

There isn't much cooking going on by me lately, as I pull all the little last bits and pieces together involved in moving house and leaving the rock for awhile. But that does not mean missing out on awesome meals, with seafood as the unplanned theme. 

New and old friends, thanks for good food, good company and did I mention good food?

First up was a nicely done dorado at Dinghy Dock with some old and new friends - dorado or dolphinfish or mahi mahi  or...if you want to make yourself a little crazy over the name of a fish, this one would be where to read yourself dizzy. 

I was always told, growing up in Florida, that the reason what we called dolphin fish was called mahi mahi was for marketing in restaurants. Too many didn't want to eat Flipper, i.e. the mammal one never would eat of the same name. But apparently and not really surprisingly, region also has a lot to do with what you call this fish. 

All I can tell you with sure authority is that I called it delicious. And that I didn't take a photo of our meals. Sometimes that happens.

Next was a really wonderful home (away from home) cooked meal of shrimp and pasta with a perfect sauce, including plenty of garlic (a good thing in my book), like a scampi but not. I'm not sure what all the ingredients were, but it looked good and tasted even better. Thanks, Ned and Joey, it's always a pleasure to meet new men friends who know how to cook well in a unfamiliar kitchen!

Mucho ceviche - like potato salad, everyone makes it differently.
This one is very simple and very fresh. That works.

Last and far from least, with the birthday that keeps on giving, I was taken to lunch at Krusty Krab (next to the Post Office) where everything lived up to and beyond expectations. Ceviche, so much ceviche! Shared by two people, cold and fresh and delicious, we really couldn't finish it all and ate more than we should have, knowing it was just an appetizer (it would be a full entree for one, and more than plenty for two as an app). 

We both ordered grouper filet - it's a hard menu to choose from but that sounded really good - and asked for it to be grilled. Perfection! The seasonings were light and didn't overpower the fish, the fish was cooked exactly - and I mean exactly - the right amount of time to leave it flaky and hot and still wonderfully moist, seasoned well without overpowering this mild, almost sweet tasting fish. The plantain cups were also good, not overdone and pretty cute. I guess cute isn't really a very good descriptive food term but, hey, they were.

We also ordered salad, but it was just too much - we were pretty much groaning by that point, without quite going to licking the plates. Luckily, along came another friend who made sure it wouldn't go to waste and we avoided using a styro to go container.

Krusty Krab, 5 stars! 

Editorial blah blah blah - (remember during the end of a newscast, the station manager might come on and it was a big big deal to preface his minute or two with some terrible graphics saying THIS IS AN EDITORIAL COMMENT, it does not reflect etc. etc. I miss that fair warning of - hey, this is my opinion! It is NOT news. Long gone days, what a loss).

With all the froohaha about various meats these days (unfortunately more true than we ever hear about), I'm thinking more seafood is a very good way to lean. Yes, there are absolutely seafood issues too, but they can be more easily avoided than chicken, pork or beef contaminants, especially if you live in a place like Culebra, where you can't get organic  meats by running to your local organic store or go to a true free range farm. Fish gives the 'bite in the tooth' that meat lovers crave and if chosen with care, is a fine filler-inner until safe meat is sourced. 

Why has eating well become so damn difficult?

Anyone who reads this blog or knows me knows I'm an unashamed carnivore, but deferred pleasures will be more in my life now until more sanity is in our procured  and sold food chain. The USDA has sold us up the river and I hope it's not a river of no return.

Have a fishin' for feasting Friday! Do something food favorable.