Hank Shaw's Blog, page 72

Blackberry syrup was my favorite at the International House of Pancakes when I was a kid. It's still one of the few syrups I still make every year, mostly to mix with seltzer water (or vodka) for drinks. Here's how to make it.

Clams steamed in a spicy Spanish tomato sauce. This dish is a knockout. Eat it with a fork in one hand, a hunk of crust bread in another. A damn good appetizer or light dinner.

Ah, the unloved bluefish. I grew up catching and eating these oily, oceanic piranhas, and I love them still. Smoked bluefish is one of my favorite smoked fish, largely because I can then make this pate from it.

Mint ice cream is pretty common, but usually it's made with mint extract. But if you make your ice cream by infusing the mint leaves into the cream overnight, you get a much stronger, more herby mint flavor you will not forget.

When life gives you big ole' gaper clams, whether they be horseneck, Washington or just really big steamers, you need to clean them before making chowder. Here's how to do it, complete with a video!

Mountain pennyroyal is a widespread mountain herb in the American West. Think of it as a combination of mint and marjoram. It is one of our most spectacular native wild herbs.

Called strangolapreti -- "priest stranglers" -- in Italian, these dumplings made with breadcrumbs, cheese and a green thing (spinach, amaranth, chard, etc) are easy to make and are a great vegetarian main course or side dish for something meatier.

Pukeko. Such a cool bird, yet so unloved by the New Zealanders. We hunted and cooked a bunch of this cross between a pheasant and a coot on our trip to Kiwi Country, and learned to love this fascinating game bird.

Yellowfin tuna marinated in oregano, olive oil, lemon and black pepper, grilled rare and served over a Sicilian-style salad of tomatoes, olives, pickled onions and herbs. What's not to love?

Yep. Walnut ketchup. Ketchup used to be a lot more varied than just tomatoes. This is a classic British recipe made with young, green walnuts - black walnuts, here - results in a sauce that tastes astonishingly like A1 steak sauce. Give it a go!