Some people dream of a white Christmas. Won't happen if you live in southern Cal or the Sun belt. Dream on.
I dream of having my own restaurant. I also have a pretty good idea what the restaurant is all about: seafood. Daily fresh seafood, never overcooked, always letting the seafood shine. No refrigeration; everything prepared fresh daily.
The location is also set: close to a harbour where there is year round supply of fishing boats offloading their fresh catch. Again, sun belt or southern Cal. Don't worry. I don't care for a white Christmas. Good seafood is good enough.
The menu: each day we cook up what the fishermen bring in. Ample garlic, onions, peppers and tomatoes. Maybe a paella special so now and then, when the bounty is especially plentiful. A cioppino with fresh tomatoes and garlic. Steaks of firm white fish (butter fish or mahi mahi) on a bed of mixed vegetables drizzled with basil oil. Grilled scampi over rice with a white wine sauce. Diver scallops with lemon caper brown butter. Clams with minced pork noodles. Sauteed mixed seafood over a bed of lettuce. Fried Calamari with home made marinara sauce. Spaghetti Vongole. Oven roasted red snapper, filled with lemon, garlic and thyme, finished with basil oil. Garlic shrimp. Ceviche. Home smoked fish guacamole. Screaming fresh fish crudo. Beet salad with trout. A couple of seafood pizza specials. Baby octopus salad.
I can keep going. Cooking seafood is my passion lately. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with a great idea on how to cook some piece of seafood. My prefered protein for dinner. My family's favorite protein. I can cook seafood every day and I'll still see nothing but empty dishes. Very versitile, every cuisine known to men has dynamite seafood methods and recipes.
Of course, everything is accompanied by dill cucumbers, or pickled peppers, or tomato relish. And pommes resolees or yummy wheels (potato tortilla). Maybe Spaghetti pomodore on the kids menu.
A small wine collection, but BYOB encouraged.
I know I am dreaming. Ain't going to happen. I already ran some calculations, and we cannot afford it. Not with two children to save for college and our own retirement plans. Not while living in the same house as we now live.
So dream on, chef Pappa; dream on. May your dream be filled with gorgeous plates of perfectly cooked seafood.
