Tasty Pearls

You know these questions when you are setting up a profile.....supposedly to help people know you 'better' and make you sound interesting, exciting and worth 'befriending' or 'following': what is your favorite movie, the best book you ever read, your first concert, your ideal day off, are you tea or coffee, cats or dogs, would you rather be blind or deaf, be a deep sea diver or an astronaut, wear everyday a school uniform or a Halloween costume.
Or whatever else these Internet tortured minds can think of.

I hate those.
Because I hate choosing. Electing. Eliminating. Ranking. That's painful, unfair, and pretty much always inaccurate. What can I say? I am versatile. That keeps things interesting.
But the only dilemma I never had any problem solving was that one:
MY LAST MEAL ON EARTH.

Ok, yes, it is a bit depressing. But if you think of it as "what is the food I would choose above all others" as opposed to "I am going to die (or be cruelly devoided of my beloved digestive system by some alien experiment) and this is my last chance to eat" - suddenly it is not that bad but rather enjoyable. Nothing better than thinking about food.
Almost.

My answer - it hasn't changed in almost two years, and it most likely won't any time soon - is the following: oysters, mignonette, some French crusty bread, salty butter from Brittany and a glass of fruity Chardonnay.
Period.

I came to oysters pretty late. For the longest time the thought of eating something alive, and, let's face it, rather snotty looking was more than I could stomach. There was enough fish in the sea (and crabs, shrimp, prawns, lobsters) to satisfy my maritime cravings whenever they were striking. No disgusting sighting required, thankyouverymuch. And then one day, as I was having dinner in a quaint little restaurant inside the walled city of Saint Malo, I decided to give them a try. Just one. My Normand boyfriend was insistent, I didn't want to be stupid and stubborn so I gave in.
I drowned the thing in mignonette, which is the French staple condiment for oysters (basically made out of red wine vinegar, shallots and pepper), closed my eyes and opened my mouth.

And I heard the song of angels.

That was such a revelation that I couldn't believe it. Love at first bite.
I grabbed a second one from his plate, and ended up ordering a dozen of my new found stomach mates. I couldn't get enough.
That year, I indulged so often that I probably exploded my iodine levels.

On my 30th birthday, I was alone in Paris. A huge storm was rolling in. I walked to one of the best seafood restaurants of my former neighborhood, sat down in the deserted dining room and made myself the best gift I could think of at the time: unlimited oysters.
Best. Dinner. Ever.
What a fantastic way to enter a new decade.



Living in Chicago is a slow form of torture for me. I tried oysters in many different places, only to be disappointed each time. They are big, fat, tasteless, expensive. And served with cocktail sauce. Supreme sacrilege. It actually makes me angry. Really angry. But on a few occasions kumamoto babies crossed my path. Little treasures from the West Coast. Bearers of potential bliss.
Every time, every single time, it's a pure moment of elation. Always too short.

I love, love, LOVE oysters - and not only because they are rich in zinc, one of the minerals required for the production of testosterone (urban myth explained. Blink-blink). The intense ocean flavor that lingers in my mouth well after swallowing down the little mollusk just takes me straight up to heaven. Salty, briny, nutty, fresh and so intensely stimulating - they are the true pearls of the ocean.
I am pretty sure that God, wherever she lives, has her headquarters on the seashore by a big-ass oyster reef.
I would.


Links:
My favorite place to get oysters in the US: Hog Island Oysters Co. They have a bar in San Francisco (inside the Ferry building) and Napa, but visit their farms on Tomales Bay in Marshall, CA. You can even picnic there.
http://www.hogislandoysters.com

In Chicago:
- Pops For Champagne consistently serves the best kumamotos (when in season) and even provide mignonette. Great list of bubblies to wash them down.
http://www.popsforchampagne.com/

- the best oyster dish I have ever had was at Naha. Quilscene Oysters (from WA) served with a Pernod Sorbet, Creme Fraiche and Candied Citrus and Thyme. Heavenly.
http://www.naha-chicago.com/