Hop Head Said - A Blog by Curtis: Anacapa Brewing Company

This week I had the opportunity to do my first official review of Anacapa Brewing Company’s beer. First of all it would be hard for the ambience to be any better. Anacapa Brewing Co. is located in a long and narrow 115 year old building in downtown Ventura. Right behind the bar, almost in reach, is enough brewing equipment to make any beer geek go “Ah, I’m home”. Mash tuns, and boil kettles and fermentors, oh my! The visit started off with a warm welcome and prompt beer service. It is so nice to walk into a place, sit down and have your beer in minutes.

There were three Anacapa beers (Seward Blonde Ale, Santa Rosa Red Ale, Benny Hanna Espresso Stout) on tap when I visited. I started with the Benny Hanna Espresso Stout brewed with locally roasted Beacon Coffee (5777 Olivas Park Drive, Suite R, Ventura). The beer poured so opaque black that when I held it up to the light and I didn’t even get a garnet glow through it. Now that is a dark beer. It had a thick, compact, tan head but was poured to the top of the pint glass so it didn’t last too long. The aroma was a mouth watering roasty bitter chocolate. My initial taste was filled with the smoky flavor of dark roasted malts that gave way to a tart flavor in the back of my palate which really helped to balance the smoky flavors. It took me awhile to place that tart flavor then I realized my favorite coffees often have the same flavor. Mmmm, combining two of my favorite liquids and it works for me!

The second taste found a bitter chocolate flavor that stuck around for the remainder of the pint and helped to balance this beer’s sweetness. The balancing bitterness in this beer comes from two sources: the hops and the dark roasted malts. The dark roasted malts work together with the hops and add a pleasant complexity to the bitterness. So instead of being just plain bitter (like an English pale ale) the unfermentable sugars left behind in the dark roasted malts help to round off any bitter edges. For me this beer had a near perfect mix of smoke, bitter chocolate and a refreshing tartness.

Note: Often the smoky and bitter chocolate flavors found in a beer only come from the dark roasted grains used in the recipe. Malt is always kilned to stop germination and to ensure that it is dry enough so it doesn’t mold while it is packed and stored. Malts are also kilned to produce different flavor and color profiles. The longer the malt is kilned the darker and more intense the flavors become. Flavor profiles can range from toasted grain to bitter chocolate to burnt coffee.

http://anacapabrewing.com

Published by permission. Visit Curtis' blog at http://hopheadsaid.wordpress.com/

Food in Life - A Blog by Jen: Ignoring Instructions

As I might have mentioned before, my Dad is the best dad ever. For multiple reasons, but specifically this week for growing a pumpkin patch solely so he could have a pumpkin carving party.

Bear in mind, I have no kids and am an only child so all the kids must come from other areas of our lives....my friends kids, grand kids of friends and friends of the grand kids. We managed to round up a very respectable crowd of families to go hunt in the pumpkin patch for their preferred pumpkin.

Including the "oldest" 5 year old in the group, Pam, who had to have her wine while picking out her pumpkin.

The kids drew, cut and scooped out their pumpkins and made a very wide variety of scary, cute and gross pumpkins to display for us. The adults, of course, supervised as we do so well.

Some favorites are:

Vomiting pumpkin by Trevor

Carnivorous pumpkin by yours truly....The kids liked it so much that not only did I make two of them I also sent them home with the kiddos.

And then of course we had to have dinner, right? So mom vacillated between things like BBQ chicken and a few other easy and crowd friendly menus and finally settled on pulled pork sandwiches and Cole slaw with sloppy Joe's for the kids. Perfect dinner...easy to make ahead and keep in a crock pot!

When I left work on Sunday and was getting ready to head up to the house I called as I almost always do to make sure she doesn't need anything last minute. On a random impulse I asked if she had arranged for dessert.

As mentioned a week or so ago, my mom does not bake. Nor does she crave dessert like so many people do. So when I asked her if she had anything planned, she said no, she had bought some Halloween candy and put it in a bucket. "It should be enough for the kids and the big kids" she stated. Yeah right.

I ignored her. As did two of our other friends who not only have sweet tooth's, but are also great cooks. Terry made graveyard cupcakes with gummy worms coming out of them and Telva did up her chocolate chip cookies. Me? I got home and in 20 minutes I whipped up a batch of Raspberry Blondie's. And at the end of the night there was barely a crumb of all three desserts left.

Picture brown sugar and butter with a little flour wrapped around fresh raspberries and you might come close. But not quite until you get the crunchy crust and the gooey inside will you get the full scope of this dessert.

So damn simple, but at the end of the night when all that was left was one sorry little corner piece I was feeling pretty darn good about my dessert and about the fact that I had ignored my mom's instructions! Especially when people started asking for the recipe....

Raspberry Blondies

2/3 Cup Butter, softened
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup White Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
2 Cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1/2 Pint Fresh Raspberries

Cream the butter & sugar together until well blended. Add eggs & vanilla and beat well. Add all dry ingredients in and mix thoroughly. Grease a 9x13 pan and spread the batter in the pan, it will be a bit thick. Dot the top with the raspberries, no need to push them in, the batter will "swallow" them during cooking.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Cool before cutting & serving.

Printed by permission. Visit Jen's blog @ http://foodinlife.blogspot.com/

Food in Life - A Blog by Jen: Are you ready for random?

Some things mom and I have learned in the last few days.....

Duck fat makes a very good toe moisturizer.

Frying clams inside makes for a very slippery kitchen floor. (flip flop removal recommended)

A bushel of cherry tomatoes can be converted in to only a couple pint jars with time, heat and patience.

Peeling apples goes much faster with two people.

My Grandma Kenton has peeled well over 24,000 apples in her lifetime for apple pie.

An extra glass of wine helps dull the pain of having to clean up after a cooking extravaganza.

After two days of chopping dicing, peeling, slicing, browning, frying, mixing, blending, seasoning, baking, rendering and packaging we have made multiple meals for ourselves and others. And damn it we had fun doing it. :)

Between the two (three when Grandma helped me peel the apples) of us we made Duck Confit (to share for the future), Chicken & Dumpling Soup (for my Bapa), Fried Razor Clams from Washington (for dinner), Oven Dried Tomatoes (to can, for the future), Mustard Braised Rabbit (for dinner-don't judge, it is freaking fantastic) and two Apple Cranberry Crisps (one for us, one for our friends).

Last week my Dad was up in the Lockwood Valley area quail hunting with a buddy and came across an apple tree with the apples falling off, littering the ground. Not being one to ever waste anything he promptly asked the owner of the property if he could liberate them. He then instructed me that I was to make something tasty with them. Once again, Dad brought me home something tasty....I do love that man!

As I am not much of a pie crust girl (more of a tart...hee hee), I went back to one of my favorite standbys for almost any fruit. The very American Crisp. Super easy to make and so perfect with less than 10 ingredients. You can tweak it any which way to suit your tastes with different spices or flavorings, different fruit, cornmeal or oatmeal instead of flour. To be really honest, they are kind of hard to mess up as long as you have the general proportions correct. The following recipe has a great autumn feel to it, the appples are still a little crisp and the cranberries add just the right amount of tart.

Apple & Dried Cranberry Crisp

From Gourmet Magazine, 1993

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cinnamon stick

1 cup water

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into bits

9 McIntosh apples (about 3 pounds)

In a small saucepan simmer the cranberries, the cinnamon stick, and the water for 10 minutes. Drain the cranberries and remove the cinnamon stick. In a small bowl blend the flour, the brown sugar, the salt, and the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal and toss the mixture well. Peel, core, and slice the apples thin and in a buttered 9- by 13-inch glass dish toss them with the cranberries. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the fruit and bake the crisp in a preheated 400°F. oven for 25 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the topping is golden.

Printed by permission. Visit Jen's blog @ http://foodinlife.blogspot.com/

Hop Head Said - A Blog by Curtis: Island Brewing: Starry Night

This week I (well my taste buds, anyway) took a little road trip to Carpinteria to sample some beers from the Island Brewing Company. They produce six regular beers and from time to time a seasonal or limited release. Watch their blog to discover when they release a new specialty beer or visit their website to find their “brew near you”.

Today, I will be reviewing Starry Night Stout which is a limited release from 2009. I found this beer at The Wineyard in Thousand Oaks where they carry Island Brewing Co.’s regular lineup as well as bottled special releases. In beer terms, limited or special release means that it is not one of the regular beers brewed and that it may not be brewed again for quite some. Sadly, sometimes limited release means that the beer will never be brewed again. Limited release brews are generally beers that can be kept around or aged for an extended period of time so if you find a limited release beer that you like it is always good to stock up.

Starry Night Stout was a pleasure from start to warm and fuzzy finish. This is the kind of beer I loved on a cold South Dakota winter day and one that I now enjoy on an “chilly” (the folks back home are laughing over this) overcast day in California. In my opinion, Starry Night Stout is everything a big stout should be. It is full bodied and roasty but without that unpleasant burnt malt bitterness found in some stouts. It is smooooooth and worth the nearly $8 I paid for the 22oz bottle. I was more than happy to refill my glass and finish that 22 in one sitting. Wanna try something different? Drink this beer for desert or use it in these brownies. You haven’t lived until you’ve had beer for desert!

Too, often I come across people who equate dark beers with bitter beer. That misconception comes from drinking Guinness from dirty tap lines or from a tap jockey who doesn’t know how or have the equipment to pour the perfect pint. Guinness is probably the best known stout and/or dark beer and if it isn’t served correctly it can be a very bitter beer. It is an unfortunate misconception because many Budmiloors drinkers are missing out on some very tasty dark beers like Starry Night Stout. You don’t have to worry about serving Starry Night correctly though because anyway you pour it into your glass you will enjoy it.

Enjoy your sensory vacation.

TIP: Bring your chilled beer out of the refrigerator and let it warm up for about 15 minutes before you serve it. This releases the CO2 from solution which in turn releases the subtle or not-so-subtle aromas. Also warming your beer prevents the beer from numbing your tongue and hiding the subtle or not-so-subtle flavors. Now you know why Budmiloors wants you to drink beer ice cold

Published by permission. Visit Curtis' blog at http://hopheadsaid.wordpress.com/

Food in Life - A Blog by Jen: She Don't do Dough

My mom is a lot of things and talented in the kitchen is really close to the top of the list. She routinely makes awesome meals for my Dad, for me, for friends and for family. She tackles every ethnic background from Mexican to Italian, Thai, Moroccan and Americana and manages not to just make it edible, but most often incredible.

But everyone has an Achilles heel and my moms self admitted weakness is baking.

She has at least 3 recipes for "no fail pie dough", recipes for cookies, cakes and brownies and probably hasn't made any of them for 20+ years. She has a kind of fear of baking mainly because of the exact-ness of the process. If she can't adjust as she goes, tweak seasonings or salt, substitute accordingly based upon what she has on hand she is equivalent to a frustrated artist. In her very own words "She don't do dough".

After a trip to Santa Fe with girlfriends wrapped around cooking and killer restaurants my Mom came home with new cookbooks and recipes and enthusiasm for southwestern cooking.

I came over tonight to find her with beautiful stuffed chiles, guajillo chile & pumpkin seed sauce, a beautiful salad and enough blue corn gnocchi to feed a family of 20.

With flour smeared on her cheek and a touch of self righteousness to her tone, she told me the tale of making blue corn gnocchi that started a few hours prior to my arrival. She read the recipe a few times to make sure she had all the ingredients and understood the steps. Followed the instructions to a tee.....And still wound up with dough too wet to make gnocchi. She then consulted other cookbooks for advice and adjusted as needed until the dough "felt" right and finally found she had the right consistency. When she found the right consistency, she also found she had enough gnocchi dough for about 20 people instead of for just the three of us.

So while getting recipes from well known restaurant chef's is a fun thing, be forewarned, the recipes may not always turn out as well as what you get in the restaurant. Perhaps the potatoes weren't dry enough. The eggs a smidge to large. The fog in Ventura made the dough too wet....it could have been any number of things that made the dough not quite right the first go-round.

In the end we enjoyed the stuffed chiles, gnocchi and sauce immensely.Tomorrow, she will freeze the 4 pounds of leftover gnocchi for future use.

And I have a beautiful picture in my head of Mom with flour on her face and defiance in her eyes because, damn it, she conquered the dough.

Printed by permission. Visit Jen's blog @ http://foodinlife.blogspot.com/

Debbie Does Music: Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

The parody here is killing me! New album, The Suburbs. LA shows at The Shrine, sold out. Me, stuck, well…in the suburbs. Ya, that mostly sums up DDM much of the time. But I still enjoy good music, not always like my counterparts who don’t have kids, a house in the burbs, and a bunch of domesticated animals…but hey…

I wish they could have stopped here, in Thousand Oaks, as part of the tour, or maybe even at my house. I mean, I am THE EPITOMY of The Suburbs!!!! We could have had a house concert!! I would have invited enough people to make them happy. And I could have cooked, or ok, ordered in, for them.

Instead, I sat at home, and read tweet after tweet of peeps saying things like “Arcade Fire looks like a musical brigade up there! Amazing”@grimygoods and “My heart is so full right now. My mind is blown from how amazing this show is.” @Seraphina_L. And if you search twitter for #arcade fire you can see all the other comments from their adoring fans. It didn’t help. It was great for them, but darn it, sitting at home is harder when you know the good stuff is happening!

So, you should check them out, if you haven’t already. They are from Montreal, not a burb, but where music by this talented bunch of indie rockers is made. The album is one cool ‘burb tribute.

Try it. From one exurbanite to another, you’ll like it.

Check out their site/blog You can check out songs, video and merchandise here, as well as see what they did to help Haiti.

You can follow them on twitter @arcadefire, but if your smart (and lucky) you will go to a show and see them live, soon. And then you can make me jealous, too. You can tweet me @debbiedoesmusic and rub it in.

Printed by permission. Visit Debbie's blog @ http://www.exurbmagazine.com/

Hop Head Said - A Blog by Curtis: Firestone Walker’s Union Jack

I am going to veer away from local breweries and brewpubs this week to review one of my favorite California Beers, Firestone Walker’s Union Jack. I decided to review this beer because it is available at most grocery stores and on tap at many watering holes so you should be able to find it easily in Ventura County.

Before my move to California just over year ago I had very little experience with any beer from the Firestone Walker Brewing Company. Other than a few samples at GABF (Great American Beer Festival) 4 or 5 years ago my only knowledge of Firestone Walker was from listening to an interview with Matt Brynildson (head brewer) on The Brewing Network’s “The Jamil Show”. I won’t use up space here to talk about the grain bill or hops used in these beers because you can search their site to listen to a podcast where Matt talks about his beers. It is a little on the beer geek side and certainly uses big boy language but you will truly understand Firestone’s beers when you are finished listening. After listening to those podcasts I knew that I wanted and needed to try those beers again as soon as I could.

(flashback to July 2009) Watching those moving guys really made me thirsty so I walked down to the corner market and picked myself up a sixer of Double Barrel Ale (will be reviewed soon) and Union Jack. Twelve beers? Yes, but I was really thirsty! I started with DBA and then followed up with Union Jack. It was on that day that I discovered my new “go-to beer”. A “go-to beer” is one that is easily found, one that will always be refreshing, one that I can count on if I am out of homebrew. The sixer of Union Jack was gone in two days. Turns out unpacking boxes makes you even more thirsty!(/flashback)

Now back to the review, with a name like Union Jack you may think that it is an English IPA like Fullers or Samuel Smiths. Don’t be fooled by the name, Union Jack is much more aggressive than its English cousins and it packs a good ABV punch so enjoy in moderation. Union Jack hangs just over the edge with hops (look at the style guideline) but it also has just enough malt backbone keep it from being a one dimensional beer. The other thing you will want to enjoy with this beer is the aroma. It is dry hopped (hops put in the finished beer for aroma) with several grapefruit, citrus, and piney aroma hop varieties that blend together to make a great West Coast IPA. If you don’t enjoy beers like Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale or Redhook’s Long Hammer then you may want to pass on Union Jack. However, the next time you get a chance (you are around someone pouring one or you can ask for a sample) take the time to stick your nose up close and give it a good whiff. Close your eyes and enjoy the ride. You won’t regret it.

http://www.firestonewalker.com/

Published by permission. Visit Curtis' blog at http://hopheadsaid.wordpress.com/

Debbie Does Music: 2010 Indie Music Award Winner Nathan Morris!

Independent musicians have a hard gig! They write, play, sing, market and promote their music all themselves. It’s inspiringly hard work, and when it’s successful, it brings a tear to my eye! Nathan Morris is successful!

Nathan Morris was awarded the 2010 INDIE CHARTS MUSIC AWARD! Nathan has received this award for maintaining the #1 spot on www.IndieCharts.com for over 6 months!

Exciting stuff for a 25 year old from Kentucky. Let’s see what happens when we exchanged Q & A’s over the interwebs this week:

DDM: Congrats on your win on the 2010 Indie Charts Award. This is a big accomplishment for an indie musician! How do you feel about it?

Thank you so much for that! It truly is an amazing accomplishment. I remember getting the call from my manager about winning the award. I was at a cookout with some friends. We all had a moment to celebrate and it was so cool to share it with them and Jody. I’m thrilled, to say the least. We’ve been really working hard over the past few years, releasing music, meeting people, learning new things. It’s refreshing to see something like this happen, you know? The award has most certainly given me a little more of a push to up my game with writing and recording. All that to say, I’m honored, excited and proud of everyone on my team that works hard day in and day out to make sure all the pieces are in place for me.

DDM: What keeps you indie? Do you WANT to be indie? Why?

Being an independent artist allows for the ball to stay in your court. I am the owner of a company in a sense, and decisions need to be made every day in order to continue to move forward. I have a group of people that are always on the same page with me with decision making. Being indie allows for me and my team to have the control necessary to continue to move in the direction we have always intended.

DDM: Had you ever considered any of the competitions (American Idol, America’s Got Talent, etc) or is there something about those that you don’t like/don’t want to be a part of?

I actually had purchased a plane ticket to Kansas City, MO a few years ago to try out for American Idol, but didn’t end up going. I think it’s a pretty cool competition, but I just feel that right now, it’s not for me. It’s launched a lot of successful careers though.

DDM: It looks like you started producing albums at the tender age of 18…so tell us about where you learned to sing/write? Schooling/etc…

I learned to sing when I was about 8 years old. I initially loved the idea of entertaining people, but soon in to vocal lessons I developed a large passion for it. I would always write in my teens. I’d write stories and fill pages of notebooks in my room. When I met my dear friends Brent and Justin, who were fellow songwriters, they taught me about structuring and it’s purpose and how to guide a listener through the song. I always hope that my songs stay true and I always continue to personally progress in my efforts as a songwriter.

DDM: So…Owensboro, KY…a suburb (or what we like to call an “exurb”)? of…I’m not sure…St Louis? What is the biggest city near Owensboro?

Owensboro, KY is an hour and a half away from Louisville, KY, two hours from Lexington and two hours from Nashville, TN. It’s a great hub for me to be in. I can be in any of those cities in such a short period of time. Owensboro just feels good. It’s where my family is. It’s where my dearest friends are. It’s home!

DDM: Let’s talk about fashion! How have you been inspired by fashion? Buckaroo jeans is your exclusive outfitter? Tell us about that relationship…do you design too?

Fashion inspires me when what I’m wearing feels good. If I personally think I look great, then I tend to write, perform and so forth. There’s just something about that additional bit of confidence that brings your best out. Buckaroo was and has been a great relationship. My manager, a friend and myself were out in LA, walking down Sunset Blvd. and simply happened to stumble upon this nice store. I had never heard the name Buckaroo before, but upon entering, I saw all these really cool jeans and jackets that I really liked. They had a very unique look about them and it wasn’t something you saw every day. We spent a good 2 hours in there shopping. My manager got in contact with Buckaroo and the rest is really history.

DDM: I’ve been reading your blog. You are very introspective, especially for a young guy. Is it your introspect that makes you a great songwriter, or your love for songwriting that makes you and introspect (sort of like the “chicken or the egg” theory I suppose.

I really appreciate the compliment, thank you. I think with songwriting, it’s about living. And the life that you live creates memories and stories that you share with people. Some tell them at a cook out or family get together. I write mine down and share them with everyone. It’s about being honest. It’s about not questioning yourself or your feelings and hopes and desires. The life I have lived is throughout each song I’ve written. There’s a lesson learned in each track too. It’s cool to kind of go back and hear something you wrote a while back and remember what was going on and how you dealt with and got through the situation. That’s a big hope of mine for the listener. I want them to be able to relate in a special way, that every time they hear that particular song of mine, they’re taken back to a particular moment.

DDM: What’s next for you?

-I guess what’s next is taking what I’ve recently learned about myself and my music and just going full speed with it. I will continue to record songs that I believe whole-heartedly in and releasing them to the people who continue to show their full support, all while hopefully gaining the attention and appreciation of new fans.

DDM: The new song is out now! Tell us about “A Minute More” Inspiration?

“A Minute More” was written in the basement of a friend’s house. My friend Brent was getting married that week and we were reflecting on our lives and the fact that in a week, he was going to be sharing his with the woman he loved forever; how she was going to walk in to their home for the first time and how amazing and beautiful it was. We wrote the song in about 10 minutes. I feel that the best songs in my catalogue are ones that came together quickly. It’s an extremely honest song. I am such a romantic. If you want to know me on a personal level, away from the music and videos and photos, this is the song. I believe in fighting for the one you love. I think about my future wife all the time and all the fun things we’ll do together, as well as all the trials we will face together. It’s a song reflecting on my past, but realizing the promise of that day when I meet her. I want people, when they hear it, to know they’re worth the wait and important.

DDM: The video is coming out next week. How exciting! How was it making your video? Any good stories with the process you can share?

Shooting the video was such an amazing experience. We went with Neil McCormack, who I have worked with previously on another music video. He just has a great eye and ability to make me feel comfortable. So many people came together and worked so hard to make the video look the way it does. It couldn’t have gone any better really. A big shout out to all of them.

We shot the video over a 2 day period. At one point, some of the crew were lifting a heavy upright piano out of a truck for one of the shots and I felt so bad just sitting and watching, but they didn’t want me helping. Also, the last few shots with me at the piano, I was falling asleep in between takes. I never knew I could fall asleep sitting up.

Nathan’s latest single has been released and is available on I-Tunes. The video will be out in about a minute more (or next week) …we are anxiously awaiting it! Check out “A Minute More” and tell us what you think!

Printed by permission. Visit Debbie's blog @ http://www.exurbmagazine.com/

Food in Life - A Blog by Jen: Love My Presents

You remember when your parents would go on vacation as a kid and the best part about them coming home was when they unpacked their suitcases and gave you your presents from wherever they had been?

My parents have always been great traveling gift givers, I have cool stuff from all over the world....and totally not your run of the mill key chains, snow globes or I *heart* "whatever" tee shirts. I get stuff like Murano glass bottle openers and cheese knives from Italy, possum fur & merino wool and peacock feather scarves from New Zealand, earrings in the shape of halibut from Alaska (lucky fishing earrings!) and so many other cool and unusual gifts I can't even begin to list. But when it comes to goodies from vacation and my Dad....I always love the edibles he brings home because he is the ultimate hunter gatherer.

We get caribou, halibut & salmon from Alaska, venison, duck & rabbit from California, elk from Colorado, crawfish from June Lake and all manner of fish from Mexico. God love the man, he knows how to hunt and fish and brings home the proverbial bacon on a regular basis. If I had the ability to take time off during hunting season, I'd be with him in a shot, but I generally have to work and therefore only get to enjoy the fruits of his labors.

So at the beginning of September when hunting/fishing/vacation season opened for my Pop's, Mom and I just asked that he bring home goodies for us.

And because my Dad kicks ass, he did.

He went to Washington and brought home salmon and rock fish, turned around and went to Colorado and brought home elk, stayed for all of 4 days and drove to Baja and brought home tuna, dorado & triggerfish and is leaving in four days to go deer hunting in the sierras. He also promised to get crawdads in June Lake if he had a chance to dive.....

Have I mentioned that I love the man?????

Tonight I joined him for fish tacos where it was the battle of Washington versus Baja....or rockfish versus dorado.

Really a simple dinner, but Dad wanted to taste the fish side by side to see which he preferred fried. Me? I just wanted it wrapped up in a tortilla with cabbage, salsa, guacamole, cotija cheese & white sauce. Perfection.

Of the two fish, we both agreed the rockfish won hands down. The dorado, while perfectly tasty and wonderful, was drier-similar to halibut when fried. The rockfish stayed juicy and flaky but still held it's shape beautifully.

Cheers, here's to gifts from the sea, thanks Dad!

Printed by permission. Visit Jen's blog @ http://foodinlife.blogspot.com/