NOVEMBER 30, 2020

HELLO EVERYONE!!!

Boy, is it hard to get the gears going again. And, we are without markers or guide posts in the way we normally know. For example, coming up on Thanksgiving, we would be planning travel, making arrangements with family and friends to get together at some point over the long weekend (you know, like family on Thursday but the people you really like the night before). No restaurants, bars, shows, blockbuster movies...For me, one of the things I totally missed out on this year was feeling of relief that the Terror behind the Walls at the Penitentiary is finally over combined with all the parking spots available to me due to lots of families leaving Fairmount for places beyond. Now, I can't find a friggin space at two in the afternoon. Jeez..

Anyway, a few things to talk about since I've got you here. First off, another ritual that occurs right after Thanksgiving is thinking about Christmas and New Year's (who else is going to be really happy 2020 is over?). We've been thinking about it too. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve both fall on a Thursday night. So, we will be shifting our delivery days to Tuesday for Fairmount/444 N 4th and Wednesday for Fitler/Rittenhouse/Washington Squares THOSE TWO WEEKS ONLY. Let me repeat that. On Christmas week and New Year's week ONLY, we will be delivering on Tuesdays instead of Thursday and Wed instead of Friday.Otherwise, deliveries will be the same days as always.  We will try to keep things thematic for those occasions. For example, we will be doing lobster in a few ways for the week of New Year's; tails, lobster meat and lobster stock (to make bisques or sauces, etc). 

Speaking of stocks, we are going to team up with some of our restaurant friends that need to keep busy while they are not. So, our friends at Rouge on Rittenhouse Square will be making fish stock us which really means for you. They will make it with fish bodies that we will provide. Making a fish stock isn't very difficult but making a GOOD one can be. We plan on carrying that product every week. Many of you guys that have been buying seafood for a while have become really good cooks. REALLY good. You've gone from "How do I cook mussels?" to "Can you get me fish bones? I want to make a bouillabaisse." Very impressive. From that fish stock, we can make dashi broths for Asian style dishes and soups, saffron broths for boullabaisse, etc. They will even make us lobster broth for the end of the year. Pretty excited about that. 

And while on the subject of your culinary acumen, it so happens that one of my neighbors and customers owns a home in Umbria, Italy where the family makes a small amount of extra virgin olive oil. For real. They have olive trees on their property. They would bring it over to the States to give out to people they know but that ain't happening this year. Ergo, you're getting it!! Very exciting. They bottled the oil in half liter bottles and I can tell you it tastes amazing. This is NOT the oil you toss in a pan. This is a finishing oil or salad oil or just some bread and dip away. Trust me. This is REAL olive oil. 

Fish this week is a little tricky. The weather system hammering the East Coast is bringing lots of wind. I'm writing this a little later than usual because I thought I get a better sense. Well, it looks like Black sea bass fillets will be on the menu! Peruvian bay scallops as well and there is an outside chance at more sushi grade Albacore tuna. Remember how good that was?

Well, I feel better now that I've written this far. Certain things are really like riding a bike. You weave and sway in the beginning but then you get into a rhythm. I feel bad about complaining at the start. I always say that in my new found maturity (I'm sure my wife will burst out laughing when she reads that), I want to strive for contentment over happiness. Happiness is one pole that has a nasty other side. Contentment sits right in the middle. Middle good. And if you think dissatisfaction can bring you down (no kidding), maybe spin it like this guy's remake of a famous U2 song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EbLlgKFk9c&list=LL&index=6

Can't wait to see you all again. I missed you last week. Look out for the order form this Wednesday at 11am

Peace,

Robert Amar
Small World Seafood
Owner