Stay the F**k at Home!!

Photo:  thenation.com

The COVID-19 /coronavirus pandemic is not over by a long shot.  I don't need to listen to a bunch of sociopaths driving around in their trucks and brandishing semi-automatic weapons telling me it is time to reopen our communities.

NO!!! We are not ready to reopen. Nine days ago (April 14) my county in Maryland reported 2,251 cases and 70 deaths.  Now the numbers have risen to 4,336 cases and 161 deaths!!!  In just 9 days!! My town of ca. 8000 residents reported 30 cases on April 14.  Now it is 7O cases. Stop listening to that moron in the White House.

To quote Samuel L. Jackson . . . "Stay the fuck at home!!"

Eating Florida Mullet

Days are turning into weeks of quarantine, self-isolation, and sheltering-in-place as the COVID-19 / coronavirus pandemic continues to spread like wildfire across the USA and the world. So there has been plenty of time to think and write about various topics that have been brewing in the back rooms (dusty corners?) of my mind. Now that it is impossible to travel about and enjoy a good meal away from home, I find myself thinking of the meals I am missing in the places where I love to eat. This current posting is inspired by a recent visit to the Gulf coast of Florida not long before the coronavirus arrived on our shores.

I have visited the Sunshine State regularly over the past five decades and I have developed a strong affinity for a wide spectrum of local seafood. The list is long and distinguished, yet there are favorites . . . grouper, red and mangrove snapper, spiny lobster (although not as large or as tasty as a fresh Maine lobster), pompano, snook, redfish, and Spanish mackerel. And who can overlook the Florida stone crab, delicious with lime and sweet mustard when in season between October and May, or the local Gulf of Mexico oysters and Cedar Key clams. I have been eating all of these for years.
 
Late to the table, however, came mullet. I’m not sure why; perhaps because they swim in schools and can only be caught effectively by cast or seine netting. Floridians and Louisiana Cajuns have long split mullet and roasted them over hickory fires, but they can also be stuffed and baked or pan-fried. Many consider mullet to be a trash fish, like carp and gar, and I, like most folks along the Gulf of Mexico, long thought of them as an oily bait fish since nearly every fish sought by anglers feed on them. How wrong was I?

So what is a mullet and why is it sought out by so many? The mullet family Mugilidae, which are filter feeders, includes more than 100 species worldwide, including striped, white, flathead, black, grey, bully, and sea bully, among others. These normally measure 10-15 inches and are mostly found in temperate and tropical coastal fresh waters and estuaries worldwide. Here in the United States, mullet can be found along the Atlantic Coast from North Carolina to the Gulf coast states and in Pacific waters of southern California. The two varieties most often found in Florida waters are the striped and white mullet, the former being the species of choice, prized for both its flesh and its tasty roe which has found a ready market in Asia. Quality is dependent on freshness and most mullet are consumed locally. A lateral vein of fatty flesh rich in omega3 acids vital for normal functioning of the human body runs through the flesh.

Mullet spawn offshore during late fall and winter, with small young mullet entering the food-rich inshore waters in the spring where they begin to school. Being filter feeders, their diet is mainly small crustaceans and insects, graduating to river plant life. Florida mullet are culturally, as well as ecologically important as the mature fish help keep the river bottoms and waters clean by also feeding on decaying leaves and algae.

One often finds large schools moving on the tide, frequently leaping from the water either to escape a predator looking for a tasty treat, or to increase oxygen intake. Some also say that mullet jump to let the others know where they are. I quickly learned that one could not readily catch then on a hook and line although some folks try using canned corn kernels or dough balls, the same baits I used to catch carp when I was a kid. So I was satisfied to watch the mullet swim by my parents’ dock, leaping high into the air and falling again with a loud splash while I turned my attention to other quarry. 

The presence of mullet in a river can be a harbinger of larger predators lurking nearby. When pursued, schools of mullet can be seen near the surface, their dorsal fins cutting patterns across the river. I would cast my bait or lure behind the school hoping to attract whatever was chasing it. When not being chased, I would drop a bait into the middle of a school and let it sink to the bottom in the hope that a larger fish might be cruising below.

I first learned about mullet when visiting coastal South Carolina back in the early 1960s. At the time cut mullet was considered to be an ideal bait to entice redfish, flounder, red drum, and mackerel although one might occasionally find whole mullet at the local seafood market, or even on the menu at some local restaurant. Why would anyone want to eat a baitfish you ask? Many South and North Carolinians have long had a hankering for striped mullet served as BBQ, stewed or in chowder, pan-fried, or grilled over charcoal.

Native Americans had been roasting the plentiful mullet since before European settlers arrived on the Carolina shores in the late 16^th century. Just a century ago Carolina farmers, having completed their late summer and early autumn harvests, would travel to the shore during the inshore mullet migration, known as "mullet blows," to net the fish. They would then be salted for local consumption and for the commercial trade. Mullet roe, liver, and gizzards (the only fish with such an organ) were also much prized. So I knew about mullet early on, but I had yet to taste it.

Mullet grilled over charcoal is of particular interest. The fish is boned – as best as one can bone a mullet since even a well-fileted fish may still contain many tiny bones – yet the scales are left in place to prevent the flesh from drying out during grilling over an open fire. The layer of fat running laterally through the fish keeps the flesh juicy so one should never discard it if grilling. The fat also drips into the fire producing a wonderful smoked flavor although the fish is not smoked in the traditional manner. The oily scales upon completion of the grilling make for some messy eating as I would eventually discover.

I was introduced to a true smoked Florida striped mullet in the mid 1980s when visiting my parents who were then residing on the banks of the Anclote River near Tarpon Springs, on the Gulf coast. I finally discovered that mullet was much more than just a bait fish. One evening we went to a local seafood restaurant where I discovered smoked mullet on the menu and decided I had so see what all the fuss was about. I must admit that I found the oily scales and tiny bones quite bothersome, yet the firm and rather gamy, almost a nutty flavored flesh, was truly sublime.  Because mullet is an oily fish, they must be handled and prepared carefully. If frozen, they only have a three month shelf life.

I quickly learned that mullet – both smoked and fried – have long been a delicacy along the Gulf coast of the Florida, from the Everglades to the Panhandle. Mullet is also frequently consumed along the Gulf coasts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, yet Texas has not been able to get its head around the idea that mullet is anything but a bait fish. Unfortunately, my discovery of mullet came at a time when its importance and availability were but a fading glimmer of Old Florida. It continued to disappear from menus, replaced with smoked fish dips using other fish not necessarily native to the state. Thankfully, there are still a few places where one can find smoked mullet along the northwestern Gulf coast of Florida; it is not disappearing for good. Striped mullet grow and reproduce rapidly, making them resilient to fishing pressure. Fried mullet is still popular as is mullet chowders and stews made at home. The Florida State Board of Conservation once tried to market canned mullet outside the state in the early '60s, but it never caught on, but it can still be found in some local stores. 

Today most mullet in the United States are harvested in Florida and Louisiana; Florida accounts for most of the well-managed commercial catch. The nets used to catch mullet do little if any damage to the natural habitat and there is virtually no wasteful bycatch.  Beginning in 1976 and running through until 2019, the small town of Niceville, in the western Florida Panhandle, hosted an annual three-day "Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival" in late October which attracted a wide variety of music acts and artists and featured fried mullet. Although Niceville’s fishing industry once relied substantially on the mullet, it is no longer commercially fished in the area. Last year the town decided to abandon its homage to the mullet due to waning attendance. Today there is still an annual Swansboro Mullet Festival held on the North Carolina coast since 1954 to celebrate the local mullet hauled to shore in nets hooked to tractors. The festival still features fried mullet. 

Despite their popularity along the Gulf coast, mullet remain fairly unknown in the rest of the country. What a shame. Traveling along the Gulf coast of Florida one can still find the occasional smoked mullet stand. I remember them at Cedar Key, not far from where the Suwannee River flows into the Gulf, and today one can visit smoked mullet shops in Steinhatchee [pronounced STEEN-hatch-ee] where the eponymous river meet the Gulf. As I have said, the oleaginous mullet has long lent itself well to smoking, but it is also tasty when fried or grilled over charcoal or wood. Its white flesh cooks up firm and juicy. Most recently Steinhatchee has been my go to place to enjoy fresh mullet.

During our last visit to Florida during the Christmas holiday and the early weeks of the new year, I had opportunities to slip away to Cedar Key for some of my favorite Pelican Reef oysters and clams, as well as to make a return trip to Steinhatchee in the hopes of scoring some fresh mullet. It was the height of the mullet season so I was wise to call ahead to see if they were available as they are much in demand and it is a two hour plus trip from Gainesviile to the Big Bend region of Florida’s Gulf coast. Assured there would be enough we headed to Roy’s Restaurant, a Steinhatchee institution since 1969. Nothing fancy, it serves excellent seafood with a wonderful view of the river flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. So we headed to Roy’s for dinner and to watch the sunset. And we were lucky to get there when we did. I was recipient of the last portion of the day’s delivery. It would have been a real shame to return to Gainesville unsatisfied. 

What can be more satisfying than enjoying a fine meal of grilled mullet while watching the sun set over the Gulf of Mexico? The memory of that last meal at Roy’s helps sustain me in these strange times when we are unable to travel to our favorite places or enjoy some of our favorite foods. Should your travels take you to Florida when all this is behind us, I urge you to try a plate of fresh or smoked mullet. You won’t regret it.   

Dreaming of Maine Amid the Pandemic Nightmare

Photo: Bill Morrison (April 2020)

Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.
               – Langston Hughes 

We are facing one of the greatest worldwide public health crises in more than a century, since the so-called Spanish flu / H1N1 virus (identical to the swine flu of 2009) pandemic of 1918-1920. We will never truly know how many people were infected or died although some estimates place it at 500 million and 20-100 million respectively. According to the US Department of Health & Human Services, approximately 105 million Americans became infected (ca. 28% of the population) and over a half million died.
 
To date over 1.9 million have been infected by the COVID-19 / coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) worldwide with an estimated 121,000 deaths. The United States has now surpassed Spain and Italy as the world hotspot with over 587,000 reported cases of infection and more than 23,000 deaths according to Johns Hopkins University. We should have been better prepared to face this pandemic. We knew it was coming yet our leaders chose to fiddle rather than act. The number of cases and deaths continue to rise at an astounding rate.
 
Maryland now has 8,225 reported cases of COVID-19 / coronavirus infection with 235 deaths statewide. The first case of infection was reported in suburban Prince George’s County, where I have resided for over 40 years, on February 28, and the first death in the county resulting from the virus (also the first in the State of Maryland) occurred on March 18. Since then the number of cases and deaths has risen exponentially and as of this writing there have been 2,251 cases and 70 deaths reported in the county (a quarter of all deaths in Maryland) and 605 are presently hospitalized. The numbers continue to climb.
 
Today is my 38^th day of sheltering-in-place on the fringes of the District of Columbia. I have not left home since I returned from a two-week trip to Ohio. The situation in the entire National Capital Region - DC and suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia - has become quite dire and it is expected to get worse before it gets better. Non-essential businesses and public events have been closed or cancelled and residents have been ordered to remain sheltered-in-place except to procure food and medical or emergency supplies. At the moment some projections are indicating that the peak number of cases in the region may not occur until sometime in June despite the White House foolishly projecting it can begin reopening the national economy by May 1. I listen to the experts!
 
It was hard to shake off the cold and dreary winter, yet despite the rather surrealistic times in which we currently find ourselves, Spring has finally sprung here in Washington, DC. The iconic Japanese cherry trees around the Tidal Basin and throughout Potomac Park bloomed although few of us were able to enjoy them this year due to mandatory travel restrictions throughout the area. The flowers and the forsythia in our yard have bloomed and the shrubbery and trees are now leafed out. I would enjoy Spring far more if it did not bring with it the dreaded tree pollen that clogs my respiratory system come March and April. That has been the least of my concerns this year.
 
With the arrival of Spring, I always begin to think forward to our annual summer hiatus at the cottage on Sabbathday Lake, in Maine. We live there June through September when the onset of colder weather forces us southward once again. Spring has not arrived there yet; there was another winter storm just this past week. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote that Maine has no summer, just a thaw. That’s not really true at all. "Maine is a joy in the summer," wrote Paul Theroux. "But the soul of Maine is more apparent in the winter." Maybe this is true, maybe not. Still, summers in Maine are beautiful and don’t let anyone tell you differently.
 
So here I sit on this reasonably pleasant spring day in the Washington area and I dream of those wonderful summer months by the lake in Maine. They will be here soon enough and it is this dream that sustains me through the long and dreary winter . . . and now through this nightmare pandemic. Under normal circumstances we would be setting out in two months . . . but these are not normal times. And although I can still dream, I am beginning to wonder whether it will come true or not.
 
Logic might suggest that one would be safer in a place where fewer people live and where there would be less of chance to come in contact with the virus. Following this logic, it would seem that Maine might be an idea place to wait out the pandemic. Unfortunately, it does not work that way and Maine, too, has been bepainted with the pandemic – although to a lesser degree than some other states – and it is dealing with the crisis in its own way in order to prevent the spreading of the virus.
 
Maine reported its first case of COVID-19 / coronavirus infection on March 12. It was the last state in New England to report a presumptive case of COVID-19. Governor Janet Mills declared a state of emergency on March 15 and restricted public gatherings of more than 10 people while closing restaurants, bars and other public venues. By March 24, however, the number of cases had climbed to 118, the first death having occurred four days earlier. Governor Mills quickly issued an executive order that day closing all non-essential businesses in the state, including hotels and other commercial lodging establishments, and ordering all residents and others either returning to or visiting the state to self-quarantine for a minimum of 14 days.
 
Governor Mills also asked all out-of-staters who were thinking of visiting or returning to summer homes in the state to stay away for the time being. "If you are safe where you are, stay where you are," Mills said. "You should not be traveling to Maine for an early vacation." The state wants to avoid at all reasonable costs the spread of the virus to any persons they might encounter. Mainer were encouraged to remain sheltered-in-place until further notice pursuant to her "Maine’s Stay Healthy at Home Order."
 
Nevertheless the number of cases of infections and deaths in Maine continues to rise. As of today there have been 698 cases of infection and 19 deaths reported. Governor Mills issued an Executive Order on April 3 mandating that any individual arriving in Maine self-quarantine for a period of two weeks, regardless of their state of residency, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Specifically banned from entering the state are any individuals displaying symptoms of COVID-19 or individuals traveling from cities or regions identified as COVID-19 hot spots. Governor Mills is prepared to use law enforcement to insure that these restrictions are respected. Violators could be fined $1000 dollars and incarcerated for up to six months.
 
Given the current situation both here in Maryland and in Maine (a quarter of the cases there are in the area of the state where the cottage is located), the dream of returning to Maine this summer is growing dimmer. It is not out of the question and I can always hope for the best. One might argue that we would be safer in Maine than we presently are in Maryland, especially in this area of the state. Governor Mills has, however, raised an important point to consider . . . out-of-staters would be better served by their own health care providers at home rather than overtaxing medical personnel and facilities in Maine as well as putting a strain on other economic factors.
 
In the meantime, I am going to hold fast to my dream as Langston Hughes has suggested. And why not? "There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve," Paulo Cuelho tells us. "The fear of failure." There is enough fear to go around these days. Why should I add one more fear to the tally? I close my eyes and I can hear the lake lapping on the shore and the mournful cry of the loons off somewhere in the distance. There is a cool breeze and the rustling of leaves. A smile crosses my face. Hopefully this nightmare will soon be over and we can spread our wings and fly north again.

Wishing My Christian Friends a Blessed and Safe Easter

His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama

Celebrating Easter during the COVID-19 pandemic presents a serious challenge to all Christians who wish to worship on this most holy day while quarantined or sheltered-in-place. Please stay safe and healthy. Protect yourself and those around you. You do not need to attend church to celebrate Easter; there is no need to worship in a building to prove you are pious and devout in your beliefs. Worship in your heart and thoughts. The god you worship will hear you. Bishop Michael Curry, head of the Episcopal Church, proffered: "To love your neighbor is to love God. And one of the most loving things we can do this Sunday is not gather in a public assembly so that nobody else gets sick. It is an act of worship."

One needs only to look to the Gospel According to Matthew 6:1: "Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." Matthew 6:5-6 further warns us to be true to our faith. "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the leader of my own faith, reminds me of this everyday. "This is my simple religion. No need for temples. No need for complicated philosophy. Your own mind, your own heart is the temple. Your philosophy is simple kindness."

So please be kind to yourself and others and worship safely and responsibly today and every day.

Happy Easter and Namasté.

Steve's Especiales - The Perfect Nachos

Steve's Nachos Especiales in preparation

Nachos are an ideal comfort food and they are very easy to prepare. All one requires to make the original version invented by Ignacio "El Nacho" Anaya (1895-1975) – "Nacho's Especiales" – in the early 1940s is a pile of crispy fried tortilla chips, some shredded cheese, and slices of jalapeños peppers. Nachos are actually just a smaller variant of the tostada, a traditional Mexican dish using a flat corn or flour tortilla that has been either fried or "toasted" [baked] and then topped with melted cheese, peppers, and a variety of other toppings. 

Other variations of the dish prepared over the years – the so-called Nachos Grande - might add any variety of cheeses and peppers, pico de gallo, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, red or refried beans, black beans, cooked spicy grounded beef, diced chicken, pork, carne-asada, bacon, olives, chick peas, onions or scallions, mushrooms, herbs such as cilantro or sage, corn, and potatoes. Nachos are whatever you choose to make them. Stick whatever combination one chooses into an oven for a few minutes at 400 degrees and everything is ready to eat as a treat or an appetizer. 

Although this now "traditional" Tex-Mex offering originated in the Texas-Coahuila borderlands along the Rio Grande River in the early 1940s, it did not become popular throughout the USA until the mid 1970s. I tried nachos for the first time when I moved to Tucson, Arizona in early 1974. This was the original Nachos Especiales – chips, cheese and jalapeños – that were served in the small Mexican bistro in the old student union at the University of Arizona. This was before nachos became popular as an appetizer in Mexican restaurants, and later as a meal in itself in just about every sports bar in the country. 

I enjoyed nachos so much that I quickly figured out a way I might prepare them easily in the toaster oven I had in my graduate student dormitory room. Because of the toaster oven’s small size, it was not practical to spread the shredded cheese and peppers over a pile of chips. Instead, I took to arranging each chip individually on the oven tray and then placing a single cube of cheese and a slice of jalapeños on each chip . . much like a cocktail canape. Perhaps a bit more labor intensive in the preparation, but little or no fuss or mess to clean up afterwards. And they tasted just as good, if not better.

And this is the way I have been preparing "Steve’s Nachos Especiales for almost five decades, seldom varying from the basic trinity of ingredients. Moving out of the dormitory to my first apartment I gave up preparing nachos in the toaster oven in order to prepare larger patches on cooking sheets in a kitchen oven. What’s even better? There was no need to dirty a serving dish or plates. You eat them right off the pan.

A cooking sheet facilitates easy preparation, serving, and clean up. As I perfected my personal technique I opted for a thicker style tortilla chip to minimize breaking when handling individual chips during preparation. Once the Tostitos Scoops hit the market in 2003, I tend to use them more often. They are baked rather than fried and contain far less fat. Some nacho afficionados shy away from the scooped chips complaining that toppings do not adhere to them as well as a flat chip. For my version I find them idea for securing the individual cheese cubes and slice jalapeños and there is less melted cheese to scrape off the cooking sheet when all is said and done.

Don’t get me wrong. Just because the aforementioned has become the traditional manner in which I prepare and serve nachos at home, I am more than happy to order them elsewhere and I have enjoyed the many varieties I have come across over the years. I have had nachos served with anchovies, and even a Canadian version in Montréal – Nachos Poutine – made with cheese curds and terrine du porc, a style of paté. I do, however, prefer those varieties that have been prepared on a cooking sheet rather than the pile of chips over which the topping have been poured. Unfortunately they seldom make it down to the bottom layer of chips and this seems to defeat the whole purpose of making nachos in the first place.

Just last night my wife and I prepared a batch to enjoy while watching television. A simple, quick, and tasty repast to help us shelter in place during this current COVID-19 pandemic. An ideal comfort food when we are in desperate need of comforting. I can certainly think of many worst ways to spend an evening. And no mess to deal with come morning.

 

Wishing My Mom a VERY Happy 95th Birthday!!!

Clover Rogers - March 2020 - Pickerington, Ohio

I was lucky enough to spend two weeks with my mom in Ohio just before the country began to shut down in the face of the COVID19/coronavirus outbreak that quickly became a world-wide pandemic. When I left for home I was planning to return this month for another visit and to hopefully take my mom to Michigan to visit her two surviving siblings (she is the oldest of seven). Unfortunately, my return quickly became impossible and so I am very thankful for the time I was able to spend with her as she approached her 95^th birthday today.

Better Read Than Dead

The COVID-19 / coronavirus pandemic has now reached a crisis stage in many sections of the USA. The entire National Capital region where I reside is under lock down with the governments of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia recently mandating shelter in place. No one is permitted to leave their home except to obtain foodstuffs, prescriptions or medical supplies, or to seek emergency medical service. If people have not realized it by now, they are putting their own lives and the lives of anyone they may come in contact with in mortal danger. Experts are now suggesting that up to 50% of the carriers of the virus are asymptomatic - not showing any symptoms of the disease - and are therefore unconsciously exposing and infecting others. That said, there are still those who are not taking this matter seriously and who continue to venture outside. Why? Nothing is open. Parks are closed. Restaurants and bars are closed. Events are postponed or canceled. So just stay inside at home. There is nothing worth putting your life and the lives of others in danger.

There are all sorts of things you can do so at home to pass the time. A few days ago I posted my own silver lining playbook, a list of things one can do while taking advantage of the time spent sheltering in place.
[http://lookingtowardportugal.blogspot.com/2020/03/my-own-silver-linings-playbook.html]
Today I want to focus on just one of these.

Back in the days before mandatory self-quarantining and shelter-in-place I was always trying to find time to catch up on my reading. Sure, I have been retired for the past 10 years and folks think my days are free to do whatever I want . . . read whatever I want. But such is not the case. It seems I have all sorts of things to do and never enough hours in the day. Reading for pleasure has always gotten the short end of the stick. Even though I am no longer career oriented, there are still professional articles, journals, magazine and books relative to my current work as an independent historian and research consultant. So there seldom seems to be time for anything else, and certainly not for the fiction and poetry I love.

Yet somehow, during these crazy days of sheltering in place, I am finding time to finally catch up with the books I have been wanting to read but for which I seldom had the time. I am working time into my schedule. Without direct access to archival materials and library sources, I have had to put my freelance research and consulting on a simmering back burner until the time comes when I can once again blow the dust off long buried primary historical records and documentation. I find I have the time to pick up a good piece of fiction or poetry and enjoy an hour or two (if not longer) of uninterrupted reading pleasure.

Surely you must have some books lying around for which you have never had proper time to read for enjoyment. Pick one of them up and make the time. We all have more of it on our hands these days. Stay inside and stay healthy. It’s better to be read than dead.