Third Coast Cuisine

So last night I ate at my first stereotypical Gulf Coast seafood restaurant since the Deepwater Horizon accident in late April.  This is not a review therefore I will not give the name or the location of the family-owned eatery.  After all, it was not their fault.

Unlike my dining companion, the events of the past two months effected what I ordered.  The special that night was all-you-can-eat fried catfish.  Fresh water cats, mind you, most likely from one of the farm ponds in the neighboring county so that is the direction I went.  My associate opted for the seafood platter with the aforementioned catfish plus oysters, shrimp, crab claws (a Gulf Coast delicacy) and a stuffed crab.

The first thing we noticed when the plate arrived was the size of the oysters.  They were minuscule; they were wee.  Then there was the flavor.  I had tasted oysters like that before - they were clearly from the Pacific.  I want to go on record as saying that our friends on the Pacific Coast enjoy fantastic seafood.  The wild salmon is amazingly healthy and the Dungeness crab is mystical.  But for the most part, Pacific oysters are not very good.  There's a reason why chef's who do not work in coastal areas prefer Gulf oysters for their menus; they're just better.  Well, were.

The shrimp, however, were plump and juicy with perfect texture just not a lick of flavor.  I mean nothing, no flavor that identified them as shrimp or seafood or even protein.  Most likely the shrimp had come from some toxic chemical laden pond in Asia.  They most assuredly would never pass USDA inspection.  How lucky for the importer that the USDA never bothers to inspect Asian seafood.  Next came the crab claws.  They were large and fried golden brown but the texture was dry.  Of course that could be from either overcooking or quality but the flavor ended any discussion as to which.  Crab should never taste like fish.  And as for the stuffed crab - it was not much bigger around than a silver dollar.

We spoke for a while with the owner, a hard working 30-something most likely of Vietnamese decent.  "We haven't seen you in here for a while.  Glad you come back."  Many of her regulars have stopped coming as often as well.  Some are taking a hit in the wallet because there haven't been any tourists spending money wherever they work for a living.  Others have tasted this, whatever this is that now passes for seafood and won't return.  She used to have a lunch buffet, the price of seafood most certainly made it unprofitable.

To you, Midwesterners, I now have greater respect for your plight - you have to eat this crap all the time.  But people do not visit Lincoln or Tulsa or Kansas City just to get a soft-shell crab po'boy - they go there to eat a truly magnificent steak.  No upstate New Yorkers vacation in Biloxi for the hot wings.  And I'll be the first to admit that nobody comes to Alabama for our Manicotti (except mine, of course, which is dreamy). People visit the Gulf Coast because it embodies the good life - relaxed atmosphere, fantabulous seafood and shockingly white beaches with emerald surf.  All of that is gone.  Not for two or three years but for most us, the rest of our lives.

Imagine that for a second; see if you can grasp it.  You in L.A., what if you could never get avocado or an In-N-Out Burger ever again?  Mr. Windy City, you can forget ever splitting a deep dish with the guys on the bowling team or slamming another Italian beef for the rest of your life.  From hence forth there were no pastrami in Manhattan, no cheese steak in Philly or no ribs in Memphis.  Take the theme parks from Orlando, the music from Nashville, the NASCAR from Charlotte.  Somebody tell Seattle that Pearl Jam is moving to Oakland and they're taking coffee with them.

That is life on the Gulf Coast.  Our food, our heritage and our culture are now on the endangered list.  We are relics waiting for a museum.  Our region is now stripped of its soul even as we battle against the inevitable in a Quixotic attempt to save what little remains.

And what makes this pill all the more bitter is that it is not our fault.  We did not do this to ourselves nor was it an act of nature.  Someone (BP) made this happen.  Then someone else (the government) made it worse.  BP, through their own greed and apathy, gambled with our livelihoods and came up snake eyes.  Either by incompetence or malice, the government has failed to act or even acknowledge it's responsibility.  Well, on behalf of everyone on the Gulf Coast I would like to offer a very sardonic "thank you" to BP and President Obama.  You have turned the entire Gulf South into an Applebee's.

From margaritaville.com:

To demonstrate support for the people, businesses and culture of the Gulf Coast, CMT will telecast a free musical celebration live from the beach at Gulf Shores, Ala. CMT Presents Jimmy Buffett & Friends Live from the Gulf Coast will air on CMT on Thursday, July 1, from 8-9:30 p.m. ET/PT. Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band will be joined in the concert by his friends Sonny Landreth, Zac Brown Band, Kenny Chesney, Jesse Winchester and Allen Toussaint. A special souvenir tee shirt will also be designed for the concert and sold onlne and at the show. More info coming soon!

Buffett, a pioneer in slacker rock, is originally from Mobile, Alabama and his sister Lulu operates a wildly successful seafood restaurant in Gulf Shores.

TALLAHASSEE -- Seafood lovers who are confused about the availability of Florida seafood products due to the Gulf oil spill can now get daily updates about the ongoing commercial harvest.  The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has implemented a new toll-free hotline at 1-800-357-4273 to provide consumers with current information about the status of Florida's open and closed fishing harvest areas, the availability of seafood varieties, and general pricing information.

"Because of the extensive news media coverage of the Gulf situation, many consumers are confused about whether Florida seafood is being harvested and if it is available in stores and restaurants," Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said.  "We want consumers to know that Florida's commercial fishermen continue to harvest wholesome seafood products from the waters that are unaffected by the oil spill.  Florida seafood is safe and plentiful."

Bronson said the telephone hotline will be updated daily with information about the Gulf situation.  He also reminded consumers that -- in addition to the Gulf waters off Florida's west coast -- Florida's fishermen also harvest numerous seafood varieties from the Atlantic waters off the state's east coast.

"The Florida peninsula has more than 1,300 miles of coastline, and our commercial fishermen continue to work hard to bring in their catch for the enjoyment of consumers," Bronson said.  "The commercial fishing industry is important to our state, and we want consumers to know that they can buy Florida seafood with confidence."

The information that is available by calling the 1-800-357-4273 hotline will also be posted online at the Department's seafood web site http://www.FL-Seafood.com where consumers can also find links to other pertinent web sites including the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.  Webcams placed at various coastal locations and in retail establishments will be added to the web site later.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are continually monitoring water and product samples.

"If and when the quality of Florida seafood is impacted by the spill, we will take immediate action to close the waters to commercial seafood harvesting," Bronson said.  "Our commercial fishermen take great pride in the quality reputation Florida seafood products have earned, and we would never put any product on the market that would tarnish this hard-earned reputation."

The BP/Obama Oil Spill continues to ravage the Gulf Coast with little help from BP and absolutely no help from the government.  P&J Oyster Co. in New Orleans is the oldest continuously operating oyster processor in America.  Correction - was the oldest continuously operating oyster processor in America.  No oysters mean no business and now the century-old family owned business is in jeopardy of closing its doors forever.  Just so people know how this is supposed to work BP is responsible for capping the leak and the federal government is responsible for making sure no oil touches our shores.

However, BP is the only one attempting either.  President Obama, either through incompetence or malevolence, has refused to do his job.  I saw this weekend where one news show had added up the hours the President has spent on the Gulf Coast and compared them to how much time he's spent playing golf.  Golf hours were 3:1 over the Gulf.  I certainly hope that the attorney generals of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida have their warrants for arrest ready for the day Mr. Obama leaves office in January 2013.  His actions (or in-actions)  have surely earned him a little jail time.  Check out a snipit of this story from NPR Tamera Keith on P&J:

The fallout from the BP oil spill continues to ripple through the Gulf economy. This week, it caught up to P&J Oyster Co. in New Orleans.

The owners say it's the oldest continuously operating oyster processor in America. But thanks to the oil, they now have no oysters to process.

An Emotional Moment
Oysterman Mitch Jurisich first spotted oil floating on the water above his beds at 7:30 in the morning. It was just yards away from where his grandparents first settled after emigrating from Croatia almost a century ago.
"This is the last of our areas that we had open from our family to harvest oysters," Jurisich says. "We were fortunate enough to have one little slice of pie left that we were still farming from, and that slice of pie now is gone."

Jurisich had hoped somehow the oyster beds his family has leased and farmed for so many years would be spared. Maybe his grandmother was watching over them.

Headway finally with the Gulf Oil Spill.  Leave it to my New Orleans Saints to do more for the Gulf Coast in a day than BP, the EPA and Barrack Obama have done in two months.  I wish Drew Brees were President.  Check this out from NewOrleansSaints.com:

Inaugural New Orleans Oyster Festival may also be its last.  Let's hope not.

The New Orleans Oyster Festival will educate the country about the benefits of the Louisiana Gulf Oyster, honor and celebrate the restaurateurs and oyster farmers who have solidified the New Orleans French Quarter's position as the "Oyster Capital of America.


Proceeds from the event will go to "Save Our Coast."  Our Community, Our Culture, Our Coast.

Schedule of Events:
June 5-6, 2010
   Saturday
   11:00 am - 7:00 pm
   Sunday
   11:00 am - 6:00pm
Location: French Quarter by the river at Berger Parking Lot
The Finest Local Culinary Delights
Great Local Music
Historic - Cultural Oyster Tent
Acme "Oyster Eating Contests"
New Orleans Fish House "Largest Oyster Contest"
P&J "Shucking Contest"

By Justin Gillis of the New York Times:

Expert claims NOAA is guilty of a 'catastrophic failure'

Tensions between the Obama administration and the scientific community over the gulf oil spill are escalating, with prominent oceanographers accusing the government of failing to conduct an adequate scientific analysis of the damage and of allowing BP to obscure the spill’s true scope.

The scientists assert that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other agencies have been slow to investigate the magnitude of the spill and the damage it is causing in the deep ocean.

They are especially concerned about getting a better handle on problems that may be occurring from large plumes of oil droplets that appear to be spreading beneath the ocean surface.

The scientists point out that in the month since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, the government has failed to make public a single test result on water from the deep ocean.

And the scientists say the administration has been too reluctant to demand an accurate analysis of how many gallons of oil are flowing into the sea from the gushing oil well.

“It seems baffling that we don’t know how much oil is being spilled,” Sylvia Earle, a famed oceanographer, said Wednesday on Capitol Hill. “It seems baffling that we don’t know where the oil is in the water column.”

The media coverage of the BP oil disaster to date has focused largely on the threats to wildlife, but the latest evaluation of air monitoring data shows a serious threat to human health from airborne chemicals emitted by the ongoing deepwater gusher.

Today the Louisiana Environmental Action Network released its analysis of air monitoring test results by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA's air testing data comes from Venice, a coastal community 75 miles south of New Orleans in Louisiana's Plaquemines Parish.

The findings show that levels of airborne chemicals have far exceeded state standards and what's considered safe for human exposure.

For instance, hydrogen sulfide has been detected at concentrations more than 100 times greater than the level known to cause physical reactions in people. Among the health effects of hydrogen sulfide exposure are eye and respiratory irritation as well as nausea, dizziness, confusion and headache.

The concentration threshold for people to experience physical symptoms from hydrogen sulfide is about 5 to 10 parts per billion. But as recently as last Thursday, the EPA measured levels at 1,000 ppb. The highest levels of airborne hydrogen sulfide measured so far were on May 3, at 1,192 ppb.

FLORIDA EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT DEEPWATER HORIZON INCIDENT'S ECONOMIC IMPACT ON TOURISM AND SEAFOOD INDUSTRY


TALLAHASSEE -- State agency leaders are concerned that people across the United States falsely believe the state has been impacted by oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  Florida's beaches and fishing grounds remain open to residents and visitors to enjoy.  Currently, there are no impacts to Florida's more than 1,260 miles of coastline and 825 miles of sandy beaches.  Winds and currents continue to keep the oil plume away from the Florida coast.

State officials want people to know that Florida's shores are clear and open for business. Florida's emergency response agencies are diligently working with BP as well as federal and local government officials to protect our state for any potential impacts the Deepwater Horizon incident may cause our state.

On May 7, 2010, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration modified and expanded the boundaries of the closed fishing area in federal waters to better reflect the current location of the BP oil spill, and extended the fishing restriction until May 17, 2010.  The closure affects commercial and recreational fishing in the oil-affected area of the Gulf of Mexico, largely between Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River to waters off Florida's Pensacola Bay.  State officials are concerned that the closure has given potential visitors the impression that all gulf waters are impacted.

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services officials remind Floridians that all species harvested from the closure line to shore, including grouper, snapper, golden tilefish, mullet, blue crab, oysters, clams, flounder, sea trout, shrimp are safe.  Stone crab season is in effect until May 15 and is also not impacted by the ban.

State agencies including the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Department of Health continue to collect and test water samples and shellfish to establish baseline information and to ensure there are no problems in area waters.  Officials with these agencies continue to say they have no intention of halting commercial and recreational fishing in Florida until there is evidence that the action is necessary.

State officials are assuring residents and visitors they are closely monitoring the situation and if there is any change in the status of fishing in Florida, or if there are any environmental impacts the information will be immediately released.

To view more information about Florida's response to the Deepwater Horizon incident, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon or follow http://www.Twitter.com/FLDEPalert

DIRECT ALL INQUIRIES TO:
Emergency Operations Center ESF 14
(850) 921-0217

Liz Compton
mailto:comptol@doacs.state.fl.us
(850) 488-3022



FLORIDA COMMERCIAL FISHING SEASON ADVISORY

NOAA Modifies Commercial and Recreational Fishing Closure
in the Oil-Affected Portions of the Gulf of Mexico

Updated Closure:  Current revisions to the closure, described below, will be effective on May 17, 2010, at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time (5:00 p.m. Central Time). All commercial and recreational fishing including catch and release is prohibited in the closed area; however, transit through the area is allowed.
Link to map:  http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sf/deepwater_horizon/DWH_FisheryClosure051710.pdf

*   *   *

SBA Disaster Loans

On May 14, 2010, Florida Governor Crist announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved disaster loan funds for businesses along Florida's Gulf coast that have been impacted by the Deepwater Horizon incident.  Link to press release: http://www.flgov.com/release/11593


These advisories are distributed to those who are involved in Florida's seafood and aquaculture industries.

These advisories are distributed by the Bureau of Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Click on the link below to view all Florida Commercial Fishing Season Advisories that are currently in effect: http://www.fl-seafood.com/season_advisory.htm

So the book went on sale last week and now is available at amazon.com. Now I am going about the business of promoting it.  I am now making myself available for book signings and lining up TV appearances to push Third Coast.  I have also decided to give a percentage of the profits from the book to aid with clean up of the devastating Deepwater Horizon oil spill that threatens the way of life celebrated within the pages of this book.

My first personal appearance was as a judge for the Gumbo Cook-off at the 61st annual Blessing of the Fleet in Bayou La Batre, AL.  "The Bayou" as it is often referred is one of dozens of fishing villages threatened by the oil spill.  Deepwater Horizon is only the latest difficulty to assail the people in this area.  Ivan then Katrina did massive damage as did a string of fires set by a still uncaught arsonist.  The sunset on the cover of the book was taken in Coden, AL a neighboring town to Bayou La Batre whose future is also in danger thanks to the ineptitude of BP and a criminally slow response from the Federal Government.

These people deserve better than they have gotten from elements beyond their control and the fumblings of a corrupt bureaucracy.   That is why I have chosen to do my small part to help.  I encourage you to do the same.

The Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival To Donate All Profits To Gulf Coast Relief

In light of the Deepwater Horizon  Oil Spill affecting the Gulf Coast, the Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival (May 14th – 16th) will be donating all ticket profits to regional charity efforts, embarking on a three-prong effort to support recovery, and announcing late night benefit shows.

(PRWEB) May 8, 2010 -- In light of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill affecting the Gulf Coast, the Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival (May 14th – 16th) will be donating all ticket profits to regional charity efforts. The Hangout Festival will take place on the beaches of Gulf Shores, AL uniting people in the name of coastal recovery. Previously announced national headliners Zac Brown Band, Trey Anastasio, John Legend, The Roots and more will rally behind this needed call for environmental preservation, corporate responsibility and the preservation of our coastal communities' livelihoods. In addition, two late night benefit shows have been added to the schedule.

"The Gulf Coast is what makes the Hangout Music Festival so unique," says Shaul Zislin, investor and co-creator of the Hangout Music Festival. "It is one of the most pristine coastlines in all of America, and we will donate every penny above our costs to keep it clean."

To raise additional funds for relief efforts, The Hangout Festival has added two late night benefit shows. On Friday night, Alex B, Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), and Big Gigantic will take the stage for a late-night dance party. One hundred percent of profits will be donated to Mobile Baykeeper. On Saturday night, Keller Williams' Electronic Experiment will be playing a special show for The Rex Foundation and Mobile Baykeeper. The show will begin at midnight, with doors at 11 pm.

Tickets to both events may be obtained in advance only, and a $5 donation is requested. Ticket information may be found at kellerwilliams.net or hangoutmusicfest.com.

The oil spill continues to spew thousands of gallons of oil a day into the Gulf Coast, threatening the way of life for millions of Gulf Coast residents and business owners. The environmental impact will be felt for generations. This man-made catastrophe will have unprecedented effects on some of American's most important ecosystems and delicate food chains.

The Hangout Festival is launching a three pronged effort aimed at Gulf Coast recovery by organizing clean up volunteers, raising public awareness, and fundraising for the people, communities and habitats that have been devastated by this catastrophe.

All profits from the Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival will be donated to regional non-profits working to control environmental and economic damage from the disaster.

For tickets, and more information please visit www.hangoutmusicfest.com.

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 3, 2010

BRONSON EMPHASIZES SAFETY OF FLORIDA SEAFOOD

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson today said that seafood currently being harvested in Florida is safe and has not been impacted by the oil spill in the gulf.  He is concerned that misinformation about the conditions in the gulf waters may unnecessarily impact the state's seafood industry.

While the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is restricting commercial and recreational fishing in federal waters from Louisiana to waters off Pensacola Bay, the ban does not yet impact waters extended out 25 miles from Escambia County.  Currently, all species harvested from the closure line to shore -- including grouper, snapper, golden tilefish, mullet, blue crab, oysters, flounder, sea trout and shrimp -- are safe to eat.  Stone crab season is in effect until May 15 and is also unaffected by the ban.  Federal agencies and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection are conducting ongoing tests of water samples and have not found any hydrocarbons in samples taken from Florida.

In addition, Bronson's Division of Aquaculture is monitoring oysters to assure their safety, and NOAA is working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and food safety officials in the gulf states to assure that no unsafe seafood products are sent to markets.

"Our shrimp, shellfish and other seafood being harvested right now are fine, and I don't want people watching reports of the oil spill to think differently," Bronson said.  "If and when Florida waters are impacted by the spill, we will take immediate action to close the waters to commercial and recreational harvesting."

In 2008, the latest figures available, the quantity of seafood sold at the dock just on the west coast surpassed 66 million pounds with a value of about $125 million.  This is the price paid to the fishermen for their catch, not the retail or wholesale value.

In response to the Deepwater Horizon Incident in the Gulf of Mexico, Bronson's Division of Aquaculture is actively evaluating the latest reports from the official clearinghouse of information at http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com and evaluating predictions of spill movement, weather patterns and projected landfall points.


DIRECT ALL INQUIRIES TO:
Liz Compton
mailto:comptol@doacs.state.fl.us
(850) 488-3022

Terence McElroy
mailto:mcelrot@doacs.state.fl.us

On April 20th the British Petroleum oil rig, Deepwater Horizon, exploded.  Though 126 people were saved by a coalition of rescuers lead by the US Coast Guard, sadly eleven people were lost.  But that does not appear to be the end of this tragedy as an oil slick is threatening the coast lines of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida's Panhandle.  This is the same area ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Ivan in 2004.  Needless to say, this area is not ready for another disaster coupled with an unresponsive government.

Unfortunately, it looks like that is exactly what is happening.  According to a document that was leaked on Friday April 30th to the Mobile Press Register, the US Government has attempted to hide the fact that the oil spill has the potential to be an economic and ecological disaster.  The Obama administration, already under fire for what experts have called a lackadaisical response to the spill, produced a confidential government report that read, "The following is not public," continuing, "Two additional release points were found today (Wednesday April 28) in the tangled riser. If the riser pipe deteriorates further, the flow could become unchecked resulting in a release volume an order of magnitude higher than previously thought."  How much higher?  At least ten times higher, roughly 150,000 barrels of oil a day.  One barrel is equal to 42 gallons of crude oil.

Coastal residents had been told to expect a spill of no more than 1,000 barrels a day even though it was clear to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that the actual spillage would be between 5000 and 210,000 barrels.  The White House, NOAA and BP have refused all requests for comment on the leaked document by Gulf Coast media outlets.  This all comes on the heels of the discovery that BP, the company responsible for the well, greatly downplayed the chances of such an accident could ever happen calling it "virtually impossible" in a plan filed with the Federal Minerals Management Service in February of last year.

The U.S. Minerals Management Service has been steeped in controversy for over a year concerning allegations of financial self-dealing, accepting gifts from energy companies, cocaine use and sexual misconduct that began under former President George W. Bush and has continued under President Obama.  According to inspector general Earl E. Devaney the MMS operates under, "a culture of ethical failure.  The MMS is directly under the supervision of Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.  Not only has Salazar not been asked to step down none of the guilty parties have ever been charged with any crimes suggesting that the "culture of ethical failure" is far from over.

So while the power brokers in Washington DC continue their bureaucratic finger pointing and are undoubtedly trying to reap any political gain, the good people of the Third Coast are left to fend for themselves against overwhelming odds.  Again.