In Greenport, N.Y., about 100 miles outside of New York on Long Island, Mike Osinski farms oysters on the upper reaches of the Peconic Bay. His bivalves, called Widow's Holes after the pond outside of his house, end up on the menus at some of the city's best restaurants. One of these, the Mermaid Inn, organized a trip to Widow's Hole earlier this week to shed some light on "Everything Oysters": how they're farmed, harvested, shucked and, most importantly, eaten.
Osinski, a former computer programmer who started his Widow's Hole Oyster Company in August 2004, proved an amiable and knowledgeable guide, regaling his students with oyster history while his three Labrador retrievers lolled about near empty oyster cages and the Shelter Island ferry cut a lazy swath through the Greenport Bay waters once home to no less than 30 oyster companies.
Documented by Romans in the 2nd century, there is no question that oysters are the classic aphrodisiac. While there is a lot to be said for their high zinc and iron content, which are important for sexual health, the real power of oysters lies in how they look and feel. Oysters look like some certain part of the female body, and when eaten raw, have a slippery, seductive feel in the mouth and throat.
It's also believed that oysters let a person experience both the masculine and feminine sides of love because some oysters change their gender from male to female and back again through their lifetime. I guess that'll work if you're spending Valentine's Day alone.
Lately I've found myself in the mood for raw oysters. This extreme closeup that I found today over on Chez Pim has made me crave them even more. I can almost taste the briny juices from this beautiful, ultrafresh specimen. I don't know about you, but I take my oysters neat, so as to better savor the taste of the sea. Tabasco and lemon only mask the flavor. Chez Pim took this shot at Paco Meralgo, a tapas bar in the mecca of tapas bars, Barcelona. Pim heaps much praise on the tapas at Paco Meralgo, but points out that the real star is the incredibly fresh seafood, including razor clams and langoustines. I've always known that there's a lot more to tapas than jamon, cheese and olives, but this whole fresh seafood thing takes it to another level. Enough tapas talk, I'm off to the nearest raw bar.
The secret of oyster opening, as revealed at the 2006 World Oyster Opening Championships this past week, is "a steady hand with the oyster knife," since competitors are judged on a lack of grit (from smashed shells) as well as speed. It may not seem like much of a sport compared to soccer or downhill skiing, but it requires a tremendous amount of dexterity and concentration. The contest has been going on for four decades and this year, for the 15th time, it was won by Irish restaurateur Michael Moran, whose father took the title himself nearly three decades ago.
The sport of oyster-opening should be combined with the sport of competitive eating. Working in pairs, one could open and the eaters could, well, eat. The question would be who to team up. Do you put Kobayashi with Moran, the new World Champion Oyster Opener, or should Moran be paired with an underdog to even the teams?
Health officials in Washington State are warning people against eating raw oysters that were harvested in Puget Sound. The warning came after 45 people reported violent illness - including two hospitalizations - in two weeks. Usually, there are only 20 such cases in an entire year. The oysters were contaminated with a bacteria strain called Vibrio parahaemolyticus and five oyster harvesting areas have already been closed.
The oysters from the Sound are often available in other parts of the Pacific Northwest, along the Pacific coast and in several other Western States (where a handful of cases have been reported already), so if at all possible, find out where the oysters are your market came from before deciding to down them uncooked. Health officials say that cooking the oysters to an internal temperature of 145F should prevent any health problems from the bacteria, in the event that your oyster is contaminated.
It's a testament to a truly consistent and excellent chef when foods
that are nearly always disappointing at your run-of-the-mill restaurants are, instead, perfectly prepared, texturally
impeccable, the promise realized. So it was with Tani's
fried oysters, a special that my husband often orders but (at any other establishment) I always find greasy, improperly
cooked, gritty and fishy tasting. But these oysters, these were enough to make me fall in love all over again with the
mollusk. The breading was crisp but not fat-laden, light but flavorful, the dish an amazing juxtaposition of fleshy
oyster, delicate coating.
The secret of oyster opening, as revealed at the 
We've gotten the warnings about 
Health officials in Washington State are warning people against 
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