Seafood Lover's Popcorn for Halloween

After Trick or Treaters stop ringing the doorbell, it's time to sink into the couch and pop a favorite mystery or thriller into the DVD player and munch on seafood-flavored popcorn. I call it "Seafood Lover's Popcorn," and it includes "Old Bay Seasoning" as well as a rice seasoning that includes dehydrated shrimp pieces. It's quite easy to make and you can adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Recipe: Seafoodie's Popcorn (Serves 2-3)
Ingredients:
1 bag natural, unsalted microwave popcorn (I used the "Quinn" brand, which is free of hydrogenated oils, preservatives, and PFOAs.)
1 tablespoon (or more) of unsalted butter, melted
1.5 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning 
1 tablespoon rice seasoning with Nori seaweed and/or dried shrimp (check the ethnic section of the supermarket).

Directions:

1. Pop the popcorn in the microwave (follow package directions).
2. Pour popped corn into a large bowl.
3. Pour butter evenly over popcorn.
4. Add Old Bay Seasoning and rice seasoning and mix with clean hands until seasonings are distributed throughout popcorn.
5. Adjust seasonings and transfer to serving bowl.

Organic Spaghetti Squash with Heirloom Tomato Sauce

Winter squash can be intimidating. They're husky. Some are practically planetary. Winter squash demands strength and skill from the cook who cuts through its tough exterior, but those minutes of aggressive slicing are rewarded when the squash tumbles open and exposes a fleshy, lustrous interior. This is so with spaghetti squash. I love winter squash of all varieties, but I'm not always up for the slicing and cutting job. Thank goodness I'm usually up for dealing with spaghetti squash. Once the slicing ordeal is done, it's a matter of baking the squash in its husk then scraping and scooping out the insides for mixing with a flavorful sauce.

And speaking of flavor, "Brandywine" heirloom tomatoes have it. Big time. All the tomatoes in my garden that haven't split open on the vine will go in the pot for sauce. The tomatoes aren't pretty at this point in the season. Some are grotesque, but they make a beautiful sauce. This sauce is simply seasoned, needing only salt, pepper, and a few sprigs of fresh oregano. I tried a new product, "Basil Pesto Grape Seed Oil," which I bought at the oyster festival last weekend. This oil delivered the flavor boost, although subtle, that I wanted in the dish. If you don't have homegrown tomatoes available, look for heirloom tomatoes for sale by local green grocers or at Whole Foods.

Recipe: Organic Spaghetti Squash with Heirloom Tomato Sauce (Serves 4)

Ingredients

Spaghetti Squash:

1 medium, organic spaghetti squash

3 tablespoons basil flavored grape seed or olive oil (reserve one tablespoon for sauteing onions)

Heirloom Tomato Sauce:

3 large heirloom tomatoes, such as the Brandywine variety

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cracked pepper to taste

2 sprigs fresh oregano

2 ounces parmesan cheese

Directions 

Squash

1. Split squash in half, carefully, with a sharp knife.
2. Scoop out seeds and discard them.
3. Rub or brush 1 tablespoon of oil in each squash cavity, including the rims.
4. Place squash halves on cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes until tender; allow squash to cool before handling. 
6. Scrape the cooked squash from the shell and into a large bowl and separate large clumps of squash apart with a fork. Set aside.

Heirloom Tomato Sauce

1. Parboil tomatoes for 5 minutes or until you see the tomato skins begin to wrinkle.
2. Stop the cooking by removing each tomato from the boil with a slotted spoon and placing each in a bowl of ice water.
3. When they are cool enough to handle, hand peel each tomato and place on a clean cutting board.
4. Chop the tomatoes roughly; reserve as much of the tomato juice as possible for the sauce. Discard tomato skins and stems.
5. Add salt, pepper, and oregano sprigs and simmer tomatoes on low heat for 20 minutes.
6. Remove oregano sprigs after sauce has simmered.

Putting the Dish Together

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Pour tomato sauce into bowl containing squash and blend both thoroughly with a silicon spatula. 
3. Transfer squash and tomato sauce to baking dish.
4. Top with shredded cheese and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. 
5. Add additional parmesan cheese at the table if desired. 

Fresh Culinary Techniques Displayed at 2012 National Oyster Cookoff

Chef Alfredo Malinis, Jr., of Annapolis, MD

Being in the audience at the 33rd National Oyster Cook-Off was like sitting among neighbors and watching chefs embellish and flavor the humble Chesapeake oyster and showcase its qualities as a local delicacy.

The annual event, held in Leonardtown, Maryland, attracts chefs and home cooks from across America to compete for cash and the coveted silver platter. This year's contestants, all from the Mid-Atlantic region, brought alluring ingredients and flavors along with leading-edge culinary techniques.

Chef Alfredo Malinis, Jr. of  Level, A Small Plates Lounge in Annapolis, Maryland, helped to set the tone for cutting-edge ingredients and techniques in the Hor d'oeuvres competition with his dish, Oysters on the Half Shell with Local Plum Mignonette, Shiso, and Yuzu Pearls (pictured above). Chef Malinis, who often uses local food ingredients in his work, used local plums in his dish at the Cook-off. Chef Malinis's yuzu pearls caused a buzz among the audience as he demonstrated this latest, science-in-the-kitchen technique when he mixed yuzu juice with sodium alginate and, in a separate container, calcium chloride with water. He created the "pearls" by dropping the yuzu mixture in the calcium chloride and water and, removing the pearls quickly, rinsed them in cold water. The result was a stunning appetizer with delicate crunch and freshness from the shiso leaf.

Chesapeake Oyster with Rockfish Ceviche and Cucumber Granita

Chef Josean Rosado of Baltimore, MD

The fresh techniques display continued with Executive Chef Josean Rosado of Royal Sonesta Harbor Court in Baltimore. His winning main dish, Chesapeake Oyster with Rockfish Ceviche and Cucumber Granita, featured a granita formed with blended and strained cucumber, olive oil, and yuzu juice and other ingredients. Super thin slices of rockfish--it's Maryland's state fish and is otherwise known as striped bass--was layered with cucumber brunoise inside the shell and topped with the freshly shucked oyster and granita. Chef Rosado garnished his dish with fresh micro-greens and presented it to the curious (and hungry) audience.

Local sweet corn from Maryland's Eastern Shore filled oyster cups with sweet-and-smoky flavor along with delicately fried oyster texture in one of the cooked dishes in the Main Dish Competition. Ocean Odyssey Restaurant's Chef Sami Jo Lord prepared Flash Fried Choptank Oysters with Eastern Shore Sweet Corn & Green Chile Hash.

Flash Fried Choptank Oysters with Eastern Shore Sweet Corn & Chili Hash

Chef Sami Jo Lord of Cambridge, MD

Chef Sami Jo stressed "milking" the corn cob with the back of the knife blade, after shucking the corn, to get every drop of sweet corn flavor for the dish. She used a finely milled baking flour to flash fry the Choptank Oysters. These oysters are raised in the Choptank River, a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, in an effort to increase and protect oyster populations in the Bay.

I purchased the event's cookbook, so now I have the recipes from all of the 2012 contestants as well as "honorable mention" recipes. I'm sharing the recipe for Chef Sami Jo's fried oyster dish, but I'm telling you: if you're an oyster lover and aren't afraid of shucking a few oysters if the recipe calls for it, you'll want your own copy of the 2012 World Famous Award Winning Recipes from the 33rd Annual National Oyster Cook-off. For more information about ordering the $8.00 cookbook or about becoming a contestant in the 2013 cook-off, send an e-mail to smcoysterfestival@yahoo.com. Below the recipe are this year's winners of the 2012 National Oyster Cook-off.

Recipe: Flash Fried Choptank Oysters with Eastern Shore Sweet Corn & Green Chili Hash (Used with permission; Copyright 2012 by the National Oyster Cook-off Committee and the Rotary Club of Lexington Park)
(Note: Recipe is reproduced as shown in the cookbook, except to clarify abbreviations.)
Ingredients
6 ears corn (3 cups)--Cut from cob and corn milk scraped
1/2 yellow onion (1 cup) fine chopped
8 cloves garlic (3 tbsp) fine chopped
3 oz. chopped chilies
1/2 red bell pepper (3 tbsp)
1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1/2 lemon squeezed for juice
2 tbsp Tabasco chipotle sauce (or less, to suit your taste)
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
1/4 unsalted butter
salt to taste (1 tsp to start)

For Flash Fried Oysters
Freshly Shucked Choptank Sweet Oysters
1 cup Wondraflour (AP [all-purpose] is a fine substitute)
1 tbsp Old Bay [seasoning]
Frying oil

For The Hash:
Lightly sweat the onion & garlic in unsalted butter until translucent over medium-low heat. Add chopped chilies, red bell, Cajun, salt, pepper and smoked paprika and stir for roughly one minute. Add corn and scraped corn milk, stir and simmer until corn is warmed throughout but still firm in texture. Add lemon juice, chipotle hot sauce and heavy cream and bring to a bubbling simmer then turn off the heat and stir in fresh cilantro.

For the Oysters:
Simply shuck into a non reactive container, be sure to remove little bits of shell, mix your dry ingredients in a bowl, take a fork and drop your oysters one by one into the dry mix, toss to coat, add to your frying oil at 340 degrees, making sure they don't stick to the baskets or sides of the pan. Fry for two minutes then transfer to paper towels long enough to let the excess oil fall away.

To Plate: 
Hot hash goes into cupped oyster shell, fried oyster on top, finish with fresh cilantro.

Winners of the 2012 National Oyster Cook-off

Hors d'oeuvres
First Place: Chef Edwin "Zeus" Harmon, Baltimore, for Mozambique Peri Peri Breaded Oyster
Second Place: Chef Alfredo Malinis, Jr., Annapolis, for Oyster on the Half Shell with Local Plum Mignonette, Shiso, and Yuzu Pearls
Third Place: Amy Angelo, Pennsville, New Jersey, for Sassy Asian Oysters with Siracha Slaw

Soups and Stews
First Place: Thomas Faglon, Somerset, New Jersey, for Oyster Royale
Second Place: Robert Johnson, Bushwood, Maryland, for 7th District Chesapeake Bay Gumbo

Main Dishes
First Place: Chef Josean Rosado, Baltimore, for Chesapeake Oyster with Rockfish Ceviche and Cucumber Granita
Second Place: Chef Sami Jo Lord, Cambridge, Maryland for Flash Fried Choptank Oysters with Eastern Shore Sweet Corn & Green Chili Hash
Third Place: Recipe by Todd Gray (Equinox Restaurant) Washington, D.C. and prepared by Chef Peter J. Prime, Washington, D.C.

Sustainable Seafood Supper Night: Quick Oyster & Mushroom Soup

Sometimes you just want fresh seafood in soup. Like now. The temperature is dropping here in Maryland and along the mid-Atlantic coast. It's time for soup.

So here you are: a rich-looking, rich-tasting oyster soup that's creamy without heavy cream. There's a pat of butter--just one--and plump Chesapeake oysters. Because I didn't want to go the way of heavy cream,  I used a condensed soup. Generally, I stay away from canned soup because of the elevated sodium levels, but I discovered Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup with Roasted Garlic. I used Silk brand soy milk to replace regular milk in the recipe. Plus, the recipe is quick if you purchase pre-shucked oysters. The result is an elegant, smoky (with the addition of smoked paprika) soup with  fresh oysters to enjoy any night of the week.

This is a great time to eat oysters. They are in season, and oyster farms are increasing and perfecting conditions for oysters' growth and health. Monterey Bay's "Seafood Watch" program has proclaimed farmed oysters (worldwide) a "best choice" sustainable seafood. Wild-caught oysters are a "good alternative." If you've never prepared oysters at home, this soup is a good place to start.

Quick Oyster & Mushroom Soup Serves 2 (generously) 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter, unsalted

8-ounces pre-shucked, fresh oysters in container.

1 10 3/4-ounce can Campbell's "Cream of Mushroom Soup with Roasted Garlic" (or equivalent)

1 10 3/4-ounce can of unsweetened "Silk" soy milk 

Cracked, white pepper

Smoked paprika for garnishing (and for adding smoky flavor) 

Directions

1. Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan on medium-low heat.
2. Add liquid from shucked oysters (reserve oysters and set aside); allow butter and oyster "liqueur" to simmer for two minutes.
3. Add condensed soup; add soy milk to empty soup can and pour into saucepan.
4. Stir until soup, oyster liqueur, and milk are blended; bring it to a boil for two minutes.
5. Reduce flame to low and add oysters. Simmer soup for additional 5 minutes and turn off burner. 
6. Serve hot.

Baked Oysters and Apples for #SundaySupper

Comfort food is relished and appreciated based on tradition and memory. Macaroni and cheese, shrimp and grits, gumbo, and chili are classic comfort foods (among many) that have survived time and countless recipe variations. I celebrate these classics as well, but for me, baked oysters and apples is becoming a new fall favorite. Apples are in season and oysters, particularly Chesapeake Bay oysters, are a bargain (less than $6.00 a dozen at a local seafood market). I love oysters with anything. They are versatile and are my favorite sustainable seafood.

I'm adding my oyster-and-apple creation to #SundaySupper in celebration of comfort food. At least once a month, I participate in #SundaySupper, which is a movement to bring back Sunday Supper with family. Isabel Foodie of the Family Foodie blog is the formidable force behind this movement. Fifty-five bloggers will be using the #SundaySupper hasthtag this Sunday and will be blogging about their favorite comfort foods and desserts. Plus Martin Redmond of the fabulous ENOFYLZ Wine Blog will suggest wine pairings for comfort foods. At the end of this post, check out the list of links to other blogs that are celebrating comfort food for #SundaySupper.

Recipe: Baked Oysters and Apples (Serves 3 as a main dish or 5 as an appetizer)

Ingredients
5 tablespoons butter, unsalted
1 small yellow onion, minced
3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 large Gala or Macintosh apple, diced small
1 large lemon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Cracked pepper
1 dozen oysters in the shell (get oysters with medium salinity or just ask for "sweet" oysters)
Rock salt (for holding oyster shells upright in oven). 

Directions

1. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and saute until onions are translucent.
2. Squeeze lemon juice over diced apples.
3. Add apples and Panko bread crumbs to the butter and onion and mix thoroughly until bread crumbs and apple are coated.
4. Stir in ground cardamom and cracked pepper and set mixture aside.
5. Shuck oysters, cup side down, reserving as much liquid as possible in the oyster cup.
6. Place rock salt in thin layer on the cookie sheet (to help hold oysters upright)
7. Set oyster in shell on cookie sheet.
8. Spoon one teaspoon of apple mixture on top of each oyster.
9. Place pan in a preheated, 450-degree oven.
10. Roast oysters and apples for 6-9 minutes.

Here are more delicious comfort-food recipes for your #SundaySupper.

Comfort Food |Soups

• Cream of Broccoli Cheese Soup by Damn Delicious
• Loaded Baked Potato Soup by Supper for a Steal
• Kalbi Tang or Korean Short Rib Soup by Kimchi MOM
• Korean mandoo (dumpling) soup by Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
• Chicken Noodle Soup by My Catholic Kitchen
• Thai’d up chicken noodle soup by I Run For Wine
• Ditalini Italian Soup by Mangiamo!
• Spicy Black Bean Soup by Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Chicken Chowder by Pippis in the Kitchen Again

Comfort Food  | Main Dish

• Sausage Gravy and Biscuits by Big Bears Wife
• Comforting Down-Home Shrimp and Grits by The Weekend Gourmet 
• Sausage Gravy and Biscuits by Big Bears Wife
• Comforting Down-Home Shrimp and Grits by The Weekend Gourmet
• Pumpkin Alfredo Tortellini Bake by The Meltaways
• Old Fashioned Mac and Cheese by Flour on My Face
• Lasagna Roll Ups by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Green Plantain Hash by Basic n Delicious
• Venison Chili by The Messy Baker Blog
• Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells by That Skinny Chick can Bake
• Winter Chicken Stew by Mrs. Mama Hen
• Quinoa, Spinach, and Kale Lasagna by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Baked Oysters and Apples by Pescetarian Journal
• Individual Chicken Pot Pies by Noshing With The Nolands
• Kaesespaetzle {Baked Cheese Spaetzle} by Galactosemia in PDX
• Jalapeno and Bacon Mac N’ Cheese by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• Quiche aux Champignons {Mushroom Quiche} by An Appealing Plan
• Mini Mac n Cheese Cups with Pork Shoulder Ragù by Hip Foodie Mom
• Chicken a la King by Girlichef
• Creamy Chicken & Dumplings by La Cocina de Leslie
• Spaghetti Squash Gratins by She likes ruffles, he likes truffles
• Hot Dr. Pepper with Lemon by Kwistins Favorites
• Creamy Chicken Enchiladas by Home Cooking Memories
• Savory Slow-Cooked Pork Stew by Daddy Knows Less
• Chicken Roasted with White Wine and Garlic by Webicurean
• Shepherd’s Pie by Small Wallet Big Appetite
• One Skillet Pumpkin Lasagna by The Realistic Nutritionist
• Chicken “Pot Pie” by Diabetic Foodie
• Gluten Free Cornish Pasty by Maroc Mama
• Warm Oven Baked Samosas Stuffed With Sweet Potato & Peas by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Caramelized Onion-Challah Stuffing Muffins by Comfy Cuisine
• Comforting Mashed Potatoes by Momma’s Meals
• Chunky Chili Beans by Mama Mommy Mom
• Rustic Cauliflower and Tomato Gratin by The Wimpy Vegetarian 
• Basmati Rice with Saffron by Family Spice
• Feijoada ~ Portuguese Bean Stew by Family Foodie
Comfort Food | Desserts
• Biscuits and Chocolate Gravy by Juanita’s Cocina
• Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Sour Cream Pound Cake by Mom’s Test Kitchen
• Chocolate Layer Cake by Magnolia Days
• Cinnamon Rice Pudding by Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Smores Hot Cocoa by Chocolate Moosey
• Sweet Red Bean Pie by What Smells So Good
• Pistachio Cake Cookies by The Cookie A Day Challenge
• Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake by No One Likes Crumbly Cookies
• Dark Chocolate Caramel Brownies by Daily Dish Recipes
• Nutella Shortbread Bars by Baker Street
Pairing Wine with Sunday Supper Comfort Food Favorites! by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog 

Join us on Twitter throughout the day and for the #SundaySupper live chat at 7 p.m. ET. Use the hashtage #SundaySupper. 

Maryland Magnificence: The St. Mary's County Oyster Festival

Scenes from St. Mary's County Oyster Festival (Used with Permission)

Route 4 or Route 5 through St. Mary's County in Maryland are modest stretches of highway with flashes of vivid townships that draw people out of their cars and into the antique and handcraft shops, waterside restaurants, and wineries (yes, wineries). And on the weekend of October 20-21, 2012, all roads to Leonardtown, Maryland are paved with oyster shells, metaphorically speaking, and will lead to the St. Mary's County Oyster Festival (aka U.S. Oyster Festival). 

The annual festival, in its 46th year, attracts between 15,000 and 20,000 visitors and is the "Home of the United States Oyster Shucking Contest and the National Oyster Cook-off." This slogan, which differentiates this festival from all other oyster festivals in the United States, means that attendees have a chance to cheer on the quickest oyster shuckers in the country and watch outstanding chefs and cooks do justice to oysters in the kitchen. I'm looking forward to attending both events. 

This is one road trip worth taking whether you're an ostreaphile (oyster lover) or one who enjoys a classic outdoor festival, the St. Mary's County Oyster festival is enjoyable, educational, and delicious fun. The two-day celebration highlights Chesapeake oysters and oyster culture, the natural resources in St. Mary's County, and will raise money for local charities. According to festival organizers, there will be "carnival rides and games, a full food court, including a sports bar, arts and crafts, historical and cultural displays...vendors, cooking demonstrations, shucking lessons, [and] live music and entertainment on two stages." There are fried, baked, steamed, scalded and raw oysters as well as shrimp, crab, chicken and other delicacies along the main food way. It's a foodie's play day!

St. Mary's County Oyster Festival, which is always the third weekend in October, is held at the Leonardtown Fairgrounds, and parking is plentiful and free. The entrance fee is $5.00 for adults and is free for children 12 and under. Festival gates open at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 20, and at 11 a.m. on Sunday, October 21, and close at 6 p.m. on both days. For more information about the St. Mary's County Oyster Festival, visit the http://usoysterfest.com or e-mail usmcoysterfestival@yahoo.com.  

On October 21, 2012, following Saturday's Oyster festival, check back here for a narrative and pictorial based on my visit to the festival.  Check out my post about last October's festival in the meantime. Hope to see you there next weekend!

Note: I am not being paid to promote St. Mary's Oyster Festival. I'm just a fan of the festival.

Pescetarian Bookshelf: A Geography of Oysters (Book Review)

The subject is oysters. And there is just one book that will take a seafoodie from oyster neophyte to oyster connoisseur and it's this book: A Geography of Oysters--The Connoisseur's Guide to Eating Oysters in North America, by Rowan Jacobson. Don't be intimidated by the title. Within this book's pages is not the tone of a tome but rather the authoritative voice and wit of a straightforward, knowledgeable and very hip guy. Reading this guide is as engaging as sitting next to Jacobsen in an oyster bar and getting the skinny on these diverse bivalves.

Jacobsen knows everything you could hope to know about oysters, from the varieties and flavors (based on a region and its waters) to selecting, shucking, slurping, cooking, and wine pairing. He was a James Beard Foundation Book Award Winner in 2008 for A Geography of Oysters and an International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Cookbook Awards Finalist.

Rowan's book begins by tackling myths and fears in his introduction. He asks, "Why Eat Oysters?" and deftly argues typical assertions that the unenlightened might proclaim, such as "Oysters are slimy," to which Jacobsen retorts: "Guilty as charged. But so are mangoes. So is yogurt. In fact, some of the greatest pleasures in life are slimy." Another faulty assertion from the introduction states "Raw oysters aren't safe," to which Jacobsen responds, "Only if you do several stupid things, like eat the wrong kind of oyster from the wrong supplier and the wrong time of year. The microorganisms that hitchhike in oysters and cause people hardship thrive only in warm waters. A Gulf of Mexico oyster consumed in summer is risky; a Northern oyster from cold fall waters is safe."

In the first third of The Geography of Oysters, Jacobsen focuses on helping his reader master oysters by offering "A Dozen Oysters You Should Know," and explaining the species of oysters and their characteristics. Becoming an oyster connoisseur is not unlike knowing and appreciating the subtle differences among wine grapes. The reader--especially the reader who knows wine--will understand and appreciate Jacobsen's discussion of the flavor, body, notes, and finish of various oysters.

Even if you've never tasted a raw oyster, Jacobsen's descriptions of eating oysters are beautifully accurate: "After the initial sensation of salt, you will sense the body of the oyster. For this, you will have to chew....chewing is where all the toothsome pleasure of the oyster comes out--the snappy way it resists your teeth for just a moment before breaking, like a fresh fig." There are more descriptions like these as Jacobsen explains North America's oyster appellations. This section of the book explains and illustrates oysters from the northeast and mid-Atlantic to the Gulf and Pacific coasts.

In the final third of A Geography of Oysters, Jacobsen addresses the business of acquiring, preparing, cooking (if you insist), and serving oysters. Oyster nutrition as well as popular places to consume oysters (oyster bars, oyster festivals) are covered as well. There are about two-dozen classic recipes and, if you're apprehensive about cooking oysters, Jacobsen includes a few fail-proof recipes that promise success: "Oyster Stew for Dummies," "Oyster Roast," and "Baked Oysters with Tarragon Butter."

For Ostreaphiles (oyster lovers) and seafoodies alike, A Geography of Oysters is a valuable reference book for keeping in the kitchen and for taking on the road. To learn more about Rowan Jacobsen and his work, visit http://www.oysterguide.com and http://www.rowanjacobsen.com.

Jacobsen, Rowan. A Geography of Oysters, The Connoisseur's Guide to Oyster Eating in North America. New York: Bloomsbury, USA, 2007. Print. http://www.oysterguide.com/book.