A Visit to Assi

On Tuesday, the Bucks County Chapter of the USPCA took a field trip to Assi, an international (mostly Asian) supermarket in North Wales.  Yes, I know it sounds a little goofy for us to visit a grocery store, but believe me, it was an interesting place and we had a lot of fun.  That's what us food people do.

Assi is full of produce and ingredients that you just can't find anywhere else in our area.  There were plenty of ingredients that were a little bit familiar from cooking Asian foods--things like fish sauce, oyster sauce, various noodles (there was a whole aisle of noodles), etc.  But there were also plenty of things that were way out of our realm of familiarity.

No, not worms--fresh turmeric.

For many of the packaged items, we had to read the ingredient list to have some idea of what the product was.  Things like dried anchovy fillet with sesame seeds, boiled silkworms, dried white fungus, basil seed drinks with honey (they looked like lava lamps), and much more.  Sometimes the ingredient list didn't help much.  For example, there was "Dried Vegetable" in a bag.  It looked like steel wool, so I checked the ingredients to find out what was in it.  It said, "INGREDIENTS: Dried Vegetable".  That was helpful.

The meat section was a little more familiar.  Despite a number of pork innards, black chicken, chicken and duck feet and the like, the meats were mostly what you would find in your supermarket.  Most of it looked really wonderful--dark red and marbled beef, fresh looking poultry, pork, etc. 

A big pile of Jackfruit.

The seafood section, however, was not typical for an American grocer.  Familiar fish like cod, striped bass and flounder (including live ones) were offered.  But so were things like sea squirt, cuttlefish, large squid and more exotic fish.  Many creatures were either frozen or dried (or both) as well as fresh.  Most of the fish was sold whole, although they did have fillets of some.

The frozen section had all sorts of things from frozen bonbon-type sherbet coated in sweet rice dough to octopus, meat-filled buns to big bags of "mixed frozen seafood". 

Probably the neatest part of the store for me was the produce.  In addition to the usual stuff, there's just a load of unusual and exotic things.  Fresh turmeric, banana flowers, bitter melon, fuzzy squash, huge jackfruit, alien-like dragonfruit, yard-long daikon radishes, all sorts of tubers, fresh sugar cane, unusual greens, fresh and dried mushrooms, etc etc. 

Spicy Seafood Soup.

Oh, to top it off, they have a small food court that has really great food.  We shared a Spicy Seafood Soup, Spicy Kimchi Noodle Bowl and Korean BBQ Beef.  All of them were really tasty and made to order.  I just need to work on my chop stick use.  I tried to hide my plastic fork from the Asian folks sitting near us. 

It's definitely worth the trip just to see some of these interesting foods.  But if you're in need of Asian ingredients--even more common things like soy sauce, fish sauce, curry paste--the prices are great.  It's sort of like an Asian Costco for many products.  And if you need something more unusual, I'll bet that they have it in stock.

OK, maybe you don't need to spend 3 1/2 hours there like we did, but you'll be sorry if you don't stop in just to look around for a while sometime.  And to get some lunch.

Assi is located at 1222 Welsh Rd. in North Wales.  To see more pictures, go to the Dinner's Done Facebook page.

Gone Fishin'

How often do you eat fish?  I was surprised to read that according to a 2008 report, 45% of Americans say they eat fish once a week (I would imagine that includes eating frozen fish sticks and the like).  Still, that's much higher than I would think.  Only 22%, however, said that they eat fish two times per week.  Why is eating fish so foreign to Americans?

A USA Today article says that the USDA recommends that we eat 8 ounces of seafood each week.  That's 2 servings.  On average, we eat about 3 1/2 ounces per week.  Increasing that amount is not only a delicious way to eat, but can help to make us much healthier.

There may be no better food to contribute to our health than seafood.  In Japan, the Mediterranean and other places that fish is a staple, there are much lower instances of cancer, heart disease and obesity.  Seafood is a low-fat food and what fat is there, is "good fat".

Fatty fish like salmon, tuna and other cold-water, deep-sea fish are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids.  You've heard of them, I'm sure.  But what are the benefits of these compounds?  They can protect against cancer.  They can lessen the symptoms of arthritis.  They can help to lower blood pressure.  They can reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease.  They protect your immune system and can lower your cholesterol.  In unborn children, they assist in neural and eye development.  In people who do not respond to depression medication, Omega-3's can ease the signs of depression.  They can even slow mental decline and reduce development of Alzheimer's Disease by strengthening nerve function.  Do you need any more convincing?

The Omega 3's aren't the only good stuff in fish.  Some fish/shellfish are very high in antioxidant E (as well as Vitamins E, C, D & A), which boosts the immune system and reduces buildup of plaque in the arteries.  Vitamins in some shellfish aid in red blood cells and muscle formation and can help with healthy skin and good eyesight.  Fish oil in children helps to ease asthma symptoms by controlling allergens in the body.  And some say that fatty fish is the best natural source of Vitamin D. 

OK.  So now you've decided to try to eat more fish.  But you're still not sure how to buy quality seafood.  Be sure to read Monday's blog to find out some tips for buying and storing fresh fish.

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How to Buy Shrimp

While here in Maine, Jake found out that he loves fried Maine shrimp--those little tiny shrimp that they have up here.  They are really sweet and tasty.

The Morning Call recently ran an article about shrimp.  As you know, the BP oil spill threatened not only the shrimp, but livelihood of the many shrimp fishermen who fish the Gulf.  But according to virtually all reports, shrimp from the Gulf is safe to eat--and a good thing, too. 

Shrimp is the favorite seafood in the U.S.  According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (you'd be familiar with this if you received my September newsletter), wild and farmed shrimp from the U.S. & Canada are an environmentally favorable seafood to eat.

The article has tips from Chef John Besh, one of the top chefs in New Orleans (and the country, for that matter) about buying the best shrimp:

• Dark brown heads, legs or tails can mean old shrimp.  The color should be light, "almost transparent in a way," Besh said.
• Use fresh shrimp immediately, if possible, or within a day.  (In our area, fresh shrimp are almost impossible to find because they are very perishable.  Even the shrimp that you find in a seafood store has been frozen.)
• Whole, fresh head-on shrimp should still have antennae attached; shrimp without them were likely frozen.
• Besh said shrimp should smell "fresh and briny from the sea."  (A good hint for any kind of seafood.)  Perform a "sniff test" at the counter, if you like.  If the store refuses, try an old Julia Child trick: Buy the shrimp, open the package right there and complain, loudly, if unsatisfied.
• Buy shrimp with the shells still on; use them to make a shrimp stock for use in recipes.  "Shrimp shells have more flavor than the actual shrimp meat itself," Besh said.  Here's his simple recipe: "Toast the shells in olive oil, add onion, garlic and celery.  Cover with water and cook 45 minutes."
• Frozen shrimp can be as good as fresh, Besh said.  He prefers shell-on shrimp because they're less prone to freezer burn.  He also prefers to thaw the shrimp himself when he's ready to use them, rather than buy thawed shrimp at the market.  (Cook's Illustrated suggests the same thing.) 
• Avoid precooked shrimp, Besh said.  "I can't control it.  I'm at the whim of someone else cooking my food."
• Develop a relationship with a reputable fish dealer who cares about the freshness and quality of the product.  (Just a few in our area are Captain Bob's in Quakertown, Heller's in Warrington and Bucks County Seafood in Dublin.)