Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Robert St. John: Goodbye 2020

Check out this week's recipe posted below. 

Around this time of year newspapers are filled with end-of-the-year wrap-up stories about what has happened over the past 12 months. This year there seems to be no lack of articles chronicling how bad 2020 was. The preceding 10 months were certainly among the worst— on many levels— in all of my 60 years. But today’s column won’t dwell on the negative aspects of those months and how bad 2020 was. No. Because there have been silver linings this year. I would like to focus on those.

Lately, I have been catching myself thinking back to last April when we were told that all we needed was two weeks to slow the curve and the entire country locked down in their homes in the hopes that this would all be gone by Easter. It’s funny, but— sitting here today, writing this column— I have nothing but good memories of those days. I am sure that I spent a good bit of time worried about whether my businesses would survive. But what I remember most is spending time with my family.

My daughter left home for college over five years ago but was back home studying locally. My son was in the middle of the second semester of his freshman year. We never really thought we would have them both back home together for any length of time. Despite what was going on in the outside world we grew closer as a family during that period. For that I am grateful.

During that period, we started having theme night dinners. They were fun. My family is a food family. We talk about what we're going to have lunch while we're eating breakfast and what we're going to have for dinner while we're eating lunch. Sometimes, at dinner, we talk about meeting up for breakfast the next day.

During those theme nights we went all out. The most memorable theme night last spring was a Mexican-themed food night. It's not that the food we shared that evening was more memorable than any other average everyday meal. I think we had tacos and quesadillas. It was that the atmosphere, the music, and most especially the company, were all perfect.

Forty years in the restaurant industry has taught me that there's a lot that goes into creating a memorable meal. It's the entire dining experience— food, service, atmosphere, music, energy. When all of those components come together at once, the potential for  memorable meal is in place. When one is sharing that meal with the ones he or she loves, that’s when lasting memories are created.

I don’t think we choose what we remember. It’s the unique, far-from-normal— good and bad— moments we remember most.


Even though we are 60 miles inland, Hurricane Katrina wiped out our town. In the area between the Gulf Coast and Hattiesburg 40% of the forest land was lost. In my town businesses and homes were destroyed. Though if you ask my son about that period, he will tell you, “That’s when we all got to sleep on sleeping bags in the den.

Over 51 years ago, Hurricane Camille blew through town causing similar damage. I was eight years-old at the time. My memories are of camping out in the backyard, cooking on a Sterno stove, and sitting in my mom’s car waiting in line to get dry ice.

So far, the memories I have of this past year are mostly positive. But the jury is still out.

This year has been brutal. It’s the worst time in the history of the restaurant business to be in the restaurant business. New challenges pop up daily. But what is one to do? Sit around and gripe about the situation, or get proactive and try to do something about it? I hope I will always choose the latter.

I have had to close two restaurants and a bar this past year. But we have great things coming in the new year. I consider myself fortunate in that aspect, as many aren’t able to come back. I have friends at home and across the country who are in much worse shape. I pray that they will find a way to survive and come out on the other end of this stronger and better.

My deepest wish is that all independent restaurants and businesses find some way to survive this year and that— going forward in 2021—the general public realizes how important it is to support locally owned businesses. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we all support locally owned businesses. They are what make our communities unique and non-homogenous. Independent businesses tell the story of a place and of its people. They are what give character to a society.

In conclusion, I won’t be sad to see 2020 go, and I’m not naïve enough to think that all is going to be well at 12:01 a.m. on January 1st. But I believe progress is being made to get us back to some sense of normalcy and I truly believe that the second half of 2021 is going to be monumental. Hang on, y’all. We’ll get there together.

Onward. 


Calamari Salad

It’s no great shock that the restaurants in western Sicily specialize in seafood. The fresh catch is typically displayed in the dining room. The local fish varieties that were caught that day are displayed as whole fish on a platter, cart, or small buffet table. One chooses the fish he would like to eat and the preparation by which it will be cooked, and a server takes it to the kitchen where the chef cleans it, cooks it, and sends it to the table. Beautiful.

Most of the restaurants in this area have dozens of antipasto trays displayed in the dining room. Marinated eggplant, squid salad, artichokes, mushrooms, cous cous, rustic savory pies and tarts, olives, pickled vegetables, anchovies prepared several ways, and a dozen other antipasti are available. One could make a meal out of antipasto, but one never does.


2 ½ lbs.               Calamari, sliced tubes and tentacles
½ gallon              Water
¼ cup                            Dry white wine
¼ cup                            White vinegar
4 each                           Lemons
2 TB + 1 tsp                 Kosher salt
1 TB                    Whole black peppercorns
1 sprig                          Italian flat leaf parsley
1 sprig                          Fresh thyme
2 TB                    Red wine vinegar
1 TB                    Tarragon vinegar
¼ cup                            Extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp                   Fresh ground black pepper
½ tsp                   Fresh garlic, minced
¼ cup                            Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed
2-3 each              Large leaves fresh basil, chiffonade

In a 2 quart stock pot, combine water, wine, white vinegar, 2 lemons, 2 TB salt, peppercorns and the sprigs of parsley and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the calamari. Leave in the water for 3-4 minutes to partially cook the calamari. Strain and spread out on a pan to cool completely. Discard the poaching liquid.

Stack the basil leaves, roll them tight, and slice thin with a sharp knife (chiffonade)

Once the calamari has cooled, combine with the juice of the remaining 2 lemons, red wine vinegar, tarragon vinegar, oil, 1 tsp salt, black pepper, garlic, parsley leaves and basil. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for a couple hours. Serve chilled.


15 comments:

Anonymous said...

fish , do you honestly think your readers would eat calamari, considering that 99% of them dont even know what it is?

Anonymous said...

you need to explain to your waterhead readership that calamari is not a member of the gambino crime family, nor is he a kicker for the saints.

Anonymous said...

Squid - Yuck!

Anonymous said...

If we had done like a lot of other responsible citizens of other countries and follow up the two-week lockdown (it really wasn't a lockdown by the way, people still went to spring break, parties, etc.) with taking reasonable precautions then it would have been very different. No way the virus was going to be gone by June, but it could have been limited to local outbreaks that testing and contact tracing could keep controlled.

Too bad the "muh-freedumb" crowd simply went back to business as usual and caused uncontrolled community spread that puts the U.S. tenth in the entire world for deaths per-capita.

Without the massive surge in cases that followed the lifting of mandatory restrictions on businesses in May, people would have felt much safer going out to eat and restaurants wouldn't be facing the crunch they are now.
Ultimately the argument that we can expect people to act like adults and be responsible is a falsehood. If they were only putting themselves at risk I wouldn't care one bit, but in a pandemic their idiocy will also affect the lives of many multiples more.

COVID may be the trigger for restaurants problems, but in the end it is irresponsibility of too many Americans that made it into the major long-term issue it became.

Anonymous said...

@9:16 doesn't matter what we do. it is a virus and you can't stop it. Everyone will get it eventually. Just pray your health is good enough that you survive.

Anonymous said...

I look forward to making this recipe. I highly recommend mail ordering your calamari if you can’t find it fresh locally. Tinned brands from Spain and other countries are very high quality. We had Portuguese sardines, skordalia, and Champagne for Christmas. It was wonderful.

Public Service Announcement said...

Breaking! On January 1, 2021 at 12:01 AM, we will be able to say "hindsight is 2020."

This has been a public service announcement.

You are welcome.

Anonymous said...

What a miserable life you lead @9:16. You regurgitate the same barf here every single day.

Anonymous said...

10:57 The safe and effective vaccine that is currently being distributed says that you are completely wrong. 95% effective in protecting against the effects of the disease is quite good and will be key in making this a manageable disease. Too bad people couldn't have been a little more considerate earlier on and maybe our per-capita deaths would match countries like Germany and we would have over 200,000 people still alive.

Anonymous said...

12:06 claimed "The safe and effective vaccine that is currently being distributed says that you are completely wrong. 95% effective in protecting against the effects of the disease is quite good and will be key in making this a manageable disease. "

Yeah, right.

So, after two weeks or so on the market, what PROOF do you have that this vaccine will not suffer that same fate as:

Baycol
Accutane
Bextra
Cylert
Darvon/Darvocet
Phenformin
DES (Diethylstibestrol)
Duract
Levamisole
Hismanal
Lotronex
Meridia
Serevent

I could go on, but my fingers are getting tired, and smart people will have gotten the point by now. Other people never will.

More to read here: https://prescriptiondrugs.procon.org/fda-approved-prescription-drugs-later-pulled-from-the-market/

Anonymous said...

A big, fat screw you to 2020. Dawn Wells who played Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island died from COVID-19.

She was in a long-term care facility so she was literally less than a month from being protected by the vaccine as she would have been in the highest priority group. Heck, she might have even already had the first shot. What shitty timing.

Anonymous said...

I'll be making the calamari salad, too, and may add some fresh Maine lobster to it. We ordered a dozen 2 pound live lobsters from Maine for Thanksgiving and steamed them to go with our turkey and ham. Unbelievably delicious! I think I can order fresh calamari from Maine, too.

Life is difficult right now. Stuck at home, avoiding people from outside our home, staying healthy, and eating exceptionally well because there is little else to do of lasting interest and contentment these days.

Covid is the 3rd leading cause of death in the US and one out of every 1000 Americans has died from Covid. So far. My sister tested positive Sunday afternoon and home health care brought a portable x-ray machine to her house today for a chest x-ray which, thankfully, was okay. She has an underlying medical condition of concern for Covid complications. Please say a prayer for her.

Happy New Year, everyone, and please stay safe!

Anonymous said...

Dear 7:49:, I will pray for your sister and her full recovery.

Anonymous said...

915 - please give us those "other countries" whose success you are touting. And while you are at it, give us not only what happened "back then" but where they are now in dealing with the outbreaks in their countries.

And no - I'm not counting those countries from which we cannot depend on their reporting (i.e. China, Russia, etc.)

All those early success stories have fallen flat on their face as time went by, so I am curious as to how you are going to defend your claims about 'what we should have done?

Anonymous said...

Robert just turned 59 in September or October. He hasn’t seen 60 years yet 😂


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Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

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If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

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