trash talkin turkey

several years ago, i read an article in the newspaper about cooking a turkey in a trash can.  i do not recall all of the details but i think it may be something that took place in an army camp by soldiers stationed abroad wanting to have that turkey day dinner without having the opportunity to use an oven to roast it.  as i said, it was about 4 years ago and i do not really remember the article clearly any more but i can say that the technique works and we do this every year, weather permitting. 

first step is to brine the turkey.  darry does this in a cooler.

the turkey is still a little frozen when he puts it in the brine

and in place of some of the water, he uses ice.  this helps

to keep the turkey cold and prevents bacterial growth.

the salt in the brine also helps keep it from turning.

be sure to soak it for about 12-18 hours, but not longer.

we have a turkey pit in the yard.  it is just a small circle

of bricks that gets lined with foil just for the occasion.

there is a foil covered wooden mop handle in the ground

that holds the turkey.  before hanging the turkey up,

an old angel food pan is placed on the ground and filled with

water and various herbs and things.  the turkey gets slipped 

onto the post and darry covers the breast with foil and ties

the wings down.

darry making sure the bird is secure.

darry tying down the wings

the metal can is placed over the bird

darry and justin building the fire around the can.

do not be tempted to use lighter fluid or strong scented wood,

they will flavor your bird!

the last step, we wait for the bird to cook!  if you look

closely, you can see the little white temperature monitor.

before covering the bird with the trash can, darry inserted

a temperature probe into the breast and then buried

the cord in the dirt to protect it.  he ran the cord out

of the pit and attached the monitor.  we were able to

watch the temperature rise to the needed 170 without

ever removing the can.

yet another milestone

it is always fun to have a birthday.   those of you who know me should be picking up on the sarcasm in my voice... but really, it is nice to have your family bake you a cake and sing to you and then watch as you open presents.  unless you happen to be a pastry chef and your family tradition is to pick up an ice cream cake for the occasion.  this year, i made it clear that i do not particularly like ice cream cake and all i wanted was for my family to bake me a cake.  they were not excited by this announcement, actually they were a little intimidated-baking a cake for someone who wrote an entire book on cakes...the horror of it all!  however, i encouraged them to open that book to an easy cake and have at it, that was all i wanted.  just try it, let me take pictures and we'll have fun with it.  in my book is the recipe for the yellow buttermilk cake with instant fudge frosting.

here is alix measuring the ingredients for the cake

darry and alix are mixing the batter

darry putting the batter into the pans

the lovely miss devon, frosting the cake

the finished cake with just the right number of

candles

sometimes, the best culinary adventures are in your own kitchen.   even better are the memories of making something together with your children.  happy birthday to me!

skip this one

in nearby brentwood, there is a new strip of stores and restaurants.  darry and i were out on a date-night excursion and we decided to give kalamatas a try.  this is the second location for restaurant and we wanted to go somewhere that we haven't been recently.  both of us enjoy greek food and thought, why not?  

having been there and done that, i can give you several reasons not to bother with this restaurant.  while i have often stated that many people choose restaurants based on quantity and not quality, this one failed on both points.  what we were served and what we paid were definitely not on the same page.  the fact that the place is very clean and neat didn't add any points either.

when you walk in, there is a counter/cafeteria line that you must approach to order your food.  on the counter are copies of the menu for you to read and decide your choices.  the menu is very clear and in all honesty, a bit short;  there wasn't a whole lot to choose from besides salads, sandwiches and a few entree plates.  the day's specials were located on small placards and in an odd spot that we missed because it was well after we ordered that i spotted them.  since it was not busy, we watched as our food was prepared.

darry is a fan of gyros and decided on the gyro plate with a side salad.  i was in the mood for a typical americanized greek salad and that is what i chose.  we watched the plates being assembled and were surprised that everything came off the cold table or a portable steam table.   nothing came from the kitchen or the cook who looked on as the cashier/hostess assembled our selections.  the lady in question was very nice and friendly, she gave us the iced teas we chose on the house, but even so, we still spent $19.56 for two sparsely filled plates of mediocre food.

the salad i chose was especially disappointing.  while i will admit that i could have had my salad topped with kabobs of beef, chicken, lamb or veggie, i chose to have it plain since i just wanted a salad and the description on the menu fit the bill for me.  what i got and what i expected were two different salads.  on my standard sized disposable plate was a thin layer of chopped romaine leaves with a few cucumber slices, two kalamata olives, 1 pepperoncini and a rather bland vinaigrette with feta cheese.  not at all filling or even that exciting, no  bell peppers or onions, no dolmas and very little cucumber or feta.   the romaine was fresh and well washed but it was only the dark tops of the leaves, very little rib and not very crunchy.  perhaps i was expecting more of what you are served in every other gyro place in town, lots of crunchy lettuce hearts with lots of of garnish, dressing and chunks of cheese.  if i am going to pay over $7 for a salad, i expect it to be more filling and the cold, spongy wheat pita that came with it did not improve the experience.

when we go to gyro places, darry always orders one in a sandwich.  this time he chose a lamb gyro plate with a side salad.  using the same disposable plate that my salad was on, we watched the lady spread a layer of yellow basmati rice and then top it off with a large spoon full of meat strips from the warmer and add more of the cold, spongy pita bread.  if you have ever eaten a gyro, then you know that you are always offered some tabbouleh and tzatziki sauce, his plate had neither and he wasn't offered any.  his salad was served on a tiny plate and it was a mini version of mine.  we took our plates to the table and ate.  the gyro plate wasn't any less of a disappointment than my salad.  although it really was basmati rice just as the menu promised, it was a funky yellow color that suggested some sort of flavoring mix.  the lamb was nothing more than the same processed meat that you see turning on the spit, just cut into strips.  it looked rather dry and unappetizing so needless to say, i did not ask to try it and he didn't say much about it.  we ate our meals, both remarking that it wasn't much for the money and that we would by hungry again by the time we got to the movie.  the amazing part is that his dinner must have cost about $10, since our total was over $19.  

we were in search of something different since we generally go mexican or asian when we eat out.  it's always nice to try something new but next time we want to go greek or for gyros, we will skip this place and try one of the others in town.  we expected better of a restaurant with more than two locations; the other is in green hills.  it will be interesting to see if brentwood embraces this restaurant or if it just feeds on the overflow of (the always packed with a crowd waiting)  peter's sushi next door. 

nashville farmers market

the food scene in nashville has experienced a dramatic transformation in the last decade.  we have so many great independent restaurants, cafes, coffeehouses and markets to choose from.  there is still an abundance of chain restaurants that the locals can flock to in droves and indulge in gluttonous portions of mediocre food.  for those of us in search of something better, we also have many choices these days.  in all great "food" cities, there are farmers markets that reflect the diversity of their food scene.  when we moved here from san francisco 13 years ago, we visited the nashville farmers market and loved the fact that you could pick produce from the back of a pickup truck; produce that was fresh picked the day before and sold to you by the farmer.  unfortunately, local politics and gross mismanagement led to the near demise of the farmers market.  after a few years, management overhauls and an ongoing renovation of the facility, it is vastly improved.  most of what you see is locally grown, not necessarily by the vendor, but it is from the region and it is fresh and in season.  gone are the businesses that only resold what is generally available in any supermarket.  if you have visited local farmers markets lately, you know that you will find many things besides fresh produce.  many markets feature fresh seafood, meats and poultry, cheeses, breads and baked goods and so much more.  the nashville farmers market generally concentrates on produce but you will also find locally produced preserves and relishes, meats, baked goods,plants as well as fruit trees and shrubs and a small nursery. darry and i had the chance to take a trip to the farmers market today and this is what we saw.

a lovely display of fall gourds and squashes

since it is october, there were pumpkins of all shapes, sizes and colors

in the back side stalls there were giant pumpkins for sale

we aren't the only ones with tomatoes still on the vines.  there were tons of bradleys as well as these heirlooms.  pictured from the top left are green zebras, pineapples, cherokee purple and more pineapples.  we bought some green zebras and pineapples

it's not fall without fresh apples.  these are arkansas blacks.  we have an arkansas black tree out back but it is too small to produce yet.  these are the hardest and crunchiest apples with a sweet and tart flavor.  the south is not known for it's apples but the arkansas black is a native of the area.  most of the apples available today were from michigan and a few from south carolina

smileys of ridgetop, tn had bushels of fresh turnips and we picked up a few as well as a few cucumbers

they also had fresh eggplants, we admired these beauties.  they were firm and very fresh

this fresh picked cauliflower also on display in smiley's was almost as large as a basketball

new hope and lambertville

the toughest part of living in nashville is that no one else in my family lives here.  sure, the four of us have each other but we don't have anyone else close by except "the cousins" in paducah and that is 150 miles from here.  so any chance to travel to areas that have family members is taken and as much as possible is crammed into the days since we know it could be months and sometimes a year or more in between visits.  when i traveled to hyde park for my reunion at the culinary institute, i chose to land in scranton, pa so i could see my family.  

mom and brother steve met me at the airport, if you can really call it that.  scranton-wilkes barre (say that bury and not bar) airport has only one terminal and about a dozen gates; finding someone there is not difficult.  we were met by uncle peter and aunt katherine so that we could all visit and have dinner-not at the airport.  we left the building and headed out to a local restaurant for a late lunch-early dinner.  since none of us really spends much time in scranton, a choice was made to head to a local ruby tuesdays, and that is all i will say about it.  fast food is fast food, even in a place like this it is still fast food since very little of it was made from scratch.  

whenever mom and i get the chance to spend time together, we almost always head out to an antique store or a district that has antique stores.  this trip was no exception.  we packed up early and headed out to lambertville, new jersey and new hope, pennsylvania.  the two towns sit opposite each other on the bank of the delaware river and have shops and restaurants lining the streets.  there is a bridge that connects the two and if you park on one side, you can walk across the bridge to the other.

this horse greeted us when we parked the car in a lot on the new  hope side.  the new hope railroad also has a station here and the old trains run daily.  

we left the parking lot and  began walking down the hill towards the bridge, stopping to browse along the way.  it was a beautiful, warm day and we took a leisurely pace.

many of the old buildings, including the large church have restaurants in them.  this area is a popular weekend getaway and there are also little hotels and inns.

the view down the delaware river from the bridge was beautiful that day.

we decided to stop for lunch in the lambertville station which is situated on the small canal that runs parallel to the river on the new jersey side.

there was a large patio along the canal and old railroad tracks that was being used for a dining area and mom and i sat outside since it was warm and sunny.

we ordered sandwiches, and like all of my previous dining experiences in the region, they weren't very exciting.  i ordered a turkey rueben that according to the menu, featured house roasted turkey.  it was bland and unremarkable and no amount of brown mustard seemed capable of adding any flavor.  mom's choice of the greek pita sandwich seemed intriguing.  she didn't care for the large amount of dried herbs in the mix, either rosemary or oregano, i am not sure.  the homemade chips were dark and crunchy, just they way i like them but i think they needed to be a little thinner; they were a work out for the jaw.  the meal was not particularly expensive, so we were not overly upset, just disappointed.  we decided that the ambiance made up for some of it and since we rarely get the chance to dine together like this, we enjoyed ourselves despite the meal.  

after lunch and further browsing, we walked back across the bridge and headed back towards mom's house in bushkill.

on our trip back, we stopped a few times to browse in antique/junk shops as well as at hot dog johnny for a drink.  we couldn't resist stopping since the place looked like a trip back in time and apparently it is.  then it was time to head home.

flashbacks and future glimpses

nothing else tells you that you're getting older like a twenty five year reunion. when the invitation to attend my 25 year reunion for the Culinary Institute of America arrived, i really didn't plan on attending.  it would be an expense that i just couldn't justify and in all honesty, i hadn't kept up with anyone.  when i received a letter from one of my classmates telling me who was planning on attending, i changed my mind and i am glad i did.  it was awkward at first, i was traveling alone and when i arrived at the school, none of my classmates was there yet.  slowly but surely, they began to gather and a few of us went on a tour of the school.  the changes that have taken place since we graduated are astounding.  it made me envious to see the school that these students attend in comparison to the one that we attended.  

present for the festivities were  in the back from the left; erich, louie, jeff, beth and ken.  in the front row from the left; mark, laird, myself and cynthia. 

after the reception, we went on to the St. Andrews Cafe for dinner.

the food served was excellent, we had fresh saffron pasta with seafood, a wonderful salad and veal chops.  it has been a long time since i ate veal and it was a pleasant change.  every thing served was expertly prepared and the wines accompanying the dishes were well chosen.  after dinner, we went out to the plaza in front of the school for fireworks and then on to the library for a game of culinary jeopardy, students vs. alumni.  the alumni lost, much to our dismay, but there were rumors of cheating (ha ha ha).

saturday's festivities included a continental breakfast buffet in the danny kaye auditorium which is located in the library building.  we had many fresh baked goodies to choose from as well as fresh coffee.  all of the muffins and scones looked wonderful, there were too many to try but the two that i did taste were perfectly baked and i enjoyed them.  there is nothing worse than a dry crumbly scone or muffin.  after breakfast, we were addressed by president tim ryan.  he gave us a thorough account of the schools history and the plans for the future.  the vision for the future is impressive, if i wasn't already an alumnus, i might just enroll.  then it was on to a chocolate tasting.  it was an opportunity to taste different chocolates and compare how the various geographic regions can add to the flavor complexity.  some were fruity and others were almost smoky, any way you look at it, they were all very good which is what i would expect of valrhona chocolate.

after the chocolate tasting, we went on to the Caterina di Medici restaurant for an Italian buffet lunch.  while that may not sound enticing, this was not a trip to the pasta bar.  as a matter of fact, there was very little pasta present.  inside the restaurant, there were three separate buffets, one each for the north, south and central regions of Italy and the food was very different on each buffet.  my favorite was the central region, the duck filled pasta and the roasted stuffed pigeon being my favorites although, the grilled shrimp came pretty close.

when lunch concluded, several of my classmates went on to another demonstration but i chose to leave campus and do a little sight seeing.  my travels took me down to Beacon where i walked the main street district and did a little shopping before returning to my motel room to get ready for dinner.

The final event of the weekend was the big dinner dance on Saturday night.  It was held in what was once called Great Hall, the former chapel when the school was a jesuit seminary.  We gathered in the courtyard first for a reception.  The students served us sparkling wine and seafood to die for.  The shrimp and lobster, presented on skewers for easy consumption,  were perfectly prepared.  However, for me, the best selection was the freshly fried calamari.  Living in Nashville, calamari is hard to find fresh and this was some of the best I have ever eaten.  Lightly breaded and fried, it melted in the mouth and it was tempting to eat large quantities.  Knowing that dinner would be equally impressive, I restrained myself!

the menu was enticing, well planned and we were eager to try it all.

 shrimp and corn chowder is always one of my favorites and this one was exceptional

the argentinian wine served with it was very good as well

the ginger soy dressing on this salad was so tasty.  I could have easily settled for a small trough of greens with that dressing and called it dinner.  it has been a while since i had a glass of gewurztraminer and i forgot how nice it can be.

when dinner arrived, we all laughed at the differences in the size of the meat portions; there were large differences from plate to plate.  my plate had the perfect portion for me.  the baby bok choy and the mixed grain pilaf were excellent and the short ribs were tender enough to fall apart easily.  not being much of a red wine drinker, i did not even taste it, after all the champagne and wine i already had, i decided to abstain.  since i was dining with friends, i found myself distracted and did not take a picture of dessert.  the chocolate bread pudding should have been labeled as jack daniels with a little chocolate bread pudding.  a delicious combination and i enjoyed every bit of it.  the cheesecake with raspberries was very good as well, it had an extremely light and smooth texture that was complimented perfectly by the fresh raspberries. unfortunately, i was not impressed by the peach tart.  the peaches were flavorless and the custard was almost liquid, it ran out of the shell when i attempted to take a fork full.  regardless, the meal was outstanding, the service impeccable and the dancing was fun.  

after spending two days catching up with my classmates and stuffing myself with great food, it was time to head out and venture on to nj to spend time with family.  arriving empty handed always seems odd to me so i searched for a farmers market to find a gift for my dad.  on the way, i stopped in the eveready diner in hyde park, ny.  it is a genuine old diner, it was moved to the site in pieces and it replaced the old lighthouse diner that was once a favorite of cia students.  the food was very good, and the prices very reasonable.  my choice for breakfast was the corned beef hash with eggs and toast.  the potatoes and corned beef were all cooked from fresh and it was some of the best hash i have ever had, and my over easy eggs were perfectly cooked, truly impressive.  i am only sorry that i was dining alone and couldn't taste anything else!

if you want a good indication of an areas food scene, check out the local farmers markets.  this one takes place in rhinebeck, ny on wednesdays and sundays.  by many standards, it is a small market, maybe a dozen or so vendors.  but we all know it is quality, not quantity that matters and this is a quality market.  from fresh flowers to fresh oysters to breads and mushrooms, this 

market has a wonderful selection.  i bought breads-san francisco sourdough, tomatoes-striped germans and chocolate cherries and a small watermelon.

the wiltbank farm in catskill, ny only sells mushrooms.  there were beautiful oyster mushrooms in several shades of pink, orange and yellow and shiitake as well.

migliorelli farm from tivoli, ny and taliaferro farms of new paltz, ny had beautiful produce to choose from.  

patience, please

just got back from a short trip north.  landed in scranton, pa and ventured on through the hudson valley as well as the delaware valley.  lots of pictures and food to share and it is all coming soon!

Final notes on our trip...

In Nashville, your options for coffee are limited.  There are a few good places to go, Portland Brew and Bongo Java come to mind.  For me, either one means a trip in the car and these days, I just do without.  While wandering around San Francisco, we were quickly spoiled by the close proximity of good coffee wherever you are.  While some may think we mean the ever-present Starbucks on every corner, they would be mistaken.  In some parts of San Francisco, you would have to search for one and in others; they just won't let them in.  The North Beach Merchants Association has done a great job of keeping them out.  We were more than happy to get our coffee at Peet's while we were in the city.  They roast all of their beans and we loved the bold, dark roasts.  In plain English, that is a strong dark cup of coffee that only a splash of half and half can compliment.  We brought home a pound of the Guatamala San Sebastian and savored every cup we brewed.

Another coffee hghlight was in Sausalito; we visited Caffe Trieste, which is located near a marina.  After purchasing two more wonderfully dark and rich cups of coffee, we walked over to the boardwalk that runs along the waterfront and sat on a bench looking out at the boats moored in the marina and the view of the bay.  The weather was on the warm side for June, no jacket was required.  Unfortunately, the view was shrouded in smoke from all of the fires that were burning in the area.  Nevertheless, we thoroughly relished the opportunity to sip great coffee alongside so many beautiful boats.

In order to visit all of the places we wanted to see, we turned our trip into a series of day trips, each with a specific destination in mind.  One of those trips was to Berkeley, 4th Street specifically.  The area has been refurbished and is quite trendy now.  Linda accompanied us this day and we started off with a cup of coffee at Peet's and the proceeded to wander through the shops.  We tasted olive oils and vinegar in one shop and Linda purchased a lime olive oil that was very nice.  In another, I found seeds for next springs vegetable garden.

When it came time to eat lunch, Linda surprised us with reservations at Chez Panisse Cafe.  If you haven't been there, the cafe is upstairs from the famed restaurant.  We were seated directly in front of the open kitchen so that we could watch the coming and going of pizzas in the brick oven.  While some may not have enjoyed this location, we did.  It was refreshing to watch a confident and relaxed crew work.  They clearly enjoyed what the were doing and the food on our plates reflected that.  The three of us shared a pizzetta; a small pizza covered in porcini mushrooms and melted cheese.  The crust was thin and blistered the way it should be,  I could have easily eaten the whole thing myself.  In between courses, we snacked on an array of olives and wonderful bread from Acme Bakery.  For our entrees, Darry chose the leg of lamb, I chose a grilled vegetable dish and Linda opted for the rocket (arugula) salad.  At first glance, the plates seemed a bit sparse, as if lunch was little more than a snack.  However, after we began to eat, it occurred to me that this is what reasonably sized portions look like; your plate should not be heaped with food as is the custom in the South.  We were all able to clean our plates and consider dessert afterwards.  Whenever I am willing to indulge in dessert, it is usually chocolate and this menu offered a bittersweet pave with cherries and cream; it was a small, dense and rich cake that is brick shaped, hence the name pave.  Once again, I cleaned my plate. Darry satisfied his sweet tooth and his caffeine fix in one with the espresso served over vanilla ice cream while Linda chose the strawberry sherbet with strawberries and rose petals.  This was a dining experience to remember.  The ever present wait staff was attentive but did not hover, our water glasses were bottomless and we were well taken care of.  It was food from local sources that was well prepared and every bite was savored and will be remembered.  It is no mystery how the place remains a top destination for the seriously food minded.  Alice Waters was a pioneer when she opened Chez Panisse and today her involvement with locally grown products makes her an example to follow.  While so many big names come and go, she has proven that it is possible to stay at the top of your field, helping to form new trends and not become a commercialized cartoon of your former self.  

Note:  the menu at Chez Panisse Cafe, pictured above,  respectfully asks that you not use cell phones or computers at the tables; obviously, I did not break out my camera to photograph our meal. 

Napa Valley

While we were out in California, we went to Napa for a day.  We didn't have a plan in mind, just thought we would go and visit a winery or two, maybe have lunch.  It was a beautiful day and we were excited to be there.  This picture shows the main street running through Saint Helena.  We spent several hours here wandering through shops and tasting olive oil, only we could end up in the heart of the wine country and not taste any wine! Believe it or not, it is common to find shops that sell olive oil and little else.  We tasted many, from flavored ones to different presses. Citrus flavors are popular as are herbs.  Most often, they feature different blends and presses.  Many were too strong for me, I preferred the light blends.  My favorite item to taste was the vinegars.  Even though I am not fond of sour flavors, I preferred tasting vinegar to olive oil.  The balsamic vinegars were wonderful and so were the ones made from sherry.  In one store, they had vinegars made from cherries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries.  Surprisingly enough, they were very palatable.   We also had the chance to sample wonderful flavored salts.  If it was left up to Darry, he would have bought every jar of truffle salt available, he couldn't get enough of it.

When we were on our honeymoon, many years ago, we went to Napa and one of the wineries we visited was Franciscan.  Whenever we are in the area, we always stop in for a quick visit and to see the grounds.  The garden in front of the winery is lined with rows of grapes.

This is a view of the gardens, the grapes line the path on both sides and at the end is a monstrous bench that we have taken many pictures of over the years.

We admit that we do watch some of the shows on the Food Network, not many though.  One of our favorites is Diners, Drive Ins and Dives.  We saw Taylor's Refresher on an episode and decided to stop in for lunch.  They had some of the best burgers we have ever had and the sweet potato fries are great too.  You may think that a burger isn't much to brag about but, these were very good and the price was very reasonable.  We were allowed to request a temperature for the burgers, something a lot of places will not do anymore.  They came to us simply dressed, lettuce, onions, pickles and the secret sauce but no tomatoes due to the salmonella scare.  The sauce is a mayonnaise based dressing that was very good and nothing else was needed.  The fried sweet potatoes are made from fresh raw sweet potatoes and they were nicely seasoned, I could have eaten two orders!  The grounds were nice, lots of picnic tables with umbrellas and a lot of space in between.  We would definitely go back, the burgers are worth the trip.  The full menu is on the website, click on the link above to see it.

Our last stop of the day was a quick visit to the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.  It is an old winery that was converted to the school.  We were not able to take a tour but we did go to the gift shop where I signed some of my books, it was a trip to see them for sale at the CIA!

maiden voyage

This past June, we took a much needed vacation.  with all of the options available, we decided to travel to California.  Linda, Darry's mom, asked us to come out and visit.  Knowing that visiting her and Mike also meant the opportunity to visit friends and old haunts, we couldn't wait to get there.  On our first day, we took the ferry from Larkspur to San Francisco and  we walked  over to Chinatown.  This has always been one of our favorite places to wander in and out of shops and take in the local culture.  Most tourists never make it off Grant Street (pictured above) and it is geared towards them, lots of souvenirs.  We didn't pick up much, just a moon cake mold and lunch. 

If you really want to experience Chinese culture and cuisine, go uphill one block to Stockton Street.  That is where all of the local residents shop and do business.  You will swear that you are in another country.  In the top photo, durians (the world's stinkiest fruit), daikon and cabbage are a common sight.  In the bottom photo, many varieties of choy and citrus fruits are another common sight.  The day we were visiting, cherries were for sale everywhere and they were as cheap as 69 cents per pound-yes less than a dollar.

There are many butcher shops like this one displaying various cooked meats and poultry in the window.

Fresh seafood is available in abundant quantities and varieties that are not common in Nashville.  We even wandered into the one in the bottom photo and watched the women working to clean the fish.

This shop was our favorite find of the day.  It seemed to go on forever, the farther you went back, the more you found!  The fish on display in the front of the store were so colorful and pretty it almost seemed a shame that they were going to be eaten.  Every fish store had shrimp like these.

As we wandered back, we encountered this woman butchering a whole hog.  Due to a camera that does not have a flash, the picture is not very clear.

As we went even farther back, we found a room full of poultry cages.  There was a woman with them and it is my guess that if you wanted a bird, she would have broken it's neck for you so you could take it home.

On our way out, we spied a tub of frogs and a tub of turtles, painted turtles to be exact.  Darry wanted to buy them all so he could release them.  Hard to believe that anyone would want to eat them with everything else that was available.