Conch Chowder – The Boston Version

Of all the foods I tried in Key West last week, Conch Chowder was the recipe that struck me as The One – the one I had to duplicate, that is. The intermingled sounds of reggae, country, and Cuban jazz competing with each other from the nearby bars, the scents of cigar smoke, fried seafood, and suntan lotion, and the company of friends that I can only see after I’ve been felt up by TSA may have enhanced the flavors of the warm, mildly spiced tomato broth and the bits of salty, rich shellfish, but I did not want that bowl of soup to end.

The soup ended. The vacation ended. While city lights and potty-mouthed cabbies immediately conjure up a strange sense of home in my brain, my tastebuds still longed for the Keys, so I went on a mission to find conch and duplicate that delicious chowder.

This mission, while not impossible, was not fruitful. Tropical Foods, a Latin American/Caribbean Grocer located near Boston’s Dudley Square neighborhood, sells conch. Unfortunately, $55/pound is just not feasible for me, so I ended up back at square one – yearning for conch chowder, no conch.

Quahog

Fate must have been on my side, because just when I had mentally given up on my conch chowder, I spotted live quahogs at the grocery store. For my non-New Englanders, quahogs are large, hard-shell clams that weigh about a half-pound each in the shell. Once shucked, the meat inside is about the size of a golf ball, with a texture resembling calamari more than New England’s beloved steamer clams. Interestingly, one of our first stops in the Florida Keys was Alabama Jack’s, a roadside bar known for its conch fritters and sassy elderly dancers—where the New Englanders among us tried conch fritters for the first time. One girl compared the flavor and texture of conch to our quahogs.

To me, finding live quahogs was the equivalent of having my cake and eating it too – I could have my conch chowder, with a New England twist!


Conch Chowder – The Boston Version

Quahog, shelled

8 quahogs*
3 slices streaky bacon, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 potato, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3-4 leafy celery stalks, chopped
8 allspice berries, crushed
2 large bay leaves, torn
1 t / 5 g dried thyme
5 roma tomatoes, diced
1 canned chile in adobo, minced
2-3 carrots, shredded using the large holes of a box grater
3.5 c / 830 mL shellfish stock
Juice of 1 lime
1 green onion, sliced
Large handful cilantro, chopped

First, prepare the quahogs. Place them in a large pot with a splash of water, and steam for about 6-8 minutes, or until the shells open up a bit. Quahogs will not open like small clams or mussels, they simply gape a bit. Remove from heat, and once the shells are cool enough to touch, pry the shells apart and remove the meat. Chop into small bits and set aside.

In a large stockpot, heat the bacon over medium-high heat. Cook 3-5 minutes or until the bacon is crisp, then add the onion, potato, red and green pepper, and celery. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened.

Place the crushed allspice, bay leaves, and thyme in a mesh tea ball or in cheesecloth (if using cheesecloth, tie it into a small packet). Add the tea ball or cheesecloth packet to the stockpot, along with the tomatoes, the chile, the carrots, and the shellfish stock. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Now, add the conch meat, lime juice, green onion, and cilantro. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, and serve hot. Note, this tastes much better when served outdoors with cigars burning and reggae on the iPod!


* If you do not live in New England, quahogs may be difficult to locate – the landlocked can substitute a half-pound (500g) regular fresh steamed clams or canned whole clams. For authenticity’s sake, you can also substitute canned conch (available at Amazon.com), but it is quite expensive.

Nutritional information: serves six. 437 calories, 8.2 g fat, 70 g carbohydrates, and 20 g protein per serving.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Soup doesn't seem like an instinctive dish to serve in the summer, but some soups, especially ones made with perfectly ripe summer veggies, work best when the sun is shining. One of my favorite summer soups is based on roasted red peppers, and it goes together in no time. While I won't hunt you down and scold you if you use roasted red peppers from a jar, I'll warn you - roasted red peppers from a jar ALWAYS taste like roasted red peppers from a jar. To experience this soup the way it's meant to be, roast your own red peppers - it's super easy. Click here for instructions.

Try serving this soup alongside grilled sausages, corn on the cob, and cold beers - this is summer patio food at its best!
　
　
Roasted Red Pepper Soup

1 T. coconut oil or other vegetable oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
3-4 cups chicken broth
3 roasted red peppers, chopped
1/2 t. cayenne
1/4 t. allspice
salt and finely ground black pepper
juice and zest of 1 lime

garnish (optional)
1/4 sour cream
1 T. lime juice
dusting of cayenne
　
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion has softened, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes begin to break down and release their juices.

Place the tomatoes in a food processor or blender with 1 cup of the chicken broth, and puree until smooth (you can add more chicken broth if necessary). Pour the the puree to the soup pot.

Now, add the roasted red peppers and another cup of the chicken broth to the blender or food processor, and again, puree until smooth. Pour this puree into the soup pot along with the tomato puree. Add the remaining chicken broth, cayenne, allspice, salt and pepper to taste, and lime juice to the soup pot. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bubbles start to form at the surface.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle a bit of the lime zest on top. If you choose to make the sour cream garnish, simply whisk the sour cream, lime juice, and cayenne together in a bowl. Using a spoon, gently drizzle it in any pattern you like on top of the soup.

Variation:  I originally made this soup with Italian-style seasonings - olive oil instead of coconut oil, and fresh oregano instead of allspice.  I posted the above version because it's my latest recipe, but to make the original recipe, simply replace the coconut oil with olive oil, omit the allspice, and instead use approximately 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, and add a few strips of chiffonade-cut basil to the lime zest garnish. 

　

No Leftovers Left Behind

These days, I've been doing a lot of cooking for one.  Not necessarily a bad thing, but solitary cooking does carry with it the drawback of having tons of leftovers, leaving me to ask myself, "Why did I feel it necessary to cook an entire pound of potatoes to make one salade nicoise for myself?" and "Why did I make about two cups of aji paste when I only needed 2 teaspoons?"  My poor roommate is probably asking, "How on God's green earth does one person manage to take up so much fridge space?!?" 

If this sounds all too familiar, it's time to set aside your gripes about logistics and volume because leftovers leave the home cook with endless possibilities.  Me?  I've got nothin' but love for leftovers, so I'll share with you some of my favorite ways to transform leftovers into entirely new and exciting dishes.

If you have leftover aji paste:

Spicy Tuna Salad

2 cans tuna in olive oil
1/4 c. sour cream
1 T. aji paste
1 T.  lemon or lime juice
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until blended.  Serve on tortilla crisps. 


If you have lots of leftovers from making Nicoise Peruvienne:

Aji Potato Salad

2 c. cooked potatoes, chilled
2 T. aji paste
1/4 c. sour cream
steamed green beans, sliced into 1-in lengths
handful chopped cilantro
splash olive oil
splash lemon juice


If you have leftover roast chicken or duck:

(Really?  Who has leftover duck?!?)

Spinach Salad with Roast Poultry

2 c. baby spinach
1/2 c. roast chicken or duck, shredded
1/2 c. soft cheese seasoned with herbs and/or garlic
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 hard-cooked egg, chopped
vinaigrette

Combine ingredients in a salad bowl and toss with vinaigrette. 



If you have leftover beef or pork:

(Again, really?!?)

Fried Rice

2 T. soy sauce
2 t. toasted sesame oil
1 t. grated fresh ginger
pinch crushed red chile flakes

sesame oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup cold cooked rice (must be cold, or it will turn mushy!)
1/2 c. cooked beef or pork
1/2 c. frozen peas
2 green onions, sliced into rings


First, make the stir-fry sauce by combining the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and chile flakes in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat.  When hot, add a teaspoon or so of sesame oil.  Add the beaten egg.  Stir-fry the egg until it is firm.  Remove from wok and set aside.  Add more sesame oil if necessary, and add the cold rice.  Stir fry until the rice begins to crisp and is completely coated with the sesame oil.  Remove from wok and set aside (you can combine it with the egg). 

Now, add the beef or pork, peas, and green onions.  Stir fry for a minute or two, then add the stir fry sauce and stir fry for an additional 2-3 minutes.  Finally, add the rice and egg to the mixture, blend until rice is coated with the sauce, and serve hot.


If you have random leftover vegetables:

Soup:
Throw them in a pot with some chicken broth, a small can of tomatoes, and a can of cannelini beans.  Simmer for 20 minutes and woohoo, you made soup!

Pasta:
Throw your veggies in a pot with some Classico brand Alfredo sauce.  Add a little cooked chicken if you'd like.  Heat up the sauce over medium-low heat, add some cooked short pasta (such as rotini), and woohoo, you made veggie alfredo!

Polenta:
Make a batch of polenta following the recipe given here, and add diced veggies along with the butter.

Simple Southwestern-style Squash Soup

The other day, I had a craving for soup. Considering that I'd spent the previous afternoon and evening on a pub crawl, I didn't have much faith in my ability to concoct anything edible, but before I grabbed my ever-growing stack of take-out menus, I decided to put forth a little effort and scan my cabinets to see if I could come up with something simple. I found a box of chicken broth in the cabinet and some cooked pumpkin in the freezer. With some bacon and southwestern-style spices, I could turn these convenient ingredients into a fantastic pureed soup similar to one Bobby Flay served at Mesa Grill!   

While I used pumpkin, any type of cooked winter squash will work with this recipe. You can find frozen squash in the freezer case at most grocery stores; keep some handy and you'll be able to whip up a spectacular soup in under 15 minutes!
　
Southwestern-style Squash Soup

1 T. bacon fat
1 T. cumin seeds, toasted and ground
2 t. chipotle chile flakes
1 small onion, minced
2 cups cooked squash(thawed if frozen), diced
3-4 cups chicken broth
2 t. chili seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil, for garnish
crumbled bacon, for garnish
toasted flax seeds, for garnish

In a large soup pot, melt the bacon fat over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, chipotle flakes, and onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent.

Add the onion and spice mixture to a blender with the pumpkin and the chicken broth. Blend until liquified (depending on the size and strength of your blender, you may have to work in batches). Return the pumpkin blend to the soup pot. Add the chili seasoning, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil.

When soup is ready to serve, ladle it into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon and toasted flax seeds.

Cold Weather Favorites

Yours truly, sporting sunglasses!

Ladies and gentlemen, summer in Boston is officially over.  Mother nature has been toying with us for several weeks now, temperatures dropping a few degrees here or there, but summer wasn't quite ready to give up the fight until this weekend.  Three events occurred that prove my point - the Red Sox ended their season, I spent Saturday with my best friends at Harpoon Brewery's annual Oktoberfest, and the temperature dropped low enough for my radiators to start churning out heat.  Because I am a food lover, I am not sad.  Cold weather ushers in a whole new assortment of delicious dishes, and when I woke up yesterday morning freezing cold and longing for an extra blanket, a light bulb appeared over my head.  That light bulb was shaped like a steamy bowl of soup.

Is there anything more cozy and comforting on a cold day than a pair of soft pajama pants, an oversized sweatshirt, and the smell of soup simmering on the stove?  If you come up with something, let me know - I'm at a loss.  Yesterday, I made a hearty pasta and bean soup (pasta fagioli), along with a pork tenderloin that I marinated in a garlicky-wine mixture and braised alongside kalamata olives.  The results were delicious, especially when washed down with a glass of Chianti, Tuscany's famous dry red.  Try these recipes for yourself when the temperature drops!


Pasta Fagioli (Italian pasta and bean soup)

Italian cooks traditionally add the rind of a wedge of parmesan or pecorino cheese to soups - it imparts a delicious, rich flavor without any heaviness.

2 oz. pancetta. sliced into small bits
1 small onion, minced
3 carrots, minced
3 celery ribs, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 bay leaves
1/4 t. cracked black pepper
1/4 t. crushed red chile flakes
4 cups chicken broth
1 lb. fresh tomatoes
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 can cannelini or borlotti beans
rind from piece of parmesan/pecorino
1 cup dry ditalini
splash olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot, fry the pancetta bits over medium-high heat until they began to crisp up.  Next, add the onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, and chile flakes, and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.  Do not let the onion and garlic burn.

Now, add the chicken broth, tomatoes, thyme, cannelini beans, and the parmesan/pecorino rind.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce to a simmer.  Cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes. 

In the meantime, cook the ditalini in boiling water.  Be careful not to overcook it - in fact, it is better to drain it when the pasta is somewhat undercooked, since they will absorb more liquid once it is added to the soup.

After the pasta has cooked and the soup has simmered, add the cooked pasta to the soup pot.  Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to release any of the browned pancetta bits that haven't yet made their way into the broth.  Continue stirring for about 5 minutes, then add a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Stir again, test for seasonings, and add a little more salt and/or pepper if necessary.  Ladle into bowls and serve steaming hot.

 

Braised Pork Tenderloin with Kalamata Olives

2 T. olive oil, plus extra for browning
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme
1/4 - 1/2 t. crushed black pepper
1 c. dry red or white wine, plus extra if necessary
1 2-3 lb. pork tenderloin
1 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped

Combine all the ingredients except the kalamata olives in a lidded container large enough to hold all the ingredients and allow them to move freely.  Allow the pork to marinate for at least 2 hours (up to 24), turning occasionally. 



Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pan with a lid for about 1 minute over high heat.  Add a splash of olive oil, enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.  Remove the pork from its marinade (reserving the marinade for the next step), shake off excess liquid, and add to the pan.  Brown the pork on all sides until no pink is showing and a brown crust begins to form. 

Next, add the reserved marinade and the kalamata olives to the pan, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for approximately 35 minutes.  Turn the pork 2-3 times throughout the cooking process.  If you see that the liquid is evaporating too quickly, add a bit more wine. 

Remove the pork loin from the pan, set aside to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.  Then, slice pork into half-inch thick rounds, and spoon some of the olive-wine mixture from the pan over the pork slices.  Garnish with fresh thyme and serve.

Miso Soup with Soba Noodles and Tempeh

Yes, I am aware that this headline might inspire you to ask, "Um, are you cooking soup, or are you trying to see how many ingredients most Americans can't identify will fit into a stockpot?"  Valid question.  After cooking this soup, I did notice that most of the ingredients aren't common in American cooking.  Good.  At least it's not boring. 

Everything I've eaten and cooked this week has been either vegetarian or vegan.  This started out as a choice, but it kind of turned into a default when I realized I had a lot of leftovers, and then it became an experiment - how long can I cook vegetarian and vegan food?  I do love vegetarian food, and I will cook vegetarian and vegan recipes in the future - but I am really starting to miss seafood.  Although I seem to have stumbled across a magnificent loophole - although subject to much debate, some claim that vegans can eat oysters because oysters have no central nervous system and cannot feel pain.  I mean, they are kind of blob-like...but I digress.  Back to the soup....



Tung Ho

 There are several ingredients in this soup that are not common - szechuan peppercorns, which taste almost like a pungent, mentholated coriander seed or a peppercorn that's lost it's spicy kick; tempeh, a cake of fermented soybeans and grains with a nutty flavor and slightly chewy texture; tung ho, an asian vegetable whose name sounds like something mean girls would call each other, is available in better supermarkets, and its flavor resembles grassy spinach; and miso, which is fermented soybean paste with a delicate, mellow flavor.  If you've never tried any of these things, please give this soup a try - it will be a delicious surprise!


Miso Soup with Soba Noodles and Tempeh

Tempeh

6 cups vegetable broth
1 T. minced fresh ginger
1 t. szechuan peppercorns
1 t. chipotle pepper flakes
4 oz. tempeh, diced
3 T. white miso (sometimes called "mellow miso")
4 oz. soba noodles
2 T. soy sauce
2 cups tung ho leaves
green onion, sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)

Combine the vegetable broth, ginger, szechuan peppercorns, chipotle flakes, and tempeh in a large soup pot.  Bring to a boil.  Now, add the miso, and stir until miso has dissolved in the boiling broth. 

Add the soba noodles and cook until the noodles are soft.  Now, add the soy sauce and tung ho leaves.  Stir once or twice until the leaves are limp.  Remove from heat, ladle into bowls, and serve, garnishing with green onion, a few drops of sesame oil, and a pinch of toasted sesame seeds. 

Mother-Daughter Mealtime

This weekend, I’m off to Portsmouth, NH to visit my mom for the holiday weekend.  I generally don't like to brag, but I hit the Mom Lotto.  A “foodie” long before the term was coined, my mother is the reason I’m able to write this blog.  She is a far better cook than I will ever be, she bought organic and local produce two decades before it became trendy, and she taught me some of my most important lessons in the kitchen – lemons are a girl’s best friend, don’t buy cheap meat, always wash your produce, be very careful with raw chicken, and if something can’t get past your nose, it shouldn’t get past your mouth.


On top of these practical lessons, I learned something far more valuable from my mom – how to enjoy food.  This wasn’t taught through lessons and instructions, but through practice.  If I wanted to try something, she allowed me to try it.  If I didn’t like something, she didn’t make me eat it.  And never – not even once – did she express that certain foods were “bad” or that eating them should make me feel guilty.  In her house, white chocolate raspberry mousse didn’t lead to self-loathing, it led to seconds.  We always ate dinner together, even if it was on the run before one of my ballet lessons or after one of her grad school classes.  Many of my best memories are centered around food, and to this day, I always smile when my mom taste-tests one of her creations and proclaims, “DAMN, I’m good!”  Yes, Ma, you certainly are.

I’m not sure what we’ll cook together this weekend.  Usually, unless I have a craving and request something in advance (her cold cucumber soup is one of my favorites – recipe below), we shop together, and if we see a certain vegetable or a cut of meat that looks especially good, we’ll center the meal around that item.  When we’re in the kitchen together, it’s not always smooth sailing – she hides bacon from me and makes fun of the way I chop (“Honey, are they going to taste different if they’re not all the exact same size?”).  I eat half the ingredients before they even make it into the pot, and I get agitated when the vegetable slices aren’t all the exact same size (“It’s just better that way, don’t you think it would be better if you cut those two more evenly?...[pause]...Dude, why are you giving me that look?”).  Differences aside, I never eat better than I do when I cook with my mom.

The one thing that I know for sure is on this weekend’s menu is pancakes.  I can’t cook a pancake to save my life, so for the sake of this blog, I’m making my mom supervise me and guide me through the process.  Feel free to laugh – I’d laugh at me, too, because someone who makes raviolis from scratch should be able to flip a flippin’ pancake.  Other possibilities? Fried Green Tomatoes, Grilled Radicchio, Walnut Chicken? We will probably visit the Portsmouth Farmers’ Market, Applecrest Farm, the Meat House, Seaport Fish, Stonewall Kitchen, and/or Golden Harvest; whatever these markets have in stock will determine what we cook and eat.

If I get some downtime this weekend, I’ll post pics and recipes, but until then, follow Bacon, Butter & Booze on Facebook and Twitter for sneak previews!



Cold Cucumber Soup
1/4c. minced onion
2T. butter
1 baking potato, peeped and diced.
1 organic English cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
2T. chopped parsley
2c. chicken broth
1/4t. dry mustard
Pinch cayenne
1c. evaporated milk
Salt to taste

Saute the onion lightly in butter.  Add remaining ingredients except milk and salt.  Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.  Cool on the stove.  Chill in the fridge, then puree in a blender.  Strain through a fine-meshed sieve.  Whisk the milk and salt into the strained soup.  Chill again, if necessary, and serve cold.

Chicken Soup for the Sinuses

Two days in a row without cooking?  Not cool, I know.  I'm not feeling so hot tonight.  Nothing sounds good, and I could have gone to bed at 7:30 and slept through the night.  But, I need to eat something; if I go to bed hungry, I'll wake up in the middle of the night even hungrier and won't fall asleep until I eat. 

Because I feel like I may be fighting off a cold or a sinus infection, I'll share some of my go-to foods that I eat when I'm sick:  Pastini in chicken broth, Bolthouse Farms Carrot Juice, Traditional Medicinals Lemon Echinacea Throat Coat Tea, Ceres Apricot Juice, and boiled white rice with butter and chile flakes. Each of these foods and drinks is either nutrient-dense or calorie-dense - after all, being dehydrated and malnourished will delay the recovery process.

Pastini in Chicken Broth
1 clove garlic
1 cup chicken broth
1T. pastini
splash lemon juice

Smash the garlic clove with the flat edge of a knife.  Peel the papery skin off the garlic and add the smashed clove to the chicken broth in a small saucepan.  Bring the chicken broth to a boil.  When broth is boiling, add pastini and cook until it is slightly overdone.  Pour into a bowl, add a splash of lemon juice, and eat while it's steaming hot. 

Variation - if you're really sick, add a handful of cubed silken tofu to the chicken broth - it contains a lot of nutrition, including protein, and the texture won't irritate a sore throat.

Callaloo Recipe

I promised you my Callaloo recipe, so here it is for those of you interested.  This recipe was adapted from the Joy of Cooking 75th Anniversary edition - I used their ingredients but did not follow the proportions (all the measurements given below are estimates).  It is very simple - if you can chop and stir, you can make this recipe.  It goes together rather quickly, but the prep work is time consuming, so this isn't a stew to make if you're looking for something quick.  Save this for a rainy weekend and freeze the leftovers.

Callaloo:
5 strips bacon, sliced into 1/2" pieces
1/2 red onion, minced
1 small bunch green onions, sliced
1/4lb. ham, diced

1 large bunch callaloo, leaves only, cut into bite-sized pieces*
4 cups chicken or seafood stock (seafood stock recipe follows)
1t. fresh thyme
1/2t. chile flakes
1 can coconut milk
1 cup fresh or frozen okra**
1 fillet tilapia, sliced into bite-sized chunks
1/4lb. crab or shrimp
salt and pepper
boiled rice, to serve


* If you cannot find fresh callaloo, canned callaloo can be purchased online.

The first thing I did was prepare the ingredients.  This took about half a decade, but I am admittedly very slow at doing prep work.  That's what happens when you get a neurotic cook who needs to have every slice of onion the exact same size...

First step to the cooking is to fry the bacon in the bottom of a large stock pot until it crisps up.  Then, add the red and green onion and the ham, stirring regularly, until the onion turns translucent. 

Next, add the callaloo, seafood stock, and thyme.  *If you are using fresh okra, add it during this step.  You probably won't be able to see any of the liquid, but this is OK - the leaves cook down quickly. Think of them as edible shrinky-dinks. Place cover on your stockpot, bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook gently until the callaloo leaves have wilted down.

Once the leaves are cooked down, stir several times, then add the coconut milk, tilapia, crab or shrimp, chile flakes, and salt & pepper to taste.  **If you are using frozen okra, add it during this step.  Cook for 5 - 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the fish is translucent and flaky. 



Serve over hot boiled rice.

There you have it - a yummy stew.  Although this was good, I felt like it needed something else, but I couldn't place my finger on what.  Next time I make this, I'm going to try adding a little lime juice - I think something acidic could give it a little punch.  Don't get me wrong, the stuff is rather delicious.  Thank God, because I have enough to feed me for the rest of the week! 

Here is how to make a basic seafood stock:  Anytime you eat fish, shrimp, lobster, etc., save the shells, bones, and trimmings.  Also, some markets sell fish heads, which are perfect for making stock.  You can make as much or as little as you'd like - whatever the measurement of seafood bits you use, use 1.5 times as much water (i.e. if you use 1 cup of shrimp shells, use 1.5 cups water).  Boil it with a little salt & pepper and a squirt of lemon juice, reduce to a simmer, and taste throughout - simmer less time for a milder stock, and simmer longer for a stronger flavor.  It freezes well. 

Vamos comer!