It’s cookie week here at Putting It All on the Table. Each day I’m going to share great cookie tidbits with you from my book Cookie: A Love Story. Today’s post showcases a cookie most of us enjoyed as kids – animal crackers! You probably played with the box and cookies just as I did as a kid, but did you ever wonder about their origin?

“Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?” – unknown

Animal crackers are a favorite of children and a grocery store staple. Animal crackers did not, however, begin as an American cookie. In the late 1800s crackers called animals were imported from England. They were very popular among children and American bakers soon began to bake them here – the Dozier-Weyl Cracker Company and the Holmes and Coutts Company, both predecessors of the National Biscuit Company (which became Nabisco) and Stauffer Biscuit, which began making the cookie in 1871. The American made versions were called animals or circus crackers. Like today’s animal crackers, they were slightly sweet, crunchy cookies in the shape of animals. Philadelphia’s Centennial Exposition in 1876 included animal shaped cookies called ‘zoologicals,’ which were made by baker Walter G. Wilson. Popularity of the crackers increased in England after P.T. Barnum’s circus appeared there in 1889, although his name was not applied to them yet.

If you enjoyed this small taste of cookie history, there’s lots more to be found in Cookie: A Love Story, where I trace the history of the cookie from its origins on hot rocks next to prehistoric fires to today’s highly processed and packaged versions.

An early recipe for the crackers appeared in Secrets of the Bakers and Confectioners’ Trade, a commercial cooking book written by J. D. Hounihan in 1883:

Animals or Menagerie
1 bbl flour, 40 lbs sugar, 16 lard, 12 oz soda, 8 ozs ammonia, 6 3/4 gals milk.

No instructions were included.

In 1902 the National Biscuit Company began selling the cookies nationally. The famous circus box was released for Christmas, 1902, at a price of 5 cents per box, and was designed to hang on a Christmas tree by the string handle (this design is still used today, although you can buy the cookies in zipper bags and tins as well).

The name Barnum’s Animal Crackers was first used in 1948. The cookie was named after the famous circus owner, P.T. Barnum, although he never was paid for the use of his name. Since the first box, there have been 53 different animals included at different times. Current boxes contain a variety of 22 different animals, including the koala which was voted in by consumers in 2002 for the 100^th anniversary of the cookie (beating out the penguin, cobra and walrus). Each box has 260 calories.

Today the cookies remain very much the same as they always have been. The ingredients remain the same. The manufacturing methods have slightly changed. Until 1958, the cookies were made in a sheet of dough and stamped out by a cutter. After that date, rotary dies, which are still used today, were implemented.  The cookies take only four minutes to bake. Over 40 million packages are sold per year.

Animal crackers are also sold by Austin (a division of Keebler) and Stauffer Biscuit (which uses some spices in their cookies). Cadbury’s makes chocolate covered animal crackers. Borden also made animal crackers until the 1970s. Two by Two Animal Biscuits are made by Artisan Biscuits in Derbyshire, England in the shape of animals from fables, such as the tortoise and the hare.

Animal crackers have spurred some artistic creativity. In 1971, Christopher Morley’s book The Philosopher Poet  included this poem:

“Animal crackers and cocoa to drink,

That is the finest of suppers I think;

When I am grown up and can have what I please’

I think I shall always insist upon these.”

The cookies have also inspired a song sung by Shirley Temple, “Animal Crackers in My Soup,” in the 1938 movie “Curly Top.”

If you enjoyed learning about animal crackers, there is an entire chapter in Cookie: A Love Story that tells the stories of different types of cookies.

It’s cookie week here at Putting It All on the Table. Each day I’m going to share great cookie tidbits with you from my book Cookie: A Love Story. Today’s post showcases a cookie most of us enjoyed as kids – animal crackers! You probably played with the box and cookies just as I did … Read more →

I often feel like the buns I get for sandwiches or burgers are just too big. They do sell thinner buns called Sandwich Thins, but since I’m gluten free those don’t work for me. What I do instead at home is to cut the middle third out of my buns (you can freeze this and use it for stuffing or breadcrumbs).

In restaurants, when you get a bun that is already sliced, I cut a little less then half off the top and bottom halves and put them back together.

Not only does this make them easier to eat, but it cuts your calorie count.

I often feel like the buns I get for sandwiches or burgers are just too big. They do sell thinner buns called Sandwich Thins, but since I’m gluten free those don’t work for me. What I do instead at home is to cut the middle third out of my buns (you can freeze this and … Read more →

St. Martin is two countries on one island – St. Maarten is Dutch and St. Martin is French. If you want stupendous French food, head to the tiny surprise of Grand Case in St. Martin. This quiet town looks like absolutely nothing when you drive through it. You can’t see the water, and restaurants and storefronts are somewhat dilapidated (they look much better at night!). You might shrug your shoulders and not bother to get out of the car. You must. By night, Grand Case comes alive. The shops open and the restaurants throw

open their doors and windows. If you’re there on a Tuesday, there is a night market and this is THE place to be.

Half of the restaurants are located directly over the beach (the others are across the street with no view at all), so your views are stunning if choose to dine on that side of the street. All of the restaurants are rather small and open air, most of your waitstaff will have French accents, and the food is amazing. The combination of French techniques with fresh seafood will make you feel as if you are in five star restaurants, not wearing sandals and a t-shirt (all of the restaurants in Grand Case are casual – at the most you might want to go with capri pants or a casual skirt, but there were people in shorts).

We did make a reservation one evening, but they seemed unnecessary. There were plenty of tables available.

L’Estaminet

The best meal we had in Grand Case, bu far, was at L’Estaminet. This comfy spot doesn’t have a water view, but it’s still charming. This restaurant is very small (no more than 12 tables) but it offers creative French dishes. They also get big bonus points because they actually identify a gluten-free dish on their menu (a risotto dish). Seeing that, I asked if they had other items that were gluten free. The owner came out to talk to me and walked me through the menu, telling me exactly what dishes could be prepared gluten free. I was so grateful and appreciated the care she took to ensure I had a wonderful

meal. It was clear that it was important to her that all her guests had a good experience with food that is carefully and thoughtfully prepared.

Since my choices were somewhat limited, I decided to start with a cheese plate, which is usually served as a dessert course ( apologized to the waitress, knowing I was making myself look like an ignorant American). It included Camembert and goat cheese as well as greens, pine nuts and a truffle honey. I could have eaten just that and walked away completely satisfied. The cheese was creamy and rich and was complemented perfectly with the greens, pine nuts and honey. It would have been a perfect dessert course as well.

My daughter began with salmon cubed with tabouli and a peanut butter glaze, served with yuzu chips and smoked salt. The peanut butter glaze was a wonderful flavor with the salmon (surprisingly).

For our main courses, I enjoyed salmon stuffed with monkfish, bacon, and a white bean and cashew hummus, foie gras foam, rice, carrots with cinnamon, Creole cabbage, and zucchini with orange. It was a bit salty due to the bacon, but I ate every bite. The hummus was a nice (and unexpected) combination.

My daughter enjoyed half a lobster (spiny lobster) with truffle salt, and truffle butter. You can’t go wrong with lobster and she adores truffles,

so she was in heaven.

We of course had dessert. I had a trio of crème brûlée – vanilla, chocolate, and ginger, all of which arrived at the table flambé! Since I  had creme brulee several times during this trip, I can tell you this was the best version of all of them. Quinne had an apricot cake with salted caramel butter, mint mojito granita, and mint bubbles. The mint bubbles were really fun and a lovely end to the meal.

At the end of the meal, the serve brought a small plate with two round white disks that looked like Tums. She poured hot water on them and they expanded into warm towels to wipe our hands with. It was a very nice touch.

 

La Villa

Tripadvisor names La Villa as the best restaurant in Grand Case, so of course we had to try it. This was also not on the water, but it was a cute little building with gingerbread detailing. We had a bit of a difficult time with the staff understanding us. My gluten issue was confusing to them. I ended up starting with a rockfish  soup, which they promised had no flour or gluten. It arrived and I knew immediately it had been made with a roux, which uses flour. I chose

not to eat that and instead had a salad. Quinne began with crab profiteroles, which were delightful. For our entrees, I enjoyed lobster, shrimp, and scallops with a garlic butter sauce, and she had chicken stuffed with lobster. Everything was tasty and prepared nicely.

We had dessert – pineapple carpaccio with raspberry sorbet and mango tartar for me (a bit hard to cut and eat since the pineapple was so thin) and chocolate cake for her.

The food was nowhere near as creative as L’Estaminet and the service was scattered and tedious. I’m

not sure why this is top ranked on Tripadvisor, honestly.

L’Escapade

This was the only waterfront restaurant we enjoyed in Grand Case and with a table right at the railing and the surf crashing beneath us, it was a stunning setting. As the night grew darker we enjoyed the lights on the sailboats anchored offshore.

The staff here was able to understand my gluten problem. I started with scallop,

mussels and leeks in a foamy cream sauce. I have never tasted mussels so tender and delightful. There was nothing chewy or tough about them. This dish got a perfect 10 from me. Quinne had salmon tartare which she loved. I had snapper with risotto and

a grapefruit sauce for my main course. I am generally not a fan of grapefruit, but it was a wonderful counter note to the fish and rice. Quinne had duck breast with foie gras and a port wine sauce. Traditional French food that she adored. Again, I

had crème brûlée (no other choices) which was average and Quinne had a huge, impressive soufflé with a chocolate sauce that was wonderful but too big for one person.

Talk of the Town

Although Grand Case is known for its French food, right in the center of town are 6 lolos, or barbecue joints. We stopped here for lunch one day, having heard rave reviews.

The lolos are the ultimate in casual dining – picnic tables under a roof, plastic menus, and plastic silverware and paper plates.

We chose Talk of the Town. The menus are not very descriptive and our server was too busy with her teenage daughter who had just returned from school

and a family member with a baby to show much interest in us. I didn’t even try to discuss my gluten intolerance because the communication barriers were huge. I ordered shrimp,  thinking everything there was being grilled. Wrong. It was cooked stovetop and served with a curry sauce, which first of all I don’t care for, and secondly probably contained gluten. So I basically skipped lunch just to be safe. Quinne got a half lobster which was grilled (go figure). Mine also had rice,

corn on the cob, and plantains. Quinne’s came with “macaroni salad” which was actually Kraft mac and cheese, cold, with some vegetables mixed in.  I wouldn’t bother with the lolos again if I returned. It sounds like great local food, but honestly the places were filled with tourists like us and there

was nothing fantastic to be had.

That being said, Grand Case is the place to go for good food on St. Martin. You could dine here every night at a different place and be well-fed. Even at La Villa, the food was worth eating and could not be described as a bad meal.

St. Martin is two countries on one island – St. Maarten is Dutch and St. Martin is French. If you want stupendous French food, head to the tiny surprise of Grand Case in St. Martin. This quiet town looks like absolutely nothing when you drive through it. You can’t see the water, and restaurants and … Read more →

For Easter, I made a recipe called Gigi’s Carrot Cake, from Emeril.  This is a to die for carrot cake! The best one I’ve ever had.

I used Cup4Cup gluten free flour in place of regular flour and it was not noticeable in any way. The recipe says to make 3 layers – I have always made this cake with 2 layers (who has 3 identical cake pans?). If you make this, there is just barely enough frosting, so you might consider making a bit more so you don’t feel like you have to skimp. The recipe says to add chopped pecans to the frosting, but I prefer to just sprinkle some on top.

Everyone loved this cake – it’s a real winner!

For Easter, I made a recipe called Gigi’s Carrot Cake, from Emeril.  This is a to die for carrot cake! The best one I’ve ever had. I used Cup4Cup gluten free flour in place of regular flour and it was not noticeable in any way. The recipe says to make 3 layers – I have … Read more →

Recently, I was lucky enough to be invited to visit Perry’s Ice Cream for a tour and ice cream taste testing of their new flavors. And I got to bring a guest, which meant that my husband has now checked an item off his bucket list: become an ice cream taste tester!

Pick Perry’s

If you don’t live in NY or PA, you’ve probably never heard of Perry’s, but anyone from around these parts thinks of them as THE ice cream company (and might remember the “Pick Perry’s” jingle). Perry’s ice cream is found in schools, hospitals, grocery stores, and ice cream stands, often to the exclusion of other brands. It’s THE brand you buy if you live around here. If you live in the Buffalo, NY area, you grew up eating Perry’s. I went to Perry’s on a field trip as a child and when I was a teenager, my first job was scooping Perry’s ice cream at an ice cream shop. That is where I

met and fell in love with my first love: Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream.

I now know why Perry’s ice cream tastes better than any other brand. They cook their ice cream for two hours to develop the flavor, instead of using an instant pasteurization method, as most national brands do. It truly does result in creamier, more flavorful ice cream. Perry’s makes 75 flavors (crazy, right?) and produces 13 million gallons a year.  This 95-year-old local company is well-loved and appreciated and anyone who knows the brand can taste the difference. They source their ingredients locally as well – 98% of the milk they use is from local farms.

All of the taste testers in the room were asked to name their favorite flavor of Perry’s ice cream and of the 20 or so people there, nobody chose the same flavor!

The Tour

Our experience was fun afternoon. We learned about the history of Perry’s, which is a family-owned company, now in its 4th generation of Perry’s (it’s always great to see a locally-owned company that is family-owned) and employing over 300 locals. We got to see the production line, hear about the huge strides they make with sustainability (setting industry standards in many ways), and meet many wonderful people. We also were invited into the 25

degree below zero storage freezer where they keep ALL the ice cream. It was COLD.

Taste Testing

The best part was of course the tasting. Lest you think it was all fun and games, we did learn how to really taste and evaluate ice cream.

• First, evaluate for aroma
• Next, consider the feeling factors. There are two categories of these: temperature and chemical feeling (spicy, cooking, astringent, prickly)
• Texture is the next factor and you experience this both with your lips and with your teeth – smoothness, firmness, hardness and moistness
• The final component is a sensory evaluation

The sensory evaluation is the most complicated, since there are different terms to use when evaluating the different types of flavors categories (dairy, brown and sweet flavors, vanilla, and chocolate). For example, there are 19 words we were given that can be used to evaluate chocolate flavors alone (some include roasted, astringent, winey, buttery, caramel, prune/raisin, smokey, barny, and tobacco).

Ice cream preferences vary by region – here in Western NY, tasters like to taste dairy first, then flavors, then sweetness. In the south, sweetness is the first taste they want. This is why there are regional ice cream companies, and why national brands may not be able to compete with the local companies (they are catering to a national preference while your region probably has specific taste preferences not found elsewhere).

We were told we should taste each sample at least three times (SUCH a burden) and to note that the first taste is often too cold to really evaluate well.We were also told to sip water in between flavors to reset our palates.

Then the ice cream came out. Fortunately I skipped lunch for this event. We tasted 7 different flavors:

– Lactose Free Vanilla

– Oh My Cherry Pie (vanilla ice cream with cherry swirls and graham cracker crumbs)

– Sponge Candy (this is designed to get locals excited since sponge candy is a local area specialty – sponge candy flavored ice cream with pieces of chocolate covered sponge candy)

– Movie Time (popcorn flavored ice cream with sea salt caramel swirls)

– Black Raspberry

– Queen of Hearts (dark chocolate ice cream with raspberry swirls and fudge truffles)

– Party Sandwiches (ice cream sandwiches with vanilla wafers, cake batter ice cream and sprinkles)

I’ve enjoyed ice cream before (who hasn’t?) but it was a different experience to be evaluating and describing the flavors, textures, and appearance of the ice creams. It was hard work to concentrate on the flavors and try to find words to describe all the nuances. There’s so much involved in one flavor of ice cream. My favorite flavor was Queen of Hearts. The husband picked the Lactose Free Vanilla. Perry’s collected our evaluations to help them as they refine and develop new flavors. 

Do you have a favorite ice cream brand? Is it a local brand? What’s your favorite flavor?

[Note: I obviously was given Perry’s products to sample, however Perry’s did not require me to produce a post nor do anything in exchange for this post and I received no payment.]

Recently, I was lucky enough to be invited to visit Perry’s Ice Cream for a tour and ice cream taste testing of their new flavors. And I got to bring a guest, which meant that my husband has now checked an item off his bucket list: become an ice cream taste tester! Pick Perry’s If … Read more →

Lent is fish fry season here in Buffalo. Every Friday, most restaurants offer a fish fry. If you’ve never been to Buffalo, there are many things that make our fish frys special.

1- The fish must be beer battered

2- Haddock is the fish of choice and the ends should ideally hang off the ends of your plate

3- The gold standard for fish fry accompaniments are: cole slaw, fries (sometimes potato salad replaces this but that’s not the preferred choice!), macaroni salad and at some places you even get a cup of soup and a slice of bread. Why yes, we have an obesity problem, are you shocked?

Fish frys are practically a competitive sport around here. As soon as Lent begins, we begin scouring the entertainment section of the paper for ads for the best price with the most authentic meal. We gossip about who had a good fish fry where and people leave work early on Friday to get to them early. The best fish frys are normally served in a restaurant with square tables with those plastic fuzzy-backed table cloths and the black metal stacking chairs with the barely upholstered seat. The restaurant is usually quite dim and you can bet there’s a neon beer sign on the wall somewhere. You will be asked if you want your fish fried or broiled and Lord have mercy on those who go for broiled. People will wait in line for a good fish fry. Some churches will hold fish frys and make a fine buck doing so.

Since fish frys are such an important part of the Lenten season (no matter what religion you are) here, learning I am gluten intolerant was a blow to my fish fry search. Not only is the fish coated in a batter containing gluten flour, but it’s also made with beer which also has gluten! I thought my fish fry days were over. Obviously being a true Buffalonian, I couldn’t face that life sentence, so I had to make my own.

In a great show of restraint I made only fish fry, French fries and coleslaw for our meal.

Cole Slaw

1 head cabbage

1 cup baby carrots

4 tbsp sugar

3/4 cup light mayo

2 tbsp milk

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/8 tsp salt

Shred the cabbage and carrots with a grater or use the grater piece on your food processor (this makes it very quick work!). Stir all the other ingredients into the vegetables and then refrigerate at least an hour. This is often better the next day.

Gluten Free Battered Fish Fry

4 haddock fillets

1 cup Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose flout

1 cup Cup4Cup flour

salt and pepper

1/8 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1 egg

2  3/4 cup ginger ale

peanut oil

 

Pat the fish dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in 2 heavy duty deep sided skillets to 375 degrees on high. Mix all other ingredients, whisking. The batter should resemble thick pancake batter. Dip each fillet in the batter then place in the pan. Place two fillets per pan. When they become golden brown on the bottom, flip them. When both sides are golden, remove from pan and place on a paper towel, patting the top as well. Serve immediately.

You’ll want to serve ketchup on the side as well as tartar sauce and lemon wedges. Feel free to substitute any gluten free flour you like in this recipe. This recipe will also work for fried shrimp and scallops (if you’re really feeling ritzy in Buffalo you might get the fried seafood platter which would include shrimp, scallops as well as a big ass piece of halibut, but your dining companions will think you are a pig, not to mention filthy rich).  You could also use gluten-free beer instead of ginger ale, but I could not tell it was ginger ale at all.

The meal was a complete success and got thumbs up all around the table. No need to give up fish fry for Lent anymore!

 

Lent is fish fry season here in Buffalo. Every Friday, most restaurants offer a fish fry. If you’ve never been to Buffalo, there are many things that make our fish frys special. 1- The fish must be beer battered 2- Haddock is the fish of choice and the ends should ideally hang off the ends … Read more →

I am super picky about eggs. Each type of egg prep has its own specific rules for me. When it comes to scrambled eggs, I do not like wet, partially uncooked eggs. But I also don’t like them dry. Achieving this is a fine line to walk.

The solution? Butter. I know you’re thinking this sounds high fat, but it’s not. Here’s the deal. Put two eggs in a bowl. Then take a knife and make super tiny thin scrapes along the edge of a cold stick of butter. We’re talking paper thin transparent scrapes. I know that in this photo it looks like a lot of butter, but it’s barely 1/8 of a tablespoon. Scramble the eggs with the butter and pour them in a pan that’s been sprayed with oil (I use my trusty olive oil Misto for this!). Cook over medium high heat. Let the eggs sit until it looks like they’re starting to set on the bottom, then scramble them, moving them around to get them to cook evenly. Take them out of the pan once the egg is completely set, but before anything browns. The result is fluffy, moist, perfect scrambled eggs.

I am super picky about eggs. Each type of egg prep has its own specific rules for me. When it comes to scrambled eggs, I do not like wet, partially uncooked eggs. But I also don’t like them dry. Achieving this is a fine line to walk. The solution? Butter. I know you’re thinking this … Read more →

If you’ve been to Southwest Florida, you’ve probably seen or been to stone crab restaurants (Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami is the most famous).  Stone crabs are just the claws of the crab (one claw is removed and the crab is returned to the ocean to regenerate it) and they are deserving of the name “stone” since the shells are incredibly hard. Stone crab is a pricey delicacy and is in season from October to May, so this is a winter and spring treat. Stone crab is an excellent reason to head to Florida in the winter! You can’t find it up north.

Instead of spending tons to enjoy stone crab in a restaurant, we prefer to buy our own (still expensive but less than if you’re dining out). Stone crab is best bought at fishmonger, although you can find it in grocery stores (where it is likely not as fresh). You will always want to buy it fresh, not frozen. Stone crab comes in several sizes (you’ll usually see medium and large or XL). The bigger the size, the more expensive it is per pound. We usually buy medium and pay $25 a pound. The rule you must never forget about stone crab is to ask for it “cracked.” This means the shells are broken so you can just pick them off. It’s possible to go at it yourself with a hammer, but in all likelihood you’ll end up hurting yourself, making a mess, and still not being able to get at most of the crab!

I serve stone crab with a lemon mayo dill sauce as well as lemon butter (melt a tablespoon of butter in a small ramekin and squeeze in the juice from a wedge of lemon). The crab itself comes to you completely cooked and you serve it cold. You’ll need thin seafood forks to get every last flake out of the shells. You’ll want to set your table with an empty bowl for shells as well as napkins and damp towels.

Lemon Mayo Dill Sauce

Serves 2

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp dill

juice of half a lemon

If you’ve been to Southwest Florida, you’ve probably seen or been to stone crab restaurants (Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami is the most famous).  Stone crabs are just the claws of the crab (one claw is removed and the crab is returned to the ocean to regenerate it) and they are deserving of the name … Read more →

One of the best places to eat in Southwest Florida is Gramma Dots on Sanibel Island. It’s a tiny little place in the middle of a marina, off the beaten path on the island. If you want to go during the busy season, be forewarned that people line up before they open to get a table for lunch, so get there early! Their homemade potato chips are to die for, but you also can’t beat their grouper sandwich.  With all the wonderful fish we brought back from our fishing trip, I decided to make my own sandwich. The grouper we caught wasn’t in season, but we brought back a lot of wonderful mangrove snapper, so I used that.

Cut a fish filet about the size of your bun. Dunk it in an egg wash then coat it in breadcrumbs (I used gluten-free) that you’ve seasoned with salt and pepper and dill. Pan fry the fish in some olive oil until it’s cooked through and the coating is crunchy.

Spread mayo on both sides of your roll, then spread some Dijon mustard on one side as well. Place some lettuce and a slice of ripe tomato on the bottom. When the fish is done, place it on top. Next, squeeze a big wedge of lemon on top of the fish. Top with your bun lid and enjoy.

You can make this sandwich with other types of fish as well – halibut or haddock are choices that are easy to find.

One of the best places to eat in Southwest Florida is Gramma Dots on Sanibel Island. It’s a tiny little place in the middle of a marina, off the beaten path on the island. If you want to go during the busy season, be forewarned that people line up before they open to get a … Read more →

Everyone in this family knows how to fish. A lot of time is spent in the summer with lines in the water. Lake perch and bass are only so exciting however. For some real fishing, we decided to take a deep sea charter from Naples, FL. Captain Tom Robinson took us out on the Sea Legs for a 3/4 day trip (6 hours). Last year we did a half day trip and honestly I wouldn’t waste the money. You spend an hour and a

half getting out to fish and the same amount of time coming back, which doesn’t leave you a lot of time to actually fish.

Captain Tom leaves from the Naples City Dock in Naples Bay. He’s been leading fishing charters for 37 years, so he’s got this down pat. We arrived at the dock at 7:30 am. I brought:

• sunscreen (we applied it when we got there, then again around noon)
• lots of water
• sandwiches and snacks in a cooler with blue ice which then functioned to bring our fish home
• hats for everyone
• a beach towel (in case anyone got wet, but also to cover myself with in the cool morning)
• seasickness patches and pills just in case (not needed, but better safe than sorry)
• cash to tip the captain (although he takes payments with credit cards, there is no way
  

  The beautiful sea and sky

  to add a tip to that)

The drive out from the dock is spectacular because you pass through the most expensive and elite section of Naples – Port Royal, filled with multi-million dollar mansions. Jon Bon Jovi has one of the most remarkable houses.  Once you’re out on the open ocean, you sit back while the boat throttles ahead full speed. We liked Sea Legs because it has an indoors area and it also has a bathroom!

The boat is aptly named, because even though we were out on a relatively calm day, you do need to learn how to move around a boat – mostly this means holding on as you’re moving and if you’re standing to fish, wedging your knee against the side of the boat for balance.

The water was a beautiful color, and we enjoyed seeing the land fade behind us as we made it 19 miles offshore. Once you’re there, all you see is ocean. There’s no land and no boats. It’s just you and the water and the sky. The boat rocks gently and all your worries drop away.

Captain Tom got us started with lines baited with chunks of herring which we sent to the bottom of the ocean (50 feet down) and we immediately began pulling in fish. We caught lots of red grouper (which are quite heavy and a challenge to reel in), but they weren’t in season, so back they went after we admired them. We were able to keep mangrove snapper, lane snapper, and mackerel. All in all we brought home 16 keepers and threw back many, many more. We fished at 4 different spots, all reefs or wrecks Captain Tom had marked in his GPS. The fish we pulled in were so beautiful  – brightly colored and sleek.

The three hours of fishing went by in a blur because we were so busy bringing in fish, one after another.  An exciting moment was when we saw a shark swim by.

The last fish on the lines was on mine and it was so big we had no chance of bringing it in. The fish bit and my pole bent completely over. I knew I had no chance! I

handed the pole over to my son who fought with it for a while, but we had to say goodbye and break the line.

After about 3 hours of fishing, it was time to head back, but as we were pulling in our lines, we spotted a sea turtle. It was a fitting end to our trip. We sat back and enjoyed the ride into shore. When we got back to the dock, Captain Tom artfully cleaned all of our fish, sharing the skin and bones with the waiting pelicans.

If you’d like to take a deep sea fishing charter, inquire about rates. We paid $800 for a private 3/4 day charter (plus optional cash tip), but there are plenty of boats that offer group excursions.  If you’re in Naples, just take a walk down the city dock and pick up the brochures posted by the boats.

The best part of the day was dinner. I cooked some of each kind  of fish we brought home so we could sample them all fresh from the boat. There is no comparison between fresh caught fish and fish you buy in a store. Our fish was sweet, clean tasting, and tender. The fresh fish keeps for an entire week if you keep it in a ziploc bag on ice in the fridge. We also froze much of it for future use.

Next year we’re planning to head out on another charter. I wonder what we’ll catch?

 

Everyone in this family knows how to fish. A lot of time is spent in the summer with lines in the water. Lake perch and bass are only so exciting however. For some real fishing, we decided to take a deep sea charter from Naples, FL. Captain Tom Robinson took us out on the Sea … Read more →