Best buy for the hot summer month of August? Our new Seafood Dinner Gifts – a brand new product line we’ve just launched. Delicious plus we’re offering Free Shipping! Until we introduced our Certified Angus Beef ® steak dinner gifts, all entrees needed to be finished in the oven for about 30 minutes. What’s different about our steak dinner gifts and seafood dinner gifts is that they may be easily pan seared or grilled in just minutes. Our new seafood dinner gifts also include handmade appetizers, garlic bread, cheesecake and organic tea to enjoy after dinner with great conversation.

So which is my favorite? That’s a hard question, but I’d have to say Sea Bass. I’m told this specie is one of the most difficult to fish. Anyhow, what I enjoy most about it is the thickness of the fillet, the firm bite and of course, the ocean fresh flavor. Don’t forget the Free Shipping offer & bon appetit!

The next time you're planning a little dinner party & you want something new & different to talk about, ask you guests to remove the skewer sticks from their seafood kabobs & take a 2nd look (or smell as it may be). This is not your Father's grilling / skewer stick. Read on. Below is an excerpt from Money Magazine on innovative food ideas from this summer's Fancy Food Show.

Callison's

The idea: When you make skewers out of birch wood rather than the usual bamboo, Seattle-based Callison's discovered, flavors added to the wood can seep into the skewered food during cooking. Callison's flavors include garlic herb and Indian mango curry. The skewers don't add sodium or fat, so the 103-year-old company is exploring a partnership with the American Diabetes Association.

"People say, 'Why didn't I think of that?'" says Damon Smith, president of Callison's food division. Up next: sweet skewers for fruit and seasoned planks for barbecues.

The debut: The skewers were launched in May; the company estimates 2006 sales of about $2 million.

Steinke's verdict: "It's innovative, but it sounds like a summer-only product. You'd only use it for barbecue or kabobs, so the market isn't as big as it would be for a marinade. The projections for this year are modest but right on."

Spring is in the air in Tuscany! We received another lovely email from our friend and guest writer, Simonetta Demarchi at Casa Bellavista. Not only does Simonetta share another one of her family recipes with Delicious Destinations, she has also given us a glimpse into her daily life as she and her husband, Guido, operate their beautiful Tuscan Bed & Breakfast, Casa Bellavista. Enjoy! (For more recipes from Simonetta click here.)

“Finally I have time to send to you another recipes, because the spring arrived after a very long winter......., spring for me means also prepare the garden, cut the grass....., plant new flowers, me and Guido (my husband) have planted a lot of new roses ...around the fence of the pool.... I will send you a picture when they will be in bloom......

Today it's a little cold so I do not go out to work in the garden but I have been to the market and I bought fresh fish, some lemons some oranges...... and now I'm preparing the dinner........Ciao hoping to see you soon.”

Sarde All'Arancia

(Sardines with Orange)

500g sardines

30g pine nuts

2 oranges

3 dessert spoons bread crumbs

chilli pepper

olive oil

salt & pepper

Clean sardines, wash and drain

In a bowl mix bread crumbs, pine nuts, chilli and oil

Add salt and pepper

Pass the sardines one at a time through the mixture & roll them with the skin out

Alternate sardines with slices of orange & place in baking tray with oil.

Bake at 180 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes.

When I think of New Orleans and Cajun cuisine the first thing that pops in my mind is Chef Paul Prudhomme. The second thing is seafood. I met Chef Paul in the mid 1990’s at the time he was consulting with high profile foodservice clients. I’ll never forget the joy of getting my cookbook autographed and feeling as if I was in the presence of pure authenticity. Chef Paul is as authentically Cajun as Cajun can be. He was born and raised on a farm near Opelousas Louisiana deep in Acadiana country. Chef Paul was the youngest of 13 children. His last sister left home when he was only seven and he found himself in the kitchen with his mother learning the art of Cajun cooking. Void of electricity and refrigeration in those early days, Chef Paul learned the value of fresh. The rest is history.

If you want to celebrate Mardi Gras in your own way, try this recipe – Crawfish, Shrimp or Crabmeat in Cream Sauce Over Pasta. Perfect for this time of year. I like the option of selecting my favorite shellfish. If time does not permit shopping and cooking, let GourmetStation bring a little Mardi Gras to you or your gift recipient with our Cajun Cuisine Celebration…three and four course gourmet dinners from our Cajun collection.

Hail the rebirth of New Orleans and let the good times roll.

You may think that the British developed the notion of fish & chips, but food history buffs tell us otherwise. The original idea may have come from French and Jewish dishes according to Professor Panikos Panavi, a scholar who has taken on a project to understand the global influence on British food. He said that fish and chips mixed “French frites with Jewish fish dishes” for our quintessential fish & chips.

Charles Dickens first mentioned a fried fish warehouse in Oliver Twist and during the mid 1800’s the trade began to develop with the industrialization of the UK. Today there are 9,000 fried fish shops in the UK selling over 60,000 tons of fish and 500,000 tons of potatoes. Long life the fish & chips shop!

If you enjoy seafood or are looking to send a food gift, don't forget GourmetStation's collection of gourmet gifts from the sea.

Technorati Tags: Fish_&_Chips, Seafood, British_Food

I just found out that my precious salmon is a cousin of the trout. Why does that bother me so? These creatures are as unique as the recipes we turn them into. Did you know that Pacific salmon die soon after spawning while the Atlantic salmon spawn several times in their lives?

You may purchase salmon as a whole fish and prepare to serve it as such. What an impressive presentation for your next dinner party. Salmon steaks are a vertical cut from the body of the fish, are usually thick and make a nice presentation as well. Salmon fillets are best for delicate applications such as pan-frying, steaming or poaching. I recommend Fish4Fun if you're looking for unique recipes such as toppings like Honey-Macadamia with Pineapple Relish. Don't forget GourmetStation's salmon and seafood collection if you are seeking a gourmet gift or treat for yourself.