Oysters and Caviar, a Christmas Tradition by B40

In recent years my daughter and I have been proud to carry on an old family tradition. It's Oysters !

Yes - around Christmas, Dad would always go out & buy a quart of Oysters and Clam Chowder. The family wasn't too crazy about the Clam Chowder but I think most of my brothers and sisters ate some for tradition.

The Oysters however, that was a different story.

No one in my whole family would interfere with my Dad & I as we munched some Christmas Cheer. That was a time for just me and Dad. Just a couple of the family guys - enjoying the slimy little critters and commenting on the unique flavor they had this year.

It seemed that raw oysters were a bit repulsive to the rest of the family as I quickly deduced by the "barfy looking faces everyone made.

My older brother told me it was like chewing on a big piece of snot.

A few years later, with some maturity and wisdom under my belt, I came to my own conclusion. They really are like chewing on a big piece of snot! However I did find that the flavor was quite unique with the help of a few medicinal beers.

Pretty soon I was celebrating all kinds of things with oysters and beer - Easter, Hanukah, Fridays, Week-days. You name it; I could terrorize an entire oyster bed. Oysters were very afraid when I came walking by!

A few years later, with some more maturity (now called age) and more wisdom (now called horse sense) under my belt, I realized that the medicinal beers were no longer necessary. Yes - I'd become a person like Dad - - I just liked oysters !

So this year I brought a girl (my daughter) into the tradition too. We even added a new culinary item to our cuisine. Caviar - yes Fish Eggs - Sorry not the $1000.00 an ounce stuff from overseas. Just the $5.95 an ounce stuff from Publix. Though I bet Some of that $1000.00 an ounce stuff would go great with Pizza or Pickled Pigs Feet & Beer.

Caviar is much different than oysters. Caviar is more like popping a hundred tiny balloons of salty fish juice in your mouth at the same time! The taste is superb.

Now, that is one of my own traditions that I added to Dad's. Yep - Now it's Oysters and Caviar - a Christmas tradition.

Perhaps one day in the future, generations down the line, some kids will make barfy faces at the thought of slurping oysters and eating fish eggs. But perhaps somewhere someone will enjoy the memories of eating Oysters and Caviar around Christmas, just for tradition.

Happy Hollidays all . . .

B40

As unappetizing as that story was, it was even more heartwarming. May you and mini B40 (B20?) enjoy the tradition for years to come!

Rounds of pumpernickel, about 1.25" diameter, made with a cookie cutter, topped with a generous dollop of cream cheese, finished off with a glob of black beluga caviar. Voila! Whore's ovaries. Superb!

(Raw oysters run a very close second).

Just don't eat bad oysters - - did that too - guess it was Salmonella thoughtI don't think they called it that at the time. Thought I's a gonna die.
Probably the sickest I've ever been - kinda leary about the raw ones now though I don't think steaming really kills the bacteria if there still juicy.

That's worthy of consideration. I too got sick once, but from raw clams, also delicious. But a mite dangerous. Even with butter sauce. But fresh horseradish helps. Any microbe that can survive really fresh horseradish deserves a long life IMO.

(Thought you should know this).

Great tradition b40!

My Father (passed) was also an oyster lover.
Tinned, fresh, spiced, in a jar - he ate them regulary, must to the disgust
of the rest of the family.
I don't mind smoked, tinned ones mainly because they taste nothing like
the rubbery, fishy, mucousy, spewy fresh ones!