SANDY gave the Eastern Seaboard a good old fashioned ass kicking on Monday night. I hope this letter finds everyone safe and sound. For those of you who took the brunt of the storm, we are thinking about you. Sending positive vibrations and lots of good energy your way! In the port of Point Judith, Rhode Island we flooded right up. The power was out for two days and in some places it still is not back yet. GTFB had to close down operations for a day, but managed to keep everything cold and elevated with the help of our incredibly awesome landlord Jay Gallup, his brothers and his workers atRhode Island Engine. Here is the F/V Jason and Danielle from Montauk tied…
WTF Weather: Come on, Irene… Fireworks surrounding Hurricane Irene have asses in uproars all along the East Coast. As usual, weather forecasters and mayors are “not sure” how hard or where exactly the storm is going to hit hardest. The media is creating it’s very own hurricane of hype and we are all being told to prepare for total abomination and continue to hope for the best. From what my pea-sized brain is able to comprehend, Irene is unusual due to it’s particularly behemoth size and slow movement. Here is a helpful map from the New York Times that you can use to track your storm destiny.
Hurricanes and Earthquakes in NYC, what is next? Perhaps a plague will strike. I, for one, am doing next to nothing to prepare for this shit. I prefer to go renegade ala’ insane Lieutenant Dan swinging legless and wild from the crow’s nest of his shrimp boat hollering at the heavens and summoning the shrimp gods. Check out this clip from Forrest Gump to refresh your memory of this pivotal moment in film and commercial shrimp fishing:
How prepared are you for Irene? Hurricane kits are for sale all over the internet. If you have waited until now to order yours it is probably too late, which could, unfortunantely, mean curtains for you. Let me remind you that Fed-Ex doesn’t cover shipping for natural disasters or “acts of God” as they like to call it.
Things to consider including in your Hurricane Kit:
Flashlights, glow-sticks, firecrackers, flares, firebugs, matches etc.
Drugs. You know, just in case things get bleak and you would prefer not to be fully coherent as the world crumbles to bits.
Stuff and Things, of course.
Your favorite pet in case you get depressed and lonely while living off of water and soda crackers in the basement of your local church. If you don’t have one yet report to your local ASPCA.
A small inflatable boat and lifejackets, no brainer.
A friend, if you have one.
A fishing pole. Although their PCB levels are toxically high there are striped bass living in the East River and you can use them as a food source as long as you are not a child or woman of child-bearing age.
Guitar, maracas, pan-flute and/or other musical instruments in case (heaven forbid) you will not be able to charge your ipod.
Your mom (come on, she is your mother).
Owl and pussycat. They went to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat if I remember correctly. You might find yourself in a similar situation pretty soon if the tides rise dangerously high
It is always a good idea to stick with an expert in these kinds of emergencies. No need to be a hero. Tether yourself, or you might end up in Oz …. Actually that doesn’t sound so bad.
Good Luck and remember to ALWAYS stay high and dry!
Hello loyal fish denizens. Here is the news for the week: Hurricanes Suck. If you are feeling hoodwinked by these alleged off-shore storms, we can relate. We have limited fish supplies and it is really disturbing our inner chi.
Balderdash you cry! It barely even rained last weekend in NYC. Why can’t we have more of a fish selection? Guess what: There are actual hurricanes out there, so you can run and tell that, homeboy.
Let me paint you a mental picture so you can really grasp this concept:
You and your crew go out to sea on a trip that should last 6 days. On the 5th fortnight you and your crew are loaded up with your 400lb Cod quota. Yonder, lo and behold, a storm. All hands on deck. It is closing in on you. This storm is now gusting at 74mph winds, making it a legitimate hurricane. It is barricading your ship from the mainland. What are you going to do? You are going to stay at sea for the next 13 days feeling sorry for yourself. You will be swinging from the crow’s nest like a deranged lunatic, cursing the heavens above. You will swirl around in Mother Nature’s caldron of brimstone and hellfire like a toy boat. Your entire catch is not getting any fresher and your crew is getting mutinous. All the money you spent on fuel, all of the time and labor you spent catching these fish is now GONE. Be glad you aren’t a fisherman in a hurricane.
Your wife is going to cut your……she is going to kill you.
Ending up like this:
Stimulating facts about hurricanes:
Hundreds of years ago when sailing their ships in to the Caribbean, Spanish Conquistadores adopted the indigenous word “huracan” to describe the evil spirits and weather gods we now call Hurricanes.
Due to the earth’s rotation, hurricanes always move clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
On average, according to data collected between the years of 1966-2009 there are 6 named storms per year. For 2010 there have ALREADY been 10.
Most Hurricanes are formed near the Cape Verde Islands when churning trade winds from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres converge off the coast of Africa.
Would you like some Cape Verdean Caldo de Peixe with that hurricane? Serves 6 – 8
In Cape Verde, this soup is thickened by the addition of both “mandioca”–a flour made from dried cassava root and “farinha de pau” (crushed, dried bread crumbs).
Ingredients:
1 tsp. salt
2-3 green (unripe) bananas, sliced in rounds
1 yellow onion, sliced
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 chili pepper or 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
3 lg. tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. tapioca flour
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1/2 of a sm. cabbage, chopped
4-6 lg. potatoes, chopped in chunks
4-6 sweet potatoes, chopped in chunks
2 lb. fish, without bones
Instructions:
In a mixing bowl, dissolve salt in enough water to cover the banana pieces. Dump them in, and soak for 10-15 minutes to draw out the “pucker” quality of the unripe fruit. Meanwhile, in a deep skillet or heavy stew pot, brown onion in oil over moderate heat. Add garlic, bay leaf, pepper, parsley and tomato, and saute for several minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 4 cups hot water. In a separate bowl, use a bit of the hot broth to whisk the tapioca flour into a thin, smooth paste. Bring soup almost to a boil and add the paste and bread crumbs, stirring vigorously. Immediately reduce heat to simmer. Drain the bananas and add them, along with the cabbage and potatoes. Gently lay in the fish, cover with water, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until everything is done.
