If Dad is the king on Father’s Day, how about a box of these chocolate heraldic shields, filled with salted caramel?

Any celebrant who appreciates fine chocolate will roar when he receives a box of such luscious chocolates, embossed with kingly lions.

The heraldic shields are crafted in extra dark chocolate by El Rey and filled with vanilla bean cream caramel and sea salt. As a finishing touch, the chocolate is brushed with edible gold.

We’re fans of Maggie Louise, who combines design flare with terrific taste and beautiful packaging.
A 6-piece gift box is $13.50.

Get yours at MaggieLouiseConfections.com.

And browse the website for more wonderful chocolate creations.

On the brunch menu at Ruschmeyer’s Hotel in Montauk, New York, is an egg sandwich.

It’s not a humble egg sandwich, but a variation of Eggs Benedict.

One side of the toasted English muffin contains a sunnyside-up egg over melted Emmental cheese; the other side has lightly dressed baby arugula topped with poached lobster.

We’ll have two, please.

Or more likely, we’ll be heading out to buy some lobster, making be making our own version for Father’s Day, along with a garnish of salmon caviar.

The menu also features another seaside version of Eggs Benedict: poached egg, hollandaise, and chives, but replacing the Canadian bacon with blue-claw crab.

If you’re nowhere near the hotel, consider making a special brunch by whipping up your own version of both dishes.

June 4th is National Frozen Yogurt Day. Treat yourself to a pint of Oikos Greek frozen yogurt. You can print a $1.00 coupon online.

The brand recently launched a frozen yogurt line in:

 
We received pints of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla to taste. The strawberry and vanilla didn’t do much for us. There are other brands with better strawberry and vanilla flavor.

But the chocolate was most satisfactory, especially given that it’s 150 calories per four-ounce serving—a nice break from, say, Häagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream at 260 calories. It may be an apples-and-oranges comparison, but we’d go for the lower calorie option.

And the lower fat option: Frozen yogurt also has more than half the fat of regular ice cream: 2.5g versus 7g per half-cup serving, according to Dannon. Since much of that fat is saturated (cholesterol), that’s a good thing.

Finally, if you’re lactose-sensitive, the Oikos frozen yogurt line is made from lactose-reduced nonfat milk.

The line is certified kosher by OU.
  

[1] Lamb and a scallop at Blue The Restaurant | Beachwood, Ohio (photo © Blu).

[2] Surf and turf can combine any foods from the two realms: land and sea. Above, grilled salmon and a poached egg from Cafe SFA in New York City (photo © Cafe SFA—now closed).

[3] Lobster ravioli with meat sauce (photo © Chesapeake Bay Foods).

There’s a chicken egg, from the turf, and a fish filet from the surf.

Chef Alex Reyes topped grilled asparagus with a salmon fillet and a soft poached egg, garnished with asparagus puree, sesame hollandaise sauce, nori powder and green tea salt.

Create your own version of surf and turf, a 50-year-old concept that serves proteins from the land and sea on the same plate.

Although it started with a lobster and steak, any items from the realms of the earth and the sea can be combined into surf and turf.

Clever Japanese chefs have even created surf and turf sushi, such as a lobster maki topped with torched tenderloin from Ten Prime Steak And Sushi in Providence, Rhode Island.

 
SURF & TURF HISTORY

While meat and seafood have been served at the same meal since since the dawn of plenty, and Diamond Jim Brady (1856-1917) famously consumed platters heaped with steaks and lobsters, the pairing known as surf and turf originated in 1960s America.

Some sources noted in FoodTimeline.org claim that the concept originated on the East Coast, based on a 1966 print article in the Miami News.

The columnist says that the restaurant La Hasta has created the best thing since lox and bagels—surf and turf; and that on some weekends the management had to take the dish off the menu, since demand exceeded supply.

Others say the West Coast has the honors: Food writers Jane and Michael Stern claim, without printed proof, that the same dish by the same name was served at the Sky City restaurant in the Seattle Space Needle, at the 1962 World’s Fair.

That may be, but documentation is required. If anybody remembers it from the World’s Fair, please raise your hand. There’s a bonus if you have the menu.
 
The earliest earliest print reference found by Food Timeline, our favorite reference source on the history of all things food, was published in the Eureka [California] Humboldt Standard of August 14, 1964:

“An entrée in restaurants in Portland [Oregon] is called surf and turf—a combination of lobster and steak.”

Sorry, East Coasters: 1964 beats 1966.

And regardless, surf and turf became the darling of American steakhouse menus, combining the two most expensive items on the menu: lobster (surf) and steak or filet mignon (turf). It has its own food holiday, February 29th, National Surf & Turf Day.

Regardless of origin, consider serving a modern surf and turf variation for Father’s Day or other special occasion.

Some versions don’t even require a special occasion—last night we had steak and tuna skewers.

Each week we “invent” a different combination. Recent pairings have included:

 
Try your own hand at the new surf and turf and let us know your favorites.
 
 
WANT MORE IDEAS?

Check out these creative Surf & Turf combinations.

[4] Classic Surf & Turf (photo © Ruth’s Chris Steak House).

[5] Salmon sushi topped with pork tenderloin at Sushi Seki in New York City (photo © Sushi Seki).

Similar to the tandoori oven cooking method, these Indian-spiced shrimp skewers are roasted on high heat on the grill. They are then added to a salad packed with bold sweet and sour flavors.

A fresh mango dressing adds a splash of fruitiness and color.
 
 
RECIPE: GRILLED SHRIMP TANDOORI SALAD

Ingredients For 6 Servings

For The Mango Dressing

 
For The Salad

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the mango dressing: Process mango in blender or food processor until puréed (about 1 cup purée). Add lime juice, oil, garam masala, salt and cayenne; process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

2. MIX 1/4 cup of the mint, lime juice, 2 tablespoons of the oil, honey, garam masala, ginger, salt and cayenne in small bowl. Thread shrimp onto skewers. Brush with mint mixture. Thread mango onto skewers. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon oil.

3. GRILL shrimp skewers over high heat 4 to 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink, turning once and brushing occasionally with mint mixture. Grill mango skewers 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly charred.

4. ARRANGE greens, tomatoes and onion on 6 serving plates. Top with grilled shrimp, mango and remaining 3 tablespoons mint. Drizzle with 1/2 of the dressing.

5. STORE remaining dressing in the fridge. Serve over salad greens, grilled or broiled shrimp or chicken, or toss with couscous or quinoa.

[2] Gulf shrimp, ready for the grill (photo © I Love Blue Sea | Vital Choice Seafood).

[3] The components of garam masala (photo © Georgina Palmer | iStock Photo).

WHAT IS GARAM MASALA

Garam masala is an aromatic spice blend originating in northern India. It is like other spice blends in that the ingredients and proportions will vary somewhat by cook or manufacturer.

The ingredients generally include black, brown and green cardamom pods; black and white peppercorns; cinnamon; clove; coriander; cumin; nutmeg and/or mace*; and turmeric.

Other ingredients can include bay leaf, fennel seeds, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, mace, malabar leaf, mustard seed, saffron, star anise and tamarind.

In Northern Indian cuisine, garam masala is typically used in powder form, while in Southern India it is often made into a paste with coconut milk, vinegar or water.

In fine cooking, the spices are toasted and ground before use, to maintain the intensity of the flavor. But you can buy preground blends, like McCormick’s garam masala.

If you want to blend your own, here’s a very simple recipe. Start with these proportions and then adjust to your particular preferences:

 
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*Nutmeg is the seed of the nutmeg tree, while the more mild mace is the dried reddish covering of the seed.