It Just Takes One Whiff

Supper, Friday July 14: Thai Thing (onion, black fungus, squash, sugar peas, sesame seed, soy, fish sauce, thai basil, red pepper, smoked mussels).

I've mentioned this before but it is worth saying again, though I won't belabor the point. Thai basil is simply intoxicating (at least for me). A friend brought over a good sized sprig. Well that defenestrated my dinner plans. It's Thai basil tonight. Period.

Defenestrate is my favorite word.

Just Like Mama Used To. . .

Supper, Thursday July 13: meatloaf (ground beef, ground lamb, egg, cracker crumbs. pine-nuts, spinach, onion, black pepper, garlic powder); green beans (beans, olive oil, sliced almonds, garlic, soy sauce); garlic and parm mashed potatoes.

OK so maybe not just like mom's but the intent is the same. All the basic ingredients are there but this has the flavors turned up a bit. If you are like me your parents had relatively simple tastes. A dish was "spicy" if there was too much black pepper in it. Affluent tastes have filtered down the socioeconomic ladder. The mention of eating raw fish would make my mother shudder. I'm not exaggerating, a genuine physical reaction. Alexis and I have sushi for Christmas dinner. Really. Been doing it for years. 

So embrace your comfort food. Just update it a little (not too much) and make it your own.

Oh yeah, meatloaf. Say meatloaf today and most people think ground beef. There's a reason it's called meatloaf not beefloaf. Look for older or more traditional recipes, they often call for some combination of beef, veal, lamb, and pork. MEATloaf. Using just ground beef means missing out on the complexity and depth of flavors provided by the other cuts. Just sayin'.

Fancy Sardines. . . Is That A Thing?

Supper, Tuesday July 11: fishy cheese bagel (everything bagel, smoked habanero cheddar, fancy sardines, capers); beet and rutabaga salad; cucumber, radish. and tomato salad.

Sardines are in right now. Multiple studies have shown that there is a good correlation between consumption of fish, particularly oily varieties, and better health outcomes vis a vie heart disease, longevity, stroke. . . The problem is that we have gotten way too good at fishing. Modern vessels and techniques have seriously depleted the oceans of the most sought after fish. So we have authorities telling us to eat more fish, but doing so is potentially harmful to the ocean ecosystems, plus fish is 'spensive. ( I admit that this is a relative notion. Beef is 'spensive sure, but the Surgeon General isn't telling us to slam down more Krystal burgers.) So what is a concerned citizen supposed to do? Enter the sardine.

Sardines have become a hot item because they are 1) an oily fish 2) not particularly expensive and 3) a potentially sustainable resource. There is some disagreement over #3 but I suspect that if properly managed the sardine harvest could be sustained. It may even do some good for the ecosystems. considering that we have depleted many top tier predator fish. By harvesting more sardines we might be able to help balance predator-prey ratios.

Nevertheless I have a special fondness for the humble sardine. When I was a child, my father would occasionally indulge in a tin of sardines with some saltines. When I was old enough to appreciate them, about 5 years old, he began sharing his treat with me. My mother did not partake of this repast, she did not like "fishy" fish. She would eat varieties such as flounder, pollock, and perch. We lived near the coast and my father was an avid fisherman so we did eat a lot of fish. Even though my father was responsible for scaling, dressing, and filleting the catch, my mother would carefully inspect each piece for any stray scale or bone. There was no way that she was going to eat a fish complete with scales, bones, and entrails. 

This was, I think some of the fascination I may have had with the little salty, oily treats. The only thing missing was the head. Eating all of the parts normally eschewed was enticing for me at 5. Weren't boys supposed to like gross stuff? I was stereotypical in that sense. So when I opened the tin of these "fancy" sardines and saw fillets the 5 year old looked up and said "Hey, where's the bones and guts and stuff?" He would probably also noted that capers look like rolled up boogers.

Anyhoo, the sardines were good. Yeah, its a thing.

The Leaning Tower O Maize

Supper, Sunday July 09: mediterraneanish platter (heirloom greens, beets, grilled zucchini, olives, hummus, shrimp, rye toast).

OK, I was just being silly. We just got back from our beach condo. When we are there, we tend to eat a lot of seafood. Generally speaking, it's good for us, but we often make 2 mistakes: we eat too much; and we take in too much salt. Often when we get home we get back on our normal habits of watching our salt intake, scaling back on meat, and putting more veggies and grains on the plate.

This was no exception. When we got home, and after we got settled in, I went into the garden to pick some beets, lettuce, and squash. The corn and shrimp came from the coast. They were part of the leftovers from a big pot of low country boil I made for us and my very good friend who lives in the area. I whipped up some hummus and threw a few olives on the plate and voila, a healthy supper.

If you have a blender or a food processor, then you should make sure to find a good hummus recipe(s), something that suits your taste. It is a wonderfully malleable dish. Just the plain-Jane version, the basic recipe, is a tasty snack or side. When you start playing with variations a whole world of flavors opens up. Switch out the chickpeas with lima beans. ( I know that suggestion might induce retching in some, but if you like limas, this is heavenly.) Toss in a few pitted kalamatas at the end for little tidbits of salty goodness. Roasted chilis, pinenuts and basil, black beans, and on and on. Plus it's good for you: legumes; olive oil; garlic; sesame. The ingredient list is a practically an FDA healthy eating guideline.