Inside Outdoor Food

Bluegills All Over Again

2012-02-14T21:46:00.000-08:00

You don't just have to have it panfried. You can poach it in a broth involving onions, garlic, sweet peppers, tomatoes, white wine, olive oil, and herbs de Provence. Plus a little v-8 juice.Toasted french bread in or on the side.

Mn Bouillabaisse

2012-02-14T21:23:00.000-08:00

Three successive days of bluegill, this the French soup version.

Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T13:59:00.000-08:00

A hug and a quiche for you on this Valentine's Day, cupcake!

The girls - 3 14 yr olds - made cupcakes for the Grammys the other night.

Chocolate cupcakes annointed with whipped cream, tiny dark chocolate chips and creamy caramel.

Need I say more?

After Nap Snack

2012-01-29T20:38:00.000-08:00

If you wake up from a nap and crave something sweet yet somewhat substantial have a saltine cracker with natural chunky peanut butter and orange marmalade. Have two or three or more. Good tasting and good for you.

Egg Rolls Gone Wild

2012-01-26T10:39:00.000-08:00

Egg rolls can be labor intensive but it is a labor of love and it is worth it. The end result is a perfect testimony to the symphonic harmony of fresh vegetables and fowl all rolled into one simple finger food.You can use duck, pheasant, grouse, chicken, or others. Or you can use ground beef, pork or venison or any combination thereof.

You can shortcut the the hand and knife work by using a food processor.

You can serve them with a half dozen or more asian style sauces that you can buy ready made or you can make your own. I served mine with a sweet and sour sauce using balsamic vinegar, garlic, ginger and orange marmalade, as well as with a Chinese hot mustard involving only Tabasco sauce stirred into cheap yellow mustard.

Ingredients:
3 c shredded cabbage
1 c finely chopped celery
1 c grated carrot
1 c grated mushrooms of your choice
1 c finely julienned red and green sweet peppers
3/4 c julienned green onions
1 1/2 c already cooked julienned fowl, wild or domestic
1 large clove minced garlic
1 tsp powdered ginger or 1 tbls fresh grated ginger
soy sauce to taste
1 egg and 1/4 c water stirred for eggwash
8 egg roll skins
1 1/2 to 3 c veg oil depending on the size of your pan, to deep fry egg rolls
Method:
1) Chop, shred, julienne, mince all ingredients as appropriate. Preheat a large frying pan with enough oil to just cover the bottom to med heat, add vegetables and cook over med heat, stirring occasionally till vegetables are tender - about 10 minutes.

2) Add garlic, ginger and meat to pan and cook and toss until hot - a minute or 2.
3)Empty ingredients from pan into a strainer and let drain a couple of minutes.
4)Place ingredients into a large flat bowl and add soy sauce to taste, stir and let cool till just warm.

5) Place an egg roll skin on counter top like like a diamond shape - as on a compass N would be the top corner, S the bottom corner pointing at your stomach, right and left corners would be E and W. With a brush or your finger put egg wash around the edges of the skin. Add 2 tablespoons of filling mixture on the bottom half of the skin and fold S over the filling, then E and W and roll it up to cover N.Place on a dry dish towel and continue rolling others.
6) Fry 2 or 3 at a time in med(325 degrees - one number less than med on my electric burner) hot oil until golden brown - 2 or 3 min per side. You need only enough oil for the egg rolls to float. The smaller the pan, the less oil you will need. I used a 1 1/2 inch deep by 8 inches diameter pan and 1 1/2 c oil. You only need to turn them over once. When they are golden on both sides remove from pan with tongs and drain on paper towels.

7) Serve with various sauces.

Meatball Soup

2012-01-20T18:13:00.000-08:00

Every recipe has a story and every memory a taste. It was back in the day in the late 60's when my twin brother hopped a train in Mpls, Mn and rode it out to Seattle in a cadillac.

My brother Jim had worked briefly for Burlington Northern Railway via our good friend Ira. He did not last.Ira did, and retired from the railroad just last year after 30 plus years of employment.

Jim never lasted any where not even on this earth, but he lasted long enough at BN to learn the ins and outs of hopping trains. Cars were stacked two deep on flatcar after flatcar and Jim chose the upper level. He turned on the tunes in that Cadillac and laid back and listened to Jim Morrison and the Door's "Light My Fire," the long version, and Cream, and Strawberry Fields and more as the big farmland of Mn and eastern ND became the exquisite endless prairie and high plateau of western ND and eastern Montana. And then the mountains. Wow. It was the trip of a lifetime. He ate venison summer sausage and drank cokes.

Pheasant first and whitetail deer and then antelope and mule deer and then all over again depending on the terrain as he rode that Cadillac. He thought of hunting with his brother and his Dad and how he got his first whitetail on ancestral property in N Mn in Gowan and how he had to gut and drag it out by himself because his twin was so inspired and motivated to get one too from the same tree that he never thought to help his brother.

He shot others too after falling asleep in a tree and waking to the snap of a twig or because he was usually in the right place at the right time, magically. His twin was a student of the woods and the whitetail but it took him several years to get his first. He tried too hard. Jim took it as it came; he let the woods and the deer come to him.

If you have leftover meatballs you can make them into meatball soup. Saute' equal amounts of onions,carrots, celery and cabbage in olive or veg oil till half done, add enough flour to absorb the oil,add garlic, Herbs de Provence, bayleaf, red wine, water, and a bouillion cube or two to taste( beef) and a little worcestershire, and red pepper to taste. Add precooked swedish or any meatballs and simmer till vegetebles are tender and meatballs are hot.

Serve as is or over mashed potatoes.

.

Eyes Wide Shut

2012-01-18T22:37:00.000-08:00

Back in the 30's during the great depression my great uncle Otto from Finland would help his neighbors around Gowan,Mn( near Floodwood) to get food to eat by shooting deer for them because he was a generous man and because he was good at it.

He would do it after dark with a miner's light on his head which would light up the deer's eyes. You had to shoot between the eyes because that's all you could see.

Martti was a neighbor and needed meat for his family. Otto consented. They were in his back forty after dark with the gun and the light when Martti said there one is shoot him. Otto said I think his eyes are too far apart to be a deer but Martti said no the cow is in the barn that's a deer shoot him so Otto did right between the eyes and it turned out to be Martti's only milk cow.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

2012-01-17T08:07:00.000-08:00

It is very cold outdoors and a good day to stay indoors and eat pancakes. If you make them with whole wheat flour and plain yoghurt you will not be eating the empty calories of white flour pancakes. Add oatmeal, walnuts, and apple to the batter and it is even better.

If you raise your kids eating pancakes like these it may be the beginning of lifelong healthy eating habits for them. A great way to start a day and a life.

Sometimes I use all whole wheat flour, other times 1/3 white to 2/3 whole wheat. If you are cooking for those who have never eaten all whole wheat, start them off with the blend.

Here's how I did them today.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 c white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon sugar, br sugar, or honey
1 egg
1 cup water
1/2 c yoghurt - unsweetened plain
1 tblsp oil
Method:
1) Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.
2) Add wet ingredients and whisk together.
3) Ladle batter into preheated med heat lightly oiled frying pan or griddle. You know the rest.

Notes: Add rolled or steel cut oats, chopped walnuts, minced apple to the batter, as well as cinnamon for a special treat. Or any fruit of your choice. If it was July I would be adding wild raspberries.

Serve w/ butter, maple syrup or preserves of your choice or all.Adjust consistency of the batter to preference by adding more liquid( water or milk, apple juice, etc). For example, I like thin pancakes like Swedish style, others I know prefer fluffy ones - add another teaspoon of baking powder if you like fluffy.

Mission Accomplished.

2012-01-11T15:43:00.000-08:00

I forgot to get beans, so I made a sweet and hot corn relish w/ onions, red and green sweet peppers,cayenne pepper, garlic, balsamic vinegar and a little brown sugar, cooked and served hot. A serendipitous discovery like that is one of the best things about cooking.

The ND walleye and perch filets were snow white and perfectly cleaned - hats off to Ross's brothers for that.

A Crane Lake Sauvignon Blanc was the perfect cooking and drinking accompaniment. 4 bucks a bottle and it is an excellent table wine.

Walleye and Jumbo Yellow Perch thru the Ice in ND

2012-01-09T22:32:00.000-08:00

My good friend Ross and I will get together tomorrow and cook and eat his North Dakota walleye and jumbo yellow perch caught thru the ice last wk about 20 miles south of Bismarck .

We will cook and talk of old times 40 years ago or so when we were boy scout camp counsellors together.

It will be a traditional shore lunch to which we add onions, garlic and jalapenos to the beans and fried potatoes. We will season the fish fillets with salt,pepper and garlic and flour and fry them in olive oil till they are golden about 3 minutes and flip and do 2 minutes,remove from pan, pour off excess oil, add white wine, reduce, add butter and chopped parsley and tarragon and pour over fillets when plated. Add garlic and red pepper as desired to the pan.This is exquisite and memorable.

Swedish Meatballs with Venison, Other Options

2012-01-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

Swedish Meatballs have been a lifelong tradition in my family, especially during the holiday season.

As with other generally bland foods that I grew up eating, I tweak the recipe to make it more interesting. I like to know that I am actually eating when I am eating.

Mom's meatballs included salt, pepper and onions, as well as of course the ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs and milk.. Perhaps nutmeg, also, which is traditional.

I add garlic and cayenne pepper and worcestershire as well as allspice.Not so much as to dominate, but just enough to add layers of flavor and complexity to the meatballs. Enough so you can taste it, but maybe not identify the flavor.

You can use different ground meat mixtures, for example half venison and half pork, or one third each of venison, beef and pork. I have done half hamburger and half ground chicken or turkey. I have included finely chopped mushrooms and sage. Variations are myriad.

In the photo , I made a pan gravy with beef and chicken stock and instead of stirring sour cream into the gravy, which is traditional, I served the meatballs w/ the sour cream on top of the meatballs and added cranberries, minced cayenne pepper and dill. It was great.

Venison Chili with Polenta and Refried Beans

2012-01-05T11:49:00.000-08:00

This is the photo that should have been w/ the previous chili posting. Good looking with layers of flavor and depth.

Check out Lake Country Magazine Jan/Feb, 2012 issue for this same photo, text and the complete recipe.

Happy New Year.I intend to blog often and regularly with photos and perhaps video - one of several New Years resolutions.

Tip The Cook

2011-12-19T22:29:00.000-08:00

It is the time of the year to tip your cook. If you are eating at a restaurant and your meal is exceptional - steak or fish cooked just right, etc, consider tipping the cook(s). Ask your server how many cooks are on the "line" - those that are cooking your meal per order, typically 2 or 3 or four. Send them back 5 bucks a piece. 5 bucks is a lot of money for a cook - they get about 10 bucks an hour, maybe 12 if it's a really good restaurant. 5 bucks is almost a pack of smokes or a beer after work. It will be much appreciated. They will be high fiving on the" line."

Merry Christmas!

A Single Man

2011-11-23T08:38:00.000-08:00

One good thing about not being married or having a live in girlfriend is you get to clean your ducks and fish and deermeat in your kitchen where it is warm and you have a large maple chopping block island. Plus easy access to all the tools of the trade.

Lucky me, kind of... .

Me, My best friend, My Daughter, and a Duck,Best meal ever

2011-10-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

So I did it.I cooked those wild Mn mallard duck breasts as in my previous post and it was the best meat of any kind that I have eaten in 60 plus years of eating meat and believe me as a hunter and professional chef in the business, I've had access to and have cooked and eaten a lot of meats, domestic and wild.

I recall a leg of organic lamb done on a weber at Tim and Beth's in NW Wisconsin, and a number of venison chops braised w/ onions, mushrooms and brandy
that have come close.

But nothing quite like this.

Beyond your dog getting a surprise chicken bone, your 1st girlfriend and your first kiss, or your best wife and your best time w/ her,beyond just palate and taste and memory to a deep in your chest satisfaction.This was complete. You could ask for nothing more.

Dark and wet and cold outdoors so I did them indoors on a black cast iron pan on the stove top in olive oil. Seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic, skin side down on med heat till crisp - 4 to 5 minutes, flipped and sauced w/ the orange marmalade sauce/glaze( added worcestershire,and soy sauce to previous recipe) and cooked for about 2 minutes and the breasts were med rare.

Sliced duck breasts a quarter inch thin at an angle and layed out on a plate and covered w/ additional sauce. Served with butternut squash and warm fresh baked whole wheat bread w/ butter. The breast medallions melted like butter in my mouth. Herbed, sweet and sour, spicy, complex, deep.Wow.

Brandy, dark chocolate, and espresso for dessert.

herbed, spiced

They Shoot You Eat

2011-10-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

Gotta love it when you have friends that are good at shooting ducks but they don't want to clean them and they give them to you.

Rick showed up at the bar/restaurant that I work at the other day and said the guys don't want to clean the ducks they shot but he knows who does and that was me. I said you're right and he gave me 4 mallards. Boy oh boy lucky me.

I put them in the walkin cooler and two days later I brought them home and plucked the breasts and boned them out and skinned the wings and legs. The wings and legs will make a luscious broth which will be incorporated into a reduced sauce involving red wine, balsamic vinegar, garlic, hot peppers and orange marmalade, as well as cilantro and parsley.

Cook the duck breasts med rare on your weber over charcoal or preferably local maple or oak and glaze with the sauce. Nothing better. Serve with butternut squash seasoned w/ butter, brown sugar and ginger. Accompany w/ Sam Adams or a cabernet.

A Garden of Earthly Delights

2011-09-29T19:01:00.000-07:00

It is that very special time of the year when we can be eating straight out of the garden.

Green beans from mine. Sweet corn from a local grower.

Boil green beans till al dente. Drain.Add olive or canola oil or your favorite healthy oil to a preheated saute' pan and add beans, season w/salt, pepper, garlic,crushed red pepper. Add dry roasted peanuts. Saute' over medium heat for a couple of minutes until beans are tender, but not overcooked.

Do fresh cooked sweet corn - either shucked and boiled - or roasted on the grill or a weber unshucked - you do not have to soak them in water - control the temperature and turn so you do not burn them up. Do yourself a favor and use a real wood fire in your weber - oak, maple, birch or whatever hardwoods you have available. The woodsmoke adds a dimension of flavor that you cannot get otherwise.

Shuck the roasted or grilled corn, and slice the corn off the cob. Make a batter like a scratch pancake batter - 1 cup flour, 1egg, 1 teaspoon baking powder, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in corn - 2 cups. Here's the best part - add garlic, fresh or granulated, diced green onions, and crushed red pepper( if you have hot peppers in your garden, use them but be careful they can be very hot). Add oil to your frying pan and fry big spoonfulls of cornbatter over medium heat for a couple of minutes till golden, turn, and fry till golden again.

Serve the corn fritters with a sauce of orange marmalade, balsamic vinegar, garlic, crushed red pepper( or your own garden hot peppers), chopped parsley and cilantro. and a little soy sauce to taste.. It is a spicy asian adaptation of the traditional southern fried corn fritters.

You will know that you are eating when you are eating these green beans and corn fritters. Have some cold beers at the ready.

Give Me The Money , I'll spend it at the Bar

2011-09-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

I went to a wedding last Friday at The Refuge in Oak Grove. Beautiful weather, great preacher that really personalized relevant scripture to the soon to be bride and groom, verdant landscape, geese in the distance, lowering sun, etc... . Ceremony not too long. Perfect.

Reception, dinner and dance immediately following in a spectacular post and beam constructed lodge type bldg reminiscent of Lutsen on the N shore of Lake Superior. I was impressed.

And then came the food. Iceberg lettuce - the bagged pre-prepared foodservice kind w/ the shredded carrots and red cabbage - plastic tomato wedges and of course, ranch dressing. Accompanied by a super market soft wheat roll.

Um - where's the dixie cup w/ the peanuts and mints was my first thought and then I went oh oh remembering that I ordered salmon.

Worse than expected. Way overcooked dry as a dead stick salmon topped w/ a cucumber dill creamy salad dressing. Under cooked carrots, decent skin on mashed potatoes, which I used to envelope the salmon so I could swallow it. The plate probably cost the father of the bride 20 or 30 bucks or more.

I would rather spend the 20 or 30 bucks at the bar. A relative, Jim, said he'd had worse food at weddings. He also said that in the south burbs its better, but as you get north the food gets worse. Even at these fancy places. Millions on the bldg and grounds and a pittance for the food and chef/cooks.Sad. Inexcusable, embarrassing, pathetic.

Family Friendly Chili

2011-09-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

If you are going to make chili for your family and you have kids and they don't like beans like most kids these days it seems, use refried beans - your own or canned( w/o lard). They will not identify them by sight, yet you get the wonderful depth and heartiness of flavor as well as the health benefits of beans. Good for both of you. A twofer.

Serve the chili over brown rice or angel hair pasta. If you serve it over pasta, add allspice to the chili , as well as the usual suspects of chili powder, garlic, red pepper, bayleaf and parsley. Garnish w/ grated or canned parmesan cheese.

As a special treat serve it over polenta - seasoned corn meal mush - recipe on the carton of Quaker cornmeal - but add garlic and parmesan cheese to it. Simple, family friendly, delicious.

Perfect w/ a cabernet or shiraz or zinfandel or your favorite beer.

Salmon and Fresh Fruit Salsa Celebration

2011-08-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

My sister is visiting from S California so I am cooking up a summer thunderstorm for her.

Wild caught Alaskan salmon is on the menu.I do it in the Weber. I use red oak, rather than charcoal.Oak is abundant here so why would I pay an exhorbitant price for Kingsford charcoal.

Start your fire in the Weber with birchbark - birch abounds hereabouts - and small pine branch kindling - if you live amongst tall pines as I do there will be plenty of small dead branches of pine on the ground. Add small and medium split oak and let the fire roar till you have a bed of red and white hot coals. Just like charcoal.

Finely dice fresh mango, strawberries, an orange, sweet red and green peppers and green onions. Add salt, black pepper, red pepper, garlic,chopped fresh parsley, cilantro and mint to the fruit. Add lime juice, balsamic vinegar and honey. This makes it a little sweet and sour. You can add any other fresh fruits that you have like kiwi, papaya,cantalope, honeydew, raspberries,etc... .

Put salt, black pepper and olive oil on the salmon filet(s).Grill over wood coals in the Weber for 2 or 3 minutes and turn, grilling for 2 or 3 more minutes. You do not want to overcook the salmon filets - med rare to med is fine. A general rule of thumb is 7 minutes per inch of thickness of fish till well done. Do not overcook. Err on the side of underdone.

Serve with fresh garden vegetables like green beans and zucchini sauteed with salt, pepper and garlic, and brown rice. Put plenty of the fruit salsa on the salmon and the brown rice.

Bruschetta - Year Round Summer Treat

2011-08-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

If your tomatoes are not ripe yet and you are craving bruschetta with a tomato, basil, garlic and olive oil topping, use canned stewed tomatoes. If you dice them on a cutting board and lift them up off the cutting board with the french knife you have been chopping them with, they will not be too wet.

Place them in a bowl, add salt and pepper, minced fresh garlic, chopped fresh basil; stir, drizzle w/ olive oil.Serve w/ toasted french bread rounds that have been brushed w/ olive oil, garliced and toasted in the oven or on your grill.You may top them w/ finely grated parmesan cheese.

Stewed tomatoes are made with ripe harvested tomatoes and thus have that deep, rich round umami part of taste.We only get real ripe, tomato tasting tomatoes one month of the year in Mn.

Do you and yours' a favor and try it w/ stewed tomatoes. Luscious.

!st Real Day of Summer

2011-06-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

Finally a summer day which I have applauded with a Mn Gumbo that included pepper jack brats( from Thielen's in Pierz) and largemouth bass, plus the usual suspects ( onions, green peppers, red too, and celery). I sauteed the veggies till half done in olive oil, added the raw brats and cooked slow till all were done , add enough flour to absorb the oil, added garlic( plenty),paprika, crushed red pepper, bay leaf, fresh basil, oregano, thyme in average amounts, and then water, chicken bouillon and v-8 juice, and finally the bass filets. The bass are the last - they only take a few minutes to poach in the special slightly thickened broth of the gumbo.

Cook brown rice on the side. Place cooked rice in individual serving bowls, ladle gumbo over, strew with a mix of the same fresh chopped herbs.

Note: Do the onions, peppers, celery slowly, as well as the brats. It's about a 20 minute to a half hour process. Enjoy it. Have a glass of wine or your favorite beer. Sing along. Talk with your 14 yr old daughter about the summer play that she is in. Stir it all in the pan, get outside and throw the ball for your pooch to fetch. Get back in and stir again, humming along.

Recall that you have leftover polenta from last night's supper. Heat that up in the microwave. and serve as the surprise side. It is so great.

The Bowstring Boogie

2011-06-09T19:50:00.000-07:00

Fished on Bowstring the last couple of days with lifelong buddies, an annual trip that I do not make annually, which makes it even more special for me. Usually in Canada, but not this time. This trip was close, accommodating, and affordable.

Not great fishing but decent with walleyes from Bowstring and Winnie. Plenty to pack plus to fry - including northern and perch and a dandy tullibie, which I threw back and regret that action as now I would like to pan-smoke it and eat it with mustard and orange marmalade or apricot preserves., with the addition of garlic, red or jalapeno pepper, and cilantro as a basting and/or dipping sauce.

Dang, those sweet hot spiced plenty of garic sauces are good on smoked goods. Add green onion and parsley too. Whoee!

Floured fish deep fried, calico beans with jalapeno peppers, and boiled red potatoes with butter and garlic had us in Bowstring heaven. Sweat running down Kurt's face and chest and others whooping and hollering - we knew that we were eating for sure, and that it was dam good.

Geiger's Trails End Resort on the north end of Bowstring.Exceptional efficiency, housekeeping cabins, cook your own. The real deal. Best fish cleaning house I've ever seen or used.

A Sock in the Eye

2011-06-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

Supper tonight wild caught Alaskan sockeye salmon poached med rare to med in white wine - a Riesling - somewhat sweet, served with a fresh fruit salsa involving equal amounts of strawberries, avocado, orange, green onion seasoned w/ garlic, red pepper, and dill, salt and black pepper to taste. Oh, and some apricot preserves. Excellent.

Never overcook salmon. It jumps a step between cooking and eating - for example if you cook it to med rare it will be med when you eat it, and so on. Salmon gets dry and loses flavor when it is cooked beyond medium.

Sockeye this time of the year is " Copper River Red," probably the best Salmon in the world, especially if you have your own local source like a good friend who fishes them or a trusted market.

It tastes of itself and of the sea. You can eat it raw sushi style, or salt and sugar cured lox style; add dill and it is Scandinavian.

A Cool Spring Evening Supper

2011-05-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

A simple supper on the patio by myself because my daughter is at a friend's house overnight.

Grilled Muenster cheese on New England Brown Bread done with olive oil, instead of butter, along with tomato soup seasoned w/ red pepper, basil, and garlic. Excellent. Dunk, for sure.

Microwave steamed broccoli seasoned with garlic, olive oil, butter, black pepper and lemon juice on the side. Perfect.

East wind still still blowing. No fishing. Dang. All out of frozen after last night's final frozen cache of walleye.

French Open tennis on tv. Klister( sp) beat by a lanky lefty from the Netherlands. Good tennis.

2011-05-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

I am 8 by 12 in the garden and ready to plant, but it is still too cold - frost possible tonight. Also turned over a couple of herb and flower gardens off the patio.

I am ready and waiting.

Stop it east wind so I can fish.

Bass from the freezer tonight sauteed and finished off w/ chardonnay, butter, garlic, red pepper and dill. Exquisite. Served along side onions, cabbage and carrots.

Everything's great so far except the weather.Too cold. Wrong wind.

Loons are plaintive. Me, too.

A Bob Dylan Day

2011-05-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

Outdoor food is garden food. It's just about that time in the Brainerd Lakes area. There has been no rush because of the cool spring.

I've planted early in the past and the plants just sit there and don't grow.

Finally began turning it over w/ a shovel today. More tomorrow and thursday - expanding my small plot from 6 by 12 to 18 by 12. I want more than what I can eat in season because of the price of fresh produce in the stores these days as well as because of my increasing realization that most of what you get in supermarkets is probably poisoned by pesticides and herbicides. Deeply. I can manage my small plot w/o those poisons.

I have been impatient over the years - a little less now at almost 63. Daily progress over a week will yield as much or more than a long hard driven get it in day. I take the time now and then to scan the sky for eagles ( they're often working the shoreline for fish), or to throw the tennis ball for my brown lab pup. He fetches it right up. I'm counting on him for pheasants in the fall in some local ditches and fields - just he and me, a two man team.

A break for lemonade at 10 AM on the patio is requisite . A morning cigar - not inhaled anymore - and a few pages of reading - AS ALWAYS. JULIA, currently, and Sydney Sheldon's autobiography. If the east wind would stop blowing I would discontinue yard and garden work and cast the shoreline for bluegills using a flyrod with a black gnat. Don't tell anyone.

It's the 24th of May and there is a program on Mn Public Radio entitled " Boy From The North Country" about Bob Dylan's early days and his Mn roots which includes anecdotes and music from back in the day, so I take an early lunch and a beer to savor that. I sit on the patio and crank up the radio. It is great.

A friend calls and intones "rainy days on the great lakes, walking the hills of old Duluth" and does a riff on his harmonica. He has been listening to the same program. What an interlude on what a day.

Thank God for Spring.

Fishing Alone

2011-05-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

If you are fishing alone, you are probably not. There is likely to be a loon working the dropoff beyond you, a great blue heron working the shoreline, and a bald eagle above you working both , plus your in between depth.. There was. It was beautiful.

I used a fly rod. they didn't. It was bluegills I caught. Nice ones.

From what I could see, I caught more than they did. A great day for Homo Sapiens.

They eat them raw. I don't. This time I cooked them with a cracker crumb breading in canola oil in a black cast iron pan. I seasoned the breading with black pepper, crushed red pepper, granulated garlic, parsley and dillweed.

We enjoyed them equally.

Fishing Opener: What You Should Do

2011-05-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

I promised on Facebook that I would detail the classic French beurre blanc( white butter") recipe for fish caught on fishing openers.

Dredge fish filets in flour, fry in half butter and olive oil ( or canola or soybean, usually identified on the label as vegetable oil) for 2 to 3 minutes on med to med high heat until golden , turn, saute a minute or two and remove from pan. The general rule of thumb in cooking fish is 7 minutes per inch of thickness of fish. Do the math. You want it on fairly high heat to get it brown, and turn the heat down after you flip the filets.

After you remove the filets from the pan, pour off excess oil, add a cup of any white wine and cook on med high heat until reduced by half, add chopped parsley and garlic, or tarragon, or garlic and sage, remove pan from heat, add 3 or 4 pats of cold butter and swirl pan in a circular motion until butter pats are melted and pour over filets. It is a luscious sauce, redolent of herbs, pan debris, and butter.

Accompany with starch( potatoes, rice, couscous, etc)..., and fresh cooked vegetables - broccoli or asparagus, or green beens) or in more traditional shore lunch style w/ baked beans w/onions, bacon, and jalapenos and fried potatoes. Add onions and peppers and garlic to the potatoes.

Accompany with your favorite beer or wine - a pinot noir or chardonnay - and enjoy.

Coffee, cognac and cards before bed. In moderation, of course. You are about 60 or more and you don't want to crawl into the wrong bed.

2011-05-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

When it is fishing opener on Mille Lacs and it is 40 degrees with a Ne wind at 20 plus and you are on the west shore, you don't fish. You stay in the cabin and burn wood in the stove or fireplace and do picture puzzles and play scrabble. If you're up with the family.

Otherwise it's you and the boys at your favorite local bar for beer, bloody marys and breakfast. Oh - it's raining, too. The favorite kind of opener if you own a bar and restaurant on Mille Lacs. Nice on friday, sh***y on Saturday, nice on Sunday. Maximum money.

Slow opener this yr? Yes, probably, for people and fish. Late spring, high gas prices - would you come up and spend a hundred five on gas for the truck and the boat if you'd heard the forcast?

Some of us can't resist. It's with guys you've done it with for years. It's not a fair weather deal. You've known these guys for a lifetime. It's not a gamble even though it's poker, which you also will be doing tonight. You won't lose much, but you can win a lot.

There might be a guy in your group that can cook. Lucky you.

It Keeps On Getting Better

2011-05-10T20:58:00.000-07:00

So after you have had pork fried rice for dinner, the next day you scramble more eggs in with the fried rice and you have it for breakfast along with toast. It is way better and more interesting than just having scrambled eggs. Add garlic and red pepper and cilantro.

Try it with leftover hot dogs, onions and potatoes, too.

Manslaughter or Assisted Suicide?

2011-05-10T20:44:00.000-07:00

If you are fat and you order food at the restaurant that I work at I will cook you an extra large order of hashbrowns, for example, because I know that is what you want. Is that bad?

Your Final Birthday

2011-05-03T17:13:00.000-07:00

The butt was a 6 lber. Eat it as a roast with the vegetables as described.

Next day as pork fried rice.

3rd day cut up and cooked with cabbage and potatoes, carrots and onions.

It's a butt that keeps on working it.

4th day in a many bean soup.

Checked out a flat of Sam's Club cupcakes yesterday at work - someone brought it in to the restaurant for a birthday party. - 138 ingredients listed on the label. If you ate one it would be your last birthday.

You Bet Your Butt

2011-05-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

If you are going to roast pork, do Boston Butt. Five hours at 350 degrees, covered.Add water about a third of the way up in your roasting pan. I use a black cast iron skillet. If you don't have a glass cover( mine broke), use a brown bag. It works. Be sure to check water level through out the cooking cycle, and add as necessary.

Season the roast simply w/ salt,pepper and garlic to start. Add crushed red pepper and herbs de provence for the last hour of cooking - along with onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes.

It is a hearty, substantial and healthy meal in a pan. So simple, rich and delicious. A little more than mom's pork or pot roast. You get the umami of the fatty meat, plus the bouquet of the herbs. Exquisite! Plenty of vegies plus the meat and fat you crave when it is 29 degrees on the 1st of may in Minnesota.

I've always felt that if you eat the good stuff( vegetables), you can eat the really good stuff( meat) too.

As Good As Chocolate

2011-04-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

A good late night snack on these cold wet days of spring is homemade shoe string potatoes. Cut the potatoes as thin as you can - like "Picnic" in the can. Use russets and sweet potatoes for a special treat. Do half canola and half olive oil - these oils are good for you and will satisfy that sweet or carb craving.

Deep fry - you only need about an inch of oil - on just above med heat ( 350 degrees). Adjust heat as necessary - don't let it smoke. Fry till golden brown, drain on paper towels, season with salt, pepper and granulated garlic. No need for a dipping sauce as they are so rich and satisfying as is - and like I said - good for you. Best of all they taste heavenly and satisfy that craving w/o killing you. Add a little cayenne if you prefer spicy.

A potato is a vegetable - russet and /or sweet - so they count for that.

Spring Salmon

2011-04-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

Use your hidden hard boiled Easter eggs to make an adjusted" Norwegian hollandaise" sauce to serve with your wild caught Alaskan Salmon.

The traditional sauce is melted butter, chopped hard boiled egg, lemon juice and dillweed -melt 1 stick butter, add 1 chopped hard boiled egg , 1 tablespoon dillweed., and 1/ 2 squeezed lemon juice.

Adjusted or enhanced includes the addition of 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1 /2 teaspoon minced garlic, and 1 /2 teaspoon crushed red pepper added to the melted butter.

Cook salmon in olive oil in saute pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes( season w/ salt and pepper), turn and cook 2 more minutes. The general rule of thumb in cooking fish to well done is 7 minute per inch of thickness of fish. Do the math. You want this salmon to be cooked medium - not dried out, which means cook it about half way there. The slower you cook it the better - even on medium low.

Spoon sauce over filets/steaks before serving with your favorite starch and vegetable - rice, boiled or shoestring potatoes, broccoli, or asparagus.

It is a deep kiss with your lover, you lucky one.

Wednesday, April 20th

2011-04-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

The wind stopped blowing so I got down to the lake today and saw 3 loons, 5 ducks, 1 eagle and a dead bullhead, pretty good sized. I did not eat any of them.

2011-01-23T19:32:00.000-08:00

Guacamole and refried beans w/ chips and corn tortillas a perfect playoff football snack.

Make the guac w/ onions, tomatoes, jalapeno pepper,lemon juice,plenty of garlic, cilantro and olive oil. Process. Serve with chips of your choice.

Pinto or black beans mashed and fried in half butter and olive oil, seasoned w/ salt, pepper, garlic, cayenne topped w/ cheese, served w/ chips and warm soft corn tortillas.

Looks good, smells great, tastes like a touchdown.

A Winter Sandwich

2011-01-12T11:57:00.000-08:00

Use marble jack cheese and bleu cheese and cooked spinach to make a great midwinter grilled cheese sandwich on whole grain bread. Grill the sandwich in a small amount of olive oil, or olive oil and butter. Eat it alongside a multi bean and vegetable soup.

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T21:17:00.000-08:00

I braised it stovetop w/ the wine and vegies and herbs/spices because my oven caught on fire. I added herbs de Provence and plenty of garlic along w/ the wine. 3 hours cooking time.

You can add the onions, mushrooms, carrots and potatoes after 2 hours of cooking the meat. 3 hours total. I do it in a black cast iron pan( 8inch) with a glass lid. You can watch it and test it all as you cook. If the vegies are done before the meat is fork tender, simply remove the vegies and continue cooking the beef. Add beef broth or beef bouillon to the pan for a deeper, richer flavor.

Happy New Year!

3 hours is a while. You will want to have some appetizers, like shrimp cocktail and cheese( bleu, and brie w/ jam) and crackers,sardines, minced mushrooms and onions sauteed w/ garlic and sage , artichokes etc... . while you wait, as well as wines of your choice ( I';m a nut for pinot noir), and / or egg nog . You will have sports on tv and as much talk as garlic in the food. It will all be spicy and good. You will need some kooks from your very own family to be involved, as well as the lonesome and homeless. They are as worthy of love and consideration as the food.

God Bless. Happy New Year.

You Win Some, You Lose Some

2010-12-30T20:20:00.000-08:00

An historic college basketball game tonight as the 90 game winning streak by Connecticut - best all time since John Wooden's UCLA men's team in the 70's - was eclipsed by the Stanford women. Great ball game. I am an avid fan of girl's basketball because all 3 of my girls have played basketball.

It happens with food, too. You might have made, say, a great beef Bourguignonne - which means beef " as prepared in Burgundy," which is braised w/ onions and mushrooms in red wine, Burgundy, I suppose, which equates with our California Pinot Noir( same grape).

You make it the best 90 times and the next time you screw up and lose and then you might make it great many times thereafter. It will probably make you better after you lose because you don't want to lose again.

I bought a beef chuck roast today and intend to prepare it in the beef Bourguignonne manner tomorrow - a simple adaptation - and will report on the results tomorrow after it is done.

It Will SaveYour Life

2010-12-27T19:18:00.000-08:00

Nice to be back. I've had a nasty virus in my computer and was unable to hold my website. Thanks to Norton Live, the virus(es) has been removed and I am protected again.

I have a passion for the roasts, stews and soups of wintertime. The one pot meals that nourish, sustain and excite us through the cold and dark time of the year. I swear that some of these lunches and suppers have saved my life.

If you're from the Midwest( Mn) and you grew up on Mom's pot roast , you know what I mean. You can make it better, I think. She seasoned it with salt and pepper - the chuck or blade front end of the cow, as well as the potatoes, carrots and onions.

Add garlic and rosemary or "herbs de Provence( a mixture of dried herbs from the South of France) which includes basil, fennel seed, lavender. marjoram, rosemary,sage, summer savory and thyme ( according to the "Food Lover's Companion") - a thoroughly intoxicating perfume of flavors esp when married to meats like beef or pork, or chicken in a one black cast iron pan meal.

One hour total cooking time w/ chicken - add vegetables the same time as the chicken.

With a pork or beef roast( or venison), add the vegetables after one hour of cooking and check for tenderness at 2 to 2 1/2 hours. You should add water and wine at the beginning and cover your container( 2 cups water, 1 cup wine - red or white). It is so simple and so good - deep, rich, aromatic, delicious.

Serve with artisan bread for dunking.It will keep you alive and interested. Umm, 350 degree oven. Oh, add whole mushrooms, too. Mom didn't.

Best Memories, First Fruits of the DeerHunt

2010-11-08T21:11:00.000-08:00

First fruits of the hunt are the tenderloins, the torpedo shaped portions of muscle that lay on either side of the backbone INSIDE THE CAVITY OF THE DEER, an area I think many hunters miss. It corresponds to the tenderloin or filet mignon of beef cattle.

It should be removed when you get your gutted deer back to camp. Otherwise it will dry out. Next day for sure.

Slice them in 3/8 inch thick portions. Saute onions till translucent( half carmelized) add sliced mushrooms, cook till soft ( a couple of minutes), add seasoned( salt, pepper, garlic) deer tenderloins to pan and cook a minute or so and turn and cook another minute or two. Add brandy ( 1/2 cup), cook 1 minute, then add butter( 3 -4 pats) and swirl till melted and serve over french bread toasts. Venison should be medium rare.

Tender, luscious first meal of your special deer, as they all are.

Deer Hunting, The Earliest Memories

2010-11-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

The best memories of deer hunting are the earliest ones. You knew nothing about it from experience - you were 12 or 15 and hunted with a 12 or 20 gauge slug, or a 30-30.

You'd mostly heard stories from your Dad and your uncles and great uncles. About them and their hunts and Grandpa, too, who'd learned to hunt deer from the Indians who still lived on the homestead when he was young. Before they were called to the reservation. The Indians had no problem getting the deer they needed - my impression was that it was more outsmarting them, than hunting. Which just might be be defined as hunting.

The Indians knew where and what the deer ate, and where and when they slept and since that's about all that deer they do, it was simple. Get there a little ahead of time and watch and wait and then shoot.

Cousin( great uncle) Clifford taught me that deer feed downwind, thus utilizing the great sense advantage they have over us - sound and smell, primarily - smelling upwind, looking downwind and hearing all directions as they fed downwind.

Which helps us to get them and then eat them, which is the original reason for all this hunting. Our advantage is eyesight and reason. Theirs the nose and ears. The deer win most of the time.

Duck Egg Rolls

2010-11-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

I thawed a bag of stir fry vegetables- broccoli, pea pods,peppers,onions, etc...-added already cooked duck meat( minced) and ran it in the food processor, added soy, sauce, garlic, ginger, crushed hot red pepper, cilantro all to taste and rolled it up in the egg roll skins.

Deep fried them in about an inch of vegetable oil - small pan so you don't need so much oil, which is one of the reasons we don't deep fry at home often - it takes so much oil. Turned them once. About 2 minutes per side to get them golden.

Served them with a dipping sauce made of chokecherry jam, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, sugar( or honey), garlic, crushed hot red pepper. Sweet and sour and hot.

Exceptional.Sure glad I have friends that shoot ducks and make wild chokecherry jam and give them to me.

Duck Soup

2010-10-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

It is great when you have friends that give you ducks because they shot so many yesterday that they don't want to clean today's shoot, which was another good one on Lake Onamia near Mille Lacs Lake.

I got 12, which I skinned and boned out.

Today I made a duck ragout of some, which involved onions, sweet peppers, duck sliced on the bias in quarter inch thick slices, garlic, red pepper, cilantro, bay leaf, red wine( Shiraz), rum, chokecherry jam, and olive oil. Served w/ rice, black beans and cornbread.

If you have ever done anything wrong , this will make it right. This is redemption.

Terve tulua, as they say in Finnish." Come again."

Rao's Lemon Chicken

2010-09-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

Lemon Sauce;

2 cups fresh lemon juice
1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 /2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup brandy

Whisk together or use your food processor or wand to make an emulsion.

Slice boneless chicken breasts( or grouse or pheasant) on the bias( diagonally) into 1 /2 inch thick portions. Season w/ salt and pepper, dredge in flour, and fry in med hot oil in frying pan a minute or two per side, remove from pan and reserve on plate and do another batch(s) as necessary. Do not overcook the cutlets. Add all the browned cutlets back into the pan, spoon lemon sauce on top of them, and place under a broiler till reheated and bubbly and bronzed.Place on serving platter and sprinkle w/ fresh chopped parsley. Serve w/ wild rice, white rice, pasta or roasted potatoes. Squash or carrots or spinach for the vegetable. Serve with extra lemon sauce on the side and rustic bread.

Rao's Lemon Chicken

2010-08-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

I got a book from the antique store where I have a booth and it is called Rao's Cookbook - over 100 yrs of Italian home cooking - a restaurant in Harlem - in which there are many great recipes, including one for " Rao's Famous Lemon Chicken." It is great. It is simple and exceptional.

I understand and appreciate restaurant recipes because I had one for years. They are easy for me to understand and adapt to the home cook. The lemon sauce is the secret in this one, plus the intricate timing and perfect cooking of the chicken.

I have adapted this recipe, which originally involved whole halved chickens, I also have changed the sauce a bit, but owe the entire recipe and concept to Rao's. Recipe follows tomorrow. Thank you.

Love At First Bite

2010-08-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

The Copper River Red or Sockeye is the Queen of all salmon. If you have a friend Kenny who fishes them then you are as lucky as I am lucky. They inhabit the SE coastal waters of Alaska.

The best little open faced sandwich in the world utilizes the luscious flesh of the Red One as gravlax - salt, pepper, sugar and dill cured for a day or two in the fridge, or as I have discovered, simply raw or 10 minutes into the cure.

Slice super thin across the grain of the meat and place on your favorite cracker or crustina and top with sour cream and fresh dillweed. Or top w/ wasabi . Eaten bare even, or unadorned is to participate in the history of this glorious one; it is tasting it's prey, it's fight, it's sex, it's speed, it's high jump. Your first girlfriend or your best wife. Or both. Plus the Pacific Ocean.

Remember the little roll ups Mom made with dried sliced beef and cream cheese with a pickle in the middle? Do it with this salmon. Enclose it w/ lefse, even, for a new take on a classic. Salud.

The Big Bakery Conspiracy

2010-07-22T02:09:00.000-07:00

A conspiracy of Big Bakeries has turned whole wheat bread into white bread. Anyone notice?

I heard about plans to do this - make ww bread w/ the consistency of white bread about a yr ago on NPR or MPR. It has happened.

The new whole wheat bread lacks bite( texture) and the depth of flavor you get when you chew food. It has the feel of white bread in your mouth - soft glop.

New England Brown Bread is one of the few over the counter real breads remaining - grainy texture, great chew - flavor becoming deeper, nuttier and more complex as you chew. Even tho' it is technically not whole wheat.

Some of the artisanal breads are excellent and I appreciate that trend, but some have crusts that are difficult to chew. And some are not cheap.

Jumbo Wild Raspberries

2010-07-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

Not a great photo, but it does show the size of the wild berries that I have been waxing on about in the past few posts.

It Just Keeps on Getting Better

2010-07-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

And of course put the wild raspberries on your breakfast cereal, french toast and pancakes.

Do yourself and your family a favor by using whole grain cereals and grains. Make pancakes w/1 c whole wheat flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tblsp sugar(or honey or real maple syrup) 1 tsp baking powder, 1 cup milk( skim), 1 egg , 1 tblsp oil. They taste similar to buckwheat cakes, have substance, depth of flavor, nutritional value, and a great nutty taste.

Eat the cakes w/ real butter, and real maple syrup , top w/ berries. It's all about balancing taste and nutrition. I guarantee you that once you eat whole wheat pancakes you will not go back to the empty flavor and calories of white pancakes. If you are eating mostly good stuff, it is ok to eat the butter and syrup.

A Toast to the Wild Berry

2010-07-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

Gotta love summer - fresh caught fish pan fried and finished off w/ white wine, parsley,tarragon and butter - the French way. Wild raspberries for dessert, alone, or w/ vanilla yoghurt, or cream, or ice cream. Or as my favorite - the galette - an open faced rustic tart or pie.

When you eat them alone, they are not alone - they are in company with their own sweet/tart nuance of flavor, aroma, and their history of rain, sun,extremes of heat and near frost, the birds and the bees and bears, too. A passing fox, deer, a coyote, grouse, wild turkeys and more. And finally me. Lucky me.

I raise my glass.

Berry Patch Blues

2010-07-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

Attacked by mosquitos in the wild raspberry patch this morning. I got one stuck in my throat like a tiny fishbone and couldn't stop coughing.

My young mama lab - currently nursing 7 little ones - came with me - and competed with me for the low growing berries. She picks faster than I can. She also likes cantaloupe and watermelon, including the rind.

Marinade for venison:
1 c red wine
3/4 c soy sauce
1 c vegetable oil
1/3 c lemon juice
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp dry mustard
1 tbsp black pepper
2 lg bay leaf
4 cloves garlic
4 sprigs parsley( 2 tsp dried)

Use a food processor or jar w/ a lid to make an emulsion. Marinade roast ( 2 or 3 lb) for a day or more in the fridge of course.

Wild Raspberries and Venison Stew

2010-06-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

A profusion of ripe wild raspberries in my patch. I thought last yr was great - this year's crop may be better, and it's only the beginning of the blooming. You've got to pick mid day to diminish the impact of mosquitos, and preferably in the sun w/ a breeze.

Venison stew and the raspberries for dinner last night with a Pinot Noir. A perfect marriage or should I say menage a trois. I added the wine to the stew, as well as brandy, bay leaves, Herbs de Provence, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, plus an au jus base for meat( beef) flavor. And plenty of garlic, of course. ( I will post the marinade recipe for the venison, tomorrow).

Ask your favorite restaurant if you can buy a bag of au jus base from them because a good restaurant will have a better quality base then you can get in a store. I was always glad to sell stuff like that to customers when I had the restaurant.If you are a good regular customer, they will be glad to do it for you - that extends to, for example, prime rib, whole beef tenderloins( filet mignon), Alaskan King Crab, etc... . Probably would have to be an independent restaurant.

Midsommarsdag on Upper Lake St Croix

2010-06-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

Midsommarsdag at Tim and Beth's on Upper Lake St Croix Lake in NW Wisconsin was a Memorable Feast and more. It included of course many traditional Scandinavian foods like Swedish meatballs, gravlax - wild caught salmon quickly marinated in salt, brown sugar, dill, black pepper, elderberry juice and cider vinegar, as well as salt( important) - ready to eat in 20 minutes. Exceptional and melt in your mouth.

Cold Swedish meatballs were served w/ lingonberry sauce, but my preference was to eat them w/ a slice of pickled beets; the lingonberry sauce with the cold boiled red potatoes. A personal favorite.

Cloud like rice pudding and almond cookies;a layered strawberry and whipped cream cake that was pure heaven.

We drank Swedish ales, Aquavit, and danced around the "stang" ( pole garlanded w/ birch leaves and daisies) as we sang songs of loss and regret for the homeland in the native tongue., accompanied by Tim and Beth on the guitar and violin.

We played "Kub," a Swedish cross version of horseshoes and Bocce Ball and it is better than either. Sport, drama, strategy and you can win if you are 9 or 90.

All part of an ancient fertility rite and celebration of summer that continues to this day in Scandinavia and certain locations in America. It was great.

Once in a Blue Moon

2010-06-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

Reality trumps Canadian Fishing Trip fantasy in this entry because I just returned from cousin Tim and Beth's on Upper St Croix Lake in NW Wisconsin - the headwaters of the St Croix River and of the mighty Brule, which flows N into Lake Superior. Two major rivers flowing opposite directions from the same lake and the lake does not get empty in the middle.

Located at Solon Springs, Wisconsin, which is also the home of an eccentric shop/cafe/ named Once In A Blue Moon - antiquities, collectibles,edibles , owned and hosted by a gracious, charming worldly woman from elsewhere. Her good friend owns Far Niente winery in Napa Valley, which produces arguably the best one or two Cabernet Sauvignon's in America . The '06 goes for about a hundred bucks a bottle. Tim and I had a glass a piece, gratis. What a treat. Plus free tomato basil soup and food for the kids(3) from the casual buffet that she had set up for Father's Day. It had required reservations, which we didn't have so she let us eat free from what was left of the buffet. Great spinach quiche. We were generous in the tip bucket.

You've got to check the place out. You will leave truly incredulous.

Lucky me

2010-06-17T20:27:00.000-07:00

It is not better not being there but you can imagine what you've done, as if you were there. I let the 38" northern ( jack) go, released him, unharmed. I am the leader on the big board. 10 bucks to get in. A hundred or so if you win, which 38" will not do, historically.

I won at poker last night, which means I came out ahead. Needed some assistance from Pat because I am not accustommed to playing poker esp all the fancy games they play these days. It was dumb luck. Then I almost climbed into bed w/ Vern, who is about 78 yrs old. Glad he didn't wake up. Right spot, wrong cabin. Just the right am't of scotch and poker.

A little woozy for breakfast, but cooking brought me around. Did the hash as in my previous post. It was great.

Got stuck in big wind getting home ( cabin) with Ira today- feared for our lives - 4 foot waves and 30 plus wind. Ira is 133 soaking wet, which he was, me 155. I drove the boat, he on bow. We needed more weight - some of the guys go 250 plus. We could have used one in the bow. Was terrified that we would flip over. We made it, drank beer in celebration of life, and cooked walleye the French way - seasoned and floured filets sauteed in oil 2 or 3 min per side, remove fillets, add white wine, tarragon, parsley, garlic, reduce, add butter. Swirl. Pour over fillets. Equisite.

Canadian Fishig Trip, continued

2010-06-16T17:42:00.000-07:00

So. I am not there. On the ACFT. See previous post. I will participate as if I was.

Beans and weenies first night, traditional.

First breakfast will be a hot dog scramble.It will include the leftover sliced weenies plus onions and peppers and potatoes like a hash. Cook them all in your black cast iron pan.

Remember to cook your hash slow; get up early if you are the cook. In order to cook it slow and carmelize your onions( put them in the pan first) you will have to think of your first girlfriend and how her mouth tasted like sweet corn when you kissed( I have said this before); this will take a while. Also you could think about Marissa Tomei in " Before The Devil Knows Your Dead" - point being that the onions need some time to get sweet.

When the hash is done and you have added plenty of garlic and cracked red pepper, crack eggs on top of the hash and place in your oven and get them soft cooked like poached or over easy and then get your pan out of the oven. Don't over cook. Have plenty of toast ready.

After you eat it is time to fish., You will fish all day. You will catch a 38" northern pike( "jack" in Canadian) on a little Shad Rap. It will be sport. It will be a great day w/ a lifelong friend, your boat partner for the day. Plus plenty of adequate walleyes.

Salud!

Annual Canadian Fishing Trip

2010-06-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

I am missing the Annual Canadian Fishing Trip( ACFT) this year. There are usually about 10-12 of us, half of those nearly lifelong friends. We share 3 rustic cabins, which include wood cookstoves, a propane fridge, propane lights, etc... . An outhouse a piece( per cabin) with a lakeview if you prop the door open.

First evening meal at our ACFT is traditionally beans and weenies. When chopped onions are nearly carmelized, add jalapeno peppers to the pan( black cast iron) till soft, then add beans from a can. This is way better than just beans - the sweet and hot of the baked beans is deliriously good along w/ a meat market dog w/ natural casings.

You can also start w/ bacon in the pan and add onions when it is half done, then the peppers, etc... .

Accompany this of course w/ a cold beer or two of your choice.

San Diego Food Continued

2010-05-05T21:11:00.000-07:00

Wild caught salmon, soft shell crab, and yellowtail sushi at Sapporo Restaurant and Bar in Ocean Beach.

Mahi and wahoo tacos at South Beach Bar in Ocean Beach.

Greek and Lebanese buffet in OB , I think; great vegetables and legumes - hummus, baba ghanoush, spiced carrots, green beans, lentils and that Greek ground lamb and beef product that is so tender and delicious. Rice and tapioca pudding.

Memorable Food of San Diego

2010-05-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

Just got back from my daughter's wedding in San Diego.

Memorable foods of San Diego:

The cracker thin dryed out blackened Mahi sandwich at the Gaslight Tavern in the historical gaslight area of downtown. It cost $9.oo and really sucked - my 1st meal out in San Diego on this trip. I know better and should have said get me the MOD ( mgr on duty) and said to him/her is this what you intended to serve. Didn't, was intoxicated w/ beautiful downtown gaslight San Diego, should have. People watching, locale, and local ale was exceptional.

Note: memorable can be good or bad.

More posts coming re: San Diego food.

Roast Chicken and Vegetables w/ herbs de Provence

2010-04-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

If you have already cooked all day at your job, like me, or worked all day at your job and you are tired and want to relax, yet you have to feed your family and as long as you are going to eat you want to eat well, then one of my favorites is to do the one pan roast dinner.

Beef or venison is great roasted along w/ potatoes, carrots, onions, celery. But the red meats take two or three hours, depending on their size.

Do chicken. Put it in a preheated black cast iron pan w/ olive oil , onions, carrots celery, and potatoes. Season all w/ herbes de Provence(bo't as a blend it includes basil, fennel seed, lavender,marjoram,rosemary, sage,summer savory and thyme - according to the Food Lover's Companion) which are to be strewn moderately over the chicken and vegetables. Add salt, pepper, garlic. Place in a 350 degree oven for about one hour, and all are done simultaneously. Vegetables should be fork tender. Chicken's juices should run clear when pierced w/ a knife or toothpick or should be 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.

The secret of this dish is no secret. You do not want to over cook the chicken, nor under cook it. The simplicity of this meal is that the vegetables and chicken are done at the same time - about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Beef or venison will take 2 to 2/ 1/2 hours, covered, and you have to add the vegetables to the pan for the final 45 minutes of cooking.

The chicken is simple, rich, and delicious. You can make a pan gravy after removing the meat and vegetables, by adding enough flour( a tblsp or 2) to absorb the fat in the pan along w/ red or white wine or brandy( cognac) and some water and whisk. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

It is so good and so simple. Bon Appetit!

Mn Bouillabaisse After The Workout

2010-04-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

I worked out at Downsize Fitness in Pierz today - getting in beach shape for a trip to San Diego - and craved a healthy, balanced , restorative meal afterwards,

I made a soup w/ carrots, celery, onions( the mirepoix of French cooking - pronounced mihr-PWAH) w/ the addition of chicken for protein. Chicken stock, bayleaf, garlic, black pepper, Herbs de Provence, v-8 juice, and some crushed red pepper for spice. Olive oil, too, to saute the chicken and vegetables in before adding the stock and water. Add brown rice already cooked at the end.

Rich, delicious, healthy. Serve w/ artisinal bread of your choice. New French Bakery has great frozen bread products available in all of our local supermarkets, I think. They are all good. Use your favorite.

It is not unlike a bouillabaisse, but w/ chicken instead of fish and seafood. You could add Mn fish or/ and shrimp, mussels, etc to this soup towards the end to gently poach, after the vegetables and chicken are cooked, if you are a fish/seafood lover. This is one of my favorites - a one dish meal , simple, that is a feast for a family, friends or even a wedding.

If your timing is right , you can do this in 20 minutes. Terve' tuluoa!

Corrections to Previous post. Plus Pasta Carbonara

2010-03-31T18:54:00.000-07:00

It is chef Glenn D'Amore ( " love " in French). What a name for a chef. He did have/has a gifted palette, I suppose if you think of the big "picture" of food.

He also has a gifted "palate," which was my intended meaning in the previous post.

He did teach me how to make pasta alla carbonara( charcoal maker's pasta) with pasta of your choice, including bacon ( pancetta), cream, stirred eggs, parmesan cheese, black pepper and garlic.

Chef Mario Batali does a version w/ rigatoni , pancetta, and the rest, including olive oil and green peas. and plenty of shredded Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese, his all time favorite.He uses water to bring the pan sauce w/ pasta included to the right consistency.

When you are looking for something quick and delicious to make for your family or friends, you should remember this recipe. You can use American bacon instead of the Italian pancetta, and we all love what bacon does to a dish - exceptional flavor w/o too much meat. We eat plenty of meat in America, already.

Here the meat is used for flavor rather than as the "meat" of the meal. Don't forget the green peas.

Fettucine Alfredo Glenn's Way

2010-03-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

I worked w/ chef Glenn D' Amour from the Italian restaurant in the Fitger's bldg in Duluth, also the chef at the original Grandma's in Duluth and the chef at the mexican restaurant downstairs from Grandma's in Duluth.

He has a gifted palette, and an unwavering dedication to the authenticity of regional cuisine. Blessed w/ the financial benefits of the owners of Grandma's, he studied in Italy., as well as in Mexico.

In Italy he learned that a true alfredo sauce was made simply w/ the addition of asiago cheese and water to pasta ( fettucini) in the saute pan along w/ butter, garlic and fresh ground black pepper. It was perfect; exquisite. So simple. So perfect.

Cook your pasta. Drain it. Do not rinse it. Return to the saute pan. Add butter, milk ( or water) and garlic and parmesan cheese to the right consistency, toss, and serve w/ New French Bakery baguettes that you can buy at your local store.

Fast Food Mistake

2010-03-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

The 3rd mistake was ordering extra crispy, the 2nd was the mashed potatoes, the 1st being the decision to pick up supper at a fast food restaurant.

I had not eaten any of the burger fast food places in years after getting food poisoning at a Burger King in Brainerd about 6 or 7 yrs ago.

Did I get food poisoning last night? Not really, but I am not used to eating that type of food. Sodden, stuffed, slugged I fell asleep early on the couch after a very disappointing Gopher men's basketball game.

Greasy chicken, tasteless fake mashed potatoes, white biscuits, empty calories. Brain and body crashed.

That is why I cook for myself and my daughter from scratch at home. Don't forget it, Captain.

Chili Encore

2010-03-02T09:08:00.000-08:00

Spread cream cheese on a soda cracker or a cracker of your choice, top with a dollop/ spoonful of cold chili. A great late night snack.

Chili with Polenta

2010-03-01T10:06:00.000-08:00

A great companion to your favorite bowl of chili is 1 /2 inch cubed polenta strewn on top. Add plenty of garlic and cheese of your choice to the polenta when boiling it. Place in an oiled pie pan, chill, cube and top your chili with it. It looks great and tastes great. Cold cubes in the hot chili is a nice contrast.

Polenta is just corn meal mush which you can flavor in any way you like. You can use regular corn
meal like Quakers in the cylindrical container. There is a recipe for corn meal mush on the can.

On a Cold Minnesota Morning

2010-02-25T10:10:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite breakfasts is twice toasted bread with Brie and orange marmalade. Use your favorite bread, toast it, butter it w/ cold butter, toast it again on a short cycle - it gets really hot when you toast it with butter, which in turn warms and softens the Brie, top w/ orange marmalade or apricot preserves.

The double toasting changes the texture of regular toast - softer interior, crunchier perimeter. A duality of textures which becomes even more when you add the cheese and jam. Exquisite. Yoghurt and hot tea on the side.

Simple pleasures can be great pleasures. This is one of those.

Dadi and Nati's Meatloaf

2010-01-12T21:28:00.000-08:00

Meatloaf is better than you think. Use equal amounts of finely diced onions( 1 / 2 med) and finely diced mushrooms, 2 eggs, 1 /4 c milk, 2 tblespoons worcestershire , 1 /4 c ketchup, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp crushed red pepper, 1 tsp granulated garlic, and a half tube of crushed soda crackers per pound of ground beef. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, cover w/ ketchup or BBQ sauce and bake at 350 degrees for the remaining 20 to 30 minutes until cooked thoroughly.

Serve w/ baked potatoes, carrots and cabbage; butter and ketchup on the side. Yum .

If you finely dice the onions and mushrooms and saute them before you add them to the meat mixture, your 12 yr old daughter, who hates onions and mushrooms, won't even know that they are there, and will say" great meatloaf, Dad." Lucky me and lucky her.

Rat- a- Tat Touille w/ Polenta And More

2010-01-11T20:45:00.000-08:00

Polenta is corn meal mush. You can use the same cornmeal that you use for cornbread, but cook it like you would cream of wheat for about 20 minutes. Use a whisk in your sauce pan and add water as necessary. Add salt, pepper( red and black), garlic, parmesan cheese and Herbs De Provence or basil.

Serve the polenta with a red or marinara sauce or a spaghetti sauce of your choice. It is an excellent substitute for pasta.

If you turn the polenta into an oiled( olive or vegetable) pie pan and chill, you can slice it into pie like wedges and fry in oil in a pan or heat it in a microwave and serve it with appropriate( any) Italian sauces or even ratatouille or chili. Yes. It is great. Add accompaniments like sour cream, cheese, green onions, etc... .

Oil Strike!

2009-12-30T05:49:00.000-08:00

If you have a dry face and hands and more and if lotion is not working for you even with successive applications, try vegetable oil. You do not need a lot. It is initially very oily on your skin, but will be mostly absorbed in 10 to 15 min. Blot with a cloth or paper towel if necessary. One application lasts all day.

I have been using soybean oil. Any oil would work - peanut, olive, safflower, canola etc... you could do the girly thing and flavor it w/ herbs and essences and aromatics.

If you have struggled with dry skin, I think you will like it. Plus it is cheap.

Choke Cherry Juice, Reduced, w/ Wild Game

2009-09-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

Harvested the last of the wild rice today. Got some roasting in the oven and choke cherries boiling on the stove.

Googled choke cherries and found wine and jelly recipes, which seemed involved and intricate w/ all kinds of discussion about jelly bags and cheesecloth and pillowcases and muslin and hanging and dripping.

Use a colander and a strainer or " china hat" . If your jelly is not perfectly clear, call it jam. Add sugar to taste.

I added a cup of sugar to a gallon of choke cherries and boiled it about 20 minutes and strained it and intend to use the juice like wine in any sauce or gravy based wild game recipe. It is darker even than Cabernet or Bordeaux and you could use it in any Bordelaise recipe or Coq au Vin, which means w/ venison, beef, chicken or wild fowl.

Why I Would Die and Return as Bacon

2009-08-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

Boil your fresh garden green beans till al dente and then saute' them w/ bacon and onions and garlic and red pepper flakes. Add some butter. Good enough to die for. Bacon is so great and so are green beans and onions. Lots of garlic, lots of red pepper.

You will know that you are eating.

Keeping it Simple, Fish, Sweet Corn, Zucchini

2009-08-23T18:37:00.000-07:00

You would not think that after 40 yrs of cooking personally and professionally, that I would screw up a meal at home.

Fish, corn on the cobb, zucchini. The corn was the best but not all that good either - boiled it instead of roasting it in its jackets. Over a fire or in the oven. Diminished/diluted when boiled in water.

Zucchini, like summer squash should be fast sauteed w/salt, pepper, garlic and finished w/ parmesan cheese. It should have body. I simmered it slow and it was soft and mushy. I am generally w/ Julia and believe that vegetables like broccoli should be cooked beyond crunch ( carrots, too). Not summer squash or zucchini.

When doing fish - floured and pan fried - and if you are doing a beurre blanc type sauce( reduced wine, herbs and butter), use plain flour, not a highly seasoned variation w/ paprika and cayenne and garlic that you would do as a shore lunch on a camping/fishing trip. Overkill and a muddied flavor. Keep it simple. Do one or the other. Roll the filets in plain white flour, saute in butter, and or olive oil, remove from pan, add wine, reduce, add herbs and cold butter pats. With highly seasoned flour leave it at that, fry it and eat it.

I hate it when I screw up a simple meal.

The Best of Summer

2009-08-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

A warm soft evening. Perfect. Finally.

Sunnies dredged in seasoned flour( salt, black pepper, cayenne optional but recommended, granulated garlic, paprika) sauteed in olive oil and/or butter and finished off w/ a pan sauce made by adding white wine( any) to the pan drippings along w/ garlic, parsley, and tarragon. Reduce, add butter pats, swirl, pour over fish.

Serve it with fresh garden broccoli, and summer squash. The perfect end to a perfect summer day.

Garden Days, Finally

2009-08-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

Keeping it simple and not screwing up what you've already got is easy when you are dealing w/ fresh garden harvestibles.

Summer squash, for example. They are like a little yellow zucchini and you can treat them the same way.. Slice in 3/8 inch rounds, season w/ salt, pepper and garlic and saute' in olive oil( or any, or butter) a few minutes on med heat, strew w/ parmesan cheese and serve. A great late night snack. Go light on all the seasonings so you can actually taste the delicate flavor of the squash.

Mn Early Garden Gumbo

2009-08-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, often, you have to work w/ what you've got, which in this case was great: jalapeno peppers and yellow summer squash from the garden. No tomatoes yet. Sausage, chicken and crappies it was, along w/ onions.

If you have bacon, brown it w/ the onions nice and slow in veg or olive oil, you can add butter too, add peppers, then summer squash, sliced sausage, chicken ( boneless, bitesize) then paprika, lots( 3, 4 tablespoons) - make sure you have enough oil and cook it slow so nothing burns, hum a song, blues, something rythmic, slow, or think of your first girlfriend and how her mouth tasted like sweet corn, add garlic, lots , add enough flour to absorb the oil( a tablespoon or two, cook for two minutes) and a cup and a half of chicken broth or water w/ bouillon cubes or base, add 2 bayleaves, black and red pepper to taste, add crappie filets and simmer a few minutes till chicken and crappies( or any fish) is done.

Serve w/ any kind of rice, your favorite, and rustic or french bread for dunking. Kids can pick out the parts they like. We, of course, like it all. You can use cajun seasoning or Herbs d' Provence if you like.

Minnesota Gumbo

2009-08-04T17:22:00.000-07:00

So I get home from work today at the antique shop and I'm thinking of old food. Not really.

I'm asking the kids ( 12 yr old daughter, 8 yr old grandson) what they want for dinner. I look in the freezer. Kielbassa, crappies and a tomato basil marinated chicken from the best little meat market in the world( Thielen's in Pierz), and I say kids what would you like, kielbassa, crappies, or tomato basil marinated chicken and as they are thinking I decide on all three in a gumbo. How about gumbo I say and Nati says yes. It is great when you get to choose all of the possibilities. If multiple choice was like that in school we would all be A students. Which is just one of the reasons I like food.

Gumbo it is, a Mn Gumbo. I'll tell you more about after I cook it and we eat it.

Reincarnated as Food

2009-07-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

If I was to die and come back as food I would come back as bacon. I would ask that you cook me slow and lay me down on a bed of toast( New England Brown Bread),garden greens, fresh, and ripe sliced tomatoes w/ a slathering of mayo.

Or if I was cremated to return as paprika, a little smokey and sweet w/ a little heat, the Hungarian kind. Be generous and cook me slow w/ bacon and chicken and onions and garlic.

A Sweet Little Tart

2009-07-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

Luscious wild red raspberries have been ripening at the rate of a pint a day for the past wk; congregated on and around an old log and brush pile on these 13 acres of Platte Lake land. The recent rains have no doubt encouraged this profusion of bloom and sweetness. My young black lab/ spitz eats them too, off the low hanging shrubs.

I have eaten them w/ cereal, plain, and with cottage cheese and w/ yoghurt and juices blended in smoothies, and also made a galette of them - a rustic free form open faced tart( pie) w/ the addition of a few domestic blueberries.

Berries and sugar is all you need, plus a pie dough crust, which I experimented with by melting the butter in a microwave, adding it to the flour, salt, sugar dry ingredients along with cold water at the end to get the desired consistency. I am kind of a lazy cook and was looking for an easier way than cutting the butter into the flour. It worked, resulting in a flaky tender crust that had enough body and strength to support a cooled slice eaten by hand. Perfect. I am a pastry lover, and fussy, and it shouldn't be too sweet.

If you asked Mona Lisa Vito( the Marissa Tomei character) in the My Cousin Vinny movie if the pie was luscious and sweet but not too sweet she would say," It wuh."

Single sheet of pie dough:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup( 1 stick) melted butter
1/2 cup cold(ice) water

Method:
Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl, add melted butter and ice water and stir with wooden spoon just enough so it is all moist - don't over miz - form into a ball, place on waxed paper, place another sheet of waxed paper on top of the dough, flatten somewhat w/ hand, and roll out w/ rolling pin so it is a couple of inches bigger than your pie pan or dish. Remove the top sheet of waxed paper and using the remaining bottom one carefully but in one motion flip the pie dough onto the surface pie pan or cookie sheet or cast iron pan or whatever you are using. Poke holes all over dough w/ a fork, add a pint of berries evenly
distributed over dough, leaving a 2" border of berry free edge, sprinkle a quarter cup sugar over berries, fold dough over berries around the perimeter, dot w/ cold butter pieces according to how much you love butter, sprinkle a little sugar on dough perimeter, and bake in a 400 degree oven for a half hour or until berries are bubbling and the crust is golden .

Eat hot right away w/ ice cream or whipped cream or sour cream, cool and then eat more until it is gone.
Method:

A Slow Change Curried Curve Ball

2009-07-22T06:48:00.000-07:00

AWOL for a month - too busy at work - too much cooking.

A wk off, tho; and here I am.

Got some bass, sunnies, northern pike, and walleye in the freezer.

Thawed bass the other night and asked my 12 yr old daughter how we should have it and she suggested curried, which we then did. Its a nice change from the same old shore lunch style.

Curried Platte Lake Bass: 1/2 onion, 1/2 green pepper, 1/2 red pepper - 1/2/ inch chopped
4 fillets bass
cooking oil - 2 - 3 tablespoons
2 tablespoons curry powder
garlic - 2 cloves chopped
crushed red pepper to taste
coconut - 1/4 cup or to taste
milk - 2 cups
flour to thicken - 1 tablespoon

Method:
Saute' onions till translucent on med to med low heat, add peppers and continue cooking till onions are somewhat brown ( carmelized) and peppers are soft, add curry powder and continue cooking, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Low heat is important. You don't want to burn the curry or it will be very bitter. Add a tablespoon or two of flour, stir, add 1 cup of the milk, garlic and crushed red pepper, turn up the heat to med. The sauce will thicken as it heats. If it becomes to thick, keep adding milk until you have the desired consistency. Add coconut.
You may poach the fish filets in the curry sauce, or pan fry them separately. A little bit of chicken base or a bouillon cube will make the sauce richer. Serve w/ rice.

Exotic, simple and delicious.

Bloomsday; The Inner Organs Of Beasts and Fowls

2009-06-16T21:39:00.000-07:00

Today is Bloomsday, the16th of June, one day in the life of Dedalus and Bloom

I read that book ( Joyce's Ulysses") as a lad on the lam ( " in headlong flight") in Europe back in '69. I loved it - it was an easier read for me than Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, curiously.

I was there in Pamplona for the "running of the bulls," and all thru Europe. A guy from NY wore my sandals in the run and lived to tell of it, also returned my sandals. Joyce spoke to me on a personal level in his novel, more so than Hemingway.

Bloom in the outhouse ,I could relate to that, and Molly, Wow, I could really relate to that. Dedalus on the beach?, yes.

As far as organs go, grind them up and make them soft and palatable like liverwurst, the poor man's pate', and eat them on a saltine cracker w soft cheese and mustard and onions with a glass of Burgundy or Pinot Noir. Or beer. Organs go great w/ beer.

The Salmon Colored Dawn, Continued

2009-06-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

After you grill your Salmon outdoors over a woodfire in your Weber, you can serve it w/ a sauce that I call Norwegian hollandaise, which is simply chopped hard boiled eggs immersed in plenty of melted butter with dill weed. It is comfortable and familiar, rich and delicious.

Grilled zucchini/ and or summer squash and potatoes both w/ olive oil, salt, pepper, and any herb mix will work. Microwave half or quarter cut potatoes till nearly done and finish on the grill. Toss vegetables in oil and herb mix and grill from raw. They cook fast.

The Salmon Colored Dawn

2009-05-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

I love food. It has been with me thru thick and thin.

The wind has stopped blowing, and it is time to grill.

There was a movie once where the guy in the insane asylum was asked by his shrink what happened. The guy says the wind done it to me. It was the wind. That's what its like on Mille Lacs sometimes. I was right there on the big lake for 25 years. If any of you wonder what happened, I'm like the guy in that movie. The wind done it to me. The wind plus some other stuff.

If you are going to grill out this summer( duh), do a sauce involving a half jar of orange marmalade( 6 oz), 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons water, 1 chopped jalapeno pepper, 3 med cloves garlic, minced. Leave the seeds in the pepper. It is sweet and hot like a young lover, and streaked with color like an early morning sky on Platte Lake in May.

Do it on salmon and all the beautiful blond gamebirds like grouse and pheasant, and chicken, plus duck.

Oh, dispense w/ the charcoal and build a real fire w/ real wood. Ash, oak, maple, alder, cherry, apple, all available in this area. Even birch or popple. Popple is delicious is you are a certain kind of mammal w/ big front teeth and a wide flat tail.

It is good enough to eat.

Like tiny round hay bales, but they taste better

2009-04-29T12:31:00.000-07:00

As I watch a food network show about egg rolls, I am reminded of the exquisite marriage of fresh julienned vegetables with any or all of the gamebirds or chicken all rolledup like a little old fashioned round hay bales.

Making egg rolls is a little messy and prep intensive, but when it is time to eat, it is time to eat. A half dozen or more sauces - sweet, hot, pungent, salty, fiery, cool and combinations thereof will satisfy everyone.

One of the dipping sauces can be tabasco( to taste) and yellow mustard - just like Chinese hot mustard. Sweet, hot Thai chili sauce is great( sometimes called just sweet chili sauce), hoisiin( chinese BBQ, basically), soy sauce w/ green Japanese horseradish, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, etc... . They're all great.

You don't need exotic vegetables - celery, cabbage, carrots, onions, mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots - any combination you can get or like. If you are good w/ a knife cut them in thin strips or use an attachment from your food processor.

You can get egg roll skins at just about any corner store, these days. Try them. You will be a hit.

Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream

2009-04-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

I made ice cream utilizing liquid nitrogen tonight. 1 pint whipping(heavy) cream, 1 / 3 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 / 2 cup cut up strawberries 1 liter liquid nitrogen.

Usually it takes hours to make ice cream. Liquid nitrogen, the most common gas in our atmosphere here on earth( 78 % ), is about 400 degrees below zero. You can get a 5 liter bottle at your local welding supply for about 30 bucks. You pour the liquid nitrogen just like you would water into your cream and sugar and vanilla mixture and stir w/ a wooden spoon until it is the consistency of ice cream, while stirring constantly. Do about a cup or less at a time until you achieve the ice cream texture. When the cream was about half thick I added strawberries, and continued stirring and adding more liquid nitrogen until my final desired consistency was achieved. It took about 5 minutes total.

5 minutes for real ice cream w/o any fake ingredients. Read the label of chemicals in ice cream. The nitrogen steams( evaporates ) away as you stir ( like magic in a Guthrie play production of A Christmas Carol when the Ghost of Christmas Past appears). When it stops steaming and if your ice cream is not thick enough, just add more. One of the easiest and fastest recipes that I have ever done.

I like it easy and I like it fast. This was great. And like any recipe, really, you can make it taste the way you like it. Taste the cream, sugar( OR HONEY), and vanilla in your bowl and add to taste as you want. Make it taste the way you like it - you will be the one eating it - it doesn't have to be anyone else's recipe - this is for you, as in all recipes. Use the basic recipe for a guide and go from there. I used cut up strawberries - use whatever fruit you like. Cut them to the size YOU like.

I must find out how they make nitrogen into liquid and how it remains stable and a liquid un that bottle which is not under pressure. Some configuration of mechanics inside the bottle must keep it from contact w/ our air so it remains a liquid. I will research that and let you know.

Terve' tuloa.

The Mn Fish Taco

2009-04-16T07:09:00.000-07:00

A taco is a mess to eat, and tortillas are over rated, as are wraps. A wrap is a poor excuse for a sandwich - raw and doughy. An eater friendly Mn fish taco would be a walleye finger in a hot dog bun covered with a finely shredded cole slaw. If a slice of bread was twice the usual size, you could make a sandwich w/ one slice - just wrap it around the filling - fish in this case.

San Diego Taco Town

2009-04-15T12:59:00.000-07:00

I just got back from 10 days in San Diego, birthplace of the fish taco, made w/ fresh grilled fish - mahi or wahoo or a local deep fried whitefish, with shredded green and white cabbage, white sauce, and served in a soft flour tortilla w/ salsa on the side. Excellent, though it has been my feeling that unless the cabbage is shredded very finely, it can dominate/overwhelm the texture of the fish.

I prefer a fish taco made w/ romaine lettuce is which leafy but w/ body and crunch. We did them at my restaurant( Headquarters Lodge) w/ blackened walleye.

Grow Your Own

2009-03-27T04:23:00.000-07:00

Along with the tomatoes and peppers and others in my expanded garden this yr, I will be including tobacco. Seeds and info are on line. Looks fairly simple, cheap, doable in Mn; drying and curing seems to be somewhat of an art, as does the rolling of a fine cigar, which is what I am interested in doing.

I look forward to finishing off a great meal w/ espresso, chocolate, cognac, and a dandy cigar.

A Cold Beer and an Egg Salad Sandwich

2009-03-14T05:02:00.000-07:00

Sunny and 55 degrees or more( today?) gets me thinking of an egg salad sandwich and a cold beer on the porch. It is nice to think of that again. You will want your early chives and/or green onions and just enough jalapeno pepper so that you know that you are eating when you are eating.

Oh, maple sap, in addition to calcium, has potassium and magnesium - just don't know how much, as if we needed and excuse to imbibe one of nature's finest....

Time to plan a garden w/ plenty of tomatoes and peppers of all sorts because they are so good and good for you too, and you can save a lot of money if you simply harvest and freeze them. Freeze jalapenos whole and tomatoes quartered. I will double my production this yr by adding plants( 6-8 tomato)and 10 - 12 pepper, and by locating my garden in a sunnier and hotter location. Tomatoes and peppers love the sun and the heat, as do I.

Maple Sap

2009-03-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

People in South Korea believe that drinking maple tree sap will make their bones as strong as the maple tree.It is bottled and sold in that un-reduced form and is a growth industry. According to an article in the NY Times, it has plenty of calcium, and tastes like weak slightly sweetened green tea. I will research that.

With the right marketing, it would probably sell in America, too.

A Perfect Day

2009-02-25T08:04:00.000-08:00

I stumbled upon A Perfect Day tv show involving Swedish chef/tv show/cookbook writer Tina Nordstrom. I posted about her last summer. She did a cooking show series on PBS within the last couple of years. The camera loves her and she is a good cook. She cooks outdoors in beautiful regions of Sweden. It is outdoor food at its best.

She did a recipe for a fish soup that included cinnamon, cumin, coriander, garlic, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, sausage, and Baltic Sea perch. Chicken bouillon and a pinch of sugar completes the broth. These non traditional Scandinavian spices may resemble allspice which is commonly used in a Finnish Fish Soup recipe that I have posted previously.

Check out perfectdaytv.com to see Tina and a couple of other chefs do all their cooking outdoors.

Puttin it on the Ritz

2009-02-23T08:38:00.000-08:00

Tuna fish on a cracker was the only food on my Oscar menu last night. Mayo, lemon pepper, parsley, basil and horseradish topped w/ half a grape tomato all sittin on the Ritz. Not an award winner, but at least as interesting as the show. Chased w/ a V-8.

It occurs to me that several of the( female) actors would look good on a Ritz, too, or on anything, really.

Smaller is Better

2009-02-19T09:06:00.000-08:00

The Mn Dept of Health website is current as of May '08 and lists all species and sizes of Mille Lacs fish as ok for unrestricted consumption. Perhaps the new study's findings will be added at a later date.

To err on the side of safe, eat smaller fish- they are better tasting, anyways.

Experts say the benefits of eating fish outweigh the risks, not to mention the benefits of actually catching fish, not the least of which may be self esteem if you are a Mille Lacs area fisherperson.

As in a current or recent Compass Magazine piece that I did for the Mille Lacs Messenger, I suggest you flour fish and pan fry in olive oil and finish them off w/ fresh herbs and white wine and butter. None better. It is the French way.

Big Fish, Little Fish

2009-02-18T12:52:00.000-08:00

As reported in the Startribune and on TV yesterday, fish meals of northern pike and walleye should be limited to one per week because of historical and ongoing mercury contamination.

What about bass and catfish, for example, and other larger fish favorites? Why are they exempt from contamination?

Another question. If these bigger predator fish get contaminated from eating many smaller fish, couldn't we likewise get contaminated by mercury when we eat many smaller fish?

I will do some research and get back to you.

The Hot and the Sweet

2009-01-19T05:54:00.000-08:00

The curried sunfish was a yin and yang of sweet and hot. I wrote the previous recipe before cooking it and have made some adjustments.

Use a half chopped onion and a quarter cup oil( olive or veg) and 2 tblsp curry powder; add flaked coconut while simmering at the end.

This would be excellent w/ chicken or pheasant or grouse - in that case you can either precook the birds or brown them as boneless portions in the pan along w/ the onions.

Keeping it Hot

2009-01-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

Internet access down for a week or so. It is a pleasure to be back

We're going to heat up the neighborhood today by doing curried sunfish with plenty of garlic and onions and jalapeno peppers. You cook curry powder as you you do paprika to get the full depth of flavor. Gently saute'/carmelize onions in oil, add curry powder and continue to cook on low for about 5 minutes. Paprika is a whole different spice when you cook it this way and so is curry powder. It has completeness of flavor that is deeply satisfying and there is no shortcut to get it. Be generous with curry powder - 3 tablespoons- or to your personal taste.

At this point you traditionally would add cream or coconut milk, but its too cold and also unnecessary . Add enough flour to absorb the oil in your pan( a couple tablespoons), stir and simmer a couple of minutes, then add milk and stir till you have the desired consistency - the thin side of thick in a nice sauce/gravy.

Two ways to cook the fish. Either pan fry crispy( flour, cracker crumbs, etc) and serve on the side with rice and curry sauce, or simmer/poach the fish filets in the curry sauce.

Notes: Add extra cayenne or crushed red pepper to curry sauce for additional heat. Add peppers to onions when the onions are half done, and garlic too. Low heat is required in order that you do not burn the curry powder or onions or garlic.

Cold and Hot

2009-01-05T06:13:00.000-08:00

Twenty five below zero this AM and the temperature is to rise today to some twenties above. A 50 degree rise. Wow.

In the meantime try a hot Hunan( I think) style stir fry w/ venison. Onions, mushrooms, water chestnuts and venison sliced thin ( 1 / 8 inch ) w/ plenty of garlic, crushed red pepper, and a couple tablespoons of black bean sauce( I used Kikkoman), all tossed w/ Ramen Noodles.

Do the onions in veg oil first till soft, add mushrooms and water chestnuts, then meat, then a quarter cup of water and bean sauce, garlic and red pepper. Toss w/ prepared noodles. It is rich and spicy and a great counterpoint to the frigid air outside. It heats you up from the inside out.

Well, he ( Childress) got her into the bar, but couldn't get her back into the dining room in the 2nd half( re: metaphor from previous post). He should have let Jackson run.