A Perfect Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.