sweets in the kitchen: baked trout with lemon butter

The title of this post might sound like an oxymoron, given the bit about 'sweets' and the follow up about 'baked trout'.  No, I didn't come up with some uber crazy dessert idea involving fish heads and simple syrup.

I came up with the uber amazing idea to feature recipes made by my other half.  The one in my household known as Sweets (just to me, though, as far as I know).  She's a creative genious and an amazing cook, whose passion about food inspires me everyday.

alaskan salmon bake

OK, bad news first.  I don't have a recipe for you today.  I know I haven't posted one in a while, or posted anything for that matter, but I've been busy being out of town, on vacation, in Alaska.

For whatever reason that state needs to be italicized when being introduced.  I know it's just another state.  Hell, I know at least half a dozen people who grew up there, but I still hold on to the stereotype of mysterious, untouched land filled with dangerous wild animals; thick, dark forest; uncharted, ice-covered territory.  It's the kind of place suited for burly, bearded people wielding hatchets and living off the land, not a place to be taken lightly.

Well, as it turns out, my idea of 'what Alaska is like' may have been a bit over-dramatic.  A scrawny girl used to city living can do just fine there too.  She can relax and have fun, even.  Sans burl and beard. 

One of the highlights from my trip to The Last Frontier, was the incredible seafood at the Gold Creek Salmon Bake, just outside the capital city of Juneau.

grilled cilantro & pistachio pesto shrimp skewers over sauteed kale

You know what I love?  What absolutely delights me in the most unimportant, trivial sort of way, but a way that is completely satisfying in its insignificance? 

I love when I'm waiting in line at the grocery checkout and I spy a thick, glossy food magazine, pick it up and flip through it for two minutes, decide in the millisecond before the cashier totals my order that I simply must own it, and take it home to discover that I'd like to try all of the recipes inside, thanks in part to the incredible photographs accompanying each and every dish contained therein.

That is what I love.

The ultimate impulse buy.

say it

Anyone who's a true fan of The Simpsons most likely remembers the episode in season 5 where Mayor Quimby's nephew belittles the French waiter for his pronunciation of the word chowder.  Chowderre, the waiter says with a hefty roll of the r's.  Quimby loses it and demands through his howling laughter and Jersey accent that the Frenchy say it right, it's chyowdah.

I've become a huge fan of reenacting the scene. Cries of chyowdah have been escaping my lips on a fairly constant basis lately.  Sometimes it's random, like when riding the escalator at the movie theater and feeling the sudden urge to shake my fist and holler unexpected nonsense, and sometimes it's provoked by any mention or notice of the word chowder or the food itself.

Sorry to disappoint those of you who maintained faith in my maturity.

salmon in red curry

I've rediscovered curry.

Somehow in the last couple of years, as eating out has become less of a regularity and Thai food more of a memory, I've lost touch with this Southeast Asian signature.  During the months I spent hiking my way across Thailand with my Coleman knock-off backpack and baggy fisherman's pants, I shoveled more curry into my maw than most American's would in a life time.

I miss those days of rice and spice-filled adventure.  So, I whipped up this red curry with mushrooms, carrots, greens, and salmon in an attempt to invite the flavors of Thailand back into my life.

I'd call it a success.  With fabulous leftovers to boot.

cajun-style stew with Alaskan spot prawns

 

We're getting battered with rain and wind here in the Puget Sound region, to the point that a "significant weather advisory" has been issued for the area.  Downed trees... power outages...  wetness that permeates the clothing, followed by the soul.  That's our home here.  Of course the advisory only lasts through the evening, but the wet,  it'll be with us.... let me check my calendar, here... oh, until about a week from eternity.  At least it seems to be so.

After yesterday's break in the clouds and subsequent migration of every single Seattleite and sweatered dog to Greenlake (or similar patch of green space), we're hunkered back down to wait out this next stretch of gloom.   Are those snow showers I see predicted for later in the week?  Lovely.  Nothing like very cold rain to perk up the spirit and make you want to walk to work. Huhhhh.

Okay.  I'm done complaining.

There is one exciting thing happening this time of year that I think tends to be overlooked by the masses.  It's actually been going on for a few months now, but I'm a little on the slow side sometimes, so I'm only now partaking.  That thing is spot prawn season.

Salmon Salad Sandwich

Another week is about to begin, and I find myself contemplating lunch.  It's the most difficult meal of the day for me, because at noontime, Monday through Friday, I don't have the luxury of my home kitchen for meal making.

Unfortunately, my school's cafeteria is a scary place for anyone who wants to consume healthy-ish food, and an outright nightmare for a person who is gluten-intolerant and wants to eat healthy food, minus the '-ish'.

That means I have to plan ahead. I'm not always the best planner, either, which means that, occasionally, my lunch consists of a barely-ripe banana and a little bag of over-salted mixed nuts.  I'm more than slightly embarrassed by that revelation, but sometimes I'm preoccupied and don't bother whipping up a respectable meal ahead of time.  A little bit of foresight really does go a long way.

Saturday Night Sushi

Well, as the title of this post suggests, I indulged in some Japanese inspired cuisine this weekend that involved steaming hot bowls of miso, heaps of rice and a fair share of uncooked seafood. Sure, sushi... big deal, right? There must be a gazillion sushi joints within the Seattle city limits, and everyone and their dog's younger brother eats at them all the time. Ah, but we, my friends and I, did not descend upon any of these fine establishments. No, we broke out the rice cooker, the nori sheets, the wasabi powder, and the soy sauce, and we, being the DIYers that we are, steamed and stirred and sliced and rolled those suckers up all on our own. It was magical.

Can you tell that I've never made sushi before?

I have to thank my lovely friends Mark and Laura for hosting this little soiree. Their home across from the arboretum is the perfect place to hold a spring dinner. The serenity of the forest around us added immensely to our meal.

Laura was the ring leader in our flying, fishy circus, what with her amazing chef skills and awe-inspiring kitchen gadgetry. I swear, the woman has everything one could ever want in the way of cookware plus a million things one didn't know they wanted but now don't want to live without. Copper pots suspended above; baking pans in every size and shape; spatulas, knives, spoons and whisks perched in jars at the ready; Kitchen Aid mixer; cabinets stacked to the brim with funky dishes, glasses and mugs ... it's the promised land, I tell you what.

Here's a visual glimpse into our little sushi adventure:

The table setting and our view

These sake containers (I don't know what else to call them) and
cups actually chirp as you pour from them or slurp with your mouth
over the little spout of the cups.
What an adorable way to get boozed up.

This big wooden bowl is used to make the sushi rice. First the rice goes in...

Then the rice vinegar/sugar mixture gets stirred into the rice...

While the rice is fanned and cooled to room temperature.

Fan and rice (This part of the process was completely
unknown to me. Anyone else ever fanned their rice?)

Preparing the salmon. We had yellow-tail tuna, too.

We made nigiri-sushi which you saw at the beginning
of the post. Here's another shot. Isn't it beautiful?

And we rolled some maki-sushi, as well.

In the end it all looked like this... and it was delicious.

One of my favorite restaurant experiences brought closer to home. Thank you Mark and Laura for such a wonderful evening!