Fish Sticks for Adults

Before Gloucester Massachusetts made headlines for its high teenage pregnancy rates last year, it was known for Gorton’s Fish Sticks. The bearded man in the yellow raincoat at the wheel of a fishing boat was on the box of many of my childhood dinners. Ironically, I hated fish until I was in college but fish sticks with their mild (some would say bland taste!) never bothered me.

I have now branched out and enjoy all fish with the exception of salmon and blue fish. I have prepared grilled fish, fish tacos, fish curry, and bouillabaisse (with Dad’s help). I usually lean towards white fish with a fruity kick to it from mango salsa or tamarind sauce. Last Sunday however, after a day of hiking in the Hudson Valley, I had an old fashioned fish stick craving. I didn’t want anything fancy – just a flakey piece of cod with buttery bread crumbs and lemon. I opted to avoid the real fish sticks in the freezer section since I doubt they would live up to my childhood memories. Instead I searched for a recipe of an old favorite involving lots of butter and Ritz crackers. The result looked quite elegant – but it actually tasted like a really delicious fish stick.

Maybe you have to be from Massachusetts to think that’s a good thing?

Baked Cod with Bread Crumbs, Herbs and Lemon (aka Fish sticks)

1. Put fresh cod in a lightly greased baking pan (1.5 lbs for three hungry people)
2. Mix together one sleeve of crumbled buttery crackers like Ritz, one lemon, salt, a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, and as much melted butter as you feel comfortable with - but no less than 4 tbsp.
3. Cover fish with breadcrumb mixture and then sprinkle generously with fresh herbs. Thyme works well.
4. Bake for 20 minutes.

Pain Perdu

The French call french toast ‘pain perdu’ – or lost bread – which is clearly a superior name for the breakfast favorite. I tend to buy fresh bread fairly infrequently since I’m not a sandwich person and my Hello Kitty toaster is more decorative then functional. I hate to use a few slices and then see it go to waste. Once in a while though, I can’t walk by the three bakeries lined up in a row in Chelsea Market without stopping for a loaf.

The other day I caved and bought a loaf of fresh white bread to make grilled cheese and asparagus soup for dinner. I was then left with half a loaf of ‘lost bread.’ I don’t have the patience to make homemade bread crumbs or croutons. And bread pudding seemed too wintery. Saturday was around the corner however so I wrapped it in paper, balanced it precariously on top of a flower vase to keep it safe from the mice and made sure I had eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla on hand. (By the way, don’t refrigerate fresh bread as it grows mold more quickly and takes on the smells of the fridge…nobody wants Pain Perdu à la teriyaki tofu.)

Saturday morning finally rolled around and the lost bread was rescued from its flower vase and reinvented as buttery, crispy and decadent Pain Perdu.

Easter Tacos

Arguably it would have been more thematic to make grilled rabbit tacos, but we opted for pork instead. Tacos al pastor have been a long time favorite of mine but good ones are hard to come by in NYC. Mercadito has great ones but at approximately $4 a pop, it’s not a habit I can sustain…especially since my record is 15 tacos.

When Ryan suggested making tacos al pastor this weekend, I balked. They seemed intimidating since I can never quite identify the ingredients that give them that savory and sweet punch. However, we looked up a basic recipe, followed it, and were rewarded with homemade tacos al pastor…that probably averaged $1 a pop.

1) Slice a 3 lb pork loin into ½ inch strips.
2) Puree ½ a white onion, 2 pineapple rounds from one sliced pineapple, ½ cup OJ, ¼ cup white vinegar, 3 garlic cloves, 2 chipotle chiles, 1 serrano pepper, ¼ cup chile powder, 1 tsp oregano,1 tsp cumin and a bit of salt.
3) Marinate the pork – preferably overnight – in the mixture.
4) When you are ready to make the tacos, grill the remaining pineapple until charred and warmed through. Then grill the pork.
5) Combine the pork the pineapple on a large cutting board and chop all together into small, bite-size pieces.
6) Serve with corn tortillas, chopped white onion, cilantro and lime wedges.

Peas and Pepitas

Peas get a bad rap. As I mentioned in my last entry, most of us grew up eating them as part of a frozen peacorncarrot combo or partially rehydrated in “Spanish” rice. Although in my eyes, the worst offense is when they are added to guacamole to either save costs or calories. Ick.

But fresh peas are wonderful and in season right now. It’s a bit of work to pop them out of their shell, but then they take less than a minute to cook. And there is something really damn cute about them. They are a great addition to fresh pasta (with cream of course Zuzana!), salads or on their own. Last night I made them like this:

1) Boil fresh peas for 20-30 seconds and then toss into a bowl of ice water.
2) In the meantime, puree a few dates, a cup of mint, ¼ of a Serrano pepper, olive oil and a bit of yogurt if you want to mellow out the spice. Thin it out with water or olive oil.
3) Toast pepitas. Pepitas is more fun to say than shelled pumpkin seeds.
4) Toss together the peas, pepitas and sauce with a crispy, firm lettuce. *I used butter lettuce and it got a bit soggy.

Eat your carrots and then you can be excused

Before I was inundated with information about what to eat and what not to eat, I knew I was supposed to eat carrots. The debate has gotten more complicated in recent years as I try to incorporate new foods with supposed super hero powers. For example, I recently read the NYT article “The 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating” (http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/the-11-best-foods-you-arent-eating/) and I now roast beets even more often, drown my oatmeal with cinnamon and hide mounds of dark greens in plates of buttery pasta. I draw the line at sardines though. Blah.

Carrots, however, have been a staple since the days Kraft macaroni and cheese with sliced hot dogs and Gorton Fish sticks filled my plate. Parents of the 70s were big proponents of carrots, although they were usually accompanied by frozen peas. I once hid my uneaten peas up my nose but that’s another story…

I wish I could pop baby carrots like candy as Ryan does or enjoy them roasted with brown sugar like many people do on Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, I just don’t really like them, unless, as I discovered last night, they are made into a soup.

1) Chop 2 pounds of carrots and two medium size onions.
2) Sauce for 10 minutes in one tbsp of butter.
3) Add 3 cups of chicken broth and let simmer until carrots are soft.
4) Puree and return to pot.
5) Add ¼ cup of squeezed orange juice, 2 tbsp chopped tarragon, salt and pepper and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Keeping salads simple

The possibilities for salads are endless. I have made salads with every possible nut, fruit, and shellfish. I have served them warm and cold. Sometimes I make them with roasted quinoa or couscous to bulk them up. I’m constantly rushing out to buy champagne vinegar, sun roasted currants, or blood oranges. Admittedly, it’s hard to go wrong with salads. However, often times, I do go overboard and end up with something so complicated that ‘salad’ practically no longer applies.

Recently my friend Amie came over with a fresh Greek salad. Ryan had sent her a picture of one we had on our honeymoon to make for my birthday. She nailed it. And it was the perfect reminder that sometimes the simplest salads are the best. Especially when other people make them.

Spring is coming…cook with cream!

When the evenings start to shorten and I begin to realize that my days of wearing flip flops are limited, I cheer myself up by thinking of all the fall and winter dishes I will make that year. I begin to research lamb stews, braised short ribs, and cream-based pasta dishes. However, by the beginning of February I’m sick of heavy food and red wine and I start to fantasize about cold beers at the Frying Pan, grilled fish and crisp fruit.

The beginning of this week presented us with a hint of spring. I broke out the sandals (a bit prematurely) and bought spring vegetables (a bit prematurely). Last night, however, there was a bite in the air again. I decided it was a perfect evening to pay tribute to the last days of winter. So I headed to the store and bought heavy cream. Now that I can anticipate spitting watermelon seeds and BBQs on Brett’s deck, I suddenly don’t feel so tired of heavy winter food. In fact, I feel a desire to squeeze in a few more dishes before tucking the recipes away until next year.

1) Chop three shallots and sauté in 2 tbsp butter. Add ¾ cup chicken broth and stir for two minutes. Add 1 cup of heavy cream, cayenne pepper, and the zest from 2 lemons and 1 orange.
2) Add sugar snap peas (or another prematurely bought spring vegetable) and stir until heated through.
3) Add a bit of lemon juice and lots of chopped mint.
4) Toss with penne or another fun shaped pasta and serve with parmesan.