Flying Fish - Vietnamese style

So......it looked like a nice day, even if it would be hot one, for a ride and the quest for the grouper sandwich. And so, Saturday last, we thought, let's take a ride to that restaurant Big Jims up in Georgia. It's the one adjacent to the restaurant R which I wrote about here.


Before I regale you the charming details of the restaurant let me place the warning, this was a nasty experience and it involves me being ill. And I am cranky about it. Ok, you've been warned.

It's hot. It's another 95 degree (35 C) day and we brilliantly decide to ride in the blazing sun, armor and helmets on, for 60 miles (one way) to get a sandwich. We went inside and realized that the entire place was screened. No air conditioning. Lots and lots of fans, blowing moist warm air, flavored with cigarette smoke, around the clientele.

The unique and neat thing about the place was the old tin signs, old liquor bottles and lunchboxes, all perched on wooden rafters that ran the length and width of the screened room. The owner had a hose running atop the metal roof, giving you the impression it was raining from our inside booth. It was meant to keep the place cooler and water his plants at the same time.

I wish I had gotten photos but sometimes at these little local places I feel like such a wanker walking around snapping shots. Anyway....we were all so hot and when the waitress delivered the iced tea I slammed about three large glasses of ice cold tea. I think the combo of the cold drinks on an empty stomach, the swirling smoke, the heat and then finally the "catfish" covered in peppercorns were a deadly combination for my tummy.

I ate a few bites and told the waitress I felt nauseous and didn't want my meal.
"I can get you another one," she says helpfully.

"No thanks. It's not sitting well and there are way too many peppercorns on it for me," I say politely.

"I'll have the cook make you one without peppercorns."

"No, I'm good," I say as she moves off with my original peppery crappy sandwich. Maybe she didn't hear me. Probably she did not.

I walk up to the bar, wait for her to come around to my side, and say if the cook hasn't started it, I don't want the fish. He has started it.

She brings me the fish, minus peppercorns, and I tell her I don't want it and she says if I don't want it, it won't hurt her feelings, but she's going to leave it.

Oh, thank goodness ...... because the last thing I would want to do in a redneck local joint when I am nauseous, and about to bring up what little IS in my stomach, is hurt the waitress's feelings!

Then I see it!

At the very bottom of the menu is the inevitable health warning about consuming oysters. Right..it's always there, always in a smaller font than most of the rest of the menu and you just glance over it.

But below that warning, in about a size 4 font is this:

"Any menu item labeled grouper is actually swai fish"

What the hell is a swai fish?! When the waitress comes back and looks at my still uneaten piece of peppercornless-not-grouper sandwich I mention the swai fish thing to her.

"Oh I've had grouper and this swai before and I actually like the swai better and it tastes very similar"

Bullshit. Bull. Shit. It does not have the same texture or consistency as grouper at all. And to boot it's a far less expensive fish than grouper. If there had been an asterisk next to the Grouper, I would have been able to follow the cues.

Well, after getting home we look it up and it's Vietnamese catfish.
Grouper costs roughly $14 a pound depending on which seafood market you are shopping. Swai runs about $1.99. We feel very cheated.

The flying fish did not come from the lake. It came from within me, an arc of tea and chunks of swai. Fortunately I realized the ejection was imminent before I got on the back of the bike. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to a proper...uh...recepticale.

And the rest of the week hasn't been peachy but I am hoping for improvement!

Black Forest Pie

Do you like chocolate? Do you like cherries? Have you ever had that winning combo in the form of a Black Forest cake?


Well even easier than making this wonderful cake is a decadently chocolately sweet Black Forest pie. Mmmmmm.....a cool dessert for a hot summer evening. And as an added bonus, it has fewer calories than the rich cake.

What you will need is the following......

One 15 ounce package of all ready made pie crust (or a home made pie crust)
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweeted cocoa
3 tabespoons flour (I used all purpose flour)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup milk (I use 1% milk)
Two eggs, beaten
One 21 ounce can cherry pie filling
whipped cream - either fresh or the Cool Whip variety

Step 1 - Prepare the pie crust and ready it in a 9 inch pie pan. Heat oven to 350 degrees.



Step 2 - In saucepan combine sugar, cocoa and 3 tablespoons flour. Add butter or margarine and milk. Cook until mixture begins to boil, stirring constantly.




Step 3 - Remove from heat and add small amount of hot mixture to eggs. Mix well, then return egg mix to pan.

See how it thickens a bit?



Step 4 - Fold 1/2 can of pie filling into hot mixture. Pour into crust lined pie pan.

Step 5 - Bake at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes or until center is set and shiney.

*Note - I use a glass pie pan and bake for 45 minutes. This time works best for my oven and cookware. Just check it after 35 minutes.


Here it is just out of the oven.........



Step 6 - The hard part. Let it cool completely and then chill for at least one hour. When it's chilled, cover the pie with whipped cream/Cool Whip and spoonfuls of remaining cherries. Chill another half hour before slicing.


Ok....I did not wait the appropriate amount of time to completely chill it and as a result, the cream and cherry juice melted a bit. So I hate to even share this photo because believe me, this pie can look classy.



If you have a chocolate bar shave pieces over the top for a more elegant look.
Oh yeah...we ate all the Green and Black's chocolate so...no shavings over our pie :-)

Grilled Avocado, Tomato and Mozzarella!

Currently we are experiencing extremes of temperatures which are considered dangerous for any outside activity, being advised to stay inside if possible during the worst part of the day (noon through three). According to our weather person the highs have been 104 (40 C) with heat indexes of up to 114 degrees (46 C).

Well I can tell you, it's not much better when you step outside at 10 in the evening to walk the dog. That being said, we are trying to keep the oven from being on too much and preparing cooler meals.

Here is a cool lunch, grilled just for a bit, but the kitchen didn't get hot.

Raw ingredients are simple - avocodo, tomato, mozzarella cheese and sourdough bread.




See how easy? Just layer it all on the bread..........



Place on a grill pan. This is the wonderful Calphalon grill pan Doug got me...a great pan that gets lots of use here. I put a pat of butter in the pan so you'd have a coating for the sourdough.




To press the sandwiches into the grill grooves, I place a dinner plate atop the bread and gently balance a two liter bottle of soda, for the weight.



See the lovely grill marks...looks like I have a Panini press.



Serve with kiwi fruit and canteloupe.........



A relatively healthy lunch and a cool one to boot.

Lemon Artichoke Chicken and a Guest Commenter

I have a guest blogger commenting today! The last meal I prepared from Wandering Coyote's recipe collection was an enormous hit. So I asked my dear husband and fellow foodie if he would like to comment, since he enjoyed the lemon artichoke chicken so much. He does. And here is what he has to say.......


"Well, the weather has been miserable; high temps in the 100's, with a heat index (the heat along with the humidity, or how it feels to your skin) of around 110-114 degrees. Not the kind of weather that really gives you a big appetite, other than for some cold fruit salad, maybe some bread. However, the Lady of Squirrel Head Manor came up with a recipe she got from fellow blogger Wandering Coyote called "Lemon Artichoke Chicken", and let me tell you that it is a meal that is just made for hot lazy summer evenings! Even though it's a hot meal, the lemon and artichoke make you feel nice and cool.

We paired it with a chilled Albariño wine (Nora is our favorite), and it was a match made in the heavens! Add a crusty baguette, some chilled summer fruit and a mild semi-soft cheese and it's a meal you can linger over.

The Lady of Squirrel Head Manor has been on a mission to try everything in Nigella Express, but I have to say that having now sampled two or three of Wandering Coyote's recipes, I honestly wouldn't mind if she switched gears and went on a WC cooking binge.

Thanks for having me as a "guest blogger"!"

I'm back. He writes well doesn't he? He ought to have his own blog :-)
You can see the original recipe here at the wandering Coyote's foodie site ReTorte. But I've taken the liberty of copying it below with my modifications.


This is fast, easy and one of the tastiest chicken recipes we've had in awhile. It has definitely made it into the regular rotation of meals we prefer.

Lemon Artichoke Chicken

1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb chicken tenderloins (original recipe uses cutlets)
cooking spray
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 14oz can artichokes, drained and chopped into sixths
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
chopped parsley for garnish (optional)





1. In a shallow bowl, thoroughly combine flour, oregano, salt & pepper. Dredge chicken, shaking off excess. Whole wheat flour gave this a nice taste....and it's healthy!




2. Coat a large skillet in spray and heat to medium-high. Add the tenderloins, cook about 5 minutes on each side, or until done. Transfer to a clean plate and cover with foil to keep them warm.

3. Adjust temperature to medium-low and heat the oil. Cook onion, stirring frequently, until soft & golden. Add garlic and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.




Add chicken broth and bring to simmer. Add artichokes, lemon and zest and simmer 2 - 3 minutes until heated through and slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

4. Pour artichoke mixture over chicken and serve.




Salad chock full of butter lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, scallions and mushrooms........




It was meant to last two nights but we ate so much that there is only a small portion left for quesadilla appetizers!



Grand meal. Thank you Wandering Coyote!

Fanning Springs Florida

Continuing with my backward posting....this is a trip we made earlier in the week. Finally downloaded the photos.

Fanning Springs



If you click on the images they will be larger and you can read the sign below. Amazing info about the manatee. I had no idea they were 40 pounds at birth, or that they had an adult weight of 1,500 to 3,000 pounds. Gentle giants.




See the brownish shapes in the water? They are manatees. How cool is that - they swim right up to you. 1,500 pounds of sea cow wanting to be friendly. There were three of them that floated into the spring and circled around the children before paddling off. Click on photo so you can see how close they get. I've heard they will nuzzle you but that has never happened to me.



Here I am, looking like I'm in a crabby mood but I'm not, hot and unable to go in the spring because we didn't bring our swimwear. Instead we look like total dorks walking around the spring in jeans and riding boots. Next time we go we'll remember the swimming gear!



By the way, I have new sunglasses which work very well. My transition glasses didn't change over to sunglasses when inside the helmet. That made it so bright and hard on the eyes.

This sign is enough to keep me from wading into the water right here. Don't mess with alligators!



Ferns growing up on the trees...pretty.



This was our last long ride this week as the temperatures are getting too wicked. The interstate is hotter because of all the cars and asphalt and the heat index is supposed to be 109 degrees ( 43 C ) and that is deadly hot.

Riding home from Fanning Springs, about a 2 hour ride one way, we had to stop twice and soak our shirts in cold water before putting the armor on again. As much as I hate wearing the jacket when it's this hot, the thought of falling or losing skin because of an accident makes it worth it.

Oh, almost forgot to mention the restaurant at Fanning Springs. It's located directly across from the state park and called The Lighthouse. Nice local place with photos of local wildlife adorning the walls. And, near our booth, photos of a huge steer mounted on a wooden plaque, depicting the giant animal with awards and blue ribbons. Then a "thank you" to the restaurant for buying "Blackie"....which means he's the special of the week I suppose.

Well, as Jamie Oliver states, know where your meat comes from! We did not go for the advertised special of beef tips, field peas and salad. Grilled grouper sandwiches are our current addiction.

Grilled just the correct amount of time to have a crust but still moist inside, served on a toasted bun with lettuce and tomato. Sides of fries were about all that were available unless you wanted a trip to the salad bar. I like to see what is on the salad bar first before committing so my laziness won out and I declined. Too tired to get up and look.

And...in some of the smaller towns you get stared out if you have visible tattoos, which normally I really just don't care. But some days, I just want to blend and am not in the mood for it. So a traipse across the dining hall wasn't appealing.
You know. I am extremely outwardly friendly with anyone who will talk to me but...just not that day. Just bring on the chow and iced tea and leave me in peace!

No photos of the food and I should have taken one of the outside of the restaurant but alas....eager to get across the street to the spring by the time we left.

This has been a fabulous vacation and we are enjoying our trips day by day...no set plans. I couldn't have better company. :-)

Rrrrrrrrrr has a good cheeseburger

I started to post this on Saturday but after arriving home, melting from the heat, I just sat under a ceiling fan, drank copious quantities of water and iced tea and then played Guild Wars.
It was 98 F (36 Celsius)with a heat index of a million I'm sure. So. Hot. And with helmet and armored jacket....it just drains you.

Anyway, this was a few days ago......

Saturday - first day of vacation we rode through Bainbridge Georgia and ate at a local restaurant called R. That's right, it's just a letter...as in, "Sesame Street is brought to by the letter R" now roll it off your tongue like a pirate. RRrrrrrrrr.

Photo at the top. The one below here is called Big Jims and they are within yards of one another. R offers burgers, BLT sandwiches, grilled or fried chicken sandwiches, and similar fare. Big Jims offers seafood - fish sandwiches, Po Boys, cheese grits.......



As is typical for temperatures in Florida in June, it felt like 150 degrees when we rode through Georgia. A grilled chicken sandwich and buckets of ice tea were just perfect. Doug had a cheeseburger and it was huge. Huge. All this for under $15.....home cooked fare.

As I've said before, we like supporting the mom and pop places - markets, restaurants or hardware stores.......


Outside the restaurant and adjacent campground are lovely hibiscus.



Gorgeous colors.



Part of the view of Lake Seminole near the restaurants.



Looking forward to a ride back, maybe Tristan can accompany us, and we'll try the seafood.

Anniversary Dinner, Vacation and of course....Food!

At the start of vacation a packed fridge is important. I made a huge vat of iced tea and we stocked up on essentials.



Friday afternoon at the stroke of 4:30 we left work for vacation time! Yea!!
The plan had been to enjoy a bit of time away from work, but we also planned the time off for the week of our anniversary.

The first plan (from years ago) was to celebrate the big 25 by going to Mackinac Island in Michigan. This a place where time stood still - no motorized vehicles are on this island and you can get around on foot, by bicycle, horseback or horse drawn carriages. Population is only 523 - really!

Over the years we came up with many other ideas, mostly trips away from home, but ultimately decided to make no plan ..... except for a grand dinner. We opted for taking motorcycle trips, eating out, preparing a dynamite dinner in for the big day. Having fun without any itinerary. Just spending time together relaxing.

Ok, let's talk food......... Last night's dinner was wonderful.


Appetizer of crab cakes with romoulade sauce (which I've made before and recipe is here). The champagne was a tiny bottle of Piper Heidsieck brut, just enough for two glasses each and wonderful accompaniment to the crab.




Doug went all out and got us a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. This is from the Rhone Valley and one of our favorite splurge wines. I can not do it justice with a description.........it was a natural pairing with our meal although I am definately not used to this much alcohol.



Perfect combo of fine wine, aged filet and baked sweet potato.



We like our steaks very rare...a bit of blood oozing... so the texture of being almost melt-in-your-mouth tender and the taste just didn't compute with the lack of redness we usually see. That is because it was dry aged Angus beef.

If you have a chance to try aged beef I recommend it. Very different taste, a bit more expensive, most definately a treat and worth it for a special dinner.



Pouting because he received only one very small strip of steak.



Dessert menu

Chocolate cheesecake, pretty...



Side view shows you just how chocolaty it is....mmmmmmm


I had a rich cannoli and it was very good, but I wish I had gotten the smaller one. So rich.



A special dinner which we enjoyed for 2 hours....lingering over wine, desserts and good conversation.

I've paid for it today with morning cotton mouth, a thick head and I am certain a weight gain. But it was so much fun. :-)

Silver Wedding

1984



2009

Nigella’s Chocolate Croissants

In her book she writes:

“First let me say that if I can do this, you can. I have never tried to hide; I have no patience and less dexterity. But this is child’s play: indeed you could consider getting children to make them. They certainly like eating them, and they tend like eating what they make even more.”

Because I love, love, love croissants…...(one of the perfect components of breakfast in my humble opinion)……and also love chocolate….this recipe screamed out at me.

Like Nigella, I used frozen butter puff pastry, half a 17.02 ounce package.



A partial bar of Green and Black’s organic chocolate



1 egg, beaten


Step One – Thaw one sheet of the puff pastry on the counter. I placed mine on wax paper and let sit out for 45 minutes. If you have already thawed your puff pastry – then preheat oven to 425 degrees. Unfurl the pastry and cut into four squares.


Step Two - Cut each square diagonally to give two triangles ( they will appear very small). Put the triangle with the wider part facing you and the point away.


Step Three – Break off small pieces of chocolate (about a ½ inch) and place about ¾ the way up from the wide end nearest you.



Step Four - Carefully roll from the chocolate-loaded end toward the point of the triangle.


Step Five - You should now have something resembling a straight croissant. Seal it lightly with fingertips and curl it around into a crescent.
(in this, I was not a shining success. Maybe it’s all the angles….I suck at geometry…and some directions)


Step Six – Place the chocolate croissants on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment or aluminum foil. Paint with egg. Bake 15 minutes.



Note – I forgot the damn egg. I was so caught up with the porny-osity of puff pastry combined with good chocolate that I single mindedly rolled the pastry, ate chocolate, ran my mouth about the entire thing….you know…..



The photos in Nigella’s book look great. Next time I won’t roll mine as tightly and maybe the chocolate will seep through, into more of the flaky layers of the croissant.



This makes 8 flaky, buttery-warm chocolately treats which we served, probably inappropriately, with a glass of Bailey’s Irish Cream. I joked with Doug that ingestion of that much sugar at 9:30 in the evening ought to have me testing for diabetes if I wasn’t careful. But oh my……..they were very good! Next time I’ll remember to paint with the egg too.



Nigella Express - Get Up and Go Section, page 98




You have to try this chocolate!