Further Adventures in Food
May. 2nd, 2003 03:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pantryslutLast night: whole sardines stuffed with garlic and parsely and wrapped in grape leaves, then broiled; fava beans with pancetta and mint, and a fried carrot salad. My Mediterranean tastes are showing.
The carrot salad was too puckery -- I need to adjust the lemon juice significantly downward, and maybe add some oil. And I could've used some more fava beans, and a thinner slice of pancetta.
And I learned the purpose of a knife with a tip (mine was chipped off in a dishwashing accident by a former roommate) when cleaning the sardines. That was kind of a pain. (If you don't stuff the sardines, btw, you don't have to clean them.)
But the sardines themselves were glorious. The grape leaves keep them moist and meaty, and *reportedly* "impart a subtle flavoring." The garlic and parsley impart a less subtle flavoring, though, so I can't be sure that the hype is true. But they sure looked cute, little grape-leaf-wrapped fish cigars. And easy, but delicious, especially with a little lemon juice squirted on for the finish.
Steven put up with having to stare at fish heads in order to eat dinner very well, so I guess that's a second opinion in favor of tastiness.
Today the sardines make a very tantalizing-looking lunch laid out on two slices of good bread; all it needs is a food stylist to drizzle a bit of aioli or something over the top and it could appear in a foodie magazine photo spread.
I love sardines. I'm still getting up to speed on fish in general, and I can't imagine I'll ever be a big fan, except for sardines. I'm also happy to report that their ecological credentials are impeccable.
I tend to prefer the trashy, low-class fish -- sardines, mackerel, anchovies, catfish, herring, and so on. You can keep your salmon (*especially* your salmon), your sole, your overfished sea bass. Rustic, unsophisticated, fishy fish are what I'm learning to love.
The carrot salad was too puckery -- I need to adjust the lemon juice significantly downward, and maybe add some oil. And I could've used some more fava beans, and a thinner slice of pancetta.
And I learned the purpose of a knife with a tip (mine was chipped off in a dishwashing accident by a former roommate) when cleaning the sardines. That was kind of a pain. (If you don't stuff the sardines, btw, you don't have to clean them.)
But the sardines themselves were glorious. The grape leaves keep them moist and meaty, and *reportedly* "impart a subtle flavoring." The garlic and parsley impart a less subtle flavoring, though, so I can't be sure that the hype is true. But they sure looked cute, little grape-leaf-wrapped fish cigars. And easy, but delicious, especially with a little lemon juice squirted on for the finish.
Steven put up with having to stare at fish heads in order to eat dinner very well, so I guess that's a second opinion in favor of tastiness.
Today the sardines make a very tantalizing-looking lunch laid out on two slices of good bread; all it needs is a food stylist to drizzle a bit of aioli or something over the top and it could appear in a foodie magazine photo spread.
I love sardines. I'm still getting up to speed on fish in general, and I can't imagine I'll ever be a big fan, except for sardines. I'm also happy to report that their ecological credentials are impeccable.
I tend to prefer the trashy, low-class fish -- sardines, mackerel, anchovies, catfish, herring, and so on. You can keep your salmon (*especially* your salmon), your sole, your overfished sea bass. Rustic, unsophisticated, fishy fish are what I'm learning to love.
no subject
Date: 2003-05-03 01:04 pm (UTC)You like your fish like youlike your women, trashy?