Category Archives: Fish

Not Quite Breakfast for Not Quite Dinner

Posted on June 26, 2019 by | 3 comments

Painted in Waterlogue

There was a package of smoked salmon in the fridge. I guess that’s not tremendously unusual; it’s the sort of thing we have from time, not quite a staple and not quite a splurge. She bought it, I guess, when her mom came to visit, and they hadn’t eaten it. I didn’t have a lot of time to cook, so a protein I didn’t have to defrost had pretty strong appeal. What did not appeal, however, was serving it for breakfast with bagels and cream cheese. I like the idea of bagels and cream cheese and smoked salmon, but smoked fish is just too fishy for me in the morning.

But it was 4 in the afternoon, I had to leave for rehearsal shortly, and breakfast had been a long time ago.

While I cooked some linguine, I flaked the salmon into a bowl. I chopped a bunch of cilantro and a bunch of dill and added them. I chopped some capers and added them. Thinking I might be on the verge of too-salty, I saw some appealing-looking grape tomatoes on the counter; I halved and added them to the bowl.I very lightly steamed a few spears of asparagus, sliced them into quarter-inch rounds, and added them, too. We had cream cheese, but I left it in the fridge in favor of some mozzarella I roughly cubed.  I made a quick vinaigrette from a teaspoon of dijon mustard, a bit of the caper brine, and a couple tablespoons of olive oil, gave the bowl a generous grind of black pepper, and tossed everything to coat. When the noodles reached al dente, I scooped them into the bowl; some of their starchy cooking water came along, as intended. I tossed the pasta with its fishy-cheesy-herby condiment–too chunky to call it “sauce,” I think.

The heat of the noodles softened the cheese and tomatoes and warmed the salmon and herbs without cooking them. But the dressing wasn’t so cold as to turn the pasta into a salad. It was like a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon, but in a bowl. Fresh, bright herbs; sweet tomatoes; soft, creamy cheese; briny, hearty, yet delicate fish; this dish had a little of everything.

I called down to the office. “Dinner is served,” I said. “Or lunch, or whatever this is.”

Whatever it was, we enjoyed it a lot.

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Texture, Substance, and Taste

Posted on October 2, 2014 by | 1 comment

We hadn’t gone out for sushi in quite a while, so when she suggested having dinner at East before the play we were seeing on Wednesday night, I agreed enthusiastically. We’ve been meeting there for pre-theatre dinner for years–since before she moved to New York, and long before we shared the Country House. It’s one of our favorites: comfortable and convenient, and the food is always skillfully prepared and elegantly presented.

We chose an array of items to share: a fresh, crisp green salad with a warm-and-tart ginger dressing; vegetable tempura with an incredibly light batter, which prompted a physics discussion about how the texture of carrot tempura is so interestingly different from any other method of cooking a carrot; potato wedges with an even lighter coating of the batter that had been infused with garlic and served with a roe aioli dipping sauce; and, of course, some sushi.  We both chose rolls: tuna belly and scallion; eel and avocado; and smoked salmon, cucumber, and cream cheese (or “Philadelphia” roll).

The eel was rich, well-cooked, and basted with a sweet barbecue sauce.  There’s nothing slimy or raw-fishy about it. But it’s called eel, so for many it’s off-putting. Eel needs a new marketing campaign.

Tuna belly is almost flaky, a little less sweet and not as firm as the “steak” variety but not as oily or salty as the stuff you might slather with mayonnaise and spread on white bread. The creaminess of the avocado made for a very delicate pairing.

I’m a big fan of smoked salmon and cream cheese, but I prefer them on bagels.  With cucumber, rice, and nori, it seemed an odd combination to me, but she enjoyed it a great deal.

At the theatre, we each found elements we liked and didn’t, aspects we agreed about and points of collegial dispute. As with our trip to The Country House, The Last Ship is in very early previews, so it’s hard to say how much will change before they open, and unfair to judge it too harshly.  The production was beautifully designed and skillfully presented. We enjoy sorting out what works for us and what doesn’t even if we don’t think a show is perfect.  Whether it’s a matter of texture, substance, or taste, not everyone likes the same things–sort of like dinner at a Japanese restaurant.

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