My Secret Ingredients When Making a Fish Sandwich

I fell in love with cod a few decades ago when I ordered fish & chips at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in London.  We were not a fish-eating family, except for pickled herring, a refrigerator staple with a very pronounced taste.

Avoiding Grocery Shopping!

“Do I have to go to the grocery today?” my inner voice whined.  “What could I make for dinner if I don’t go?”

I opened the freezer door and spotted the bag of tilapia filets.

Mom’s Version of Fish and Chips

Even before I moved to London, I knew about a popular English dish called fish and chips.  But I had never seen it, let alone tasted it.  In England we tended to hang out with other Americans, and they were constantly preoccupied with locating as many American foods and restaurant chains as possible. 

We were more adventurous.

Question for Mom

Roasted Rockfish

One reason that I don’t cook fish very often is that I never know when it’s done.  Can you give me some advice? –William T.

Unlike meat, which becomes firm when it is fully cooked, fish will flake when it’s ready to eat. Flaking means that when you insert a fork into it, a fully cooked piece of fish will separate into thin sections called flakes.  If it does not separate into flakes, it needs more cooking.  Test it again after another 1-2 minutes.  You don’t want to overcook fish because it will become dry and unappetizing. 

Back to Basics: Salmon

A popular restaurant menu item, fresh salmon is very easy to cook at home.  You can grill it, roast it, poach it or pan-fry it.  You can serve it whole or as fillets, steaks or kebabs.  You can make it into a soup or an appetizer spread the British call Potted Salmon.

Discovering Indian Cuisine

Spicy Fish Filets

My first taste of Indian food occurred in New York, when my Indian neighbor took me to a nearby restaurant.  I was totally ignorant about Indian cuisine, so he ordered what he normally ordered.  All I remember is that it was spicy--extremely spicy--so spicy that I needed to drink half a glass of water after each bite.

I never again went to dinner with that neighbor.  But I did come to like Indian food, and for that I can thank Sunset Magazine.

Using Up Wine

Boeuf Bourguignon 

Back in the Dark Ages when I was teaching myself to cook, I stumbled on a recipe that called for a cup of wine.  Innocent that I was, I went to my local Bohack, a now defunct New York grocery chain, and consulted with one of the checkout clerks.  She told me what aisle had cooking wine. 

No More Turkey, Please!

Ahi Tuna Slices

Thanksgiving is in my rear-view mirror, but leftover turkey lingers.  I didn’t mind it for lunch the day after Thanksgiving, and I was equally happy to eat more leftovers on Saturday night. 

That was then.  This morning I woke up and checked out space in my freezer.  Yup!  Just enough room for those lonely turkey legs that no one wanted to eat.  In a few weeks they will look a lot more delicious.

Now what? 

Getting Out of a Cooking Rut

When I was growing up, every Friday night we had dinner at my grandmother’s house.  Usually it was boiled chicken, preceded by chicken soup.  Grandma was probably in a cooking rut.

Now our house is the venue for that weekly dinner.  Although boiled chicken is never on the menu, I’m the one in the cooking rut.  There are only certain dishes I can serve that we all will eat—vegetarian lasagna, stuffed tortillas, blintzes--and I’m tired of them.

At times like this one of my great joys in life is dinner at somebody else’s house.

Anchovy Paste: What Is It and How Do I Use It?

Anchovy paste has been around for centuries and was even used by the Romans.  It’s made of mashed up anchovies, a little water or olive oil and a small amount of sugar to offset the fishy taste. 

For convenience it is usually available in little tubes so you can squeeze out just the amount you need, which is unlikely to be more than a teaspoon at a time.  You can also make your own by mashing anchovy fillets (sold in small cans) with olive oil.

Question for Mom

Do oven temperatures really matter? –Jesse R.

It depends on what you’re cooking, but usually the answer is yes—especially if you’re baking.  When making a cake, pie, cookies or bread, it’s smart to give your full attention to the recipe and do exactly what it says, including oven time and temperature.  This is an especially good idea if you’re trying out a new recipe.

How Much Does a Home-Cooked Meal Really Cost?

Crunchy Baked Fish Sandwich

It depends on the menu, how many people you’re feeding and how well stocked your pantry is.  If you’re a minimalist cook, you might have to add into your budget as much as $50 for basics that a long-time cook already has on hand—oil, vinegar, flour, sugar, rice, canned tomatoes, spices, soy sauce.  Also, you might need a frying pan or a big pot or a set of measuring spoons and cups.

And you haven’t even bought the main ingredients yet.

Let’s take the pantry issue out of the equation and concentrate on an easy meal for 4 people:

First Catch Your Trout

Or get a friend to go fishing on your behalf.  That’s how I came to be cooking fresh trout a few years ago.  My friend caught more than he could eat while camping, so he brought me some extras.  And he told me how to cook them.

Pan-Fried trout is a no-nonsense recipe, especially if you’re camping in the woods and know how to light a fire.  I confess I have never been camping, and I have never rubbed two sticks together to create a spark.  I don’t have a cast iron frying pan either, although I do have a frying pan big enough to hold three trout.

How Often Do Your Dinners Seem Like Restaurant Fare?

Not very often at my house?  Maybe it’s because I’m usually in a hurry or I’m obsessed with using up leftovers. 

This week I had two graduations to go to, both starting at 6 pm, so eating did not begin until after 8 pm.  Who wants to be in the kitchen after spending two hours in a football stadium cheering on the new grads?

Tilapia: What Is It and How Do I Cook It?

Tilapia sounds like something that belongs in a tool box, but it’s actually a fish.  It was virtually unknown until about 15 years ago, when it started being farmed.  Now it's very popular. 

Tilapia is not a fashionable fish, but I like it for a number of reasons:

1) It’s reasonably priced

2) The fillets have no bones

3) It’s easy to bake - see Crunchy Baked Fish

4) It has a mild flavor

                       For more recipes, order "Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen!"

Mom’s Basic Bootcamp: Salmon

This is the third in a series of basic recipes anyone can easily make.  They have existed for centuries because 1) they are simple, and 2) they taste good.  Once you master their preparation, you’re free to improvise…or not. 

A popular restaurant menu item, fresh salmon is very easy to cook at home.  You can grill it, roast it, poach it or pan-fry it.  You can serve it whole or as fillets, steaks or kebabs.  You can make it into a soup or an appetizer spread the British call Potted Salmon.  If any salmon is left over, you can turn it into Salmon Cakes or add it to Risotto or a salad.  If you’re adventurous, you can even make your own smoked salmon.

Served hot or cold, salmon is hard to ruin. 

Mom Cooking Tip 97

Remove bones from salmon or other fish using needle-nose pliers. Sometimes fingers just won’t do it.  Bones come out more easily when the fish is at least partly cooked.

             See all my Cooking Tips!

Mom Cooking Tip 74

Baked Tilapia

If you overcook fish, top it with salsa and say that’s the way it’s supposed to be. The salsa will disguise any dryness.

See all my Cooking Tips!

Mom Cooking Tip 69

If you forgot to defrost the fish fillets you planned to eat for dinner, don’t despair.  Just cook them frozen but for 50% longer.

See all my Cooking Tips!

Kippers: What Are They and How Do I Cook Them?

Kedgeree

Kippers are herrings that have been salted and then smoked.  Sometimes you can buy them whole, but usually you will find them sold as boneless filets in cans near the canned tuna, sardines and clams.  They are also available online and might be labeled ‘Kipper Snacks” or “Kippered Herring.”  Canned kippers, which are fully cooked, are modestly priced.

I first discovered kippers when I lived in London.  I became a fan and would buy them whenever I saw them at my local fish stall or grocery store.  Fresh kippers require a quick broiling (2-3 minutes per side) with a little melted butter on top.