Thursday, December 24, 2015

Great Lakes Smelt: A Delicious Alternative to Sardines

When many foodies think of small, tasty fish to enjoy as a healthy snack or meal, the Pacific Sardine immediately comes to mind.  While sardines are lovely with a squeeze of lemon and Dijon mustard, smelt are also wonderful.


Image from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kuskokwim_Smelt.jpg

My grandfather would tell stories of netting these small fish as they traveled inland from Lake Michigan to breed.  Below, I've fried these lovely Lake Ontario smelt purchased at a Columbus, Ohio grocery store close to my home.


 After defrosting in water, I dusted these smelt with flour, dipped in egg, and re-coated with flour before frying in canola oil.  They were delicious with a homemade tartar sauce made by combining a couple of tablespoons of mayo with chopped pickles.

For more information on smelt, visit:
http://atlanticseafoodmarket.com/2013/03/smelt-fish-tastes-imply/ 

Monday, November 23, 2015

Pumpkin Cookies



Late Fall is the perfect time of year for all things pumpkin.  One of my students made a very kind gesture last week and offered me a freshly-baked pumpkin cookie.

It was delicious, with layers of flavor and a texture one only gets from something homemade.

Food makes connections between us and is a kind way to show appreciation for another.  Enjoy the start to your Thanksgiving holiday and the many wonderful foods that accompany this time of year.


Friday, November 20, 2015

Bucherondin and a heavy heart




Last week I purchased a piece of Bucherondin from the grocery store.  Bucherondin is a cheese made from goat’s milk cheese encircled with a beautiful rind and a smooth, creamy texture.  Using a small plastic container, I packed the cheese in my bookbag and enjoyed it with some slices of bread for lunch.

My simple meal reminded me of a trip I made with my family to Strasbourg and Paris France in the mid-1990s.   Click here to go on a video tour of Strasbourg France


Most days my lunch would consist of a piece of amazing French bread, cheese, a small tin of sardines, and a soda or cup of wine.  The experience reinforced in me the French joie de vivre (love of life).  Just because a meal is simple and inexpensive doesn’t mean it isn’t also fit for a king.



It was with a heavy heart that I realized several hours after I had finished my lunch that Paris had experienced a horrific terrorist attack.  I realize that the world is a very different place than it was when I traveled to France, but I am still having trouble comprehending what happened.

When I think of France I think of the amazing cheeses and wine, recipes which turn simple ingredients into works of art, and chefs such as Jacques Pepin who have inspired me for many years.

To the great country of France and its beautiful people: may your healing take time and let nobody take from you the love of life that your people, food, and culture impart to the world.  Sincerely, The Food Pope


Wednesday, November 11, 2015

School Lunch!




Today I felt as though I had miraculously traveled back in time over 20 years when I partook in school lunch at the high school I’m teaching at this semester.  As I walked into the cafeteria, I realized that nothing short of chaos was unfolding around me.  To my right, boisterous laughter from an unseen source echoed through across the cafeteria.  Students moved about the cafeteria talking with friends, sending text messages, and enjoying lunch.  I got into line with other students and watched as the lunch lady carefully assembled styrofoam plates of food.  To my right, a sign revealed today’s options: pizza or chicken drumstick and roll.  To my left, a young man slowly pushed a wheeled garbage bin that lumbered through the cafeteria like a Jawa sandcrawler on the surface of the desert planet of Tattooine.


I chose the pizza.  It was covered with pepperoni and the crust was thin and crispy.  Broccoli and a small salad were my sides of choice, which were carefully balanced on my plate.  At the end of the line was a basket full of individual tubs of ranch dressing sealed with foil.  I grabbed one and was getting excited to dig in.

“Do you want to pick something else?” asked the woman working the cash register.  “You get two fruits and two vegetables.”  I thanked the woman for her advice and added an orange and baby carrots, both neatly wrapped in plastic bags.

As I enjoyed my lunch, I realized that little had changed about school lunches from the time I ate them in the early 1990s.  Absent were the syrupy cups of fruit which had an expiration date in the next decade and in their place were a lot more fresh fruits and vegetables.  Even the broccoli tasted fresh hadn’t been cooked to the point that every last mineral had been extracted from the green crowns.

Perhaps it wasn’t the food, but the memories that my lunch evoked that I found so pleasant.  For a brief moment in time I was a high school student again, concerned with little more than when my homework was due and what I had planned for the weekend.  I reflected on a time when work, bills, and responsibilities were something only adults had to worry about.  I finished the last of my lunch with a nostalgic grin on my face and took the final sip of my 6oz box of strawberry milk.

As I finish writing this post, I wish to offer my readers a few quick words of advice.  Young readers, never forget to savor school lunch: they disappear far too quickly from our daily routines.  Adult readers: never let the challenges and hardships of life rob you of your memories of high school lunch when the food was acceptable, responsibilities were few, and all dreams are possible to she or he who never gives up on them.