Fresh Tart

Coconut milk and a cashew butter finish make this gorgeous stew irresistible. This is everything I want to eat right now, after the holidays, when it's biting cold outside.

Recipe for Brazilian Fish, Shrimp & Mussel Stew at Andrew Zimmern's Kitchen Adventures/Food & Wine Magazine.

Fun to make for a crowd - Super Bowl Sunday! - and utterly salty crispy addictive.

Recipe for Trinidad Salt Cod Fritters at Andrew Zimmern's Kitchen Adventures/Food & Wine Magazine.

It's chowder season, yay! I'm a bit maniacal about chowder and all its briny, creamy glory.

Recipe for Montauk Oyster & Scallop Pan Roast at Food & Wine Magazine/Andrew Zimmern's Kitchen Adventures.

I first posted this last year, but the story and pics make me so happy, I'm pulling it up again for today. Happy Father's Day! - Stephanie

I sent my dad an email telling him to check out my buttermilk pancake post and wishing him Happy Father's Day.  This is what he wrote back:

I just got back from Canada last night.  We were fishing on Keefe Lake, which is in northern Saskatchewan, about 1,200 miles north of Sheridan.  We drove my pickup to Laronge and then flew the last 200 miles.  We had two shore lunches in the five days of fishing: The guide takes a large steel frying pan with high sides and fills it with canola oil, then sets it over an open camp fire.  When it's very hot, he dumps in frozen french fries.  When the french fries are starting to brown, he drops in onion rings.  After two or three batches, he starts frying the fish.  The fish are walleye, caught that morning and cleaned while still flopping.  Each fillet is rolled in flour, then dipped in beaten egg, then rolled in potato buds, and then dropped into the very hot oil.  They are fried until they "look pretty".  Meanwhile, canned baked beans are heating next to the fire.  Everyone grabs a plate and the feast is on while the guide continues to fry fish until everyone is stuffed.  All of this is best accompanied by cold beer.  Dessert is canned peaches with egg coffee.

I loved this email.  I laughed.  My mouth watered.

I thought of my Grandpa Meyer (my dad's dad, who was a walleye fisherman extraordinaire, above).  I thought of my Grandma Meyer (who fried all that walleye - dredged in flour, fried in butter - until we all got full).

I got a tear in my eye.

I marveled that my dad drove 1,000 miles before his short flight.  (He lives in Sheridan, Wyoming.)  He, my stepmom Susanna, and my sister Stacey embrace a long drive.  I...do not.

I thought about how my dad is a true Renaissance Man: Lawyer, serious hunter/fisherman/outdoorsman/horseman, history expert, dog whisperer, nightmare debater, incredible cook, our family's storyteller, father of four.

I thought about how much I love my family for loving real, good food.  I thought about how much I hope I'm passing this love on to my son.

And then I decided to fry up some walleye.  I'd never heard of dredging fish with potato buds before (see dredged in flour, fried in butter, above), so I decided to give the guide's technique a try, since I assume the man knows how to fry up some fish.  It was completely delicious, a light as air crust around moist fish (similar in effect to panko crumbs).

All of this is best accompanied by cold beer. Yeah.

Shore Lunch Fried Walleye
Serves 4 (except in my family, where this would barely serve 2)

1 lb. walleye fillets
1 egg + 1 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. flour, on a plate
1 1/2 c. instant mashed potato flakes or panko crumbs, on a plate
peanut oil or other oil for high heat frying

Fill a wok 1/3 full of oil and set over medium high heat.  While oil heats, beat egg, 1 Tbsp. of water, and 1 tsp. of salt in a pie plate.  Line up the egg, flour, and potato flakes.  When oil is hot, dip both sides of walleye fillets in flour, then egg, then potato flakes, then transfer the fillet to the hot oil.  Fry fillet, turning once, until fish is nicely golden brown on both sides.  Drain on paper towels.  Repeat with other fillets and serve immediately.

Light yet filling, Coconut Curry Soup with Shrimp & Vegetables is on the table fast, packed with flavor, and chockful of whatever vegetables you like. My recipe at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

Photo by Susan Powers

Craving spring?  Then check out our latest Shooting the Kitchen post, which will deliver a shot of warm color straight into your brain, courtesy of Cafe Ena in Minneapolis.  Chef Hector Ruiz shared a recipe for Salmon with Couscous & Jalapeno-Infused Cream that is delicious on so many levels that I could hardly wait for Susan to be done photographing it!  Spring on your computer, on your plate, in your stomach...yeah.

The weather, I promised myself I would not talk about the weather.

But forget it man, this is Minnesota, and we talk about the weather.  So here it is: It rained ice last night, as John and I were on our way from not one but two fabulous dinners.  I first dug into champagne, pommes frites, and escargot with the lovely and incredibly talented Susan Powers at Vincent's.

Then John stopped by and whisked me off to Haute Dish for round two of champagne, this time alongside braised meat insanity, which of course I loved.  Pork belly for me, because that's what I always order, which prompted me to boldly declare braised pork my all-time favorite food ever.

Evar.

Then John handed me a forkful of his braised beef short rib with this insane almost-chocolate thing going on and I remembered how much I love that too and I was - and still am - terribly torn.

Apparently I'm not ready to list my all-time faves.  Except for fried potatoes in any form, I'm willing to float that out there.

And runny eggs - poached, fried, scrambled, boiled, bring it.  But there I must pause.

Anyhow, after heavy meatness, and ice-turning-to-snow, today I needed something spicy, spicy, spicy.  I have three jaw-droppingly fantastic salsas in my fridge thanks to Twitter friend Todd Tweedy, which I admit I've been eating with a spoon.

That good.

I decided that fish tacos - I used trout tonight - would be a mighty fine salsa delivery vehicle and in fact they were.  They were also a nice screw-you to all the snow, which made me smile maniacally.

I layered in cabbage, avocado, cilatro, creme fraiche (OK, not Mexican, but I had it, and thinned with with cream for a pseudo-crema), and the insane salsa.

Screw the snow.  See?

Screw-the-Snow Fish Tacos (Gluten-Free)
Makes 4 tacos

1/2 c. peanut or other high-heat oil
1/2 c. finely ground cornmeal
1/2 c. gluten-free, all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. chipotle chili powder (I like the heat, and smoke, but use what you like)
1/2 lb. fish (I used trout for these, but really...use whatever you like and is freshest), cut into 1x4-inch strips
1 c. shredded cabbage
1/4 c. creme fraiche or sour cream thinned with 2 Tbsp. cream
4 warmed corn (or flour) tortillas
1/2 ripe avocado, sliced
fresh cilantro
salsa

Pour oil into a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat.

While the oil heats, in a pie plate, toss together the cornmeal, flour, salt, and chili powder.  Dredge the fish in the cornmeal/flour mixture and fry in hot oil until browned on both sides.  Drain on paper-towel-lined plate.

Serve in warm tortillas with cabbage, cream, avocado, cilantro, and salsa.

Heidi's owner/executive chef as well as Shefzilla blogger Stewart Woodman's recipe for Fried Trout & Refrigerator Pickles, from Shefzilla: Conquering Haute Cuisine at Home, at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

I am stuffed to the max from rich holiday foods.  Even though I was successful in avoiding gluten and grains, the salt really catches up to me.  Puff city.  And after a week of heavier foods, salads, fish, and brothy soups just sound so right to me.

While these recipes aren't new, I thought you might appreciate having a few ideas for taking it down a notch this week.  Above is one of my favorite salads, Grilled Salmon with Greens & Avocado.  Warm salmon, cool greens, and a mustard vinaigrette hit the spot in any season.

I posted my aunt Mary's Chicken Vegetable Soup at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine a few weeks ago.  It's delicious anytime, and can be adapted to use up leftover turkey if you're lucky enough to have some on hand.

Grilled Shrimp Tostadas with Spicy Slaw are easy to mess around with.  Saute or broil the shrimp if your grill is buried in snow.  Skip the tortillas if you're watching your grain intake.  The cool, crunchy slaw sets off the hot shrimp nicely.

A pan of Fried Chickpeas with Chorizo & Spinach can be on the table in minutes and is hearty and spicy enough to chase away a chilly evening.  How do you wind things down when the holidays are over?

I posted this recipe a few weeks ago at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine. I know it's a crazy-busy time of year, which makes it nice to have a quick, nourishing recipe to turn to for a satisfying dinner.  Plus: I don't know about you, but spicy food tastes extra delicious when it's zero degrees outside!  It's nice to be warm on the inside, if no way outside (of hell).

Here's a flash from the past: Do you remember the coconut pasta at Sidney's restaurants, circa 1995?  It was the first coconut-milk dish I'd ever tried and it was tasty, if inauthentic.  It got me happily experimenting at home and concluding that coconut milk has magical properties.  Creamy, luscious, and ridiculously easy to cook with, it can transform a head of broccoli into the most heavenly thing you've eaten in months.  And what it does to a filet of halibut should be illegal.  Seriously.

Yes, you could pick up a Thai-style curry anytime you like from any number of places around town.  But you can also pull this delicious little number together in about 20 minutes, with minimal prep, and it will be loaded with as many bites of fish and vegetables as your heart desires.

I've pared this recipe down to the essentials, with a few shortcuts that make it accessible for a weeknight din.  You can adapt this basic recipe in as many ways as you can imagine - try shrimp, chicken, or tofu for the halibut.  Experiment with a rainbow of vegetables.  All good.

Quick Coconut Curry with Halibut & Broccoli
Serves 4

1 can coconut milk (not the light version - Taste of Thai brand works well)
1 large, ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, cut into matchstick pieces
1 1/2 Tbsp. green Thai curry paste (available in the Asian foods section of most grocery stores)
1 tsp. curry powder
2 Tbsp. brown sugar (or more to taste)
2 Tbsp. Thai fish sauce (or more to taste)
2 c. broccoli florets
12 oz. halibut, cut into 1-inch cubes
juice of 1 lime (or more to taste)
3 whole scallions, chopped
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

Hot cooked rice (jasmine rice is delicious, but any rice works)

Open can of coconut milk with a can opener and skim the thick, white coconut fat off the top and put into a Dutch oven.  Heat pan over medium-high heat until coconut oil is melted and hot, then stir in tomato, garlic, and red pepper until softened and tomato is breaking down a bit, about 4 minutes. Stir in curry paste and curry powder and saute for a couple of minutes until fragrant.

Stir in the remaining coconut milk, brown sugar, and fish sauce, and bring to a simmer.  Add broccoli florets and simmer for 2 minutes, until just softening, then stir in halibut cubes.  Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until fish is just cooked through.  Add lime juice, scallions, and fresh basil and taste.  Add a bit more fish sauce (for saltiness), lime juice, or brown sugar as needed.  Serve over hot rice.