A Fish Tale and On Being Blonde.

Last night we had Tilapia for supper - have you tried it? We enjoy its delicate flavour. We generally prepare it by dipping it in egg and then Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) then sautéeing in a little butter. This is a relatively new fish on North American markets although they have been eaten on the African continent for years. It is part of the cichlid family and as I said to Matt last night, I would have been embarassed to eat it some years ago when we had an aquarium full of cichlids. Admittedly ours weren't edible, or at least none of them were big enough to be eaten and we just had them for their beauty. I believe they are farm raised these days, the same as Basa fish which were originally from the Mekong Delta and which, today, are also farm raised. I can recommend them both as not being what some people call "fishy" fish.

This is a little game on World Wildlife this morning, I thought it might amuse you:


I'm Jo and I'm a Bluefin Tuna. This picture is a swordfish and that was what Matt turned out to be. He reminded me that Swordfish eat Bluefin Tuna!!

I was thinking about Yugoslavia which reminded me that just before we went there, I bought a blonde wig which I wore frequently whilst there. At this distance in time, I am surprised because it was pretty warm there. Several years later I became blonde anyway and stayed that way for years. No, I don't think I had any more fun. The picture is me as a blonde just before we came to Canada.

I came across this recipe last night and remembered everywhere we went in what used to be called Yugoslavia, we would come across Rajnici on the menu. They were always served on a bed of chopped onions and is their version of kebabs. Another food I always loved was Cevapcici which are like little skinless sausages, also served on beds of chopped onions. I gave the recipe for them in one of my earlier blogs last October I think.

Rajnici

1 lb boneless veal cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
1 lb boneless pork cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs vegetable oil
5 oz thinly sliced onions
15 small bayleaves, broken in half
2 tbs finely chopped onions

Pat the veal and pork cubes dry with paper towels, sprinkle them with salt and a few grindings of black pepper, and mix well with the oil and onions in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, stirring them every now and then. Remove the cubes to a plate and reserve the marinade for later use.

To prepare for cooking arrange the cubes alternately on skewers with half a bay leaf separating each pair of cubes. Broil them under a preheated broiler, 4 to 6 inches from the flame, or barbecue for 10 minutes each side - with either method, baste them with marinade whilst cooking. Again, you can serve on the skewers or off. Sprinkle with the finely chopped onion. This serves 4 to 6 people.

Have a great day.