Migrations and Movie.

Glenda Larke (Tropic Temper see link this page) drew attention to an article about dragonfly migrations which is quite something to read. I thought the Monarch butterfly did a long trip, but the dragonflies beat them into a cocked hat this is the article Glenda was talking about. Ruby throated humming birds do quite a migration trip too from Canada to Mexico and Panama spending a fair amount of time over the Gulf of Mexico. Another migration story is eels from the British coasts which migrate to the Sargasso Sea to breed; a trip of between 5 and 6,000 km. One wonders why these critters travel so far? There are many which return to the spawning grounds of their parents, salmon are a well known example. But to travel so far especially when they are so apparently fragile as dragonflies and butterflies are. Or tiny little birds like the hummer which also flies a long way over open water. We used to spend hours in the Carolinas watching them at our feeders. They are an aggressive little bird and very territorial "this is my feeder, move". We used to have a feeder hanging in our kitchen window and it was absolutely fascinating to see them. Friends were visiting one time and a hurricane was blowing up, the feeder was swinging quite wildly and the hummers were still feeding, the comment by one of our friends was "brave little sods". Well he was a Limey too. Watched a great movie last night, not famous and no-one well known in it - The Waking of Ned Devine - about a small Irish village - population 52 - where a couple of old guys realised someone there had won the lottery, they spend a fortune trying to find out who it is. They finally discover it was Ned Devine, only trouble is he has died of the shock. Then the main character had a dream that Ned wanted everyone in the village to share the winnings, so they had to con the Lotto Man that one of them was really Ned Devine. It was pretty funny and we really enjoyed it. There's a lovely scene where the two main protagonists are having a dip at the beach, skinny dipping that is, and the Lotto man stops by asking for directions. One hides behind the rocks and the other goes to show the Lotto man where Ned's cottage is and takes him all round the countryside to delay him, whilst his friend, unable to dress in a hurry, grabs their motor bike and rides stark naked back to Ned's home in order to pretend he is Ned. The shenanigans which went on were very funny. I did have a bit of trouble with the Irish accents, I am a bit out of practise. If you get a chance to see it, do - its good. In the middle of it all there is a wake for Ned himself and a eulogy is about to be delivered when the Lotto man arrives for a second visit and turns up at the church so they have to pretend to eulogise someone else. Got my medications changed by the way, so hopefully no more migraines. Here is another fish recipe from Eating Well. We don't buy cod a lot here but we used to in the UK where it was delicious and really fresh. I love Tapenade too. The reference to Monterey Bay is useful to follow up, they will tell you what fish is best to buy and which is from sustainable resources. You can even get a pocket card to carry with you. Roasted Cod with Warm Tomato-Olive-Caper Tapenade Makes 4 servings Ingredients 1 pound cod fillet (see Ingredient note) 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon minced shallot 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes ¼ cup chopped cured olives 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh oregano 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. 2. Rub cod with 2 teaspoons oil. Sprinkle with pepper. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and roast until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. 3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 20 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add olives and capers; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds more. Stir in oregano and vinegar; remove from heat. Spoon the tapenade over the cod to serve. Ingredient Note: Cod: Overfishing and trawling have drastically reduced the number of cod in the Atlantic Ocean and destroyed its sea floor. A better choice is Pacific cod (aka Alaska cod); it is more sustainably fished and has a larger, more stable population, according to Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp). Have a great weekend.