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Dec. 31st, 2015 11:17 pm
El ano del año
I decided to take a break from coques for a year, but stayed in the Catalan mode with canalons de peix. Except we didn't have a source for fresh pasta sheets and no way was I going to try to make my own. Crespons de peix is a recognised variant, though, and I know I can handle crêpes. At least I thought I could, but when the Old Man pronounced my first attempt "doughy", I had doubts. To be honest, I had a bit of a tantrum, blaming the substitution of soy milk for RUINING HOGMANAY.
But I pulled myself together, leapt over a few more obstacles (e.g. splattering the microwave with melted butter, burning the garlic), and got the meal on the table only a half hour later than planned. Like most Catalan recipes, this one is essentially very simple: fish simmered with a bouquet garni flaked and mixed with a little garlic, shallot, and cream and stuffed into cannelloni (or crêpes) before being topped with more cream mixed with bleu cheese and baked. But it was really tasty, and it will only take a bit more practice to make it much less stressy. (The side--rapini with raisins and pine nuts--is one I can do in my sleep.)
Afterwards we retired to living room for athol brose, amaretti, and presents. The vegetarian cookbook and historical fiction I got him went over well and his relatives concentrated on food this year, so it's a more useful assortment than usual. He got me lots of food, too (including those amaretti), as well as a few curious picks we made it clear to me just how much fun he had shopping for us despite the craptastic weather at the time. Today isn't bad, just cold, so I'm pretty content to stay in, recuperate further from my cold, and make plans to leave the house tomorrow.
But I pulled myself together, leapt over a few more obstacles (e.g. splattering the microwave with melted butter, burning the garlic), and got the meal on the table only a half hour later than planned. Like most Catalan recipes, this one is essentially very simple: fish simmered with a bouquet garni flaked and mixed with a little garlic, shallot, and cream and stuffed into cannelloni (or crêpes) before being topped with more cream mixed with bleu cheese and baked. But it was really tasty, and it will only take a bit more practice to make it much less stressy. (The side--rapini with raisins and pine nuts--is one I can do in my sleep.)
Afterwards we retired to living room for athol brose, amaretti, and presents. The vegetarian cookbook and historical fiction I got him went over well and his relatives concentrated on food this year, so it's a more useful assortment than usual. He got me lots of food, too (including those amaretti), as well as a few curious picks we made it clear to me just how much fun he had shopping for us despite the craptastic weather at the time. Today isn't bad, just cold, so I'm pretty content to stay in, recuperate further from my cold, and make plans to leave the house tomorrow.