Fall sun

The past two weekends have been wonderfully sunny and warm- the perfect kind of fall weather to be outside.

Salmon 101.... with a challenge

I used to think that salmon was salmon- it was simply that vibrant pink fish I bought in the grocery store when my food budget had room for a splurge. That was, until I moved here to Vancouver Island and met our friend P.

P, who is part of our care group and previously worked many a summer as a professional fishing guide, is passionate about fish. Jeff and I privately refer to him the "Fish Guru" because he is a walking encyclopaedia on salmon. Before meeting P, I had no idea that different parts of the salmon could taste so very different, that the size/fatness of a fish could impact its flavour so much, or that white salmon even existed. Before moving to the West Coast, I was vaguely aware of the different varieties of salmon but could not have picked a Coho from a Sockeye had my life depended on it. Thanks to P, I now know that there are five main species of salmon found in this part of the world and can tell them apart: 

Pink

Image from finesalmon.com

Pink salmon, as well as being the smallest Pacific salmon, is the most common and plentiful. Pinks live a short two years and weigh up to about five pounds. They’re silver with heavily spotted humped backs, have a pale pink flesh and a very mild flavour.  I have developed a dislike of them because they are so bland and tasteless compared to other varieties. In our part of the world, if a grocery store is selling "Pacific Salmon" and does not specify the variety, it is usually a Pink. Click here for more information on Pinks.

Chum 

Image from finesalmon.com

Chum is sometimes known as Dog or Calico salmon. While it's the species I am least familiar with, it's one of the most popular and is the most widely distributed in North America. Chum are popular because they look like sockeye (bright pink flesh) but have a milder flavour. 

Chum salmon have black specks over their silvery sides and a faint pattern of bars, live from three to five years, and weigh up to 13 pounds.  Click here for more information on Chum.

Coho

Image from finesalmon.com

Coho salmon are a bright silver colour, live about three years and weigh up to 15 pounds. While Coho is much less plentiful, it is popular with sport and commercial fishers because the fish feed close to shore and are therefore, easier to catch. Coho flesh is consistently a deep pink/red colour with a full flavour and fine texture.  Click here for more information on Coho.

Sockeye  

Image from finesalmon.com

Sockeye salmon are silver with blue tinges and live approximately five years. At seven pounds, the sockeye is the slimmest of the Pacific salmon but their sleek and narrow torpedo-like shape make them very fast swimmers. The rich flavour of its firm, dark red meat makes the Sockeye the most popular of the five species. Quite simply, it's a beautiful looking and tasting salmon.  Click here for more information on Sockeye.







Chinook

Image from finesalmon.com

Also known as Spring or King salmon, Chinooks are the largest of the North Pacific salmon. Because they weigh up to 120 pounds, they are pretty popular with sport fishers. This year is my first real exposure to Chinooks and we just love them. While they are pretty to look at (with light spots on a blue-green back), their large size makes them an incredibly delicious fish (fat = flavour). Chinooks live up to seven years but are less popular because their flesh, which varies in colour from ivory to a dark pink, is not "pretty" enough for retail demand (see photo below). Click here for more information on Chinooks.

Colour variation on two pieces of Spring (Chinook) salmon

Last September when the West Coast saw the largest run of Sockeye in over a century, our friend P pulled together a group of friends to purchase and share 700 pounds (accounted in this post about our adventure processing it).  It was my first real taste of sockeye and we loved it- I really do understand why it is the most popular of the North Pacific salmon species. This year, the group reunited to purchase 800 pounds of Spring (Chinook) and 200 pounds of Sockeye and repeat our fish-sharing adventure. With P as our fearless leader (and amazing fish fillet-er), we spent a Sunday several weeks ago processing this half tonne of fish to fill our freezers.

After taking stock of our health and diet (especially in light of my dad's heart attack this summer), Jeff and I doubled our fish order this year and have set a goal of eating salmon at least twice a week. We now have 110 pounds of fish in our freezer.... and I find myself needing to expand my repertoire of three go-to salmon dishes to give us some variety. I also want to give this fine fish the culinary respect it deserves.


To do this, I have challenged myself to try 50 different salmon recipes and blog about it here.  I hope that through this challenge, I will gain confidence cooking seafood (something that still makes me a bit nervous) and do a better job of regularly including heart-healthy fish in our diet. On nights when I can't figure out what to make for dinner, fish is the last thing I consider and I want that to change.

So here goes the Great Salmon Challenge!  Stay tuned for the first recipe later this week. 

Uncle Ben's chair

One of my favourite pieces of furniture in our home is an antique Mission chair. Jeff received it before we were married from his sister, who received it from his parents, who received it his grandparents, who received it from their good friend Ben, who was a family member of the original craftsman. Because the chair entered the family as a gift from this Ben, it has always been known as "Uncle Ben's chair".  I love this piece not just because it is beautiful and comfortable, but because it carries a story. My mum-in-law told me today that this chair was built from old oak brought from England- my fond memories of past visits to the English countryside (along with a slight obsession with British historical dramas, Jane Austen, and just about everyone related to the Queen) makes me love this chair even more.

One of the chair's more visible stories is one told through textile.  It seems that each time it passed to another member of Jeff's family, the seat was recovered- sometimes, more than once. For a long time, I have had fabric waiting to add our layer on top of  pink chintz, beige jacquard, orange fuzz and who knows what else. A breather from school and other work this weekend finally presented a chance to tackle this project. After an hour of fussing about with staples and corner folds, it was all done.

My fabric choice is not traditional and certainly will not be to everyone's liking. However, for our chapter in this story, it feels just right. 

Poor Huey

While consider myself to be culinarily adventurous and there are many things I feel quite confident about whipping up in my kitchen, I still have lots to learn. One area of specific worry is my lack of experience with turkeys- yes, I've roasted a few turkey parts but never tackled the full bird. Our family feast at Thanksgiving last weekend inevitably included some turkey... and got me thinking. As Jeff and I are hosting Christmas this year, the turkey is something I do need to conquer.

The first step to confronting this fear (or so I thought), was to roast a chicken. I have only done this once before and when a local grocery store put their whole chickens on super sale, it seemed time to try it again. Jeff picked up a few groceries on his way home from work and came into the house chuckling about how he couldn't look at the bag of three fryers without naming them "Huey, Dewy and Louie". He then went on to choreograph an amusing chicken trio can-can that danced across our kitchen island.

Very funny.... until I went to handle the first bird for our dinner. Immobilized by stark contrast between a cute cartoon character and a dead chicken, I could not bring myself to touch the bird.  In the end, I directed the operation (and chopped all required accoutrements) while Jeff got Huey into the pan.

My contribution- a sprinkling of rosemary and fresh carrots

Yes- I TOTALLY wimped out. I redeemed myself in the end with some stellar gravy, mashed potatoes and veggies (along with some artful presentation, seen below), but it wasn't without some serious teasing from my dear spouse during the whole ordeal.

I used a recipe from my favourite food blog and the author's claims of a "juicy and flavourful" chicken really did come true. It was delicious. That being said... next time, I probably need to touch the raw bird. Jeff reminded me that I have two more chances to tackle this with Dewy and Louie waiting in our freezer.

I'll let you know how it goes.  

Bit of sun

After a few grey and drizzly mornings, this morning's view was a welcome change.

Being Thankful

The pace of life is pretty monotonous for Jeff and I these days. Today however, we are breaking out of the monotony with some special visits. This morning, I had a great lunch with two friends from school who were passing through Nanaimo. It was so great to reconnect and chat about our thesis projects. As we work through the challenging (and uncertain) terrain of thesis work, it is SO very good to have the support of others facing the same challenges.

This afternoon, I'm getting the house ready for a weekend visit from my brother and sister-in-law (and nephew, who is scheduled to make his debut in about six weeks). We're all headed to Jeff's parents tomorrow night to be part of a crowd of 14 Thanksgiving dinner; I expect we will have a slightly boistrous but very wonderful time. 

Whatever your plans this weekend, we hope you are able to spend time with people you love. We really all do have much to be thankful for. 

On Request

The last post included a picture of some Borscht I made last weekend. It never occurred to me that someone might actually want the recipe but after receiving a request, I'm pleased to share "my" version of this classic.

Yield: 8-10  servings

6 medium beets, roasted and peeled (*see note below)

1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 lb ground beef or stewing meat
4 cups beef broth
2 cups water
6 carrots, peeled and chopped
3-4 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 (14 ounce) cans diced or crushed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 medium head cabbage, cored and shredded
1 Tbsp dried dill (or 1/4 cup fresh)
2 tsp dried parsley (or 1/4 cup fresh)
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon white sugar

*I love the depth that roasted beets brings to this dish- to roast them, simply cut beets into eighths and drizzle with olive oil. I also add salt, pepper and a sprinkling of dried dill and garlic powder. Mix well to coat the beets evenly with olive oil and spices and roast at 350 for 60 to 90 minutes- until the beets test done. Before adding them to the soup, I chop them further into small cubes. If you want to skip roasting, simply peel and roughly grate the beets. Both roasted or grated, the beets are added to the soup at the same time as the cabbage and spices.

Directions: In a large dutch oven or soup pot, cook onion and beef in a little olive oil until onions are translucent and beef is no longer pink. Add broth, carrots, potatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cabbage, beets and seasoning. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or until cabbage is completely cooked (wilted). If the soup is thicker than you would prefer, simply add more water.

Garnish with chopped dill, parsley and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!

Tradition

While spending a month with my parents this summer, my mom commented one day about how she and I are very different cooks.  While I prefer to incorporate lots of fresh herbs and love international flavours, she leans toward the more classic meat-and-potatoes kind of cooking.  It's something we have learned to appreciate about each other; when we're together, my mom requests that I make hummus and souvlaki while I go weak in the knees for her Yummy Chicken, roasted turkey or fresh buns.

Those of you who know my Mom know that her fresh buns are infamous. They really are velvety soft pillows of carbohydrate perfection. In my early 20s, I tried making buns a few times and each time was a colossal failure (yeast dough and I simply do not work well together).  After Jeff and I got married, I eyed his bread machine suspiciously for a year before learning that this amazing contraption could turn out perfect dough, no matter my lack of talent for kneading.  Between the machine and some very old but fantastically seasoned bread pans, I think I've come up with buns that even my Mom would be impressed with.

Risen buns about to be baked

Yield: 1 dozen hamburger buns or 2 dozen dinner rolls

1 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 Tbsp margerine or shortening

3 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

4 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 tsp yeast

Measure ingredients into dough machine in order recommended by manufacturer (I do it in the order listed above). Select dough setting, push start, then sit back & relax. When cycle is complete, turn onto floured surface. Divide into buns; 12 hamburger size or 18-24 roll size. Shape each piece into a smooth ball, place in pan and cover with a light towel. Let rise in a warm and happy place until nearly double- about 40 minutes. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Time yourself to see how long you can wait before devouring the first one. Enjoy!

Saturday was a chilly day here on the Wet West Coast- a day that called for soup and buns. Growing up, I never really took a shine to my mom's borscht and ate it as infrequently as I could get away with. While living in Eastern Europe, I learned to make and love true Russian Borscht- with beets, beef, and lots of fresh dill. And the most important part- a dollop of sour cream. Jeff joked that in spending an afternoon baking buns and making borscht, my Mennonite-ness was unquestionably and strongly intact! No doubt, there is something really comforting about eating food that within my heritage, is tradition. It just feels like home.