Peter the eater

Oh Heidi I wish I took more photos. One guy brought a glorious fresh swordfish steak the size of a toilet seat, and a lovely bottle of Lagavulin. Another had a Dalwhinnie older than my cat. To answer your question, no we didn't eat while fishing this time. Mostly we talk to other people on the lake and pretend we enjoy our cigars.

Hmmm. The picture could be better. It's meant to show my accordion folder of random recipes and articles that have been collected online or extracted from periodicals. I always remember the loose unbound part, so I know to look in the folder.

Haresfur, this lake is stocked by the State and monitored closely which helps the local outfitters immensely. The economy in these parts is all about the trees, tourism and to a lesser extent wind power. We did reuse a few holes -- from the night before. NWT = Northwest Territories, Canada?

My knives and some other tools are kept on the wall stuck to magnetic strips. Below this set up I used to keep the paper and glass recycling bins, that is until I notice my fancy carving fork hadn't been seen for a few weeks. It must have fallen off the magnet into one of the bins. Hopefully somebody else is now using it.

Seventeen. Just kidding, we were four and there was room to seat another one or two.

Considering the Topic Description is "Show me the fish!" I probably should have taken more photos of actual fish. I'll wait and see if the other guys got any good shots. Meanwhile back at the ranch (well actually it's more of a log cabin with a large central hearth and pit privy) we've got everything necessary for a fine fish feed. I absolutely love cooking in this fireplace with the iron grill that swings in and out and slides up and down on a post. As you can see, those are my homemade bagels on the fire not trout. And the most patriotic coffee mug I've ever seen.

We try to meet in Maine during late January when the ice is more than six inches thick. We snowmobile out the hut and get the fire inside going, then we start drilling a dozen or so 10" diameter holes with a gas auger. Scoop out the ice and snow, bait the hook and set the flag. When a fish takes the minnow it releases a spring-loaded orange flag which can be seen far away. Just below the water surface is a spool with the line and hook. Sometimes nothing happens for an hour and other times they start popping all over the place.

Eating outside might be the best part of ice fishing.

I wouldn't call it a high-adrenaline winter sport like, say, Curling. Find a frozen water body, make a hole in the ice, drop a line, wait. I grew up with people ice fishing all around me but never gave it a try until a few years ago. For me it has become ritual and therapy. One weekend a year I meet the boys at a remote cabin in Northeast Maine -- halfway between Boston and Halifax so nobody has to drive more than six hours. The lake has plenty of brook trout, splake and pickerel. We can usually land a keeper every twenty minutes or so. Who has an ice fishing story, comment, photo, injury, etc?

No comments on those fish? Did you buy one? Looks like more than one type of Asian Carp in the buckets. Bubbling air is a good sign, along with clear eyes, moist pink gills, and of course the lack of stink. I wouldn't order an upside fish from a restaurant tank.

I'm certain I have far, far less understanding of the things you show us. That's why I'll weigh in and say that I love to cook and test my comfort zone with things I barely recognize and can't pronounce. A little bit of knowledge can be the perfect thing.

Pickled herring is an outstanding breakfast item. Rollmops are said to fix a hangover.

How would you go from the fancy layered jar of dry stuff to the steaming mug?

It's a great idea Melissa. I don't have a set but I like the idea so much I may swipe my sister-in-law's collection. I may do something similar for Lucy Maud Montgomery.

I just recovered from the spit-take, thanks. My librarian/mom sent me the book, looking forward to the read.

:laugh: I'm with you Mitch, anybody can read a label. Drives my wife nuts.

I'm looking in the cupboard -- I see lots of white, solid colors and no patterns.

Sea snails are tricky, especially big ones. My personal battles with a mollusk fetish has taught me to defer to the people who catch and eat them all the time, preferably for generations.

It almost looks like it's mooning you.

Pork stock is the country cousin of veal stock, which is unfair. Pork is cheap and veal is not, that's all. I like to make baked beans with equal amounts of pork, beef and chicken stock. The combo adds great depth to the beans.

I'm done trying to enjoy frozen pizzas from a grocery store box.

After a fishing trip, when all the uneaten fillets get frozen I would use wax paper between them and freeze the lot in a big plastic bag. They're real easy to separate whilst frozen.

I've never done that, sounds brilliant. Do you use a high-walled non-stick pot?

My kids like to add dried currants while the oatmeal is cooking and frozen blueberries to help with the cool-down.

Hey, that looks fun! The chestnuts appear to be warmer than the people. I grew up with Stoney Creek Dairy Ice Cream ads on the radio, CHCH maybe? The Big Green Egg needs more action out here in Eastern Canada. Paderno has one in the Halifax showroom but it just sits there and looks expensive.