Camping, Princess Style

[lemniscate]

4 hours ago, Smithy said:

I sent them off with a package of last year's crop of hand-harvested, hand-parched wild rice from Northern Minnesota.

Wild rice is one of my most favorite things to eat.  I have used $$$ Bineshi.  But I like the farmed stuff also.  What brand/supplier do you use?    Wild mushrooms cooked in wild rice are match made in all the Heavens.

[Smithy]

1 hour ago, lemniscate said:

Wild rice is one of my most favorite things to eat.  I have used $$$ Bineshi.  But I like the farmed stuff also.  What brand/supplier do you use?    Wild mushrooms cooked in wild rice are match made in all the Heavens.

 

My favorite brand, when I can get it, is the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Hand Harvested Wood Parched Natural Wild Rice. The link goes to Bemidji Woolen Mills as a supply source, but I usually buy it at the grocery store when I'm in the town of Cass Lake, MN. I also have enjoyed the Singing Pines Hand Harvested Wood Parched Minnesota Wild Rice, and have some with me in the Princessmobile, but to me the Leech Lake stuff is just a bit nuttier and more full-tasting. 

 

I haven't had much luck with the cultivated wild rice; it never seems to cook and fluff up as thoroughly, but maybe that was my technique. The parching is a requirement for my tastes.

 

I've never tried Bineshi. The suppliers certainly are proud of it, based on their prices! What do you especially like about it?

[Dave the Cook]

On 4/3/2023 at 3:28 PM, Smithy said:

"Spätzle!" I cried, and dribbled the remaining batter through the spoon's holes into the hot oil.

 

I meant to to say that this is a terrific idea that we will steal. 

 

Also, "'Spätzle!' I cried" should be the climax of an Agatha Christie novel.

 

Also, also, you're paying too much for vodka.

[Smithy]

50 minutes ago, Dave the Cook said:

Also, also, you're paying too much for vodka.

 

How much would you expect to pay for 750 ml of the "cheap stuff"?

 

(And thanks for the compliments!)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

My favorite brand, when I can get it, is the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Hand Harvested Wood Parched Natural Wild Rice. The link goes to Bemidji Woolen Mills as a supply source, but I usually buy it at the grocery store when I'm in the town of Cass Lake, MN. I also have enjoyed the Singing Pines Hand Harvested Wood Parched Minnesota Wild Rice, and have some with me in the Princessmobile, but to me the Leech Lake stuff is just a bit nuttier and more full-tasting. 

 

I haven't had much luck with the cultivated wild rice; it never seems to cook and fluff up as thoroughly, but maybe that was my technique. The parching is a requirement for my tastes.

 

I've never tried Bineshi. The suppliers certainly are proud of it, based on their prices! What do you especially like about it?

 

I recommend and love Bineshii -- and, please, Smithy, three i's.  It would be wonderful if someone could compare Bineshii with Leech Lake.

 

What I especially like about Bineshii (or I suppose other quality suppliers) is that Bineshii cooks to perfection in ten minutes.  In the 1970's I cooked wild rice closer to an hour.

 

[Smithy]

2 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

and, please, Smithy, three i's

 

Thanks. I hadn't noticed the proper spelling until you noted it.

[Dave the Cook]

14 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

How much would you expect to pay for 750 ml of the "cheap stuff"?

 

(And thanks for the compliments!)

 

Seven bucks, although when I looked it up, I found that Smirnoff isn't nearly as expensive as I thought it was, and I withdraw my objection.

[lindag]

14 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

How much would you expect to pay for 750 ml of the "cheap stuff"?

 

 

 

Smirnoff is pretty much my 'eveerday' vodka.  It's reasonably priced at state-owned liquor stores.  My elevated choice is Absolut.

[weinoo]

On 4/6/2023 at 2:49 PM, Smithy said:

I'm not sure what makes the potato salad Slovakian style, and have written to ask. It seems to have peas, maybe grated carrots and grated onions, and a seasoning we can't identify. It's good.

 

Pickles and their juices?  Reminds me of Salade Russe a bit (but only).

 

21 hours ago, Dave the Cook said:

 

Seven bucks, although when I looked it up, I found that Smirnoff isn't nearly as expensive as I thought it was, and I withdraw my objection.

 

Rubbing alcohol is even cheaper.

Edited April 8, 2023 by weinoo (log)

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

3 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

Pickles and their juices?  Reminds of of Salade Russe a bit (but only).

 

 

Rubbing alcohol is even cheaper.

Yes, but consider the consequences. Many an deceased old drunk made that mistake.

[Smithy]

1 hour ago, Dave the Cook said:

 

Seven bucks, although when I looked it up, I found that Smirnoff isn't nearly as expensive as I thought it was, and I withdraw my objection.

 

Living in large cities does have some advantages! When I followed your link, here's what popped up:

 

 

The drive would have been a bit much.

 

[weinoo]

13 minutes ago, Nancy in Pátzcuaro said:

Yes, but consider the consequences. Many an deceased old drunk made that mistake.

 

Oh, I wasn't thinking of using it for drinking; I like to use it for cleaning certain things and it's good for taking labels off.

[lindag]

18 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

Pickles and their juices?  Reminds of of Salade Russe a bit (but only).

 

 

Rubbing alcohol is even cheaper.

I was surprised at the price of Everclear when I shopped for it around the holidays. IIRC it was in the neighborhood of $35  for a 1.75 liter bottle.

 

[Smithy]

39 minutes ago, weinoo said:

Pickles and their juices?  Reminds of of Salade Russe a bit (but only).

 

I still haven't heard back from Antonia and her friend, but a few links I checked out elsewhere on the internet said that peas, grated carrots and grated onions are characteristic of Slovakian potato salad. The unusual seasoning wasn't as evident in the leftovers, but I could detect mustard. It wasn't as sweet as many American potato salads, but it didn't have dill pickle either.

Edited April 7, 2023 by Smithy
Clarified "it" (log)

[Smithy]

My darling got a rude and amusing surprise with his last beer purchase. His preferred "cheap stuff" is Busch Light in cans. It's inexpensive, has relatively low alcohol and calories, and generates less waste than the bottles I prefer. The other day he couldn't find any at the little store we'd visited, so he picked up a case of his second choice: Bud Light. (It's all safe from me.)

 

 

That night, when he opened it up, he couldn't believe the size of the bottles. "Who puts beer in a 7-oz bottle?" he exclaimed. He looked enviously at my Kilt Lifter.

 

 

We hadn't noticed that it says "mini bottles". He'll get through them, but they won't last as well as the 12-oz cans and it's a lot of glass for that small amount of beer!

[Smithy]

Last night it was fish and chips, using the @JAZ method of potato frying and @Dave the Cook's instructions. I used their sturdier beer batter, since I was doing fish. In case you don't want to look back, the difference is that the beer quantity is doubled and there's no hard liquor.

 

To recap their methods and recipes:

Here is the method for frying potatoes:

Here is the recipe for their beer batter (I used the second recipe, this time, for the sturdier coating):

Here is the tutorial, with instructions, for frying.

 

I began with our last two pieces of Coho salmon. I forget how many ounces each weighed, but I cut them into 3 pieces each after skinning.

 

 

I don't have any pictures of the batter or the fish-battering process. I think I needed to thin the batter just a bit with more beer than I used, because it didn't coat the fish evenly although it was well mixed. You'll see the clumped batter a few photos down in the finished fish.

 

It was interesting to see that the bubbles and oil seemed more viscous than before. The bubbles had a glossy surface that was a lot of fun to watch while I cooked the fish, then the potatoes, then the remaining "spätlze" (okay, tenkasu but that isn't as much fun to say). It reminded me of a syrup at the boil, and I wonder whether the ale caused it. Further tests will be needed.

 

All the while, the just-past-full moon was clearing the clouds/smog layer over Phoenix. 

 

 

Dinner. Finger food again, although we did use forks to cut into the fish.

 

 

It was all delicious. We thought the fish batter had a delightful crunch but was a bit too thick; the interior seemed doughy as though it wasn't fully cooked. On the other hand, the fish itself was moist. I think this is the first time even that he hasn't complained about salmon being dry. This is a shot from this morning's breakfast. I really only needed to have cooked one of those filets, but I'm glad to have finished them, and we have two more cooked pieces remaining.

 

 

I stored the uneaten fish overnight in an open, broad bowl in the refrigerator. It wasn't quite as crisp as last night, but it still has a bit of crunch. That's definitely the way to go, rather than enclosing it in plastic as I've usually done.

 

There were a couple of casualties. Last night when I was stacking things to bring them inside, a plate slid off the stack of used equipment. No food was harmed, but the plate lost its argument with the concrete. I'm not crazy about plastic plates, but I rather liked this color and design from Target that I acquired when we bought our first Princessmobile. Oh, well.

 

 

When the plate hit the concrete pad and broke, it added to the mess I'd already made on the pad. I must remember to put an old cereal box or other bit of cardboard down in the future. This morning, my darling did a doubletake: "what, did you smash a tarantula?" Then he got a better look.

 

 

I actually have a spätlze maker at home that I bought at a cooking class in Duluth and have never used. Henceforth it will get good use!

[heidih]

This is no place for politics/political correctness but if you google bud light controversy - it is likely why your dear could not find it, 

 

I've never cooked or eaten salmon fried - and I like salmon and make it often. Glad your method hit his "moist meter" approval. 

[heidih]

Oops I got the beer brands reversed. Did not edit as post has been read.

 

 

 

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

I began with our last two pieces of Coho salmon. I

Not a judgement just a statement but I would never think to batter salmon. Nor have I ever heard of it before. Perhaps I live too sheltered a life! 
 

Edited to add that I would love seven ounce beer but it would have to be a better brand! Half a bottle is usually just enough. 

Edited April 7, 2023 by Anna N (log)

[Smithy]

59 minutes ago, heidih said:

I've never cooked or eaten salmon fried - and I like salmon and make it often. Glad your method hit his "moist meter" approval. 

 

21 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Not a judgement just a statement but I would never think to batter salmon. Nor have I ever heard of it before. Perhaps I live too sheltered a life! 

 

It was sort of a desperation measure. He almost always complains that salmon is dry. I think the only way I've prepared  it that he genuinely likes is pecan-crusted, then pan fried and served with sauce. I like it too, but would like to find some additional way of cooking it that he'd like. Also, I wanted to try doing beer battered fish and this is what we had.

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

Also, I wanted to try doing beer battered fish and this is what we had.

As I said- not judging. I have absolutely gone off salmon.  It never seems very fresh and it's extremely expensive for something that is less than top of the line.  

[MaryIsobel]

1 minute ago, Anna N said:

As I said- not judging. I have absolutely gone off salmon.  It never seems very fresh and it's extremely expensive for something that is less than top of the line.  

I have gone off salmon as well. Sounds whiney but when my husband and buddies used to spend a week on the west coast of Vancouver Island, our freezer was always full of salmon and it got to be "I guess we should have salmon this week." It has never been my favourite fish, I much prefer ling cod or halibut or sablefish and that coupled with the fact that I felt forced to cook it has turned me off completely. I have seen salmon fish and chips on menus, and thought "no thanks, I'll have the cod." I do like a salmon sandwich, made much the same way as a tuna sandwich and I have one recipe where the salmon is marinated in soy sauce, rye whiskey, pepper, oil and garlic and then grilled which I do quite like and another for salmon cakes made with cubes of fresh salmon. Those two recipes are the only way I will eat salmon anymore. Oh - and smoked salmon or lox is fine too.

[Smithy]

On 4/7/2023 at 2:21 PM, MaryIsobel said:

Oh - and smoked salmon or lox is fine too.

 

Smoked salmon is (heh) another kettle of fish altogether. We can both eat that out of hand, on crackers, in pasta, in spreads, on bread with or without cream cheese...that's a favorite. But my favorite smoked salmon is still a couple thousand miles and at least a month away.

 

My parent's best friends used to go on fishing trips in Alaska. I don't think he much cared which fish he got (assuming it was legal) but she always joked that she'd put a sign on her hook saying "Halibut only. Salmon need not apply." The upshot of that was that one glorious year when we were visiting, they gave us several packages of salmon they'd brought back and didn't want!

 

My best friends also only like salmon one way. It's a grilled salmon recipe from the Alice Bay Cookbook (eG-friendly Amazon.com link), with a sauce that includes something like ketchup, ginger, soy sauce, some sort of oil, and seasonings I've forgotten. I shuddered at the idea of ketchup but it works in this particular recipe. 

 

What a shame that the poor fish isn't getting more love! OTOH I'm reading that the Pacific salmon fishery is in trouble this year, so maybe it's good that more people don't want it.

 

 

[Smithy]

Lunch today.

 

 

Tenkasu: the new croutons! 

[MaryIsobel]

4 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

Smoked salmon is (heh) another kettle of fish altogether. We can both eat that out of hand, on crackers, in pasta, in spreads, on bread with or without cream cheese...that's a favorite. But my favorite smoked salmon is still a couple thousand miles and at least month away.

 

My parent's best friends used to go on fishing trips in Alaska. I don't think he much cared which fish he got (assuming it was legal) but she always joked that she'd put a sign on her hook saying "Halibut only. Salmon need not apply." The upshot of that was that one glorious year when we were visiting, they gave us several packages of salmon they'd brought back and didn't want!

 

My best friends also only like salmon one way. It's a grilled salmon recipe from the Alice Bay Cookbook, with a sauce that includes something like ketchup, ginger, soy sauce, some sort of oil, and seasonings I've forgotten. I shuddered at the idea of ketchup but it works in this particular recipe. 

 

What a shame that the poor fish isn't getting more love! OTOH I'm reading that the Pacific salmon fishery is in trouble this year, so maybe it's good that more people don't want it.

 

 

The salmon fishery has been in trouble for a few years now on the west coast. The reason that my husband always got more salmon and ling cod than halibut is that you have to go much further out to get halibut. Like 10 miles offshore from where they camped. The weather on the west coast of Vancouver Island is unpredictable at times so if it was the least little bit iffy, they didn't venture out. Perfect Storm and all that...