Libations of a Long Weekend...

Labor Day weekend... Wonderful. Extra long weekend always cheer me up. Considering that I have a tendency to procrastinate (don't we all?), long weekends are great for catching up on things. Of course, my ideal long weekends involve me being in the kitchen, trying out some new dishes. Some are savory, some are sweet, just the way life works most of the time. Like I always say, life is like food. Sometime the unlikeliest of combinations are what works out the best. Its the type of thing we see in movies over and over again, yet we are always surprised by it. Today feels like a great day to fall back on my traditions, the Asian heritage that I'm so thankful that I can be part of. Just imagine, living in the Western world, but still have access to the most traditional Asian cuisines. The thought of not knowing what Chinese food taste like outside of take-outs can put me into a super depressing mode :(.

In appreciation of my roots, today I made an awesome Miso-Encrusted Orange Ruffie. It was quite delicious. For those that don't know what miso is, it is a paste-like substance often used by the Japanese to make soup, as well as a variety of different things. I also made a chinese style pork meat ball soup to go with the fish. All in all, it was quite traditional, but very delicious. I suppose I'm beginning to miss Taiwan foods after 7.5 months living without. Not as easy as you would expect.

Recipe is as follows:

Miso-Encrusted Orange Ruffie (Serves 2)

1 piece of Orange Ruffie Fillet (or use some type of fattier white meat fish)
2 tablespoons of Miso (Get it in your local Asian market)
handful of chopped fresh green top onions

Score the fillet on both side slightly. Rub the miso paste on to the fish, make sure to cover all of it. Let sit for about 3-5 minutes. In the mean time, bring heat to a pan and wait for the oil to get nice and hot. Put the fish in the pan, and cook each side for about 3 minutes. Plate and top with green onions.

Very simple recipe, if you have the material. The nice long sear gives this slightly crunchy texture to the edge of the fish, and the miso taste is awesome. This takes less than 15 minutes to prepare. Eat with rice and some stir fried bok choy for a complete meal.

Oh, before I forget. I just started reading a book for my Anthropology of Food class (I know, just the kind of class you would expect me to take), it has a very interesting take on the diet and nutrition. It talks about how our sense of eating has gone from food to nutrients, and that it has a drastic affect on our perception of what is healthy. It's called In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan.

Live long and eat well.
Aphrael