Happy 2016! My resolution for the first week of this year is to share this post, so I’m going to start the year on a high note.

Blogging is fun, but it can also be tough sometimes.

I could have started one of those stream-of-consciousness sites where people write about whatever it is they’ve done over the weekend, with photos of a soap dispenser in a restaurant bathroom, or deep insights into their favorite Instagram memes.

But I didn’t, so here I am.

The reason I’m even getting blog-osophical is that I ended 2015 with blogger’s block. Cooking is still happening, and some of it has been fun and very successful (some less so) but it just doesn’t make it online. No photos (ok maybe a few), no testing, no tweaking.

Instead I’m going to round up some of my favorite recent recipes from the big sites like BBC Good Food (seriously the best) and fellow bloggers.

Here’s what I’ve been making lately:

Cod with Lemon and Tarragon (Nigel Slater)

I found this recipe in Eat, a Nigel Slater cookbook, but lots of his recipes are published in the Observer/Guardian. It’s really easy but looks and tastes much more complex. I got the best cod I could. It makes a difference.

Char Siu (Burp Appetit)

When it was time to release the pork belly from its freezer hibernation, I tried this. I had no idea char siu could be so easy at home! Next time, there will also be buns.

Vegan White Bean Chili (Bon Appetit)

Warm and full of winter veggies. I add a lot less water so it’s less like soup, and use canned beans instead of dried, because I am not organized enough to soak beans a day in advance.

Blueberry Crumble Traybake (Holy Crabness)

This one first came into play for a summer barbecue, back when blueberries were in season. Though mine weren’t nearly as pretty as Emma’s, they were gobbled up without any hesitation.

Apple Cider Doughnuts (NY Times)

There is no craving like a homeland craving, and I decided I wanted cider doughnuts. Keep in mind cider doesn’t even mean the same thing here as it does in the Northeast US, and I’d never made doughnuts before…

But doughnuts I got. Delicious, cidery, imperfect doughnuts. (Props to Brambletye Farms, who make an unfiltered apple juice that worked so well in this.)

Just a little peek…

You never know when inspiration will strike. I seem to like the absurd challenge of figuring out what to make for dinner when I get home and root through the fridge and freezer.

This time, the carrots, carrot greens and a summer cabbage made me think “stir fry”, and the salmon made me think “crispy skin”. Sweet potato noodles that I’d picked up in a past life at a Korean supermarket finished it off. Though since my go-to Korean supermarket has been demolished thanks to the addition of a new train line in London, I’m not sure where to go to replace them. (Any suggestions out there? …Bueller?)

If you haven’t tried sweet potato noodles (in Korean: dang myun), they’re like glass noodles but thicker. They’re chewier and slipperier than wheat noodles, and are really light in flavor so you can enhance them with whatever you want – plus they’re gluten free!

I’ve half-heartedly tried meal planning before, but it just doesn’t seem to work. Sometimes plans come up, or Main Ingredient is missing or has gone off…

But maybe that’s how it should be. I don’t think I would’ve thought of this in front of a google doc spreadsheet. I needed to see to be inspired. Thank you, wizened carrots of the crisper drawer.

Serves: 2

On the Counter

Stir-Fry
320 g (12 oz) salmon, scaled (80 g/3 oz piece per serving)
1 tbsp neutral oil, such as peanut, rapeseed or sunflower
2 large carrots (about 300 g or 2 cups)
2 big handfuls of leafy green vegetables, your choice
1 medium onion (about 110 g or 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic
200 g (7 oz) Korean sweet potato noodles

Dressing
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 tbsp naturally-brewed soy sauce (Kikkoman is my preferred)

What to Do

Combine the sesame oil, chili flakes and soy sauce, and set it aside.

Slice the carrots into matchstick sized pieces, and chop the onion. Chop or tear the greens into bite-sized pieces.

Pat the salmon filets dry and lightly salt them on each side. Make sure it’s been scaled or you definitely won’t want to eat the skin.

Heat the oil in a flat, cast iron or non-stick pan on medium heat until shimmering and hot enough to make a drop of water jump out.

Place the salmon in, skin-side down. Don’t touch it for at least 4 or 5 minutes. You’ll need patience. When it’s ready, you won’t have to put in any effort to get the salmon and its skin out of pan. If it’s not easy to pick up with a spatula, leave it alone. That’s how you get the best crispy skin.

Once your skin is crispy, flip it over and cook for another 2 minutes. Set it aside, covered, or in a low-heat oven.

Cook the noodles in boiling water for 5-6 minutes, until they’re a texture you’re happy with. Immediately rinse them in cool water to stop the cooking process.

While the noodles are cooking, stir fry the vegetables in the pan you used for the salmon. It should take about the same amount of time to cook as the noodles. At the very end, add in most of the spicy soy dressing, and combine it with the vegetables. Save the rest to drizzle on top of the salmon.

Once everything is done, you can mix the noodles into the saucy stir fry, and give your crispy skin salmon a place of pride on top.

At a time in the not-too-distant past, some friends and I were looking for a place to for dinner before a gig, and found ourselves at Prawn on the Lawn, a fishmonger/tiny restaurant in Islington, north London.

All their seafood is sourced from Britain, and they use some of that delicious local production for a small menu of dishes in an even smaller space.

Our table was a barrel (literally), and we squished together, 3 of us, slurping oysters and sampling each others’ main dishes. PS: If you go, have the expensive but absolutely delicious soda bread and butter.

The monkfish and chorizo stew was the inspiration for this recipe, and I have come up with my own version based on what I remembered it tasting of and what I like to eat.

Don’t mind the low-light iPhone photo, but this was some good seafood

In the UK, monkfish are a sustainable species, though they were in trouble for a while. It’s been an interesting ride for the monkfish as a food source. It went from a “trash fish” to “poor man’s lobster” to a delicacy that needed to be protected, and now it’s a sustainable, meaty and generally easy to find fish.

PS: Did you know that monkfish is a type of angler? No wonder you never see a whole one at the fishmonger, they are pretty ugly fish.

This is what happens when you have the time and light to take a reasonable photo.

This stew is hearty and warming, but not so hearty that you can’t enjoy it in the spring… though if you’re enjoying a spring that’s more like summer, you might want to save this recipe for the inevitable cooler days.

Serves: 2 hearty portions/4 with a starter or bread
Cook time: 35 minutes, not including prep

On the Counter

350 g monkfish cut into chunks
50 g chorizo
1 (400 g/14.5 oz) canned tomatoes
600 mL vegetable or fish stock
50 g carrots, about 1 large carrot
1 yellow or orange pepper
1 medium onion
1 stalk of celery
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
fresh parsley, chopped for serving

What to Do

Dice up the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, and mince the garlic. If you’re not very fond of celery, chop it smaller. Also dice the chorizo into 1 cm (1/4 inch) pieces.

Meanwhile, turn the oven on to broil/grill and roast the pepper on each side for 1-2 minutes, until blackened. Once it’s ready, put it in a bowl and cover with a cloth until it’s cool enough to touch. Peel it, removed the seeds and chop it.

In soup pot or casserole pot, heat the oil over medium-low until it shimmers. Add in the celery, carrots and onion until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Push the vegetables to the side of the pan and add in the chorizo. Fry it, stirring, until it starts melting and browning, another 3-4 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, breaking up the large pieces with a wooden spoon. Add in the roasted pepper, stock, paprika, red pepper flakes and salt. Stir. Simmer, covered, on low heat for 10 minutes.

After the 10 minutes are up, add the monkfish pieces and cover the pot again. Let it cook for another 15 minutes.

Sprinkle fresh parsley in each bowl and serve.

England (and maybe the rest of the UK too?) had been in the midst of some really lovely autumn weather… a little rain here and there, but mostly it’s been warm, sunny days. It does mean that the fact that it now starts getting dark around 5 seem strange, especially when it’s still nice enough to sit outside.

A couple of weekends ago, we went for a walk around some of the wooded areas of Surrey, and it was hard to believe that it was really autumn. We had lunch outside at a great local pub, The William Bray, where the food and the beer were both delicious.

Along the way, I picked some chestnuts for roasting, and wished that I knew enough about wild mushrooms to choose between the tasty ones and the deadly ones. I wonder if there’s a field guide to mushrooms somewhere out there that would make me confident enough to try.

There weren’t as many colorful leaves as you’d expect in mid-October.

…but there were still a few prime specimens

I wish I knew enough about mushrooms to pick them and not die.

We did roast the chestnuts I picked, which were sweet and soft right out of the oven. However, we just had to make do with mushrooms that trustworthy people had gone through the trouble of growing and sorting, when it came time for the main course. 

I think the combination of salmon and lentils combines two very different types of flavors – lentils, which can be heavy but very lean, and salmon, which is less dense, but rich and fatty. The leeks add sweetness and green to the plate, and, well, mushrooms taste good.

For any gluten-free readers out there, lentils are often harvested with wheat, so it’s worth being extra-careful and reading online reviews of brands when looking for lentils that will work for you. 

Serves: 4

On the Counter

4 filets of salmon
475 mL (2 cups) vegetable stock
1 leek, thoroughly washed
250 g (1/2 lb) chestnut or cremini mushrooms
175 g (7/8 cup or 6.2 oz) French green lentils (lentilles vertes)
1 garlic clove, chopped
small handful of chopped fresh parsley

Dijon Sauce
4 tsp dijon mustard
8 tsp water
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried thyme

What to Do

Preheat oven to 200 C/390 F.

Rinse the lentils. Bring the vegetable stock to a boil. If you are using unsalted stock, add 1/2 tsp of salt. Once the water is boiling, add in the lentils and cook according to the package. Green lentils should boil for 10 minutes and simmer for 35 minutes. Drain the lentils.

Meanwhile…

Thinly slice the leeks and mushrooms, but set them aside separately.

Combine Dijon mustard, thyme, water, 2 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp of salt, whisk. Set half the sauce aside.

On a baking sheet lined with foil, place the salmon skin-side down. Cover the salmon with 1/2 of the Dijon sauce. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

On medium-low, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a sautee pan until shimmering. Add in the leeks and stir frequently, until they begin to soften – about 5 minutes. Add in mushrooms, and continue to stir frequently, for another 3 minutes or so, or until the mushrooms begin to soften and shine. Add in garlic and 1 tsp of salt and cook for another minute until garlic is fragrant and soft. Mix in 1/2 of of the remaining Dijon sauce (1/4 of the total), and set aside.

When the lentils are finished, spoon them into a wide-bottomed bowl. Top with shallots and mushrooms, and then salmon. Sprinkle parsley on top.

Full disclosure: I haven’t been to Vietnam, so I can’t promise this is going to make you think of late nights and food stalls in Hanoi, but I can tell you that it tastes pretty good.

There is just one thing though … to make this, you need to plan ahead. This is not a sandwich you can slap together in 10 minutes, but it’s portable, you can eat it with your hands, and it will impress your friends.

If you’ve never had the chance to try a bánh mì sandwich, well, you should really do something about that. The real-deal is a mix of Vietnamese and French influences, from back when Vietnam was a colony of the bleu, blanc et rouge. A toasted baguette, some pickled vegetables, pork paté, and a bit of spice come together for something truly delicious. The words bánh mì technically just means bread, but outside of Vietnam, it is really all about this sandwich. Typically they’re filled with something porky, but I really like this version. It’s a little lighter in taste and you can feed it to pescetarians.

adapted from: Five and Spice
Serves: 4

Make Ahead

Pickled Vegetables (make between 30 minutes and 2 days in advance)
1/2 daikon radish or 10 regular radishes
1 large carrot
1 cucumber
240 mL (1 cup) cider vinegar
120 mL (1/2 cup) water
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. salt

Slice all the vegetables into matchstick sized pieces. Combine all the pickling ingredients with the vegetables. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days, covered.

On the Counter

Equipment
1 baking tray
1 small bowl
aluminum foil

Marinade (make between 30 minutes and 1 hour in advance)
4 filets of sea bass, (about 100 g or 3 oz each)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 spring onion/scallion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 inch (1.25 cm) piece of ginger, peeled and minced or grated

Sandwich
4 demi-baugettes or 2 full-sized baguettes, halved
a handful of fresh coriander/cilantro
3 tablespoons sriracha hot sauce
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
1 japaleño or green chili, sliced thinly

What to Do

Mix all marinade ingredients together and pour over filets. They don’t need to be skinless, as you can easily take the skin off once they’re cooked. Marinade for at least 30 minutes, up to 1 hour ahead. Any more than that and the fish will start falling apart.

Line your baking tray with foil. In a 180C (350F) oven, bake the marinated filets in one layer for 10 to 15 minutes until cooked through and the fish flakes easily with a fork. Cut or flake the fish into generous chunks.

Meanwhile, mix the sriracha and yogurt/mayonnaise and set aside.

When the fish is cooked, set the oven to broil/grill and place the baguette halves in for 2 minutes, until lightly toasted.

Slather one side of the bread with sriracha cream, add the fish, pickled vegetables, sliced chili and coriander. Close your sandwich and eat!

I’ve seriously been on a smoked paprika kick lately. It’s one of my favorite spices to start with, and I just love smoky flavors, but lately I’ve wanted it on everything! I’ve been trying it with some of my staple dinner ideas, for a bit of a variation, which is how this came to be. It’s quite similar to the baked haddock recipe, but with a bit more smoky goodness and bonus side vegetables.

There’s a shop in Brixton, in south London, where you can bag your spices and all sorts of interesting plant-derived things, and they are my suppliers for smoked paprika. With the opportunity to get as much as I want, I thought I overdid it – but with the speed at which we’ve emptied the first jar’s worth, I think I made out like a bandit, in the end.

If you don’t love smoky paprika (but seriously, how could you not) you can use sweet paprika, or … skip it entirely, though you’ll be missing out. If you don’t love cilantro/coriander on the other hand, just replace it with parsley. While I’m lucky enough that it doesn’t taste like soap to me, I feel for you if it does.

Note: I wouldn’t recommend reheating the fish, as it loses its soft flakiness and just turns rubbery, which is not tasty, no matter how much smoked paprika you put on top.

Recipe note: Add the carrots in first, give them 10 minutes, add the fish, give it 10 minutes, and then add the broccoli for 10 minutes.

Smoky Baked Cod

Serves: 4

On the Counter

4 fresh sustainable cod filets, about 4 in (10 cm) long and 1 in (3 cm) thick (can substitute with pollack or haddock)
6-8 cherry tomatoes
1 banana shallot or 3 regular shallots
2 cloves garlic
5-6 fresh sprigs cilantro/coriander (or parsley), leaves stripped from the stems
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp smoked paprika + 1 tsp set aside
1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp set aside
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder

What to Do

Mince the garlic, slice the shallots and quarter the tomatoes. Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and toss to combine, adding 2 tsp. of smoked paprika. Set aside.

Chop your herbs of choice. Combine the 1 tbsp. olive oil, cayenne pepper, herbs, 1 tsp. smoked paprika and salt. Coat each fish piece and set it aside for up to 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. If the fish are not well coated in olive oil, drizzle a little onto the paper/foil and lay the fish pieces on top. Spoon the vegetable mix on top of the cod.

Roasted Paprika Carrots and Broccoli

On the Counter

1 head broccoli, cut into florets, without main stem
8-10 carrots (depending on size)
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
6 sprigs cilantro/coriander, (or parsley) leaves stripped from the stems
2 tsp. smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. salt

What to Do

Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).

Slice the carrots thinly on the diagonal, about 1 cm thick (just under 1/2 inch). Chop the coriander and combine it with the paprika, garlic, olive oil and salt. Divide the mixture into 2.

In one bowl, toss 1/2 the spice oil with the broccoli. In another bowl, toss 1/2 the spice mix with the carrots.

Line a large baking sheet with foil, and spread the carrots widely. (If you don’t have a big enough tray, you can cook them separately – like I did.)

Roast the carrots for 20 minutes. Add the broccoli onto the baking sheet and roast for an additional 10 minutes.

Am I a bad blogger? I don’t always have my camera ready for meals, and when I’m hungry, it’s really hard to convince myself to stop, take photos, get the best lighting and take more photos.

Plus there’s the matter of forgetting until everything is finished cooking that I should probably have documented the process.

This meal came from what we had in the freezer and the gentleman’s request for pasta with courgettes. I don’t normally server pasta as a side for fish, usually the fish is mixed in or there’s no pasta at all. It worked pretty well, and I might have to start doing the fish/pasta combination more often.

Also, even though it’s technically 2 recipes in 1, it didn’t take long at all – 15 minutes of cooking time and about 15 minutes of preparation.

We just got back from a series of “aways” for the holidays, including an extended New Year’s at a friend’s house outside of London. This was the first real meal of the year at home, and the first attempt to get back to more sensible eating. (No more buttery garlic bread and cheese for lunch.)

This time of year it’s easy to fall into the trap of making really ambitious resolutions that are almost impossible to live up to, but in the midst of thinking about wanting to buy fewer things, eat healthier, exercise more and learn something new – I’ll stick with the goal of having my camera nearby whenever I cook.

What’s your new year’s resolution?

Serves: 2

Roasted Dover Sole

On the Counter: 
2 filets dover sole
1 large clove garlic, minced
3-4 sprigs dill, chopped
1 lemon wedge (for serving)
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

What to do: 
Generously season filets with salt and pepper, let rest for 5-10 minutes on an oiled roasting tray.

Preheat oven to 355 F (180C). Brush some more olive oil on top of the filets. Top with garlic and dill.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and squeeze lemon juice on top. One 1/4 lemon wedge should be enough for 2 filets.

Zucchini and Tomato Pasta

On the counter:
1/2 cup (120 g) whole wheat pasta, Mafalda corta or penne
1  medium or 1/2 large zucchini, cut into chunks
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp (set aside)
1/2 tsp crushed chili flakes
1 tbsp fresh herbs (parsley, chives, dill) chopped
1 lemon wedge
fresh parmesan, grated (optional)

What to do:
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a sauté pan until shimmering.

In a salted, boiling pot of water, add pasta and cook for 7-9 minutes, until al dente.

Meanwhile, add onions to hot oil and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Stir in zucchini and cook for 4-5 minutes, until zucchini softens slightly and changes color. Add tomato chunks, chili flakes and 1 tsp olive oil, stir to integrate. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, until pasta is done.

Drain pasta and add to sauté pan, add fresh herbs and the juice from 1 lemon wedge. Toss to combine.

Serve alongside sole and top the pasta with parmesan.

I really wish there were more hours in a day. I wrote a first draft of this post last week and lost it, unfortunately, but the fact that it took me nearly a month to even write this gets to me.

By the time I cook, I’m too tired to sit down and write about it at 10 pm. But, until someone makes a real life TimeTurner, my recipes will just have to wait patiently in the drafts queue.

This is probably my favorite thing to make for group dinner/lunch parties. It was for my first Burns Night, and I was joining the gentleman’s yearly tradition. In typical fashion, I spent far too much time stressing about what I’d bring to Burns Night dinner, even if I “didn’t have to bring anything.” Of course I had to bring something.

I finally settled on making herbed crepes with creme fraiche and Scottish smoked salmon, and even though I was sure it fit the theme, I still worried endlessly until I got my first positive (and unsolicited) review. Burns Night, by the way, is a celebration of the Scottish poet Robert Burns, with a main course of haggis and root vegetables.

Since then, I’ve made these several times, always with great success. The best part was when one of the gentleman’s friends asked me if I’d brought the crepes again. Appetizer jackpot!

Once you get the hang of making crepes (or pancakes for that matter), this is a pretty easy starter to do, and you can make it ahead, since it’s a cold dish.

Serves: 10-15 people, as long as no one’s late (they go quickly!)

On The Counter:

Crepes:
2 large eggs
1 cup (120g) plain flour
1 1/4 cup (300ml) milk
5 tsp (25g) butter, melted
1/4 cup (10g) fresh parsley, chives & dill, chopped
salt and white pepper (black is fine, but white looks better)

Topping:
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cubed
1/2 lb (225g) smoked salmon, finely diced
1 1/4 cups (300ml) crème fraîche
3 tbsp (5g) fresh parsley, chives & dill, chopped

What to Do:

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until the yolks pop. Gradually add in flour, milk and melted butter. Add in chopped herbs and combine. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.

Let the batter sit for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place diced cucumbers in a bowl and sprinkle salt on top. After 5 minutes, drain excess liquid. (You can also squeeze the cucumber between paper towels to remove more water.)

Melt a small amount of butter in a crepe pan or flat skillet over medium heat.

Fill an ice cream scoop and gently pour the batter so that it forms a thin circular layer. Cook for about 30 seconds, or until set. You should be able to flip it over easily. Flip it and cook for 30 seconds, until golden.

Repeat with all of the batter, stacking the crepes between sheets of parchment paper.

Place crème fraîche, 3 tbsp chopped herbs and cucumber into a medium bowl. Combine until well-mixed.

To serve, cut crepes into quarters. Top with a small piece of salmon and a generous spoonful of crème fraîche.

Apologies for the lack of good final dish photo… I didn’t get take a very good one before the hungry hordes descended!

This is an easy one. I like making this when there’s a beautiful trout sitting at the fishmonger waiting to be taken home and treated right.

With a nice piece of fish, I prefer to do as little as possible so that it shows just how tasty it can be. I know there are still a lot of people out there who don’t like fish, but I really think that a lot of times, that’s a case of mistaken identity. Badly-prepared fish can turn anyone off. That stinky smell of old fish turns me off just as fast as even the most ardent fish-hater. But a good piece fish… heaven.

This baked trout looks beautiful on a plate and whispers “elegance”, without much work on your part.

I served it with fresh steamed peas tossed in a tiny bit of butter, but if I’d had petit pois (little peas), I would have definitely used them. The butter is also optional!

Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy

On the Counter

4 trout filets, with skin
1 lemon, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp herbes de provence
       (or a mix of dried thyme, rosemary, savory, basil, whichever you have)
kosher or ground rock salt
freshly ground black pepper

What to Do

Preheat oven to 350F/150C. Line a baking tray with foil and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. 

Pat the trout filets dry with a paper towel, then place them on the foil and season them, skin-side down, with salt and pepper. Let them sit for 3 minutes. 

Drizzle them with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, then top with the herbes de provence.

Lay the lemon slices atop the filets, and if there are any extras, along the sides of the fish. 

Roast in the oven for 1o minutes, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily. 

Serve! 

I usually squish the lemon onto the fish with a fork. The lemon juice works really well with the trout and herbs.

It’s been a fishy few weeks for the gentleman and I. Lots of fresh fish from great places, and I was compelled to document it. Here’s a bit of the seafood in my life lately. All the pics are taken with an iPhone. Not up to the usual standards, but some eats just need to be documented.

A couple of the fish monger’s wares… including the bass we ate for dinner.

In my gentleman and cooking partner’s neighborhood, there’s a great fishmonger who hangs out in a church yard, every weekend. He sells some great fish, straight from the south coast of England. When we stop by late in the afternoon, it’s pretty much a requirement to pick up the discounted scallops on a half-shell.

The gentleman took over scallop duty and we ended up with this amazing Alton Brown -inspired starter.

The scallops didn’t disappoint, especially when the gentleman popped them in the oven with breadcrumbs, tomatoes and loads of other great things. And those croutons – created from homemade sourdough bread.

And my contribution … Portland Bass stuffed with spinach, garlic and lemon. Tasty!!

Scotland does some pretty delicious fish. I am a bit of a smoked salmon addict, but visiting Edinburgh gave me a chance to have a lot more than just smoky pink fish.

We had dinner at a great place called Fishers in the City, which I’d recommend to any seafood-lover.

One langostine of many, primed for battle. I won, but not without some scars.

These guys were tough to eat – we both ended up with battle wounds – but they were well worth the effort. I kind of wish I had some right now…

Plaice fillets, smoked bacon, macadamia nut stuffing and beurre blanc at Fishes in Edinburgh.

What a combo! I would have never thought of stuffing fish with nuts, and then bacon, too? It worked though. It won’t be long before I have a cabinet full of nut butters.