The de-bone Spanish Mackerel fish. 
Thick and sticky fish paste.
The three main ingredients-carrot, spring onion and garlic.
Stuffed it with fish paste and steamed it for awhile..
Deep fried under high flame until the fish paste around the belly turned golden brown and it ready to be serve.
I went by the old apartment this afternoon. By myself, one last time. I said good-bye to the park in the front, and the big trees in the back. I think I'd have a harder time leaving, but we still have friends on the block, and I suspect it'll be no big deal to swing by and hang out on the steps on nice days. Up the street, the mountain of cardboard boxes is gone. That, and getting dinner on the table the first night in, felt great. Wayne loves stuffed shells - straight up, red sauced, ricotta-stuffed snails of baked deliciousness. It has been a while. And so that's what I made.
Before I dive into the specifics related to dinner, I thought I'd share some snapshots I took in the new place the first afternoon. A few of the little details I crushed on hard when I first walked in. The apartment is old, pre-earthquake, but beautifully restored. I love the antique built-in mirrors, the miles of molding, and the etched glass above each doorway. The details are so interesting that I find myself wanting to keep some of the spaces nearly empty, to let the building just be. We'll see...
Dinner. I admit, stuffed shells are a bit of a cheat for a first-night meal. I mean, I did all the prep ahead of time, and then drove the shells up the street in the backseat of the car. But, man, did they hit the spot after an incredibly long day. And it was no big deal to make them. Even though most of the kitchen was packed up, I made a quick pot of my favorite tomato sauce a couple days out. The day prior to the move, I made the ricotta filling, stuffed the shells and arranged them in a big baking dish. All I had to do is get them to t! he new a partment without dropping them, and wash a mixing bowl and spoon.
Before I let you loose with the recipe, a few notes. I do these shells with lemon zest in the filling and in the sauce. Not typical, but really tasty. I also love the pop of heat you get from the red pepper flakes in the sauce. I baked this batch of shells family-style, in one big pan. But, you can bake individual portions in ramekins, gratin dishes, or Staubs, if you like. Play around with the ricotta filling too - sometimes I add chopped olives, or chopped spinach, herbs, roasted seasonal vegetables, etc.
UndeuxtroisWhenever I start eating cherries, I cannot stop.
You?
I am really fond of the fruit.
I love to keep a few cherry pits in my mouth while I go on with my daily activities, and I even forget about them until I decide I need to eat or drink more.
For my entire French family, cherries are really special too.
My grandparents and parents have always owned cherry trees at the back of their houses. Each spring, we enjoyed conversations to guess how good the season would turn, awaiting when the fruit would become ripe.
Ton pre est dans larbre entrain de cueillir des cerises, (Your father is picking cherries in the tree) my mum said a few days ago when I called to ask how they were.
Je ne sais plus quoi en faire tellement il y en a cette anne, (There are so many this year that I dont know what to do with them anymore) my father later added.
This year, everyone back home says it happened very early.
With us, cherries would go in jams and tarts; clafoutis and cakes; ice creams and preserves.
My grandmother always liked to poach cherries in syrup. Shed add the fruit to tall glass containers that shed sterilize attentively. They were what shed decide to take out of the pantry and serve for dessert with crme fouette (whipped cream), should unexpected guests stay for dinner. Then, she always gave my mother a few of the preserved fruit, and I remember that we loved to have them when c! herry se ason was over. When we were lucky, theyd last until the next season started.
Thankfully.
Even if to me, the best way to enjoy cherries is to gulp them down one after the other while continuing with my day, I also enjoy to use them in sweet or savory dishes.
Do you remember? In the past years, Ive used them in clafoutis, with or without chocolate; in amandines and crumbles; salads with shaved fennel and radish; and summery soups.
This recipe is another summery soup, refreshing and light, that highlights the beauty of the fruit.
With accents of vanilla, ginger and lime, I know its certainly not the kind my grand-mother would have made since ginger would have been a foreign ingredient to her.
I kept thinking about how recipes evolve. With time, and generations.
I keep thinking how special it is to initiate Lulu to the taste of the soup (theres some work ahead) And about how much I wished I could have prepared it for my grandmother if she were still alive.!
M aybe she would have liked the taste of Rainier cherries too.
You need:
For the syrup:
Steps:
