Fisherman's Etiquette

I believe there is an unwritten rule for sportsmen...bring me something I can cook. My Wasband was a serious sportsman and always made sure to hand me a bag of fillets, a packet of freshly butchered and labeled elk meat, a plucked and cleaned bird, or any other "ready to cook" version of whatever happened to be the catch or kill of the day.

Last Saturday night, I was invited to come over to someone's house to prepare fresh rainbow trout. Imagine my surprise to find 10 whole fish looking at me from inside of a plastic bag.
Well, not entirely whole. The fish had been gutted. Definitely dead. But heads, tails, skin and eyeballs were all intact. Ugh. Couple that with a package of brand new knives and a drawer full of very old dull ones, and I was less than excited.

Fortunately, the person who invited me to this little fish fricassee is fast on his feet. He was smart enough to grab a camera and insist that this was a challenge for the Glass City Gourmet. Ok. He got me. My ego loves a challenge...it also loves a "food stylist" (check out the final frame, careful plating compliments of my loving photographer).

While I sorted through the various knives in search of the perfect blade, his mother called a chef at a local country club to confirm the process. Hold the tail firmly with one hand, and using a slanted knife, use the other hand to slice from the tail to the head in a sweeping motion to remove the fillet.

I can do this. I had actually watched my Wasband do this a number of times. He always worked outdoors on piles of newsprint. I had a cutting board, a knife and a sink nearby.

The first few incisions were sloppy. I missed the bulk of the meat. Damn. After about four fish, I hit my stride. I was filleting like a real fish monger. I had thrown all of the leftover parts into a plastic bag when the lady of the house started asking about fish stock. In all honesty, I've never used it in a recipe. Not that I don't enjoy these challenges...but I thought I had already tempted the kitchen g-ds once tonight with the filleting adventure. So I flashed back to life with the sportsman and remembered him using fish parts to fertilize his rose bushes. BINGO! No more fish stock.

Once I had a nice stack of fish fillets, I contemplated cooking them. With a roll of aluminum foil and an assortment of savory vegetables and white wine, I was ready to make these fillets sing!

Fresh Trout Grilled in Foil

6 fresh fish fillets
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 cup chopped artichoke hearts (packed in oil is best)
1/4 c. capers
1/2 c. chopped green olives
6 leaves of basil (chopped)
1 small onion (sliced and separated into rings)
a few sprigs of fresh oregano (washed, stems removed)
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary (washed, stems removed)
2 cloves of garlic (sliced thinly)
1 1/2 c. white wine
olive oil

Tear off one sheet of aluminum foil large enough to create a packet around each fillet. Pour a small amount of olive oil onto the foil. Place the fillet inside with the skin touching the foil. Add a little of each of the ingredients and pour a 1/4 c. of wine on the fillet. Fold the ends of the foil into triangles. Bring up the sides evenly and push the triangles within the two standing sides. Roll the edge until you have a neat, tight packet around the fish that will hold all of the liquid and ingredients within the foil. Repeat for the remaining fillets.

Preheat the grill to about 350 F. Place the fish packets on the grill for about 8-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. Remove from grill. Serve immediately. You may serve the packets on plates. This allows each diner to open the packet and get the great aroma of the baked herbs and seasonings. Or remove the fish from the packets and serve.

I served these fillets with grilled corn and sauteed spinach. The dish was a hit! It could also be made with any other flakey whitefish.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

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Pasta Primavera

Sometimes, you just have to wing it with whatever ingredients you have in the house. Earlier this week, I had leftover prosciutto, frozen peas, a pint of half and half and a hunk of parmigiano reggiano. With a little garlic, olive oil, butter and most of a box of penne...I knew my best option. Pasta Primavera!

After a quick glance at a few recipes, I decided to "wing it". Here's an easy and healthier version of this authentic Italian dish.

3/4 lb. dried whole wheat penne

4 oz sliced prosciutto

4 leaves fresh basil (washed and chopped)

2 tbs. half and half (cream is ideal, though)

grated fresh parmigiano reggiano cheese

1 tbs. olive oil

2 tbs. butter

1 tsp. crushed garlic

1/2 c. frozen peas (baby peas are nice)

Bring a 2 qt. saucepan filled with water to a boil. While it is heating up, prep the basil by washing it and chopping it (see directions for creating a "chiffonade" in last entry). Use the same technique to slice up the prosciutto. Once the water is boiling, add a little kosher salt and a splash of olive oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together, the water from boiling over, and to keep the pasta from over cooking. While the noodles cook, saute the garlic with 1 tbs. olive oil. Add two tbs. butter for flavor, if desired. Once the garlic is cooked, but not brown, add the frozen peas, basil and prosciutto. Continue to saute over medium heat to warm the ingredients. Add the half and half and turn the heat to low. Once the pasta is done, strain it. Return it to the cooking pan and add the contents of the saute pain. Return to the stove with the heat at low. Once the primavera is mixed with the noodles, add the fresh parmigiano to thicken the sauce and intensify the flavor.

Serve immediately with extra cheese.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Savory Steak Salad

I'm not sure where the trend originated. Someone came up with the idea of combining dried fruit, nuts, bleu cheese and red onions with varieties of lettuce to create a more interesting salad . The farthest back I can go in my own cookbook colletion is to a salad with blue cheese, pear, and a walnut vinaigrette from the Silver Palate Cookbook published in 1989. I do know that once this combination hit mass production at national chain restaurants and got drowned in sweet raspberry vinaigrette dressing, it lost it's zing.


Last night, I had a few people over for a light summer dinner. I served this hearty salad, an assortment of cheeses and crackers, along with some fresh cut fruit and a glass of wine. Starting with a few ingredients I already had in my apartment, I did my best to update the unique combination of strong cheese, sweet dried fruit, and earthy nuts. I hope this leaves the McDonald's version in the dust...



Savory Steak Salad

(Serves 4)



1 - 1lb. sirloin steak (grilled or broiled to preference, and sliced into 1/2" strips
1 1/2 bags of European lettuce mix, rinsed and dried (yup, I'm a cheater!)
3/4 lb. asparagus spears (lightly cooked, and plunged in an ice bath to cool and keep the crunch)
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. crumbled bleu cheese
1/3 c. toasted pine nuts
1/4 red onion (sliced thinly into rings)
3-4 leaves of fresh basil
balsamic vinaigrette to taste
crushed black pepper

Pepper the steak on both sides, to taste, and then Broil or grill the steak to preference. While it cools for a few minutes, wash the asparagus spears. Clip off the tough ends. Bring water in a large saute pan to boil. Add asparagus spears. Turn off heat and let sit for 2-3 minutes or just until asparagus is "tender crisp". Plunge into a bath of ice water to cool and retain bright green color. Cut asparagus into 1 inch length pieces and chill. Return to the steak, and slice it against the grain into 1/2 inch thick strips. You may refrigerate until just before serving.

Toast pine nuts. I prefer to use a small saute pan over a medium flame, or spread the nuts on aluminum foil and put into a toaster oven on 325 F until the nuts get lightly browned. Remove and put in a glass cup or bowl to cool to room temperature.

Crumble bleu cheese into another small container and refrigerate. Slice the onion and store in a Ziploc plastic bag until ready to serve. Wash and dry basil leaves. Stack them on top of each other and roll it up legthwise, like a jelly roll (could also look like a green cigarette). Using a sharp pairing knife, hold the roll steady and slice every 1/8 inch starting at the tip of the leaf and ending with a slice to cut off the stem). This is easier done than typed. It is known as creating a "chiffonade" of basil. Set the basil aside. It may be refrigerated in a closed container or plastic bag until ready to serve.

When ready to serve: Rinse and dry the lettuce leaves. Place them in a large salad bowl. Add all of the other ingredients and spread evenly across the top of the lettuce pile. I started with the beef, then the asparagus, the onions, then the cherries, then the nuts, the basil, and finally the cheese. I prefer a light amount of dressing, so I tossed mine with a quarter of a cup of salad dressing and left additional dressing on the table for people to add as needed.

Salad ingredients may be prepared, and chilled, for up to 6 hours in advance of serving.


“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

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