Pan-fried smelt

"Fish (n.pl. fish or fish*es) - an animal that grows the fastest between the time it's caught and the time the fisherman describes it to his friends"

The only fishing I do is at fishmongers' or at a supermarket. I mean it's not like I've never held a rod in my hands, but all these occasions can be counted on fingers of one hand. I understand the "guy thing" in it and to some extent I understand the pleasure of it and the meditation (or whatever it may be called part), but I personally love to eat fish! Thus I only fish, where I'm sure I'll catch it and that is in a store!

The smelt fishing season (as far as I know) is very short and may last as short as a day. Like a lottery - you never know what you may get and how much. And although these little fish do take time to clean, they are still worth it, because it is such a delight!

Tuna tataki with parsley and pistachio pesto

Anybody who believes that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach flunked geography. ~Robert Byrne

There are a few new fishmongers in town that have quite a nice selection of fresh fish and seafood.Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of access to fresh seafood everyday, but it is brought in a few times a week and that is already something to make a seafood lover happy!
You say tuna! And you get my undivided attention. Tuna steak, sashimi, nicoise salad... Oh and tuna tartare! Mmmm! And then there is tataki! Or simply raw with a bit of soy.

Wild mussels in spicy tomato sauce

"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces. Just good food from fresh ingredients" ~Julia Child

There was a time when I thought cooking fish or any kind of seafood for that matter was some complicated business, unless it came in a form of frozen fish fingers. That was quite a while ago though. The more I cooked and the more I learned about food, the more comfortable I became with ingredients that came from water. As long as you keep it simple and limit yourself to a number of ingredients, it is nothing but easy and satisfying. With one remark here to make it sound a bit more complicated - as long as you don't overcook it! So a few very simple rules - find a reliable fishmonger and learn to trust your sense of smell and very few simple tricks. Mussels are very easy to prepare. They only need to swim in a bit of sauce, which in my case usually tends to involve a glass of wine and a few other simple ingredients, such as garlic, herbs, tomatoes, salt and pepper. 

Potato pancakes with creme fraiche and caviar

"In a big family the first child is kind of like the first pancake. If it's not perfect, that's okay, there are a lot more coming along". Antonin Scalia, American Judge

When I was looking for a quote about pancakes, this one made me laugh, but then I thought - what if there was just one pancake (or child)? Everything must be perfect then! And I have been trying to perfect my pancakes in all kinds of shapes and forms, with a variety of ingredients. I can't say this recipe is perfect - I don't think such a thing exists in cooking. To me personally these turned out really delicious and I absolutely loved the texture.

Marinated mackerel

"If people concentrated on really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."

There are no words to describe how much I love this dish! My Dad deserves all praises for it. When our family was preparing for last Christmas, my only request for the menu was his marinated mackerel. I know the photos don't do justice and I have not yet found the way how to portray the goodness of this food. I wish you could sense the smell of it through the screen. For today let's focus on the taste!

Fish soup over wood burning open fire

Even if you've been fishing for three hours and haven't gotten anything except poison ivy and sunburn, you're still better off than the worm! #FishingStory

One of my top favorite things to do in summer is cooking over open fire on warm nights. There is something so magical about it! Starry nights, nightingales, good company... Had quite a bit of those this year as well. Also finally managed to find a big pot for cooking over open fire. Turned out it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be in the beginning. With many summer nights spent around the fire, the aim to turn it into a more involving social culinary experience proved to be so worth it!
Fish soup - salmon, shrimp and other goodies with all mandatory traditions - a sup of vodka and immersion of roasting charcoal.

Octopus braised in Cava (with video)

Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways. H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Last night I had a dream. I dreamt about cooking and taking delicious photos. It has been a while. The beginning of summer pulled me in with a bunch of projects, activities - and mostly all were work related. So thankful to a friend, who recorded the cooking process and turned it into a video! Someone deserves a bonus dinner! :)

Cod wrapped in brined grape vine leaves grilled with baby carrots

 "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he'll sit in a boat with a fishing pole and drink beer all day." Lorena McCourtney, 'Invisible'

It was Friday - a day when most of the groceries stores in town get fresh fish. A few friends recommended a new fishmonger - selling frozen goodies as well as fresh fish once a week. For those that live somewhere close by the sea it may sound unbelievable, but yes - we do need to plan our meals in accordance to fishmongers' schedules. 

And then what happens - I go there on a Friday, when the fish comes in (luckily for the first time not in the morning, when everything arrived) and seeing the whole assortment, I want everything! Octopus, crab, lobster, scallops, cod, mackerel, muscles... Luckily I wasn't hungry and managed to control myself - ended up "just" with halibut, cod and octopus.

Pan seared salmon & wilted spinach with coconut milk

“A photographer is like a cod, which produces a million eggs in order that one may reach maturity.”  George Bernard Shaw

Today there are two occasions to cook fish for dinner (for me it's usually next day's lunch for work) - it's Tuesday, so fresh fish is brought in. More importantly - bought a new camera lense and my hands were itching to take photos of some food! The normal crowd would probably go out on the street to get some photos taken, but since I don't blend in with the regulars in this sense - I needed something on my plate.

Pearl couscous with shrimp, fresh tomatoes and chives

"Couscous - the food so nice they named it twice!"

Today I am celebrating a little birthday! 4 years ago today I wrote my first blogpost. That was for the sake of sharing a recipe with some friends. That's when my little journey began and it got more and more intense along the way. Today I decided to treat myself to a dessert - something bright and colorful on the plate. Usually a birthday would call for a dessert. To me - seafood is the best dessert ever. I could have it for a starter, main course and dessert all at once.

Asparagus with smoked salmon and sunny side up egg

"Probably one of the most private things in the world is an egg until it is broken."

M.F.K. Fisher

'Tis the season - fresh and crunchy asparagus! It is one of the vegetables that I wish grew and we had fresh all the time. And I mean fresh - grown somewhere close, not brought in from a different part of the world. I guess vegetables get jet lagged too - they don't taste as good if they travel far!

Smoked mackerel in lettuce cups with home made mayo and capers

"In the hands of an able cook, fish can become an inexhaustible source of perpetual delight." Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)

Ok, so even "back then" people knew how amazing fish is! I wouldn't call myself an "able cook" - this mackerel has already been in the hands of some other cook, who smoked it to perfection. Smoked mackerel by itself is absolutely gorgeous. It takes so little so tune it up.

When I started getting more serious with cooking, I was always in search of something fancier if that is the right way to describe it. Now looking back retrospectively, the simpler the ingredients, the fancier the dish (most of the times I would say). 

Baby squid braised in Cava with garlic, sun dried tomatoes and smoked paprika

"I'm on a seafood diet. I see food and I eat it!"

Seafood in general is the easiest to tamper with! When it comes to fish, one advise may be given - don't f*** with it (excuse my French)! The simpler you handle it, the more rewarding the result. Now I have found myself that some of the other seafood may be a bit intimidating at first if one hasn't mastered the idea of handling it. Truth be told - there are a few very simple rules. If you go by them, you can enjoy home cooked seafood dishes!

Avocado stuffed with shrimp and sweet corn, topped with arugula

Vegetables are interesting, but lack a sense of purpose when accompanied by a good cut of meat. ~Fran Lebowitz

Come to think of it - this quote is off. Avocado is a fruit, but nevertheless, it definitely doesn't lack its purpose when accompanied with shrimp and sweet corn. One of the easiest snacks to make and in no time. Sounds dreamy - healthy, tasty, colorful and fast!

Tuna tartar with sweet potato, sun dried tomatoes, toasted sesame seeds, orange infused olive oil and arugula

WTF!!! (where's the food!!!)

I could probably try different versions of fish or seafood tartars every time I lay my hands on a piece of fresh seafood. This tartare is among my top favorites - I know a place that makes it perfectly! But then - once you see a piece of perfect fresh tuna at fishmonger's and if the only thing you can think of is this dish - you simply can't think of anything else for dinner and you gotta try making it yourself.

Omlette with smoked mackerel, broccoli and mushrooms

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?" "What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said.”

― A.A. Milne

My favorite meal of the day! And I think I can claim that this is my favorite omlette - or rather one of the favorites - plus or minus broccoli, spinach or some other greens. The first time I ever tried an omlette with smoked mackerel was at a restaurant. With such amazing ingredients couldn't figure out how it could be that plain and bland. 

And what a treat on a day when you can sleep in, wake up when you're done with sleep and not when the alarm tells you to and then enjoy a long leisurely breakfast with a cup of coffee! 

Scallops with smoked paprika fried potatoes and green beans

High-tech tomatoes. Mysterious milk. Supersquash. Are we supposed to eat this stuff? Or is it going to eat us? ~Annita Manning

Khinkali with a juicy cod filling

"Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious." Ruth Reichl

Khinkali is a very popular Georgian dumpling made of twisted knobs of dough. Originally - stuffed with meat and spices. It is considered to be one of the national dishes of Georgia. Different regions of Georgia make khinkali with different fillings. The most popular filling is pork/beef mix. In the mountains khinkali is often made with lamb filling. 

This was my first time making this dish. The most time consuming part was preparation of dough - kneeding, rolling out and shaping the khinkalis. But practice makes it perfect - I'm confident next time would be much easier and faster.

Spicy beet soup with salmon balls

"Women belong in the kitchen. Men belong in the kitchen. Everyone belongs in the kitchen. The kitchen has food!"

Last weekend was mostly about food - reading, googling, grocery shopping and - in fact - cooking. When preparing for a dinner party if anyone becomes concerned that it would be too much work for one person to prepare, what is the best way to say that it actually serves me personally as relaxation or meditation? Sometimes I get those moments though when I really want to cook something, but all those ideas I had when I was busy with something else are gone and it's like a blank piece of paper. I actually have a note book with me at all times, where I write down all ideas that come across - whether it is a whole dish or a part of it, maybe a combination of ingredients I have not tried before.

Tuna steak with potato-parmigiano cakes

Is this chicken what I have or is this fish? I know it's tuna, but it says "Chicken of the sea". Jessica Simpson

The first time I heard this quote, I seriously didn't think this was real! Oh well, everyone has their own blond moments.

The tuna steak is the simplest part. The only two important things - getting a nice and fresh piece of tuna and making sure it doesn't overcook. Other than that - nothing else to worry about. Just a bit of salt'n'pepper sprinkled on both sides while it grills on the pan or wood burning grill.