What do your meals look like (show me pictures)....

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  • mjbnj0001
    mjbnj0001 Posts: 1,087 Member
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    Trying to make more of an effort w. Breakfast. I bought a Costco-sized smoked salmon and I live alone so :smiley:

    I have the ambition, but haven't cleared the time, to actually cure my own from fresh. Maybe it's time to re-up my Costco membership.
    I don't know where you are, but I lived in the Pacific Northwest for a bit, so there isn't a salmon I've met that I didn't like. I treat myself to lox occasionally, but prefer to bake or grill it when I can.
    There was (and maybe still is) a seafood supplier in Tacoma, WA, on the Puget Sound, that sold smoked fish (woodsmoked fish) that was just terrific. Johnny's, or something like that. Truly sublime.

  • takinitalloff
    takinitalloff Posts: 1,854 Member
    edited February 27
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    mjbnj0001 wrote: »
    There was (and maybe still is) a seafood supplier in Tacoma, WA, on the Puget Sound, that sold smoked fish (woodsmoked fish) that was just terrific. Johnny's, or something like that. Truly sublime.
    Okay you have my attention. Is this the place? https://www.nwadventures.us/JBistro.html
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 13,263 Member
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    mjbnj0001 wrote: »
    mjbnj0001 wrote: »
    There was (and maybe still is) a seafood supplier in Tacoma, WA, on the Puget Sound, that sold smoked fish (woodsmoked fish) that was just terrific. Johnny's, or something like that. Truly sublime.
    Okay you have my attention. Is this the place? https://www.nwadventures.us/JBistro.html

    Yes. Followed your link. Actually, I think back then it was just actually "Johnny's Dock" as mentioned in the article. 1985 was the last time I shopped there (visited Seattle/Tacoma area a few times, moved to the area in 1970 for a bit). My uncle kept a boat nearby. In 1985 I bought a bunch of smoked seafood - salmon and other species, don't remember the details (I want to say kelp greenling was one type, because I had also just completed a weeklong diving excursion with family friends in the San Juan Islands as part of this trip, and they were all spearfishers [I was the camera guy], and they got some greenling [I think - memories fade] at a submerged rock reef partway to Victoria), but it was all good stuff I bought. Dry smoked (wood smoked), so it wasn't like lox, and I had it dry-ice-packed for the flight home East in a big foam cooler.

    If you're in the area, and do stop in there, let me know how it went to satisfy my curiosity, please.

    Dry smoked or lox, it divides the world sometimes. Me, I'm just on team salmon, all types. I went to school in Michigan, and the first time I put lox in our dorm fridge, my roommate, from northern MI, was shocked - "You've got raw fish in there!" LOL (this was 1972 lox wasn't seen often there). My older daughter married up in Ontario CA, and I always make a point of picking up some maple-smoked salmon at the duty free when returning home. It isn't as good as I remember the Johnny's smoked salmon, but is better than nothing.

    Sorry for length, guess I'm in a chatty mood this evening.

    Maybe Ling Cod. It's actually a type of greenling even though it's got "cod" in the name. They are in markets a lot more than kelp greenling. They are delicious.

    A lot of lox these days is made from Atlantic salmon. I don't eat those. Lox can be hot smoked or cold smoked or can be cured with sugar and salt (gravlax).

    Until recently, there was a local company that made really good lox from Pacific salmon.

    There's a place down in Charleston, Oregon that has a smoker and makes the BEST smoked fish.
  • takinitalloff
    takinitalloff Posts: 1,854 Member
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    mjbnj0001 wrote: »
    If you're in the area, and do stop in there, let me know how it went to satisfy my curiosity, please.
    I definitely will, although I haven't been to the area for a few years now. (I have ties there and hope to go back someday.) And as far as I'm concerned, there's nothing wrong with being chatty ;) Thanks for sharing! I always like to discover quality food sources. Hopefully this one is in fact still good... obviously a lot could have changed since 1985.
  • mjbnj0001
    mjbnj0001 Posts: 1,087 Member
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    mtaratoot wrote: »

    Maybe Ling Cod. It's actually a type of greenling even though it's got "cod" in the name. They are in markets a lot more than kelp greenling. They are delicious.

    A lot of lox these days is made from Atlantic salmon. I don't eat those. Lox can be hot smoked or cold smoked or can be cured with sugar and salt (gravlax).

    Until recently, there was a local company that made really good lox from Pacific salmon.

    There's a place down in Charleston, Oregon that has a smoker and makes the BEST smoked fish.

    possibly ling cod. we have something named the same out here, not so good, but maybe that's just new jersey waters, lol (actually the more formal name for our ling cod is "hake" in a couple of varieties). "true cod" is sometimes not what you'd expect you're buying, as the fish is not as common as it used to be and white fish substitutions are encountered. I saw one (true cod) once, fullsized adult on one of the offshore wrecks in the 70s, surprisingly pretty big - i needed confirmation to ID it. saw little ones diving coastal maine.

    "lox" out here most often means gravlox. i sometimes think about making it myself, it's pretty expensive being retailed in little several-ounce pouches. but then i remember all the other by-hand stuff i'm doing now and move on to other dreams, such as figuring our better bread.

    i hate to say it, but i am getting increasingly twitchy about farmed salmon myself. it is overwhelmingly the common choice out here, esp. in eat-out situations (you can get wild caught at the retail fish counters, for a price).

    thanks, and happy eating!
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,626 Member
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    I follow FDA guidelines by freezing to ensure fish served raw is parasite free. My home freezer reaches -25C when set at the lowest temperature so I freeze for a week. I also tend to serve tataki which is quickly seared as opposed to sashimi to deal with surface bacteria.
    https://www.fda.gov/media/80777/download
    Would freezing be necessary for making gravlax at home? I am assuming commercially made gravlax would have been made from fish that has undergone the industrial parasite treatment of freezing at -35C for 15 hours that is associated with (but not guaranteed) sushi grade fish.
  • mjbnj0001
    mjbnj0001 Posts: 1,087 Member
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    mtaratoot wrote: »

    I've never heard anyone use the name Lingcod for Hake. They are very different fish. There is a hake that's called "codling," but not Lingcod.

    "Ling cod" = "hake" was common name 70s/80s among wreck divers in NJ. Frankly haven't heard it used much since, but then again, since I got med DQ'ed from diving 20yo (long story), I don't talk about them much anymore either, LOL. Maybe the terminology has evolved since my dinosaur days.

    Here's a picture of one I grabbed from online.

    y1115t1rq6q9.png

    Anyway, good to chat. Brings back memories and educates, too.


  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,626 Member
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    Abacore tuna tataki salad, cold sesame noodles.
    itp1h1patx5l.jpeg
  • janicemlove
    janicemlove Posts: 435 Member
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    Steak, scalloped potatoes, leftover Caesar salad.
  • mjbnj0001
    mjbnj0001 Posts: 1,087 Member
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    acpgee wrote: »
    I follow FDA guidelines by freezing to ensure fish served raw is parasite free. My home freezer reaches -25C when set at the lowest temperature so I freeze for a week. I also tend to serve tataki which is quickly seared as opposed to sashimi to deal with surface bacteria.
    https://www.fda.gov/media/80777/download
    Would freezing be necessary for making gravlax at home? I am assuming commercially made gravlax would have been made from fish that has undergone the industrial parasite treatment of freezing at -35C for 15 hours that is associated with (but not guaranteed) sushi grade fish.

    I don't have a definitiive and universal answer to that one. Sorry.
  • mjbnj0001
    mjbnj0001 Posts: 1,087 Member
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    acpgee wrote: »
    I follow FDA guidelines by freezing to ensure fish served raw is parasite free. My home freezer reaches -25C when set at the lowest temperature so I freeze for a week. I also tend to serve tataki which is quickly seared as opposed to sashimi to deal with surface bacteria.
    https://www.fda.gov/media/80777/download
    Would freezing be necessary for making gravlax at home? I am assuming commercially made gravlax would have been made from fish that has undergone the industrial parasite treatment of freezing at -35C for 15 hours that is associated with (but not guaranteed) sushi grade fish.

    Following up on my previous answer above, it caused me to remember an experience from my scuba diving days in New England USA, specifically, some islands off the coast of New Hampshire. Every time we landed, there were some Japanese gentlemen specifically looking to see if we had any wormy cod. I didn't know until then that was a thing, and checking about it online just now, I was surprised that it is/was. I have occasionally seen gill parasites, but they're usually eliminated in the fish-cleaning process.

    -25 to -35c is pretty cold. We just bought a new retirement home, refurbished and with all new appliances. I'm going to have to check my refrigerator manual to see what the lowest temp range is.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 13,263 Member
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    acpgee wrote: »
    I follow FDA guidelines by freezing to ensure fish served raw is parasite free. My home freezer reaches -25C when set at the lowest temperature so I freeze for a week. I also tend to serve tataki which is quickly seared as opposed to sashimi to deal with surface bacteria.
    https://www.fda.gov/media/80777/download
    Would freezing be necessary for making gravlax at home? I am assuming commercially made gravlax would have been made from fish that has undergone the industrial parasite treatment of freezing at -35C for 15 hours that is associated with (but not guaranteed) sushi grade fish.

    It can't hurt to freeze it, and if you're getting REALLY FRESH salmon, it would have already been flash-frozen at sea. Typically, the fishing boats offload to "salmon tenders" who record the weight for each boat, store the fish, and deliver to port. They have blast freezers. Fish mongers who care about quality know that never-frozen fish is actually lower quality than flash-frozen fish that can be thawed prior to sale. Fish degrades pretty quick. If your fish market "smells like fish," it's not fresh.

    For surface bacteria, the salt and sugar should reduce water availability enough. For parasites; you have to freeze it.

    Note: I have no kind of credential to suggest how to manage fish for safety. But I eat the stuff.

    My buddy used to always go buy a bunch of fresh Pacific Albacore when they were in season. You can just buy them off the boat as whole fish. Cheap! You can pay them extra to butcher them or do it yourself. He told me that he used to go with a mutual friend of ours who has Japanese heritage. When our friend told him that he and his son just started snacking on it as soon as they were butchering it, my friend wondered why he'd never thought of that. Albacore is a warm blooded fish, so it's more likely to have parasites, and I don't think the boats that bring 'em in freeze 'em. Just gutted and packed on ice. Our fishery only happens when the fish are close to shore, and the boats go out and come back pretty quick.

    When I used to go on a dive boat in California, either the captain or one of the crew would typically shoot a Yellowtail (hamachi). It's one of my favorite kinds of sushi or sashimi. They would put the fish in the refrigerator for a day before the galley crew used it for afternoon sashimi snack. It was never frozen. The captain felt that letting the fish cool for a day increased the quality of the meat.

    One time I was working with a SCUBA instructor who wasn't very good at fish ID. I was going over some of his pictures to help him learn what he saw. The sashimi was getting eaten. I said, "I need to go get some of that before it's gone." He said, "You do know that's raw fish, right?" I said, "That's hamachi sashimi." He said, "I have no idea what you just said, but it sounds disgusting." He was so wrong. It was delicious.