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  • Canned or Tinned Fish

    Post #1 - March 4th, 2022, 5:29 pm
    Post #1 - March 4th, 2022, 5:29 pm Post #1 - March 4th, 2022, 5:29 pm
    Hi,

    Current cookbook club selection is The Magic of Tinned Fish:Elevate Your Cooking with Canned Anchovies, Sardines, Mackerel, Crab, and Other Amazing Seafood. I have a copy via Hoopla.

    My Dad is quite fond of smoke sprats from Riga and not just because he visited the factory some years ago. We probably have at least 20 cans as an emergency food for my Dad.

    I made for lunch today of Pasta con le Sarde, though this is not the first time I made this. My first time was a canned sauce poured over pasta. I also made it to a recipe some what later. Today it was on the menu because it was Lent, knock off a recipe for cookbook club, and reduced our population of sprats by one can.

    This may be the best batch to date. While the water was boiling for the pasta, I was toasting the breadcrumbs. Once they were finished, then I cooked the onion and fennel in olive oil. After the vegetables softened, I added hydrated raisins, sardines, a small bit of turmeric (rather than safron), and some pasta water. Once the pasta was cooked, then it was folded into the sardines and vegetables along with some lemon juice. The pasta came to the table with the toasted bread crumbs on the side.

    In the department of you cannot please everyone: Dad thought I could have doubled the quantity of fish.

    Oh well.

    Regards,
    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #2 - March 4th, 2022, 6:06 pm
    Post #2 - March 4th, 2022, 6:06 pm Post #2 - March 4th, 2022, 6:06 pm
    Your Dad may enjoy Matthew Carlson's youtube channel . . .

    Canned Fish Files w/ Matthew Carlson

    . . . otoh, maybe you don't even want to mention it to him. 8)

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #3 - March 4th, 2022, 9:26 pm
    Post #3 - March 4th, 2022, 9:26 pm Post #3 - March 4th, 2022, 9:26 pm
    Hi,

    Current cookbook club selection is The Magic of Tinned Fish:Elevate Your Cooking with Canned Anchovies, Sardines, Mackerel, Crab, and Other Amazing Seafood. I have a copy via Hoopla.

    I bought some smoked oysters at Aldi for less than $1.50 per can. I have also another can of smoke oysters for over $3.00 per can via Jewel.

    Last night, I made a variant of Spaghetti Carbonara with smoked oysters instead of guanciale from this book. My approach was pure dorm room cooking: I used a three ounce package of ramen noodles, instead of three ounces of spaghetti. After they were hydrated and cooked, I did not need the broth. I drank it as my soup course.

    I beat an egg yolk, poured it onto the ramen, and stirred it in along with some grated cheese. I then folded in half a tin of smoked oysters, then extravagantly decided to pour all the oysters in.

    Cost of this dorm room meal:
    - Smoked oysters from Aldi: ~$1.30
    - Soy ramen soup: ~35 cents
    - A large egg: just over 8 cents
    - Grated pecorino cheese: Maybe 25 cents?
    Total: $1.98

    This will never replace Carbonara. :D

    Regards,
    CAthy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #4 - March 4th, 2022, 10:06 pm
    Post #4 - March 4th, 2022, 10:06 pm Post #4 - March 4th, 2022, 10:06 pm
    Here's a timely article in the Guardian: Yes we can! How we are falling in love with tinned fish – from artisanal anchovies to vintage sardines
    "Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
  • Post #5 - March 4th, 2022, 11:22 pm
    Post #5 - March 4th, 2022, 11:22 pm Post #5 - March 4th, 2022, 11:22 pm

    Someone sent me this link earlier this week. I immediately forwarded it to our cookbook club coordinator who was quite happy to learn she had made such a trendy selection.

    Thanks!

    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #6 - March 5th, 2022, 8:39 am
    Post #6 - March 5th, 2022, 8:39 am Post #6 - March 5th, 2022, 8:39 am
    I have used this brand for Pasta in the past with good results.
    CUOCO Seasoning for Macaroni with Sardines

    Tenutas Deli in Kenosha usually has this and other brands in stock.
    But any good Italian Shop should have something similar.

    -Richard
  • Post #7 - March 5th, 2022, 9:38 am
    Post #7 - March 5th, 2022, 9:38 am Post #7 - March 5th, 2022, 9:38 am
    I bought this book (Magic of Tinned Fish), a few weeks ago. So far, the only recipe I’ve tried is Fusilli with Sardines, ‘Nduja, and Pecorino. I thought it was decadent and delicious. The family ate it. I would love to use the book frequently but my enthusiasm for tinned seafood far surpasses that of the other two members of my family. There are several recipes that could easily be made for lunch for 1 person so I may go that route occasionally. It’s a well done book - beautiful photos.
  • Post #8 - March 5th, 2022, 11:28 am
    Post #8 - March 5th, 2022, 11:28 am Post #8 - March 5th, 2022, 11:28 am
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Your Dad may enjoy Matthew Carlson's youtube channel . . .

    Canned Fish Files w/ Matthew Carlson

    I second that. Great channel to subscribe to.
    Cheers!
  • Post #9 - March 5th, 2022, 12:35 pm
    Post #9 - March 5th, 2022, 12:35 pm Post #9 - March 5th, 2022, 12:35 pm
    RockyDennis wrote:
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Your Dad may enjoy Matthew Carlson's youtube channel . . .

    Canned Fish Files w/ Matthew Carlson

    I second that. Great channel to subscribe to.
    Cheers!

    It was Gary who turned me on to it. Not only is MC fun but the tasting notes are solid and the fact that he's tried so many things, makes it a great reference/resource. I find just being able to see inside all the cans he opens is of great value.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #10 - March 5th, 2022, 4:08 pm
    Post #10 - March 5th, 2022, 4:08 pm Post #10 - March 5th, 2022, 4:08 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:It was Gary who turned me on to it. Not only is MC fun but the tasting notes are solid and the fact that he's tried so many things, makes it a great reference/resource. I find just being able to see inside all the cans he opens is of great value.

    Another worthwhile YouTube 'deen channel is SlowJabroni, not quite MC but fun, interesting and a wide range, as is MC, of tinned fish.
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #11 - March 5th, 2022, 7:36 pm
    Post #11 - March 5th, 2022, 7:36 pm Post #11 - March 5th, 2022, 7:36 pm
    budrichard wrote:I have used this brand for Pasta in the past with good results.
    CUOCO Seasoning for Macaroni with Sardines

    Tenutas Deli in Kenosha usually has this and other brands in stock.
    But any good Italian Shop should have something similar.

    -Richard

    That was the can I bought years ago, then I made it myself thereafter.

    LynnB,

    You certainly noticed that almost all, if not all, the recipes are intended for two people? Easily this book could be your go-to for meals just for you.

    In our house, Dad is the big one on canned fish. He is quite happy to eat them all by himself. I seem to be cutting into his stash. Ha!

    Regards,
    CAthy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #12 - March 6th, 2022, 9:45 am
    Post #12 - March 6th, 2022, 9:45 am Post #12 - March 6th, 2022, 9:45 am
    G Wiv wrote:Another worthwhile YouTube 'deen channel is SlowJabroni, not quite MC but fun, interesting and a wide range, as is MC, of tinned fish.

    I've always enjoyed his wordless review of Surströmming. The audio of the can bursting at about 25s is particularly entertaining.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy4HBESIwR0
  • Post #13 - March 6th, 2022, 11:09 am
    Post #13 - March 6th, 2022, 11:09 am Post #13 - March 6th, 2022, 11:09 am
    Cathy2 wrote:My Dad is quite fond of smoke sprats from Riga and not just because he visited the factory some years ago.

    That reminds me of a fun article written by a BBC reporter who attended a sprat tasting at a factory in Latvia (maybe the same one?). It has one of my favorite openings of any food article.

    In "The Bitter Baltic Sprat Spat," Laura Sheeter wrote:

    It is ten o'clock in the morning and I am feeling less than equal to the task before me. Lined up on the table at which I am sitting are 40 tins of various shapes and sizes, bearing labels in an assortment of different languages, but all containing sprats.
  • Post #14 - March 9th, 2022, 1:47 pm
    Post #14 - March 9th, 2022, 1:47 pm Post #14 - March 9th, 2022, 1:47 pm
    LynnB,

    In the Magic of Tinned Fish book, there is a recipe for batter fried fish. The batter is made from a bottle of beer and 1.5 cups of flour for coating two 4.2 ounce tins of fish. If you made a quarter recipe, it would likely still be too much though a lot less waste.

    I added paprika, seasoned salt, pepper and garlic powder, because it thought it would offer more flavor than the beer, cayenne, and flour combo.

    For our meal, I opened a can of sardines (two large pieces) and a can of smoked sprats (I did not count, though perhaps a dozen). Dad preferred the sardines and thought the sprats were better directly from the can. I liked both, though the sprats were like eating French fries.

    On a separate note, I finally opened the tin of cod liver packed somewhere in Russia. I have had this can for a number of years with a sticker price of $5. The Russian cod liver tin had 150 ml or just over five ounces of neutral oil. When I opened the can fully after draining off the oil, the can was less than half full.

    I made a quick salad mashing the livers along with two hard boiled eggs, chopped onion, a dab of mayonnaise, salt and pepper. It was delicious eaten off butter crackers.

    I have also purchased the Icelandic cod liver with a very full can of liver and some oil.

    Regards,
    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #15 - March 9th, 2022, 5:10 pm
    Post #15 - March 9th, 2022, 5:10 pm Post #15 - March 9th, 2022, 5:10 pm
    Cathy2,

    The photo accompanying the Beer-Battered Sardines recipe has me drooling. Did you make the Harissa sauce too? Unfortunately, there’s no way husband or daughter would eat them. With a 10-year-old and a husband who doesn’t really cook, it’s rare I get a chance to just cook for myself.

    I do want to make myself a Anchovy, Parsley, and Pecorino Sandwich for lunch sometime soon.

    This weekend I am planning to make the Crab, Bacon, Egg, and Cheese on a Roll for brunch. Not very adventurous, but sounds delicious and will be full family approved. I have some good smoky bacon to use up too. Recipe calls for Kaiser or pretzel rolls. I’d prefer Kaiser but struggle to find good ones. My Polish/German grandparents used to call them “hard rolls” and always had them on hand. I can’t seem to replicate the taste memory. Off topic here, but if anyone reading this has a Northside Kaiser roll recommendation….
  • Post #16 - March 9th, 2022, 5:13 pm
    Post #16 - March 9th, 2022, 5:13 pm Post #16 - March 9th, 2022, 5:13 pm
    LynnB wrote:Off topic here, but if anyone reading this has a Northside Kaiser roll recommendation….

    It's been a while since I've been there but have you tried Kaufman's in Skokie? Not north side but pretty close and conveniently, right off the Edens.

    =R=

    4905 Dempster St
    Skokie, IL 60077
    (847) 677-6190
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #17 - March 9th, 2022, 5:24 pm
    Post #17 - March 9th, 2022, 5:24 pm Post #17 - March 9th, 2022, 5:24 pm
    LynnB,

    I did not make the Harissa, Mom and Dad used cocktail sauce and I ate them as-is with potato salad.

    ***

    My Dad grew up on hard rolls spread with butter and honey. He grew up around Addison and Lincoln Ave, he bought them at Dinkel's. I would be surprised if they did not carry them.

    I recently obtained hard rolls that met with his approval at:

    La Petite Pastry Shop II
    5610 W. 63 rd Street
    773/735-7383
    Fax: 773-735-7244
    http://www.lapetitepastry.com

    I have attempted to make hard rolls. Crusty crisp exterior and soft interior is something I have not come close enough.

    Thanks for asking!

    Regards,
    CAthy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #18 - March 10th, 2022, 10:37 am
    Post #18 - March 10th, 2022, 10:37 am Post #18 - March 10th, 2022, 10:37 am
    HI,

    At Shop and Save, I bought Conchita brand 'Giant Calamari in Garlic Sauce,' product of Spain.

    Ingredients: Cephalopods tentacles (Dosidicus Gigas), sunflower oil, garlic and salt.

    I liked those giant squid tentacles which reminded me of octopus. I finished off the experience by frying two eggs in the garlicky oil afterwards.

    It was under $3 for a four ounce can, though I tossed away the receipt.

    Regards,
    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #19 - March 12th, 2022, 3:41 pm
    Post #19 - March 12th, 2022, 3:41 pm Post #19 - March 12th, 2022, 3:41 pm
    Cathy2 wrote:At Shop and Save, I bought Conchita brand 'Giant Calamari in Garlic Sauce,' product of Spain.

    Was this the location on Milwaukee Ave across from Superdawg? If so, where in the store was this? I just returned from there but wasn't able to spot the giant calamari.
  • Post #20 - March 12th, 2022, 4:56 pm
    Post #20 - March 12th, 2022, 4:56 pm Post #20 - March 12th, 2022, 4:56 pm
    Hi,

    The location by Midway Airport at 5829 S. Archer.

    I'm sorry if I created a wild goose chase.

    Regards,
    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #21 - March 13th, 2022, 1:15 pm
    Post #21 - March 13th, 2022, 1:15 pm Post #21 - March 13th, 2022, 1:15 pm
    Cathy2 wrote:I'm sorry if I created a wild goose chase.

    Not at all, I was shopping there anyway, looking for interesting dips and crackers (successful, I got an artichoke-spinach dip and a spreadable, fluffy sheep's cheese) to bring to a small gathering. These stores frequently have 'here today, gone tomorrow' products and I knew the risks. And, while looking for the calamari, a new can (linked below) fell into my cart to be enjoyed later.

    https://www.pveuromarket.com/Baltic-Gol ... 051-10220/
  • Post #22 - March 24th, 2022, 9:36 pm
    Post #22 - March 24th, 2022, 9:36 pm Post #22 - March 24th, 2022, 9:36 pm
    Hi,

    Tonight's modest dinner was Reese Medium Smoked (over cherrywood) Oysters packed in cotton seed oil. These oysters were elegant and quite delicious, though it made the Aldi oysters seem rather clunky and rough.

    The Reese oysters were over $3 for a 3.7 ounce jar. Aldi's were less than $1.50. This was a moment where price netted a better quality product.

    I do have one more Aldi can of oysters. I will buck it up and eat it another evening.

    Regards,
    CAthy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #23 - April 3rd, 2022, 9:48 pm
    Post #23 - April 3rd, 2022, 9:48 pm Post #23 - April 3rd, 2022, 9:48 pm
    The Best Anchovy Fillets, According to Our Taste Test per Serious Eats
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #24 - April 4th, 2022, 7:16 am
    Post #24 - April 4th, 2022, 7:16 am Post #24 - April 4th, 2022, 7:16 am
    For those who really love anchovies, Mod Pizza usually has them available for the asking. On recent visits, they piled on a whole can to avoid having any leftovers in the cooler. And it was sort of comic watching the staff fight over who had to touch the little fishes, even with plastic gloves, and who had to immediately take the can outside to the dumpster.

    The pizza turned out a little salty but that's what soda refills are for!
  • Post #25 - April 14th, 2022, 3:06 pm
    Post #25 - April 14th, 2022, 3:06 pm Post #25 - April 14th, 2022, 3:06 pm
    Hi,

    I was at H-Mart at 711 Jackson Blvd in Chicago.

    I saw Riga fish products in jars I never saw before. There were smoked sprats in olive oil, smoked sardines in olive oil, and a salmon as well. These were $6.99 a jar, which is far more than any preserved fish I see in Shop and Save.

    I will spend more time checking out the canned fish next time I am at H-Mart in Niles.

    Regards,
    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #26 - April 14th, 2022, 3:31 pm
    Post #26 - April 14th, 2022, 3:31 pm Post #26 - April 14th, 2022, 3:31 pm
    tjr wrote:For those who really love anchovies, Mod Pizza usually has them available for the asking. On recent visits, they piled on a whole can to avoid having any leftovers in the cooler. And it was sort of comic watching the staff fight over who had to touch the little fishes, even with plastic gloves, and who had to immediately take the can outside to the dumpster.

    The pizza turned out a little salty but that's what soda refills are for!


    Eons back California Pizza Kitchen had an anchovy and caper pizza with onions garlic and no red sauce. Mega salt bomb. I loved it but I must have been the only one ordering it because it didn't last long on the menu.
  • Post #27 - April 15th, 2022, 1:26 pm
    Post #27 - April 15th, 2022, 1:26 pm Post #27 - April 15th, 2022, 1:26 pm
    Hi,

    In the last year or so, I bought a can of fried dace in black bean sauce. I am having a chicken and egg moment, because I am not sure if I saw this video before or after I bought it. You can learn some information on the background of this product from this video:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEC5ZfsOYp0


    Today, I finally opened it with the idea to cook some vegetables in it. To push the issue, I opened the can and took a taste. It was firmer than sprats and herring, it was both filets and whole fish, and it had a taste that was not off putting. I chopped some to season Chinese cabbage, then everything else was eaten directly.

    My Dad who loves those sprats gave a lukewarm reception the dace. I did read dace may be mud catfish. If it is, then those are baby fish. I am not convinced, unless their catfish has a different shape than ours.

    I do have enough rice to make fried rice. My next report may be on 'Minced crab in spices.'

    Regards,
    CAthy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #28 - April 18th, 2022, 8:16 pm
    Post #28 - April 18th, 2022, 8:16 pm Post #28 - April 18th, 2022, 8:16 pm
    Asian cans often have an underlying sweetness I don't care for.
  • Post #29 - April 19th, 2022, 9:05 pm
    Post #29 - April 19th, 2022, 9:05 pm Post #29 - April 19th, 2022, 9:05 pm
    BrendanR wrote:Asian cans often have an underlying sweetness I don't care for.

    You would not like the 'Cantonese icon' with black beans, because there was some sweetness to it.

    Regards,
    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #30 - June 19th, 2022, 8:57 am
    Post #30 - June 19th, 2022, 8:57 am Post #30 - June 19th, 2022, 8:57 am
    Hi,

    Between it being on sale for a dollar less and a $2 electronic coupon from Jewel, I bought a jar of yellow fin tuna with sun dried tomatoes and olives.

    The tuna came in big (relative to the jar size) chunks. I arranged them on some bread. The leftover oil will go to a salad dressing.

    Thinking about it more, this would be ideal for a small scale Salade Niçoise. You could use the olives and slice up tomato in the salad and the oil for the dressing.

    Regards,
    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,

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