ling cod

Yes, yes, this is an overdue post. I'll catch up on things later, I promise. It is, after all, vacation time. Conrad and I have a week ahead in Vancouver, and I should be able to squeeze out an entry or two in that time.

OK, given my recent history, maybe I shouldn't promise.

No matter: an entry for tonight at least. We're all post-dinner and relaxing on a fine Saturday night on the west coast. Much walking today, and some much-needed napping behind us, too. Vacation truly is when I get caught up on my sleep. We were home from shopping/errands/lunch at 2ish, and somewhere in between that and dinner there were a good two hours of dozing. Heaven!

Also nice? Ling cod. It's a fish I can't recall seeing on Chicago menus, nor in stores in Chicago. A shame, really. It's a lovely fish. On rare occasion we would catch them while staying with Grandma on the Sunshine Coast. Rock cod were more common, and though Marie says that we considered them garbage fish, my recollection is that they were a special catch. The flesh of the fish is often bluish, and not in an unappealing way. A diet of crabs, supposedly, and that just makes them sound more delicious somehow.

We'd had a couple of errands on and around Granville Island today, and I was determined to look for dinner items there. With over a week in town and fine weather in the forecast, not using the balcony would be a crime. After a good brunch at Edible Canada, we browsed the market, and I came upon the fish. I'd seen some halibut cheeks earlier, but no, this was a better option.

Some quick shopping later, and we had some cheese and bread and quince paste for before dinner, chocolates for dessert, and the fixings for a meal. I sauteed the fish, covering it to aid the cooking of the thick pieces. Alongside were some little nugget potatoes, corn "cobettes", and gai lan. I made up a quick batch of Szechuan butter to use for a sauce.

We sat outside and talked of wedding plans and past meals and travel we've enjoyed. A happy trio with a big plate of food. I hope to pick up more of that Church and State Merlot later this week.

More photos are already up on Flickr. For now, I'll grab a book and wind the post-cod evening down contentedly....