# Libation, Lovely Eating & Life Now That Summer Is Here...



## leah elisheva (May 8, 2015)

Hi All and happy weekend!

From grilled bison steak that was marinated in a dry rub & then paired with grilled romaine and a chimichurri sauce; (which I drank with an Italian Montepulciano d'abruzzo; to some swordfish kabob meat marinated in Chopin vodka, lemon, tarragon, and avocado oil and layered over brown rice fusilli pasta with Woodear mushrooms (drank with a Greek white lovely wine from Boutari winery) to an open faced sandwich on grilled black rice toast with grilled monkfish, great Dijon and so it goes, (and paired with my Daura beer), the summer eating has started indeed and here is a cheers sent to all!













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Here's wishing everyone great smokes & sips! Please share yours here!! Cheers! - Leah


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## mdboatbum (May 8, 2015)

Looks delicious and beautiful!! I need to get "summer eating" in gear. 
Here's to warm breezes, great company, great food and great wine!!


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## Bearcarver (May 8, 2015)

Looks Beautiful, Leah!!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






You gonna eat that, or hang it on the wall???
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Looks Mighty Tasty Too!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Bear


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## leah elisheva (May 9, 2015)

Thank you so much Andrew & Bear!

After what we East Coasters can officially call, "Shovel Year," I am delighted to welcome in summer and encourage everyone to fill up this thread with all of their smokes, grills, sips - wine, beer, other - and sunshine! This group is so fun!!!

Happy weekend!!! What are the Mother's Day meals????

Cheers! - Leah


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## moikel (May 9, 2015)

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Did Mother's Day Saturday night because Linda works afternoon shift on Sunday.
Paella very traditional approach,chicken,squid,chorizo,prawns,mussels. Paid the $ for the Spanish rice,ouch!
Made stock with fish head ,prawn heads & shells,squid fins.
Turned out really well.


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## Bearcarver (May 9, 2015)

That look Great, Moikel !!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Awful Tasty!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Bear


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## knuckle47 (May 9, 2015)

Sorry ....I know I'm in a minority.....I take exception to summer warm breezes and feeling like I need to take a shower every hour to be comfortable.  Without summer we can't fish, boat or hang outside and ride my motorcycles but....I can not do those things just as easily too.

My favorite view?













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## leah elisheva (May 9, 2015)

Mick that looks amazing! And I love everything you put in it! What a perfect way to celebrate!!

And Knuckle47? You are of course entitled to what you enjoy! Smiles. But I am LOVING summer!!!

Very fun to hear from you all! Have fantastic Mother's Days! And keep sharing your food & libation!! Cheers! - Leah


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## moikel (May 9, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> That look Great, Moikel !!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It was good.I had a fish head in the freezer ,so I just added the prawn heads,squid fins ,parsley stalks to the stock..I have 2 bottles in the deep freeze now.

One of the Fijian girls from Linda's work is relocating to a country town near where I grew up. Way cheaper cost of living on nurses wages.I will cook this at her farewell dinner.

I know there are mountain versions with no seafood,more rabbit,snails,foraged & hunted style  but Fijians are much happier with seafood & chicken.


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## moikel (May 10, 2015)

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I put this in my nose to tail thread.
Great wine at $15 ,stupidly good value.
This winery goes back to 1850, it's in flood plain country in SA.
It ranks behind Barossa, Clare ,Maclaren Vale ,Coonawarra, but it's hard to see why!
They  make great blends , Bordeaux style & then very Aussie cab/ shiraz. They leave the Grenache to others
Big enough outfit to turn up in the USA.


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## leah elisheva (May 11, 2015)

Wow that wine sounds gorgeous Mick! And now I am off to check out the nose & tail! Cheers and happy new week to all! - Leah


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## leah elisheva (May 22, 2015)

Happy weekend to all!

Yesterday I grilled what was marketed here as "Nile Perch" - wild caught from Portugaal - cut in steaks and most similar to some form of bass (versus the little perch we know in NH) and the most delicate and incredible fish I have ever tasted!

My biggest arousal with food, is trying things I have never had, and then discovering such gems comes in as second! So fun!

Happy weekend to everyone! May you discover some magic and something new today as well! (And share those here)! Cheers! - Leah












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## moikel (May 22, 2015)

Just back from rather large dinner with the neighbours .Nile Perch a close cousin of barramundi,almost identical.
Likely from one of Portugals former colonies inAfrica


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## moikel (May 22, 2015)

I cooked  Portugeuse pork & clams & took it to the neighbours house. Huge hit.


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## hoity toit (May 22, 2015)

O' My....it looks as if you are painting a picture with food...It looks almost too good to even eat, so nicely presented. Salute !


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## Bearcarver (May 22, 2015)

Looks Mighty Tasty, Leah!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





It's not often we get to see a nice Surf Board load of goodies!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Bear


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## leah elisheva (May 22, 2015)

Oh *Mick,* that makes TOTAL sense! I love barramundi and have thought of it as a bass of sorts. I LOVE this Nile Perch so much and looked up the African connection - you're spot on!

And your neighbors are LUCKY!!!!!

And thank you *Hoity Toit!* I have so much fun plating, and am delighted such is appreciated. It's fun to share!

Hi *Bear!* And thank you tons as well! That surf & turf table has gotten a great deal of use in one year for sure!

Happy weekend to all!!!

Cheers! - Leah


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## leah elisheva (May 22, 2015)

OH - MICK, please tell me how to make SOFT & succulent MARLIN!??? Tried grilling such today and as always, just too dry. Thanks very much!


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## moikel (May 24, 2015)

I find it a dry fish ,I can't add much .If anybody can get it right it would be you.
Welsh rabbit might be the guy to ask.
Cold here& stormy. When the sun shines it's mild but by 4 pm it's time to get inside.
I took pork & clams to the neighbours house ,huge success.Made me realise how much I  pork neck. Now called pork scotch fillet to make it an easier sell.Damn yuppies!
Anyway I now have a version of a French dish on the stove. It's a pork neck in black beer.












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Pretty simple,browned,garlic,bacon,onions,thyme,bay leaves & a great local beer Jack of Spades porter.


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## moikel (May 24, 2015)

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## welshrarebit (May 24, 2015)

Leah Elisheva said:


> OH - MICK, please tell me how to make SOFT & succulent MARLIN!??? Tried grilling such today and as always, just too dry. Thanks very much!



The trick marlin is to make sure it's a small one! Any marlin over 100 lbs will be tough! Any marlin over 300 lbs is rubbish!!! Striped marlins are the best... Blues and blacks anything decent are just babies and should be thrown back!

Have you tried a chucker before? That's what we call spearfish here.  It's a close relative to a marlin but is good eating...


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## welshrarebit (May 24, 2015)

Here's a chucker...








A baby blue marlin...







If you can get some tuna, top one is a small yellowfin and below is a bigeye, you can make some inside out spicy tuna sushi...













I also posted a thread of a 1200 lb monster blue marlin about a year ago... I'll try and see if I can find the link for that one.

Edit: I see that you already saw and posted to that thread Leah.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## moikel (May 24, 2015)

The big guys go back in the water unless its a pro long liner thats caught it.There are some rules I don't know them. I am a bit wary because of the heavy metal issue. Once the are cut up who knows how big they were live.

Plenty of fish higher up the list for me.


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## leah elisheva (May 25, 2015)

Thank you both! Those fish, and the sushi, look fabulous!

And good to know on Marlin! I haven't mastered it but would love to try a chucker too! So fun!

Cheers! - Leah


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## leah elisheva (May 25, 2015)

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And above are some of my recent creations.

Such as, grilled New York strip steak of bison, drizzled with balsamic and an amazing dark gray sea salt with herbs do Provence.

 Also, I made some fantastic grilled hake -  which tasted like a combination of Whiting and halibut steak. Next time that should be smoked!

And then today after gobbling lots of salads, I also grilled some whole sardines, which were tremendous, and of which I munched in their entirety,  starting with the head, and eating everything right down the middle  - bones, fins, crispy skin and all! Magnificent!

Happy holiday to all! Cheers! – Leah


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## knuckle47 (May 31, 2015)

Your grilled vegetables provided an inspiration for us today...around here, we have these "farmers markets". I know for sure the closest they come to a farm is the poetic license used in the description.  However, they do have a very broad selection of produce at 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of the supermarkets.  You may need to examine things occasionally for freshness but overall quality is the same.  

We stocked up on eggplants, peppers, onions, cukes, herbs, and grilled them today with Greek olive oil and that pink Himalayan salt.  Ate em all.  Wish I had a few pictures but I think it will become a weekly routine.  Will post them next time

Great idea...beats the burgers we were going to have.

Thanks!

By the way orange peppers were 99 cents a pound, yellow peppers 1.29


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## leah elisheva (Jun 1, 2015)

Well that is fantastic to hear Knuckle47!

While I find the Farmer's Markets here to be affected, and a racket; I am of the belief that the concept of them is well.

Moreover, that you started this wonderful, healthful, and also DELICIOUS routine, is just fantastic! I look forward to seeing and hearing more! Enjoy, enjoy! So wonderful!!!

And happy June!!!!

Cheers! - Leah


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