The Best Coleslaw You Will Ever Eat

No idle threat. This stuff is crazy good. Now having said that, call me crazy but I have always loved the Colonel's, KFC's coleslaw. But this is way better and it is good either as a side salad for lunch or dinner or a picnic AND it is awesome on a pulled pork sandwich.

I confess, the recipe is not mine. I found it some years ago as part of a pulled pork recipe I have since tossed out. But this slaw was a keeper! It's easy and quick to make, too!

Southern-Style Coleslaw with Buttermilk Dressing

¾ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup packed brown sugar

3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons buttermilk

4 teaspoons celery seeds

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

3 cups shredded green cabbage (about ½ head)

3 cups shredded red cabbage (about ½ head)

1 green bell pepper, finely diced

1 large carrot, peeled and shredded

½ cup grated yellow onion

¼ cup minced parsley

In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, vinegar, buttermilk, celery seeds, salt, pepper, cayenne, and whisk well to dissolve the sugar.

In a bowl, combine ingredients. Toss with the dressing until evenly coated. Adjust seasoning to taste. Place in the refrigerator, covered, to chill slightly before serving.

Serve as a side salad or top pulled pork sandwiches with this incredible slaw.

Yields: 8 Servings

A New Look

A of this posting my blog has a new look. I am not sure of it yet. That is, whether I like it or not, but I am willing to see if it grows on me. or not. So, don't be surprised if there are further adjustments in the near future. But for now, ta-dah! What do you think? Send me comments or suggestions and I'll do some more thinking and tweaking.

Retirement Sets In

My wife went off to her first day of work today. I got up with her at 7 am and fixed her breakfast. Oatmeal with apple sauce and a sliced banana, coffee the way she likes it, and a couple of slices of turkey bacon. A kiss goodbye and she was off to work. I stayed home. I'm retired.

So, while she headed off to department and university meetings, luncheons and planning meetings, I tidied up around the house, did the laundry and got dinner ready. My big adventure out of the house was the 50 yard walk up the street to the mailbox to collect our mail. Oh, I nearly forgot. I started a shopping list. I think there are two items on it so far.

I'm not sure what will come next. I'm not feeling like I ought to be somewhere or doing something. I'm perfectly happy staying at home. I know that will change in time. I'll feel the need to get involved and do something. But for now. . .

A Big Fish Tale

The annual fishing trip to Ucluelet, British Columbia, Canada has wrapped up. Three days filled with fishing for King and Coho salmon and Halibut off the west coast of Vancouver Island.

With my friends Ken Marshall and Rick Scribner, we headed from our home here in Bellingham, Washington to the rustic fishing village with Rick driving and towing his 24 foot Campion Explorer fishing boat. Each year for the past 5 years, Rick has taken us to this amazing fishing ground where we have been dazzled by the shear numbers and size of the fish we catch. This year was no exception!

Despite the fishing not living up to Rick's description of what it had been like two weeks prior, when the fishing was the best he could remember in many years, we managed to do just fine. We had to work at it though. Our days would start with a couple of great fish and then things just died. Then we'd get the occasional bite or two and then nothing. Around the early afternoon, when the tide changed. the bite would be on and we'd get hit hard again. Then things trailed off with long periods of no action which Rick left wondering what to try next. Our fishing guide to these waters and fishing teacher, was in constant motion switching out lures, trying other depths (always with a 7 involved, 67 feet, 87 feet). But by the end of the day we had fish in the boat and some big ones at that.

By the end of the first day we scored several Kings, a few Coho and I caught one halibut when Rick dropped the lure to the bottom to try something different. All of a sudden, I'm hauling up a 20-25 pound halibut, the only one of the trip.

Day two started out the same as the first day but in the afternoon the weather turned wicked. Swells 8-10 feet high, fog persisted all day with intermittent sun breaks, and the wind started up. It was miserable by late afternoon and we finally packed it up and headed in with another hard fought load of fish.

I didn't expect much for day three with regards to the weather. The report indicated more of the same from day two's storm, but a tapering off of the wind and seas by afternoon. So we headed out of the Ucluelet inlet expecting a very rough ride. The inlet was deceivingly calm, but when we made the turn to head into open water we were pleasantly surprised to find the sea was about as calm and flat as it ever gets. The weather turned out to be fantastic the entire day. In fact it seemed to get even better as the day went along. We had gorgeous views of the mountains that lined the shore 15 miles away and the water was absolutely flat calm.

The fishing was pretty much the same as it had been the previous two days except that we started to pick up more Coho. We had caught Coho the previous two days but as luck would have it, we caught mostly natives instead of the hoped for hatchery fish. The difference being that the adipose fin located between the dorsal and tail fins is removed on the hatchery fish. So when you catch a Coho you need to carefully look for the absence of that fin before you bop it on the head and roll it into your holding tank. The fine for possession of one of these natives is $100. The exception to this rule is based on where you catch the Coho. There are areas of the fishery where you can keep these natives, so be aware of this rule while fishing in the region.

The biggest thrill for me on this trip occurred while I was doing my usual bird dogging of my line. I can stare down my rod tip for hours waiting for the least little nibble to indicate the presence of a potential adversary down in the depths. The time to really pay attention occurs when the rod tip begins to jump and then suddenly springs from it's normally arced position. This indicates that a fish has pulled hard enough to release the line from the down rigger pin. In one quick move you need to get to your feet, grab the rod from the rod holder and begin reeling in.

I don't recall which of us it was, but someone suddenly had a fish on and is sometimes the case when it looks like a possible keeper, we began bringing up the other lines in the water to give the fish plenty of room and to keep it from entangling the other lines. I began reeling in my line and it had nearly reached the surface when something hit my plug hard and leaped out of the water. Coho? They often attack lines right at the surface. But this fish didn't feel like a Coho.

It felt like a King and Rick seemed to think so as well. When the line started reeling out, I knew I had a battle on my hands. I tightened the drag a bit to make the King work a little harder to take my line, but he continued running off more line. Rod tip up, I reeled like mad between runs. Slowly, but surely I brought the King up closer to the boat. Our first look at him after about a 10 minute tug of war was a jaw dropper. It was definitely a big King. Even now, close to the boat, the King wanted to play. He kept swimming back and forth and occasionally diving, but by now, with the pressure I kept on the fish and the fact that he was tiring, it was only a matter of time and whether he would throw the hook, a real potential threat using barbless hooks.

Rick held out the net and as I slowly guided the fish in close to the side of the boat, the big King was scooped up and hoisted aboard. I learned that I had caught a Tyee, any salmon over 30 pounds. Rick weighed the King with his digital scale and it came in at about 36 pounds, the biggest salmon I had ever caught.

We caught some other big Kings, Rick landed another Tyee that was a beauty. We also managed to land a couple of really nice Cohos. But I will never forget the thrill of catching my Tyee. Feeling the power of that fish through the rod, the excitement of the battle to bring it in, really connects you with the power of these beautiful fish.

Our trip ended with the final catch of a really nice Coho keeper. We made a high speed run back to port over the flat calm sea. Fish cleaned and put on ice, the boat out of the water, washed down and trailered, we headed off to dinner and a final night of sleep before the long trip home.

If we are lucky enough to be invited back to Ucluelet again next year, I know I plan to be there. The memory of feeling that Tyee on the end of my line is still fresh in my mind. I wonder, is there a 40 pounder out there with my name on it?

Dolma or Stuffed Grape Leaves

I seldom see these tasty mediterranean delights outside of ethnic restaurants and delis. To many folks they may seem a lot of work for so little payoff. But really they are quite simple to make, aside from the bit of extra time it takes to roll each one. Yes, you can go to a local deli and buy them pre-made, but homemade dolmas allow you to use up left overs, control what goes into them and you get the bragging rights when your guests oooo and ahhh over these tasty morsels.

Mezzetta brand is my favorite!

You needn't deal with the gathering of the grape leaves themselves. There are several fine companies which take care of that for you. I like the Mezzetta brand, the makers of a variety of olive, pepper and other pickled products. One jar will give you enough grape leaves to make 25-30 or so dolmas, enough to fill an 8 1/2 by 11 casserole. Plenty for an appie at your next party.  

To prepare the filling for your dolmas, either make some cooked rice, white or brown, if you want to be healthy about it. Or perhaps you have some left over rice from a previous meal. Place it into a mixing bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature. Decide what you want to add to the filing mixture. Traditional additions might include ground lamb, pine nuts, currants, mint, onions, tomato paste and any number of spices including allspice, cinnamon, dill and cumin. But don't feel like you need to hold to tradition. Ground beef will work fine. Don't like allspice? Leave it out. Ran out of pine nuts? Leave them out, too. Use what you have in the fridge and spice cabinet. Any number of recipes are available on-line if you just really must have a specific recipe.

My bowl of dolma filling

Here is the sequence of my most recent effort. I used brown rice, mint (chiffonade the mint) from my garden, diced carrots, diced pickled red peppers from a jar I had in the fridge, raisins, shredded parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

I added ingredients to the mixing bowl until I liked the color of the mixture. Mine came out looking like a bowl of paella! 

I drained the jar of grape leaves and then carefully unfolded them so that they laid flat on my preparation surface. One leaf at a time usually although it is okay to use two small ones and overlap them to help make the dolmas more consistent in size. Lay the grape leaf with the veins of the leaf facing up and place the stem end at the top. Spoon a little of your filling onto the leaf just below the stem. You'll get the hang of how much you need after a couple of tries. Fold the right and left lobes of the leaves inward toward the middle and then roll as tightly as you can like you are making a burrito tucking in the edges of the leaf as you roll. Be patient, you'll get the hang of it. 

As you get each dolma rolled, place it into an 8 1/2 by 11 inch glass casserole so they sit snug against each other. Pour broth, either chicken or beef or lamb if you have it, into the casserole and then a dry white wine until the dolmas are covered about half way up their sides. Pour olive oil over the dolmas, cover the casserole with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until the grape leaves are tender. 

I guarantee these tasty tidbits will fly off the plate when you put them out on the table. Buon apetito!

Smoked Salmon

The other day I was shopping at our favorite grocery store in B'ham--The Bellingham Grocery Outlet (BGO). I know the Grocery Outlet is not the classiest place to shop for groceries and it isn't here in B'ham either. But Bellinghamsters of all stripes shop at our BGO and the folks that work there are so friendly and helpful. No, they don't always have what you are looking for, but that is why we shop there first. What we can't find on our shopping list we get at Fred Meyer across town. The other day I was wandering the aisles and came across the end display with the leftovers from a backyard display that had been much larger at the beginning of the summer, garden hoses, tools, cheap yard art, lawn awnings, all sorts of stuff.

Tucked under the only shelf on this end display was what looked like a black mini-fridge. A small, hand written sign said, $69.99. Always looking for a bargain, I gave it a second glance and noticed the door had a thermometer mounted on it. Then I realized this was a smoker. I opened it and found that it seemed to have all of the parts needed to put it together. Still not convinced that this was a real deal, I wrote down the maker's name and the model numer, then headed home with the idea of checking it out on line. Amazingly, this particular model and the company itself had received rave reviews from the 20 plus reviewers. I checked several sites to see how much this model should cost. The cheapest price I found was $150 on-line. So I drove back to the BGO and bought one of the two they had left. $70!!! The device went together very easily. The hardest part was getting it from the garage to our back deck where I had decided I would park it next to my BBQ. It's a heavy bear but the two BBQing devices look good next to each other.

My buddy Rick, who has taught me all of what little I know regarding salmon fishing, boating and anything else having to do with the northwest outdoors, gave me about a beautiful filet of marbled King salmon to test out the new smoker. I had found a recipe on-line at a smoked meat forum site. The guy's recipe sounded great and looked great from his photos. So I decided to give it a try.

I made up the dry rub (recipe follows) in a 12 quart plastic tub with a lid that seals well. I prepped the salmon filet by cutting it into rectangular chunks of 2 or 3 inches by 5-6 inches. Then, according to this recipe, I carefully removed the skin from each piece. Normally I leave the skin on. It's less trouble for one thing. I placed the salmon pieces into the tub with the rub and snapped on the lid. Carefully turning the tub upside down a couple of times, I had the salmon pretty well covered with the rub. Into the fridge it went overnight, about 10-12 hours. Opening the tub about halfway through this process, I could see a lot of liquid had developed, I suppose due to the salt drawing it out of the salmon. I flipped the tub over a couple of times to mix it up a bit and then back into the fridge. The next day I removed the tub from the fridge, opened it up and began rinsing the rub off each salmon chunk, patting them dry and then placing them onto the smoker racks.

The salmon covered racks were left out to air dry for about 10 hours. when the air drying process was about done, I began prepping the smoker. I lined the bottom of the smoker with foil and poked a hole in the foil above the grease drain hole so it can drain into the grease trap under the smoker. I lined the water and wood chip trays with foil and filled them with water and wood chips. I use Alder chips found in most any sporting goods store unless you have a friend who can supply fresh stuff from the woods. These containers were placed on the rack in the smoker. I pre-heated the smoker to 150 degrees, slid in the racks of salmon and sealed the door. Every couple of hours I checked the salmon and spritzed it with a spray bottle filled with apple juice. This gives the finished salmon its glossy finished look.

At about 8 hours I start carefully looking at the salmon to see if it is finished. You want to check it with a knife to see if it looks right. Choose a piece of salmon as your test piece. Use the tip of the knife to pull it apart and look for a nice flaky interior. When finished after 8-10 hours pull the salmon racks out and let it cool on the counter. Remove the salmon carefully with a metal pancake turner and place individual pieces in seal-a-meal pouches. Freeze it if your aren't going to use it right away.





Dry Rub Recipe

2 cups brown sugar
2 cups course salt
1/8 cup black pepper
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup garlic powder

Blend together. Coat each piece of salmon with the rub and refrigerate over night, turning the pieces at least once during the process. Rinse the rub from the salmon pieces and pat them dry. Smoke them until you have achieved the desired level of doneness.

Ecuador--Summing Up the Experience!

So, what do you need to know to do Quito?

• Well, it is a Spanish speaking city so if you plan to go, the better your ability to speak the language, the better your experience will be. We did not find that most people can, like in most European cities, speak English if it really comes down to it. On the streets and in the places we visited, in and outside Quito, you really need to have a pretty good handle on the language.

• In airports, really high end hotels, in museums and while we were in the Galapagos Islands, English speakers were very available.

• If you get into a taxi, you better have a clear understanding of what the price will be before you drive off. Look for taxis with meters and insist they turn it on, but don't be surprised if they won't. So firm up that price. You are a wealthy person by most measures to these people or at least they think you are. So, your price for some things may be different than that of a local. Negotiate a price whenever possible and if you can't come to an agreement then thank the person very much, smile and walk away. Don't take it personally. They are just trying to get the best price they can to provide for their family.

• Like everywhere, not everyone is honest and some people just make mistakes. Always take the time to count your change BEFORE you leave the counter and if you feel you've been short changed, suggest that they owe you a little more. Keep smiling and assume it was an honest mistake. No point in turning the situation into an international incident.

• Keep small bills with you. In Ecuador, remember, they use U.S. currency so your dollars work here. You will also be given U.S. coins but these are also mixed with Ecuadorian centavos so spend them before you leave the country. A lot of shops won't accept the larger bills of $20 or larger. So when you buy a more expensive item be sure to hold onto those tens or fives and especially the dollars for taxi or bus rides or even dinner. Dollars are also very common in coin form. Ever wonder what happened to those Sacagawea dollars no one wanted in the U.S.? Go to Ecuador and you'll have pockets full of them!

• Don't drink the water. Buy your water and you may well save yourself from some serious gastric distress. Water is inexpensive. To save money and more plastic bottles from entering the environment, buy water in multi-liter bottles at the SuperMaxi grocery stores and pour water into the fancy water bottle you brought from home for your day out exploring.

• While were on the subject of water, it is very important for you to make sure you drink plenty of water while at this higher elevation. Being well hydrated will help you in the adjustment to the altitude, and it keeps your energy level higher, too.

• Toilets! The toilets here are western style with a couple of differences. A lot of places ask you not to flush ANY paper down the toilet. A trash can is placed next to the toilet and that is where all your toilet paper goes. Otherwise, you may clog their sensitive system. Another important difference is that you may find there is no toilet paper in many public toilets. Sometimes it is sold by a monitor who sort of lives in the bathroom. Other places may charge you to get into the toilet. Still others may have a roll in one place in the bathroom and you need to remember to take some with you BEFORE entering the stall. Finally, it's a good idea to grab some from your hotel toilet and stuff it into your daypack or pocket because there will be places where there will be no paper at all.

• Uneven walks are an issue all over. Wear a good pair of walking shoes and keep an eye out for where you're going. Chunks of sidewalk may loom out of nowhere or a hole in the sidewalk may swallow you up (kidding) or you may be walking where suddenly no sidewalk exists. A turned ankle can really put a damper on things. Keep an eye out for doggie gifts and a myriad other items that just might come out of nowhere.

• Traffic is absolutely loco in Quito! Pedestrians basically have no rights except on red lights and even then you are responsible for your own safety. Cross at crosswalks and corners only and then only when you are quite sure it is safe. Then look again and run!

• Shots? There are places in Ecuador where getting shots and or taking malaria medication is advisable. Check on the Centers for Disease Control website to see what you need before you go. Quito and the Galapagos Islands did not require any shots or medications. However, sun screen and insect repellant are a good idea.

Ecuador was an amazing place and I highly recommend it. But decide what method of travel best suits your needs when you decide to go. You can have a really close to the ground adventure, backpacking through the Amazon and across the Andes or you can buy carefully planned tours where you can see most of the country from a bus window.

The Galapagos Islands are going to require you to get on your feet, walk and sweat a little.

However you choose to travel in Ecuador, you will have an unforgettable adventure, meet wonderful people and a simply gorgeous country.

Bon Voyage!