Surprises are great. No matter how big or small. It’s as if someone just decided that it doesn’t matter if it is your birthday, anniversary, etc. You don’t have to do anything extraordinary. You just deserve a surprise.
Today, for example, began cloudy and looking full of rain. By the time I biked home this afternoon, the clouds had blown away and the sun was shining brightly. The best part of this surprise was the sunset over the Tamagawa (Tama River) just outside of our apartment. The sun looked like a perfectly round, pinkish-orangish-redish ball sinking behind the horizon. The purple sky surrounding it only enhanced its beauty.
Surprises never last long. Just like today’s sunset. Often, surprises are uncapturable by a camera. I tried taking a photo of the sinking sun, but it did no justice to what I was actually looking at. Every photo that I took robbed the view of its brilliance. So, I hope my words are sufficient and have put a lovely picture in your imaginations.
Another surprise for me today happened in the kitchen. Brad was working tonight and I had high hopes for my dinner at home. I was going to clean and cook my first whole red snapper. This is something I have been aching to do for months and months, but the timing has not worked out. Today, I thought, was my day.
Well, I’d love to continue with a glowing success story of my gutting a fish all alone and serving a beautifully cooked meal. Alas, it did not go that way. Here is the short story of what happened…
I would like you to meet Doug (cue music of danger) *dun dun dunnnnn…..*
Doug is the Red Snapper I bought at the grocery store today. He is a beautiful specimen. Small in size, perfect for a single diner, with beautifully pink coloring and clear eyes. (Note: don’t name your fish before cleaning- it only becomes that much more difficult to tear their guts out in the end). I probably spent about 15 minutes just staring at Doug, lifeless on my white plastic cutting board. I wondered what he looked like swimming around in the Pacific Ocean. I wondered about the fisherman who caught him. And the person who packaged him so beautifully before he was put on the shelf at the grocery store.
I blame this series of events on the book I am currently reading: The Omnivore’s Dilema by Michael Pollan. Anyone out there read it? It’s brilliant and totally worth the read. However, you have to be ready to question whether you really are worthy, or informed enough, to digest that cow, chicken, or in this case, fish. I can’t help but think about exactly where my food came from after reading that book. And I am thankful for that. Too often we forget that our food came from somewhere, something, and someone.
Back to Doug. I had read up on all the best ways to gut a fish. I had the step-by-step down to a science. Or so I thought. Just to clarify before I go on- I have no problem eating meat or fish. I can watch someone gut a fish, for example, I just can’t do it myself. Yet.
I prepared myself for the big moment. The first incision would be an easy one, right?
The moment my knife cut into Doug’s poor little belly, I cringed and froze. I was nearly paralyzed at the thought of removing any bloody guts.
Uh oh. Now what?
What will I do for dinner?
Brad wasn’t home, so he couldn’t save the day on his white horse. So, I quietly wrapped Doug in some plastic wrap, gently placed him back in the refrigerator, and searched through my kitchen for some new inspiration.
Here is what I found: fingerling potatoes, dill, eggs, onions, goat cheese, and lemons.
Ok, I can work with that. I chopped 2 of the small potatoes and half of the onion. They were tossed in a pan with some olive oil and cooked until browned and crispy on the outside. I boiled some water to poach 2 eggs. Next, I chopped about 3 tablespoons of dill and tossed it in with the potatoes along with some salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. I transferred the potatoes to a dish. After poaching the eggs, they were placed on top of the potatoes, added a dollop of goat cheese, a sprig of dill and a small wedge of lemon.
Voila!
My dinner appeared in front of me in no more than 15 minutes. Surprise!
Like I said, I love surprises.
