Tuesday is Volunteer Day

For those of you who check this blog every morning I'm sorry that you had to have your coffee without me but you must remember that Tuesday is a busy day. I dropped The Child at school and then had an impromptu meeting with the Parent Club Exec. folks about Friday's Halloween Carnival. Then it was off to Cantwell's office for a fun-filled morning of stamping and labeling postcards with my buddies from Vashon. We listened to NPR and wondered why John Carlson always sounds so smug. (For those of you outside of Washington, John Carlson is a local conservative radio talk show host who once ran for governor and was so handily defeated that there didn't need to be a recount).

Then it was back down the road to home with stops at Mutual Fish for snapper fillets and the co-op for chai and ginger biscuits. The Dog's sister is coming over soon for a "tumble and chew" and I wanted something nice to offer my friend, Julie.

That's why I didn't post earlier. Tuesday always feels a little rushed, in a good way. Frankly, I'm far more efficient when I have specific constraints on my time. I'll accomplish a few homekeeping tidbits before Julie arrives, then it'll be off to fetch The Child, monitor homework and prepare aforementioned snapper. But sometimes on days like this I get more done in less time than if I had the whole day at home.

And speaking of snapper, many years ago, when I was about to make my second visit to New York, my boss at the time told me that while in Manhattan I had to go to lunch at Cafe des Artiste and that "the first $100 dollars is on me". At this point in my life I was splurging if I got a $5 plate of crab cakes for lunch. I couldn't imagine spending that sort of money but since it was his to spend, I was game. I was meeting a friend in NYC and he was coming along for lunch.

Sadly, I don't remember what we ate. (Although I'm sure it's in my travel journal...if only I knew where that was). I do remember that we enjoyed our time and drank a very nice bottle of wine (which I'm guessing was a Chateauneuf de Pape because at the time I was a) into Rhones and 2) loved saying "Chateauneuf de Pape" in fancy restaurants). Lunch was sandwiched between a stop at Strawberry Fields across from the Dakota and a trip on the subway to the World Trade Center where my aunt worked. The details are hazy but the vibe from that day is still very strong. I remember how I felt looking at the Dakota, the joy of eating an elegant, lengthy lunch in a beautiful room with a companionable friend, the general buzz and hum of New York that gets into your bones, the view from the Merrill Lynch offices in WTC. Maybe I'm thinking about all this because Julie just got back from New York and because I haven't been in over 20 years. But of all the places I've visited, New York is one of the few that I would want to live in, one of the few where I felt immediately comfortable. Which is saying something for a kid raised on a farm in Oregon. Oh, and we spent $130 on lunch.

Here's the recipe for what we're dining on tonight:

Red Snapper Café des Artiste

2 ½ pound snapper fillets
¼ c. olive oil
¼ c. minced shallot
¼ c. coarse grain mustard
flour for dredging
2 T. butter

Score skin-side of fish and season both sides with salt and pepper. Brush flesh side with oil and press 2 T. shallots into each fillet, then spread with 2 T. mustard. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess.

Heat remaining oil and butter over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté fish, flesh side down, 2-3 minutes, until underside is golden and crusty. Turn carefully and cook another 4-5 minutes, until cooked through.