I read Zirconia.

I now possess an (updated) opened bottle of Zubrowka

What an amazing aroma and taste! Vanilla-like but not exactly
vanilla.

I had a friend who brought me a bottle as a consolation
prize when he was invited on a Boston Pops tour of
eastern Europe (back when that was a big deal) and I
was not.

Which also lends that vanillalike scent. It's looked
suspiciously at in the US because of supposed liver
toxicity.

You guys don't allow the import of Mexican vanilla either for its
higher coumarin levels. Canadian tourists returning from Mexico
often bring home several bottles. It is particularly flavourful.

That's true; I've had a bottle smuggled to me, and
it was particularly mellow but had great persistence.

My first taste was a straight shot, in the approved Polish manner.
But I do foresee baking and cocktail applications, including poured
over ice cream as a base for sundaes.

I'd be inclined to put it in the freezer and save it
for special 1/2 to 1 oz occasions.

And I found three interesting sounding cocktails here: foodandwine.com/fwx/drink/3-cocktails-make-bison-grass-vodka ...
Vodka with cider or mulled raspberries or grapefruit juice and thyme
syrup.

So why is each recipe illustrated with five photos
that appear to be the same thing?

Title: Herring with Juniper Berries

Suckers and ciscoes often get pickled in a manner similar to
herring. Ciscoes are in the whitefish family but are sometimes
called "fresh water herring".

When Ray still lived in Yellowknife he would net, clean and pickle

I hope he kept the roe. I've eaten various whitefish roe
more often than the fish itself and rather like it.

hundreds of ciscoes every fall, when they returned from the shallow
spawning spots swimming down stream back into deep Great Slave Lake.

How big were these fish?

So we were walking down the street and found a brasserie
that was offering maatjes, and I was torn. Good sense got
the better of me and again I passed up this treat.

Being found of pickled fish I would have stopped in for a bit.
Those kinds of bars often have pickled pig's feet too, which might
be more to your taste.

I have seldom eaten pickled or salted fish unless
it's been smoked (have done in several schools of
salmon by this point in my life, mostly cold-smoked).

Title: Pickled Sucker

I was a pickled sucker once.

Just once. I've been guilty of being that numerous times in my
immature youthfulness.

My immature youthfulness was/is perhaps more
circumspect. And I never had an offshore life that
required the routine of coming to port pockets
ajingle and returning aboard disheveled, penniless,
and stinking drunk.

Lemon juice pickling ...
Title: Middle Eastern Lupini Beans
They are cooked from dried, then seasoned with cumin, salt, and
lemon juice.

I've had these. Oddly, I prefer less cumin, probably
the only dish ever where I would say that.

Author: Diana Alshakhanbeh
From: Littlesunnykitchen.Com

I checked out the site. She looks attractive in a
voluptuous way, but her recipes generally are too
vegetarian for me.

Crown Roast of Pork
categories: Cisco, main
Yield: 1

1 stuffed standing crown pork roast
liquid (stock, water, beer, or wine)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place the stuffed standing crown pork roast in a large
roasting pan. Cover the pork bones with aluminum foil
to prevent the bones from burning. Place a small amount
(1/4 to 1/2") of stock or water, beer, or wine in the
roasting pan as well. Place the roasting pan with the
roast into the oven. Bake until the pork is starting to
brown, about 30 min.

Turn the oven down to 325F.

Roast the pork for 2 to 2 1/2 more hours, basting the
pork occasionally with pan liquid and drippings. Rotate
the pork a couple of times during the cooking time. If
the liquid level reduces, replace it with stock or water
or your choice of basting juice.

When the pork is cooked to the proper doneness - an
instant-read thermometer should read 140 to 145F, remove
from the oven. Carefully transfer the pork to a serving
platter and cover it loosely with aluminum foil. Let the
pork rest for 20 to 25 min.

after Ayrshire Farm, founded by Sandy Lerner

... Cisco: if you're hankering for cheap Vodka, Jello & Robitussin.

I'd forgotten the stuff existed: it went the way of all
flushed, whereas its parent company became fat and sassy.
tinyurl.com/ciscowine
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
* Origin: Fido Since 1991 | QWK by Web | BBS.FIDOSYSOP.ORG (1:123/140)

Quoting Michael Loo to Jim Weller <=-

Zubrowka [...] My first taste was a straight shot, in the
approved Polish manner. But I do foresee baking and cocktail
applications, including poured over ice cream as a base for
sundaes.

I'd be inclined to put it in the freezer and save it
for special 1/2 to 1 oz occasions.

Now that I know I can get more in any Alberta hick town for mere $28
per 26 ozer, there's no need to hoard it. And it turns out to
really kick vanilla ice cream up a notch. Of course so does a few
drops of vanilla extract or buying a better grade of ice cream!

When Ray still lived in Yellowknife he would net, clean and
pickle hundreds of ciscoes every fall

I hope he kept the roe.

There's no roe in the fall. There would be in the spring run but
they are out of season then.

How big were these fish?

They run from a just a few ounces for young ones up to 1 pound,
sometimes 2, rarely more. Ray released the smallest ones, kept the
8 to 10 inch ones for pickling (and freezing whole for ice fishing
bait) and if he got any around 2 pounds, filleted them for frying
while fresh or freezing for cooking later on.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Seafood Lasagne with Brandied-Basil Cream Sauce
Categories: Crab, Shrimp, Scallops, Pasta, Cheese
Yield: 12 Servings

8 c Ricotta cheese
1 1/2 c Grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 lb Provolone cheese;
-shredded
6 Eggs
24 Fresh basil leaf; chopped
1 tb Black pepper
1 lb Lasagna noodles; cooked
24 lg Shrimp; cut lengthwise,
Peeled and deveined
1 lb Lump crabmeat;
-picked over
2 lb Sea scallops; large dice
9 sl Provolone cheese
Brandied-Basil Cream Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. This recipe should make 3 layers. In
a bowl, mix together ricotta, Parmesan, shredded provolone, eggs,
basil and black pepper. Spray the bottom of a lasagne pan with a
cooking spray. Add a layer of noodles.

Spread a thin layer of cheese mixture to cover noodle layer and
top with a layer of shrimp, crabmeat and scallops. Repeat steps
again, ending with a layer of noodles until you have completed the
process 3 times. Arrange provolone cheese slices on top of
lasagna. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until golden brown and
bubbly.

To serve, cut into portions and place lasagna on a plate.
Generously spoon Brandied-Basil Cream Sauce over the top and
garnish with fresh basil.

Brandied-basil cream sauce

2 cups Heavy cream
1/2 cup Cognac or brandy
12 Fresh basil leaves; chopped
1 cup Shrimp stock
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and white pepper; to taste

Bring heavy cream, cognac, basil leaves and stock to a boil.
Reduce mixture to preferred consistency. Add Parmesan cheese,
stirring to melt, and remove from the heat.

Shrimp Stock

Use Minor's shrimp base to make the shrimp stock or make your own
shrimp stock by boiling together and reducing by 2/3 the following
ingredients: shells from 5 pounds of shrimp, 1 peeled Bermuda
onion studded with 8 whole cloves, 3 bay leaves, 2 tablespoons
whole black peppercorns, and 5 quarts of water.

Recipes by: Chef Monroe Duncan

Posted By Greg and Carol Swindell

MMMMM

Cheers

Jim


___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
* Origin: Fido Since 1991 | QWK by Web | BBS.FIDOSYSOP.ORG (1:123/140)