Monday, January 23, 2006

Dinner Time

Salmon Roulade

I have tremendous feelings of guilt over writing yet another post on something I had no hand in cooking. This is supposed to be my journey through the kitchen, and yet I keep finding myself back to leaning on my husband who has always been my rock in the kitchen. Would that make him a kind of soup stone?

Even though I didn't cook these, they were part of my adventure. They were something that I needed to experience. They were Salmon Roulade. Purchased in a roll from the grocery store all he really did was slice them and put them on tiny "toastlettes". I think I may have just made up a word, but they struck my as "toastlettes".

I've never been able to like fish. If you say that sentence out loud it sounds absurd. That is exactly what I intended to say, though. I've tried to like fish. Especially salmon. All of its purported health benefits scream that I should be eating it every day. Yet, everytime I put the luscious looking pink flesh to my lips, it turns funky and fishy and I can't possibly make it past the first bite. Still, it always calls to me when I see it. I want desperately to want to eat it.

Once upon a time, in the mystical kingdom of Fairbanks, Alaska, I rode a riverboat. At the end of that riverboat ride they served some salmon all mashed up and from a can. It was delicious. It was heaven. It was the only time that salmon has ever tasted good to me.

On a trip to South Carolina last year I had grouper and it was divine. I tried the same fish here in Denver. It was a completely different animal. I am well aware that different fish have different flavors. That is what I am told. Excepting these two instances, I have only ever experienced them in varying degrees of rank fishiness.

You are probably thinking that I just don't like fish because I am so terribly land-locked and am not getting it fresh. Not so. My parents are residents of Alaska and go dip netting regularly. My mother smokes and vacuum seals the salmon and ships it to me. Still - fresh and smoked by me own mother...blech!

So there was this package of Salmon Roulade. That pretty pink color wrapped around cream cheese and dill. How could that be wrong? Home they came with us to reside until dinner time.

I can't imagine why I continue to try. I don't know what it is in my head that continues to tell me that these are going to taste good when time after time they turn my tongue sour. But try them again I did, and thank goodness!

Evidently, it just has to be a combination of flavors for me. At first, from the smell, I though surely these were not going to be any good. They smelled like every other bite of salmon that ever crossed my lips. On it's little "toastlette" it made it's way to my mouth. The fish taste did hit first and I was frightened, but it quickly combined and turned creamy and sweet with the dill creamed cheese. The flavor of the gluten-free country white bread from Deby's held up well to the flavor of the Salmon Roulade and as all the flavors washed over my palate I finally found what I was looking for. Some kind of strange ancestral memory that has compelled me over and over again to put this fish in my mouth was finally satisfied as the flavor came to new definition in my mouth and mind.

With renewed vigor I will be perusing the world of fish. I know now that I'm not crazy! It really can taste good to me! I must find again that satisfaction. I'm sure there must be some way to cook all fish that would suit me. I just have to find it.

And of course, it's 100% gluten-free, so I really don't want to rule it out. Next time, I'll cook it myself, though. I promise.

5 comments:

girlzoot said...

I just dig fish. Even when it smells fishy. I love fish fish fish. Yum, yum, yum in my tum.

These were also not half bad.

Cyndi said...

About your question (Ruth's recipe) - the reason it's not on her site is because I'm testing it for her cookbook. So, I couldn't post it--she wants people the buy the cookbook, right? But I'm pretty sure it's gluten-free-I'm just beginning to learn about that since my sister just learned the source a lot of her health problems is gluten--it's chicken, spinach, mushrooms, onion, garlic, wine, chicken broth. No gluten, right?

I'll be sending your link to my sister!
I wish I dug fish more than I do. Crunchy, breaded is okay, as well as a FRESH filet, broiled, but that's about it. But your photo looks like it tastes pretty darn good.

Sasha Lynn said...

GZ - I'm glad you were here to enjoy it with me.

Cyndi - Oh! That makes perfect sense. Those ingredients are indeed gluten-free. How exciting! I'll have to go read more.

Ruth Daniels said...

Sasha, I'd be happy to share the recipe with you. Just come by my site and email me.

I love your writing style. Glad I read your comment on Cyndi's site and came for a visit. I'll be back.

Anonymous said...

Maybe you should focus on trying other fish besides salmon. I love salmon, but it is extremely fishy!

Good luck!

Oh and this is my first time stopping by your site... I'll be back! :)