June 20, 2014 Lunch Hana Sushi Dinner Spaghetti with True Cod poached in tomato, onion, garlic asparagus, bell peppers capers, parsley and artichoke heart white wine sauce

June 20, 2014 Lunch Hana Sushi  Dinner Spaghetti with True Cod poached in tomato, onion, garlic asparagus, bell peppers capers, parsley and artichoke heart white wine sauce

Bill Turner and I walked to Hana Sushi for lunch.  Bill ordered the Sushi Bento Box ($10.95) and I ordered the grilled mackerel filet bento box ($7.95).  Each box came with different things.  We each were served bowls of miso soup and then I received a bowl of salad, while Bill’s salad was placed in his box.  Bill’s Bento had a large sushi roll wrapped and fried in seaweed, plus three gyozo .  Each of our boxes had an eggroll.  My box held a section of tempura with tempura fried slices of carrot, sweet potato, zucchini and a slice of onion and a fried shrimp.  The box also contained four pieces of sushi roll stuffed with an imitation fish paste and cream cheese and cucumber and a bit of wasabi and small pile of red pickled ginger and a slice of watermelon.  In another large section of the box was the grilled mackerel on a bed of stir fried onions and carrot sticks that was quite delicious and in another large section was a mound of rice molded into the inverted shape of a tea cup.  I loved lunch and felt like the kitchen at Hana Sushi had really improved, although I have always liked Hana Sushi’s food.

I had bought a .6 lb. filet of fresh true cod ($7.99/lb.) on Wednesday at Sprouts when I also bought some green beans ($1.99/lb.) and an eggplant ($1.25 each) and granola ($2.49/lb.). 

Cod is one of my least favorite fish because it has not distinct flavor, but it is perfect for combining with strong flavors, so tonight I decided to make it into a dish common to the Southwestern Basque area of France or France's Southern Provencal area with tomatoes, bell peppers, capers, parsley, onions and garlic.  I chopped up 1/3 onion, five or six cloves of garlic, 1/3 of a green bell pepper and added about 2 Tbsps. of roasted red peppers that Suzette had processed two or three weeks ago.  Then in another bowl I chopped four or five Rom tomatoes, fifteen thin sprigs of asparagus, and an artichoke heart, while Suzette boiled a handful of spaghetti.

 Suzette sautéed the sauce ingredients and then added some white wine and water from the boiled spaghetti to make the poaching medium and sauce, while I cut the cod into ¾ inch cubes and went to the garden and plucked about five stalks of Italian  flat leaf parsley and chopped the parsley into about ¼ cup of chopped parsley.

We then added the cod and parsley to the vegetable mixture and cooked the whole mixture covered for about ten minutes to cook everything together. I sliced several slices of Pecorino Romano cheese to garnish the dish with and we were ready to eat.

  

We toasted two slices of Fano baguette that we dipped into the sauce and poured glasses of the 2011 Pillastro Primitivo Terry and Nancy Lamm had brought to our dinner last weekend.  Its deep purple color was startling but its slightly sweet flavor complemented the slightly acidic combination of tomato and capers and the tanginess of the parsley.

I had blueberry and apricot cobbler with whipped cream for dessert.

Bon Appétit