February 28, 2024 Lunch - Mary and Tito’s Dinner - Salmon Teriyaki grilled on a cedar plank with Steamed Asparagus and Couscous

 February 28, 2024 Lunch - Mary and Tito’s  Dinner - Salmon Teriyaki grilled on a cedar plank with Steamed Asparagus and Couscous

I worked from 3:20 to 5:40 and went back to bed and slept from 6:00 to 8:00.

I watched the market rise a bit until the confrontation between Trump and Vance and Zelenskyy in the Oval Office that may have been the first televised conversation that changes the course of history.  The acrimony shown by Trump and Vance toward Zelenskyy may be the end of the post war Trans-Atlantic alliance and the end of the US’ leadership as the world leader for democracy.  It was bad and sad that Trump and Vance were advancing Russia’s agenda. At least Zelenskyy did not cower or try to cajole Trump.

I met Monica and Aaron for lunch at 1:15 at Mary and Tito’s on 4th St. just north of Menaul. They ordered stuffed sopapillas covered with red chili.

I ordered blue corn enchiladas with beef and an egg with rice and beans.

After lunch at 2:30 I returned home and discovered that the market had unexpectedly recovered from the shock of Trump’s confrontation with Zelenskyy and racked up a strong gain. My portfolio gained 2.2% to recover partially from its 3.9% loss of two days ago.

 I worked for a bit and then lay down to rest at 4:00.

Cramer did not explain the gyration in the market and Bloomberg’s Market wrap did not enlighten me.

In the morning I had rinsed and dried the two salmon filets I bought yesterday.

I made teriyaki sauce by combining 1/3 cup each of sake, soy sauce, and mirin and adding 1/2 T. of sugar and heating the sauce in the microwave for 45 seconds to dissolve the sugar. While the teriyaki sauce was cooling I made a dry mixture to cure the salmon to make Gravad lax by combining 1 cup of salt, 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 tsp. of crushed black pepper.

I then laid a layer of fresh dill weed in the bottom of a 6 x 9 inch Pyrex baking dish and then cut a 9 inch salmon filet and coated the skin side with the dry mixture and lay it down on the dill. I then coated the belly side with the dry mixture and laid a layer of dill on top of the coated belly. T then coated the belly side of another salmon filet with mixture and lay it belly side down on the first filet. Finally I lay a layer of dill weed on the upper skin side of the second piece and poured the rest of the dry mixture on top of the upper skin side.

I then covered the fish and baking dish with Saran and placed a brick on top and put it into the fridge to cure.

I cut two good sized fillets off each filet an added those two filets to a gallon freezer bag filled with the cooled teriyaki sauce I had made, sealed the freezer bag, and put it into the fridge to marinate for dinner.

At 4:00 Suzette arrived. We watched the news, which was mostly the crazy Oval Office conversation and the mysterious death of Gene Hackman, his wife and pet dog in Santa Fe apparently 11 days ago.

At 6:00 Suzette soaked a 1 x 6 inch cedar plank in water in the tub and at 6:30 grilled the two salmon filets on the cedar plank on the propane grill. The wet cedar does not burn quickly and protects the salmon from the flames.  The result is a moist succulent salmon filet with a teriyaki flavor.

Suzette steamed six large asparagus and re-heated the PPI Couscous for me.  Suzette has eliminated carbs from her diet, so she did not eat any couscous.

Suzette fetched the cherry wine from the fridge and pored us glasses of it. The cherry wine was wonderful?

Later, around 7:45, I ate a bowl of cherry truffle ice cream with seven or eight of Suzette’s lovely maraschino cherries for dessert.

We went to bed at 8:30 after TV announcers had said all they could say about the Conversation.

Bon Appetit