In winter I get up and night and dress by yellow candlelight/in summer quite the other way/I have to go to bed by day. (Robert Louis Stevenson)
It's light at 4:30 p.m. now, and that adds to the cheerful feeling we all get as we head for home in deepest winter. Of course, not all offices close that early. Some of us leave for work before daylight and return home at dusk. Some of my days are like that. But never Friday, although by the time my husband and I finished our errands it was indeed inky black outside.
As we drove over the West Bridge to River's Bend Road, we saw a half dozen or so ice fisherman huddle around a trio of shanties just below the dam. This is a prime spot for fishing, just north of the old mill. It almost looked like fun. I could see the fishermen moving about, toasting their hands above small heaters outside the shanties.
But we had broiled cod and roasted potatoes from the deli inside our grocery bags, the perfect Friday night meal for any time of year. Sometimes humble meals that someone else made are just the ticket after a long and cold week.
It was really wonderful, flaky and white and not overly fishy. The potatoes were gently browned and just a bit salty.
Eating fish on Friday, of course, always makes me think of the years of my life when I could think of eating nothing else on the last school day before the weekend. Fish sticks and French fries at noon, or salmon and peas. Lobster and shrimp dinners when the family sampled other restaurants on my father's night off. (He ordered steak, of course, but this was before I learned to love a good filet.)
At the moment, I am contemplating integrating fish-only Fridays into my life again, not for any religious reasons, mind you, but because it just plain tastes good and is good for you. There is something comforting about small pleasure like this.
Here's one of my favorite old posts on fish.
9 comments:
Ahhh..fish on Fridays. We always had fish fries to go to, or tuna patties at home.
Hi Pam: Fish fries to go, with cole slaw, beans and rye bread are a WIsconsin staple. Is that how they are served where you live?
My mother never made anything with tuna, so when I had my first tuna salad at school hot lunch, I was blown away by it.
The elementary school and junior high school I attended always served fish on Fridays. I hadn't thought about it until I read your post. Just last night Mr CC and I were talking about eating more fish and less red meat, after the indulgences of the holidays. I like this.
I too am noticing more light as I wend my may home from work at 4:30 pm. The mornings have yet to shed early light on my chickens, but I savor the lengthening afternoons.
So do I, and it has long been my custom to note exactly how long it stays light out, Christine.
When it is still daylight at 5:10 p.m., I know we are nearly halfway through the winter. That is my benchmark.
Heh, just saw this, today was Fish day at school. We spent a full day learning to filet, skin, cook, handle, etc etc.
Was a great day.
I grew up along the Mississippi in northwestern Illinois. I'm in Austin, Texas now but I can still relate to your thoughts about the late afternoon/early evening sun being an important harbinger. As to fish memories, I only have two. The first is deep-fried catfish (who knew there was another way to cook it?) and my mother's tuna and noodle casserole...which is not as pleasant a memory as the catfish. Perhaps it was part of the era. As i share that story with people in my age group, it seems my mother must have been cooking for an entire generation.
Chaz, I've never learned any of that stuff. I kind of wish I had. It would be an interesting skill to acquire.
Chef Dad, you grew up in a wonderful part of the Midwest. I love that area - Galena, Dubuque, etc. Up here catfish is not much eaten, as far as I know. But smelt used to reign in the spring, especially when my parents were growing up.
I have no routine for Friday... except when I was young. My mother ALWAYS served fish on Fridays.
Anne
Oh yes, fish on Fridays. We had this in school because of all the Catholic kids that were required to not eat meat this day.I can't help to think about how healthier fish is that the red meat in our diets....maybe you are on to a good thing!
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