Fish Facts, Slipping, & A Bonus Recipe!

Meaning, a recipe you get today and everyone else gets tomorrow - how exclusive of us

Hi, and sorry I missed you last week! I was in Alaska with Alaska Seafood, and it really is the Great White North up there (and apologies if that’s Canada’s slogan, I do get confused). However it’s also 4 hours behind East Coast time, and my jet-lagged little heart did not have it in me to give you updates in real time. But that’s probably in your favor, because now in my much-more-rested state, you get some FISH FACTS™.

Our trip was half fun and half filled with educational tours and discussions with Alaskan fisherman. What I found most insightful was how regulated and strict Alaska fishing is. “Sustainability” currently feels like an unregulated buzzword, but in Alaska sustainable resourcing is written into their state constitution, so their policies and data are built around that. WILD. NO PUN INTENDED.

Here are my favorite FISH FACTS™ I gathered throughout the trip:

• There are no fish farms in Alaska - meaning anytime you buy Alaska seafood it is guaranteed to be wild. I don’t know why, but this blew my mind.

• Salmon is seasonal! Fisherman fish in the summer and the government has a high-level data system designed to track the salmon throughout their lifespan to regulate how much fishing can be done to maintain a sustainable yield. The government determines “openings,” which is a period of days where fisherman can fish. These are often only determined a few weeks in advance.

• Fishing for halibut can be enjoyable. It can also be really effing cold. Shot of myself in action for reference:

What can I say, I was born for the North

But enough about me (although if you have any more questions on FISH FACTS™ leave them in the comments below, I’d love to discuss!), let’s get to:

The weekly round-up!

This is more last week and this week, but still very good weeks! Here’s everything new to the blog:

• Marinated Gruyère Cheese - my ideal party snack. Ready in minutes, Spanish-inspired, and perfect with crusty bread.

• Green Tomato Salad with Focaccia Croutons - my dream salad and a love letter to slightly underripe avocados. Instagram deleted this for reasons I’ll never know, and I still am sad about it.

• Aleppo Pepper Pasta Salad - this one is for my olive heads out there. Olives and citrus zest are sizzled with tomatoes and piled into one peppery dressing. 10/10, would pasta salad again.

• Paprika Breaded Beans on Romesco - romesco is my summer sauce, and breaded beans are my forever beans. A match made in heaven.

And now - our Bonus Recipe! I’ve felt for the past weeks (months?) I’ve been pulled in a few different directions and slipping a bit with content, which is upsetting because developing recipes is my favorite thing! Normally this recipe would be up during my usual Saturday posting hours, but it’s delayed a day so I can film it to *brand standards* (I just like to make sure you’re getting my best work!)

But the recipe is done, dusted and delicious, so I wanted you all to have it ASAP.

As part of the new “Classics” series, I present to you:

Espresso Blondies

Fudgey like brownies and buttery-sweet like blondies - these thick and rich bars have a strong hit of espresso to them that perfectly balance out the sugars of the white chocolate. Plus, the kick of caffeine justifies eating them for breakfast, no?

Makes 1 8x8 inch pan

6 ounces/170g white chocolate, chopped

8 tablespoons / 113g salted butter, cubed

1 tablespoon molasses

½ cup / 100g dark brown sugar

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable, canola, grapeseed

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons of espresso coffee grounds

1 ¼ cup / 160g all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

In a heat-proof bowl that fits over the top of a medium pot, add the white chocolate, butter, and molasses. Add three inches of water to the medium pot and place the bowl over the top. Using the double-boil method, bring the pot of water to a simmer and melt the chocolate, butter and molasses together, stirring constantly to combine. When everything is melted, move the bowl to the counter and add the sugar and whisk vigorously. The fat of the butter will start to separate, but that’s normal, don’t stress.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg, yolks, oil, vanilla, and 1 1/2 teaspoon of espresso grounds. Pouring very slowly and stirring constantly, gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the wet ingredients. It should sieze up into a glossy batter. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir together with a spatula.

Pour the batter into a parchment-lined 8x8 inch pan. Tap the pan to evenly spread out the batter, and top with the remaining espresso grounds. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

*And the most crucial step - It will feel kind of cakey right out of the oven, so cool in the fridge for 45-60 minutes or until the bottom of the tin is cool. This will reward you with the ultimate blondie-fudginess.

####

Phew what a newsletter this was! But if you made it to the end, know I love you more than I love these blondies - and that is saying a lot. I finally feel like I’m getting my groove back, so I’m excited for this summer and what’s to come.

Happy Pride Weekend, Summer Solstice, and all those good things!

Xoxo,

FishFacts_Snacks