Just when I thought I would never have another homesteading project to share due to the crappy( daily hail as thick as a snow flurry,cold temps,pouring and pounding rain.) weather we have been having Chance smoked some smelt for snacking.
Last Friday Chance and I went in to Portland to run a couple of errands and ended up stopping at Fubon our local and biggest Asian Supermarket.I have mentioned Fubon before and if you live here in the Portland area and have never been you should go.The prices on everything is well worth our trip all the way in,ingredients that inspire and it's fun to try out new things.
If you go,don't be afraid to ask a fellow customer questions about what you are wondering about.Chance and I have had some informative conversations standing in the aisles.This last trip we learned how to make what the Thai's call Na-va (not too sure about the spelling but that is how the word sounds.) Na-va is made from tapioca flour,dyed green and rolled into little worms for a couple of different desserts and sometimes used in the southeast Asian dessert/drink called Three Color. I was super excited about finally learning how to make these.Growing up I lived for a time with a family from southeast Asia and one of my favorite desserts I had at the Ly's house was the Na-Va with coconut milk and tapioca pearls.It was the one dish we always bought so I did not learn to make it.But I am posting about smoking smelt so I'll get back on track now....
While at Fubon we picked up a package of frozen Smelt Fish.Normally we like our fish to be fresh but since we wanted to try smoking these little fish we thought it would be fine.The package was about 1 pound of fish and was just over $2.When we came home again Chance defrosted the fish and found this brine for them.Chance soaked the fish for the 4 hours recommended and laid them out to dry (see photo at the top.) then smoked following the recipes guidance. We were happy with the fish but we are going to change a couple of things next time.First of all they are a bit too salty for us; so next time Chance is going to replace the garlic and onion salts for powder and see if that helps.And we will keep better track of the time,a couple of the fish were too dry.The fish are fun little snacks that are kind of like fish jerky.
I have been shopping at the local Asian markets a long time and know which products I like, my tips about learning to shop international markets where you may not be able to read the labels are: Take a gamble and try something new, if you like it memorize the packaging or save it for your next trip.You will also find that packaging can have pictures of key ingredients.In many countries not everyone can read so this is the way things are marketed for the none reader.And like I said just ask someone,a clerk or customer.If you are respectful and show interest you may just open a new door in your world.
In the photo you can see Issac's Voodoo Guy donut from a local shop,Issac always wants donuts instead of cake for his birthday.
Other that all of that we have been indoors...way to much,thank you very little Mother Nature. I am worried about some of my seeds rotting in the ground either that or they have all washed away with the rain. The only up side to the weather is if my seeds do rot it's not too late to replant.
Yesterday Chance made his first and very successful batch of bread.He has decided if he just tries eventually he will be able to bake.
Tonight for dinner we are having the Duck Wings we bought, a nice change from the ever present chicken.And that folks is all of the news I have for now.I'd be really interested in knowing if anyone has questions for us about anything you think we may know or do or even something I mentioned just in passing you would like to know more about.So shoot me some questions...
Rois
Great Post... I"m a HUGE fan of Fubonn and have been buying meat, produce, fresh fish, and asian specialties since they opened.
ReplyDeleteOn top of that, it's a great way to keep a toddler occupied during a rainy day :)
all the best.