A wee sashimi

[Mr Gus]

Drop a link when you do!

My gran followed the fleet (like so many) when she was young as a gutter & cleaner of the massive Scottish herring industry, one of those fish she got sick of by sight but not enough to recommend it to others.

I'd better pick up some gherkins today.
It was the absence of Orkney smoked cheese down south that got me smoking foodstuffs, I know how you feel finding that elusive food gem, used to have to wait for a yearly trip for my mother to bring a few "precious" cheeses back.

[dan_b]

I rather enjoyed the food on Orkney when we visited a few years ago. Enjoyed the whole trip to be honest. Will return sometime.

Back to Japanese food - the first time I went to Japan was a real eye-opening experience in every sense and I threw myself into the culinary delights on offer with reckless abandon - couldn't get enough of the sushi, sashimi, yaki-tori, catsu curry and just about everything else - although I felt rather queasy after chickens ovaries on a stick, and wasn't too impressed to discover after the fact that one evening I'd been served whale.

Second time I went was on a business trip and one evening I went to a restaurant that had been recommended by the concierge staff at the hotel I was staying at. After a 1 hour train ride into Tokyo, finally found the place - absolutely tiny - could seat only about 8 people all sat around the chef - you chose your food by pointing at the array of produce infront of him and then they cooked it there and then.

They had some rather small looking cuts of beef so I ordered two. It was the most divine steak I had ever had.
Got a shock when the bill came to £600 and then I realised I'd had actual Kobe Beef. Twice!
Fortunately I was able to claim for it on expenses, but goodness me.

[AE-NMidlands]

I'm an enthusiastic European (eating and travelling,) and make lots of different curries too.
However Japanese raw fish does not inspire me at all. Too many potential illnesses and parasites, thank you! (I don't object to a good steak tatrtare though...)
A neighbour's daughter taught in Japan for 5 years, said there were usually 3 suicides a year in her school staff room alone. And a close friend's daughter has been teaching there for a few years and (it seems) has just committed suicide.
It's a poisonous hypocritical kow-towing culture and I'm glad none of my family have any involvement with it. Look at https://www.independent.co.uk/news/busi ... 31585.html or https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18258542
A

[Mr Gus]

In this heat, after going to get puppy pads from Stevenage Costco (& stopping off in the Tesla at the Costco petrol station too much vocal amusement from other customers) filled up 17 litres in cans (super unleaded was "a mere" £1.82 per litre) ..folk were chatty & understood the advantage of EV in current climes.

Nathan's (brand) sweet herring fillets ..stinsy take note they are whiff free unless you kiss the wife ..so likely acceptable, big fillets, enough for a snack, supper & breakfast this morning, in a reasonable tub 870g / 450g drained weight.

Easy hot weather food food option., beautifully filleted , not even the merest tickle of a small bone when eating them scandi style dropped into the mouth whole.(queen mother would approve),

Breakfast of champions.

[AE-NMidlands]

We haven't got a Costco handy, but we do like Lidl's pickled herring fillets in cream/yougurt sauce. Not cheapo, but they make a very good cold lunch with last night's (new) potatoes cold and other salad stuff.

[Mr Gus]

For us it is a day trip (nearest, not near) the tins of colombian ground coffee (1.136kg) is good, but the price has just hiked to £12.99 ..at least the tin is recyclable unllike many plastic packages, should I save them for small concrete foundation mounts or what folks?

I am not so into the lidl ones but they are ok, small fillets & very oily fill, the sweet brine leaves a nice dry but moist fillet, (i've sadly hammered that tub) ..makes a nice change from lidl mackerel inna tin on toast for breakfast.

For anyone within range of a costco, check out if it has a petrol station (you simply scan "a costco card" to activate the pump, so in essence it can be borrowed to perform a fill "cough"

Milton Keynes doesn't have a petrol station attached, but having finally visited the stevenage store, it is COOLER (60's concrete roofing) compared to higher modern shed warehouses, & it has a degree of under cover parking ...that was a fabulous bonus.

The loss leading cafe they have is faster (5 minute queue versus 30 mins at MK) bearing in mind we pass through on the way to airports I think the wife will keep cans in the car from now on ..not that we've flown for a long time (summer 2020) nor will we for a good while yet, it can reduce the cost of an expensive airport run (now we know) filling up / topping up if not flying in the wee hours (we do, but there is always the return leg)
right now I think its worth getting a 4th can that go's quite a way to topping off a smart car.

Back on the herring, got my daughter to try some (she has a way to go, but said it wasn't bad) ..shame herring fillets aren't a regular menu item outside of scandi countries, I get bored of breakfast menus that don't go much beyond the fry up or moma porridge, or a badly done over sauced "baked" poached egg for a healthier lighter option.