I don't have the recipe - just the list of ingredients. It sounded like
a good one. It's from Fauziya Kassindja's 1990s autobiography "Do They
Hear You When You Cry," in which she describes fleeing an arranged
marriage and nuptial mutilation (in Togo, Africa), only to find herself
in several American prisons for 18 months as a refugee. Anyway, she
makes it clear she would never have wanted to leave home or ask for
asylum in the US if it weren't for that. In her early chapters, she
describes her idyllic life and culture in Togo, and two dishes she
mentions are one with beans/plantains/yams and one with
fish/corn/pepper/tomatoes/onions, which is fried.

Any idea which non-expensive fish might taste best with that? Thank
you.

Lenona.

Lenona wrote:

> fish/corn/pepper/tomatoes/onions, which is fried.
>
> Any idea which non-expensive fish might taste best with that?


I can only think of a few fish which WOULDN'T go well. Salmon, trout, or any
of their cousins (e.g., steelhead, arctic char) would probably not be the
best. Tuna wouldn't be all that great. But any kind of white-fleshed fish
would probably be fine. Depending on where you live, catfish might be the
least expensive good choice. Or tilapia (let's see if Jill posts a
recommendation for tilapia before I do!) Snapper or grouper, if you live in
a coastal area.

Now you've made me combine a couple threads in my head: I can imagine
cooking corn, serrano peppers, and onions in oil over medium-high heat.
When they begin to show some caramelization, throw in chopped tomatoes and
cook until the tomatoes release their juices. Here's the kicker: When it
comes up to a boil, throw in some OYSTERS and turn off the heat.

Hm...it's missing something. Okay, back up in time and add okra along with
the corn. (I think I was channeling modom there.)

The combination given (using fish) could be given a Peruvian twist rather
easily. I'd add chunks of steamed calabaza or pumpkin to the corn mixture,
then garlic when the heat gets turned down. Garnish with cilantro.

And what kind of oil? Palm oil? Canola? Maybe some butter? I guess I'll
have to go shopping and do some experimentation.

Bob

I didn't know there WAS a non-expensive fish.

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> I don't have the recipe - just the list of ingredients. It sounded like
> a good one. It's from Fauziya Kassindja's 1990s autobiography "Do They
> Hear You When You Cry," in which she describes fleeing an arranged
> marriage and nuptial mutilation (in Togo, Africa), only to find herself
> in several American prisons for 18 months as a refugee. Anyway, she
> makes it clear she would never have wanted to leave home or ask for
> asylum in the US if it weren't for that. In her early chapters, she
> describes her idyllic life and culture in Togo, and two dishes she
> mentions are one with beans/plantains/yams and one with
> fish/corn/pepper/tomatoes/onions, which is fried.
>
> Any idea which non-expensive fish might taste best with that? Thank
> you.
>
> Lenona.
>

patga wrote:

> I didn't know there WAS a non-expensive fish.
>

There used to be

patga wrote:

> I didn't know there WAS a non-expensive fish.

We get frozen farm raised talipia for 1 dollar a pound (U.S.) here in
Northern California.

Though having never been much of a fish fancier i am even more put off
by the reports of the levels of toxic chemicals in fish these days, even
farm raised fish are not immune, or so i have been told.
---
JL

>
>
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> >
> > I don't have the recipe - just the list of ingredients. It sounded
> like
> > a good one. It's from Fauziya Kassindja's 1990s autobiography "Do
> They
> > Hear You When You Cry," in which she describes fleeing an arranged
> > marriage and nuptial mutilation (in Togo, Africa), only to find
> herself
> > in several American prisons for 18 months as a refugee. Anyway, she
> > makes it clear she would never have wanted to leave home or ask for
> > asylum in the US if it weren't for that. In her early chapters, she
> > describes her idyllic life and culture in Togo, and two dishes she
> > mentions are one with beans/plantains/yams and one with
> > fish/corn/pepper/tomatoes/onions, which is fried.
> >
> > Any idea which non-expensive fish might taste best with that? Thank
> > you.
> >
> > Lenona.
> >

"Joseph Littleshoes" > wrote in message
...
> patga wrote:
>
>> I didn't know there WAS a non-expensive fish.
>
> We get frozen farm raised talipia for 1 dollar a pound (U.S.) here in
> Northern California.
>
> Though having never been much of a fish fancier i am even more put off
> by the reports of the levels of toxic chemicals in fish these days,
> even
> farm raised fish are not immune, or so i have been told.
> ---
> JL
Don't believe everything you are told. There are folks that will tell
you that nutrasweet is a deadly poison and that cooking with non stick
pans will kill you, and that apples are covered with deadly alar, and
beef, well I forget what got oprah all upset but i'm sure it was a
non-issue.

Chemistry today is absolutely amazing in its ability to detect chemicals
in the parts per billion range, so unlike in the days of yore we can
detect toxic chemicals at levels far below those shown to be harmless,
although some folks believe in linear scaling.

del cecchi