Creative block

Nothing mentioned appeals to me. I'm not a fish fan and definately
not a trout fan, so pecan crusted trout leaves me absolutely cold.
"Latin rice" (whatever that is) and beans with bacon sound totally
gross.

Haricorts Vert beans with a pat of butter melted on top appeal as does
creamed spinach.

``````````````````````````

Bob Terwilliger said:

I got some frozen pecan-crusted trout fillets from the grocery store, and
I'm drawing a blank as to what I should serve with them. I figure on just
brushing them with melted butter and baking them, but I'm not entirely sold
on that idea. I want the side dishes to complement the fish, but I have no
idea what *would* complement the combination of pecans and trout.

My first inclination was to serve it with a mixture of white and wild rice,
with steamed broccoli as a side dish. But "ho-hum" keeps popping into my
head at that thought; it's too much like a TV dinner. I Googled for "pecan
trout" and found that there are plenty of places serving pecan-crusted
trout, but most of the meal combinations didn't appeal: "Latin rice and
black beans" kept showing up as an accompaniment, but that doesn't sound
very good. Nor does "vegetable medley and shoestring potatoes." I found a
recipe for pecan-crusted trout with an orange-rosemary sauce, but that seems
a little contrived. I see Commander's Palace serves "Pecan Crusted Fish
Creole seasoned and topped with a petit green salad and spiced pecans;
finished with crushed corn cream and Creole meunière sauce ," but I'm not
sure I'm in the mood for that particular combination. Another New Orleans
restaurant (Oceana) serves pecan-crusted trout with jambalaya and
unspecified "sauteed vegetables." And I found a restaurant menu which
contains "Baked Pecan Trout, baby spinach, artichokes, red onion, feta & red
wine vinaigrette, with potato wedges." No, that doesn't meet my needs,
either.

To me, pecan-crusted trout is associated with a specific geographic area,
which is enclosed by the NON-coastal areas of Georgia, South Carolina,
Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Naturally, all
those places make great barbecue, but I had a bad restaurant experience
involving dandelion greens, sweet potato hash, pan-fried catfish, and
barbecue sauce: I discovered that they do *not* go well together, and I
surmise that barbecue sauce would be equally out-of-place with pecan-crusted
trout.

Should I make a sauce for the fish? What would accompany the fish better
than rice and broccoli?

Okay, as I'm wrote the last paragraph, I thought of cornbread muffins with
apple chunks inside, and it seemed to fit, so I'm going to make that. Any
suggestions for vegetable accompaniments? Green beans with bacon, maybe?

Bob

sf said:

Nothing mentioned appeals to me. I'm not a fish fan and definately
not a trout fan, so pecan crusted trout leaves me absolutely cold.
"Latin rice" (whatever that is) and beans with bacon sound totally
gross.

Latin rice might be Carribean rice.
Rice cooked in coconut milk.
This goes wonderfully with fish and, in fact, was something I was going to
suggest.
The combination of beans and bacon is traditional in Eastern Canada and was
an important dietary combination - somewhat similar to the beans and rice
combination in the tropics.

Ken.

Quoted message said:

``````````````````````````

Bob Terwilliger said:

I got some frozen pecan-crusted trout fillets from the grocery
store, and I'm drawing a blank as to what I should serve with them.
I figure on just brushing them with melted butter and baking them,
but I'm not entirely sold on that idea. I want the side dishes to
complement the fish, but I have no idea what *would* complement the
combination of pecans and trout.

My first inclination was to serve it with a mixture of white and
wild rice, with steamed broccoli as a side dish. But "ho-hum"
keeps popping into my head at that thought; it's too much like a TV
dinner. I Googled for "pecan trout" and found that there are
plenty of places serving pecan-crusted trout, but most of the meal
combinations didn't appeal: "Latin rice and black beans" kept
showing up as an accompaniment, but that doesn't sound very good.
Nor does "vegetable medley and shoestring potatoes." I found a
recipe for pecan-crusted trout with an orange-rosemary sauce, but
that seems a little contrived. I see Commander's Palace serves
"Pecan Crusted Fish Creole seasoned and topped with a petit green
salad and spiced pecans; finished with crushed corn cream and
Creole meunière sauce ," but I'm not sure I'm in the mood for that
particular combination. Another New Orleans restaurant (Oceana)
serves pecan-crusted trout with jambalaya and unspecified "sauteed
vegetables." And I found a restaurant menu which contains "Baked
Pecan Trout, baby spinach, artichokes, red onion, feta & red wine
vinaigrette, with potato wedges." No, that doesn't meet my needs,
either.

To me, pecan-crusted trout is associated with a specific geographic
area, which is enclosed by the NON-coastal areas of Georgia, South
Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
Naturally, all those places make great barbecue, but I had a bad
restaurant experience involving dandelion greens, sweet potato
hash, pan-fried catfish, and barbecue sauce: I discovered that they
do *not* go well together, and I surmise that barbecue sauce would
be equally out-of-place with pecan-crusted trout.

Should I make a sauce for the fish? What would accompany the fish
better than rice and broccoli?

Okay, as I'm wrote the last paragraph, I thought of cornbread
muffins with apple chunks inside, and it seemed to fit, so I'm
going to make that. Any suggestions for vegetable accompaniments?
Green beans with bacon, maybe?

Bob

On Fri 30 Sep 2005 11:29:01p, sf wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Nothing mentioned appeals to me. I'm not a fish fan and definately
not a trout fan, so pecan crusted trout leaves me absolutely cold.
"Latin rice" (whatever that is) and beans with bacon sound totally
gross.

I would have to agree, no appeal whatsoever. I'm also not sure why anyone
would get into such a dither over frozen fish filets. Images of Mrs. Paul's!

Quoted message said:

Haricorts Vert beans with a pat of butter melted on top appeal as does
creamed spinach.

Now that has some appeal.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________

http://tinypic.com/dzijap.jpg

Popie-In-The-Bowl

Bob Terwilliger said:

I got some frozen pecan-crusted trout fillets from the grocery store,
and I'm drawing a blank as to what I should serve with them. I
figure on just brushing them with melted butter and baking them, but
I'm not entirely sold on that idea. I want the side dishes to
complement the fish, but I have no idea what *would* complement the
combination of pecans and trout.

My first inclination was to serve it with a mixture of white and wild
rice, with steamed broccoli as a side dish. But "ho-hum" keeps
popping into my head at that thought; it's too much like a TV dinner.
I Googled for "pecan trout" and found that there are plenty of places
serving pecan-crusted trout, but most of the meal combinations didn't
appeal: "Latin rice and black beans" kept showing up as an
accompaniment, but that doesn't sound very good. Nor does "vegetable
medley and shoestring potatoes." I found a recipe for pecan-crusted
trout with an orange-rosemary sauce, but that seems a little
contrived. I see Commander's Palace serves "Pecan Crusted Fish
Creole seasoned and topped with a petit green salad and spiced
pecans; finished with crushed corn cream and Creole meunière sauce ,"
but I'm not sure I'm in the mood for that particular combination.
Another New Orleans restaurant (Oceana) serves pecan-crusted trout
with jambalaya and unspecified "sauteed vegetables." And I found a
restaurant menu which contains "Baked Pecan Trout, baby spinach,
artichokes, red onion, feta & red wine vinaigrette, with potato
wedges." No, that doesn't meet my needs, either.

To me, pecan-crusted trout is associated with a specific geographic
area, which is enclosed by the NON-coastal areas of Georgia, South
Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
Naturally, all those places make great barbecue, but I had a bad
restaurant experience involving dandelion greens, sweet potato hash,
pan-fried catfish, and barbecue sauce: I discovered that they do
*not* go well together, and I surmise that barbecue sauce would be
equally out-of-place with pecan-crusted trout.

Should I make a sauce for the fish? What would accompany the fish
better than rice and broccoli?

Okay, as I'm wrote the last paragraph, I thought of cornbread muffins
with apple chunks inside, and it seemed to fit, so I'm going to make
that. Any suggestions for vegetable accompaniments? Green beans
with bacon, maybe?

Bob

BBQ sauce would be a big no-no. And frankly, the idea of apples in
cornbread muffins leaves me cold.

Hmmm. Nothing wrong with a good baked sweet potato; (treat it like a
regular baked potato, none of that sugar and pie spice stuff). Or sweet
potato shoe-string fries. Or a simple brown rice pilaf (celery, carrots,
like that) and the spinach. Nothing too complicated. You want an
accompaniment, not an overwhelmer. The pecans on the trout will handle the
rest.

Jill

Wayne responded to sf's post:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Nothing mentioned appeals to me. I'm not a fish fan and definately
not a trout fan, so pecan crusted trout leaves me absolutely cold.
"Latin rice" (whatever that is) and beans with bacon sound totally
gross.

I would have to agree, no appeal whatsoever. I'm also not sure why anyone
would get into such a dither over frozen fish filets. Images of Mrs.
Paul's!

No accounting for tastes. :-)

These fillets actually do look pretty good; that's why I bought them. And in
my earlier Googling, I didn't run across a single negative comment about the
combination of pecans and trout.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Haricorts Vert beans with a pat of butter melted on top appeal as does
creamed spinach.

Now that has some appeal.

Sounds like someone likes Boston Market. :-b

Bob

Jill wrote about accompanying pecan-crusted trout:

Quoted message said:

BBQ sauce would be a big no-no. And frankly, the idea of apples in
cornbread muffins leaves me cold.

Hmmm. Nothing wrong with a good baked sweet potato; (treat it like a
regular baked potato, none of that sugar and pie spice stuff). Or sweet
potato shoe-string fries. Or a simple brown rice pilaf (celery, carrots,
like that) and the spinach. Nothing too complicated. You want an
accompaniment, not an overwhelmer. The pecans on the trout will handle
the rest.

The notion of apples in cornbread muffins came from my mom. I'm not sure
where she got it. She grew up in northwest Iowa (Merrill, if anybody here
lives in that area), but moved to Florida before I was born. She picked up
some Southern cooking customs (e.g., hog jowls and black-eyed peas on New
Year's Day), but I don't know if the apple-cornbread muffin was one of them.
The apples lend moisture and a bit of fragrance to the muffins, but are
fairly unobtrusive.

Wnen you wrote "the spinach," were you referring to sf's mention of creamed
spinach, or were you thinking about your beloved deep-fried spinach?

At any rate, baked sweet potato *does* sound like it ought to go well.
Thanks!

Bob

Bob Terwilliger said:

The notion of apples in cornbread muffins came from my mom

I thought about apple fritters which except for deep frying vs. baking
are kinda/sorta the same thing.

Apple muffins don't sound so bad.

Imho,

Andy

Bob Terwilliger said:

Jill wrote about accompanying pecan-crusted trout:

Quoted message said:

BBQ sauce would be a big no-no. And frankly, the idea of apples in
cornbread muffins leaves me cold.

Hmmm. Nothing wrong with a good baked sweet potato; (treat it like a
regular baked potato, none of that sugar and pie spice stuff). Or
sweet potato shoe-string fries. Or a simple brown rice pilaf
(celery, carrots, like that) and the spinach. Nothing too
complicated. You want an accompaniment, not an overwhelmer. The
pecans on the trout will handle the rest.

The notion of apples in cornbread muffins came from my mom. I'm not
sure where she got it. She grew up in northwest Iowa (Merrill, if
anybody here lives in that area), but moved to Florida before I was
born. She picked up some Southern cooking customs (e.g., hog jowls
and black-eyed peas on New Year's Day), but I don't know if the
apple-cornbread muffin was one of them. The apples lend moisture and
a bit of fragrance to the muffins, but are fairly unobtrusive.

I'm sure it's a fine thing. Not knocking your mom or her muffins! I tend
to lean towards savoury and to me apples speak of pie and sweetness.

Quoted message said:

Wnen you wrote "the spinach," were you referring to sf's mention of
creamed spinach, or were you thinking about your beloved deep-fried
spinach?

I wouldn't call deep fried spinach my "beloved" although it is downright
tasty. Might make a nice bed upon which to serve the fish 🙂 I love
spinach, period. Souffle, creamed, steamed, pan-fried with some garlic in
olive oil. Spinach! (just don't give me the canned stuff)

Quoted message said:

At any rate, baked sweet potato *does* sound like it ought to go well.
Thanks!

Bob

Indeed, a baked sweet potato requires very little enhancement. It's much
more moist than a baked white potato and might not even require anything
more than simply salt & pepper. It's up to you. I love baked sweet
potatoes.

Jill

Jill said:

I'm sure it's a fine thing. Not knocking your mom or her muffins! I tend
to lean towards savoury and to me apples speak of pie and sweetness.

Yeah, Southerners tend to like their cornbread less sweet (though the sugar
that goes into the iced tea more than makes up for the sugar that *doesn't*
go into the cornbread.) I like to use fruit in savory preparations, so the
apple suits me just fine.

Quoted message said:

Indeed, a baked sweet potato requires very little enhancement. It's much
more moist than a baked white potato and might not even require anything
more than simply salt & pepper. It's up to you. I love baked sweet
potatoes.

I've been itching to try out a recipe I found for Jamaican curry powder:

Jamaican Curry Powder

1 tbsp cumin seeds (15 ml)
1 tbsp mustard seeds (15 ml)
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds (15 ml)
1 tbsp anise seed (15 ml)
1 tbsp black peppercorns (15 ml)
1 tbsp coriander seeds (15 ml)
1 tbsp paprika or ground red pepper
1/2 tbsp allspice (7 ml)
1 tbsp turmeric powder (15 ml)

Toast all seeds, then grind them finely. (I have a burr-type coffee grinder
which I use for spices.) Mix everything together and store in an airtight
container. (I use a Ziploc sandwich bag.)

Maybe I'll mix some of that curry powder into melted butter and put it on
the sweet potato.

Bob

On Sat 01 Oct 2005 03:56:02a, Bob Terwilliger wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Wayne responded to sf's post:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Nothing mentioned appeals to me. I'm not a fish fan and definately
not a trout fan, so pecan crusted trout leaves me absolutely cold.
"Latin rice" (whatever that is) and beans with bacon sound totally
gross.

I would have to agree, no appeal whatsoever. I'm also not sure why
anyone would get into such a dither over frozen fish filets. Images of
Mrs. Paul's!

No accounting for tastes. :-)

These fillets actually do look pretty good; that's why I bought them.
And in my earlier Googling, I didn't run across a single negative
comment about the combination of pecans and trout.

There's also Trout Amandine. Nuts and fish or meat can marry well. I just
have a personal hatred for frozen fish. I've had pecan-crusted chicken
breast which was delicious.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Haricorts Vert beans with a pat of butter melted on top appeal as does
creamed spinach.

Now that has some appeal.

Sounds like someone likes Boston Market. :-b

Never been there.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________

http://tinypic.com/dzijap.jpg

Popie-In-The-Bowl

"Bob Terwilliger" <virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I got some frozen pecan-crusted trout fillets from the grocery store, and
I'm drawing a blank as to what I should serve with them. I figure on just
brushing them with melted butter and baking them, but I'm not entirely
sold
on that idea. I want the side dishes to complement the fish, but I have
no
idea what *would* complement the combination of pecans and trout.

snip

Quoted message said:

Bob

I immediately thought of a mixed rice pilaf--with no strong herbs--fruit
salad with oranges in it somewhere, and something spinach. It's the spinach
that has me stumped, I would be looking for an interesting spinach dish that
didn't involve bacon or cream sauce. Maybe it should be spinach salad with
oranges.
Janet

"Bob Terwilliger" <virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've been itching to try out a recipe I found for Jamaican curry
powder:

Jamaican Curry Powder

....

Quoted message said:

Maybe I'll mix some of that curry powder into melted butter and put it
on
the sweet potato.

I was going to suggest baked sweets. The Jamaican curry butter sounds
wonderful alongside! With your corn muffins, and yeah, go ahead, throw
in the grean beans, it sounds like a great meal.

C

On 30 Sep 2005 22:53:03 -0500, "Bob Terwilliger"

virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz said:

To me, pecan-crusted trout is associated with a specific geographic area,
which is enclosed by the NON-coastal areas of Georgia, South Carolina,
Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Naturally, all
those places make great barbecue, but I had a bad restaurant experience
involving dandelion greens, sweet potato hash, pan-fried catfish, and
barbecue sauce: I discovered that they do *not* go well together, and I
surmise that barbecue sauce would be equally out-of-place with pecan-crusted
trout.

Sauce meuniere would be nice, I think. Maybe spiked with some cayenne
and lemon zest. I had catfish that way at the Palace Cafe once.
http://www.palacecafe.com/menus/dinner.php Actually I ordered
something else, but I got a taste of it from a dining companion.

From their menu: "Catfish Pecan Meunière Pecan-crusted with Creole
meunière sauce, fire cracker pecans, popcorn rice, haricots verts and
carrots."

Quoted message said:

Should I make a sauce for the fish? What would accompany the fish better
than rice and broccoli?

Okay, as I'm wrote the last paragraph, I thought of cornbread muffins with
apple chunks inside, and it seemed to fit, so I'm going to make that. Any
suggestions for vegetable accompaniments? Green beans with bacon, maybe?

These sound lovely.

modom

Bob Terwilliger said:

Jill wrote:

Yeah, Southerners tend to like their cornbread less sweet (though the
sugar that goes into the iced tea more than makes up for the sugar
that *doesn't* go into the cornbread.) I like to use fruit in savory
preparations, so the apple suits me just fine.

LOL! I don't drink iced tea but I think you'd be surprised how many folks
down here ask for unsweetened iced tea.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Indeed, a baked sweet potato requires very little enhancement. It's
much more moist than a baked white potato and might not even require
anything more than simply salt & pepper. It's up to you. I love
baked sweet potatoes.

I've been itching to try out a recipe I found for Jamaican curry
powder:

Jamaican Curry Powder

1 tbsp cumin seeds (15 ml)
1 tbsp mustard seeds (15 ml)
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds (15 ml)
1 tbsp anise seed (15 ml)
1 tbsp black peppercorns (15 ml)
1 tbsp coriander seeds (15 ml)
1 tbsp paprika or ground red pepper
1/2 tbsp allspice (7 ml)
1 tbsp turmeric powder (15 ml)

Toast all seeds, then grind them finely. (I have a burr-type coffee
grinder which I use for spices.) Mix everything together and store
in an airtight container. (I use a Ziploc sandwich bag.)

Maybe I'll mix some of that curry powder into melted butter and put
it on the sweet potato.

Bob

Hey, thanks for this! I've saved it. You might try this on baked butternut
squash, too. In fact, now that I think about it, you could serve some baked
then mashed butternut squash with that pecan fish... hmmm. You're giving me
ideas. I have a butternut squash begging to be used but it's not big enough
to use for soup.

Jill

Wayne Boatwright said:

On Sat 01 Oct 2005 03:56:02a, Bob Terwilliger wrote in
rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Wayne responded to sf's post:

Quoted message said:

> Nothing mentioned appeals to me. I'm not a fish fan and definately
> not a trout fan, so pecan crusted trout leaves me absolutely cold.
> "Latin rice" (whatever that is) and beans with bacon sound totally
> gross.

I would have to agree, no appeal whatsoever. I'm also not sure why
anyone would get into such a dither over frozen fish filets.
Images of Mrs. Paul's!

No accounting for tastes. :-)

These fillets actually do look pretty good; that's why I bought them.
And in my earlier Googling, I didn't run across a single negative
comment about the combination of pecans and trout.

There's also Trout Amandine. Nuts and fish or meat can marry well.
I just have a personal hatred for frozen fish.

Um. So you get fresh fish out there in Arizona? 😉 I suppose you mean
frozen when you buy it? I actually prefer it that way (no, not in a box on
a shelf labelled Mrs. Paul's, except for fish sticks sometimes - it's a
childhood thing). Around here pretty much all the fish is previously
frozen. At least if they keep it that way (cryo-vac'd) when I stick it in
the freezer upon returning from the store I know I'm not re-freezing
previously frozen fish. I only buy "fresh" from the seafood counter if I'm
going to prepare it the same night.

Jill

On Sat 01 Oct 2005 09:01:30a, jmcquown wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

On Sat 01 Oct 2005 03:56:02a, Bob Terwilliger wrote in
rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Wayne responded to sf's post:

>> Nothing mentioned appeals to me. I'm not a fish fan and definately
>> not a trout fan, so pecan crusted trout leaves me absolutely cold.
>> "Latin rice" (whatever that is) and beans with bacon sound totally
>> gross.
>
> I would have to agree, no appeal whatsoever. I'm also not sure why
> anyone would get into such a dither over frozen fish filets.
> Images of Mrs. Paul's!

No accounting for tastes. :-)

These fillets actually do look pretty good; that's why I bought them.
And in my earlier Googling, I didn't run across a single negative
comment about the combination of pecans and trout.

There's also Trout Amandine. Nuts and fish or meat can marry well.
I just have a personal hatred for frozen fish.

Um. So you get fresh fish out there in Arizona? 😉 I suppose you mean
frozen when you buy it? I actually prefer it that way (no, not in a box

on

Quoted message said:

a shelf labelled Mrs. Paul's, except for fish sticks sometimes - it's a
childhood thing). Around here pretty much all the fish is previously
frozen. At least if they keep it that way (cryo-vac'd) when I stick it

in

Quoted message said:

the freezer upon returning from the store I know I'm not re-freezing
previously frozen fish. I only buy "fresh" from the seafood counter if

I'm

Quoted message said:

going to prepare it the same night.

Jill

Depending on where I shop I can get both, and labeled as such: Fresh or
Previoiusly Frozen. Much of the fresh is obviously flown in, but there are
also a significant number of fish farms here in AZ.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________

http://tinypic.com/dzijap.jpg

Popie-In-The-Bowl

Bob Terwilliger said:

I got some frozen pecan-crusted trout fillets from the grocery store,
and
I'm drawing a blank as to what I should serve with them. I figure on
just
brushing them with melted butter and baking them, but I'm not entirely
sold
on that idea. I want the side dishes to complement the fish, but I
have no
idea what *would* complement the combination of pecans and trout.

Potatoes Anna, gnocchi, polenta, a parmesan cheese soufflé?

There is a French 'garnish' that i often make as a side dish and is
merely carrots, onions, celery and raw ham all cut into small dice and
stewed in butter till done & lightly browned then a bit of white wine is
added to deglaze and finish the dish.

Celeri a la Bonne Femme is just thinly sliced celery and pippin apples
equally thinly sliced and mixed together with a mustard and cream sauce.

---
JL

On 30 Sep 2005 22:53:03 -0500, "Bob Terwilliger"

virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz said:

I got some frozen pecan-crusted trout fillets from the grocery store, and
I'm drawing a blank as to what I should serve with them. I figure on just
brushing them with melted butter and baking them, but I'm not entirely sold
on that idea. I want the side dishes to complement the fish, but I have no
idea what *would* complement the combination of pecans and trout.

Okay, as I'm wrote the last paragraph, I thought of cornbread muffins with
apple chunks inside, and it seemed to fit, so I'm going to make that. Any
suggestions for vegetable accompaniments? Green beans with bacon, maybe?

Bob

I agree with Jill. Keep the side dishes simple. The trout should be
the main event.

I would go for a lemon risotto and steamed broccoli or green beans.

Kathy

Kathy in NZ said:

I would go for a lemon risotto and steamed broccoli or green beans.

FWIW - *That* sounds really good to me!
Do you have a recipe to post for the rice?