Hello loyal fish denizens.
Here is the news for the week: Hurricanes Suck.
If you are feeling hoodwinked by these alleged off-shore storms, we can relate. We have limited fish supplies and it is really disturbing our inner chi.
Balderdash you cry! It barely even rained last weekend in NYC. Why can’t we have more of a fish selection?
Guess what: There are actual hurricanes out there, so you can run and tell that, homeboy.
Let me paint you a mental picture so you can really grasp this concept:
You and your crew go out to sea on a trip that should last 6 days. On the 5th fortnight you and your crew are loaded up with your 400lb Cod quota. Yonder, lo and behold, a storm. All hands on deck. It is closing in on you. This storm is now gusting at 74mph winds, making it a legitimate hurricane. It is barricading your ship from the mainland. What are you going to do? You are going to stay at sea for the next 13 days feeling sorry for yourself. You will be swinging from the crow’s nest like a deranged lunatic, cursing the heavens above. You will swirl around in Mother Nature’s caldron of brimstone and hellfire like a toy boat. Your entire catch is not getting any fresher and your crew is getting mutinous. All the money you spent on fuel, all of the time and labor you spent catching these fish is now GONE.
Your wife is going to cut your……she is going to kill you.
Ending up like this:
Be glad you aren’t a fisherman in a hurricane.
Stimulating facts about hurricanes:
Hundreds of years ago when sailing their ships in to the Caribbean, Spanish Conquistadores adopted the indigenous word “huracan” to describe the evil spirits and weather gods we now call Hurricanes.
Due to the earth’s rotation, hurricanes always move clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
On average, according to data collected between the years of 1966-2009 there are 6 named storms per year. For 2010 there have ALREADY been 10.
Most Hurricanes are formed near the Cape Verde Islands when churning trade windsfrom the Northern and Southern Hemispheres converge off the coast of Africa.
Would you like some Cape Verdean Caldo de Peixe with that hurricane?
Serves 6 - 8
In Cape Verde, this soup is thickened by the addition of both "mandioca"--a flour made from dried cassava root and "farinha de pau" (crushed, dried bread crumbs).
1 tsp. salt
2-3 green (unripe) bananas, sliced in rounds
1 yellow onion, sliced
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 chili pepper or 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
3 lg. tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. tapioca flour
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1/2 of a sm. cabbage, chopped
4-6 lg. potatoes, chopped in chunks
4-6 sweet potatoes, chopped in chunks
2 lb. fish, without bones
In a mixing bowl, dissolve salt in enough water to cover the banana pieces. Dump them in, and soak for 10-15 minutes to draw out the "pucker" quality of the unripe fruit. Meanwhile, in a deep skillet or heavy stew pot, brown onion in oil over moderate heat. Add garlic, bay leaf, pepper, parsley and tomato, and saute for several minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 4 cups hot water. In a separate bowl, use a bit of the hot broth to whisk the tapioca flour into a thin, smooth paste. Bring soup almost to a boil and add the paste and bread crumbs, stirring vigorously. Immediately reduce heat to simmer. Drain the bananas and add them, along with the cabbage and potatoes. Gently lay in the fish, cover with water, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until everything is done.
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