Just filler... No, really!

My network of Kremlin-directed infiltration cells intended to exploit the immediate postwar instablity at the heart of Europe is not yet fully in place- curse those petit-bourgeois prevaricators! (AKA. I haven't worked out my TS@VASSAL setup.) Meanwhile let me share a real life culinary 'adventure'.

Food, glorious food!
For all its run down and impoverished realities, Glasgow remains the truly cosmopolitan city it was in the heyday of its imperial splendour (although why tourists visit it in such numbers still perplexes me I have to confess). A food lover living in the West End, I'm particularly fortunate: the cuisine of the world is pretty much on my doorstep; between delis and ethnic grocers, there is a frankly bewildering variety of exotic foodstuffs to intrigue the eye and tantalise the palate.

Appetisers...

Badger's been on holiday from work lately, so we sat down yesterday to a long-awaited WW2 tactical session. The evening also saw me cooking the first of several seafood dishes I'll be doing over the next few days. Something I've hankered after for a while, I think I've indulged the whim now to cheer myself up a bit in the face of my mood's recent slide below the median.

Last night's recipie was Oven-roasted Fish with Potatoes and Salsa Verde. This is another Delia, originally from her How to Cook Book Two, the white series infamous for teaching such things as how to boil an egg. At least she wasn't suggesting people go out and buy pre-fried onions as in How to Cheat at Cooking (sheesh).

This recipie has all the hallmarks of a classic Delia:

• Simple ingredients list (don't be fooled by the long list for the salsa verde - you can pick it all up at a half-decent supermarket).
• Easy preparation using basic techniques and few processes.
• Ideal for preparing in advance for last minute heating in the oven, this dish could even be kept in the fridge overnight.

It was a success, although I did overdo the pepper just a bit (Badger didn't have to order pizza though!).

Tonight's menu...
...is Fennel and mascarpone risotto with scallops and prosciutto.

I'm busy working on the report of our games from last night. In the meantime here is the 2nd of those 3 seafood recipies. I've never tried this before, although I've been cooking risottos for years, and I like fennel - as regular readers might remember. So I'm looking forward to trying out something new; just what I need to cheer me up, like I said. ;)