The cod loins were back at the market this week. My fish
lady told me that the loin in the biggest part of a cod filet, and the price
reflects that but I bought one anyway. I already had a recipe in mind. This one
comes from an Irish cookbook, but it’s very flexible—you can make it with or
without mushrooms, or substitute whatever other vegetable you feel like. As for
cheese, pick your favorite semi-hard cheese (which is gratable). If the sauce
seems too thick, just add a little more milk. And taste as you go—I found that
the lemon juice, even in small amounts, made a definite difference in flavor.
Cod with Cheese Sauce
Ingredients:
3/8 cup whole milk
One slice of onion
3 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
3 parsley stalks
1 oz. butter
1/2 pound cod fillet
1 oz. mushrooms (whatever type you prefer, chopped or
sliced)
1 scant oz. flour
1 Tblsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper
2 oz. Cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions:
Put the milk in a small saucepan along with the onion slice,
peppercorns, bay leaf and parsley stalks. Bring to a boil, then remove from the
heat and let “infuse.”
In a different saucepan melt the butter, then brush a little
of it on an ovenproof pie dish. Cut the cod into strips, then lay the strips in
the pie dish and scatter the mushrooms on top.
Add the flour to the remaining butter in the saucepan and
whisk to blend. Strain the milk and stir it into the flour-butter mixture until
it’s smooth. Bring to a boil and cook until it thickens. Add the salt and
pepper, a dash of lemon juice, then 2/3 of the cheese and stir until smooth. When the cheese is melted, pour the sauce over the
fish and mushrooms. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or
until the top is golden brown.
Note: you could also make this in individual ramekins (about
1/2 pint each for single servings).
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When a summer intern at the Preservation Society discovers an aged document hidden in the binding of an antique book, Society president Nell Pratt is intrigued by the possibilities: is it a valuable historic document or just a useless scrap of paper? When analysis reveals that it’s a hand-drawn map of one of Philadelphia’s oldest neighborhoods, Nell learns that the area is being excavated for a new real estate development and may hold long-buried secrets from the city’s historic heyday.
Determined to get to the bottom of the map’s origin and what it might tell her about the mysterious plot of land, Nell will have to contend with a construction company owner who disappears, a former Society board member who’s harbored a dark secret her entire life, and a remarkable discovery that may have the dead turning over in their graves . . .
You'll never look at Philadelphia in quite the same way
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Congratulations and happy book day.
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