Slim Man Cooks Salmon with Leeks

Once again, I was faced with the dilemma...how can I prepare salmon in a new way?Lady Peoples, they love salmon. I once went out with a girl who ate salmon so often, grizzly bears tried to attack her when we went to the zoo.Trying to find a new way of cooking salmon can be a challenge. I’ve baked it, seared it, broiled it, grilled it, poached it…I was running out of ways to cook it! So I thought maybe I’d sear it, just the top, and then steam it.I saw a recipe that included Dijon mustard. I like Dijon mustard. I mean, I don’t eat spoonfuls out of the jar, but as far as condiments go, I like it.But on a piece of fish? I had my doubts. But I thought I’d try it, and see what it was like.It was good! There’s just a teaspoon, so it’s not overwhelming. And it was really subtle. If you didn’t know there was Dijon in the sauce, you might not have detected it.I used Wild Alaskan King salmon. It was thick and fresh and about $11 a pound, which is about half of what you normally pay. The filets I got were about an inch thick.You can use halibut, or any firm-fleshed thick fish. Thinner fish won’t work.I really like this dish. When you cook/sear/braise the top of the salmon first, it gets a nice crispness. Then when you steam it over the leeks, it stays really moist inside. It’s a nice contrast, the crispness of the top, and the steaminess of the rest.I’ve always liked the french-fried onions that come in a can that you use over string beans at Thanksgiving. I thought they might go well on top of the salmon. But I wanted to make them myself. So I took some slivered leeks, and fried them in some butter and olive oil until golden.Wow. They were good. They tasted great, just a few on top of the salmon at the very end. I made a little teepee, and it looked cool, and tasted great.Leeks...they’re dirty! Make sure you clean them real good. And cut off the root at the end, and cut off the dark green parts/leaves on top. The dark green leaves are tough like shoe leather! So just use the pale green and white parts of the leeks.INGREDIENTS1 cup leeks, white and pale green parts only, cleaned thoroughly and cut into matchstick slivers½ cup leeks, the same way (these are for garnish)¼ cup of flour4 tablespoons butter3 tablespoons olive oilSalt and pepperTwo 8-ounce Wild Alaskan King Salmon filets, about an inch thick each1 teaspoon Dijon mustard¾ cup dry white wine1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, choppedHERE WE GO!Let’s fry some leeks first. We will use these on top of the salmon, at the very end.Put a small sauté pan over medium-high heat.Add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and let them heat up!Put the flour on a plate.Take the ½ cup of leeks, and add them to the flour and mix.Pick up the leeks, let the excess flour shake off, and put them in the pan.When the edges of the leeks turn pale gold, a minute or two, turn them over.Cook them on the other side until pale gold.Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel, and add salt and pepper.Don’t throw out the flour yet!And now for the salmon…Sprinkle the tops of each salmon filet with some Kosher salt. Mazel tov!Put 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.When the butter melts and bubbles, add the salmon, skin side up.Cook for 3 or 4 minutes.Remove the salmon to a large plate.To the sauté pan, add the final 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 cup of slivered leeks, the mustard, and some Kosher salt.Stir gently and cook for 3 minutes, until leeks are soft.Add wine, and let it cook off for a minute or two.Add the salmon to the pan, skin/raw side down, right on top of the leeks.Cover and simmer for 8 minutes, or until done (pale pink in the middle, and slightly flaky).Remove the salmon to two gorgeous plates.Add the lemon juice and parsley to the pan.Add a touch of flour, and stir gently.Taste for salt and pepper and adjust.Pour a little sauce over each salmon filet. Add some crispy leeks on top, like a teepee.MANGIAMO!

Slim Man Cooks Slim's Manly Balls of Salmon

I’ve promised myself to stay positive.So, instead of saying I’m sick of salmon, I’m gonna say…I’m glad I have teeth so I can eat.But I’m getting sick of salmon. That’s all the women folks want to eat these days. So…what’s a Man to do with all that leftover salmon?Make salmon balls! They’re Manly!They make a great appetizer, you can put a bunch of ‘em on a plate and call them an entrée, you can use them when you do your juggling routine, but most important…they’re really good.I made a quick aioli sauce, which sounds fancy, but ain’t; it’s quick and simple and Manly and she’s a-so nice! It’s basically mayo and mustard and garlic, and it takes 7.9 seconds to make.The toughest part of this recipe is pulling the balls off the salmon.NOTES:You’ll need to squeeze your balls gently. There are little pockets of air, and by gently squeezing your balls, they’ll be tighter, and they won’t fall apart when you cook ‘em.INGREDIENTS2 cups leftover salmon filet, crumbled, any skin and bones removed1 ½ cups leftover roasted potatoes, cooked, smashed (I used red)2 eggs, beaten½ cup panko bread crumbs2 tablespoons parsley, choppedS&P1 tablespoon olive oil (to sauté the shallots and red bell pepper)2 tablespoons shallot, minced2 tablespoons red bell pepper, chopped4 tablespoons olive oil (to sauté your balls)1 cup flour (you might not need it all)This recipe yields 18 balls. At least it did for me…HERE WE GO!Put the leftover salmon, the potatoes, the eggs, the bread crumbs and the parsley in a small bowl. Mix gently.Add salt and pepper; I used a shy teaspoon of coarse Kosher salt and the same of fresh cracked black pepper. Mick ‘em up!and mix again, by hand. Be gentle!Put a tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and red bell pepper, and cook and stir for just a couple minutes. Shake gently while cooking.Put the shallots and red bell peppers in the bowl with the other stuff.When it's cool, dig in with your mitts, and mick ‘em up. Mix until it feels right, you don’t want it too smooth or too chunky. You’ll know when it’s right.Take some of this delectable mixture, about the size of a golf ball, and put it in your palm, and roll it into a ball.This next step is important. Squeeze your balls gently. There are little pockets of air, and by gently squeezing your balls, they’ll be tighter, and they won’t fall apart.So squeeze your salmon ball in one palm, then toss it into your other palm and gently squeeze, then toss it back in the other palm and squeeze. Do this a couple times. You’ll feel like a real Italian.Do this with all the salmon stuff. I rolled 18 salmon balls.Get a large sauté pan, put it over medium-high heat.Put in 4 tablespoons of olive oil.Get a large plate, put the flour in it and spread it around.Take a salmon ball, gently roll it in the flour, shake off the excess.Do this with all your balls, and then saute IMMEDIATELY! You leave your balls sitting around, and they’ll get soggy. And nobody likes soggy balls.Put the salmon balls in the olive oil, cook until golden, about 2 or 3 minutes.Turn ‘em over, and cook on the other side until golden, about 2 or 3 minutes.Remove to a platter lined with a couple layers of paper towels.Dish it up!Serve it on one of them good-looking plates you save for Thanksgiving, add a sprig of parsley, and put a little Slim Aioli on the side, or some plain mustard or tartar sauce and…MANGIAMO!

Slim Man Cooks Baked Salmon with Pesto

Most women I know love salmon.I once went out with a woman who ate so much salmon, she started developing small gills behind her ears.  Most women I know prefer to have things baked or broiled, rather than fried or sautéed.That’s OK. I’m a big admirer of women folk. I like to keep them happy. The world seems to work best that way.So if there are Lady People involved when I’m cooking, baked salmon is always a good bet.The thing about baked salmon is, it can get a little dry if you cook it too long. Don't overcook!Wild Alaskan King salmon is best, a nice thick piece. I found a nice piece of sockeye salmon at the local grocery (Ralph’s) for $7 a pound, and yes, it was wild.I baked it in the oven for about 8 minutes, took it out, put a little pesto and some toasted pine nuts (pignoli) on top and put it under the broiler for a minute or two, and it was…Delizioso.Keep in mind...Thicker fish take longer to cook.You don't need to toast your nuts for too long, they'll get another roasting when you stick them under the broiler.My pesto sauce has Parmigiano and romano cheese in it, and a lot of cooks frown upon putting cheese on fish.But what about the fish sandwich at McDonald’s? What about tuna casserole?Ingredients1 pound wild sockeye salmon filet, (the piece I used was about ¾ “ thick)1 tablespoon olive oilGlass baking dish Salt and freshly cracked black pepper.1 tablespoon Slim’s pesto (the video link to my recipe is down below)1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts (toast and shake in a dry pan over medium-high heat, don't burn your nuts!)Here we go…Heat oven to 425 degrees.Rinse the fish, and pat dry with paper towels.Put a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of the baking dish.Put the fish in the dish, turn it over so each side gets a little olive oil.Put the skin side down, add salt and pepper to the top.When the oven comes to temperature, place the fish on second lowest rack.Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until almost done (pink inside).Remove from oven.Turn the oven to broil.Spread the pesto evenly over fish.Top with the toasted pine nuts.Put the salmon under the broiler for a minute or two.Remove from oven.Dish it up! Make it look good. She’s a-so nice!MANGIAMO!Click on the pic to see the YouTube pesto video: 

Slim Man Cooks Cippolini and Red Bell Pepper Sauce (for fish)

I saw a tour bus driving north on Route 29. I started following it.I had just come from the recording studio in Washington, DC. It was the early 1990s. I had written a song for a singer named Brian Jack. Brian was the former lead singer in a Baltimore band named Child’s Play. He had a great voice, big charisma, and I took him into the studio to do some songs I’d written. We hit it off.The two of us lived in a house on Sue Creek, in a town outside Baltimore called Essex. People in Baltimore made fun of Essex--probably because a lot of rednecks lived there. I liked Essex.The house we shared was incredible — 21 Woody Road. It was right on the water--kinda like a Redneck Riviera. We had windsurfers, Sea-Doos, all these great water toys. None of them were ours - people parked their things at our pier, and they’d let us use them in return.The previous tenant had been hauled off to jail for insurance fraud. I remember the first time I met him. He was standing in the huge living room. It had cathedral ceilings, a big fireplace, and massive floor-to-ceiling glass doors that overlooked the deck, the pier and the river. I’ll never forget what the guy said,“I laid a lot of pipe in this house.”I thought maybe the guy was a plumber. Then it hit me — he wasn’t talking about shower stalls.Brian and I moved in soon after the guy was taken off to prison. I wrote songs for Brian, he sang ‘em. Things were starting to take off, he was getting airplay, and packing the clubs.Brian and I were heading home from the studio when we saw the tour bus and started following it. I had this intuitive feeling that we should tag along behind the bus. A couple minutes later, it pulled over to the side of the highway, onto the shoulder. I pulled right behind it. The driver got out of the bus, came over and asked me if I knew the way to Merriweather Post Pavilion.As a matter of fact, I did. I told him to follow me.I saw the Doors at Merriweather Post Pavilion on their first tour. I saw Led Zeppelin at Merriweather when they opened for the Who back in 1969 — the only time that ever happened. Procol Harum, Paul Simon, and Frank Sinatra; I’d seen them all there. I’d even played on that stage before. I knew where the backstage entrance was. The big-ass tour bus followed me in my little blue Honda station wagon.We reached the security gate, and I told them what was going on, and they waved us through. They didn’t even ask any questions. I’m guessing they were well aware that whoever was on that tour bus was running late.The tour bus followed me on the small winding road through the woods to the backstage area. When we got there, the bus driver parked, got out, and thanked me a million times.And then guess who stepped off the bus?B.B. King. When I was a kid, my Mom had brought home an album of his called Indianola Mississippi Seeds. Man, did I love that record. I must have played it a million times. “Chains and Things”, “Nobody Loves Me But My Mother”, “Hummingbird” – which was written by Leon Russell—I loved those songs. Joe Walsh played guitar on that album, Carole King played some keyboards. It was one of my favorites.I loved B.B. King and here he was standing right in front of me.He thanked me. He asked me and Brian if we’d like to stay and see the show. Then he walked us to the side of the stage, and dropped us off, right behind the curtain. We waited in the wings. I looked out at the crowd. It was buzzing.A few moments later, B.B. King’s band took the stage and played one song. Then B.B. King came out, and played and sang his heart out. All night long. Brian and I watched the whole concert from the side of the stage, a couple yards away. It was an amazing show.After the show, B.B. King invited us back to his dressing room. He signed autographs for everybody waiting in line. He told stories. He was charming, laid-back and as gracious as could be.B.B. signed a photo for me.A crazy coincidence…The guy who signed me to Motown way back when was Carl Griffin. Carl had produced a CD for B.B. King called Live At The Apollo. It won a Grammy in 1992 for both B.B. and Carl. When I mentioned to B.B. King that night that Carl was one of my best friends, B.B. smiled and said,“Carl’s a good man.”Yes, he is!Want to hear the rest of the story about the Live at the Apollo CD?Ray Charles was scheduled to do the concert that night with B.B. King. But right before the show, Ray Charles demanded to be paid an additional 50 grand--in advance--to be included in the live recording. Nobody had that kind of cash lying around on short notice. So Carl decided to go ahead with the show. Ray Charles played, but was not included on the live CD.The CD went on to win a Grammy for Griff and B.B.And that’s the rest of the story.Cippolini and Red Bell Pepper Sauce (for fish)After a night of singing the blues, this is a dish that will make you happy.The first time I made this sauce, I used maple syrup. Not pancake syrup, maple syrup! Big difference.My Dad lived on top of a mountain in upstate New York. Maple syrup was everywhere—you could see taps on maple trees with buckets underneath all over the place. Real maple syrup is real good.Getting to the grocery store at my Dad’s house was an ordeal. So if you ran out of something, you had to spend a good hour driving to and from town to get what you needed.One time I ran out of sugar for my coffee. I put in some maple syrup instead and loved it. It’s still my preferred coffee sweetener. Another time, I ran out of honey--I was going to use it in a sauce for grilled salmon. I used maple syrup instead—just a little—and loved it.I know some real good cooks who look down on this kind of thing. One of them suggested I try a medium sherry instead, and I did. I cooked the sauce both ways, with sherry and with maple syrup.I did a taste test at Slim’s Shady Trailer Park. Everybody loved the sauce with the maple syrup much better than the one with the sherry. But what the hell do those people know?If you want to substitute sherry for maple syrup, use a cream/sweet sherry.You can use this sauce over fish. I’ve used it over seared mahi and it turned out well. Mahi is a strong-tasting fish—so I used a little more sauce than I normally would. If you’d like to use a milder fish, you can use this sauce on seared or baked grouper, halibut, or salmon. Less is more—less sauce is mo’ better on mild fish.I used this sauce on baked salmon recently and it was magnifico. I used just a drizzle of sauce.This is powerful stuff!Notes…Cippolini onions are small onions, a little sweeter and milder than regular onions. You can find them in most grocery stores. If you can’t, use shallots instead.Meyer lemons are my favorites; they’re sweeter and milder than regular lemons. I’m into sweet and mild these days, I guess. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, use a ripe, soft lemon.You can use red bell pepper, or a combination of red and yellow bell peppers. Whatever combination you use, you’ll only need a tablespoon or so.To sear a piece of fish...get a medium sauté pan. Put it over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of butter, and a tablespoon of olive oil. Salt and pepper your fish, then sprinkle a LITTLE brown sugar (or turbinado sugar, or regular sugar in a pinch) on top. Do both sides, but use just a little salt, pepper and sugar, got it?When the butter starts to bubble, sear for 2 or 3 minutes, depending on the thickness. Then flip over and sear the other side for a couple minutes.Thick fish take longer.To bake a piece of fish, heat your oven to 400 degrees. Rub your fish all over with a little olive oil, and then sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top. Put it in a glass or ceramic baking dish and bake for 10 minutes. Check it with a fork. If it flakes, it’s done. If it doesn’t put it back in the oven until it does. Then drizzle a little cippolini sauce on top.INGREDIENTS2 tablespoons olive oil1 tablespoon butter2 tablespoons chopped cippolini onions1 tablespoon minced red bell pepper (or half and half red and yellow bell pepper)1 tablespoon maple syrup¼ cup dry white wine1 tablespoon lemon juice1 tablespoon chopped Italian flat leaf parsleyKosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to tasteHere we go…Put the olive oil and butter in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat for 2 or 3 minutes—don’t let the butter burn!When the butter starts to bubble, add the onions and red bell peppers and cook for 2 minutes while stirring and swirling. This is how you swirl…remove the pan from the heat for about 10 seconds, and swirl everything all around. Put the pan back on the heat for 30 seconds and repeat.Add the maple syrup and cook for 2 minutes, swirl and stir.Add the wine and cook for 1 minute. Shall we swirl and stir?Add the lemon juice. Cook for 2 minutes.Add the parsley; add kosher salt and some fresh cracked black pepper to taste.That’s the sauce! You are now The Boss of the Sauce—use it over seared mahi, or baked salmon, or whatever fish you like. You’re the Boss.MANGIAMO!!! 

Slim Man Cooks Salmon Ella

Batu and I were hanging out at the Slim Shack.  I had a piece of salmon, we were listening to Ella Fitzgerald, and I became inspired. So I created this recipe.  I call it…Salmon Ella.I love salmon.  I love Ella.  Put ‘em both together and you got Salmon Ella.One of my top five CDs ever in the history of the world?  Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.  It really is one of my favorites. Louis Armstrong changed my life.  When I was five years old, my Dad took me to a movie called The Five Pennies, and I saw Louis sing and play, and I turned to my Dad and said,“That’s what I want to do.” I wanted to play and sing like Louis Armstrong. I begged my Dad for a trumpet.A couple weeks later, for Christmas, my Dad got me a plastic toy trumpet. I broke it. I told him I wanted a real trumpet, not a toy. I was a rotten kid, huh? For my birthday—January 16^th, keep those cards and presents coming—my Dad rented me a real trumpet. I could hardly hold it up. I had to dig my elbows into my sides when I played. I loved it. I fell in love with music. We got married soon after. We’ve been together ever since.I played trumpet for years.  I did Louis Armstrong imitations.  I still love Louis Armstrong. And the CD he did with Ella Fitzgerald is great. They did a couple. The first one, released in 1957, is the best of the bunch.  It features the Oscar Peterson Trio, Norman Granz produced it (the production is stellar), and not only is it one of the best CDs ever, it has one of the best cover photos ever.My Mom was an incredibly smart woman, and a huge hero of mine.  She had a tough go of it, yet forged an incredible life without a whole lot of help. When she and my Dad divorced, she found herself with three young kids, no job skills, a high school education, and not much else.  She didn’t even know how to drive.Still, she picked herself up, dusted herself off and did what needed to be done.  She learned how to drive.  She taught herself the skills she needed.  She studied the dictionary, the English language, learned how to type and how to write.  She taught herself foreign languages.She started counseling troubled teens at John Hopkins Hospital, and ended up running the psychology department at Johns Hopkins University. Guys with more degrees than a thermometer were asking my Mom to help them with papers, articles and theses.She didn’t have a lot of money.  She managed to travel, had a chance to see the world – that was important to her.  Music was really important to her.  She had a nice stereo, and a great collection of music.  But she was frugal. She had to be.When Ella Fitzgerald came to the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore, Maryland, my Mom could only afford one ticket.  Which she bought for me.  She thought it was important that I see Ella, so I caught the bus, went downtown to the concert and saw Ella Fitzgerald sing with the Billy Taylor Trio.Wow.  What a show.  I sat in the balcony, and soaked it all up.  It was a thrill.  Ella Fitzgerald was a wonderful singer.  What a voice.  Such a pure tone.  Great diction, always in tune.  Joyful.  Girlish.  Swinging like nobody’s business.  Ella scatted better than anybody. Her scats were as good as any Miles Davis solo.Ella didn’t have an easy life.  She was born in Virginia, her dad left when she was an infant.  Her Mom died when Ella was fifteen.  Her stepdad abused her, so her aunt took her away from Virginia, to New York City.  Ella took to the streets of Harlem, was a numbers runner and a lookout for a bordello.  She was in and out of reform schools and orphanages.Then she entered a talent contest at the Apollo, and won.  The grand prize was $25.  She became a regular at the Apollo, and things took off from there.  She started singing with Chick Webb, a drummer who led a big band.  She started recording, and a song she co-wrote--“A Tisket, A Tasket”--became a hit.  Ella started singing at the Jazz at the Philharmonic series, concerts put on by Norman Granz, who became her manager, and produced those incredible recordings with Louis Armstrong.Ella went on to win 13 Grammys, sell millions of records, and tour the world.  She was shy and quiet – but strong and determined.  Kind of like my Mom.  Except my Mom was never a lookout for a bordello.  Not that I know of, anyway.SALMON ELLAIn cooking, just like in music, sometimes you have to improvise.I was going to use honey in this marinade, but I ran out. I used maple syrup instead.  My Dad lived in upstate New York, and he had this homemade maple syrup that was so stinkin’ good.  So when I ran out of honey, I used a little of my Dad’s maple syrup instead and it was really good.Why do they make soy sauce so salty?  The next morning my fingers look like bratwurst and my tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth. I use low-sodium soy sauce.I like my salmon the way I like my women - wild and Alaskan.  There’s a joke in there somewhere, it just hasn’t come to me yet.Salmon are anadromous.  It means they are born in fresh water, migrate to salt water, and then return to fresh water to reproduce.Just thought I’d toss that out there.INGREDIENTS1 pound piece of wild salmon filet, skin removedFor the marinade…½ cup low sodium soy sauce1 tablespoon chopped scallions/green onions, bottom root and top leaves cut off and discarded1 tablespoon grated ginger1 tablespoon minced garlic2 tablespoons maple syrup1 teaspoon hot sauce (use less if you don't like it spicy!)Here we go…Rinse off your salmon and pat dry with paper towels.Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.Mix all the marinade ingredients together.  Set aside.Put the salmon in a baking dish.Pour half of the marinade over the salmon.  Set the other half aside.When the oven comes to temperature, put the salmon, uncovered, in the oven on the middle rack.Cook for 10 minutes.While the fish cooks, put the remaining marinade in a small saucepan over low heat and reduce for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.After 10 minutes, the fish should be done.  Thinner pieces take less time, thicker pieces take more.  Ovens are crazy, too.  Some run hot, some run cold.Test the fish with a fork.  If it flakes it’s done.  Some folks like it rare, some like it cooked well.  I like it medium.  If I want raw fish, I’ll go out for sushi.Dish it up!  Put the fish on a nice platter. Drizzle with a little of the reduced marinade, dress it up with a scallion. My broccoli and peppers would go well with this.MANGIAMO!!!!! 

Grilled Salmon with Marsala and Merci, Philipe!

Grilled Salmon Marsala with Grilled Vegetables in World War II

My Dad told me that when his platoon was going across France behind General Patton in World War II, the towns they liberated were really grateful.  How grateful?In one town, as they went past an exuberant, cheering crowd, a woman grabbed my Dad, dragged him into her bedroom and made love to him right then and there.Now that’s gratitude.Before the war, my Dad was drifting.  He went to St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland.  He wasn’t a good student.  They put him in charge of the college café.  He took some money out of the coffers, and in a valiant effort to try and double the cash, lost it all in a late-night poker game. He was asked to leave the school.Soon after, he joined the Army and went to Europe to fight in World War II. It was a hellish and brutal experience that made my Dad a man. His father, Romollo, died of a heart attack while my father was away at war. They were close; he couldn’t go back for the funeral. It was one of the loneliest times of my Dad’s life.After the war, he went back to St. John’s.  He became a good student.  He graduated.  He went to law school.  He became a lawyer.  He did all of this with no money — he was the son of poor Italian immigrants.He became a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.  He helped start the Peace Corps.  He wrote speeches for Vice President Hubert Humphrey.  He became a professor of philosophy and literature.World War II, the toughest time of his life, turned out to be his proudest moment, the turning point that changed his life in the best way possible.My Dad was in the XVth Corps; they followed General Patton’s 3^rd Army through France, liberating town after town. One of the towns the XVth Corps liberated was Lunéville, a small town in northeastern France, about 50 miles from the German border.  Lunéville was still being bombed and strafed by the Germans.  My Dad was patrolling the streets one day, when he heard a German Stuka approaching.  Stukas were small bombers, two-seaters that also had machine guns. My Dad saw a one-armed Frenchman, frozen with fear.My Dad ran over, grabbed the Frenchman, and pushed him to the ground and covered him, bombs exploding, bullets flying.  When the Stuka passed, the guy thanked my Dad, and insisted he come to dinner. My Dad spoke French; he had acted as an interpreter for the Army on quite a few occasions. He accepted the invitation. That night, my Dad had dinner with the Frenchman and his wife in their modest home. They sat and drank plum brandy after dinner as the Frenchman, a former captain in the French Army in World War I, told stories. He was a decorated war hero who had lost his arm in World War I. The German army had recently ransacked his home, taking his car and guns and war medals.Things got quiet when the captain started talking about his daughter, Jacqueline. He started crying as he explained that Jacqueline had been visiting a friend in a nearby town when the D-Day invasion took place and all hell broke loose. He hadn’t heard from her since. He feared the worse. He wanted to try and find his daughter, but the Germans had taken his car and guns. The Frenchman showed my Dad a photo.  She was beautiful.  My Dad offered to see what he could do to bring the daughter back. The Frenchman and his wife were ecstatic.My Dad left and went back to the makeshift barracks. He told the story of Jacqueline to his buddy Frank. He told Frank that he had offered to try and rescue Jacqueline. Frank thought my Dad was crazy. Or drunk. Or both.The next day, my Dad dragged Frank to see the French captain. My Dad told him they’d need a map, the address of the place Jacqueline had last visited, a letter from the captain so Jacqueline would know who they were, and the photo. The French captain gave them everything plus a 5,000-franc note for Jacqueline.My Dad and Frank left, and went back to the barracks. They were both on a two-day leave. Frank reluctantly agreed to help. But they didn’t have a jeep. They went over to the nurses quarters after sundown, figuring there might be a few male visitors who might have “borrowed” a jeep to get there.Frank and my Dad found a jeep and rolled it down the hill and started it. It had a mounted machine gun between the seats. The headlights had been blackened into little slits, and were of little use. They drove in the night. It started to rain. The windshield had been removed, so visibility was low. There were small pockets of German soldiers still in the area, and there were rumors of German soldiers dressed as civilians.My Dad and Frank were trying to get to Heudicourt-sous-les-Cotes, a small town about 60 miles away where Jacqueline had last visited. The rain and the lack of visibility slowed them down; they made it halfway there, soaked to the bone and dead-tired. They slept on the floor of a roadside house that belonged to a Frenchwoman who let them doze in front of her fireplace, so they could dry off and rest.The next day they made it to Heudicourt. They went to the address and showed the woman the photo and the letter. She explained that Jacqueline had caught a ride a few days before to stay with an uncle in Verdun, a small town 25 miles to the north. She gave them the address, and my Dad and Frank took offVerdun is close to the German border. It had recently been liberated by the Allies, but was still being attacked by the Nazis.Frank and my Dad made it to Verdun, and found Jacqueline at her uncle’s house. My Dad gave her the letter and the 5,000-franc note. She started crying. Then she packed a small bag, said goodbye to her uncle, and my Dad put her in the back of the jeep and covered her with a blanket. There were still clusters of German soldiers roaming about. My Dad and Frank took off, Frank driving, machine gun mounted between them, Jacqueline in the back, bouncing around under the blanket as the jeep flew down the small country roads.They stopped at a town called Metz to gas up at an American motor pool. The MPs warned them about groups of German soldiers. As they were getting ready to take off, Jacqueline poked her head out. The MPs saw her. Before they could react, Frank floored the jeep and drove like mad to Lunéville . They got there at midnight. Frank dropped off my Dad and Jacqueline at her house and took the jeep back.Jacqueline ran inside and there were tears and laughter and hugs and shrieks of joy. My Dad stood in the doorway. The one-armed Frenchman kept pumping his one good arm in the air, crying and screaming, “Merci, Philippe! Merci, Philippe!”GRILLED SALMON MARSALA AND GRILLED VEGETABLESI was at my Dad’s house when I concocted this recipe.  It was Memorial Day weekend. He lives on top of a mountain, in the Catskills of New York. It’s incredibly beautiful.  It’s also incredibly isolated - which can make you crazy after a while.  Just look at me.When my Dad first got the place, he wanted it to be rustic.  And that it was.  It was just a square, cinderblock two-story structure that looked more like a garage than a cabin.  The ground floor was well, it was the ground.  It was dirt.  The second floor was unpainted plywood, and there was a gas stove up there, and that’s where I slept.The stove is what we used for heat.  For the whole place.  Keep in mind; it gets down to below zero in the winter.  There’s snow on the ground from November until March.  And there was no plumbing.  None.  There was an outhouse, and it was pretty scary; especially late at night, when you had to walk 50 yards through the snow to go to the bathroom.  That’s the way my Dad wanted it.  Rough.  No frills.  No phones.  No TV.That didn’t last very long.  The thought may have been romantic, but there’s nothing romantic about getting up in the morning and walking across the frozen tundra to go to the bathroom in what is really just a hole in the ground.  A stinking hole.And now?  My Dad has three bathrooms, all indoors.  The one on the second floor has a claw-foot bathtub with a view of the mountains.  He has a big screen hi-definition TV, a satellite dish that gets a thousand channels, and the whole house has wireless internet.  He has a phone.  He even has a cell phone now. Now my Dad is all plugged in, hooked up, and well connected, which is a good thing, especially during the brutal winter months.Rat Tail Ridge is a great place to grill in the summer, when it’s cool and breezy on top of that mountain.  You’ve got a beautiful view, quite breathtaking. Batu loves it up there.Note: the salmon steaks I used were about an inch and a half thick.  Keep in mind that thicker pieces of salmon take longer, and thinner pieces take less time.  Also, some grills run real hot, some not-so-hot.  No wonder it took me so long to get this recipe right. But I finally nailed it.Also, trim your asparagus. Grab an asparagus spear. Hold the top end in between the forefinger and thumb of your left hand, and hold the bottom end with the thumb and forefinger of your right hand, and bend until it breaks. Throw away the stalk end.There are two kinds of Marsala—sweet and dry. Sweet is the way to go. Sweet!Ingredients:For the sauce1 cup sweet Marsala (a wine from Sicily) or sweet vermouth¼ cup extra virgin olive oil¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (use ripe, soft lemons, or Meyer lemons—remove the seeds)1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, plus a couple sprigs for garnish (you can use a teaspoon of dried oregano if you can’t find fresh)2 cloves of garlicFor the salmon and vegetables4 salmon steaksA dozen small potatoes cut in half (I used purple potatoes–found them in a local market)A bunch of asparagus (16 or so), trimmed6 Roma tomatoes cut in half length-wiseExtra virgin olive oilKosher saltFresh ground black pepperA small bunch of fresh chivesA handful of fresh basil leaves1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegarHere we go…Add all the sauce ingredients (except the garlic) in a small bowl.  Mix. Put the garlic in a garlic press, and squeeze it into the sauce—you can also mince the garlic if you don’t have a press.  Put the sauce in a small pan over low heat, and let it reduce while you grill.Rinse off the salmon steaks, pat dry with paper towels, and drizzle both sides with olive oil.  Then give a shake of salt and pepper on each side.Keep your vegetables on separate plates.  Take the potatoes, drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper, and make sure they’re coated well.  Do the same with the asparagus, and the tomatoes – but be gentle.  Don’t mangle your ‘maters.Heat your grill up! We want it to be medium heat; if it’s too hot, things will burn.The potatoes take the longest, about 20 minutes. Put them on first, cook for 10 minutes (depending on the heat of the grill) and then turn ’em over.Put the asparagus and the salmon on the grill, and cook for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn over the asparagus and the salmon.Add the Roma tomatoes to the grill, flat side down.Cook the asparagus, salmon and tomatoes for 5 minutes.  Don’t turn over the tomatoes!Remove everything to a gorgeous platter.Use a scissors and snip some fresh chives on top of the potatoes.Snip some fresh basil on the tomatoes.Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on the asparagus.Dish it up! Put a salmon steak on a plate. Take the reduced Marsala sauce and drizzle some on top. Add some asparagus, potatoes, and tomatoes. Garnish with a fresh oregano sprig.MANGIAMO!!!!!   

Seared Salmon with Ginger and Scallion Glaze

The first time I went to Nashville was when Ronnie Dunn was competing in the finals of the Marlboro Country Music Talent Contest.  It was the late 80’s.We had discovered Ronnie in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at a place called Tulsa City Limits.  He did his soundcheck before the show, and I knew he was going to win the whole competition.  He did.And he did it in Nashville at a place called the Stockyard, a restaurant that specializes in…beef.I fell in love with Nashville.  It’s still one of my favorite towns.When my friend Patrick Clifford moved there a couple years ago, I started going back.  I got such a great vibe from the place.  But I wasn’t ready to make a move from my hometown of Baltimore.My Dad was not doing well.  He was living alone in upstate New York, and it was getting tough for him to deal with all the snow and freezing cold.  The closest town was about a half-hour away.  To get there you had to drive down dirt roads.Most old folks drive slow.  My Dad drove like he’d just robbed a bank.A couple times, he slid off the road into snow banks.  So it was time to make a move.  He kept the house upstate, and moved to Annapolis, where he was much closer to the family.When he got settled in, I decided to drive to Nashville.  I took Batu with me.  We looked at a couple of places, and I found a place I really liked.  It was dog-friendly.  I signed a lease.I wasn’t really looking to make a move.  And I don’t know why I pulled the trigger right then and there.  But I did.I went back and told my Dad I was moving.  He asked me when.  I told him…two weeks.  He was surprised, but happy for me.  I was sad, but it wasn’t like I was moving to the Amazon.  Nashville is 700 miles from Annapolis.  If anything were to happen, I could be back in a day.So I packed up all my stuff.  I don’t have a lot of stuff.  I never really wanted to have a lot of stuff.  I could put everything I own in a Hefty trash bag liner, sling it over my shoulder, and be gone.And that’s what I did.  I grabbed Batu, put him on top of the stuff piled in my car, and I drove to Tennessee.  My apartment in Nashville was in a place called the Gulch.  The Gulch is Nashville trying to be Manhattan.  They had a few high-rise, modern apartment buildings, and some cool little bars and cafes and restaurants, but it wasn’t real popular.  Or populated.My building was called the Velocity.  It was maybe half-full.  It had covered parking, and it was very modern.  The apartments were very small.  Mine was 500 square feet or so.  But I dug it.There were train tracks right behind the apartment.  Not just one or two…a bunch of them.  It never bothered me; I liked the sounds of trains going by.I had a balcony out front.  I could see Music Row.  And I could see that the Gulch was starting to build up.  An organic grocery called The Turnip Truck was going up a block away.  A clothing and music store called Two Old Hippies was being built.  More high-rises were being built all around.Nashville was growing up in a hurry.My amigo Patrick was taking me around town, introducing me to some wonderful people.  Robert Ellis Orrall and I became friends.  He’s an amazing guy.  He set up the showcase at the Bluebird that launched Taylor Swift into the stratosphere.  He co-wrote a lot of songs with her.Robert also has a very cool record company called Infinity Cat.  It’s a pop/punk/alternative label.  His sons, Jeff The Brotherhood, were on Infinity Cat.  They just got signed to Warner Brothers.  Infinity Cat has a band called Diarrhea Planet that is about to blow up—they just got a rave review in Rolling Stone.Patrick also introduced me to Angelo Petraglia.  Angelo produces Kings of Leon.  He gave them their signature sound.  Angelo has a band called The Jane Shermans that are one of my favorites.  Hiswife sings lead and plays bass.  They sound like The Pretenders meets Missing Persons meets U2.  I saw them at The Basement.The Basement is a showcase club that holds maybe 50 people.  It's in the basement of a record store called Grimey's.  That's right, a record store.  They used to have them all over the USA.  Now there are only a few left.  Grimey's is one of them.  And the club downstairs is one of the coolest around.

And one of the coolest bands I've seen at the Basement is St. Paul and the Broken Bones.  They are amazing.  The lead singer looks like Drew Carey, and sings like Wilson Pickett.

Patrick looked at me the first time we saw them and said…“Star Time!”

I told everyone who would listen to watch out for St. Paul and the Broken Bones.  Last week they were on CBS TV.Nashville is cool.  It didn’t used to be cool, but now it’s on fire.  GQ calls it “The hippest town in America.”  The New York Times calls it “The It City.”  I’ve seen more beards and skinny jeans there than Brooklyn.Artists, bands, songwriters are flocking to the place.  Record labels, music biz people, are moving there in droves.  The Black Keys, Jack White, Sheryl Crow and tons of other acts now call Nashville home.There is more construction going on in Nashville than I’ve ever seen in one city.  Houses, apartments, malls, restaurants, cafes, clubs, office buildings…the town is blowing up.The TV show ‘Nashville’ is bringing a lot of attention to the town.  I’ve done some acting on that show.  It’s pretty cool--since they had me on it!The only thing missing in Nashville is a cool jazz club, a place where a guy like Slim Man could play.Or cook.  Or clean...Seared SalmonI had a hot date.  It was a hot day in Nashville.  I had tickets to the Sade concert that night at the Bridgestone arena.  Patrick got me tickets at the last second.  He's a well-connected man.So I had this idea to do a little seared salmon with a glaze.  I went out to the store, bought what I needed for the glaze, went to the really expensive organic grocer to get the really wild Coho salmon, and I went back to the Slim Shack to put it all together.I was going to do a glaze with soy sauce, scallions and ginger, similar to my Salmon Ella recipe.  I put together some soy sauce, some grated ginger, some scallion, some garlic, and some hot sauce...and it sucked.  It was salty, so I added a little honey.  It didn’t taste right.  No matter what I did, I couldn’t get it right.Hot Date was coming over in 20 minutes, but I didn’t panic.  I threw the soy sauce glaze in the disposal, and started all over.  Tried it again with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar instead of soy sauce.  And I nailed it.I put the salmon over some organic mixed greens, and took an heirloom tomato and sliced it into small wedges, and placed them around the edges of the plate.  It looked great.  It tasted scrump-didlly-umptious.Oh, and Sade?  It was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.  I’ve seen Hendrix twice.  Saw the Doors on the first tour, and their last tour.  Saw U2 at the Ritz in NYC on their first tour.  The Police on their first tour.  I saw The Stones (The Rolling Stones, not the Flintstones) in 1972 when Stevie Wonder opened up.  Earth, WInd and Fire, Gladys Knight, The Spinners...I've seen so many great shows.And Sade’s show--August 1, 2011--in Nashville was one of the best I’ve ever seen.  The staging, the production. the pacing, the musicianship, the lights, her voice, the songs...just excellent.  And Sade was born the same day as a guy named Slim Man.  January 16, 1914.IngredientsThe Salmon:2 pieces of salmon, about 1/3 pound each, filets, skinless, about an inch thickkosher salt (just a sprinkle)brown sugar or turbinado sugar (just a sprinkle)1 tablespoon of butter1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oilThe Glaze:3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar1 tablespoon chopped scallions (use the middle green part)1 teaspoon grated ginger1/2 teaspoon minced garlicThe SaladOrganic mixed greensOne heirloom tomato, sliced into small wedgesHere we go...Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.  Rinse off the salmon and pat dry with paper towels.Put all of the glaze ingredients in a jar, and shake it up.  Set aside.Sprinkle a little kosher salt, and a little brown sugar (just a little!) on one side of the salmon.Get a small fry pan, put it on medium-high heat.  Add the butter and the olive oil, and when it starts smoking, add the salmon, sprinkled side down, and cook for 1 MINUTE AND THIRTY SECONDS!While it’s cooking, sprinkle the un-sprinkled side with a little kosher salt and a little brown sugar.  Turn the salmon over, and cook for 1 MINUTE AND THIRTY SECONDS!Remove from the heat.  Get a baking dish, put just enough olive oil in the bottom to keep the salmon from sticking, and place the salmon in the dish.  Pour half the glaze over one piece of the salmon, and the other half of the glaze over the other piece of salmon.Put the salmon in the oven and cook for five minutes.  Don’t overcook.Put some greens on a plate.  Place the tomato wedges around the edges.  Put the salmon on top of the greens, pour a little marinade from the baking dish onto the salmon, and a little onto the greens, and…MANGIAMO!!!!!!!