Too Hot To Eat

Too Hot To Eat

At present, we are enduring a smothering spell of hot, humid weather that has chased us all back into our houses, where we send up prayers of great thanks for Willis Haviland Carrier, the genius who invented the air-conditioner.  When the morning air slams into our faces like a wet velvet curtain, whatever buoyancy we might normally possess evaporates like ice on the sidewalk.  As this is happening so close to the solstice, one can only suppose that the new season is eager to announce its arrival by pulling out the most convincing weapons in its grand arsenal.  We get the message.  Summer is here.

Air-conditioning was a luxury few of us had when I was growing up, even though I did that growing up right here, in this same city. How well I remember jockeying for a desk close to the big fan that sat churning away in each of the classrooms at school.  It wasn’t all that long ago, but can you even imagine a school without air-conditioning today?  It would no doubt be considered child abuse worthy of protests, petitions and lawsuits.  Were we that much hardier when we were young, or is it, in fact, that much hotter?

 I love to cook, but when weather such as this is slinking and slithering all round the house, it’s the last thing on my mind.  I barely want to eat - and when I do, my diet of choice usually revolves around salad and fresh fruit.  Some fish.  Lots of San Pellegrino with lime.   

As any of my close friends will tell you, one of my favourite foods is salmon.  I adore it prepared all kinds of ways, and I swear it is great for the skin.  There used to be a wonderful showroom here in the city where I purchased quite a bit of furniture for my design clients. One of my favourite salesmen there once gave me a recipe for the tastiest, and easiest, salmon marinades I have ever tried. ( I think he wrote it down for me one scorching summer afternoon after I had collapsed like a rag doll in his office, whinging away about what to cook for dinner.)

I still have the original copy, in his whirly handwriting, and it bears all the splash marks and food stains of a well-loved and often used recipe.  Indeed, it is a staple at my house in summertime and I thought I would share it with you.  Serve this salmon, baked,  atop a raw spinach salad with a little bit of goat cheese, some sliced strawberries and a teensy bit of fresh vinaigrette and you’ll be in summertime heaven!

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Tom’s Salmon Marinade

1/3 Cup Fresh Orange Juice

1/3 Cup Soy Sauce

2 Tablespoons Italian Parsley

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Clove Garlic, minced

1/2 Teaspoon dry Basil

Mix together, pour over salmon

 and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours. 

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Also, Giveaway Winner!!

Also.... I am thrilled to announce that the winner of the birthday giveaway is....

Kathleen!!  

Thanks to all of you for entering, and for your many sweet and encouraging blog birthday wishes.  With so many entries, I cheated and used the random number generator thingy, rather than place all those names in a hat! 

 I wish everyone of you could have won, but we'll do another fun giveaway soon!!

Photo above by Annie Leibovitz