Into every life a little rain must fall, or so they say. One
would prefer that it not fall from the ceiling, though, as we found it doing in
our family room downstairs (daylight basement) a couple of weekends ago.
Weekend, of course. In the end, we discovered that the water supply hose to the
refrigerator (water dispenser, ice maker) had burst. To our dismay, we wound up
with ruined floors upstairs and down. Asbestos mitigation required in the
kitchen after our new flooring was pulled up off the old stuff, and the old
stuff tested positive and had to come out because of moisture. More asbestos
abatement required for the “popcorn” ceiling where the water was pouring out of
the light fixtures. And the 2-year-old flooring upstairs and down all has to be
removed. (Some of it they just cut out with a saw, then ran fans and
dehumidifiers for a week.)
Fortunately, none of our possessions was affected, except
for an area rug that got one end soaked. So do yourself a favor and check that hose
if you have a water and ice dispensing refrigerator. If it’s thin plastic, have
it replaced immediately with wound copper tubing. Everywhere we mention this
situation, we hear about more cases of the same thing happening to others. Take
steps!
So cooking was rudimentary for a couple of weeks, except
when I couldn’t get to the fridge at all and we ate out. Toaster oven,
microwave, and grill kept us going most of the time.
Back in the kitchen (temporary stove install while waiting
for new flooring, which has to wait for downstairs asbestos abatement, which
has to wait for POD availability for all our stuff that is packed and ready to
store, which must then be brought back AFTER new floors are installed
downstairs, so that the stuff upstairs can be packed and stored while flooring
is laid.) No, we are not having fun yet.
Meanwhile, here’s a quick recipe that has nothing to do with
the household flood:
Crusted Tilapia
I’m one of those people who hate to waste anything. I
even get a little bit fanatic
sometimes. So when I picked up a potato chip bag
that had some broken chips and crumbs in the bottom, I pondered what I could
with them.
I had planned to prepare some Tilapia filets anyway, so I
rolled a rolling pin over and over the bag (spreading out the chip crumbs in it
for better coverage) to make fine flakes.
Here’s how to use them:
Wash and pat some
fish filets (your choice) dry, sprinkle with a little salt, and let them air
dry while you do the rest.
Add some seasoned flour to the potato chip crumbs (I keep
a zip bag of all-purpose coating mix in the freezer, usually flour, corn meal,
granulated garlic, powdered onion, and a little curry powder. You can add any
special seasoning to this when dipping fish or meat, depending on the flavors
you want), and added some finely grated parmesan. The fish will absorb a lot of
this dry mixture, so make plenty.
Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the filets if you
wish, then dip briefly into the dry mixture, again into the egg wash to coat,
and back into the crumbs for a good coating. Let them rest a few minutes on wax
paper. Sprinkle them with a little paprika if you want a good robust color when
they are cooked.
Heat a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil (I prefer
light olive or peanut) in a large skillet and add the filets. Cook on one side
for a few minutes, then turn carefully and cook over moderate heat until they
are done. (The thickest part of the fish should flake easily with a fork, with
no raw flesh showing.)
Serve with fresh steamed vegetables, coleslaw, and
perhaps some fresh French bread.
Really very yummy, and worth using fresh potato chips if
you don’t have crumbs!
