What Are Excuses For? (and Fish Cakes)
I tell you what excuses are for…to make up reasons why you haven’t done something you need to do. Well, it’s not that I need to write this, but I do like to do it. You wouldn’t think so considering the paucity of posts I have written, now would you. I have to make a confession though. Something I don’t really like to talk about, yet here I am laying it out to the world…or actually the five people who might actually read this post. I had been a little down, i.e. melancholy; depressed if you will. Maybe I was just teary for awhlle. Call it what you will. Not a debilitating thing, but not fun either. From early 2016 until sometime in April I would just cry too easily. It’s like tears were just parked behind my eyes waiting to come out. Do you ever feel that way. I don’t think it’s fun for people you live with either. If someone said something the least bit off-putting to me, I cried, and then I would start thinking about things I couldn’t control in my life, and that would make the crying last longer. I have moved so many times now that I have all but forgotten how to make friends, and that would be my biggest trigger. Somehow I came out of that…thank you God. I don’t want to make light of depression by saying I came out of it just like that. I have had this, whatever this is, on and off for many years and it is usually situationally-based in nature. Stuff happens, right? Sometimes I just don’t deal well with it. Anyway, now I’m still trying to remember how to make friends, even though I’m not sure I have the energy for it. I have concluded that it takes a lot to make new friends at my age. I feel like everyone in a new place already has a life and friends and is quite busy and that they don’t need someone new in their lives…so I don’t barge in to upset their applecart, so to speak. In any event, right now my son’s girlfriend from Norway is staying with us and I really like her…maybe she’ll be my friend. Kind of sounds like I’m in junior high..right? “Will you be my friend?”
Good new is that I’m able to play tennis again, the sun is shining everyday, the flowers are blooming, and life is good. My husband is a love and takes good care of me. I would promise that I won’t write anything morose for quite some time, but I might not be able to keep that promise. Just depends what life brings my way. There are lots of things happening in the world that I have a strong opinion on right now: CRAZY election year here – a lying, corrupt, self-serving witch and a real estate mogul who can’t keep his mouth shut to save his campaign…or is that what he wants us to think? More CRAAZZY Muslim murderers, Brexit, men using the little girls room, “Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!”…and the beat goes on. Ready to put my two cents out there.
In the spirit of Norway (see above), I decided to make something with fish and that turned out to be a very good thing. I promise you will love these fish cakes. If you love crab cakes, you will definitely love these. They are more Cajun than Norwegian, but those guys need to get some spice in their life, I mean spice in their food.
Cajun-Spiced Fish Cakes
Ingredients
2 pounds Alaskan halibut fillets, poached and flaked (about 4 cups loosely packed) I think you coud use most types of mild, white fish or even salmon AND you could sear it also (I poached mine the day before, and it was actually leftovers and refrigerated overnight – it made it easy to handle)
Option: 2/3 cup of chopped shrimp or langostino
2/3 cup unseasoned fine bread crumbs
4 tsp BonTon Seafood Spice by Jazz
1-1/2 tsp dried chives or 1/3 cup chopped chives
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 large egg, beaten (or 2 small/medium)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (or more if needed)
1 tbsp olive oil
Mache lettuce or mixed greens.
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the halibut, optional shrimp/langostino, bread crumbs, BonTon spice, salt, cayenne, chives, cilantro, mayonnaise, and egg. Mix all together gently until crumbs are incorporated. 
Shape into about 3-inch patties about 3/4 inch thick. Makes 9-10 patties. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
In a large skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat . Add the cakes and cook until golden, 3-5 minutes per side. Place two cakes on top of lettuce and a dollop of tartar sauce and serve. I promise you these are really yummy and pretty darn simple too!
I had some jalapeno and horseradish tartar sauce that I didn’t love, so I used about half a cup of that and added about 2/3 cup mayo, a minced sweet pickle, a little lemon juice, a tsp or so of chopped cilantro, and a 1/4 tsp of salt. Perfect for the fish cakes. Your favorite tartar sauce should work just fine too, or a garlic aioli.
Well, that ought to be enough until next time! I already need a vacation…where should we go?
