Fish Spatula

Fish Spatula

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MY POEM?

I belch with all my might and strength while scratching my double chin
Tick tock minutes are gone and the bulldozers are rolling in
Smashity smash their goes my house my dignity my pride
My overweight kitten begins to meow when served puke at lunchtime
Dust and mold cover my memories like fishing at the pond
My pet duck attempts to steal my bread
But it's chained to the hair on top of my head
My boyfriend Kate calls me at 3 am and I say shut up and sleep
But he says he can't move when his bed's left vacant he can hardly think
Roosters crow airplanes fly my pig went on vacation
The next morning it was shipped to me in a thick package of bacon
Dirt is your friend says my mom she cooks me mud pies
We eat worms and dust and when we're lucky we eat flies
Knifes and swords are drawn and I run for cover in my pillow kingdom
No one can hurt me inside my warm box with my blanket and my spatula
Time to wake up I'm very tired it was all a dream say my furry feet

Magnifique, Love it! real funny..

How to Make Seafood Tacos

Seafood tacos are a popular way to serve fish, shellfish and other foods from the ocean. A wide range of recipes are available, utilizing foods such as mahi, tuna, wahoo, mako shark, salmon, halibut, grouper, red snapper, catfish, tilapia, lobster, crab, shrimp, scallops and others. Seafood tacos are simple to prepare, require few ingredients and make healthy meal choices.

Types of Seafood

Preparation of seafood tacos depends on the type of meat chosen. Some species of fish have a very distinct flavor and is best cooked in a manner that doesn't overwhelm the main ingredient. These include species such as salmon and wahoo.

Other fish with less distinct flavor lend themselves to a wider range of cooking styles, including grilling, blackening and broiling. Mild fish, such as tilapia also make excellent foundations of fish tacos since their flavor can be improved by adding spices and using more intense cooking techniques.

Shellfish and other seafood make excellent ingredients for tacos. Among the most commonly used shellfish meats are lobster, scallop, shrimp, prawn and crab meat. The delicate flavors of shellfish are suited for recipes that contain two or more types of shellfish or other meats. Often, regional cooks will create tacos using local seafood, selecting species of fish and shellfish that compliment each other.

Other Ingredients

Depending on recipe variations or local preferences, tacos may contain additions such as lettuce, cabbage, cilantro, onion, sweet peppers, hot peppers, tomato, lime, mango, chili powder, cumin, sea salt, cheeses, sauces, etc.

Types of Tortillas

Tortillas are thin, round, flat, unleavened bread made from corn or flour. Corn tortillas are ancient, being made since the Aztec era. Corn tortillas are made by flattening the small balls of dough which are cooked on a griddle. Most corn tortilla recipes have around 50 – 60 calories and 1 gram of fat. The fat in corn tortillas comes from the masa, which is a coarse ground corn meal.

Corn tortillas are usually 6 inches in diameter and are best cooked before they are eaten. To cook a corn tortilla, heat a skillet to medium high. Lay a tortilla on the hot pan and flip it with a spatula every 30 to 45 seconds. Cook until lightly toasted but still bendable.

Flour tortillas were introduced into Mexican culture when wheat flour was brought to the New World by the Spanish. Flour tortillas have slightly more calories, as a result of the combination of flour and a fat used to make the tortilla dough.  Flour tortillas are available from 11-14 inches which is the standard for  burritos. They also come in a variety of thicknesses, the thickest called "gordita-style."

Authentic tortillas are low in fat and calories, but there are many variables when purchasing commercially produced versions. Some tortillas on the market contain lard although traditional recipes call for vegetable oil. There are about 80 calories per flour tortilla and up to 2.5 grams of fat.

Either type of taco shell may be used for seafood tacos, with the choice generally being whichever goes best with the types of fillings used. The versatility and ease of preparation makes seafood tacos among the more popular meal choices. As with most seafood dishes, the success of the meal depends greatly on the quality and freshness of the basic ingredients.

About the Author

The author writes for several outdoor websites including Chesapeake Bay, Fresh Seafood and Commercial Fishing.

Cooking Tips : How to Use a Fish Spatula