I am a Tall Drink of Water

Does the expression, "you are what you eat" really make any sense? Sure, I acknowledge that whatever we ingest becomes a part of us, but most food nicknames for people have negative connotations. If you are not that smart or are plain stupid you're called Meathead - not because you like sweetbreads. If you are inactive or actually can't move or think you're a Vegetable - not because you had a green salad for lunch. If you ate too much or eat a lot all the time you're a Porker - ok, maybe that one is accurate.

So if it were the case then after today's lunch I would be one cold chicken. I had a fabulous chicken chili that my wife had made over the weekend from a recipe she had gotten from a friend from another friend from a party from the internet or Betty Crocker or something. I love how recipes move. Some people are real sticklers for recipes. "I can't make this, I don't have a pinch of Kosher salt." Others (maybe someone like me) never followed a recipe exactly - "I'm sure it will be fine with a beer in it instead of plain old water!" My wife had no hesitation substituting almost half of the recipes prescribed ingredients. Why? "Didn't feel like going out to the store. "

Good reason. I like that about recipes. They allow for originality. Or at least creativity. So if you are what you eat then its a compliment that depends on who created your meal - is it a meatloaf that uses ketchup and Lipton onion soup mix? or a meatloaf that uses diced tomatoes and fresh parsley?

So if I eat Fruit Loops tomorrow...

Recipe: Guinness Batter Fish Fry

The fish fry went well so I wanted to share the basics of the batter.

[Needs to be a photo here - working on it]

4 Tilapia fillets - or whatever fish you want - I also used scallops, though a deep fryer would have made them better
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
2/3 cup beer - in this case Guinness Stout which made for a nice creamy flavored finish

Whisk the wet into the dry ingredients

Salt and pepper the fish then dredge it in flour, dip it into the batter and place it into a pan of hot oil (olive, or your preference). How hot? I didn't measure but should have since I splattered a little and got some nice grease burns on my arm. Keep the temperature under control or you may burn the batter before cooking the fish - What? Maybe that happened to me. So? - Cook the fish for a couple of minutes on each side - til its done is my general rule - and with fish, don't overcook.

That's pretty much it. Its not really original, I mined some recipes from around the web and other cookbooks - I'm not good with flour ratios and that kind of thing, so I always have to look that stuff up.

I served it with lemon slices and tartar sauce (how bold!) and of course a pint of Guinness.