Salmon...

My dad's side of the family is Scandinavian. Apparently this is where I get most my features from....and more so, my appetite. I love salmon. I could eat it pretty much for the rest of my life. Okay, maybe not the rest but at least once or twice a week. But my favorite thing in the world to eat is gravlax, on a bagel with cream cheese, capers, red onion, and a slice of tomato. I have this problem, maybe you do too, where I eat one item consistently for months. This happened with the lox (another name, a slightly different cure). My family is from the midwest and this particular breakfast is the norm. WELL, not in Texas. I say the word lox and people curdle their mouths in a unattractive fashion, most likley because it isnt something that is grilled or covered in white gravy (another story). And it costs about 8 bucks for 4 oz. Really? 4 oz?

So, being the person I am. I made it.

First, I took the skin off the back




Then I added equal parts sugar and sea salt.




Three days later I had this



And finally!

Seasons are changing

There are two seasons in Texas. Hot and really fucking hot. Right now it's cooling off a bit, but not enough to change to real shoes from your flip flops. As a born and raised mid-westerner, dontcha know, I despise the sweltering heat. I want to sit infront of the fireplace with a big bowl of soup and watch the snow fall outside....Don't get me started on the smell of the snow. About a year ago I had the ability to venture up to Lake Geneva and go back home to Chicago for a bit. The weather was a bit different, just a tad bit colder, ha! We stayed at our friend's lake house, there was all together about 25 of us. Mostly adults, but four little ones. And no worries there were plenty of places to sleep, no babies in dresser drawers and cupboards.

I want to go back so bad. But for now I guess I will stick with the heat and watch the leaves fall without even changing to gorgeous autumn colors.