Fish are friends, not food!

EPIC FAIL.

I ate salmon in a nice restaurant a few months ago and, surprisingly, I really enjoyed it. I say surprisingly because I've never really liked fish. As I later told my editor, "eating salmon was a really big step for me."

I have since eaten scallop (yum!) and octopus (tastes like chicken!).

See, I love food, as long as it doesn't come out of the water. Only land-faring eats for me, please-and-thank-you! Or so I thought for a long time. I really, really enjoyed that salmon I had over the summer.

I got it into my head that I could make fish, too, after seeing a really tasty-looking recipe in a magazine.

Boy, was I wrong.

It looked delicious. When I get home to my camera I'll add the picture. Really, it looked tasty.

I only ate about a third of my four-ounce fillet. The Mr. made it through half of his.

We gave the leftovers to the cat. Even the cat wouldn't eat it.

In case you're interested, it's pretty easy to make: just season the salmon with salt and black pepper, then cook in a skillet for 1 minute each side, then add 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar mixed with 1 tablespoon of honey and simmer until the sauce reduces.

Too bad fish tastes like licking a pet store.

Food! Wonderful, tasty FOOD!

I can EAT again! It's great! Except for rebound congestion from the nasal spray I've been shnorking up, I'm mostly cleared up. Once I've kicked the nose candy Zicam, I'll be all better. The Mr. even got me a ginormous air scrubber to get the kitty allergens out of the air. It's pretty awesome, too--it works so well that I'll probably buy a smaller sized one to put on my nightstand and get rid of the morning stuffiness entirely.

So, between the colds, allergies and rebound congestion, I haven't been able to taste much for the past month or so. I guess the kitty allergens started to pile up. To make matters worse, I've caught every cold that's going around, which I suspect makes the allergies worse, keeps my immune system in the toilet and basically ensures that I never get well. K offered to take the cat in for a while while I get better, but there's just no way. I love the fuzzy little land shark. I secretly think that he just wants a cat but is too afraid to get his own. ;)

Aw, jeez, I started talking about my cat again. The point is, I can pretty much taste food, so I made some spicy lentils!

I have no idea what happened to the pictures, but it was delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 large red onion, or 2 small onions, chopped
  
• 1 lb of lentils
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 hot chili peppers, or your favorite hot sauce
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes
• chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• lemon juice
• bay leaf
  

Directions

• Cook the lentils by the package directions, adding a bay leaf to the water.
• Saute the garlic, peppers and onions in the oil in a VERY LARGE saucepan.
• Add the lentils and all other ingredients.
• Eat hot or cold.

Be sure not to overcook the lentils, because they'll get soggy and gross. You might want to try cooking them pilaf-style--I haven't yet because I don't want the extra calories from sauteeing the lentils in oil.

I think tomorrow or Thursday night I'll try making salmon!

Sick, still!

Why so empty?

Well, because I've had colds for the past 6 weeks. Every time I start to feel better, someone infects me with another cold! YOU try eating and enjoying food when everything tastes like chewing on sawdust. :(

Maybe I'll eventually get well... or I'll just drill a couple of holes in my face to relieve the stuffiness.