MAIN -- Grilled Sardines

You ever had sardines? Like, ones that weren't in a can before you had 'em? They're easy, really good, not at all "fishy" or whatever people say they are, and high in omega 3s (or so our moms tell us). 

Here we have them with a pangratta, or crispy breadcrumbs. 


There's only three things to do for this dinner:

• MAKE THE BREADCRUMBS: heat up olive oil in a skillet, then throw in some sliced garlic. Add crumbs and toast. At the end, throw in a little chopped parsley and salt & pepper. Set aside.
• PREP AND GRILL FISH: Gut the fish like your dad showed you, then scale them. Leave the heads on for showmanship. Rub down with olive oil, then throw on a screaming hot grill for a few minutes per side. Finish with more olive oil, sea salt, and lots of lemon. 
• BEER: Open and drink and eat the above. We spoon the breadcrumbs over the fish and dive in.  

Breakfast Salad

Yep, that's all. Greens dressed with lemon and olive oil, a tomato put under the broiler until blistered, and some basted eggs. A clean start to the day.

MAIN -- Grilled Octopus with White Beans

We've been trying to do cheaper cuts of fish and try different stuff to keep the summer dining exciting. With such long days, we've been filling the afterwork time trying things we've never tried before. 

We had octopus the first time at a fancy LA italian place, on a night we were feeling adventurous. It was grilled and had tones of lemon on it, all over a white bean base. Here, we recreate:

First, par cook the octopus. We had a 5 lb one. You're going to boil it to make it tender. either do it in water, or even better add in some celery, carrots, etc to make more of a broth to cook it in. You'll get way better flavor. Do that for maybe an hour and a half at a gentle boil (not hot water, not rolling bubbles). 

Let it cool, then peep the purple skin off it. It'll come right off. 

Above is the final product. For the beans, just soften a few shallots with olive oil in a pan, then add beans, a glassful of white wine, and let that liquid wine cook off. Then, season with salt, pepper, and lemon. 

Do the final bits on the grill. Brush the following with olive oil and put on a really hot grill: bread, halved-tomatoes, and and the octopus. Get some good char marks, remove the legs from the body, and serve as seen above.