Today’s post is the 2nd of “I eat, I read, I watch,” my new column highlighting one of my solo dinners and my reading or Netflix accompaniments. I hope it motivates you to treat yourself well - to dine! - at mealtime too. 

Missed the first instalment? Click here.

I eat: Rainbow trout with veg

(written in August, just before my summer party)

I’ve bought groceries today for my annual open house in two days. My fridge overfloweth with wine, beer, non-alcoholic drinks, cheese, and veg. And that’s my second fridge. Tiny house living has required some compromise and the 9.5 cubic foot fridge has been the hardest thing to get used to. So I’ve added a gazebo fridge for the party. I need to reduce the contents of my main fridge so I can really ramp up the party food prep tomorrow.

I head to the crisper. I find a zucchini, a red onion, a hot red pepper, a few cremini mushrooms, and a cooked ear of corn. Perfect. I can sauté them in a pan in some butter. Then there’s a piece of rainbow trout thawing. It would look nice on top of the veg - and likely taste good too!

I heat a knob of butter in two pans and start chopping up the veg. I know avocado or olive oil would be healthier choices, but sometimes you gotta go with your gut. And tonight my gut favours butter. When the cast iron is hot, I throw in onion, zuke, and pepper and season it with a little S&P. The butter in the stainless steel pan is bubbling a little too so I place my piece of trout in, skin-side down and set the timer for 5 minutes. I season the fleshy topside with S&P and some dried dill. Then I grab my device for removing the kernels from the corncob. I’m not much for gadgets in Chandlerville - left nearly everything in the main house - but for the month of August every year, when corn is at its peak, I need this one. The corn comes off in satisfying yellow strips and I mix them with the other veg and put a lid on it. My fish is looking like it might be near-done so despite the timer not dinging yet, I put flip it and give it another 3 minutes on the timer The skin looks a bit crisped - good. I open the lid of my veg and give it a stir. It needs something so I chop in a roma tomato and add a spoonful of Ajvar, which never fails to perk up a meal. Three more minutes and a few more circles in the veg with the wooden spoon and it’s looking nice melded. My fish is done too. I plate it all and take it outside to my waiting laptop, napkin, cutlery, and glass of water. Doesn’t get much easier than that!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cost: approx. $6  ($17 for the full trout fillet, about 5 meals worth; $3 for vegetables from the market)

What would you do with a trout and seasonal vegetables? In the Comments below please!

I read: Muskoka Novel Marathon entries

In the early spring of 2021, I came out as a writer when I began blogging. Just a few weeks later, a friend contacted me to ask if I’d be interested in being a judge in the Muskoka Novel Marathon. I felt like an imposter - what the hell did I know, really, that would make me able to judging others’ writing? But it was COVID and I was lacking excitement so I agreed to give it a go. Now it’s an annual thing..

MNM is an interesting contest. Writers gather virtually or, now in person, for three days in July to write a novel. They are allowed to begin the writing period with ideas that will fit on no more than one page. They can sleep and eat - or not - as they wish. At the end, whatever they’ve written is sent to two teams of readers like me. This year our team had four manuscripts. We’re asked to read at least the first 50 pages, and more if we like. We assess the writing on a number of dimensions but mostly with a view to its publishability. Each team gathers by Zoom to pick a winner. The winning piece from each team is shared with the other team and then the teams duke it out on Zoom to pick the ultimate winner who is given a shot with a publisher.

Each judge also provides written anonymous feedback to the writers. For me, it’s a terrific way to hone my critiquing skills, which I hope will improve my own writing. For the writers, it’s a chance to get honest input to decide whether a concept has merit. The real winners are the charities that receive donations each writer raises to participate in the write-athon.

In the last three years, I have read some excellent and - not going to lie - some questionable pieces. This year’s crop was good. I’m pleased with the winner.

Doing any unusual reading these days? Tell us about it in the Comments below.

I watch: Downton Abbey

Netflix continues to suggest I watch things I’ve watched before - this time, the most recent “Downton Abbey” movie. I say I’m not really a lover of all things British but my dedication to finding space for Royal tchotchkes would suggest otherwise. (I just acquired the best china cup commemorating William’s 2011 marriage to Catherine) So I suppose watching a period drama like Downton is not out of character. A guilty pleasure maybe? But what’s not to love about a luscious costume drama, set in a gorgeous estate, (this time, with a glorious Italian villa as well) with well-developed characters set against a backdrop of 100 year old history. So there I am, eating dinner with Maggie Smith and her gang, or the much more interesting staff who plot and share intel in the basement.

What to you feel a bit guilting about watching? In the Comments below please!

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