"7 Facts" Blog Game

There is a fun game going around the food blogging community called "Seven Facts." If you get tagged by someone, there are seven questions you have to answer using previous posts from your blog. I was tagged by Isabelle, from Isabelle at Home. Thanks for tagging me, this was fun!

Here are my seven answers based on my previous blog posts and experiences. Click on the recipe title to be taken to the recipe link!

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1. Most Beautiful Post(s): Caprese Salad (or Skewers)

Seared Sea Scallops with Pistachio and Parmesan Risotto

This was probably the hardest decision I made in this game... I'm not saying that I'm the best chef, nor that I make the best food ever, but I've noticed that the quality of my pictures has been improving since I first started blogging.

With this, though, it really was a tough decision. I've made some really yummy things in the past year, and some of the stuff turned out really awesome, so it was hard to choose just one... But, I did get it narrowed down to only two, even though I wanted to do four of them! I LOVE Caprese salads more than just about anything. It's the combination of fresh ingredients and flavors, and the little bit of crunch from the pine nuts (in mine), that just send it over the top. And the scallops with the risotto was so divine, I just had to include that too.  :-)

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2. Most Popular: Baby Back Ribs with Bourbon-Bacon Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

Since this was the easiest one to choose, based on Blogger's nifty little gadget that tells what my most popular recipes are, this was the first one I completed. Technically, the nifty little gadget says that it's another one of my posts, Trio of Sweet Potato Fries, but I don't know where they're getting that... While all of my fries turned out yummy, there really were not very many comments on them. Unless they count how many times people are viewing them. Maybe?

Anyways...

This was my contribution to the National Day for Ribs and Bacon. What a great day that is!!

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3. Most Controversial: Lobster Roll-Style Crab Salad Sandwiches

Okay, so I don't know if these were actually controversial, but when I was writing up the recipe for them, I imagined all kinds of New Englanders would somehow find my little blog, and this recipe, and attack me like a pack of dogs on a three-legged cat. It's not the traditional lobster roll format, but it's kinda similar... I like that they toast the outsides of the split-top hot dog buns they use for the rolls. And that's what I meant by the style of this sandwich...

...Even now, I can still see ferocious fangs! :-|

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4. Most Helpful: Honey Ginger Salmon

This is another one of those recipes that didn't get a lot of attention, because it was back in my earlier days of blogging, when only my real-life friends were reading what I wrote. I had recently been told by a fellow blogger about another post that they found especially informative, but I did pack a whole lot of information into this particular post. I try to be as informative as possible when writing up my blogs, so if I forget something or you know something I don't, please feel free to bring it to my attention!

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5. Post That Was Surprisingly Successful: Fish Tacos with Fresh Strawberry Salsa and Chipotle Crema

Perhaps it's because I have so many friends who just can't get their minds around the concept of fish tacos, but I was pleasantly surprised by how popular this was with my fellow foodie bloggers. Apparently, when people hear "Fish Taco," they think of a regular chicken or beef taco, only with fish, with the same spice mixture and everything. *Shudder* I suppose if that were my preconceived notion, I would have a hard time getting past that too... But, they really are very yummy!

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6. Post That Didn't Get The Attention It Deserved: Tarragon Chicken Salad

This is, by far, my favorite chicken salad recipe. The "problem" was that I posted this at the beginning of my blog, when I was just getting started with all of this, and so not a lot of people really saw those earlier posts. One of my residents gave me this recipe, and she was so happy when I would make it and bring some in for her... She was always watching Food Network, especially Barefoot Contessa, and then telling me all about what she saw "Contessa" make in hopes that I would make it and bring some for her! She was a dear, sweet lady.

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7. Post I Am Most Proud Of: French Onion Soup

I am the most proud of this post/recipe, because it was one of my first real attempts at making a recipe my own and it's been so successful. Everyone I've ever made this for raves about how good it is, some even going so far as to say it's the best French Onion Soup they've ever had! This was one of my papa's favorite things, and he absolutely loved it, so this holds a special place in my heart...

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Thank you so much to Isabelle for including me in this fun game. And now to choose 7 of my favorite food blogging friends to play too... These guys have shown me so much love and support, I can't even begin to thank them enough. Be sure and check out their pages!

Becca at It's Yummilicious
Chelsea at Sprinkles of Parsley
Kelly at Eat Yourself Skinny
Chef Dennis at A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis (I'm still wanting to call it by your old name!)
Janet at From Cupcakes to Caviar
Christina at Sweet Pea's Kitchen
Amy and Tiffanie at Chicks Who Love To Eat

Honey Ginger Salmon

Soooooo... Here it is!! This is the salmon that I've talked to a few people about! I've been making this particular recipe for about 8 or 9 years now, and it's one of my favorite ways to prepare salmon.
Now, if you've never had salmon before, you should know a few things first. You should also know a few things if you have had it before but didn't care for it. First of all, no fish should have an overpowering fish smell, it should smell mostly of the ocean. It's going to have some fish smell because, after all, it is a fish, but it should be mild and not especially pungent. When buying Salmon a good way to tell if it’s fresh is to press it with you finger, the flesh should spring back, not leave your fingerprint in it. If you’re looking at a whole salmon - take a good look at its eyes, they should be clear and bright, not sunken and cloudy. The gills should be a deep red colour and the skin shiny and slippery. When you pick up the fish it should feel firm, not floppy like some old rag doll.
Wild salmon is the best and, therefore, usually the most expensive but don’t let that put you off; once you’ve eaten wild Salmon the farmed Salmon pales in comparison. Wild salmon tends to be a darker orangey pink color, the reason being is that the natural diet of a Salmon includes crustaceans. When you pick up a whole wild salmon you’ll notice how firm and lean it is, like a torpedo, caused by the fish using its muscles to swim in the currents and tides of the rivers and seas. Farm-raised salmon is lighter pink in color and more rounded and flabby, the only fighting it’s done is for food amongst the other salmon in the sometimes very crowded farm cages. Did you know that sometimes the farmed salmon color is determined by the fish farmer? Depending what color the farmer wants his salmon to be, he can literally order a color from a chart and the feed manufacturer then calibrates the salmon’s diet accordingly and, presto, a ‘painted by numbers’ salmon! Farmed organic salmon is governed by strict guidelines set in place by Organic institutions such as The Soil Association. The fish is better looked after and the farms regularly inspected. Except for permitted antibiotics and pesticides the fish are largely left to naturally mature and being in larger cages they are a lot happier, healthier and fitter. The cages are also a lot further out to sea thus enabling fresh water to continually wash away the salmon effluence and of course making far better living conditions for the fish. If you are uncomfortable purchasing fish at your local market, thankfully, now that the internet has come into its own, it's never been easier to buy seafood online . There are many small, specialised companies where you can buy salmon and other fish products, most of which ship the items fresh in packaging that also includes dry ice and other methods of keeping the fish cold and fresh.
Modern science has provided evidence which suggests that fish consumption is an important part of a healthy diet because it can decrease the risk of coronary heart disease and certain cancers. Additional studies have provided exciting news about the benefits of Omega-3 oils for individuals with arthritis, psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, lupus erythematosus, asthma, and certain cancers. Research studies have consistently shown that Omega-3 fatty acids delay tumor appearance, and decrease the growth, size, and number of tumors.
Now that you have a lot of the information you need to know, I think salmon deserves a fair chance! If you'd like to know more about salmon, there are hundreds of online resources to assist you in furthering your knowledge.
Another thing that I love about this recipe is that it uses honey in the marinade, and then I also drizzle a little extra honey over the top of the fish before I eat it. The great thing about honey is that it really is a natural sweetener, and it raises your blood sugar slower than any other sweetener product. And, bonus, if you are sure to get the natural "raw" honey, it has an extra little bit of goodness inside... Raw honey contains a natural plant enzyme called amylase, which actually helps aid your body's digestion, especially the digestion of carbohydrates. It's actually a law in Germany that any honey produced for table consumption still has to have the plant enzyme amylase still intact, so if you can get some honey from there that would be even better! In a pinch, though, the American counterpart will do... ;-P Just be sure to ask your supplier if their product is "natural" or "raw" honey, making certain that it has gone through as little processing as necessary. And if you're able to go to Cranfest or anything like that, there are dozens of honey producers to choose from and they all have different varieties. I've gotten cranberry blossom, orange blossom, and regular clover blossom varietals and they are all good. Just make sure that the honey itself isn't actually infused with these flavors. You'll want to ask questions and be sure that the honey you're getting is simply from hives cultivated near an orange grove, cranberry bog, etc. It's generally only a mild difference in flavor, but you can usually always taste it. It's delicious! :-)


Printable Recipe

1 tsp. ground or freshly grated ginger
1 tsp. garlic powder or 2 pressed garlic cloves
⅓ c. soy sauce
⅓ c. orange juice
¼ c. honey
1 green onion, chopped
1 (1½-lb.) salmon fillet


In a large self-closing plastic bag, combine ginger, garlic, soy sauce, orange juice, honey, and green onion; mix well. Place salmon in bag and seal tightly. Turn bag gently to distribute marinade. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 5 hours; the longer you're able to marinate the fish, the more flavors will be imparted into the meat. You want to complement the natural flavor of the fish without also overpowering that flavor.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil grate.
Remove salmon from marinade, shake off excess, and discard remaining marinade. Grill for 12 to 15 minutes per inch of thickness, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. You can also try cooking the salmon on a wood plank for a little more flavor. Drizzle with additional honey. Makes 4 servings