"fried fish" news and stories

The fish fry may sound like a simple concept – essentially, frying fish! – but it's also a Wisconsin tradition, from supper clubs in the North Woods to trendy restaurants in Milwaukee.

Wisconsin's fish fry is a tradition begun by the Catholics in observance of Lent and it adheres to a no-meat rule on Fridays. Somewhere along the way, this culinary practice expanded into the rest of the year. Now, you'd be hard-pressed to find a restaurant in this state not cooking fish on a Friday night.

Its interpretation varies widely. But the sides are pretty much consistent from cook to cook: coleslaw, tartar sauce, potato pancakes, French fries, dinner rolls and applesauce (to spread on top of the pancakes). Depending on which restaurant you visit, the fish is likely beer-battered or baked cod, breaded perch or blue gill.

• All bits of the pig, oh my! Boris Coquerel's charcuterie at Gilead Cafe.
  
• Fungi, fresh off hardwood logs, with Fun Guy.
• Cooks on the road -- fish frying in the back of a van.
• The Festival of Beer and the craft brewers that don't bother.
• The cactus pear -- a cross between watermelon and cantaloupe in taste.
• As grocery costs rise, more head to food banks.
• Screwcaps, corks, and tasty vintages.
• Restaurant Reviews: Carnival Cones at the Ex, tasty Israeli food at Me Va Me, and tasty but pricey food at Nota Bene.

My friend and fellow blogger Joe Distefano is always going on about Asian snacks and candy. We try to beat out the other in finding the best, strangest, and tastiest Asian snack to munch on and talk about. I remember when I dared him to buy a bag of small candied crabs a few years ago and put them in a candy bowl in his desk at work to see what the reaction would be.

Well, today I ran across a tasty little snack when i was out shopping. I have been suffering from the flu related blues for a few days and had to get out of the house. Most people go shopping for clothes or power tools when they need a pick me up. I go food shopping, especially at ethnic markets. This snack is Asian Best brand "Crispy Snack Sesame Anchovy Fish." They are headless anchovies that are fried, candied, and covered with a chili powder and sesame seed coating.

They look kinda strange, these 1-2 inch long golden, shiny fish all studded with sesame seeds with red hints of chili powder. The smell is slightly fishy but the taste barely makes you think of fish at all. They are crunchy sweet at first, with the sesame taste coming through like those sesame brittle candies. Then the chili burn comes along, followed by a hint of fried fish. They are super tasty little snacks and great beer or cocktail munchies. Surprisingly they are low in fat and calories, and have tons of calcium. I can't wait to put them out as snacks at my next cocktail party.