Nothing fishy about Perfect Fish

 It's such an unassuming little gadget, but with a name that sounds more like a brag than a discription, the Perfect Fish Cooking Time Indicator is indispensable for cooks who love fish. I've had mine for almost as long as it's been available (the patent was issued in 1984), and it lost its plastic part that rested on the fish to get a precise measurement years ago, but the aluminum measuring part still hangs near my stove.

I have looked far and wide for a better-looking and intact replacement, with no luck. The few that have appeared from resellers on eBay and Etsy were snapped up quickly.

If this gizmo sounds like something that would help you from either overcooking or undercooking fish, here's my workaround:

Take a straight-edge metal ruler. Put it next to the piece of fish you will be cooking. Using a non-flexible thin item such as an icing spatula or knife, place it across the fish, perpendicular to the ruler and measure how thick the fish is. Figure 5 minutes of cooking time for every half inch of fish, 10 minutes for 1" and so on. Bake or broil at 450°F ; pan fry or deep fry at 375°F. 

It has never let me down. If anyone hears of a reissue of this useful tool, please let me know!

Lori K's tip of the day – July 23, 2023

If you're heating soft corn tortillas in the microwave, put a folded paper towel on the bottom first, then the tortillas. This allows the steam somewhere to go, so the bottom tortilla is soft and warm like the rest, not soggy. A minute in the 'wave is all you need.

Lori K's veggie Mexican scramble

Serves 2

Ingredients

Oil

4 oz. soy or other vegetarian chorizo

½ pound of chard or spinach, rinsed and stems removed

2 eggs

Pepper and/or salt to taste

6 tortillas

Instructions

Put a little oil in a large nonstick skillet and turn on the burner to medium heat. Remove the casing from the chorizo, chop it roughly and add to the skillet. Meanwhile put a smooth cotton or linen towel on a large microwave safe plate, pile on the chard, fold the towel over it, and microwave for about 90 seconds until just wilted. Remove from the microwave, and when cool, squeeze out as much liquid as possible (you could save the liquid for vegetable broth; it's very nutritious). Chop the greens, put them in the skillet, and turn the heat down to low. Crack the two eggs over the mixture, season with the salt and pepper, and scramble the mixture until the whites set. Put the tortillas in a warmer (a clean tea towel could be used instead) and microwave for 1 minute.

Plate the scramble and use it as a filling for the tortillas, one at a time, keeping the others warm as you eat them all up.