cmnrubbedwings

It’s been a few weeks since we’ve posted a Friday Feast entry – damn how time flies when you’re in the midst of the annual winter funk and distracted by real world projects.

This is a great weekend to jump back into the Friday Feast routine – I hear there’s a little game coming up this weekend.  (We have some interesting plans to expand our Friday Feast feature and will be sharing those next week…)

Traditionally Superbowl Sunday is a great time to be on the rivers around here and we’ve already got a trip planned for Sunday including a float on the Missouri (current forecast for Craig Sunday – snow and 30).

Superbowl festivities do tend to bring redneck foodies out of the woodwork, hence some of us are planning a Superbowl food party tomorrow night just for the food.  The clan has insisted that I do a wing recipe that we posted last year - Cumin Rubbed Chicken Wings with Ma’s Spicy Red Chile Peanut Sauce.

Particularly in winter when you wouldn’t think it’s grilling season - great wings are one of my favorite foods on the face of the earth – hot and sizzling right off the grill with a great ratio of spiced, crispy skin to meat, and sized just right to eat with your hands.

This is roll up your sleeves and chow down dining at it’s best – and demands a nice cold brew to wash it down.

Not a lot of fancy prep work here; make the sauce first and grill up those wings.

Red Chile Peanut Sauce

  • 3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
  • ¾ cup red chile puree (best if make your own)
  • 2/3 cup chicken broth
  • 6 tbs. fresh lime juice
  • 4 tbs. soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. fish sauce
  • ¼ cup finely chopped green onion
  • ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1-3 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 5 garlic cloves, chopped

Cumin Wing Rub

  • 3 tbs. ground cumin
  • 1 tbs. dried Mexican oregano
  • 2 tsp. brown sugar
  • ¾ tsp. granulated garlic
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • ¾ tsp. freshly ground pepper
  • 3 lbs. chicken wings

Sauce – combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth; you’ll need to stop and scrape down the sides a couple of times.  Pending how thick you want the sauce to be - thicken with more peanut butter or thin with broth.

Rub – mix well and use immediately.

Cook the wings – Preheat your grill to medium high.  Wash the wings and pat dry.  Place the rub in a gallon plastic bag, add 1/3 of the wings and shake to coat.  Repeat for the rest of the wings.  Grill over medium heat until done, turning every four minutes or so.  Serve right off the grill with the sauce on the side.

I’d heartily recommend enjoying these with a local brew - Madison River Brewing Company’s Salmon Fly Honey Rye.  Hot damn.

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Enjoy.

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jake_gallatin_100203_007-3

Jake had a chance to get out yesterday on the Gallatin with a friend - he took a new underwater toy and snapped a few decent pics of the day - including the one eyed brown above.

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Sun has been in short supply around these parts as has snow (more snowpack and climate stuff to come…).

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The underwater world is alive and well in the neighborhood…..

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Not a bad way to spend a few hours on a February day, particularly considering how it’s snowing yet again (though pretty mild at 30 this morning).

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newcchcan1

Via Nova Craft Canoe…

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sprgsprng110Three weeks or so ago temperatures in the neighborhood were fighting like hell to break the zero mark.

Yesterday afternoon on the lower Madison (Blacks Ford to Greycliff) we saw a fair number of fisher-folk and temps in the 50 degree range (53 to be exact).

There were fewer fish and a few more mistakes with rod and oar than we’d care to admit or document in a posted photographic record.

Perhaps the most amazing thing, besides being on a living river again, was the almost total lack of snow cover and a few spots of new spring green here and there.

Sure is looking like an El Nino spring right now - skinny snow pack, drier than normal and very warm for this time of year.

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cw_fcr_15jan

Fish Can’t Read’s e-magazine has been sold – it’s official today.

From their blog today…..

Life has a funny way of throwing a surprise or two into the mix when we’d least expect it.

Sometimes those surprises take the form of sobering challenges that tax our resources to the max.

Sometimes those surprises take the form of something unexplainably good – like a 30 inch Brown at the end of our 4 weight rig, or the 100+ fish day on BWOs during that perfect late spring day on the Bitterroot.

We’ve just experienced one of those good surprises here at Fish Can’t Read – we’ve sold the magazine project.

We’re not at liberty to tell the entire story of as of yet, but it’s part of a larger agreement we’ve forged with a “real” publishing team that involves another magazine project we’re involved with in the hunting realm.   When we started the project very nearly a year ago the potential sale of the magazine ‘some day’ was a pipe dream that wasn’t expected to manifest as an option for years.

The entire team is deeply appreciative of all the kind words of encouragement that have been shared over the past months as we’ve produced the magazine, and we’re humbled at the large volume of creative, insightful and imaginative materials that have been submitted for review.  (It’s been forwarded on to the new owners…..)

All of our team will continue to write, photograph and publish in various venues, and those of us involved with Dry Fly Media have some nifty photography and videography projects in the works preparing to tee off in the next several weeks of what appears to be an early (thanks El Nino) spring.

Tight Lines –

The Fish Can’t Read Team

Jake and I have been a part of the Fish Can’t Read team and are also part of the ownership group involved in the sale negotiations.  It has been nothing but a pleasure to work with Keith, John, Alex, Camille and the countless others who have submitted imagery and written work for consideration.

Given today’s incredibly challenging business and economic environment we understand how fortunate we’ve been to have an opportunity like this present itself, though it’s been much more of a struggle to consider parting with the project than we ever imagined it would be.

Less computer time means more time on the river.

Hot damn.

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Long Live the King…..

by Mark on January 8, 2010

in Culture, Books, Art

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Thinking Snow and Itchin’ to Get Out….

by Mark on January 5, 2010

in Weather

The first week of January almost inevitably finds lots of fly fisher folk itchy to get out and stretch after the holiday season.

This year in particular finds me among that cadre – the past six weeks or so (since Thanksgiving) have been the busiest in memory and it’s been damned cold around the neighborhood.

The penetrating cold persisted until about a week ago and has fostered the development of lots of shore and anchor ice, and filled many of the area’s typically December fishable waters with slush more days than not.

Warmer temps in the high twenties and thirties, seemingly almost shirt-sleeve weather if the wind isn’t blowing, have enticed a few of us onto the Gallatin and up to the Madison between the lakes of late.

Fishing has been about what you’d expect this time of year, but the snowpack we’ve seen around the neighborhood has not.

Thanks to a snowy late November and early December here in Bozeman, followed by weeks of cold, we’ve got as much snow on the ground as almost anywhere in the region, and it’s spitting snow right now this morning with several inches forecast for the next day or so.

On the other hand, snow cover is pretty skinny just a few miles in almost any direction you care to travel from here.

A look at SNOTEL’s water equivalent chart today shows that most Montana watersheds are behind normal for this time of year (orange and red bars indicate less than 90% of normal snowpack for this time of year)…

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More than one friend and neighbor has noted with chagrin that this winter feels like it’s going to be a dry year, particularly when compared to the well above average snowpack winters we’ve had the past two years.  Subjective as it may be, the old-timers seem to have a true knack for knowing what’s coming weather wise.

NOAH’s climatology scientists seem to agree – the three month forecasts for temp and precip look dry and warm for the region.  If that’s the case, it’ll be Blue Wings in March and Mother’s Day Caddis shouldn’t be buried in runoff this year…..

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The quarterly forecast does make me wonder a bit about that March Texas redfish trip we have planned……

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Ho Ho Ho!

by Mark on December 24, 2009

in Chi Wulff

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Merry Christmas to all from the frozen north.

It’s a chilly -4 this Christmas Eve morning in Bozeman.  Thanks to yesterday’s 4 or 5 inches of new snow it looks as if the neighborhood has been scrubbed clean and whitewashed for the holiday.

Thanks to all who have emailed, called, etc. to make sure we’re still alive and kicking up here – the last few weeks have been chock full of work and not enough play as we wind up some projects at year end.

Our entire team hopes the holidays bring you joy and time to enjoy family and friends.   She Who Must Be Obeyed and I are hosting most of the Chi Wulff gang tonight for tamales and gifts and have an outdoor play day planned tomorrow…..

Another note to cheer all fisherfolk – winter solstice the afternoon of the 21st marked a turn to the new season.  To hell with the concept of the New Year – we’ve already made the turn toward longer days and a new fishing season.  Interestingly we don’t start adding daylight minutes back in the morning here for several weeks, though the afternoon sun is already spending a minute or two more with us each day.

It feels better already.

I can already visualize spring BWOs and Mother’s Day Caddis hatches….hot damn.

Did manage to escape for a drive through the Madison and Gallatin valleys yesterday afternoon on the hunt for some water pics  - it was breezy with temps. in the 13 to 14 degree range therefore no fishing was done.

The views in the Madison Valley were jaw-dropping as always. (Almost passed up the shots of the late day sun on the hills from the corral yesterday - ALWAYS stop and get the pic when in doubt. There were better pics that just might be on next year’s Christmas cards….)

Hope Santa is good to you and yours this year.

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santcall1209Santa called yesterday.

He was checking to make sure that we were making our traditional Christmas Eve tamales this year.  He’s enjoyed the several we’ve left out for him over the past few years, though he likes the traditional recipe better than the ‘fusion’ tamales that’ve been popping up here and there.

Sounds like Santa is planning on leaving a little early and spending a few extra hours in the neighborhood next week, so I told him we’d be glad to oblige him and are installing the landing lights on the roof to make sure he can find us easily – snow is forecast for Christmas Eve.

He’s thinking about coming in early enough to do a little nymphing on the Gallatin below Big Sky (effluent from the water treatment plant cuts down on the shore ice) before we eat and he hits the road again.

He handles a rod pretty well but doesn’t fit easily into waders.  ‘Nuff said.

We’ve been making tamales every Christmas since 1993 at our place – here’s the recipe we keep coming back to year after year.   Note – this is a recipe handed to us by a family friend in San Antonio; her family has been making this recipe for two generations now and it’s a bit ‘old fashioned’. masabag1209

Old fashioned means you do everything from scratch and there’s lard in the masa.  Trust me – the lard really does add to the overall authenticity of the tamale; if you’re squeamish about it – use solid vegetable shortening.  Santa prefers lard.

This is a great family project – get your team lined up in assembly line fashion as you put ‘em together.  You’ll need at least one and preferably 3 other elves to help you when it’s time to put your tamales together.

  • 4 lb. boned pork shoulder or butt, most fat trimmed
  • 3 ounces dried California chiles
  • 3 ounces dried New Mexico chiles
  • 1.5 ounces dried Pasilla chiles
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • 3 large cloves garlic
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
  • 2 tsp cumin seed
  • 1 cup chopped tomato
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • ½ cup finely chopped green pepper
  • 1 cup finely chopped (seeded) fresh Anaheim chiles
  • 3 cups lard or solid vegetable shortening
  • 2 tbs instant beef bouillon
  • 2 tsp garlic salt
  • ¾ cup finely chopped cilantro sprigs
  • ¾ cup finely chopped green onions
  • 8 cups dehydrated masa flour
  • 5 and ¼ cups warm water
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbs salt
  • 4 cups roasted corn (roast frozen corn in the oven)
  • 1 lb dried corn husks
  • Pimento stuff green olives, halved longways if large
  • 2 cans sliced pickled jalapenos

Start the pork filling – place the pork in a large pan with a lid, add 3 quarts water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmered covered to 2 hours or so – meat should be tender when poked with a fork.  Skim the fat, drain and reserve the liquid, cool the meat and then shred it.  Discard all visible fat.

Make the chile puree –  (while the pork is cooking).  Stem and seed all the dried chiles, rinse well, and place in 4 quart pan with a quart or so of water and bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer, cover, and stir now and then until the chiles are soft – about 30 minutes.  Cool and then drain, reserving 2 cups of the liquid.  When cool, blend the chiles and reserved liquid, set it aside.

Soak the husks – separate and rinse the husks; soak in hot tap water until soft and pliable.  When soft, tear about 10 of the husks into long thin strips to tie the tamales together when assembled.

Finish the filling – in a small pan over medium heat, stir the flour until a deep tan color; remove immediately from the heat.  Stir in ½ cup of the reserved broth and scrape into the shredded meat.  Blend together the garlic, coriander, oregano, cumin and 1 and ½ cups of the pork broth; strain into the meat pan.

To the meat add 1 and ½ cups of the chile puree, the tomato, yellow onion, bell pepper, Anaheims, ¼ cup lard, bouillon and garlic salt.  Mix very well and heat over medium heat for 15 minutes or so to blend the flavors.  Remove from the heat and mix in the green onions and cilantro.  Set aside to cool.

Make the Masa – mix the masa flour with 5 and ¼ cups warm water until smooth in a large bowl.  Melt the lard or shortening and mix in along with the backing powder, salt, remaining chile puree and the roasted corn.  It’s best to use your hands to mix well.  Take half of the mixture and place in a heavy duty mixer bowl and beat at a low speed until very smooth.  You can do it by hand as well.

whttaml1209Assemble the tamales – line up your ingredients starting with husks, Masa, filling, olives, jalapenos, anything else you want to put in, and the strips to tie with.

Take a large husk, lay it flat with the smooth side up, and spoon roughly ¼ cup of Masa onto the husk; using a spoon or spatula, smooth the Masa to within an inch of the top and bottom of the husk (the long edges).

Spread 3 tbs (more or less) of the meat filling about an inch from one long edge of the Masa; add 2 or 3 olives and jalapeno slices (and whatever else you want).  Roll / fold the Masa line husk around the filling – you can add another husk and a Masa ‘patch’ if you need to.

Tie the tamales tightly at each end with a strip of husk; you’ll probably need to add a tie around the middle as well.

Cook your tamales – Tamales are steamed; use your pasta pot or place a rack in a large pot so it’s an inch or more above the bottom of the pot; fill the pot with an inch or so of water or broth.  Place the tamales on the rack (alternating tamale direction 90 degrees every layer); heat the water to boiling and then reduce to a simmer.  Cover and steam for an hour if fresh and 1.5 hours if frozen.

The tamales freeze really well; we typically make a double or triple recipe and give them to friends.  A single recipe should put about 4 dozen tamales in your larder.

It sounds like a production, but the assembly goes fast with a team effort, and the results are incredible.

Make Santa happy.  Tamales for Christmas.

Enjoy.

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