...sadly, actually he is not. But the best* thing about the banner and ring goodness in Boston yesterday was the warm welcome for crucial ex-Sox no longer w/ the team, Derek Lowe and Dave Roberts, who made the trip back to Boston to get their rings, and raise the roof pennant. (Petey, famously and churlishly, did not, but my bet is that after his arm falls off in about six weeks, next season there will be some kind of reconciliation, and he will get his in a special ceremony some time in the future, like Ali in the ATL in 96, only sans Vietnam issues.) I downloaded a ton of photos, but you can just enjoy them here. Dave Roberts, who was only with the Sox for about 3 months, is my favorite Red Sox player of all time. He is the kind of guy we never used to get: a late-season acquisition who turns out to be a difference maker. For a team that once had two guys ground into triple plays in the same game, and lost a world series because a manager insisted on having a cripple play first base, so he could be on the field when they clinched, speed thrills. He is the anti-Brunansky. Dave Roberts is also gifted in celebration. It is difficult to find a shot of post ALCS or Series celebrations where he is not in the thick of it, yet it never seems to be in the grandstanding manner of, say, Christian Fauria at the conclusion of SB XXXVIII. And now, sadly, Dave Roberts is a Padre. He wanted to play regularly, and the Sox could not make that happen, so they let him go. If Dave Roberts was actually hanging out at my house, I'd say, "thanks, man," and I would bypass all of the recent salmon controversy, and throw together some Saucy Thai Catfish. This is easy, and good, and is a viable way to cook something that appears to be Asian, even when you do not have easy access to an Asian grocer, as the only specialty ingredient is fish sauce, which keeps forever. You do need it though. Do not be fooled by those who will tell you that you can use soy, or Maggi, or whatever. Those folks think that fish sauce is like baby powder, in that it is "sauce for putting on fish." In fact, it is like olive oil, in that it is "sauce made out of fish." How, you would rather not know--we will say it involves anchovies, sunshine, and patience, and leave it at that. Unlike syrup, you should pay for grade A. You could order some here, and Tiparos is a good brand--stay away from the specially overpriced for gringos varieties in the "ethnic" section at the Safeway sold under names like "Taste of Thai."
Anyway:
Start rice, cut up 1 red and one yellow bell peppers and 1 red onion
Peel and mince two good thumb-sized chunks of ginger, and 8-12 cloves garlic.
Warm garlic and ginger in 2-3 tb neutral oil in a skillet until fragrant and slightly tan. Add 6-8 crumbled dried red chilies-Thai chilies are best, but even the kind they put in wreaths will work, in an emergency.
Cook 2-3 minutes more.
Add 1 1/2 lb of catfish, cut into knuckle-sized nuggets, cook until fish is white and opaque.
Add onion, and cook til pink.
Add 1 tb sugar, pref brown, and two generous slugs of fish sauce--a skinny 2tb, maybe.
Add peppers, and cook til soft. Serve over rice w/ slices of lime and more fish sauce.
I don't know what kind of music Dave Roberts likes, but I bet he would enjoy hearing Husker Du covering the Ramones, because who would not?
Husker Du, "Sheena_Is_a_Punk_Rocker" The Living End, Warner, 1994 (Recorded live, 1987)
*This strolling out of the cornfield thing was better, actually. Younger readers of the Cod might be interested to know that the gentleman on the right of the picture is wearing the uniform of the old Boston Bruins, a charter franchise in the now-defunct National Hockey League. "Hockey"was a sport similar to lacrosse, except it is played on a sheet of frozen ice. Weird, huh? Also, the man with his hands in his pockets has more rings on them than the other three cats combined. No disrespect to Mr. Zakim, or Bunker Hill, but we all know that bridge should have #6's name on it.
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