the last mac mac mackerel.

This is one of those drawings that happens when you're sitting around after dinner with creative types and one of them says, "let's play that game where someone draws part of a picture, then folds it down so you can't see what they drew, and then they pass it on to someone else to draw the next part, etc."

I drew the head, having no idea that some witty person would label this as a portrait of me (while not knowing what it looked like). Except for the implied foot odor, it' s remarkably accurate I must say.

+++

One food tidbit to document: I've been reading about how chipotles and mackerel are supposed to complement each other for 10 years now, pretty much since I started cooking southwestern food (meaning southwestern USA). Regardless of the cookbook author, they pretty much all say the same thing: oily fish, strong taste and odor, chipotles cut through, blah blah blah. Maybe it's all the same cookbook author, come to think of it. Damn you, Chris Schlesinger!

I've never tried it, b/c I'm the only person I know who really likes mackerel. Furthermore, almost all of the mackerel I eat is smoked, and all of the recipes I've seen have been for fresh mackerel, grilled, with something like a chipotle vinaigrette.

But today for lunch I had a peppered, smoked mackerel filet sitting around, and decided to put it on a sandwich with a decent tomato and some chipotle mayonnaise (just a few drops of adobo sauce from the chiptole can actually, stirred into a couple tablespoons of mayo). And, yes, it was a great sandwich: the smokiness and tomato called to mind a BLT, the chipotle provided a bit of a tap on the shoulder of my one collective taste bud.

+++

I made this sandwich again the next day, and I'll have to say that toasting the bread was a wicked smart adjustment, the affair needed a bit of crunch. A cuke might not have been the worst idea either but I didn't try that.

Here's my as yet untested version of the chipotle vinaigrette recipe that I referenced above.

+++

mackerel with chipotle vinaigrette.

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoon coarse Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon pureed chipotle chile and adobo

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Juice of 2 limes

1-3 tsp raw sugar

3 tbsp EVOO

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

2 mackerel filets

2 tbsp EVOO

Make vinaigrette with first 8 ingredients. Pour half over fish and let marinate for 1 hour.
Salt and pepper fish and grill or broil for 15-20 minutes.
Cut into portions and serve with remaining vinaigrette over top.
Also nice with a dollop of cilantro or basil mayonnaise on the side.

Serves 4.

+++