You can broil the salmon fillets directly on the foil but if you place them on a rack as shown (this cooling rack I have happens to fit this baking sheet pretty nicely) then the fish doesn't get soggy as it cooks in its own juices.

But let’s not think about that.

Let’s think about all the great cooking that can be done during the colder part of the year. This is the time for stews and slow-cookers, root vegetables and warm spices… It’s also a good time to ramp up your vitamin D intake so that you don’t get rickets or catch the flu. I never used to give vitamin D much thought but it is in the news everywhere now since apparently most of us are horribly deficient. The current recommendation is 400 IU/day for adults but many consider that number to be too low. In any case, it’s not a bad idea to increase that number to at least 800-1000 IU/day especially if you are a woman (as vitamin D increases calcium absorption) or live in a northern latitude. By the way, only kids get rickets but vitamin D deficiency in adults is associated with an alarming number of other health problems. Here’s an interesting article from the Weston A Price Foundation on the matter (by the way, those folks recommend 10,000 IU/day!).

Salmon is an excellent natural source of vitamin D although the content varies considerably depending on whether the salmon is wild caught or farmed. Wild caught salmon can contain as much as 1000 IU per 3.5oz portion whereas farmed salmon generally contains far less. Unless you plan to eat salmon or shrimp everyday (or you’re lucky enough to live in the sun all year) the best way to get your vitamin D is to take cod liver oil daily. I plan to do this as soon as I get around to it.

Most scallops at the store have been treated with a preservative, sodium tripolyphosphate, which makes them extra white-looking and plump – annoying!  The FDA requires that these scallops be labeled “water added”, or you can just ask.  “Dry scallops” are untreated and have a shorter shelf life.  They usually cost more, too.

I never used to freeze scallops because I thought it would affect their texture.  However, several weeks ago Whole Foods got in a big supply of dry scallops and was selling them for $9.99 lb.  So I bought 3 lbs, divided them into 1 lb packages and froze them.  I let them defrost for 24 hours in the fridge before cooking and didn’t notice that they were any different from fresh scallops.  So if you find them on sale, I say go crazy and just freeze for later.

Scallops, being on the expensive side, are a treat and I prepare them as such.  I’ve seen recipes that call for the casual preparation of scallops in pasta sauces or taco filling but this seems like a waste to me.   In this recipe they are prepared in my favorite way – on the stove top with plenty of butter.  Make this once and I guarantee you’ll make it again because it is so simple and delicious. We had these for dinner last Friday night with Salad with Figs, Bacon and Toasted Pecans.

When I got home I was disappointed to learn that gooseberries are typically combined with sugar to make desserts or jams.  I tried eating several raw and noted that they do not have much natural sweetness… sort of half grape, half lemon.  Then I discovered a traditional dish from the UK, grilled mackerel with gooseberry sauce.   Ding! Ding! Ding!  I’d been meaning to try mackerel ever since I read a recent post over at Mark’s Daily Apple espousing the unique health benefits of this fish (mainly its omega 3 content).  Here was my chance!

(feeling very primal here)

I will admit that when the guy handed me that whole fish at the market I felt a little nervous.  However, let me tell you from someone who has not always liked fish and will still not eat any old fish that there was absolutely nothing ‘weird’ about the taste of this mackerel.  These fish live in super cold northern waters and the taste is very clean and mild.  The only downside to mackerel, in my opinion, is that they are somewhat bony.  The gooseberry sauce turned out wonderfully.  It was fresh, tart, citrusy and not the slightest bit bitter.  Unless you prepare more than one mackerel, you’ll probably have some sauce left over.  Freeze it!  You could use this sauce on so many things: fish, pork, chicken, Thanksgiving turkey.

Don’t have any gooseberries on hand? I was wondering what this might taste like if you substituted blueberries for the gooseberries. I’d add a little lemon juice to the sauce. Let me know if you try this!

Aren't they pretty? These are the gooseberries I used. Mine were green but they also come in purple.