HIKING PLAN 2015

Today was one of those days when I just couldn't help myself but look over some of the Adirondack peaks that I haven't hiked yet. In fact I created a list of those peaks, 26 left. Out of that list I noticed that there were some pairs that would make a good day trip as well as a couple stand alone's.

1. Colvin and Blake

2. Street and Nye

3. Sawteeth and Gothics

4. Tabletop

5. Esther

I hiked Gothics a couple of years ago with Lesya, my wife, via the southern approach (Beaver Falls). However, it would be nice to hike up the northern steep trail and experience the cables. 

Tabletop is more or less a stand alone and not too exciting of a peak on the way to Marcy. I have contemplated adding Tabletop to a Marcy hike but I would much rather add Gray peak on the other side because it is so isolated. 

A while back I thought it would have been a nice trip to do Esther and Whiteface but since I did Whiteface via car it doesn't make sense doing it again. Thus Esther is a stand alone for me.

I would probably have to do at least 3 trips in order to hike these 7 new peaks. Definitely looking forward to the later spring, summer, and fall to do some hiking. One of these years I will invest in some cold weather gear and do some winter hiking. 

Absolutely love the beautiful ADK! 

SESAME-CRUSTED SALMON!

This evening was the evening that I did some cooking again. It's always a great pleasure to work with food, follow a recipe, and hope for a great tasting meal. But the best part of the whole cooking experience is to spend some time by my lovely brides side in her world of the kitchen. Its a great honor that she actually trusts me with the kitchen and all of its toys. Its fun cooking and I can always use the wonderful advice of the Master Chef!

I always read the recipe ahead of time to make sure I know what I am getting myself into. Actually I would prefer to study it and think it through a bit but this evening I didn't have enough time to do all of the pre-dinner prep. I only confirmed with Lesya to make sure we had all of the ingredients in the house.

Lesya cooked up some delicious mashed potatoes before I even started the fish. But it all worked out because I need some extra hand-holding during this cooking experience.

This recipe called for a 3 part prep: the fish, the glaze, and a sauce.

I got the fish all ready with sesame seeds and was frying it up on moderate-high heat. My fillets were a little thicker so they need a little more time that what the recipe called for. So meanwhile Lesya was helping me make the sauce. It called for 3 tsp of cornstarch to be added in while simmering. Instead of reading 3 tsp, I read 3 tbsps. I had never worked with cornstarch before and when Lesya heard that some RED FLAGS when up for her. So she double-checked and I made a mistake. It also helps to bring the sauce to a simmer before you add the cornstarch or else it may take a few minutes longer for things to thicken up properly.

Lesya also made some fresh cucumber, tomato, and onion salad which worked really well with the fish and mashed potatoes.

In retrospect the fish tasted really good but it could of used some more salt and pepper. The recipe doesn't call for neither.

You can find this recipe at the following link:

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/sesame-crusted-salmon

Bon appetite!