Did you know that Radio Flyer established the last Wednesday in March as National Little Red Wagon Day? A day to make memories, to celebrate the power of imagination and for adults to be more child-like. After all, who doesn’t feel like a kid in a Little Red Wagon? The Radio Flyer Wagon has been around since 1917. A vintage Radio Flyer can run you as much as $60.00; while a new one can be had for under $20.00. So if your kids or grand kids has one, tell them it’s an investment and to treat that wagon well.

Today is also National Ravioli Day. Hum, wagons are longer than they are wide, just like a casserole dish. Wagons are red, just like pasta sauce. See where I’m going here?

Okay, so that was a stretch. It’s the thirteenth day of the Lenten Season, the last Wednesday in March and…

I have been craving to eat dried fish. It’s salty and crunchy (if you deep fry them). It can be found relatively easy in the big Asian supermarket in Stuttgart, which I bought a few months ago but never got the chance to cook it. Here I found the idea of mixing tempe and dried fish, without having to use “too much” oil and still be able to add in some green. This dish can be cooked also for vegetarian, just remove the dried fish. I really enjoy this simple dish with steamed white rice. Yummyyy…. 🙂

Total time: 30 minutes

Serving: 4

---

INGREDIENTS

400 g               Tempe, cut into rectangular shape, or any shape you prefer

250 g               Beans, cut into approx. 2-3 cm length

1 cup               Dried fish (optional), you can also replace it with shrimp

4                      Shallots, chopped

Depending upon which of the various “National” Calendars you subscribe to, today is National Oatmeal Cookie Day, National Chocolate Caramel Day, National Let’s Laugh Day, Certified Nurses Day and World Social Work Day. Considering today is cradled neatly mid-way into the Lenten Season, the idea of Social Work Day appeals to me. But that’s a subject for another time.

Today is also National Poultry Day. Talk about an easy day for participation! Start with breakfast – turkey bacon or chicken sausage. How about an open-faced turkey sandwich for lunch? And for dinner, what could be better than some sort of roasted or braised bird.

Since we were just in the French Quarter of New Orleans for yesterday’s Lenten Recipe, I thought we’d stick with a French influence today. I know what you are thinking as you glance down at the recipe that follows. The ingredients are a bit much, but…

Do you know the tub gurnard? In Italian we call it gallinella, and traditionally it’s one of those fish used to make many delicious fish soups, but its fillet it’s also very good and it can be used in many ways.

In the past, like all the fish “for soups”, it was quite a poor fish, but nowadays not really 😀 especially if you live in a country without sea.

One of the good ways to use it is in the risotto, also because we can use the bones and the had to prepare a very good “fumetto“, the fish stock, that we use for the recipe.

Let’s see.

INGREDIENTS (2 people):

• 160 g rice (Carnaroli or Vialone Nano I suggest)
• 1 tub gurnard of about 500 g
• 1 small onion
• 40 g butter
• 1 glass of dry white wine
• freshly chopped parsley
• lemon zest, untreated

For…