Pure flavors with raw salmon

This is sad...very sad. When summers in southern California  are nothing but misty mornings, foggy days and perennially gray skies. This was supposed to be New England weather! And I thought California would ne different. And while heat waves assault new England, southern California is mistily coated in fogs and rains. 

Are the rains following me? 

You know I have a sort of love-hate relationship with rain, mists, fogs and grey skies. Long strectches of gray days get me into a melancholy mood. A mood ill suited for my day-to-day activities. But a state of mind which takes me to these far away places... over those mist covered green mountains, right where the road curves and eyes loose it. In those lands I am the flaneur. Large leaves drip mist droplets, the tall trees hide away the skies. I feel like  trespasser. But one very excited at the chance of discovering a new land. But its all new and its all scary. And just when I am starting to get afraid and about to turn back...a tap on my shoulder startles me. I look back scared to death..and lo and behold...its a fair ground. Merry-go-rounds and candies and old men selling toys and children playing. Or you know it could be a North pole winter fair or a sea of milk and sugar and white elephants play in that sea, each with a big pearl on their head...and I never return.

Somehow when the sun is bright and shining and there are happy people all around and the bbq smells tease the senses...that distant land vanishes. Phoof :)

I  feel this distant land is like mellowed flavor. One which I approach with caution and excitement. Whats new what's new? And the only thing I can think of fish. Raw fish. Salmon, Haddock, Tuna...they all have such unique understated flavors. I get the same feeling as I do on a gloomy day. An anticipation of something somewhere..new and quaint. First time I tried it was this spring at my sister's place, with left over salmon from a sushi making session. And I never returned. I think the taste of raw fish or seafood  in its unadultrated quality is very understated. Its sometimes best appreciated without any brighter flavors and strong spices cos in presence of brightness, their weak flavor goes away....phoof.

So this week while the weather continues to be gloomy and dark, I decided on having raw fish, with some money my mom sent me. My favorite is salmon. So I got some nice big salmon chunks and had it dipping in a mixture of soy sauce and garlic. I have to tell you ...that my sister really showed me how to have raw fish :)

Happy eating and healthy living