Tonite is fish nite. I found decent portions of salmon frozen and
individually packaged in COSTCO and have been eating the package down.
Very convenient.

Once before I pan seared salmon fillet and served it with a honey,
mustard and butter sauce which was great, so I'll try that again
tonite.

Casting about for a side dish, I recalled a roasted sweet potato dish
with fajita seasoning, which was nice and without much thought, said
"OK, I have my meal planned".

Then I began to try and see how these might taste together. I can
"visualize" how the fish with sauce will taste and I recall how the
sweet potato tasted, but I"m having difficulty trying to imagine how
they would taste together.

How do you pair sides with the main item? - Mike

On Nov 17, 8:10*am, Michael Horowitz > wrote:
> Tonite is fish nite. I found decent portions of salmon frozen and
> individually packaged in COSTCO and have been eating the package down.
> Very convenient.
>
> Once before I pan seared salmon fillet and served it with a honey,
> mustard and butter sauce which was great, so I'll try that again
> tonite.
>
> Casting about for a side dish, I recalled a roasted sweet potato dish
> with fajita seasoning, which was nice and without much thought, said
> "OK, I have my meal planned".
>
> Then I began to try and see how these might taste together. I can
> "visualize" how the fish with sauce will taste and I recall how the
> sweet potato tasted, but I"m having difficulty trying to imagine how
> they would taste together.
>
> How do you pair sides with the main item? - Mike

Believe it or not, sometimes it depends on whether the oven will be in
use -- e.g. if I'm baking a fish dish, then I have to nix the idea
for oven fries.

If there will be any kind of gravy or sauce, then it's usual mashed
potatoes.

On Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:10:57 -0500, Michael Horowitz wrote:

> Tonite is fish nite. I found decent portions of salmon frozen and
> individually packaged in COSTCO and have been eating the package down.
> Very convenient.
>
> Once before I pan seared salmon fillet and served it with a honey,
> mustard and butter sauce which was great, so I'll try that again
> tonite.
>
> Casting about for a side dish, I recalled a roasted sweet potato dish
> with fajita seasoning, which was nice and without much thought, said
> "OK, I have my meal planned".
>
> Then I began to try and see how these might taste together. I can
> "visualize" how the fish with sauce will taste and I recall how the
> sweet potato tasted, but I"m having difficulty trying to imagine how
> they would taste together.
>
> How do you pair sides with the main item? - Mike

haphazardly.

your pal,
blake

"Michael Horowitz" > wrote in message
...
> Tonite is fish nite. I found decent portions of salmon frozen and
> individually packaged in COSTCO and have been eating the package down.
> Very convenient.
>
> Once before I pan seared salmon fillet and served it with a honey,
> mustard and butter sauce which was great, so I'll try that again
> tonite.
>
> Casting about for a side dish, I recalled a roasted sweet potato dish
> with fajita seasoning, which was nice and without much thought, said
> "OK, I have my meal planned".
>
> Then I began to try and see how these might taste together. I can
> "visualize" how the fish with sauce will taste and I recall how the
> sweet potato tasted, but I"m having difficulty trying to imagine how
> they would taste together.
>
> How do you pair sides with the main item? - Mike
>

I use several guidelines, flavour, colour, texture, time and convenience.
Flavours should not overpower the main dish or be washed out by it. They
should complement each other. I like to have a variety of colours and
textures. Preparation is determined by time, convenience and the complexity
of the main course. If the main course is simple, then the sides can be
more complex and vice versa.

Debbie

"blake murphy" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:10:57 -0500, Michael Horowitz wrote:
>
>> Tonite is fish nite. I found decent portions of salmon frozen and
>> individually packaged in COSTCO and have been eating the package down.
>> Very convenient.
>>
>> Once before I pan seared salmon fillet and served it with a honey,
>> mustard and butter sauce which was great, so I'll try that again
>> tonite.
>>
>> Casting about for a side dish, I recalled a roasted sweet potato dish
>> with fajita seasoning, which was nice and without much thought, said
>> "OK, I have my meal planned".
>>
>> Then I began to try and see how these might taste together. I can
>> "visualize" how the fish with sauce will taste and I recall how the
>> sweet potato tasted, but I"m having difficulty trying to imagine how
>> they would taste together.
>>
>> How do you pair sides with the main item? - Mike
>
> haphazardly.
>

Yeah, I should have added that to my list. Sometimes it is just what is
close to hand at the time. Everything else goes out the window.

Debbie

"Michael Horowitz" > wrote in message
...
> Tonite is fish nite. I found decent portions of salmon frozen and
> individually packaged in COSTCO and have been eating the package down.
> Very convenient.
>
> Once before I pan seared salmon fillet and served it with a honey,
> mustard and butter sauce which was great, so I'll try that again
> tonite.
>
> Casting about for a side dish, I recalled a roasted sweet potato dish
> with fajita seasoning, which was nice and without much thought, said
> "OK, I have my meal planned".
>
> Then I began to try and see how these might taste together. I can
> "visualize" how the fish with sauce will taste and I recall how the
> sweet potato tasted, but I"m having difficulty trying to imagine how
> they would taste together.
>
> How do you pair sides with the main item? - Mike
>

There isn't a hard and fast rule. I do think the food should be
complimentary in some way. Sweet potatoes are fairly innocuous by
themselves but if you add fajita seasoning... well, that takes it to a
different level. IMHO it would conflict with the honey-mustard sauce you
plan for the salmon. Maybe just oven roast some cubed sweet potatoes
seasoned simply with simple salt & pepper? Then again, you're the one who
has to eat it.

Jill

Michael Horowitz wrote:
> Tonite is fish nite. I found decent portions of salmon frozen and
> individually packaged in COSTCO and have been eating the package down.
> Very convenient.
>
> Once before I pan seared salmon fillet and served it with a honey,
> mustard and butter sauce which was great, so I'll try that again
> tonite.
>
> Casting about for a side dish, I recalled a roasted sweet potato dish
> with fajita seasoning, which was nice and without much thought, said
> "OK, I have my meal planned".
>
> Then I began to try and see how these might taste together. I can
> "visualize" how the fish with sauce will taste and I recall how the
> sweet potato tasted, but I"m having difficulty trying to imagine how
> they would taste together.
>
> How do you pair sides with the main item? - Mike
>

I thought about this for a while and the only description I could come
up with is "instinctively"

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

On Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:48:54 -0500, "jmcquown" >
wrote:

>"Michael Horowitz" > wrote in message
.. .
>> Tonite is fish nite. I found decent portions of salmon frozen and
>> individually packaged in COSTCO and have been eating the package down.
>> Very convenient.
>>
>> Once before I pan seared salmon fillet and served it with a honey,
>> mustard and butter sauce which was great, so I'll try that again
>> tonite.
>>
>> Casting about for a side dish, I recalled a roasted sweet potato dish
>> with fajita seasoning, which was nice and without much thought, said
>> "OK, I have my meal planned".
>>
>> Then I began to try and see how these might taste together. I can
>> "visualize" how the fish with sauce will taste and I recall how the
>> sweet potato tasted, but I"m having difficulty trying to imagine how
>> they would taste together.
>>
>> How do you pair sides with the main item? - Mike
>>
>
>There isn't a hard and fast rule. I do think the food should be
>complimentary in some way. Sweet potatoes are fairly innocuous by
>themselves but if you add fajita seasoning... well, that takes it to a
>different level. IMHO it would conflict with the honey-mustard sauce you
>plan for the salmon. Maybe just oven roast some cubed sweet potatoes
>seasoned simply with simple salt & pepper? Then again, you're the one who
>has to eat it.
>
>Jill

So you have to be able to "visualize" what each entry will taste like.
- Mike

On Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:10:57 -0500, Michael Horowitz
> wrote:

>Tonite is fish nite. I found decent portions of salmon frozen and
>individually packaged in COSTCO and have been eating the package down.
>Very convenient.
>
>Once before I pan seared salmon fillet and served it with a honey,
>mustard and butter sauce which was great, so I'll try that again
>tonite.
>
>Casting about for a side dish, I recalled a roasted sweet potato dish
>with fajita seasoning, which was nice and without much thought, said
>"OK, I have my meal planned".
>
>Then I began to try and see how these might taste together. I can
>"visualize" how the fish with sauce will taste and I recall how the
>sweet potato tasted, but I"m having difficulty trying to imagine how
>they would taste together.

I don't think fajita seasoning will go well with honey mustard, but
that's me.
>
>How do you pair sides with the main item? - Mike

I don't want flavors to compete. Decide which one is the star of the
show. If you go with the honey mustard sauce, serve plain baked sweet
potatoes - they candy naturally in the oven. If you go with the
fajita flavored sweet potatoes, sear your salmon and let the salmon
flavor shine through.


--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:26:48 -0600, Janet Wilder
> wrote:

>I thought about this for a while and the only description I could come
>up with is "instinctively"

I think it's also called "experience".

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

sf wrote:
> On Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:26:48 -0600, Janet Wilder
> > wrote:
>
>> I thought about this for a while and the only description I could come
>> up with is "instinctively"
>
> I think it's also called "experience".
>
I think you may be right.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

"Michael Horowitz" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:48:54 -0500, "jmcquown" >
> wrote:
>
>>> How do you pair sides with the main item? - Mike
>>>
>>
>>There isn't a hard and fast rule. I do think the food should be
>>complimentary in some way. Sweet potatoes are fairly innocuous by
>>themselves but if you add fajita seasoning... well, that takes it to a
>>different level. IMHO it would conflict with the honey-mustard sauce you
>>plan for the salmon. Maybe just oven roast some cubed sweet potatoes
>>seasoned simply with simple salt & pepper? Then again, you're the one who
>>has to eat it.
>>
>>Jill
>
> So you have to be able to "visualize" what each entry will taste like.
> - Mike
>

I usually "visualize" the finished plated meal, yes. I'm not talking what
colour the food is. I was referring to honey mustard sauce vs. fajita
seasoning... IMHO very conflicting flavours.

Jill

On Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:10:57 -0500, Michael Horowitz
> wrote:
Here's another example:
I've wanted to cook a standing rib roast and today is the chance.
I want to cook roasted potatoes as a side.

I can go with coating the potatoes with either and herb/olive oil
mixture, or with an onion soup mix/olive oil mix.

I've trying to 'visualize' whether or not the onion soup mix coating
would cause the potatoes to overpower the beef.

I''m having a problem imagining the tastes of the two.

Comments appreciated - Mike

"Michael Horowitz" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:10:57 -0500, Michael Horowitz
> > wrote:
> Here's another example:
> I've wanted to cook a standing rib roast and today is the chance.
> I want to cook roasted potatoes as a side.
>
> I can go with coating the potatoes with either and herb/olive oil
> mixture, or with an onion soup mix/olive oil mix.
>
> I've trying to 'visualize' whether or not the onion soup mix coating
> would cause the potatoes to overpower the beef.
>
> I''m having a problem imagining the tastes of the two.
>
> Comments appreciated - Mike
>
>
Make yourself a large portion of Yorkshire pudding with the beef drippings
and forget the potatoes. We've done that for years. It's a nice culinary
marriage.

Kent

In article >,
Michael Horowitz > wrote:

> Here's another example:
> I've wanted to cook a standing rib roast and today is the chance.
> I want to cook roasted potatoes as a side.
>
> I can go with coating the potatoes with either and herb/olive oil
> mixture, or with an onion soup mix/olive oil mix.

I'll bet either would be fine depending on which you prefer.

> I've trying to 'visualize' whether or not the onion soup mix coating
> would cause the potatoes to overpower the beef.

It's pretty hard to overpower the taste of beef by ordinary methods.

> I''m having a problem imagining the tastes of the two.

If I were thinking along those lines, I'd make rosemary potatoes with
lots of crushed garlic, but the onion soup one would be fine. Now, if
you'd mentioned sweet potatoes, I'd balk at making any suggestions.
If you're making gravy, I'd go with plain roasted, mashed, or better
still, Yorkshire.

leo