Poor
Man's Shrimp
On Saturday,
after the broadcast I was a little hunger and returned to Debbie's on
Park Ave. Woonsocket, R.I. and being a smart small business woman
,she had memorized my previous order, light decaf coffee with no sugar,
ham and cheese 3 X/L egg omelete and home fries, no bread, wheat
belly diet, that you receive in a neighborhood diner. I felt like I
was transported to 'Cheers' in Boston with the same regulars at the
same stool. The only difference was a cold draft “Bud with a hot cup
of 'Java' Dennis Lasardo and Oscar Hancock with some new jokes and
local political satire.
I left in a
good mood and went to get a Power Ball scratch ticket and met a WW II
Veteran in line who got his scratch ticket also and was embarrassed
for forgetting his wallet in the car. I shook his hand and thanked
him for his service and sad I had won a small amount on last Wednesday's
drawing and it would be great comma to let me pay for his ticket.
His mind was
still sharp after about 87 years and smiled and sad, I know your
distinctive voice, You are the man on the radio show” Outdoor
Scene” every week end on WNRI.COM 1380am and I humbly replied,
Thank You, for tuning in.
My wife and I
listen religiously to every episode to a quality entertaining believable
radio show about our Natural Resources.
We both agree
with your vision and mission. He then sad that he was offended
sometimes when I refer to the old timers when I was growing up. It
was a different time and most outdoors activities were to put
something in the pot, or table.
My ears and
creative juices tuned in to the story being told by the gentlemans
years of experience and hardened chiseled face in a methodical clear
voice.
He sad young
man my family went from well to do with all the immigrants that came
to Woonsocket searching for any job and lodging in the mills and then
would go purchase on time payments most all any other necessities
from our family store.
Then the wars
and the market crash of 1929 and the Marquette Credit Union collapse
in the 1970's reduced the families old money savings to zero.
He said to me
its back to “Poor Man's Shrimp” now.
I looked at
him and asked if he could elaborate on the expression which I had
never heard in my short life of 66 years.
He sad to me
that it was the regular part of my broadcast that I repeat every few
episodes referring to the old timers who loved jigging up a fresh
bunch of winter firm flesh yellow perch and crappie, alias calico
bass for a fish fry.
When he came
back to States wounded from WWII and very little work waiting, do in
part to “Rosie the Riveter” joining the workplace and the start
of the mills moving down South.
He told me his
Grand Dad and then his Father would say, I am having a craving for
“Poor Man's Shrimp” when the cupboards started to get lean and a
silent concern “ look” from the lady of the house without a harsh
word spoken to feed their hungry family in hard times.
That is when
we would gather up the fishing equipment and a few relatives or
friends to share petrol costs at .29 cents a gallon to fill up some
pecks baskets of fresh perch or the tasty calico's.
Sustenance,
not catch and release in these hard times.
Some winter
potatoes and fall butternut squash from the root cellar and a fresh
loaf of bread. Listen to good quality radio program to make us forget
about the hard times and be thankful the war had ended.
He sad quietly
to me that he had over heard big John Martin, while playing stick
ball on the Avenue comment, their family must be “Rich”, he had
to chow down their re-heated potato soup and day
old crusty
bread again last night. Their family had expensive “Shrimp” again
this week.
He told me to get
a pen and paper and he would hand down the secret recipe to me, just
in case I too would happen to fall upon hard times.
Poor Man' Shrimp Recipe
Perch,
Bluegills or Calico Bass, 'alias' Black or White Crappie
Fillets
cut into ¾ inch strips
1 quart of
boiling water seasoned with old bay and salt.
Drop strips
into boiling water and cook until they turn to opaque
Immediately
remove and drop into Ice Water
Drain and put
in the Ice Box for 1 hour, Strips will firm up
Use tooth
picks or a small fork to dip into a cocktail sauce or if the money
cup was empty, Mom would replace with a tarter sauce.
If the fish
should flake, it was over cooked. Little practice with small batches
to perfect the free expensive Shrimp for supper !
W. Gauvin
Barber 34 Hamlet St. Pascoag, R.I. 1-401-568-4894
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