Grilled Pike Perch with Garlic Sauce in Moldova

Las Taifas in downtown Kishinev is a very pretty restaurant -- it's designed to resemble a Moldovan farm house. When you enter, they give you a small shot of some paint thinner which you're expected to down at one time. I demurred. For dinner, I had grilled pike perch with a light garlic sauce and a green salad topped with tomatoes and white cheese.

According to the Food and Agriculture Ogranizations of the UN, the pike-perch (Sander lucioperca) is used as a biological improver in the aquaculture systems of Moldova, reproduction of which (up to 50 million pieces) is managed in the fish-breeding enterprise of the joint-stock company "Victoria" in the city of Edinets. The use of pike-perch increases pond productivity up to 100 kg/ha; however the size of the catches of pike-perch itself is not taken into account in the statistical data. I don't know what that means, but it tasted very good.

Here's my recipe for grilled pike perch with garlic butter sauce.

Since its raining, I grilled the fish in the George Foreman grill until it flakes with a fork (about 7 minutes).

For the garlic butter sauce, cook 6 T. butter and 1/2 cup of finely minced garlic over low heat for 15 minutes. This makes enough for two pounds of fish. Drizzle over fish and serve.

Do you have Moldcell?

Okay, this is another garlic deviation, but that was the first thing I was asked when I got off the plane in Kishinev, the capital of Moldova. It turns out Moldova Cellular was having a promotions. (Stay connected with Moldcell). The Moldovan Wine Festival was help at Moldexpo and the shopping mall is called, wait for it, Malldova! I understand why tourism isn't booming here but I'm having a great time despite constant downpour.

Garlic Smuggling Pt. 2

Quickly raced through customs with my Moldovan Purple and Solent Wight garlics safely stashed in my luggage. (I packed them with shoes hoping to confuse the ruthless beagle, but fortunately, our paths didn't cross. (The Solent is the strait that separates the Isle of Wight from mainland England).