On to the Impromptu

Like most good things, it began with a whine. A steady flow of whine, rather: "I get soooo lonely there all by myself." "I am going to starve to death." "Fluoreeeeeescent lights." "The cardboardy pizza I bought tastes like cardboard." "Huuuuuuungry."

My roommate works in a computer lab, in one of those jobs that involves a lot of sitting in an empty room. She works over the dinner hour. You may not be aware, but to be starved and trapped in a fluorescent room is mighty unpleasant. So last Thursday, since I happened to have some wild salmon and asparagus lying around anyway, I stepped up to the challenge. Thus, the impromptu midwinter clandestine picnic was born.

The preparation was fairly simple — some blanching, a little baking, and a lot of stirring. The menu: Lemon-glazed salmon with a side of asparagus risotto. The ingredients were straightforward, thanks to the $3/pound wild salmon I had caught at Hy-Vee. The real challenge came in the logistics of transporting such a meal to a sequestered, window-less lab. In order to pull it off, my assistant and I had to synchronize the salmon and rice's cooking time, quickly pack it all up, and haul the whole shebang to the aforementioned lab. It was quite the feat.


Her face upon our arrival, though, validated the effort. That, and infusing the once-sterile environ with the mingling scents of butter, salmon, and white wine. It wasn't your traditional, ants-on-the-blanket affair, but for an icy night in February, we made do.

• I adapted a recipe from Epicurious for the risotto. I skipped the shitake, and when the rice was nearly cooked, I added a handful of frozen peas.

• For the salmon, I baked it at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes. I brushed it with a glaze made of equal parts butter and lemon juice, and I threw some chopped dill on at the end.

• Lastly, if you are ever packing a post-ecliptal midwinter clandestine picnic, remember these essentials: 1) Go as elaborate as possible, 2) Don't forget extra forks in case passersby are tempted in by the aroma, and 3) Don't get caught