In the Air - Salmon with Curried Yogurt Sauce

Tonight as I walked home I smelled it in the air. Fall. The very first scent of it. It went very well with a large harvest moon and a pumpkin patch, grown overnight it seems at the corner of 51st and Telegraph. Hello, October. So far your days are warm and your nights crisp. The sweaters are coming out along with the coats, and I'm having visions of gnocchi with crispy fried sage and brown butter. Something warm and comforting while the wind picks up outside.

Speaking of wind, last night, after a dinner of pho in the Sunset district, we headed up to Sutro Tower to check out the view. Sutro Tower is a major landmark in San Francisco, it can be seen from practically everywhere, towering over the city. I'd never seen the view from there. We took the motorcycle up to the top, and thank goodness for helmets and motorcycle jackets, which seem to be the perfect wind protection! The wind was so strong you could lean into it and still be held up. The helmets kept us warm, as did the jackets. The city shone below, streets laid out in perfect rows of light. Planes from both Oakland and SFO stacked up in the sky, one after the other. It was something to see.

One more summer recipe. Awhile ago I posted a recipe for fish cooked in parchment. This is a good way to dress it up a bit. It's also pretty healthy. It also happens to be my entry in the recent recipe contest for thekitchn. I couldn't post the recipe in full till now. Another continuation of my curry obsession.

Tomorrow, a fall dish. I promise.

Salmon in Parchment with Curried Yogurt Sauce

For the Salmon

2 salmon fillets (I used wild king salmon)
1 tbsp basil (chopped)
6 lemon slices
salt & pepper for seasoning the fish
2 sheets of 15 inch parchment

For the Curried Yogurt

1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic (finely minced)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cilantro (chopped)
1/2 tsp mint (chopped

Pre-heat the oven to 400. Place each salmon fillet in the middle of your sheet of parchment. Make 3 deep slits with your knife in each fillet. Stuff the slits with the basil. Season the fish with salt and pepper and lay the 3 lemon slices on top of each piece. Fold the parchment paper in half and cut into a large half circle, discarding the cut scraps of paper. Place the fish on one side of the half circle, fold the other side over so the cut sides meet, and roll and press the open edges together until it creates a sealed package for the fish. Set each parchment package on a baking sheet and put into the oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the yogurt, curry, cayenne, garlic, salt, cilantro and mint together in a medium bowl. Set aside. I like to blanch green beans, zucchini and carrots to go under this dish. A bed of arugula is delicious as well.

Once the fish is cooked, cut through the parchment, remove the fish and top with the curried yogurt sauce.