Roasted duck legs, tomato salad

"Excuse me. Does this store sell sugar?"

"Sure. Follow me." 

"You can just point and I'll go ther…

Ping ping ping pingping pingping ping, disappears to farthest corner.

For every bear that ever there was 

Will gather there for certain because

Today's the day

The Teddy Bears have their pi-i-i-i-c -- nic

"You outpaced me with your superior speed."

"Oh, Sorry 'bout that, Mate. Will this work?" 

"Perfect."

That was fast. A nice walk to the store. Collect the things I have in mind and at the counter in no time at all. It is mostly about the walk. Three city blocks. And there are always reliably pleasant attractive young women there at Tony's. Always such a pleasure.

"Can you believe these duck legs are only $1.50? They went straight into the basket. How can I go wrong? I should have bought the whole cabinet."

"Yeah, I now. That's weird." 

"The duck breasts are $26.00 for a similar package." 

"Wow." Turning to the man.  Is this right?"  The same guy again, back already. He's very fast. 

The girl, to me, "What are these things?

"Turnips. And they're a lot better than carrots too." 

The man says, "That IS a low price for these duck legs. Those are parsnips and they are a lot better than carrots."  He corrected my vegetable misidentification but eased the awkwardness of correcting a customer in the same sentence by agreeing they're better than carrots and went on to say how, by roasting. 

"You are right. Parsnips. You have surpassed  me with your superior vegetable-knowledge." Looking at the girl, "Apologies for contributing to the delinquency of a youngster." 

That's two surpassings in two minutes. 

But, who's counting?

The man, looking directly at me. "Hello. My name is Stewart. What is your name, Mate?" Extends hand across counter. Shorter than myself but big clamping scratchy hands. 

We're mates.

Baked trout, tomato salad

"I came here to this store specifically to look your trout square in the eyes."

Both men behind the counter laughed. What a weirdo, they must be thinking.

"These fish on ice look happy to be here."

The men are so amused with me. Apparently they usually only get Cranky McCrankpots around there. Or maybe they both appreciate a guy who knows exactly what he came for, that's different too. 

That was two days ago, it looked better then.

Ugh, ya got me, and my guts spilled out.

The stuffing inside the fish keeps it moist should I overdo it, and the salad share ingredients but not completely. What happens to the mint that cooks inside the fish is completely different from the mint that stays fresh and touched with dressing, the corn changes in there with herbs too. 

Dressing made here.

The stuffing is ad hoc with ingredients on hand. It's like Chopped over here. And I must say it exceeds expectation. I held off tasting it because it is kind of gross inside there and when the flavors bloomed in my mouth so perfectly balanced with butter, vermouth, lemon, onion, sage, rosemary, black pepper, corn, mint, basil and shrimp. It was like an ace restaurant experience right there in my dining room. 

This is an excellent meal that I would be proud and pleased to serve anyone, even to someone who claims not to like seafood, for whatever reason, I believe this can change one's opinion.

If you would say, and I've heard this more times than is reasonable, "I do not eat seafood." Then I would shoot back at you, kindly of course, "It's freshwater trout. Not the sea, nanner nanner nanner so eat it!

At the table.

A bloke I know showed me how to do this, so adroitly he didn't miss a single tiny bone, and I go, "Oh, Man, that's like Jerry the cat, or more probably Tom, in the cartoon who picks through the trash bins with the lid to the bin like a waiter's serving tray." 

I've not been able to do it that well.