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FEEDING KATE: Reporters snack on sardines

FEEDING KATE: Reporters snack on sardinesBy Amie Johansen  |   Columnist

Before calling Charles City home, I did a stint as a morning radio talent in La Crosse. My morning partner, Phil, enjoyed pushing me out of my comfort zone. He took me under his wing and made it his mission to toughen me up and get me ready for the real world — that being said he also took it upon himself to be my protector. To paint the scene, we worked for a country station in La Crosse, WI. The majority of our listeners were farmers, hunters, fishermen and general good stewards of nature. Our coworkers were not. To put it mildly,FEEDING KATE: Reporters snack on sardinesPhil and I were often made fun of for (lack of) style and our overall “hick” nature. One of the things that really got our coworkers riled up — especially those working on the rock station — was when Phil would bring “breakfast.” Breakfast ranged from a homemade trout pattee, leftover duck fajitas, sweet pickled jalapenos with pepper jack cheese on a cracker and sardines.

I would gladly share whatever Phil brought in to split partly because I enjoyed it and partly because I enjoyed tormenting the DJs from the rock station. I had no problems diving into any of the foods, after all at 6 a.m. anything for breakfast sounds good. The sardines, however, I was hesitant.

“I don’t know, Phil,” I said one morning. “These smell pretty ripe.”

As per usual, Phil imparted his favorite words of encouragement.

“Oh, come on. Don’t be a wuss. Here,” he said while shoving a saltine laiden with sardines in my direction.

As my great grandmother used to say, “Past the lips, through gums, look out guts, here she comes.” To my surprise, they were good. As I was helping myself to a third cracker, a co-worker came by and made gagging sounds over the fish oil smell. I think that was the point when I decided I really liked sardines.

Shortly after I decided I was one of the “tough guys” who ate sardines, Phil handed me a loaded cracker complete with a spine.

“Phil, I can’t do this. That’s a spine. This cracker is not going in my mouth,” I said as I handed the cracker back. He called me a wuss and exchanged my cracker for his own, sans spine.

The idea to use sardines as part of the “Feed Kate” project with fellow reporter Kate Hayden came from Gloria as I was signing in my recyclables at the Floyd County Collection Site. Truth be told, I don’t know that I’ve eaten sardines since I passed up the cracker equipped with a spine.

I thought it only fair when I told fellow reporter Kate Hayden sardines would be on the list that I warn her about my past sardine experience. Sure, I liked them well enough but I can’t eat them if I see the bones.

“It sure didn’t look pretty, but it also didn’t smell too bad to me,” Kate said. “The texture was nice and flaky, instead of the rubbery feel I was anticipating.”

As we sat in the Charles City Press break room discussing sardines and the Wednesday paper, I had to stop loading my cracker.

“Nope. That’s a fin. I’m not putting that on my cracker,” I said. Kate, being the fearless eater that she is just laughed and helped herself to another bite.

“I would definitely go back to them as a snack,” she said. “I wasn’t grossed out by the bones or fins.”

At the beginning of the “Feed Kate” project we discussed Kate’s “lifelong” dream to eat hakarl — the national fish dish of Iceland which has been fermented and hung to dry for months. I think sardines are a natural stepping stone to fulfilling that goal.

“I like seafood, but I would doubt anything preps someone for a rotting shark carcass,” Kate said. “But who knows –– maybe I’ll look back and say this was a key experience.”

Reporters Amie and Kate welcome any and all suggestions to include in the “Feed Kate” project. Email Amie at amie@charlescitypress. com or Kate at khayden@charlescitypress.com.

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