Tag: fish

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Sertoma Butterfly House and Marine Cove

By Rebecca Johnson

It was my birthday last Saturday and, among other festivities, my husband and I visited the Sertoma Butterfly House and Purdy Marine Cove at 4320 Oxbow Avenue in Sioux Falls. The Butterfly House opened in 2002 and was built with funding from the Noon Sertoma Club. The Purdy Marine Cove addition, made possible by donations from Charles Purdy, opened the fall of last year. The butterfly flight room is a popular winter destination because it’s kept at a temperate 80 degrees, but that temp felt cool compared to the 95 degree weather.

Nearly 1,000 butterflies from around the world flit around the little indoor garden with waterfalls, streams and skylight for natural light. I found the Blue Morpho to be most remarkable, with its shimmering wings and impressive size. Many were at least 4 inches wide.

Touching the butterflies is discouraged because it could damage their sensitive feet, but if one lands on your hair or clothes it is OK to take it for a ride. Kory Willard, Volunteer Coordinator and General Curator, had tips for those who would like to pick up a hitchhiker.”The best thing you can do is wear bright clothing, like the type of clothing that will show up under black light,” says Willard.”That’s the type of UV perspective butterflies will perceive.” He also suggests coming on a sunny day and sitting quietly in direct sunlight on one of the garden’s benches.

And flash photography is OK in the butterfly flight room, but not so in the darkened Marine Cove housing the tropical fish.”Some of the fish can perceive beyond the boundaries of the tank they are in,” says Willard.”With flash photography it stimulates a fear response in a lot of fish because it simulates lightning, signaling a pending storm or crashing waves.” Even so, it’s fun to just observe the thirteen freshwater and saltwater aquariums with their kaleidoscope of colors. The newest attraction is the 2,500 gallon touch pool made possible by a donation from Richard and Eloise Elmen and designed by Willard and Grant Anderson, Curator of Fishes. It’s a bit like a tropical petting zoo where we found the stingrays to be quite slimy and the sharks a bit scratchy. But I’m not sure how to describe the starfish. You will have to find out for yourself.

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MoRest in Mobridge

By Ruth Steil

Editor’s Note: This story is revised from the March/April 2009 issue of South Dakota Magazine. To order a copy or to subscribe, call 800-456-5117.

A few years ago, Kelly Kemnitz and her husband, Brent, moved back to their hometown of Mobridge to run the MoRest Motel. The 27-room, 1950s vintage motel was more than a piece of property to Kelly. Her parents, Denny and Glenda Palmer, owned the motel for over 25 years; Kelly and her brother were raised there.”People who stay at the motel remember me as a little kid,” she says.

The Kemnitz family, which includes four children, Michael, Jeffrey, Kathryn and Elizabeth, live in a three bedroom house attached to the motel. Brent has a degree in landscape design and managed a garden center before the Mobridge move. During the spring and summer months the family didn’t see much of him. Now he and Kelly work together every day.”It’s a mixture of running a motel and caring for family,” says Kelly.

They open the office each day at 8 a.m. Most of the motel cleaning is done by employees, but the Kemnitzes wash all the linens themselves except for the sheets, which are sent out.”Every day is different,” Kelly says.”If there’s been a group who’s been here for a while with all the bedspreads, blankets and towels I’ll be washing all day.” Brent also operates MoPro Walleye Guide Service. That’s no chore for him since he loves to fish. He’s out fishing as soon as the ice starts breaking up,” Kelly says. Brent doesn’t have to go far. They can see Lake Oahe from the kitchen window.

Their customers come from South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nebraska to fish. Many have been coming for years.”We usually know most of the people who stay at the motel,” Kelly says. Some evenings the Kemnitzes and their guests gather to talk about the ones that got away and cook the ones that didn’t. Here is Kelly’s recipe.

Kelly’s Pan Fried Walleye

Walleye filets
Flour
Eggs, beaten
Boxed potato buds
Seasoned salt
Vegetable oil

Rinse walleye filets in water. Dip fish into flour, then eggs, then potato buds. Fry in oil until golden brown. Season generously with seasoned salt. Serve with tartar sauce, cocktail sauce or both.

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In Hot Water

By Fran Hill

After blogging for almost 6 years, I had come to the point where I not only accepted, but embraced the fact that I am only a”sometimes blogger.” I had decided that I didn’t need to adhere to a publishing schedule. It better suited my style to just blog when I had something to say or an excellent recipe that I had to share RIGHT NOW. I was OK with that. I hoped that my readers were, too. If not, there were lots of other bloggers out there that were regular posters. I couldn’t be everything to everyone all of the time. To make it work for me, I had to do what I loved in a way that I loved doing it.

Then, South Dakota Magazine approached me about doing submissions for this website. It has been an excellent opportunity to expand my audience, but threw a wrench into all that Zen. The magazine has a schedule. I *had to* find something to say on a regular basis. And, more importantly, I had to prep and photograph more recipes that were worth sharing. Yikes. There goes my carefree blogging.

This week, I felt like I was in hot water. There are a lot of things going on in my life, and I lost track of the days. Suddenly, this deadline was hitting me upside the head. Thankfully, I knew just what to share. A recipe that specifically calls for hot water would be perfect, no?

Poaching salmon is one of the easiest preparations for this firm, meaty fish. Homemade tartar sauce isn’t difficult, either…and sooooo much better than jarred stuff. If you can boil water, you can make this, even under the pressure of a deadline. Hot water is a good thing, this time.

Poached Salmon with Homemade Tartar Sauce

(adapted from Rachael Ray)

1/2 cup mayonnaise
Juice and grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1 large dill pickle, finely chopped (I am lucky enough to have a stash of delicious, homemade garlic dills from a friend.)
1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
2 dashes hot pepper sauce
4 salmon fillets, 1-inch thick
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, pickle, chives and hot sauce; cover and refrigerate. Cut four sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, large enough to cover salmon to make a foil pouch. Place each salmon fillet on a sheet and drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Fold the foil over the salmon to enclose, then and press the foil on the cut sides to seal. (You need a waterproof pouch.)

Carefully drop the packets in the boiling water, cover and cook until the salmon is just firm to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer each packet to a plate and carefully cut open. Serve with the tartar sauce. Serves 4.


Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and two dogs reside near Colome.