Caviar and Champagne

The back of this card from the 2-in-1 International Recipe Card Collection has a very small recipe for a Salmon Caviar Roll and a couple of cocktails that use Champagne.

The card also includes the following about caviar. I’ve added comments in [brackets] because this really does deserve comments.

Ideal with champagne, caviar – the roe of the sturgeon and other large fish – is available in a variety of forms and prices. If you are dealing with a reputable shop, this general rule of thumb holds true: The higher the price, the higher the quality of caviar.

[Why thank you for that sage advice 2-in-1 collection!]

Fresh sturgeon caviar is astronomically expensive and is served “pure” – iced, directly from its container – with crusty white bread. As lesser qualities of caviar are used, helpful friends make their way onto the hors d’oeurvre tray: minced onions, crumbled hard-cooked eggs, sour cream. These companions help to reduce the saltiness or fishiness of less-expensive forms of caviar.

[That’s the way to make fish (and by proxy humans who can’t afford the ‘pure’ fresh sturgeon) feel less than adequate. Thank you, 2-in-1 collection for telling me I’m less of a human because I can only afford less of a a fish.]

Lumpfish and whitefish caviar cost a fraction of the price of fresh sturgeon caviar and, accompanied with toast, hard-cooked eggs, onions, and sour cream, form an attractive presentation that needs no apology.

[What is this double-speak? The lumpfish and whitefish caviar need no apology, and yet you’ve inferred that they do because they are less expensive, therefore, less than adequate. Just like me. And what’s with the whole calling hard-cooked eggs, sour cream, and minced onions friends, anyway?How do you know they’re friends?]

Red caviar, or salmon roe, is prized for its bright color and is often mixed with sour cream for a red caviar dip or spread.

 [I think this is the only sentence that really needs to be here. Let’s have a drink…if only I could afford ‘pure’ champagne and ‘astronomically expensive pure’ caviar. A girl can always dream…]

Champagne Cocktail

Mimosa

King’s Peg