u/SpicyVindalooCurry

What does it say when your Chief of Police and his deputy chief of police both depart together to another town? (In this case, Northfield.)

If you happen to have a tin of spiced sardines (not spicy but spiced) there’s a useful culinary hack you might want to know. Nuri and its Moroccan counterpart, Flower Brand, both offer spiced sardines. These tins typically have some peppercorns, a couple of cloves (usually pierced in one of the fish), a bay leaf, a slice of carrot, a slice of pickle, and a red chili pepper.

The photos I’ve included are of a tin of Flower Brand Spiced Sardines. One photo depicts of the ingredients flipped in a bowl, exposing the aromatics hidden underneath. In this case: 2 cloves, 4 black peppercorns, 1 slice of carrot, 1 slice of pickle, and a bay leaf. What you want to do is toss the bay leaf in the trash, it’s of no use here, and mince the rest of the aromatics into a fine paste—including the peppercorns, the cloves, and the green chili cap if it’s attached. The yield can be noteworthy depending on the tin (though quantities vary). The photo I took of this paste is next to an 8 chef’s knife for perspective. Take the minced paste and a dash of salt, and incorporate it back into the spiced oil the sardines came packed in.

You can use this enhanced spiced olive oil to dress your sardines in a sandwich, over a cracker, toast, or put it over your eggs.

Enjoy!

I’m very fond of smoked oysters. I was eating these many years before trying any kind of tinned fish (with the exception of tuna, with which mom made sandwiches). And though I know many people find tinned smoked oysters distasteful—I mean let’s face it they are bland in flavor—they can be elevated into the realms of greatness with just a few simple steps. In this case: toasted whole wheat pita, hummus, and chopped Calabrian chili paste.

So, in honor of tinned smoked oysters, I will share a haiku:

Smoked tiny mollusks
These succulent sea morsels
A nice treat to eat!

Say what you will, but I have always been fond of this product. In fact, I was eating these way before sardines and other tinned treats from the sea.

Like a trusted friend, these tiny smoked mollusks have served me well.

https://vtdigger.org/2026/05/11/new-community-mental-health-center-planned-for-montpelier/

This is the large rectangular building off Granite Street. This will change the city in many ways, depending on how you look at it.

Here’s another tin that’s been sadly discontinued. Patagonia Provisions stated this was due to over depletion of Atlantic mackerel stocks. Now, their only offering is Smoked Jack Mackerel from Chile and it’s just not the same. Anyway, this tin came with capers and an excellent quality EVO, I just added some more capers and some sliced manzanilla olives. A perfect snack with a crusty baguette. You can also do this with any tinned mackerel like Seasons.

I know the town veers Conservative, but is it outright racist? Is it welcoming to outsiders?

https://vtdigger.org/2026/05/05/former-northfield-police-chief-sues-town-alleging-racial-discrimination/

These items come up often in this subreddit and I cannot speak highly enough of YAMI.com. I’ve ordered from them a number of times and it’s an excellent source. (Those Korean honey butter almonds are delicious as well.)