So President Bush has now acted on some of the recommendations of the 9-11 Commission and in so doing, neatly cut the Frenchurian Candidate off at the knees. While Jean Querry bussed around the country, sniveling that the President has not acted quickly enough to enact recommendations from the panel (the same recommendations which were but a week old), President Bush was back in Washington acting. I must admit to initial skepticism about the creation of an Intelligence Czar but the more I think on it, the more I believe the position is a necessary evil.

Most of you know my aversion to growing government but our intelligence services and sources are so diverse now and so disassociated that a clearinghouse of sorts, some bureau or person who all the services need report to is a good idea. The FBI-CIA feud is simply too institutionalized, the CIA believing they are the professionals and the FBI should stick to catching crooks. Meanwhile the FBI thinks that it can catch terrorists at least as easily as bank robbers if only the Dept of Justice would let them. The DIA and service intelligence services treated like poor second cousins and the NSA officially doesn't exist. In short, there is so much intelligence and such a mess that focusing the gathering of intelligence seems like a good idea.

Now then last week I promised y'all a Salmon recipe that the Mrs. Cyber-congressman had whipped up from a recipe we obtained on a trip to New Orleans. This dish is called Salmon Robert and is a specialty of the world famous Brennan's Restaurant in the Big Easy. Once you've had this dish, you'll be hard pressed to want Salmon any other way...so for reader Terry Garcia who is constantly searching for new seafood recipes, I give you Brennan's Salmon Robert.......

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1/4 cup shallots finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 lb blanched Crawfish tails
1 cup champagne
1 cup heavy cream
4 Salmon filets, about 5 oz each
all purpose flour for dredging
Salt and white pepper

Melt 1/4 cup of the butter in a large saute pan and cook the shallots, scallions and mushrooms over medium heat about 5 minutes until tender. Stir in the Crawfish and cook until the tails curl tightly. Pour in the champagne and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Add the cream and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Reduce over medium heat until thick enough to coat a spoon. Remove the pan from the heat and finish the sauce with 2 tablespoons of butter.

Season the Salmon on both sides with salt and pepper then dredge in flour. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet and cook the salmon about 6 to 8 minutes a side until the fish is flaky but not dry. Transfer the Salmon fillets to to four plates and top with crawfish sauce and serve. This dish is delicious with a crisp green salad and corn on the cob with warm french bread...good eatin' on ya!!

Smilin' Paul Villa U.S. Senate 2004
cyber-Congressman, R-Reno
Proud Member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy and 2 SUV Family