August 14, 2020

Pan Fried Mahi Mahi

Name: Pan Fried Mahi Mahi
Prep time: 6 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 2 8 oz. Mahi Mahi fillets (Thawed); ½ Organic Lemon; Garlic Powder; Seafood Seasoning (This contains cayenne pepper so use sparingly.); Real Salt; ½ cup Organic Corn Meal; 3 tbsp Organic Cooking Oil (I used Walnut Oil. Any oil that can hold up to high heat is fine. )

Apparently, August is National Catfish Month. I grew up on the delicacy caught by my Uncles in the Reservoir (people from Mississippi understand) or by the kind of Black men who you knew would always be there if you ever needed them to be. Eschewed by some even in the Black community, shout out to my friends in the Nation, catfish is surprisingly healthy; it contains a generous amount of Omega-3 fatty acids and more than the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin B-12. Much of the catfish sold in grocery stores now is farm raised and not up to the standard of what I have become accustomed to – the exception being the fish from Mississippi. So, I pulled off a bit of catfishing myself, in the 21st Century definition of the term. I used wild caught Mahi Mahi, a fish that is accessible where I live, executed in a classic Southern pan fried preparation. I wasn’t sure I would succeed, but the results were pretty impressive. I wish I could say the same for the manner in which the Democratic Party continues to catfish Black voters.

For those who may not know, the modern definition of catfish is to lure someone into a relationship by a use of a fictional online persona. I feel like that is what the Democratic National Party has consistently done to Black voters. I credit President Obama with passing the Affordable Care Act sure, but he deliberately fumbled by not giving us universal health care and leaving the insurance companies the ability to bankrupt us if we dare get into a major accident or become seriously ill. Then he allowed Wall Street bankers to fleece primarily Black and Brown homeowners in 2008, wiping out a generation of wealth building in mere months. Incredibly, Wall Street was bailed out for the financial crisis they caused, while very few on Main Street were. So many people have not regained their financial footing since. Because Covid19 has now exacerbated unemployment numbers, it is difficult to imagine many more will.

Trayvon Martin died February 26, 2012 when President Obama was in office. Black men, women, and children continue to die by the hands and guns of police officers in disproportionate numbers nationwide. The numbers of killings have not significantly changed, the situation not abated. Joe Biden, author of the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act has already stated he does not plan to defund the police, he will give them more money. Kamala Harris once called herself “the top cop.” Disappointingly, the usual suspects have been given star billing at the Democratic National Convention. Andrew Yang was ultimately added, but the 60 seconds allotted to AOC is insulting. If you have been catfished once, experiencing the same or a similar situation again is untenable; it is something I will try my damnedest to avoid. Serve the Pan Fried Mahi Mahi with my amazing Potato Salad for something to be encouraged about.