Ever since I went to Craftbar the first time and had this pureed fish that you eat with toasts, I've been wanting to eat it again. Come to find out it's a bistro staple, and there's a recipe for it in Bistro Cooking at Home. It's pretty easy to do but it makes a bit of a mess. I had a hard time finding salt cod in my neighborhood, too. The fish store, the cheese shop, the gourmet grocer - people there had never even heard of it, or they only carried it during the holidays.

I finally found the fish at the Food Emporium near my office, choice grade with no skin or bones. Soaked it for 2 days, changing the water intermittently, then put it in a skillet (they're the same shape as regular cod fillets, although perhaps a bit shrunken), covered it with water, brought it to a boil and simmered for a few minutes, until the fish was flakey. Meanwhile boiled half a potato cut in 1-inch cubes until tender and steeped a chopped garlic clove in 1/2 cup hot light cream. Put the fish, potato, cream in a food processor with 1/4 cup olive oil and salt. Pureed until it was smooth but still had some texture from the flakey fish. Added more salt, then served with toasts and topped with more oil and some roasted bell pepper strips.

It was good, but next time I'll add more garlic. The taste was pretty subtle, and the bread I used was so good that it almost overshadowed the brandade.