Since our hockey wager winnings arrived from the Republican Convention last week, we felt as though we needed to send a little something in return to our friends in the Twin Cities.  Earlier today a donkey-gram showed up at the Republican National Convention headquarters to convey our gratitude in full measure, which the GOP captured in this web video:

While the Republicans gave you a taste of our singing donkey’s exceptional talents, here’s the rest of what he sang (to the tune of Yankee Doodle):

The hockey wager’s been and gone,
And as you know we won it,
We’ll make sure you don’t forget, with a D.N.C.C. sonnet,

We love Walleye, yes we do!
Sent from our contender,
How nice to have a sample taste of Victry’ in November.

When Conventions come to town,
We know we’ll both be frantic,
Luckily we’ll be well fed – best fish this side o’ the Atlantic.

We love Walleye, yes we do!
This we will remember,
How nice to have a sample taste of Victry’ in November.

And so the Wild put up a fight,
Their skaters drew a big buzz,
They change positions on the ice as fast as John McCain does.

We love Walleye, yes we do!
Deep-fried to an ember,
How nice to have a sample taste of Victry’ in November.

Now the Avs have also lost,
Beyond all comprehension,
At least their rink will soon be home to the very best convention.

We love Walleye, yes we do!
Not to be an offender…
But it’s nice to have a sample taste of Victry’ in November.

While the wager’s been fun, I think with this we can put it to rest.

UPDATE: Check out this video from the Denver Rescue Mission

Today we were happy to see our delivery of walleye arrive from the Republican National Convention folks.  If you haven’t been following our friendly wager, the delicious Minnesota fish was our prize after the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Minnesota Wild in the NHL Western Conference Semi-Finals.  Instead of enjoying the fish ourselves, we decided to donate the walleye to the Denver Rescue Mission, a set of local homeless shelters.  DNCC staff member Marisa McAuliffe, who was featured on our blog last fall for her extensive volunteer work at the Mission, shuttled the frozen fish over to their Lawrence Street facility, which provides 200 beds and free meals for Denver’s homeless.  We’re not sure when it will be cooked, but it’s sure to be a treat.  This recipe caught our eye shortly after the Avalanche victory over the Wild, so it’s definitely our recommendation for the Mission.

Thanks to our friends in Minneapolis and to the Avs for winning!

While we eagerly await that “special package” from our friends at the 2008 Republican National Convention (following our friendly wager and the recent triumph of the Colorado Avalanche over the Minnesota Wild in the NHL Western Conference Quarter-Finals), we just can't stop thinking about how to best prepare what's sure to be a wonderful meal.  As we get ready to cook up the walleye, which will be coming our way any day now, we want your ideas too.  The following dish sounds like a keeper.  If you’re a walleye connoisseur, lend us a hand and post your recipe recommendation here!

Deep Fried Fish

In a large skillet, place about 1/2" of vegetable oil in skillet.
Turn flame to medium.
Pull skin off the fillets.
Cut fillets crossways into 3-4" chunks.

Take pieces and put into medium size bowl filled with water and 2 teaspoons of salt.
Soak for about 1/2 hour.

To make the breading you will need 1 cup of bisquick, 1cup of instant mashed potato flakes, and 1/2 cup of frying magic.
Pour these items into a one gallon ziploc bag and shake well.
(you can substitute Frying Magic with Italian bread crumbs)

In a small bowl, wisk 2 eggs with a splash of milk.
Take the walleye pieces and place in egg wash (make sure they are covered on both sides). Then place them into bag with the breading mixture.
Seal bag and shake until pieces are thouroughly covered.

Place fish pieces into skillet for about 2-3 minutes per side.

To check, take a spatula and cut into middle of fish. They should be white and flaky. Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness and size of the pieces. Place the pieces on a plate covered with paper towels or napkins to absorb the excess oil . Salt and pepper to taste. (I like a little lemon juice squeezed on just before serving) Enjoy!
 

A number of my colleagues are rubbing their sleepy eyes today after staying up late last night to see the end of the Colorado Avalanche’s overtime win against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. How could we sleep with so much on the line!?

But we’ll take the hint from the Rocky Mountain News and try to keep our bragging in check. This is a friendly competition after all. Congratulations to the Avs on their nail-biter of a win. If the first game of the series was any indication of things to come, we’ll soon be enjoying some fresh walleye from the lakes of Minnesota here in Denver.