Despite Clif’s broken wrist, despite the Christmas tree falling over and the great effort it took to get it back up, despite spending hours cleaning the snowy driveway and hauling wood, I still find the time to daydream about food.

Credit must given to Tammy, the owner of the hair salon I go to. On a recent visit, she told me about a dish her mother makes—haddock rolled with a commercial seafood stuffing and then the whole thing rolled in crumbs and baked. The seafood stuffing can be bought at our local grocery store, and after perusing the ingredients, I thought, Why can’t I make my own?

What would I use? Crab or shrimp or both, if I were feeling really extravagant. Bread crumbs made from either homemade bread or a good commercial bread. Garlic, roasted to take the sting out of it. Fresh tarragon, a splurge in the winter, but if I’m going to use crab meat and shrimp, then I’m not going to skimp on the tarragon. Butter. A bit of lemon juice? I’d have to fiddle with the amounts. Mix it all up, spread it on haddock, roll, brush with butter and roll in crumbs mixed with Parmesan cheese. Add some kind of chopped nuts, almonds or walnuts, for the topping?

Another possibility, which would really be gilding the lily—ditch the rolling in crumbs and make a cheese sauce to pour over the haddock. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

I might as well daydream while I’m hauling wood and cleaning the driveway. It certainly makes the chores a lot more pleasant.

After the holidays, when things settle down, I just might try making this dish.