Sweet that was my post, glad you liked it. If your fish was falling apart the most likely culprit was your oil not being hot enough (most common, I fuck this up when I'm frying pretty often because I get impatient) or the fish not being dry enough.
What I like doing with lentil and bean soups is taking a little out near the end of cooking, blending it to a thin paste in a food processor, and adding it back. It gives it a rich, smooth mouthfeel like it has more fat than it actually does.
I make it into more of a stew with w.e veggies are on hand, mushrooms, tomato, add caramelized onions, garlic, then make parmesan sauce using half&half in the browned pan.
More or less how I make my refried beans from dried pintos. I am surprised how flavorful pinto beans alone are (I still make knock-off ranch beans too, which is divine).
I cannot stress enough the superiority of freshly cracked black pepper. I used the preground back pepper most of my life, and decided on a whim one day to spring for the whole peppercorns. One of the best culinary decisions I have made in my life. I still keep some of the preground stuff around, but the few times I've tried it since, it barely contributed to the flavor.
It's funny how you can walk into a grocery store needing a particular spice, not see a generic/store brand, and have sticker shock at $9 for a tiny bottle. But then go into a Wal-Mart or discount store and find mega bottles for 99 cents.
Pinto is a slang in my country that means penis. I always get a chuckle seeing people talking about "flavorful pinto beans", my inner 8 year old child just won't die
Dayum, doing the most! That picnic must have meant something to you :p
Honestly the biggest thing I found is doing all the prep and then letting it chill overnight.
