
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 27, 1990                   TAG: 9006270144
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Ed Shamy
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

DIET RIOT: CARP LOVER'S COOKBOOK

Tom Sandell fixes clocks and jewelry at his farm outside of Moscow, Idaho. He used to raise llamas but gave it up. He grew up an Air Force brat, seasoned enough in the ways of the world to know that in Spain "they eat carp like crazy."

Sandell, 40, isn't the world's foremost carp expert.

But none, as far as we know, has ever created such an awesome anthology of carp recipes as has Sandell. He is the author of "Catching & Cooking the Bountiful Carp", a collection of 101 carp recipes.

The book is particularly poignant here in Western Virginia; and now, with the July 5 anniversary approaching of the capture of the world's second or third largest carp in Wytheville.

Carp recipe books do not go over as well as one would suspect. Sandell didn't even approach a publisher with his manuscript. Some rich fellow paid to have 500 carp recipe books printed last year. He gave away 100 books. There are 25 copies left.

Surprisingly there is not much demand for new ways of preparing the meat of carp - a fish that is happy plying tepid waters the color of diner coffee, a fish so gluttonous it can literally kill itself with overeating. Its meat laden with bones, its scales the size of hail - which is the size of golf balls, according to every news report about hailstorms I have ever read - the carp is a sort of floating compost pile with gills.

Sandell knows that most of your four-star restaurants do not serve carp.

"There's real strong resistance to it, I know," said Sandell.

But there are two restaurants in Omaha, Neb., one of his stops on the Air Force tour, that serve carp and are so crowded on Saturday nights that lines extend around the block, according to Sandell. He says that as a boy he used to buy carp tails, some rye bread and pickles for 25 cents at these joints. Gee, I bought baseball cards and an occasional Good 'n Plenty. I feel like a jerk.

Enough carp bashing.

July 5 marks 20 years that the late Ben Topham bagged a 60-pound carp in Wytheville's Silk Mill Pond.

The monster, stuffed now, dwells in a display case inside Fincastle Hall at Wytheville Community College. You should go see it. The fish is taller than your grandmother was.

Gazing at those shellacked hail-sized scales, who could help but think of some of Sandell's timeless carp delights?

Carp Cranberry Mold. Carp Apple Sandwich Spread. Flaked Carp Omelet. Canned Carp Balls. Carp Rarebit.

For 10 years, Sandell collected carp recipes. He can't vouch for all of them. He eats carp about once a month, he says.

And even Sandell winces at the incomparable Carp-Banana Salad: 1 cup cooked carp; 1 medium ripe banana; 1/2 up drained, diced pineapple; 1/2 cup diced celery; 2 tablespoons gherkins or sweet pickle relish; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise or French dressing.

Mix it all up, serve on lettuce cups.

A 60-pound carp, are you kidding? You could make enough Carp-Banana Salad for all of Wytheville, and have some leftovers!

Want some?

by CNB