| Q: Mr. Pisto, I was hoping you could settle an
argument between my fiancée and me. He says that Satsumas are Tangerines and I think they
are Mandarin Oranges. Which one of us is correct and what is the difference? Kari B.
- MontereyA:
Mix a Hawthorn martini, relax and let me explain. According to my friend Jackie at Del
Monte Produce, "Satsuma" is a Japanese variety of the Mandarin Orange started in
Japan sometime in the 6th century. An American minister’s wife named it in 1878.
Tangerine is the common name for the Mandarin orange, which is native to Southeast Asia
and now grown all over the world.
Real men:
Folks if you ever thought that real men don’t exist anymore, you were wrong. Four
such local legends visited the Whaling Station recently and what they ate in one sitting
further contributed to their stature: |
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| iceberg
salads with Roquefort dressing and crab meat, Caesar salad, wild mushroom ragout (hold the
white truffle whipped potatoes), gnocchi with shaved truffles and gorgonzola cream sauce,
pan-fried local anchovies, veal ravioli with brown butter and rosemary, maplecap mushroom
pasta with large grilled bacon-wrapped scallops, roasted slab of prime rib, one pound New
York and "Kansas City" steaks (all smothered with shaved white and black
truffles), soufflé, chocolate decadence cake, lemon tarte (all served á la mode, of
course), gelato, vodka and gin martinis, two magnums of great California Cabernet and,
finally, espresso. Boys, and you know who you are, next time in the steaks are on me!Q:
An Australian friend wrote on his Christmas card that he and his wife now have an olive
grove. I’m sending them your three columns regarding curing olives. |
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| My daughter brought home a
menu from a fancy Southern California restaurant that included a "Peekytoe crab"
salad. I’ve heard of a lot of different types of crab, but not this one. A local chef
promised to call me back with an answer a week ago - have you heard of the Peekytoe?Janice A. - Monterey
A:
"Peekytoe" was named around 1997 as a marketing angle by a Portland,
Maine seafood wholesaler. It is actually a Maine rock or sand crab, previously a
by-product of lobster fishing. They are said to require significant skill for proper
cleaning, are highly perishable and difficult to ship. The meat is pink with a sweet,
delicate flavor and has appeared on many trendy restaurant menus. I consulted my source
and he said it’s okay but fresh cooked Dungeness is better. |
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