March 12, 2003 Ask the Chef Article

March 12, 2003 ... Ask the Chef ... John Pisto

Guess who just dropped in? My 5th grade teacher, Miss Bradford! What a lady, she reminded me how shy and bashful I was at that age. She said the other boys would have to talk for me, which reminded me of the person that doesn’t speak up, is called a “testa de ga-goosa” or a squash head. Speaking of squash, Miss Bradford grows zucchini in her yard and wanted to know how I like to prepare it.

The best recipes for zucchini are soup, frittata or just quickly boiled and dressed with sweet butter, crushed garlic and a little olive oil. The smell alone will make you hungry.

Q: Hi Chef: I’m a squid fisherman and recently tried your new place Blue Moon on Cannery Row and had the chef’s “salt & pepper calamari.” I bet you won’t share the recipe, it was the best squid dish I’ve ever had. S.M., Monterey, Via e-mail

A: How much do you want to bet? Because here it is, Chef Kurt was happy to share this with you.

P.S. Thanks for trying us out.

Salt & Pepper Calamari Recipe:

Serves four

1 lb. Monterey Bay squid (cleaned tubes cut into ½”rings)

Oil for stir frying & deep-frying

2 heaping tablespoons each - chopped garlic, ginger, diced jalapeno, and sliced scallions.

For the batter:

1 egg

1 Cup flour

1/2 Cup cornstarch

1 tsp baking powder

^{1 1/2 Cup ice water}

Add egg to the ice water. Stir to combine the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder.

^{For the dipping sauce,
combine all ingredients:}

^{1/2 Cup rice vinegar}

^{1 tblsp
fish sauce}

^{1 tsp chili paste}

^{1/4 C scallions, sliced}

^{1 tblsp sugar}

^{2 tblsp cilantro, minced}

^{^{3/4 Cup orange juice}}

Batter the squid and deepfry; meanwhile sautéing jalapenos, garlic, ginger and scallions for 30 seconds in a wok or a sauté pan. Drain squid and add to pan with chili mixture and toss. Serve immediately.

Congratulations to Robert Van der Woude on his perfectly executed spinach soufflé for ten people. Let’s share that recipe with the folks, Bobby Boy!

Q: Chef I have noticed some very expensive teas on some upscale menus in San Francisco. What’s going on?

Sally M., Carmel

A: Recently while in Seattle, I noticed many Pacific Rim and Japanese restaurants now have a separate tea menu. I’ve seen prices on these tea lists for as much as $15.00. This one in particular was considered very rare. The terrain where it is grown is so steep that monkeys are trained to pick it. Hmm, monkeys…I wonder if we could do that here? Using monkeys to pick olives or figs - good labor source. Seriously, last month we introduced some high quality loose-leaf teas at one of my restaurants,

and they are really something special. The aroma of the steeping tea - roses and oranges, among others, has a nice, calming effect and they are all-natural. Give it a try.

Dear John, Thanks for promoting the local special at the Wharf on Wednesdays. My husband and I have enjoyed it often. After I wrote to you about local salmon being out of season, we were glad to see that sand dabs were added as an option. The cannoli (was) great! Laura, Via e-mail

A: Locals rejoice! Monterey’s historic Fisherman’s Wharf is the place to be every Wednesday. The city has come through and so have

the Wharf restaurants. The three-course, $9.95 special (lunch or dinner), that comes with two hours of free parking (courtesy of the city), has been expanded this week to include fish and chips as a third choice of entrée. Whoa! Folks, let’s face it, with a deal like this, who can afford to stay home? I personally got so excited that I filmed my show down there last week and talked to a lot of very happy locals in all of the participating restaurants. Look for it soon and, in the mean time, we’ll look for you at the wharf. By the way, we are getting ready to propose expanding to three days each week of specials and free parking - I’ll keep you posted.

Q: Dear Chef Pisto,

I read about capers in your column and I would appreciate a recipe for processing capers. I have two caper bushes and have not been successful in finding a method for pickling capers.

Louise Okada, Monterey

A: Congratulations Louise, you are the first person I’ve heard from, besides my mom, who has a caper bush that is actually producing.

Here is the way I pickle them: Pick berries and place in a one-quart jar until it is 3/4 full. Add 1/2 Cup medium-grain kosher salt. Place in the refrigerator and turn every few days. Taste them after about two weeks. You’ll know when they’re ready when they are no longer bitter. If not ready, leave another week or two. Kept in the fridge, they will keep for several months. The best way to eat them is slightly rinsed and coarsely chopped; sprinkled over sliced tomatoes with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and ground pepper.

Chef recommendation!!! What do you get when you put three super-qualified chefs together? Summer House Restaurant in Carmel Valley (659-5020). I’m talking all heavyweights. Their menu is comfort food and priced very reasonably. Great talent and food to match. Any one of these guys could run a large hotel. Dinner entrees start at just $10.95. Beautiful outdoor spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner - a good one folks!

For more info about John Pisto's fine restaurants

in Monterey, California, click here.

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