August 18, 2004 Ask the Chef Article

Bon Voyage, Julia!

As many of you know, Julia Child graced my cooking show with her formidable presence on several occasions. In tribute to the passing of this great lady, I’m running one of my favorite shows that we did together all this week (8 PM every night on channel 2). As Julia would say, “Bon appetite!”

minced. The easy way is with a food processor. Hit the on/off or pulse button until the meat is minced finely. Make sure that this is done quickly and it stays cold at all times. Shape it into an oblong patty, form a depression in the middle into which a raw egg yolk is placed. In a medium size bowl, combine a little French mustard, capers, sea salt and cracked black pepper, chopped garlic, chopped green onions, chopped parsley, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce. Mix it all together with the beef and garnish with anchovies on top - serve with toast points (frozen vodka goes great with this). A nice variation is to mix it all together, form a patty and sear it in a hot pan just enough to give it a slight crust - making sure that it remains very rare. After you eat this you can walk through walls - (if you want to) - makes you strong like a bull.

Q). Dear John, I’ve got tomatoes coming out of my ears! How about some of your favorite and easy recipes?

Shirley, Carmel Valley

A). Well, first of all Shirl, I’d get my ears checked if I were you. Here’s one I’ve been eating almost every night. Grill thick slices of eggplant with olive oil, salt and pepper. Top with sliced, vine-fresh beefsteak tomatoes, also oiled and hit on the grill, then a couple of pieces of basil or arugula. Finally, top with a couple slices of buffalo mozzarella and drizzle with your best olive oil and a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper. We’re talking flavor to spare, folks. Speaking of flavor, if you know anyone who says they don’t like tomatoes, this is the time of year to show them how good they can be. It is peak season and true vine-ripened beauties are in abundance. Just head out to a local farmer’s market and pick up a few, drizzle with some good extra-virgin olive oil (this is where you use the best, rather than for cooking), sprinkle with some salt and pepper, and let the magic

A). Ah - Monterey prawns, also known as "Monterey shrimp." The season just started and they are now available in our restaurants on a mostly-nightly basis. This large, succulent shrimp is actually called a "spot prawn" due to the distinctive spots on the sides of their bodies. They are caught in the cold waters of the deep-sea canyons of Camel Bay. The first restaurant to serve them was back in the 1960's at Liberty Fish on the wharf. A Mr. Gininni started the fishery with traps that were all handmade from reeds, shaped like a bell about 5 feet high and 3 to 4 feet wide. They would set out strings of 8 or 10 traps along the canyon walls 600 to 800 feet deep, 50 to 100 traps at a time. Catching these babies is hard work. Long, cold and wet hours. Mr. G. then trained Joe and Ron Aliotti and they started supplying us in the early 1970's. These are a very special treat and there are tricks on how to cook them. They deteriorate quickly due to an enzyme that can render the meat mushy. Nowadays they are expensive, but well worth it. Each day we’ll sell out the day’s catch so be sure to call ahead. Which reminds me, I have to call Silvia - come and get ‘em!