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Remember the girls
from Canada that I met at David Arora's mushroom foray in Mendocino?
Being that they are from B.C., they eat a lot of salmon and they are
always coming up with new ways to cook and eat it. They claim that
salmon hearts are delicious, but you need a lot of them. Looks like the
salmon may be the "pork of the sea". You can eat everything but
the oink. I guess with salmon it's you can eat everything but the
splash. How about some salmon liver pâté? Just make sure the livers are
very fresh and then try this Salmon Livers
Recipe: Salmon livers may be frozen until you
have accumulated |
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the 1 pound necessary for this recipe. If
you don't fish, ask a fishing friend to save the livers for you. |
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6 tbsp unsalted butter 6 cups water |
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3 cloves garlic 12 peppercorns |
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1 small onion, chopped 2 bay leaves |
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1 tsp dried tarragon leafy tops of celery
stalks |
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1 tsp dried rosemary 1/4 tsp allspice |
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1/2 tsp dried savory 1/2 tsp salt |
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1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/4 tsp pepper |
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1 lb. salmon livers 6 tbsp dry sherry |
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In a skillet, melt butter then add the
garlic, onion, tarragon, rosemary, savory and thyme. Sauté gently until
onions are tender. Cook the |
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salmon livers by placing peppercorns,
bay leaves and celery in water. Bring to a
boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add livers and simmer 5 minutes more, 10
minutes for large livers. Remove livers with a slotted spoon and
discard water, celery and spices. Puree the
onion and herb mixture with the salmon livers
in a food processor, adding allspice, salt and pepper. Next add the
sherry gradually until mixture is smooth and a spreadable consistency.
Place in a decorative 2 cup crock and refrigerate for several hours.
Pate will become stiffer after refrigeration. Remove about half an hour
before serving. Serves 6. |
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Q). Chef Pisto,
Holiday greetings to you and yours. Question: I've
got some fresh frozen octopus that's been in the freezer for about a
year. Do you think it's still good and, if so,
would you add it to a cioppino dish?
Dave Lead, Via
e-mail
A). I haven't heard the term "fresh frozen"
in years. Some fish mongers and chefs tried that one until people
finally caught on. Can something be fresh and
frozen? Sound like military intelligence to me. As for your octopus,
depending on how your eight legged guy was packaged, he might be okay.
You might as well let it thaw out and give it
a test. It's bound to lose some water while thawing so let it happen
gradually
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in your fridge. Don't be
tempted to defrost it in your microwave, you'll ruin it for sure.
If it still tastes good, go ahead and use it but, either way, I don't
put octopus in my cioppino. Check out my web site for some recipes.
Q).
Dear Chef Pisto,
A friend of mine has been making his own
Lemoncello at home for the past several years. I bought some at the
liquor store, but it didn't compare with his
homemade hootch. Do you know how to make it?
Steve P., Via
e-mail
A). Lemoncello or limoncello is
considered the national drink of Italy. It is delicious as an after
dinner liqueur or as a between course palate
cleanser and is best |
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served in a shot glass straight from the
freezer. Folks, this is easy to make and would make a great new year's
gift item. |
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Limoncello Recipe |
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10 lemons |
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1 liter vodka |
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3 cups white sugar |
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4 cups water |
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Zest the lemons, and place the zests in a
large glass bottle or jar. |
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Pour in vodka. Cover loosely and let
infuse for one week at room temperature. After one week, combine sugar
and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. DO Not Stir. Boil for
15 minutes then allow the syrup to cool to room
temperature. Stir vodka mixture into syrup. Strain into glass
bottle and seal each bottle with a cork. Let mixture age for 2 weeks at
room temperature. Place bottled liqueur into the freezer and serve when
icy cold.
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Folks I want to share with you the
best pasta sauce recipe that I have tasted in a long time. 6 pieces of
bacon, 1 large onion, 6 garlic cloves all chopped.
Sauté in olive oil then add 1 cup chopped Tasso
(Cajun smoked pork), 1 28 oz can of Italian plum tomato, 1/2 jar of
Sensational Seasoning, 4 tbsp sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for
30 minutes on medium heat. Serve over 1 lb.cooked linguine with freshly
grated Romano cheese. Unbelievable!
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New Year's resolution: Folks, my
advice hasn't changed much over the past several years. This week I read
a survey that said most people resolve to lose
weight. That usually means record level new memberships at the local
gym, which are all but abandoned by spring. Or dropping a few pounds on
the latest diet craze only to gain more back
later. I say moderation in all things - including moderation! It is
possible to enjoy your life and still maintain
some balance. Eat a little of what you like - don't deprive yourself.
Get some regular |
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exercise - take a walk every day - it's
free! Above all, think positive and live in the moment - it's all we
really have. |
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