Dear Mr. Pisto,
Please, I urge you, ignore the bunny huggers. If you see as a bunny a
rabbit, it is possible to treat a platter full of fried rabbit as it
should be: a plate of lean, delicious meat which provides a good meal at
the table. I haven't priced rabbit recently, but it has usually been
quite reasonable. Depending on its size, a rabbit supplies four legs,
two to four body pieces, a heart and liver. Ann Begué Packman's Early
California Hospitality has a recipe for Estofadas which can be used
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for fowl, rabbit or venison
- a very different way to serve these meats. I cheat and use enchiladas
sauce rather than preparing a dried red chili pepper, but I have always
found that my friends enjoy rabbit prepared this way. Fried and then
simmered in the sauce and served with rice - great! Try it, you'll like
it. Caution: never name a critter that you might serve for dinner.
Anyone can tackle a platter full of rabbit, but not one stacked high with
Peter Cottontail.
Sincerely,
Nichla S. Knight, Monterey
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A). As ususal, I defer to others who
wish to talk about rabbits for cooking and eating. There are those who
get hopping mad at me for daring to dine on these cute creatures and I
have found tangling with them to be a "hare-raising" experience! One
last thing, Nichla, four legs also means four times the lucky feet. |
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Q). Dear John,
I really enjoy your column. I have two questions which may not be your
specialty, but I believe you are a wealth of information about anything
involving food. First, where can I purchase or order Green Goddess salad
dressing? Years ago, it was on every grocery shelf. Second, what ever
happened to the Gravenstein apple? It is my favorite for homemade
applesauce. Now when I read articles listing apple varieties,
Gravenstein is not even listed.
Joan in Monterey
Via e-mailA). I'm with you
Joanie, I haven't seen Green Goddess in a long time. It was also once a
staple on restaurant menus, along with Roquefort dressing and thousand
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island.
As it turns out, Green Goddess dressing was
invented by the chef at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco in the early
1900's as a tribute to the lead actor, George Arliss, starring in a play
called "The Green Goddess" which was playing at The Palace. Why not make
your own. This is the original recipe:
GREEN GODDESS SALAD DRESSING RECIPE
(4 servings)
Rub a salad bowl with a garlic clove, then add
2 cups of mayonnaise
4 minced anchovy fillets
1 green onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoons chopped chives
1 Tablespoon tarragon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried OR 1 teaspoon cut, fresh tarragon
Mix well, pour over salad greens and toss. |
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As for the Gravenstein apples, they are
alive and well. Just last month there was an entire festival in Sonoma
County devoted to the Grav. Check out the web site
www.farmtrails.org for information on the festival and
lots of recipes. Also look to the better markets for these sturdy little
beauties. Apples are the most widely cultivated fruit trees in the world
and the Europeans were busy perfecting many varieties over 2,000 years
ago. I'm thinking about Pork chops with apple sauce, apple crisp, deep
dish apple pie and an appletini - cheers! |
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Readers: Autumn is here and so
soon will be the mushrooms. Recently we had a little morning rain and I
started thinking about the mushrooms to come. I was also thinking about
the passing of Julia Child and our mutual love of the forest gems. Soon
after my television show went national, Julia happened to be in
California and offered to make an appearance. We spent the day
experimenting with each other's mushroom recipes and I sent her home
with a bag of dried candy caps. She called a few days later. Her voice
expressed surprise and excitement. "These fabulous little mushrooms have
flavored my entire house with the aroma of
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maple syrup!" Julia shared my love
for
fresh, bold flavors and wasn't afraid to experiment. More than that, to
me she epitomized the culinary spirit...there is nothing more enjoyable
than the combination of good food, wine and friends.
Julia's
Mushrooms Recipe
Appetizers for 3
1/2 pounds King Bolete mushroom caps, 1/4 inch slices; stems chopped
3 tablespoons parsley, Italian flatleaf (leaves only) chopped
3 cups extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Heat a large skillet filled with 2 3/4
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cups olive oil, until simmering. Add
mushroom caps to skillet and fry over medium heat for 10-12
minutes, turning occasionally. Mushrooms should be crisp on the outside
and soft on the inside. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Remove mushroom caps and place on paper towels to drain, then set
aside. Place stems in a second skillet, add remaining olive oil and
sauté stems over medium heat. Stems are done when they are lightly
brown. Place on paper towels to absorb oil. Lightly season with salt and
pepper and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Place sautéed caps on serving
platter; sprinkle stems over caps and serve. |
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