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Q). Now, now! I have
never tasted your Dungeness crabs, but to my New York heart there is
nothing better than the Blue Claw crab. I may have to visit the west
coast very soon to try them. We just started to receive your cooking
show on cable and I love your simple way of cooking. Keep up the good
work.
Phyllis,
Staten Island, NY
A). Welcome aboard Phyllis. First off, all crabs are not created |
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equal. When you're fortunate enough to find
yourself in Monterey, it's Dungeness, Monterey County chardonnay,
Palermo Bakery's Italian bread and Salinas Valley salad. What more can I
say? How about Monterey Spot Prawns, Castroville Artichokes, Monterey
Bay salmon, abalone, calamari, sardines and sand dabs. Back to Salinas
for rapini, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and berries. Yes,
Phyllis, all of this and much more within a half-hour drive of my
office. Love to have you visit. |
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Q). In reference to your Italian
sausage marinara sauce. Can you freeze this for future use?
Via e-mail
A). Without a doubt - great idea. You can also freeze portions of
chicken stock in ice cube trays for use in sauces. After they are
frozen, pop them out into a freezer bag and use as needed. |
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Having just read another confusing article
regarding fish farming in our local paper, I am reminded of a quote from
Jacques Cousteau: "We must plant the sea and herd its animals using the
sea as farmers instead of hunters. That is what civilization is all
about - farming replacing hunting." Folks, the answer here is to arm
yourself with knowledge. Opponents to aquaculture mostly have agendas
based on politics or economics. Once you know the facts more clearly,
you can easily see the ignorance in statements repeated like parrots by
people who should know better. There have always been good reasons to
farm-raise fish. The Chinese have been doing it for 3,500 years. Do you
hear concerns about oyster or catfish farms? These are the two largest |
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farm fisheries in the U.S. Obviously
there are no wild-caught
free-range oyster or catfish lobbyists. The bottom line is the bottom
line - its all about competition and, as usual, the consumer is caught
in the middle. I am particularly disappointed to hear other chefs giving
uninformed statements. Like I always say: keep politics out of the
kitchen. To learn the facts (chefs included), check out these sources:
www.salmonoftheamericas.com;
www.farmfreshsalmon.org; and
www.SensibleEnviromentalist.com.
I ran into an old friend of mine by the name of Pete Cardinale recently
and he said I should tell my readers about breaded meat. I asked him to
give me a recipe and I'll write it up. After I looked over his
recipe, |
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I recognized it as something all Italians in
Monterey make. Growing up, I always heard my friends talking about it.
Here's the thing, Sicilians love breadcrumbs and they like to bread
everything. Did you know that you could simply fry breadcrumbs and
sprinkle them over your pasta? - very good actually. Here's Pete's
Breaded Meat Recipe: Start with cube steaks dipped in flour, 2 eggs, a splash of milk
and homemade seasoned Italian breadcrumbs. The breadcrumb mixture must
also contain for 1 lb. breadcrumbs, 1 cup grated Pecorino, 1/2 bunch
chopped parsley, 10 chopped fine fresh garlic, and salt and pepper to
taste. Fry in olive oil and enjoy! Thanks Pete - guess what I'm having
tonight folks? |
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Q). Where can I find that black
truffle oil for $5.00 that you mentioned a few weeks ago?
Via e-mail
A). What impressed me about this oil was that it came in a bottle
that was just enough for 4 people - plus it was only $5.00. It's
available at Monte Vista Market (375-3737) and the Carmel Cheese Shop
(625-2272).
Q). Dear John, My husband went out fishing on the bay and brought
back a big, beautiful salmon. How about some simple recipes?
Angel M. - Monterey
A). How about that! Salmon season is here again. Here's one |
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of my all-time favorite ways to prepare
salmon filet.
Salmon Recipe #1
Start with one salmon filet per person of at least 8 oz. Heat an iron
skillet or my grill pan. Oil or butter your fish and lightly sprinkle
with Sensational Seasoning (tm) or a blend of salt & pepper, granulated
garlic, powdered ginger and onion powder. Spray your pan with non-stick
oil or use a Teflon pan. Place the fish in your pan and DON'T TOUCH for
at least five to six minutes, then gently turn over and finish cooking
for three to four minutes more. Do not overcook - medium is perfect. By
then it should have a nice crust, and still be in one piece. Mix some
softened butter with fresh garlic and lemon juice and spoon a little on
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Salmon Recipe #2 One of the more unusual recipes
I've tried and which is pretty easy, is salmon chowder with fresh dill.
Serves four. In butter, sauté 3 medium chopped leeks, 3 medium chopped
yellow onions and 3 diced and peeled medium red potatoes over medium to
medium-low heat. Do not brown. When the vegetables are pretty soft and
the potatoes are just cooked, add 2 quarts of heavy cream, 1 cup of
chicken broth or light fish stock, salt & pepper to taste and 2 lbs. of
cubed, skinned salmon filet. And now, here is the ingredient that makes
this fabulous! 6-8 bunches of fresh chopped dill. Just let the salmon
poach in the liquid - the chowder is ready to serve when the salmon is
done.
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