March 23, 2005 Ask the Chef Article

The best ham in the world for Easter! It's that time of year again. Remember those fabulous bone-in "Pisto" hams? They are available, but you must call and ask for Big Bob or Danny Boy at Sierra Meat Company (831) 883-3555. These are different weights, but the best ones are 24-26 lbs.

Q). Dear Chef Pisto,
You did a tomato sauce recipe on the stovetop on TV within the last week but I did not have time to write it down. We grow a lot of tomatoes and end up throwing them out, now we don't have to. I

know it has ingredients of ripe tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil and seasonings. I can't wait to try it.
Thanks,
Kathy Dynowski, Via e-mail

A). How about throwing a few my way. Ripe tomatoes (I mean picked that day) are one of the wonders of the world. To make a pasta sauce with them is really asking for trouble (if you're on a diet).
Sauce Recipe
In olive oil, sauté 1 large chopped yellow onion, 6 cloves of chopped garlic, salt and pepper and a

pinch of crushed red pepper for 10 minutes. Make an X on the top of each ripe tomato and squeeze out the juice and seeds (as much as possible), then chop the tomatoes up, throw carefully into the pot. Make sure the heat is on medium. The tomatoes will start to make a sauce if you just keep stirring. What you want to do is evaporate the water. You can tell when it's ready (possibly 15 minutes or more) when it thickens. Use 3 to 4 lbs of fresh tomatoes to 1 lb of pasta and don't forget the freshly grated cheese!

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An old friend of mine Joe Piedimonte (I wonder where his ancestors come from in Italy) and his wife are both great cooks. He recently dropped off a recipe for a traditional Easter pie. It comes from the Naples area where it's called "Pasteria". It is seen in pastry shops in Naples and various places in Rome and throughout southern Italy. Buy the wheat berries at a health food store and make sure you buy the hulled wheat berries. Joe has given us a great recipe.

Neapolitan Wheat Berry and Ricotta Pie Recipe (Easter Pie)

Prepare and chill the pasta frolla dough. Place the wheat kernels and ½ tsp. Salt in a 4 to 6 quart saucepan, add 2 quarts of water, bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower to a simmer, put cover on cook until the wheat is tender up to 2 hours adding water as necessary to keep from drying out and scorching. When wheat is cooked drain in a strainer and rinse under running cold water. Reserve covered and refrigerate until ready to make the filling.

Italian Sweet Pastry Dough

4 cups all purpose flour

2/3 cup of sugar

1 tsp salt

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ lb. unsalted butter or lard at room temperature (break up)

4 large eggs

To make the dough in the food processor, place dry ingredients in a work bowl fitted with the steel blade. Pulse 3 to 5 times to mix. Add the butter and pulse 15 to 20 times then add the eggs and continue to pulse until the dough forms a ball. Wrap in plastic, chill 1 to 3 days. To mix the dough by hand, place the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir well to mix. Add the butter and rub the mixture between the palms of your hands until it forms fine crumbs. Add eggs and stir in with a fork. Continuing to stir until the dough leaves the side of the bowl. Form the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour to 3 days. Before rolling the chilled dough, knead it lightly on a floured work surface to make malleable?

Easter Pie Filling

1 cup of grain (hulled white wheat kernels)

12 large eggs (separate whites and yolks)

2 lbs. whole milk ricotta

½ cup citron (chopped)

1 ¼ cups of granulated sugar

2 tbsp vanilla

1 large orange (juice and zest)

1 large lemon (juice and zest)

Before mixing the filling make sure pie dough is rolled out and put in baking dish.

Beat egg white in one bowl until frothy. In another bowl beat egg yolks. In a third bowl stir ricotta, 1 1/4 cups of sugar 2 tbsp vanilla, juice and zest from orange and lemon. Add 1/2 cup of coarse chopped citron. Fold egg yolks into ricotta mixing bowl until well blended. Fold in egg whites and stir in cooled wheat berries. Pour filling into dough in baking dish 9x13x2. Make basket weave on top of pie with the remaining dough. Bake at 350 degrees in a preheated oven on the bottom shelf. Bake about ¾ of an hour, turn oven off, leave pie in oven until cool.

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You like broccoli rabe? D'Arrigo Brothers in Castroville are doing their annual tasting. It is not open to the public, but folks if you haven't tried this wonderful vegetable you are missing out. Sautéed in olive oil with some garlic and hot chili peppers (chopped anchovies optional, except in mine) you'll see that it is so good you can even make a sandwich with it. For those who love wild mustard but hate to gather it, this is for you - for permission call 633-0108 or 633-4700 between 7 and 10 am only.

Q). Dear Chef,
We've enjoyed your shows and restaurants many times over the years, most recently the local's special at Domenico's. what a delightful way to treat your neighbors. Which brings me to my question. After dinner I usually have coffee. Some people may find this weird, but how can restaurant coffee be sooo good - rich, full, strong and not bitter at all? Is it the coffee, the method, or what? I find most coffee house

coffee unpleasantly bitter and acidic. I haven't been able to make that rich full heaven at home. Any help?
Tim Pennington, Monterey

A). I'm so happy that you are enjoying the local's day. Ever since I came up with this brilliant idea (ha, ha) it has served as a way to say thank you to all of our local customers. After so many of you wrote in to me two years ago about why you don't come to the wharf more often, I realized that was mainly because: #1 You had to pay for parking, and #2 It was such a long walk, especially when it's cold and raining. It only makes sense that these folks can eat all over the peninsula and park for free. Unfortunately, the wharf had become unfriendly to locals. But, thanks to the wisdom of Monterey City Manager Fred Meurer and Councilwoman Teresa Canepa, an agreement was made where the city would provide two hours of free parking if we came up with a great dining deal. That's how the three course $9.95 special started. Now,

every Tuesday and Wednesday, the wharf turns into a party with everyone knowing each other. There is probably no better deal in California - or maybe in the U.S.A. Our next goal is to get two hours of free parking 365 days a year for locals. I hope to once again make the wharf a regular destination for all local people. Every week we hear comments like, "We forgot how great the wharf is." Now we just have to get rid of the chowder hawkers. As to your coffee question, I buy mine from Superior Coffee Company and I have been doing business with them for almost 40 years. Unfortunately, they don't sell theirs retail. They have many different blends and at different prices. I have only one criteria: I want only the top of the line - nothing but the best. If you like, I can order you the kind I use in my office (we grind whole beans in the restaurants). It comes in 2.25 oz. packages, just enough for one pot. Call me or Julie at (373-3778) and it will take about a week.