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Q). Hi John, A
girlfriend and I are spending 9 days in Sicily in April and May before
we head North to Tuscany for Argentine Tango in 2 different villas. We
will be staying in Taormina for 4 days. Do you have any restaurant ideas
for Taormina? We also need lodging in Palermo. Any neighborhood
restaurant/lodging ideas? Family owned preferred. Any other Sicily ideas
welcome. Great show!
Maya Rizzo
Via e-mail
A). While in Taormina get out of town go to Letojanni (close by
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small village) and eat at Da Nino. Try the
famous almond cookies from the area, but don't eat too much. There's a
restaurant in Randazzo called Veneziana that specializes in wild
mushrooms. Then go to the Forza d'Agro, great views. If you have time in
Messina, eat at Da Piero Restaurant on Via Ghibellina - great food and
local wines. Catania has a great old market well worth visiting. I stay
out of Palermo because of the traffic and go to Mondello instead. There
are many hotels on the water including charming small ones. Check in
with Billy Catalano at Billy's Food
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right off the
Piazza (phone 011-39-338-571-3250). He can direct you to private rooms.
Chestnut lovers! It's time again for the Annual Barbecue and
Chestnut Roast in Mendocino. Celebrate, pick your own nuts ($2.50
lb.), dance and eat to the Ballich accordions. This is great folks, just
like Italy in Northern California! Call for directions (707) 895-2670
and see the biggest chestnut tree in the western U.S. (it's big!).
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Q). I recently had your crab cioppino
and thoroughly enjoyed it. Would it be possible to get the recipe?
Thanks in advance.
Tyler Broaded
Via e-mail
A). I can't give you that one, but I will give you one of my
favorites.
Crab Cioppino Recipe
Serves 4.
Figure 1/2 crab per person (more if crabs are small). Use fresh cooked
crabs only (smell them and make sure they are heavy - meaning more
meat). Sauté 2 chopped medium onions, 10 chopped cloves of garlic, 1
chopped bunch parsley, 6 chopped celery stalks a pinch of hot pepper
flakes. Add 1/2 bottle white wine or vermouth, 2 small bottles of clam
juice and 1-28oz. |
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can whole tomatoes crushed by hand. Cook for
20 to 30 minutes on medium heat. Clean and crack the crab and
cook just long enough to warm up the crab. To make a full cioppino, just
before you add the crab, you can add clams, mussels, scallops and chunks
of firm white fish. Cook these until just done (5 to 8 minutes) then add
your crab. Serve with garlic bread.
Q). Hi John, My husband and I live in
N. Monterey County in Royal Oaks. We decided to go to the wharf to avail
ourselves of the mid-week specials for Monterey County residents. We ate
at Domenico's and everything was delicious and the service was very
good. But when we were given the parking pass at the restaurant we were
surprised to find that we did not qualify for the |
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free parking because our zip code
does not begin with 939. Royal oaks still
has the Watsonville zip code of 95076. So we had to pay our parking.
What is up with that? Wasn't that the whole idea, to get the locals to
go to the Wharf? We would love to return but not if we have to pay
parking. Whoever puts those ads in the paper should state that parking
will only be paid for 939 residents.
Peggy
Via e-mail
A). Good catch Peggy-Sue. It will be in the next week's ad. 939
is Monterey County. I do believe that Watsonville is in San Benito
County. However, the $12.95 price is the best deal on the Pacific Coast,
even at twice the price. |
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Q). Johneee! Am I the only one who
remembers chicken livers? Fried southern style is my favorite. Every
restaurant and greasy spoon used to have them on their menu in some
form. I don't mean pâté wrapped in bacon. Mission Ranch (Carmel) did
them in a sauté style (probably Italian). They were great. I know Clint
(Eastwood) eats a pretty healthy diet but do we all have to? Actually, I
think the scare about red meat and organ varieties has about run its
course and we can get back to what we really like. Brains, kidneys,
heart, tongue, etc. I can't get close to "chitlins", but I'll keep
trying. Hey, while we're on it, have you got a good recipe for hog's
head cheese?
Myles Williams, Carmel
A). How nice to hear from my old friend Myles. Folks, Myles is a guy who
knows how to hold a fork. Speaking of chicken livers, I remember Barbara
Ricciardi of Carmel, who would serve them in sherry wine sauce on New
Year's Day (old family recipe). Boy, of boy, was that good. It's all
good, just do it in moderation - that's the key. |
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How about some fried pig's ear? It actually
sounds pretty easy (and crunchy). Are you sure you want to make hog's
head cheese? Here's a recipe, and this is the real stuff. I can't wait
to bring home a quartered hog's head - I'm talking about everyone
running out of the room. I'll tell you what Myles; you make it and bring
me some, buddy. Hog's Head
Cheese Recipe
Prep Time: 3 Hours
Yield: 4 (1 pound) trays
Ingredients:
1 hog's head, split and cleaned
4 pig's feet, scraped and cleaned
4 pounds port butt
3 cups onions, finely diced
3 cups celery, finely diced
2 cups bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup garlic, finely diced
2 whole bay leaves
1 tsp. dry thyme
1/4 cup whole peppercorns
1/2 cup green onions finely sliced
1/2 cup parsley, finely diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup carrots, finely diced
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
3 envelopes unflavored gelatin, dissolved
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Method:
In a 4-gallon stock pot, place all of the ingredients, up to and
including the whole peppercorns. Add enough water to cover the contents
by 3 inches and bring to a rolling boil. Using a ladle, skim all foam
and other impurities that rise to the surface during the fist half hour
of boiling. Continue to cook until meat is tender and pulling away from
the bones (about 2 1/2 hours). Remove all meat from the pot and lay out
on a flat baking pan to cool. Reserve 10 cups of the cooking stock and
return to a low boil. Add all of the remaining ingredients (except
gelatin) along with some salt and pepper. Boil for 3 minutes and remove
from heat. Add dissolved gelatin and set
aside. Once meat has cooled, remove all bones and finely chop in a food
processor. Place equal amounts of the meat in four trays and ladle in
the hot stock. The mixture should be meaty, with just enough stock to
gel and hold the meat together. Cover trays with plastic wrap and place
in the refrigerator to set overnight. Head cheese is best eaten as an
appetizer with crackers.
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