| Q: Hi John, I enjoyed your article on Mardi Gras.
Sounded like such fun. Did you get a recipe for authentic muffalata sandwich and/or
jambalaya? Reading your article made me hungry; I hate when you do that. I have to stay on
Weight Watchers and right now I want to eat the paper, the food sounded so
good. Debbie Rappa - MontereyA: Okay, Debbie, do not eat
the paper! Try these recipes instead. Jambalaya recipes vary so much that you can
improvise as long as you do some basic things. It is thought that jambalaya is a result of
the Spanish period due to it’s similarity to paella. The rice from the Carolinas was
highly prized supposedly some of the best in the world.
Basic Jambalaya
Recipe -
Pisto Style Serves 2
Use a flat paella pan (Monterey Bay
Restaurant Supply has stainless steel ones that work great). Brown some diced Andouille
sausage, diced pork or chicken, and shrimp then set aside. Sauté chopped onion, celery,
bell pepper and garlic. Add long grain rice to the vegetable mixture and brown lightly.
Add a small can of tomato paste then cover with chicken stock. |
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| Bring
to a boil then add some Sensational Seasoning™, salt & pepper. Reintroduce meats
once it’s boiling. Lower heat to simmer and don’t touch. The rice should not be
mushy and it should be a bit tomatoey. Add chopped green onions on top to serve. Note:
ratio of liquid to rice is 1 ¾ cup liquid to 1 cup rice. 1 cup of raw rice will make 3
cups cooked. Muffalata
Recipe
- the king of sandwiches - it has everything!
First you need an 8" round loaf
of bread (selecting bread is tricky - our bread is not the same as in New Orleans) it
should be soft and about 2" thick. No hard crust. A little firmer than a hamburger
bun - don’t use a hamburger bun, it doesn’t work. A larger round was the closest
I could find. Cut it in half and scoop out the inside. Douse with olive oil, salt and
pepper and olive salad: pitted green and kalamata olives, jardinière (a.k.a. pickled
vegetables) - all drained and chopped, olive oil, chopped garlic and oregano. Fillings:
one layer of each: good quality salami, mortadella, capocollo, strong provolone and finish
with one more layer of salami. Put it together, press down, cut into quarters and wrap
your mouth around the tastiest sandwich you ever had! By the way, word has it that this
was the basic lunch for Italian workers as all ingredients could be eaten separately. |
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| Readers:
Ranger Jack brought me some Hawaiian firewater. It is called, ready for this?
Kamuela’s Nioi Wela Wela Wai. It’s orange-red in color, has the flavor of hot
pepper with garlic and is really hot. His buddy makes it. If you like something hot and
different, he will send you some. Call 800-935-3887 - ask for hot water.Q:
Dear John, great article on Mardi Gras in the Herald. If you want to come back and
do a cooking show, let us know. Wayne and Ricky Fernandez - New Orleans
A:
Thank you boys. Folks, I should have mentioned Wayne and Ricky who were our local hosts
while in New Orleans. Hey girls, these guys are handsome, young Southern gentlemen. They
are both attorneys and I’m sure they wouldn’t mind me giving out their e-mail
address. They would love to show you all around New Orleans: waynemf@bellsouth.net P.S.
Wayne, say hi to your mom, Francis - what a charming lady.
Readers:
Stammtisch German restaurant in Seaside is celebrating their 10th anniversary on March 1st
and 2nd from 5-10pm. Folks, this food is as close to home cookin’ as you get! |
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