Q:
I heard a new recipe for clam chowder. It calls for 3 cups clam meat
and 3 quarts of clam juice. Where can I get that quantity of clam juice? I usually use
half a bottle of clam juice in those small bottles in my chowder. It would take a lot of
those bottles to make 3 quarts. The secret to this recipe is to add the potatoes to the
clam juice (poured over one diced cooked onion in butter) and simmer for hours. The
potatoes break down to make it thick. No cream, no milk, just juice. Any suggestions for a
type of potato that can stand up to long cooking without becoming total mush? Thanks for
your publicity for locals coming to the wharf and for parking to be available for us. That
makes a lot of sense.
Kathy Sindelar - Deer Flats, MontereyA: Hi Kathy, Let's take
these one at a time. First, clam juice in larger quantities is available at Smart &
Final in Seaside. Second, mushy potatoes - long cooking will dissolve potatoes. Add cooked
potatoes at the end. Also add your clams at the end otherwise they will taste and look
like rubber bands. Finally, in regards to free parking, it is now scheduled to go before
the Monterey city council - stay tuned! |
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Q:
Hi John. We've never met, but I've enjoyed dining at your restaurants over
the (33) years that I've lived here and read your Herald column regularly. I have a friend
from Texas coming to visit the West Coast for the first time next month. He has never seen
the Pacific Ocean! He wants to go out to lunch with a small group and taste abalone for
the first time. I was thinking a good choice to fulfill this wish would be Domenico's - am
I right? Is abalone on the lunch menu there?
Wendy Johnston - Camel ValleyA:
Wendy, at one time fairly inexpensive and plentiful, wild abalone is no longer available
for commercial consumption. The only abalone available is farm-raised. They are not as
large as wild abalone, although Monterey Abalone Company now has different sizes from
31/2" to 71/2" at $24 per pound. The beauty of farm-raised is that, as they are
raised in an enclosure, their muscle is not used much making them more tender, requiring
less pounding. The flavor is the same but the texture is much better. Abalone has now
moved into the luxury category as with caviar, Kobe beef, foie gras, etc. |
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| We stock live
abalone in our tanks at Paradiso, Abalonetti and Domenico's. Call ahead to make sure they
are available. If you want to try to do it yourself, call the boys at Monterey Abalone
Company on Wharf #2 (646-0350) and they will harvest right out of the ocean and give you
recipes. They also ship live anywhere in the U.S. Q: Dear John. There's a tall ship of the
Ecuadorian Navy coming to call in Monterey on June 21-25, and I'd like to make a typical
Ecuadorian dish for friends over the weekend, after visiting the ship. Any suggestions?
Laura Cameron - Monterey
A: According to my Ecuadorian friend, Juan Carlos Calle,
deep-fried guinea pig is considered a real special treat. The meat is succulent, low in
fat and when fried crisp, is fantastic! If you don't think that will fly, how about
something a bit less exotic. Juan Carlos sent me this recipe for ceviche, which is
uniquely Ecuadorian, as they have been preparing it since before the arrival of the
Spanish. (See Ceviche Recipe below) |
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