October 16, 2002 Ask the Chef Article

Q: Dear Chef Pisto,

I saw you on GoodLife TV today with William Rice where you made coleslaw with blue cheese and a granny smith apple. Where can I get that recipe?

Deb - via email

A: I'm glad you mentioned Bill Rice, my long time friend and nationally recognized food and wine columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Bill appeared on Monterey's Cookin' in part to promote his book that had just come out ("Steak Lover's Cookbook"), and to celebrate one of our shared passions - prime beef steaks and great side dishes. The dish you are asking about is a slight variation of a recipe from his book. It is one of our favorites with steak but is also a terrific compliment to many dishes.

Cut the cabbage in quarters. Remove and discard the core. Shave the cabbage crosswise into thin strips and chop coarsely. You should have about 4 cups. Wash, but do not peel, the apple. Cut it in half, remove and discard the core, then cut the apple into 1/2-inch cubes. Combine the cabbage, apple and onion in a bowl.

Place the bleu cheese in a small bowl. Add the allspice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and dry mustard. Using a whisk, or fork, stir in the vinegar and Worcestershire. Whisk in the oil.

Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss well. Cover the surface tightly with plastic wrap, refrigerate and let mellow for about an hour. Add salt to taste, toss the slaw again and serve.

Q: Dear John, I'm in love with your marinated anchovies at the Whaling Station. Where can I get some and how do you prepare them? Do you soak them like cod? Also, when will you have a mushroom class? Dr. Dave Huntley - Monterey

A: Hey Doc; cod? Anchovies? Mushrooms?! Now you're tickling my funny bone! First, let me tell you - these anchovies are labor-intensive.

I use only our fresh, local product and each one is filleted by hand (believe it or not, most people don't want these little silver beauties for much else than bait). After cleaning, I pickle them, according to ancient Sicilian tradition, for 40 days and nights, then serve them simply with a drizzle of good olive oil. By the way, if you haven't tried the fried anchovies, you are missing another amazing treat. Just like sardines, when fresh anchovies are cooked on high heat, the flesh takes on a pale color and has a very mild flavor. I promise you, they are habit-forming.

Readers: This column is coming to you this week from Croatia, land of the world's largest truffles. I'm here filming more shows (after just finishing up in Fiji) for the 2003 Monterey's Cookin Pisto Style season, and I'm just getting warmed up. Thanks to email, I can, not only send you this column from deep inside Europe, but also read and respond to your letters. This month, marks the one-year anniversary of the beginning of "Ask the Chef" and I really enjoy bringing it to you. Please continue to write in with questions and, at this time, I am especially interested in comments about the column itself. Just as with my TV show, I want to deliver an interesting mix of travel, cooking and stories.

In the meantime, check out Croatia on an atlas. Just across the Adriatic Sea from Italy, Croatia boasts over 1,000 islands, many of them tourist destinations, and it is said that you will see islands from anywhere along its Mediterranean coastline. I am anxious to learn more about this country and its traditions (both culinary and otherwise), and to share the best of it all with you here and in my restaurants. See you soon!