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April 9, 2003          ...           Ask the Chef            ...          John Pisto
Q:   I want to buy a ham for Easter what do you recommend? How do I cook it?   Lou P., Monterey

A:    The very best ham I know is from a firm in Oakland, California. The ham to order is a 22 to 26 lb. bone-in, skin on and smoked. Believe me when I tell you that you will eat all of it. This is the real thing. Even though they are smoked, they still need to be cooked because they are so large. The directions come with the ham. Personally I like to wrap mine in rye dough and bake it slowly for 4 to 5 hours. It comes out looking like a boulder and takes two people to carry it. Oh man, is it good! I also like to cut diamond patterns in
 the skin and pack it with brown sugar.  I’ve arranged for Carmel-Luce Meat Co. to order these babies for you (883-3555) and they can get them pretty quickly. Now, the beauty of these hams is the fun only starts with dinner. Make sure to slice it really thin and serve with fried greens, mashed sweet potatoes, some good mustard and some nice local wines like; Guertztramier or Vionier, or any of the Rieslings as long as they are a bit on the sweet  side. Save the fat for cooking beans. Save the bone with bits of the meat still on the bone for split pea, barley, or vegetable soup – it’s fantastic. Also try ham & eggs with thick slices of ham fried in butter.
Another of my favorites is making old-fashioned baked beans with the bone broken open a bit. Soak white navy beans over night. Make a stock out of the bones using plenty of onions. Add a bit of the fat and the skin. Put the beans in a roasting pan; add the right amount of the stock to cover the beans. Add some of the bones, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, pepper and molasses to taste. Bake for 4 to 5 hours at 325 degrees, adding more stock if it dries out. It will eventually form a crust and let me tell you that it will be the best beans you have ever had. So with this one ham, you could do many things and all of them are delicious

 

Readers:   It’s nice to cook with restaurant equipment at home. Boy does it make things easy. But BEWARE!  Last Saturday night I had twelve guests and was all ready to do a taste test of several different legs of lamb. All were over-cooked. These commercial stoves need to be calibrated every once in a while. Calibrated means that if you set the dial at 350 degrees it should be 350 degrees. I think mine was off by as much as 50 degrees. Just goes to show you it happens to everyone.

Q:    Dear Chef:

The other day I saw you at Monte Vista Market. You were buying a wrinkled root of some kind. It was about 10 inches long. I felt

embarrassed to ask you what it was. The curiosity is killing me. I think it was fresh horseradish root.  Via e-mail

A:   Right you are timid one. Next time just ask me, I enjoy talking to people while I’m out and about. Fresh horseradish is neat stuff, but you must be careful because this is also potent stuff and its use is fairly limited. What would prime rib be without it or a seafood cocktail sauce? It is also great with boiled meats, poached chicken, potatoes and beets. To make your own, just peel it and cut into small pieces. Then in a food processor, process until finely chopped and add just enough cider vinegar to make it spreadible. Add salt and a little sugar. It should store for up to 6 months in your refrigerator.
Q:   I am looking for a website or e-mail address for Phillips Candies of Seaside (Oregon). Do you by chance have a recipe for a candy called “Seafoam?”

Pierce Family, Via e-mail

A:   Phillips Candies has been around since 1887, but they still don’t have a website. Speaking of seafoam, this is a favorite of a certain prominent local doctor friend of mine. I don’t know the recipe, it is a closely guarded secret, but they will ship it to you anywhere. They have a complete line of hand-dipped chocolates, fudges and salt-water taffy. Call them at 503-738-5402. Ask for Steve and tell him Chef Pisto referred you.

 

Readers:  I just heard that D’Arrigo Bros. in Castroville is having their broccoli rabe feed in May. Hey, why don’t you guys open it up to the public? Folks, rabe is one of the tastiest of all the greens. Fried with hot pepper flakes and garlic, it is truly unique. It cooks really fast and goes well with any pork dish, like baked ham or Italian sausage. Ask your grocer to supply it. It also goes well simply with pasta and garlic.

Speaking of produce: Folks, I just tried some seedless watermelons, boy are they good.
Q:   Dear Chef:

I saw you on your bike and noticed you have lost a fair amount of pounds. Will you share your recipe for weight loss?   A fair weather walker

A:   I will share my secret with you, nothing to it. It’s simply a change in lifestyle. 1. I exercise, ride my bike, and lift some weights. 2. I eat a modified Atkins diet. It’s easy, I eat fats, butter, olive oil, avocados, all animal protein, a small amount of fruit, no starchy vegetables, little or no bread, pasta once a week and

desserts once a week. I drink wines (sometimes too much - but nobody’s perfect); get plenty of rest and try to party only on the weekends, that’s it!  Oh, I do also have a personal trainer name D. Jason Lucas and he reminds me to eat a 2 lb. porterhouse once a week, for strength of course.

Readers:  Many people who have had my cannoli recently, especially during local’s Wednesdays at the Wharf, ask about the all-important ingredient called “candied citron.” I now have a source for you. Call The Baker’s Catalogue at 800-827-6336.

 

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