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December 10, 2003          ...           Ask the Chef            ...          John Pisto
Q:   My husband and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary at your wonderful restaurant. As we live in Alaska and live on a limited budget this was a wonderful treat for us. We will not be able to afford a trip back to Monterey. If the chef would be so kind as to share the stuffed calamari recipe with us we would be overjoyed. I hope you will consider our request. We will never forget the wonderful food and service we had at your beautiful restaurant.

Patty, Via e-mail
A:   Sorry, not that one, but how about this one? Stuffing two dozen whole squid (cleaned). Save the heads - cut just below the eye and chop the tentacles up fine. Stuff the tubes with a mixture of hamburger, spinach, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Secure with a toothpick and drop into a basic marinara sauce. Cook for 1 hour cover over low heat. Serve with pasta.

Readers: My hero, Brett Boone star infielder for the Mariners, having steaks at the Whaling Station. He ordered the New York Steak and his buddy our USDA Prime Rib. When his New York came he eyeballed the giant slab of Prime Rib and said, "I want one of those too!" He ate both- that's my boy! Brett's back again and this time it was our big, bone-in cut of USDA Prime Rib.

 

Q:   Dear Chef Pisto:

I love watching your show because I like to cook myself. I was born in Monterey (3rd generation) and raised in Carmel Valley were I still live. My Grandfather opened the first Shell gas station in Monterey years ago. It's gone now just like most of Old Monterey, anyway the reason I am writing is because a butcher friend of mine told me about a way of cooking prime rib. He said to completely cover it in rock salt for at least 24 hours then remove it and cook it like I would normally, but last year I chickened out because I could not find a recipe for it and I also thought it would wreck the meat. But this year I thought I would try it for Christmas, so that' s why I am writing to the pro, hoping you can help me out.

Paul M Thomas, Via e-mail
A:   Hi Pauly. A couple of years ago, I was invited to old friends Bill & Grace Ashby's home for dinner. Actually Gracie and I are the old friends. Bill Ashby cooked a rib roast buried in salt and, you know what, it was great! Perfect in fact. I just spoke with Bill and he shared his recipe.
Prime Rib Recipe.
He uses a 4-rib roast. He browns it under a broiler on all sides, then places it in a large pot and fills it with rock salt (very important that you use pure salt), then places in a 250-degree oven and cooks 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Check the meat with a thermometer (at 125 degrees it will be medium rare) and pull it out. I'm sure you can use a larger pot and do a bigger roast just remember, 125 degrees is what you want the temperature to be for the meat. Bill, thanks for sharing and my fond regards to your lovely wife Gracie. We're talking about two very nice people here folks.
Local bon vivant Jack Arancio has a friend that makes risotto in a microwave. Hmm, I wonder, it might just work. Get me the recipe and I'll try it - curiosity has me thinking.

Q:   Hi Chef Pisto, Living in California's central valley, our Dungeness crab comes whole and pre-cooked from the local grocery store (occasionally with good sale prices). My question is: can Dungeness crab be frozen for later use successfully? How should I freeze it (whole or shelled) to best preserve its quality?

Taillac

Via e-mail

A:   Let's be honest, it can be frozen whole, but it's not worth it. Crab is seasonal; enjoy it in its prime.

 

Readers: Hot tip! - The boys from Sea Harvest have opened their long-awaited restaurant in Moss Landing. What a perfect mini get away. Right on the water, with afternoon sun and, if you like, birds - all kinds of sea birds right in front of you - fabulous. The food is very simple, honest, and inexpensive. They also sell fresh fish. Congratulations to the whole family. Moss Landing is definitely happening folks. Everyone there is so nice, Phil, Whole Enchilada and others!

Q:   Hi Chef Pisto!  This is a bit late, but my husband & I have been meaning to tell you we are big fans of yours! We had actually eaten at two of your restaurants previously before we knew about your show & other restaurants. The weekend we got married, my husband took his family to Abalonetti's. We got a new cable service this year that allowed us to access to the

GoodLife channel and saw your show. It was because of your show that I ordered your maplecap mushroom pasta dish and it was wonderful! (reminds me of French onion soup). My husband ordered the smallest meat dish (petit filet mignon) and still couldn't finish it. We have a nine-month old boy named Dominic, who we call Domenico (we are both Italian). We plan to eat at Domenico's next time we're in town. Any favorites or suggestions for dishes to try? We just wanted to tell you how wonderful you and your restaurants are, and we've been spreading the word. Any tips for anyone wanting to be a chef? My husband wants to be a chef and we want to run our own B&B someday. Thanks again and keep up the excellent work!

Rick and Tania Panarello

Walnut Creek, CA, Via e-mail
A:   First thing you gotta do is get your husband to increase his appetite. He must love food! Can't finish a steak, what's going on Ricky? Thanks for the compliments. When you try Domenico's on the Wharf, this is what you should have - A martini to open the appetite, then an order of oysters Rockefeller followed by a Caesar salad (tossed at the table), then a split order of Pasta Capri! For your entrée, try any of the mesquite-broiled fish. For dessert, have the bananas Foster flambéed at your table - now that's eating like an Italian. You'll have enough energy to have another son! P.S. If you want to be a chef, start cooking at home for your family, then your friends. If you're still hot to cook, take some cooking classes. Bon appetite!

 

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