March 17, 2004 Ask the Chef Article

March 17, 2004 ... Ask the Chef ... John Pisto

Readers: I have been dying to tell you about the pasta and sardine feast at Abalonetti last Wednesday for the crew bound for the Sea of Cortez. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and this hungry group of 130 or so scarfed it up! Among the local dignitaries were; our honor the mayor and the queen of Cannery Row. Jon Christensen of www.seaofcortez.org said it was customary in Steinbeck's time to send a ship off by throwing rotten tomatoes. Since the trip has been postponed for the 25th of March, I'm saving mine up now. Check out these photos from the event.

Q). I was watching your show last week and saw the episode with Leon Panetta making gnocchis. Would you be so kind as to give me his recipe? I have tried making gnocchis before and they were a disaster! They had a good flavor, but were hard as rocks!
Thank you so much for your help.
Via e-mail

A). I hear a lot about Leon and his gnocchi. We had a great time making them and I think the only thing he enjoys more is his beloved Monterey prawns. Part of the fun of gnocchi is making the shapes, which Leon skillfully manages using a fork. I recommend the following recipe from my book, unless you can get Leon to help. By the way, Sylvia P., I've got the prawns at my restaurants now, so come and get 'em!

Gnocchi Alla Nonna Recipe
Serves 6

4lbs. of potatoes
1/2 lb. Reggiano cheese
4 cups flour
1/2 cup melted butter
salt

Boil whole potatoes until soft. Drain, peel and mash. Quickly add flour and butter and sprinkle with salt. Work ingredients into a dough. Break off pieces and shape into sausage-like rolls, about 1 inch thick. Place gnocchi on floured surface to prevent sticking. Press each piece with your thumb against the concave surface of a cheese grater or fork to create a ridged pattern. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and drop in gnocchi. Remove them with a perforated spoon as soon as they float to the top (after approximately 3 minutes). Cook in small bunches to avoid sticking together. Place gnocchi in serving dish, top with marinara sauce and grated cheese.

Q). Do you still have the Monterey County resident specials for $9.95 on the Wharf? If so, do you have the schedule so that we can plan an outing? Thank you for your time and we love your show and cooking. Keep up the great work!
Via e-mail

A). The Wharf is open for business 7 days a week. At this time our local's special is served Tuesdays and Wednesdays all day and all of the restaurants on Fisherman's Wharf participate. And don't forget the other part of this fantastic deal - 2 hours free parking. The other restaurateurs wanted me to remind everyone that the value you folks receive is incredible. No one else on the peninsula gives you a three-course meal for $9.95 soup or salad, fish, chicken with vegetables and starch including dessert all for $9.95!

Q). Dear John, I love to cook at home and I miss my home town pizzas in Philadelphia and New York City. Please give us your recipe for a great homemade pizza. Would a pizza oven help? What about the cheese the sauce? Is it really all about the dough? A thicker, chewy dough? Or a thin crust? Are they different recipes?
David and Kerri
Via e-mail

A). The best pizza comes out of a wood-burning oven. Most people don't have one so let's talk about home ranges. Ideally pizza should be cooked at 650 - 700 degrees. Home ovens go up to 500 degrees and a "pizza stone" works well so call Bill at Monterey Bay Restaurant Equipment (831) 899-1422 for your own pizza stone. I called John at Mugnaini Imports in Watsonville (831) 761-1767 (they are our local experts in wood burning ovens). John gave me this pizza dough recipe:

4 cups flour (1/2 bread 1/2 all purpose)
1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. dry yeast

Using 1/2 cup of the measured water, dissolve the yeast (water must be 110 degrees). Wait 10 minutes to allow yeast to activate. Place the flour in the bowl of a countertop mixer. Add salt to the yeast and water mixture and pour a little at a time to the flour using a dough hook. Kneed the dough for bout nine minutes, and then place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil to prevent it from sticking. Cover and let the dough rise for three hours. When ready to use punch the dough down, form into 5 or 6-inch balls and roll out.

Here's my Pizza Dough Recipe:
3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup warm water (105 - 110 degrees)
Allow yeast to work (10 minutes) until it gets foamy. Using a dough hook, work the dough for ten minutes. It should be a bit shiny and soft. Place in an oiled bowl and let rise for 1 hour. It should double in size. It is ready to use in an hour and will make four pizzas.

Since I'm giving up my personal pizza preferences, we might as well talk about sauce. I like to use good Italian tomatoes that come in a can. Smash them up real good, add salt, pepper, a shot of olive oil and some oregano and that's it! As for the cheese I recommend fresh mozzarella (not buffalo it has too much water content) - and / or Pecorino or Reggiano. When it comes to toppings, just use your imagination, folks!

Readers: Talking with my cousin Nino the other night. He stressed that, after making cutlets, BBQ tri-tip or most any meat, his mother (my Aunt Mary - 98 years young) always let the meat rest after cooking for a few minutes. Recently I came across an article saying that allowing cooked meat to rest a while before slicing keeps the juices inside. Sounds logical so next time you're cooking chops, cutlets or just barbecuing a piece of meat, set it aside in a 200 degree oven for a few minutes before serving. Right on Aunt Mary!

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in Monterey, California, click here.

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