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Q). Dear Chef Pisto,
Once again, we had a fabulous dinner at your
restaurant on local's night. Every time we go I tell myself I'm going to
try one of the other specials...but each time I get the tomato-ginger
soup (awesome!!) and the salmon (FANTASTIC)! I tell everyone about the
specials and it surprises me how many folks don't know about local's
night!! I keep spreading the word! We've tried several restaurants on
the wharf, but Domenico's is our favorite. What made the whole evening
the best was the great service by our waiter. He was most cordial,
friendly and professional and made
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us feel special. Thanks for giving us locals an opportunity
to enjoy a treat in our own backyard!
Cynthia Ainsworth,
Salinas
Via e-mail
A). Need we say more? Available to anyone with a
939 zip code - that means you, Salinas. Locals day choice of: clam
chowder or salad and entrée choices of grilled salmon, fish & chips,
pasta with meatballs and more - plus dessert for only $9.95. Also 2
hours free parking pass!
FYI: Heirloom tomatoes.
The Farm in Salinas (455-2575) still has them for $1.50 per pound, plus
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other fantastic items like
basil with roots that will last at least two weeks. Just place in water
and pick as you need.
Q). What is jowl fat?
Camara, Via e-mail
A). #1 it is fat from a pig; #2 it is from the
jowls. What are jowls? Look in the mirror and grab your cheeks, now pull
down. What you have in your fingers are your jowls - same goes for Mr.
Porker. For some reason with beef and veal they are called cheeks. They
can be brined, smoked and used like thick sliced bacon. There is a
saying about pork - you can use everything but the oink! |
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Dear Chef,
I don't mean to bug you but you might find it of
interest to know that back in the late 50's Libby ran an in-house test
on their canned pumpkin. They tried several different varieties and
species of squashes or pumpkins along with sweet potatoes and carrots.
As I recall the consistent winner in their taste tests was the mix made
with 100 percent carrots. I do agree that sweet potatoes are probably
the easiest to work with, though my wife would
make pumpkin pies out of what ever squashes I was able to bring home,
cook and put through the ricer for her.
Carroll Briggs, Via
e-mail
Chef's response: Thanks for the come back.
Everyone loves carrot cake - why not carrot pie? Hmm! |
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Q). John I enjoy your food column. I'm
interested in making the Green Goddess dressing but can't find the
tarragon vinegar anywhere. Can I make it with the herb and white
vinegar? What are the proportions? Joan Hoag,
Phoned in
A). Taste it Joanie! It's ok to use fresh
tarragon, just mince it well. Start with a bit and keep tasting until
it's right. Same with the vinegar, making your own is simple. Stuff a
jar that you can close with fresh tarragon
leaves. Fill with white wine vinegar and let sit for a month or so and
bingo - you've got it!
Monte Vista Market has new owners
Sergio Sierra, his wife Mary and their three daughters. Upgraded produce
and ready to eat foods are now available everyday. Fully stocked
shelves; regular and specialty foods; full meat section and fresh
seafood. This is an |
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important neighborhood market
folks, and we must support these mom and pop
operations - they are the heart and soul of life. Without them we have
only to the big corporations. Like they said before, it's nice to go
where everyone knows your name.
My daughter Gia called from Italy the other day and told me she
was making my favorite pasta dish. Fried zucchini with fresh tomato
sauce and Reggiano. Boy, oh boy, is she a chip off the old block. This
is real peasant food, but let me tell you the combination of golden
browned fried zucchini, sweet tomatoes and nutty Reggiano and a bit of
fresh garlic, just slightly browned is heavenly. Dish up the pasta, pass
around the fried zucchini (sliced thin and fried in olive oil) - then
the cheese. Put the garlic in when you toss the pasta with the sauce -
and watch out! |
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While in Sicily I tasted the
best pork sausage ever. It was very thin (like breakfast sausage) so
that it cooks up fast. Very coarsely ground with salt and wild fennel
seeds and that's it. I'm trying to duplicate it as we speak. They also
did ones with diced mozzarella and fresh tomato and another with
assorted herbs, boy was it good!
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Facts!
Did you know that there are abalone
in Sicily? That's right, and the price is about the same - expensive.
They are only about 1 1/2'' long and are called "eye of the bull".
They're served first boiled then slightly grilled in the shell with
olive oil and lemon - $70 a kilo.
Q). Dear Chef Pisto,
What is your style of cooking? What type of cooking
is "Pisto", Italian, Spanish, etc.?
Via e-mail
A). Great question! My heart is Sicilian:
breadcrumbs, olive oil, seafood, grilling, lots of fresh vegetables and
pasta. In another life I would have been in southern France, using
tomatoes, black olives, stews, local fish and beef, black truffles, wild
mushrooms, fish soups, thyme, garlic, olive oils, rosé wines, pastis,
boules, mussels and baccala.
In still |
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another life, I would have been in
northern Italy, with wild mushrooms, white truffles, risotto, egg
pasta, cream, sweet butter, polenta, veal and big steaks. Spanish
cuisine also creeps into my cooking such as paella, stews, and lamb
dishes. You see my friend, "Pisto Style" is nothing more than all the
places that I have traveled using the foods that impressed me the most.
So it's Italian, French and Spanish with Mexican, American and even Thai
undertones. I hope I've answered your question. |
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