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Q). Hello, I've been
in Monterey 4 years ago. I've discovered a meal with white soup in a
piece of bread, it was excellent. I would like to know if you can help
me to have the recipe? It's very important for me, my English is not so
good. I'll hope that it's possible. Thank you very much.
Via e-mail
A). I hope you're not pulling my leg. I do believe you are
referring to clam chowder in a bun. Being that your English is limited I
would think your cooking of American food would be different, so I
recommend that you buy
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some canned clam chowder. The brand Snow's
is very good. So heat the chowder following directions on the can. Have
ready a small sourdough roll that you have cut the top and scooped out
the inside. Fill with clam chowder and place on a plate and there you
are! Curiosity got the best of me
the other day. While at Del Monte Produce, I saw these beautiful yams
and sweet potatoes and wondered, which was the best? In the red corner
were those known as "garnet" and "jewel" (for making pies), which are
red outside and yellow inside. In the yellow corner |
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was the
Japanese variety - red outside and yellow inside and the one with light
brown skin and yellow flesh known simply as the sweet potato. That night
I roasted all four and the best were the yellow ones; next were the
jewel and last was the garnet. I must say however, the reds were sure a
nice color, but for eating it's just a slice of the roasted yellow,
about 1 inch thick, with a bit of unsalted butter - man is that good!
For some history: Yams are native to Africa (150 varieties) and not in
the same family as sweet potatoes.
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Q). Lost my instructions for cooking
prime rib with a salt jacket. Would appreciate your recipe/info. on
cooking a prime rib using this technique.
Harriet Sundblad, Via e-mail
A). What makes a great roast is the crust. Place your roast into
a large oven proof pot and cover the whole thing with coarse salt. Don't
use regular table salt - it will only produce salty tasting beef. For
and extra-flavorful crust, you should include my seasoning. Use an
electric thermometer and cook to an internal temperature of 144 degrees
for rare; 145 for medium-rare; or 150 degrees for medium.
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After cooking, allow your roast to rest for
20 minutes so it retains its juices when you carve it.
Q).
I'm looking for a recipe from your TV show last night (12/12/05). It had
risotto made into balls, deep-fried. Do you have the recipe online?
Please let me know.
Thanks.
Diane, Via e-mail
A). This terrific dish is called Arancini di riso.
Here's the Arancini di Riso Recipe: Sauté 1 1/2
lb. hamburger, 1 large onion (chopped), 6 garlic cloves (diced),
olive oil, salt and pepper for 10 minutes. Add a 28oz. can
Italian tomatoes in puree
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(break them up by hand) then add 2
or 3 tbsp. of tomato paste. Add 2 cups of
peas and cook until thick (20 min.). Boil 1 lb. of Arborio rice in
salted water and cook until it is not al dente (soft but not mushy).
Drain rice, add 2 cups of parmesan or Pecorino and some butter and let
it get cool enough to handle. Cup a layer of rice in your hand
and add some sauce then carefully cover with more rice and shape it into
a ball. Make a bunch and set aside. Heat olive
oil in a 3-inch deep pan to 350 degrees. Roll balls in breadcrumbs and
carefully drop into hot oil and brown nicely. Serve warm or room
temperature. |
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Christmas Eve at the Pisto's 1950's. Relatives would arrive from San
Francisco, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. My Dad made sure we had plenty of
Four Roses, C.C. or V.O. on hand along with homemade wine and soft
drinks. It begins! Around 4 o'clock things started. While the women
cooked, the men ate clams and oysters in the half shell. This was done
standing up around the sink. Also present was homemade olives and lots
of salted salmon and, of course, Italian bread. The women were busy
cooking and dodging kids and the men, as all of the action was in the
kitchen. The Dinner: Everyone sat down and the women would start with
the food: First round was baccala cioppino - not everyone's favorite so
there was also cracked crab with vinegar, oil and garlic. If brother-
-in-law John showed, we would |
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have broiled spiny lobster (he was fishing in Port Hueneme), tuna or
sardines. Next came the fried stuff: breaded oysters and shrimp along
with octopus, squid salad and steamed clams. Afterward, we would munch
on platters full of wedged sweet anis which helped everything settle.
Christmas Eve was also the time my Dad
would taste the new wines. We always had a couple of barrels in the
basement and this was a blast - all my uncles also made wines and the
arguing about who's was the best was a riot to watch. I remember one
year the wine was so strong that after tasting it, all the men went
upstairs and took a nap. So on with the big night. Next came Christmas
cookies and cannoli - all homemade shells of course! Man, were those
good. My cannoli filling at the Whaling Station is still the same
recipe.
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Next clear the table and get the blanket - it's poker time! 25 cents
limit, this way no one could get hurt. Now the visitors would start
showing up and paying their respects or maybe just making the rounds of
the neighborhood for a highball and a few hands of poker. The ladies
would visit, then they would be on to the next
house. At
about 11:20 it was Midnight Mass time (another good time to socialize
and get invited to a friend's house) then it's back to poker, fried
baccala fritters and barbecued homemade sausages - and whatever was left
over. Everyone would go home around 2 or 3 am. Then we would open
presents and go to bed - tomorrow is another day, but Christmas Eve was
the best of them all! Have a great Christmas and be nice to each other!
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