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Q). Several years ago
on your show, you detailed a mouth watering recipe for homemade
croutons. I'm looking at a day-old baguette from the Palermo Bakery and
it's crying out to me. Can you publish the recipe? I promise not to tell
anyone. Really...
Joe Pavlat
Monterey
A). By the time you read this you should be making bread crumbs
with that bread Joey. Making your own croutons is easy and they are
very, very good. Try this method.
Crouton Recipe
1 cup of butter, one cup olive oil, 10 minced garlic
cloves, ground pepper, 1 cup grated cheese, and |
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1/2 cup chopped parsley. Cut day
old bread into 1-inch square pieces. Melt the butter and
add all of the other ingredients. Pour the mixture over the cubed bread
and spread out in one layer on a cookie sheet. Place in a pre-heated
350-degree oven and bake until golden brown. Now you must resist the
temptation to eat them all as a snack. Just use them on soups or salads.
Q). I am a teacher here on the
peninsula and really enjoy your shows, columns, and info. that I get out
of them. I was watching a re-run of your TV show and you were grilling
steaks with a locally-raised and internationally known sommelier. He
mentioned that he uses all of his leftover wines to create a very
special vinegar. I love |
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this idea because I hate wasting
anything (especially wine!). However, he
mentioned that he adds a "vinegar starter". What is a "vinegar starter"
exactly? I would love to create my own vinegar!
Anthony Morales
Via e-mail
A). That show featured Fred Dame, master Sommelier, master
fisherman, master hunter and all-around renaissance man. After
consulting with Professor R. Thomas, making your own vinegar is best
using a "mother" or starter. Starting from scratch is too iffy. Check in
with your local Italian, Portugal and Spanish grandmothers, they usually
have some going. Good Luck. |
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Q). I am looking for ways of
preparing fish for a spouse that thinks he doesn't like fish. I
currently have him BBQ my fresh salmon but he doesn't like the way it
looks when done. He has recently been placed on a restricted diet, so
any fish dish would be appreciated.
Deb
Via e-mail
A). First of all, make sure the fish you are buying is fresh. If
it stinks when you buy it, it will stink even more when you cook it.
Give the nose test and smell it before you buy it. Barbecued salmon may
be a bit tricky, but here goes.
Barbecued Salmon Recipe
Buy already portioned wild or farmed
salmon. Lightly oil the fish and use either my Sensational Seasoning™
or some other dry |
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rub and rub it in good. Place it on a medium-high barbecue pit grill or grillpan
or in a cast iron frying pan - all on medium-high. If you do it indoors,
better open your windows because it will smoke a bit. Turn it only once
and cook for 5 to 7 minutes more. Crack into it and remove from the heat
when it is no longer raw. Serve with some fresh lemon. I have found that
even people who say they don't like fish love this preparation. Refer to
my web site or cookbook for lots of other fish recipes and cooking
methods.
Q). I have heard that you should age
steaks until they are the color blue before you should cook them. I
heard these are the best steaks. Is this true?
Mike Stamps
Via e-mail
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A). I don't think I'd eat blue beef,
but here are the true-blue methods for aging meat. First there's
dry-aged which means it's been aged in a special room with just the
right humidity and cold temperature to dehydrate the meat slowly. This
causes the meat to have a nutty flavor and to be more compact. People
not used to the peculiar flavor might think
something is wrong with it. We have one steak that is dry-aged at the
Whaling Station. Most restaurants and markets carry wet-aged beef. Large
cuts are sealed in Cryovac (specially made vacuum-sealed plastic bags)
and allowed to let the natural enzymes do the tenderizing for about
three weeks. Personally I love dry aged beef but keep in mind that,
because it loses moisture (thus weight), it is more expensive. |
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Hi Chef - I was happy to hear
that other toddlers love pastina as "baby food", as my mother said that
I would only eat "getti" (as I called it) when I was about two. I ate
orange "getti", green "getti" and white "getti" (carrot, spinach and egg
pastina) with my mom's homemade sauce. She prepared and froze batches of
sauce and stocked up on boxes of pastina, so when she was at the
hospital giving birth to my brother, I wouldn't starve! I still love "getti"
and your version sounds good even if I am no longer a toddler. Nancy
Myers, Monterey
Response: Have a little mercy and fix yourself a bowl of
nostalgia. You'll find it's still delicious, thanks for the nice
thoughts. |
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Chef Pierre Coutou, from Favorite Bay
Fishing Lodge in Angoon, Alaska just dropped in on his way to open the
Lodge for another season. Great news - joining him this year will be his
friend Chef Wanda of Thai Bistro fame. French/Thai food in a remote area
like that, how exotic does that sound? (count me in). Dana, I can't wait
to taste the food - not to mention the fishing, the accommodations, the
guides, the scenery, the beds and your wonderful staff! Favorite Bay
Lodge (866) 788-3344 www.favoritebay.com. |
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Q). Hi John: I have seen you use the
giant prawns several times on your TV show....they look absolutely
delicioso!! I live in Iowa and we have a hard time getting good fresh
seafood here and I never have seen anything but jumbo shrimp in our
stores. Can you recommend a source for these prawns?
A). Unfortunately these are a local
product and they are extremely fragile. Any fish market worth their
weight in salt should have U-12 prawns. This number means there are
under 12 prawns to the pound.
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