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Q). The curry soup
recipe from the Whaling Station Inn would be nice - Will you share it?
Via e-mail
A). I don't have an actual recipe, but I'll tell you how I came
up with it and you can try to whip some up yourself. The soup was
invented one night when we got slammed unexpectedly. I needed to make a
soup right now so I used what I had on hand: curry, cream, chicken stock
and shredded coconut. I put it all together and bingo - instant crowd
pleaser!
Q). Could you provide a couple of
bread dipping recipes? How long will they be useable?
Art Plummer |
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A). My friend Vito Catalano showed me this one.
Bread Dipping Recipe
Use your best
extra-virgin olive oil and pour a small amount (about 3 tablespoons)
into a medium sized flat dish. Now add 1 teaspoon of good quality
balsamic vinegar right in the middle of the oil. Now add some mashed
anchovy filets, grind some black pepper over it and dip with some hot
crusty bread. This is so satisfying that it should be served as a first
course. Don't worry about keeping it around; all you need to have on
hand are the ingredients.
Q). I love your column and your "joie
de vivre" comes through every week. Thanks for addressing the farmed
salmon/wild salmon debate. I sent your remarks to my salmon- |
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loving parents in the Pacific Northwest. My question is, my husband's parents
insist on removing the white part (not the clear "white") of the raw egg
before using it in baking or omelets. Naturally, as I like to point out,
this isn't possible in hard-cooked eggs, so the possible poisoning
resulting from eating that part of an egg could get them eventually. Ha!
Ha! Do you think this dates back to the old fertile egg days or that
they're actually crazy? (No wagers riding on your response.)
Melody Faris, Via e-mail
A). I think this dates back to when people had too much time on
their hands. get involved with something that can make a difference like
volunteering or exercising. Go for it, folks! |
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Q). Several years ago, we had the
good fortune to eat at the Whaling Station restaurant. I had the pork
chops in a cherry brandy sauce and it was delicious - best pork chop
dish ever. How can I make a similar dish, or do you have a recipe for it
that can be shared?
John Saponsky
Via e-mail
A). I get a lot of requests for this
recipe, but it's a closely guarded classic. If you want to make one that
is pretty close, give this recipe a try:
Brandy-Cherry
Sauce Recipe
4 oz. dried cherries
3/4 cup brandy
1 1/2 oz. beef or veal stock
1 cup water
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons butter |
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Place dried cherries in a bowl.
Warm the brandy in a saucepan over low heat. Pour the warm brandy over
the dried cherries and allow to soak for at least 10 minutes or
overnight if possible. Place the reconstituted cherries with any
remaining brandy in a food processor and process until smooth. Combine
the stock with the water in a large sauté pan. Bring to a boil and
reduce mixture by half. Add the cherry mixture, heavy cream and season
with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Whisk in
the butter and serve. Options include: keeping the cherries whole and
omitting the cream.
Wine tip: Local boy John Saunders has
a new release from his Boëté (his mom's maiden name) Winery. It's a 2002
Cabernet Franc made entirely from his vineyard in Carmel Valley. Bravo
John - fabulous! Now available at the Whaling Station.
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Hot off the press - You think the only farmed fish is salmon? Here are
some examples of certified farmed organic seafood from Europe: Atlantic
cod, sea bass, sea bream, croaker, sturgeon and caviar from Spain,
mussels and sea trout. I also recently received information about a
terrific open-ocean kampachi (yellow tail) fish farm in Hawaii. I'm sure
this is only the beginning.
Death Cap Mushroom Alert: Check under oaks for death caps. I have
a small dog and it's best to remove them. They are 2 to 3 inches in size
and are a metallic green to tan on the cap. The also may have white
particles on the cap.
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Dinner Tip:
Want 14 courses with wines to match, super service and a feeling like
you're in France? It's called L'Auberge Carmel (624-8578).
Congratulations to chef Walter, his lovely wife and their crew,
Guilliano and Napalitano who run the floor. Fantastic job of training
your staff. It is surely a pleasure to be served by people who have such
pride in their work. Bravo to all!
Happy Father's Day Boys! My daughter Gia wants to throw me a father's
day party, so she asked me what I wanted to cook. Hmm...
that's why she's going to college. But
seriously folks, there is only one thing that does it for me, a thick,
crusted, charred-rare, |
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juicy, melt-in-your mouth STEAK! Oh boy!
Now, if you want something delicious to go with your steak, try this
potato recipe:
Potatoes au Gratin Recipe
8 - 10 servings
2 1/2 lbs. Idaho potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups sliced white onion
2 1/2 cups chicken broth (fresh or canned)
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese |
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the
potatoes and cut them into 1/8 inch slices - they must be of uniform
size. Place them in a mixing bowl with cold water to remove the starch.
Drain thoroughly. Rub the bottom of a large flameproof gratin dish with
the oil and add the potatoes and onions. Spread out evenly. Pour the
broth over the potatoes. Place the bay leaf in the center of the
potatoes and sprinkle with several gratings of nutmeg. Season with salt
and pepper. Bring to a boil on top of the stove. Turn off the heat and
add the cheese, spreading it evenly over the top. Place in the oven for
40 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove the bay leaf and serve.
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