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Q). I love your
show and your guests! I watch you on Adelphia Cable, here in Atascadero,
Ca. could you do a show on the lost art of tomato clam chowder, or do
you already have a recipe that you could post?
Wayne, Via e-mail
A). What you're talking about is what is
referred to as "Manhattan" clam chowder. Here's a bit of history that I
dug up: Apparently, tomato-based clam chowders came about with the
new-found popularity of the tomato in the mid-1800s and the large
population of Italians in New York and the Portuguese fishing
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communities of Rhode Island. By the 1930s,
this tomato version had come to be called Manhattan clam chowder. Chef
James Beard, known as the father of American cooking, called it "that
rather horrendous soup called Manhattan clam chowder. . . resembles a
vegetable soup that accidentally had some clams dumped into it."
Actually, Manhattan chowder can be delicious and, thanks to your
inspiration, I'll do my next show on red chowder. In the mean time,
here's a recipe you can try: |
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Manhattan Clam Chowder
Recipe |
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1 pint shucked clams |
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1 cup tomato and clam juice cocktail |
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2 potatoes, cleaned and chopped |
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1 cup chopped green bell pepper |
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1/4 cup chopped green onions |
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1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper |
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1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced
tomatoes |
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Chop clams, reserving juice; set clams
aside. Strain clam juice to remove bits of shell. Measure juice; add
enough water to equal 1 1/2 cups liquid. Combine clam juice mixture,
clam-tomato juice cocktail, potatoes, bell peppers, scallions and black
pepper in large saucepan; heat to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer
for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are just tender. Stir in the
undrained tomatoes and the chopped clams and heat through. |
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The Death Caps are here! In
last week's column I warned about dogs and Death Cap mushrooms. The
following day, mushroom expert Dick Morrison was quoted saying they are
out of season. I have news for you Dick; I found six of them growing in
my yard this week. So, watch out, they are not yet out of season.
More stories about Gia. While having a
fabulous and elegant dinner at L'Auberge Carmel, my 21-year-old daughter
was making conversation and mentioned that she and her girlfriends
recently found a nude beach down south. "Nude beach, nude beach?!" I
said, kind of perturbed. "Oh, don't worry Dad; we stayed behind the
rocks the whole time. |
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No local, commercial salmon until next
month, but if you know sport fishermen
bringing some home, tell him or her about this recipe. Folks, this is
for the real salmon lovers: |
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Salmon Liver
Pate Recipe |
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Salmon livers may be frozen until you have
accumulated the one pound necessary for this recipe. |
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6 T. unsalted butter |
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3 minced garlic cloves |
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1 small chopped onion |
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1 t. dried tarragon |
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1 t. dried rosemary |
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1/2 t. dried savory |
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1/2 t. dried thyme |
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1 pound salmon livers |
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6 cups water |
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12 peppercorns |
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2 bay leaves |
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leafy tops of 4 celery stalks |
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1/4 t. allspice |
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1/2 t. salt |
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1/2 t. pepper |
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6 T. dry sherry |
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Melt butter in a skillet and add garlic,
onion, tarragon, rosemary, savory and thyme. Sauté until onions are
tender. Cook that salmon livers by placing peppercorns, bay leaves and
celery in water; bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Add livers and
simmer 5 minutes more (10 minutes for large livers). Remove livers with
slotted spoon; discard water, celery and spices. Puree onion/herb
mixture and salmon livers in a food processor, adding allspice, salt and
pepper. Add sherry gradually until mixture is smooth and of a spreadable
consistency. Place in a decorative 2-cup crock and refrigerate for
several hours. Pate will become stiffer after refrigeration. Remove
about half and hour before serving. Serves 6.
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Q). We really enjoy your food
news column in the Herald. I've tried many of your recipes and found
them to be very good. Two questions: 1.Do you have access to recipes to
food for diabetics? If so, could you print a few? Anything will do. 2.
Several years ago I had a salad of spinach leaves and mandarin oranges.
It was wonderful, but I cannot come up with what the dressing was. Any
answers? M. J. Wemheuer,
Monterey
A). This would work for you M.J., 1/2 cup
of pure peanut oil, 1 tsp roasted sesame oil, a bit of soy sauce to
taste, sugar (or Splenda) and rice vinegar to taste - that should work.
There are many books with recipes for diabetics.
Try getting a copy of Atkins Diabetes Revolution or The Diabetic Bible
(local author) I'm no doctor, so if I were you and I would find out as
much as possible about diabetes. Here's an easy recipe: |
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Salmon en Papillote
with Tomato-Basil
Relish Recipe |
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Makes 2 servings |
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2 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced (1
cup) |
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2 T. fresh basil, julienned |
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2 T. shallots, finely chopped |
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2 t. garlic, minced |
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2 t. extra virgin olive oil |
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1 t. lemon juice |
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Dash of cayenne pepper |
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1/4 tsp salt |
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1 cup loosely packed spinach leaves |
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2 (6-ounce) wild or farmed salmon fillets,
skinned |
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2 (10x15-inch) pieces of aluminum foil |
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mix the
first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, set aside. Place half of the
spinach leaves in the center of foil. Lay one piece of salmon on top of
the spinach. Spoon half of the tomato mixture over the fish. Fold foil
over and seal edges securely. Repeat. Cook packets for 20 to 30 minutes,
or until the fish is opaque in the center. Note: You can prepare the
packets ahead of time |
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and keep them in the refrigerator. Allow 10
to 15 minutes more cooking time. To cook the salmon in parchment, cut
two piece of parchment paper, each 12 x 16 inches. Fold in half to form
12 x 8-inch rectangles. Cut half-shaped heart away from the fold on each
piece, and then unfold to create 2 full hearts. Lay the open heart on
the pan and spray lightly with cooking spray. Layer the spinach, fish,
and topping on half of the heart as directed. Fold the remaining flap of
the heart over the fish to create a package. Seal by turning the edges
under one small portion at a time, starting at the top and working to
the point, creasing and overlapping at each turn as you work your way
down the "package". Bake as directed. Place the packet onto plates and
allow your guests to open them.
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