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Dear Chef Pisto,
I'm a faithful reader over here in Salinas Valley (does anyone from the
peninsula know where we are?). I think I read
somewhere that there is really no such thing as a sardine, by name. The
sardines are just baby fish of various types. My Swiss-Italian wife
thinks I'm crazy. She also doesn't agree with my premise about the
sardines. What's the real scoop?
George Worthy, Via e-mail
A). Give your wife a kiss because |
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a sardine is a real fish. Monterey was the
sardine capital of the world at one time and most people don't realize
that they are still here in abundance. Fresh sardines are a staple in
Europe. Once I filmed a show in Corsica where they cooked sardines 7 or
8 different ways. The best is barbecued. Sardines are loaded with
omega-3 fatty acids and believe me folks, they are absolutely delicious.
As I said last week, they are now on the menu (barbecued Sicilian style)
at Blue Moon on Cannery Row. Can you think of
a more appropriate place to serve sardines than in the heart of the
place that they made |
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famous? The baby fish you are talking are
the tiny ones that come in a can which are usually herring or some other
small fish of the same family. The large fish in the oval cans are
always sardines. Sadly, much of our local
sardines are now shipped to Japan for tuna bait. As I have said before,
Americans want filet cuts - no bones, no fuss (and no flavor - just
kidding). By the way Georgie, I know where you are. I hear from a lot of
readers out your way. On the Wharf you are considered a local every
Tuesday and Wednesday, so come on down! |
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Cooking your own silver beauties. I have
been so impressed with people's enthusiasm over my barbecued sardines
that I decided to offer an easy recipe for those who want to try cooking
them at home. Watch out - you're sure to get hooked!
Stuffed Sardines Recipe
6 large Monterey sardines
1 1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup raisins
2 T pine nuts
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 lemon; quartered
salt and pepper to taste
First, prepare the sardines by cutting off
the heads, then gut and scale. Remove backbone by |
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running your thumb up and down spine.
Butterfly the sardines by laying them open. Mix the bread
crumbs, raisins, pine nuts, cheese. Then season the mixture with salt
and pepper. Brush olive oil on the sardines. Set aside 1/4 cup of bread
mixture and fill the sardine cavities with the remaining mixture.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll the sardines from head to tail and
place in a baking dish. Sprinkle with white wine and additional bread
crumb mixture. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until sell done. Serve with
lemon garnish and enjoy.
Q). Dear Chef, I was watching your
show (Feb. 10, 2005), and I saw you preparing what looked like a
gigantic crab. If I am correct, please send me all the information you
can on the recipes and how to cook them. Via e-mail |
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A). It would be next to impossible to get that crab. The crab you
saw is from Australia and is called an Australian King. They are caught
in extremely deep water in the Tasmanian Trench. Although they look
impressive, the meat to shell ratio was very bad. You can't eat the
shell, brother! Stick with our Dungeness, it's the best.
Readers: What every serious home cook should have is the electric
Spit-Jack Rotisserie. Use it to cook in front of your fireplace. I have
an authentic one from France that is 200 years old and it still is in
great working condition (I've done TV shows with it). These are great
units. Check out their web site
www.spitjack.com.
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Q). Dear Chef Pisto, What is the
difference between dry-aged and wet-aged beef? I heard that there is not
much dry-aged beef available on the West Coast.
What gives?
Steakeater
Via e-mail
A). Great question, Steakeater. Beef is aged by storing the meat
anywhere from 7 to 28 days. The aging process enhances the tenderness as
enzymes break down connective tissue in the meat. Both wet and dry-aging
occur at approximately 36 degrees F. Wet aging takes place in sealed
polyethylene bags; dry aging occurs in open air with humidity adjusted
to between 50 percent and 75 percent, which results in greater
dehydration and yield loss, but imparts a more intense flavor. Dry-aging
is a much older method. Wet aging was invented as a means of
transporting beef to the west coast and since has become the preferred
taste out here. The nutty, |
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earthy flavor produced by dry-aging is very
different and the preference of easterners.
Q). Dear Chef Pisto, We are students
at UCSC and love your show! Please give us a recipe for Brussels sprouts
that taste good, my buddies don't believe it's possible.
Via e-mail
A). I know a lot of Brussels sprouts are grown in our area. These
little babies can kind of stink up the house, but the texture is habit
forming and they are both delicious and highly nutritious. Try this one:
Brussels Sprout Salad Recipe
3 lbs Brussels sprouts (trimmed and halved)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup whole grain mustard
1 1/2 T. red wine vinegar
2/3 cup walnuts toasted roughly chopped
2/3 cup sundried tomatoes thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste |
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Cook the Brussels sprouts in boiling salted water until just tender in
the center. Remove and immediately shock ice water stop them cooking and
to retain the color. Drain thoroughly. Combine the mayonnaise, mustard
and red wine vinegar in a mixing bowl and whisk
together. Add the Brussels sprouts, walnuts and sun-dried tomatoes to
the dressing mixture and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to
taste.
Viewers: GoodLife TV, which has internationally televised Monterey's
Cookin Pisto Style for the past several years, is now called
AmericanLife TV Network. They are still running the show twice daily,
five days a week. Starting this week, I'll let you know what show is
running locally on channel 20. I'm very excited about this week's show
from Alaska featuring lifestyle guru Andrew Weil, which is all about
wild Alaska and wild salmon.
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