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Q). Dear John,
I love fish, especially salmon. What vegetables go good with salmon and
how would you cook them?
Kevin, Via e-mail
A). Salmon is so versatile that I could go on all day with
suggestions. Try some of these: 1. Fresh morel mushrooms sautéed in
butter with a splash of pinot noir - that's right, red wine with fish.
Finish your sauce with some sweet butter and salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon some over your fish and watch out! 2. Sautéed spinach or any type
of greens. Wilt in a pan with olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper.
Place your salmon on top. |
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3. Fried potatoes with bacon and
onions. 4. Boiled green beans with diced tomatoes and red onions. 5.
Diced avocado, tomatoes and red onions. 6. Any bean stew is great with
grilled salmon. Q).
Dear John Pisto,
How are you? I love your shows. You are great. I am in the first grade.
Do you have a good recipe for cheese sauce to go with my macaroni? My
mom does not give me the cheese sauce from the box (not healthy, she
says). I love you.
Mark "the spark" Michael
Monterey, CA |
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A). Hey little buddy. Folks, Mark is
a frequent guest in my kitchen. When his parents come for dinner, he is
always invited. I wait for him to say, "John Pisto, make me my pasta."
What I usually do then is ask him which pasta he wants that night. He
likes long pastas and I let him tell me when it's cooked. Then I drain
it, add some sweet butter and grated Reggiano. The last time, I added a
few tablespoons of mascarpone cheese and he seemed quite pleased. So
Mark, ask your mom to make this one for you. It's creamy, it's healthy
and it's good. Thanks for the letter pal and I'll see you soon.
Your friend and personal chef, John Pisto. |
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Q). Hello. I so appreciate you taking
the time to read my quick question I have for you! I want to purchase a
wooden utensil set and I have been told by some that
olive wood is the best and others have told me to buy
bamboo. I would love your professional opinion on what is the best to
purchase. Thank you dearly for helping me with this question!
Charlotte Warren
Via e-mail
A). Personally, I would go with the olive wood. It is very hard,
durable and beautiful to look at. Once, I hand-carried home a large
mortar and pestle that must have weighed 20lbs. I bought it from a road
side market in the south of France. It was not cheap, but it is my pride
and joy in the kitchen. |
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Q). On GoodLife TV, for a Bolton
concert, you prepared a Sicilian pasta-eggplant-hardboiled egg dish. I
would love the recipe. Couldn't find it in my Sicilian books. Also, do
you televise only on the GoodLife TV channel? Which day and time?
Thanks.
Grace, Via e-mail
A). Gracie, GoodLife is now called AmericanLife T.V. Network. We
are on 5 days a week, 2 times a day - check your local listing. What you
saw was baked pasta with roasted eggplant. Because you sound like
you know how to cook I'll give you the easy way.
Baked Pasta with Roasted Eggplant Recipe
-Penne pasta,
cook al denté firm.
-Hard boiled eggs to be sliced and layered. |
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-Enough sauce for the amount of pasta (1lb.
pasta = 29 oz. can of tomato sauce).
-Grated Romano cheese.
-Mozzarella sliced thin (optional).
-My version for Michael was vegetarian, but
you can add sliced meatballs and sausage
cooked in the sauce.
-Six (6) slices of thinly sliced eggplant.
-To assemble- it's sauce, a layer of pasta
that has been tossed with sauce, then
eggplant, then sliced eggs (then meats- optional) then grated cheese.
-Now, start over again, ending with sauce and
cheese. It's a good idea to make extra sauce
just in case. This is one of those dishes that is better
the next day!
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Q). John, Regarding your March 2
column item about Brussels sprouts. You left out the most important step
for Brussels sprouts that taste good. You must trim off any woody
portion of the stem and the loose dark green outside leaves. This is the
portion that makes Brussels sprouts taste awful and smell up the
kitchen. Boil or steam until just tender. Over cooking is a frequent and
disastrous mistake. Serve with butter and salt. I'm not sure where you
are going with the ice water step. I like to serve hot immediately off
the stove, but cold with a salad dressing as you suggest would also be
good. You |
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probably left the trimming part out because
it is second nature to any good chef, but it is a necessary instruction
for the normal college student.
Rob Cooper
Via e-mail
A). Way to go Robby Boy! Sometimes I
move a bit fast. I thought college students didn't cook that much
anymore. When I visited my daughter recently, her room was so cluttered
I could not even find the stove - I swear. My lovely daughter, whom I
love very much, loves leaving piles and piles of clothes and used dishes
all over the place. These piles of whatever, I think are |
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fermenting. Kind of reminds me of a puppy
leaving little piles here and there. Her mother is the complete opposite
fastidious and neat. Oh, by the way Rob, I ice them (the Brussels
sprouts) so they stop cooking - they stay a little firmer that way. You
can also cook some of these babies in tomato sauce- very good. Or toss
some cooked Brussels sprouts with some sour cream and fried garlic (lots
of chopped fried garlic).
Viewers: On this weeks Monterey's Cookin' Pisto Style, we are in Sicily
where I show them how to dress an octopus. Make up your own one-liner.
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