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Folks, our Monterey salmon
season has opened! Now available, so support our local fishermen so they
can support us!
I got the call from my nephew Sam - fresh anchovies! All right
Sammy-boy, meet me at my house. Who's coming? Sal Tringali, Sal
Balesteri and Vincent Ferrante. Who'd we forget? Joe |
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Chricchio, Tommy Verga and Domenic Mercurio
- next time, boys. Roll the anchovies in seasoned
flour and start frying. French bread, sliced tomatoes, red onion,
celery, pecorino cheese, Italian salami and some red and white wines.
First a little pastis, then some pasta with garlic - fresh crushed
garlic tossed with a few fresh tomatoes, hot pepper, |
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black pepper, cheese and lots of
extra-virgin olive oil. Get ready, set, go! The first pan-full of
anchovies, done. Next pan-full, done and so on until everyone cries,
"enough!" Dessert was biscotti and some 120 proof lemoncello. The boys
should be proud - a 2 1/2 hour lunch. Thanks for the anchovies, Sammy.
Until we meet again. |
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Just returned from Campbell River, British
Columbia. We were there for five days touring and filming the salmon and
oysters farms (Fanny Bay oysters). Clams, live scallops, mussels and
crab galore. I bought a 25 lb. live wild ling cod that looked like a sea
monster - wait until you see the shows folks! On our last night in town,
we were invited to a beautiful home to finish cooking all the incredible
B.C. seafood. Gail Davis was so kind to let me use her kitchen. We had
fresh salmon two ways, fresh ling cod, oysters on the 1/2 shell, baked
oysters, fresh vegetables done numerous ways and a bit of a cheese
afterwards to help finish the very good B.C. wines. Later, Gail brought
out a tray filled with 6 or 8 different homemade cookies. Everyone
helped prep and it was just like being at home. Thanks Gail you are a
great sport.
A Canadian of Viking stock by the name of
Odd Grydeland, shared this great recipe with everyone. Use farmed or
wild salmon and start two hours ahead. |
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Salmon Recipe
1/4 cup pure vegetable oil
1/4 cup soya oil
1/4 tbsp dry mustard
Blend ingredients well and place with salmon filets in a plastic bag.
Place in the refrigerator and turn often. Cook on gas grill or charcoal
grill on low to med low temp. It should take about 24 minutes, so men,
man your grills and let's see how good you guys are. Grill skin side
down and do not turn. Enjoy it folks! Salmon is good for you! Farmed or
wild.
Another salmon recipe folks, my Sensational
Seasonings on salmon is still one of the best things you can do. Use it
as a blackening spice or just sprinkle it on the salmon while it's
cooking. You can find my seasonings at Monte Vista Market, Star Market,
Troia's Market, The Garlic Shoppe, Albertson's, Sea Harvest, at any of
my restaurants or on my web site
www.pisto.com.
Here's a recipe from Helen Fiamengo, winemaker and fisherman's wife. |
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Broiled Salmon with Black Bean Sauce
Recipe
Serves 6
2 tbsp spicy black bean paste*
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup red wine
1 tsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
6 salmon steaks 1" thick
In a small saucepan whisk together the bean paste, ginger, garlic, olive
oil and wine, bring to a boil. Lower heat, simmer for 5 minutes and
reserve. Butter a broiler pan, season both sides of salmon with salt and
pepper and place on pan. Brush steaks with reserved bean sauce and broil
for 5 minutes brushing with more sauce frequently. Turn salmon steaks
over and repeat process, broiling salmon for another 5 minutes or until
salmon flakes easily when pressed with a fork. Preparation time is 10
minutes. Cooking time, another 10 minutes.
*Available at Asian markets
and the Oriental food sections of large supermarkets. |
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Q: Dear Chef: Love your show.
Educational and great fun. Not just a cooking show but great humor. Your
travel shows rival your cooking shows! A couple of years ago I was not
able to catch your Cabo San Lucas "fish taco" show. Will there ever be a
repeat? I've had the pleasure of eating them there. Awesome! Just cannot
figure out what all is in them. The Monterey area certainly is indebted
to your having highlighted how beautiful the area is.
Thanks.
Gilda
Via e-mail
A: Thank you very much. I sure hope
the Monterey area appreciates it. It's hard to believe that my national
show (now on the AmericanLife Network) has been on for over 9 years.
Yes, the Cabo show will repeat eventually, just keep watching. What
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the tacos of Cabo so good? Is it that
they use soft tortillas? The fish they usually use is Marlin, which has great
texture, nice and firm. Okay Gilda, just in time for "Cinco de Mayo",
here's a nice fish taco recipe using corn tortillas.
Fish Tacos Recipe
First the fish: 1lb. of firm white fish - swordfish, tilapia
- or tuna works too. Cut the fish into small dices about 1/2" square.
Have ready 1 medium onion diced the same size, 2 jalapenos also diced, 4
chopped garlic cloves, 1 bunch of cilantro chopped. salt and pepper to
taste. Salsa: Firm tomatoes (Roma's work best) about 2 cups (6 to 7)
chopped fine along with finely chopped jalapenos (2), fresh garlic
cloves (2), 1 small bell pepper, a small bunch of cilantro and 1 medium
red onion. Combine everything and add a little lemon juice, salt, pepper
and 1 tsp. of ground cumin - ready to go! To |
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make the fish filling: Sauté the onion and
garlic in corn oil for about 2 minutes. Now add the fish and salt & pepper. Start shaking the pan so it
doesn't stick, 2 to 4 minutes. Check to see if it is almost cooked.
Carefully flare off a bit of tequila and your ready to go. Corn
tortillas: Before you use these guys you must heat them on a flat
skillet. Have the flame medium to high working back and forth until the
tortilla is soft and pliable. Add a bit of butter to the tortilla and
then the fish mixture. Finish it off with the salsa. Have a Waborita
ready (a cold Mexican beer or some sangria also goes good with this).
Take care of mom this weekend. It has been said that a mother is a
person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people,
promptly announces she never did care for pie.
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