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Q). Saw your show
today in Orange County, Ca. Looked up your pasta with meat sauce recipe
on your web site, but it looked different than what you did on TV. It
looked so good on TV that my Sicilian wife wants to make it this
weekend. Can you help?
Via e-mail
A). Every time I cook it's a little different. Basically they are
all pretty close. Beef, pork, meatballs, Italian sausage or pig skin. But
hey, I have a question
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for you: how come your Sicilian wife doesn't
have her mother's recipe?
Greetings all Fungus Fans: Hello John,
Just back from the Oregon Cascades (mushroom) foray - what a great time!
We had tables full of mushrooms, grocery sacks of white and gold
chanterelles, nice weather, and the usual overload of awesome feasting.
Now it's back to work. It rained here in Sonoma two nights ago. The
season is beginning... I hope to see you at an upcoming WAM event!
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Shroomcerely,
Charmoon RichardsonWild About
Mushrooms Co.
707-887-1888
charmoon@sonic.net
www.wildaboutmushrooms.net
A). Mushrooming is happening, folks! Let an expert take you by
the hand and show you all the tricks. Tell Charmoon I sent you and check
his web site for the upcoming Fall-Winter schedule of events.
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Q). My husband said to write to our
local king of steaks for a peppercorn sauce recipe.
A). When you make this for him, call it "steak au poivre" (for
two) and watch out.
Steak Au Poivre Recipe
In a heavy cast iron pan, sauté steaks, seasoned well with
salt and pepper, in butter. Remove at desired doneness and keep warm. In
the pan, add more butter (if needed), 2 tablespoons each of chopped
garlic and shallots, 4 tablespoons of rinsed green peppercorns and a
splash of red wine. Reduce and then add 1/2 cup of beef stock and reduce
by half. With the back of a large |
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spoon, crush some black pepper-corns and add along with 2 tablespoons
of brandy. Carefully flame off brandy and then add 1 cup of heavy cream.
Reduce until you have a light sauce and pour over your steaks.
Fan mail: Of all things television, there probably have been more
cooking shows than any other type of programming. I can't believe I'm
doing this, but I have to say that your show is the best cooking show
I've ever seen. You're great, but so are your guests. And you're never
always stuck in the kitchen. You let us - the viewers - travel with you
to Corsica and meet your family. You share with us your celebrity
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And you're a great chef, which is, after
all, the point of your show. Anyway, anyone who loves garlic as much as
you do is all right. I've watched your shows because I caption them for
your client, AmericanLife TV Network (formerly GoodLife TV). When I find
out that an intern gets to caption your shows and not me, I'm
disappointed. Mr. Pisto, keep up the great work, keep showing us your
learned techniques with the skillet and the chopping board, and most of
all, keep being you.
Sincerely,
Rainys Andrew Blekaitis
Via E-mail |
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Q). When I was little my parents
would buy a case of green olives and cure them but I'm not quite sure of
the proportion of salt to water? The length of time it takes to cure and
how often do you change the water? I remember that my folks would
somewhere along the way, wash the shell of a fresh egg and drop this egg
in the crock - I guess to check the doneness of the olives - but I'm not
sure. Was the egg supposed to rise or fall to the bottom to reflect that
the olives were ready for processing with the oil and vinegar? Someone
told me last week that they knew someone who puts the olives in quart
jars and adds 1Tablespoon of salt (table salt or kosher salt). They
claimed that you don't change the water for 6 weeks and then you're |
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ready to process them with the vinegar and
oil, etc. Have you ever
heard of this process? This is what I did this last Friday but I sure
hate to waste the olives if it's not going to work. I would appreciate
any advice.
Pauline Condon
Via E-mail
A). It's olive time again folks because Pauline and a few other
people have asked me for a recipe to cure their own. The best method I
know of came from Jean Mercurio. "The King" John Mercurio (a.k.a. "Jean"
- my brother-in-law), says he learned by trial and error over the years.
His favorite are the Mission Olives found around here although he has
been known to pick olives anywhere he finds them. The best time for
green olives is September through November, depending on
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location in the state. Picking is very
important. The secret is they should be a very light green. Those of you
who don't want to pick your own, can get them at Monte Vista Market
(Sergio 373-3737) or at Del Monte Produce (Pete 373-5800).
Cured Green Olives Recipe
Fill 1-quart
mason jars with washed green olives, with 2 slits cut into each one
(this is to make the salt water cure the olives faster). Now add 1 1/2
tablespoons of fine grain sea salt. Seal and turn the jars once in a
while for 3 months, then taste from one of the
jars. To serve, rinse off and dress with olive oil, garlic, oregano, red
wine vinegar and black and red pepper and you have got a true
Mediterranean snack! For more olive info, check
my web site.
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