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Q). Dear Chef, I'm an
instructor at the Defense Language Institute and our local source of
middle eastern foods has dried up, can you help? I'm looking for meats,
pickled vegetables, olives, dolmas etc. Love your column!
Misha
Via e-mail
A). I got the word out and wouldn't you know, Del Monte Produce
on Del Monte Avenue, has recently added a large section of Greek,
Syrian, Lebanese, Armenian and Moroccan foods. The owner Peter is from
Greece, and he has had a lot of people asking for products from back
home. He has already added a great selection
of
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prepared olives in 1-gallon tubs that are
fabulous, plus a bunch of other Middle Eastern delicacies - so there you
are Misha.
Mushroom Foray: There's still some room for David Arora's mushroom foray
in Mendocino over Thanksgiving weekend. For more information please
e-mail
Debbie
amanitarita@yahoo.com or call (510) 430-9353.
Q). Dear John,
I wanted to find out about the standing pork crown roast you made on
your show. I'm having 4 people over and wanted to know how much to buy.
The butcher thinks I should |
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buy the whole rack. I also need to know
where to buy the rub.
Mary, Monterey
A). Mary my dear, you have to have enough chops to make a circle
if you want to make a crown roast - 4 chops will give you only enough
for a 1/2 circle. Solution: if you want a crown roast, buy enough chops
to make a circle and give your guests some to take home. For the rub,
you can find my Sensational Seasonings at Monte Vista Market, Star
Market, Nielson's, Bruno's Market, The Garlic Shoppe, at any of my 4
restaurants or online at
www.pisto.com.
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Q). Hey JP,
Now that it's a week after Halloween, our porch is full of beautiful
pumpkins that have not been carved and are waiting for some recipes! Is
there a trick to using fresh pumpkin meat? Can you share any good
recipes? Is pumpkin a good food nutritionally?
Gia Pisto
Via e-mail
A). Your first question is the easiest. Simply cut your pumpkin
into 2"x 2" squares and dust with cinnamon, brown sugar and butter, then
bake until soft. As to the nutritional value of pumpkin, it's loaded
with the antioxidant beta-carotene which the body converts to vitamin A.
Research has shown that a diet rich in beta-carotene may reduce the
risks of certain |
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types of cancer and heart disease.
Eat all bright colored fruits and vegetables, G-Bop! Pumpkin also
makes good fertilizer - bury them in small pieces, of course. Speaking
of beta-carotene, every year around this time, John and Leslie
Cederquest of San Ardo, drop off a double flat of Hachiya persimmons -
thank you folks! Incidentally, yester-day I taped a show about eating
these babies. Did you know that when they are very soft and ripe you can
just rinse them off and eat the whole thing, eating with a spoon or out
of your hand? I'm talking about skin and all - try it! Remember, they
must be very ripe to develop their rich, sweet and spicy flavor. An
under ripe persimmon will really pucker you up. Incidentally, while
there are persimmon trees native to North |
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America, the ones producing in California
are native to Japan and were brought here in the late 1800's.
Q). Hi Chef I have an old package of
dry stuffing. Can I use it for Thanksgiving, even though the expiration
date says it's too old?
B.V.
A). B.V., how many years old is it? If it's still vacuumed packed
I would say you're probably okay, although the seasonings would probably
need a little kick-up if the seal has been broken. I would also check
for the presence of little creatures and probably just throw it out,
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Q). Hi John, I'm looking for the
recipe you have for pasta with pepper vodka, asparagus and scallops. Do
you remember this one?
Carol Chorbajian
Monterey
A). Man, oh man, are you going back a few years. First, I remem-ber
this dish was made with smoked salmon, not scallops. For 1 lb. of pasta
(use dry linguine). Lightly blanch 1 lb. of asparagus that has been
sliced very thin, just enough to leave it crunchy. Drain under cold
water and hold. In a large sauté pan, sauté 2 large chopped shallots in
butter until soft and then add a quart of heavy cream. Next add 3 oz. or
so of hot pepper flavored vodka. Reduce for 5 minutes over medium heat.
Add |
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asparagus, 1/2 lb. of cold smoked (lox)
salmon that has been chopped in 1/2" pieces. Cook the pasta then drain
and add to the sauce. Toss well, garnish with salmon eggs, some of the
smoked salmon and finely chopped chives. Can serve 6 to 8 and, with
additional shots of ice cold vodka - I do believe you will have a party!
Q). Dear John, I'm having some friends over that love artichokes.
I want to do something different than the steamed artichokes that I
usually make. Do you have any recipes for stuffed artichokes?
Philli
Monterey
A). This is
without a doubt, one of my favorite artichoke recipes and it is true
Sicilian.
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Stuffed Artichokes
Recipe
Serves 4
4 large artichokes
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley
3 teaspoons olive oil
Mix bread crumbs with raisins and coarsely chopped parsley and
mix in
olive oil as a binding agent. Remove 1/2 inch of the top cone from the
artichokes and clip the leaves. Gently spread the leaves to allow for
stuffing. Stuff bread crumb mixture between leaves and steam in a
covered pan with 1-inch of rapidly boiling water for 20-30 minutes,
adding more water as needed. Test with a fork to the heart. Place
artichokes in a broiler for 3-5 minutes to brown the stuffing and serve
warm or at room temperature.
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