, 2006 Ask the Chef Article

Hot news from our Spanish cruise. So how was the cruise? 1st class all the way! Our traveling companions? 1st class all the way! Nine Ports of call in Spain all great - but God Bless America! We filmed nine or ten new shows and used a lot of our traveling companions in them. You will probably recognize your neighbors. We met such great people and all were very good sports. We ate some strange stuff as well. For a while we had to tell the Spaniards that we were a Canadian film crew because they are not too happy with our president right now. All in all, the food, the wine, and the people were great. As soon as we edit our tapes, we will start airing these new shows.

We ate at one of Barcelona's best restaurants known for their jam. Tomato jam with the best yogurt you can find is fantastic. Here's how they make it. You will need tomatoes, ginger, honey, sugar and salt. Dice 4 lbs. of ripe tomatoes and 4 T. peeled and diced fresh ginger. Combine in a pan with a small amount of tomato juice just to get it boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low and add 1/4 cup of honey and enough sugar to make it taste like a jam (1 to 1/2 cups sugar). Cover it and let it cook very slowly for 1 hour. Take the lid off and continue to cook until it is nice and thick. Use with a cheese course after dinner. A dollop of yogurt, then the jam. Bingo - You've got it!

Also, while in Barcelona, we had some delicious tapas featuring stewed English peas with a slice of sautéed foie gras. Holy mackerel what a dish! Do yourself a favor, Del Monte Produce has the English peas. Shell the peas and set aside. Sauté some chopped shallots in extra-virgin olive oil then add the peas, salt, pepper and enough chicken stock or water to barely cover the bottom of the pan. Cover and cook on low heat until peas are soft. Dish up in the middle of a plate and place a cooked veal chop on top. I bet you will eat the peas first. I have a new respect for fresh peas. Try them soon.

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Q). I read your column last week in The Herald on lobster Thermidor and enjoyed it. My dad, Enrico Imbriani and Thomas Giacolone, were the chefs at the restaurant Lou's on the wharf, which is not your restaurant (Domenico's). He used to whip up that sauce and make it up all the time at the restaurant. He just hated the recipe, as he preferred to see his fish used in a fresh and timely way. Also, the clients did a lot of heavy drinking in those days at the bar and never really appreciated the fresh fish they received. Thanks for the memories! Oh, by the way, we graduated from
Monterey High together - class of '63.
Fondly, Paula I. O'Connor
Via e-mail

A). Nice to hear from you Paula. How about sharing your dad's recipe?

Q). I have been reading your column for several years and really enjoy it and take your advise, so I expect you can help me. I will soon be the proud recipient of

10 lbs. of chivo (or cabrito - I have it pronounced both ways). First, is there a difference between chivo and cabrito? Second, what to do with it?
B. Creelman, Corral de Tierra
Via e-mail

A). The term "cabrito" is Spanish for "little goat", while "chivo" is more of a slang term with the same meaning. Cabrito is a delicacy that has as many fans as skeptics. To those who have failed to appreciate a tender piece of goat meat, the blame must be placed squarely on the way it's been cooked and on the fact that the goat probably wasn't a ten-to-eighteen-pound, suckling kid slaughtered at thirty to forty days of age. Older goat is often sold as cabrito, but once goats start browsing on grass, the meat develops a more gamey, mutton flavor. They are also tough. The best time to get real cabrito is May through October. While we don't usually hear much about goat meat let alone requests for recipes, it can be delicious. So, what have you got? 10 lbs. of what cut? Are you getting the whole animal? 10 lbs. is

a little small, but I would cook it in a 225-degree oven for 4 hours after first rubbing it down with lard or olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. I also found a goat sauce recipe for you to try out. I guarantee you will lick your fingers.

Goat Sauce Recipe
Makes about 7 cups
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 chopped onions
1 crushed garlic clove
1 32-ounce bottle ketchup
3 T. yellow mustard
2 cups black coffee
1 cup distilled vinegar
1 lemon, cut in half
6 tablespoons chili powder
3 good dashes of Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil over medium-low in a large saucepan. Add onions and garlic and sauté until tender but not brown. Whisk together ketchup and mustard in a large bowl and add to ingredients in saucepan. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Refrigerate unused sauce up to several weeks.

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Q). I had some wonderful lemon-infused olive oil recently at a restaurant in the bay area and wondered where can I find it and how is it made? Does "infused" mean heating both the lemons and oil at the same time to create the infusion? So incredibly delicious! Also, what is the best way to store olive oils? In a cabinet or the refrigerator?
Steffie, Carmel, Via e-mail

A). First, always store your olive oil in a cabinet, out of the sun.

Don't put it in the fridge as it has a tendency to cloud up. As for lemon oil, one story I heard was it came about because after pressing olives for the day, lemons would be run through to clean the machine. While lots of flavoring techniques have been used for olive oil, things that contain water, like lemon peel, fresh herbs or garlic should never be added as it can lead to poisoning by botulism. Locally, Monte Vista market carries infused olive oils, but if you want to make your own, here's an easy and safe method.

Unlike regular olive oils, keep this one refrigerated and use it up within a few days in vinaigrettes or as a marinade.

Lemon Oil Recipe
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 slices of lemon (1/4 inch thick)
Combine oil and lemon slices in a heavy saucepan and simmer over low heat until the lemons are translucent - about 5 minutes. Let cool uncovered for 30 minutes, then strain your lemon oil into a bowl and discard the lemons.