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Q). Why do chefs use carrot,
onion and celery leaves when boiling chicken or a like meat? Corporate
John, Via e-mail A). Why? Why not?
What you are referring to is known to chefs as Mirepoix (from the French
town of the same name). It is the French name for this combination of
onions, carrots and celery. Mirepoix, forms to make the classic flavor
base for a wide variety of soups, stews and
sauces. These three ingredients
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are usually referred to as
aromatics and we also brown them to add even deeper, richer
flavor and color. Other combinations include leeks, parsnips, garlic,
tomatoes, shallots, mushrooms, bell peppers, chiles, and ginger.
Traditionally, the ratio for mirepoix is 2 parts onions to one part
celery and one part carrots.
Looking for fresh, whole exotic fish? Varieties like cuttlefish, many
types of true snapper, reef fish, extra large three-pound squid,
head-on shrimp and sea bream. These, |
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and many
I’ve never ever seen before,
can be found at the
Asia Pacific Market – 330B Reservation Road, Marina. Call ahead
(884-0104) and get there early to get the best selections. Owners
Louis Marquez and Sonja Singh have run this all-family store for eight
years and there is no place like it around here. Warning: don’t be put
off by some of the aromas – dried fish can be pretty potent. |
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Q). I am a big huckleberry fan. We
just returned from a vacation to Idaho, Washington and Oregon where we
enjoyed huckleberry ice cream, huckleberry waffles, huckleberry D’Latah
wine, bought huckleberry marinade and six jars of homemade huckleberry
jam. I also bought a gallon of frozen huckleberries that I shipped home
overnight. I hope to make huckleberry pies with the frozen
huckleberries; however, it was too early in mid-June for fresh
huckleberry pie. I was also curious if there might be any
huckleberry bushes locally. So I was very interested to read the e-mail
from Heidi in Pacific Grove in your column about huckleberries she and
her daughter picked in Pebble Beach. Where did she find these bushes?
Would it be possible for you to pass on my request to Heidi for the
huckleberry location? I would love to go picking!
Elizabeth Elsensohn
Seaside, CA Via e-mail |
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A). Talk about your Huckleberry
Hound! I don’t want to start a stampede in Pebble Beach, however, if you
go to any of the open spaces where there are trees and shrubs and just
keep looking, I’m sure you will find them. Just don’t forget about the
poison oak Lizzie! Message received: Hi
John, this is Nancy Mangiapane and I am giving you a tip on cioppino. Do
not sauté the parsley and garlic with the onions. Instead, finish your
cioppino and for the last five minutes, you throw on top lots of chopped
Italian parsley and lots of garlic. Cover and wait five minutes until it
steams a little. When you take the cover off, you see the difference and
the smell – Ba-Ba-Boom.
Response from the Chef:
Hi Nancy, nice hearing
from you. Folks, Mrs. Mangiapane is one of |
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Monterey’s better cooks and this
one sounds pretty good. Give it a try;
she would love to hear from you.
Q). Any advice where to obtain Botargo? Mail
order businesses? Boston?
Thanks mucho.
Helmet Schwarzer
New Hampshire,
Via e-mail
A). Botargo, a prized delicacy of the
Mediterranean, refers to the salted and pressed eggs of tuna or mullet
(the fish, not the haircut). It is generally grated over pasta, tomatoes
or risotto or just sliced very thin with a sprinkle of olive oil and
lemon. Peter Dentice of Monterey used to bring me some every year –
great stuff! Give Nick a call (831-760-6246) but don’t panic at the
price – it is expensive. By the way, it tastes like the best salted
anchovy you’ve ever had. |
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Q). Caught your
show with Sammy Hagar as your guest chef where he made a “scallop
cocktail.” Would love that recipe. Mrs. Rodarte Via e-mail
A). As it so happens, we saw Sammy in concert this
past weekend. So how was the Sammy Hagar concert? Holy mackerel, what a
show! Rock stars are athletes 1st – entertainers 2nd. I can honestly say
that Sammy and the Waboritas are better now than they have ever been.
Plus the production and stage set-up is nothing short of spectacular.
What a show! – hot, hot, hot!
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My crew of 23 people had a blast. Watch for
the concert on my show to air soon. The food? Boy can those guys eat! 2
1/2 hrs. on stage, full throttle, makes for very hungry people. I
brought them baked ziti pasta and Osso Buco. Thanks to Tom, Rick,
Kari
and especially Sammy – you have definitely got it. And here, Mrs. Rodarte, is your recipe:
Scallop Cocktail Recipe
2 pounds super-fresh scallops
– cut in thin slices and marinate in 2 cups fresh lime juice for 4
hours. 2 diced fresh jalapenos 4 diced firm tomatoes 1 diced small red
onion 1 chopped bunch of cilantro 1 seeded and chopped large cucumber 1
quart tomato juice 2 oz. Cabo Wabo tequila 2 t. sugar 1 T. cumin salt
and pepper Remove marinated scallops from juice and place in a bowl. Add
all other ingredients and blend well. Serve in large martini glasses
garnished with lime slices and cilantro.
Fig time. While cooking dinner for
the Clarks and Paul Williams (actor, songwriter, producer) I had |
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some fresh figs. What to do? Get
a torch and some brown sugar.
Cut the figs into quarters, sprinkle with a little brown sugar, flame it
with the torch to crunch it up, finish with a dab of mascarpone cheese
and watch out. Thanks to ol’ friend and nice man Tom Aliotti, I’m having
them again. Thanks for the figs – you’re the best Mr. Tom!
Q). I am trying to find out the name of an
appetizer that I had at the Whaling Station in May. I am allergic to
seafood, so the waiter suggested something that was not on the menu.
Please help me. It was a serving of these tiny dumplings(?) covered with
a mushroom sauce of some sort. They melted in the mouth! Any idea what
they were called so I can request them again?
Marsha Atwater, CA Via
e-mail
A). What you had was our house-made gnocchi
with gorgonzola cream and morels. It’s not found on the regular menu,
but on a separate nightly additions menu. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. |
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