|
Q). Greetings, my
name is Jerry Stewart and I am a correspon-dent
for the Herald. A few years back, I interviewed you about your beginnings (fish n' chips on
the wharf, etc.). Anyways, big question is, I live in Carmel and always
wanted to ask: After winter rains we usually get some kind of a wild
onion that grows in our yard. Looks kind of like green onion (there's
sometimes a white flower) and if you pull it out, there is a small
bulb. Is this onion? Is it edible? Should I feel lucky and add to a
salad?
Via e-mail
|
|
|
|
|
A). Jerry, if it looks like an
onion, smells like an onion and tastes like an onion, it might be a wild
garlic - just kidding. I recall coming across an onion/chive/garlic
look-alike plant that has a bulb and a white or pink flower - but I
don't recall eating it. There are also wild leeks, which some people
like to eat, while others find hard to digest. Since there are a number
of varieties of both wild garlic and wild onions, with flowers that can
be white, yellow or pink, just make sure that it smells exactly like
onion or garlic. My best advice is to treat these like wild
mushrooms and, |
|
|
|
|
unless you are 100% (not 99%)
sure
of what it is, do not eat it.
Stomach this. Someone was talking about tripe the other day and
it took me back to the famous tripe sandwich in old town Florence,
Italy. Tender slices of tripe in a fabulous gravy, piled high on a roll,
juicy and dripping. Tripe sand - pick it up!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
~~~~~ |
|
Q). My best pal, Julie (former
Salinas resident) who now lives in Chicago, found a delicious balsamic
vinegar. This vinegar is even good on ice cream. John! Where can I find
vinegar that is that delicious without traveling to the Windy City?
Also, can you recommend some scrumptious recipes utilizing this
beautiful balsamic?
Gloria Kay Martinez
Salinas, CA
Via e-mail
A). First, let's talk about balsamic vinegar - what is it? It is
the pride of Modena in northern Italy and starts with crushed grape
solids, |
|
|
|
|
also known as the "must" of a high-sugar
white grape (usually Tribbiano), which, once it begins to ferment, is
cooked in a copper kettle until about one-third has evaporated. A
bacteria culture is added and finally the vinegar is placed in wooden
barrels to age, where it will also evaporate at a rate of 10% per year.
True balsamic is very dark, with a sweet, fruity flavor and has a syrupy
texture. You have to do a little searching to find the real thing. Most
supermarkets carry a commercial grade red wine vinegar mixed with must
and caramel. The best uses for the good stuff (using an eye dropper)
would be over fresh strawberries; on some chunks of |
|
|
Reggiano Parmesano; or in a glass of water
and drink it. In Modena, they use it in desserts such as panna cotta,
zabaglione, and crème caramel. Real balsamic, usually labeled "tradizionale"
can run upwards of $100 for a 4-ounce bottle, although a little bit goes
a long way.
Memories of an Italian-ised St. Patrick's Day. Sally-boy
Balestreri told me his mom would always cook three menu items - corn,
beef, and cabbage. That's kind of like the old timers cooking the turkey
in the pasta sauce for Thanksgiving - now that's Italian! |
|
|
~~~~~ |
Want a great cookbook? Try
" French Chefs Cooking" by Michael Buller. It has a great selection of
stories and recipes from many of France's most famous chefs. I remember
the time I visited for two days with Chef Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France.
We met at 7:00 am for coffee and then proceeded to the market. He did
his ordering and introduced me to all of his friends - what a morning!
Then we proceeded to the shell fish stall and started to eat the
freshest oysters and clams with some |
|
|
|
cold Muscadet, rye bread and sweet butter.
Holy mackerel! What memories. He then showed us his large banquet room.
It had a giant calliope that filled the whole room, it
|
|
|
was truly amazing. It also featured a huge
fireplace with a cooking spit that dated back to the 1700's and is still
used there. Here's a recipe for spit-roasted chicken from his cookbook:
|
|
|
~~~~~ |
Spit Roasted Chicken Recipe
Serves 4
1 roasting chicken, about 3 1/2 pounds
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 1/2 tsp unsalted butter melted
Carefully clean and rinse the chicken in cool running water and pat dry
with paper towels. Season it inside and out with salt and freshly ground
pepper, and truss with kitchen string so the wings are against the
breast. Put the chicken on the spit (or rotisserie) over a drip pan, and
brush with melted butter. From time to time during the 45 |
|
|
|
|
minutes of cooking for a bird this size,
baste the chicken with the juice that falls into the drip pan. To
appreciate the qualities of cooking on a spit over wood fire or on a
rotisserie, the chicken should be served and eaten as soon as it has
finished cooking - that is, when the juices run clear. Serve the
concentrated juice from the drip pan in a sauceboat.
Q). Are there any wines out there
that have no added sulfites? I'm allergic to them and read somewhere
that they might be sulfite-free alternatives.
Via e-mail
|
|
|
A). This sounds like a question for Dr. Gott. Sulfites are added
to wines, particularly white wines as a preservative and to maintain a
bright color - just like it used to be used liberally on salad bars. My
research turned up a California producer by the name of Frey Vineyards.
I found that they were available at Whole Foods in Monterey so I bought,
I tasted and I'm impressed. This might just be a whole new marketing
angle toward those who may have given up wine due to the sulfite
intolerance.
|
|