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It’s time again for the annual chestnut
roast and barbecue at the Gianoli Ranch Castagna Harvest Celebration in
Yorkville, CA. (Saturday, November 4, 2006 - 10 AM to ?). Folks, this is
a lot of fun and a great weekender. Pick your own chestnuts, dance to
the Balich Accordions and eat, all for only $20 (kids free).
707-895-2670. Q). My mother
sent me out to buy some little pickles called corni-chons.
I had some difficulty finding them and several deli people didn’t know
what I was talking about. What is a cornichon? |
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A). Traditionally served with paté,
cornichons are tangy small gherkin pickles, cooked in vinegar and
flavored with tarragon. “Cornichon” meaning “little horn” in French is
their word for gherkin, named after the tiny, dark green gherkin
cucumbers they are made from.
Q). I had a phenomenal dessert at your restaurant called pineapple
carpaccio. I love pineapple but have a hard time telling when one is
ripe. How do you do it?
A). An easy way to ripen a
pineapple is to stand it upside |
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down on your counter. This will allow the
sugars to flow toward the leafy end and distribute evenly. Otherwise it
will tend to ferment in the bottom if left standing upright. Your
pineapple is ready when its skin is all golden and it emits a strong
sweet aroma. Most people think of pineapples as Hawaiian, although they
really originated in South America and were reportedly brought back to
Europe by Columbus in 1493. Fat-free, saturated fat-free, very low
sodium, cholesterol-free and high in vitamin C and manganese. |
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Q). Is there a difference between
curly leaf and flat leaf parsley?
Kay Smith
Via e-mail
A). You bet there is! The flat
leaf that grows at my Mom’s house is real powerful. When she made meat
balls, cutlets or cioppino, you really tasted it. The commercial flat
leaf is the closest thing to the real stuff while the curly is strictly
ornamental.
Q). Do you have a quick recipe for
Coq au vin? |
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A). You mean chicken stewed in wine
right? In the old days “coq” refers to an old tough rooster or stewing
hens, you know those big, old birds. Nowadays even the big birds are
pretty tender so they don’t need that long, slow cooking. This is
perfect autumn food. Try using only thighs and legs. Marinade the
chicken in red wine over night (you can omit this) I figure 3 pieces of
chicken per person.
Coq au Vin Recipe
Four (4) people
4 cups chopped leeks
2 cups julienned carrots |
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1 lb. small mushrooms
6 garlic cloves chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 bottle dry red or white wine
3 tbsp. chopped fresh thymeSeason
the chicken. Flour and fry in butter until brown, remove. After browning
the chicken, sauté all vegetables together for 10 minutes. Add wine,
scrape the bottom real well. Add the chicken, cover and cook for 30 to
40 minutes or until chicken is tender. That’s it – serve with mashed
potatoes that have some fresh chopped parsley and green onions mixed in. |
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Q). John, love the column and was
particularly interested on the subject of lard. I’m a southern
traditionalist who swears by a good cast iron skillet and lard for
frying chicken. I’ve just moved to Marina and cannot find a source for
fresh lard so wanted to make my own by rendering fatback per your
column. However, I can’t find a source for fatback either – help!
Thanks,
Pam
Via e-mail
A). Right on Pam! I called Sergio
at Monte Vista Market and he can order it for you (373-3737). Your right
about frying chicken in lard (self-rendered), nothing is more delicious.
Old friend Angelo DeMaria (stonemason)
has a neat hobby – he makes knives. Finely made handmade cooking knives
– that’s what I’m talking about. To find out more e-mail
angelodemaria1@mac.com |
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Dear Chef Pisto. Here’s a little more
information on those beautiful "octopus traps" and spot prawn fishing in
Monterey. In the early 1920s’, an elder Sicilian fishermen known locally
as "Two Pipes" or "Old Man Giannini" began using these baskets to fish
for large "spot" prawns in the Monterey Bay. He brought this technology
with him from Sicily. "Two Pipes" would ply the waters between Monterey
and Carmel. Salting the bay with his baskets, he would weigh them down
with rocks and lay them on their side, coming back later in the day, or
early the next day, to retrieve them. He was so secretive about where he
was fishing, that he would not use floats or markers in fear that other
fishermen would discover his fishing grounds. Soon other Monterey
fishermen began using these baskets, primarily for large octopus. The
fishermen would bait the basket with a live crab tied at the narrow end
of the funnel, the idea was that the octopus would swim up the funnel to
get to the crab but once there it could not go back down. This type of
fishing |
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became so popular that by the mid-1930s’;
Monterey was largest port on the West Coast for the Giant Octopus. They
would also catch the large "spot" prawns as a bonus. I have photos of
Monterey fishermen with spot prawns taken in 1930. I also have two of
the basket traps on exhibit at the Maritime & History Museum.
Sincerely,
Tim Thomas
Museum Historian
Monterey Maritime & History Museum
#5 Custom House Plaza
Monterey, CA 93940
831-372-2608 x17
Chef response: Thanks Tim, I’m sure
everyone loves to hear about this kind of stuff. I had a question about
the octopus. Who bought them? According to Tim it was the Japanese
community. The prawns were just a by-catch. Check out the handmade traps
at the Maritime Museum –they are truly works of art. |
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