Q). I always read your excellent
articles and your show is perfect. I would like to know about oysters.
I love them but I’m told they are not good for you. I’m still eating
them breaded and don’t know what else to do with them. Are they high in
calories? What is their food value? Please give me your wonderful
insight.
Roz Wampler
Via e-mail |
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A). Can I call you Rozie? Thanks for
your kind words. Oysters not good for you?! Who told you that? Unless
you are allergic, you have been misinformed. Oysters are a fantastic
food and very good for you. They are low in calories and high in
essential minerals such as zinc. As for eating them, the best way is
always raw. Check each one, remembering the old saying – “ the nose,
knows.” Properly handled and freshly shucked oysters should have a
pleasingly briny smell – like the ocean (oh, get me some right now!).
Another classic and easy dish you could try is oyster stew. |
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Oyster Stew Recipe
Serves 1 Sicilian
Pacific oysters - 6 per order
2 cups of half & half
a pinch of cayenne pepper
a shot of worcesteshire
1 T. sweet butter
1 rib of diced celery
2 chopped medium scallions
1/2 small onion diced
salt and pepperStart with the
butter, scallions, celery and cook for 3 minutes. Add the half & half
and cayenne pepper and bring it to a low boil. Add the oysters and cook
just until they start to curl (a few minutes). Serve over toast.
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Q). Do you have any advice for a
young adult that dreams of becoming a chef? How important is acquiring a
culinary degree? What is your take on culinary schools such as the San
Francisco Culinary Academy? My son recently came back from the Job Corp
where he learned the fundamentals of becoming a chef. He is now working
for a local chain restaurant as a part time prep cook. He is thinking
about going to a local community college that has a culinary degree
program. His goal is to someday be an executive chef, or own his own
restaurant. We love your program and thought you may have some advice on
which direction he might take and what other things he can do to live
his dream.
Mom of an aspiring chef
Clearwater, Florida |
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A). I always love giving advice and
I’m a great advice giver, just ask my kids (Yeah right!). Here’s my take
on this. There are many ways to become a chef. Schools are great, but
can be very expensive. On-the-job training is the best way to go. Start
at the bottom and work your way up. You will eventually develop your own
style as you learn from other chefs. The ultimate way would be to go to
school and then travel and work your way around the world cooking and
tasting all types of food. Europe, of course, is the Holy Land for
chefs. Working with one of France’s great chefs for a year would be the
ultimate way to start. Time spent in a 1, 2 or
3-star restaurant is equivalent to working on a doctorate. Also, this is
truly important, you need to be passionate about cooking to be good. You
must approach this not |
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as a job but as a lifestyle that you live it
24 hours a day and everything revolves around it, even the friends that
you have. Chef school gives you a taste of what it’s like. Owning your
own place is very rewarding, but you pay a high price for it such as
long hours, no weekends off and working all of the holidays, plus it’s
really hot in the kitchen. But the biggest thing you sacrifice is family
time. It is really hard on the kids and especially the wife. So you see,
Mom, if your son makes the decision to become a chef he has to go all
out. Work with the best restaurants, learn all that he can and if he’s
lucky he will someday be a great chef.
Good luck! |
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Q). Here in Fort Worth, Texas, there
is a lovely family Italian restaurant on Magnolia Street, called
Palermo’s. They serve an unbelievable Lobster Ravioli dish (and I’m not
talking about the ready to cook stuff that an Italian chain restaurant
might serve). It’s so perfect! It has huge ravioli shells filled with
nice big pieces of lobster and the creamy “Alfredo like” sauce is soooo
rich! It’s killing me that I can’t get this one to work at home. Do you
know of a secret recipe to making this dish as rich and beautiful?
Tolli Thomas
Via e-mail |
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A). Well Tolli, guess what? I called
and talked to a wonderful lady who is the chef at Palmero’s. Her name is
Sofia Suthas. Her mother is Sicilian, her father is Swiss and she has
been there 8 years and runs this medium-sized family restaurant with her
husband. She was very happy to share this Lobster
Ravioli Recipe and it
sounds pretty easy. She uses a hand cranked pasta maker and a pasta
dough using 1/2 semolina, 1/2 flour and egg recipe.
To make: Steam frozen lobster until cooked (defrost first). Cut into
1/2” pieces and taste for salt and pepper. Add a bit of ricotta cheese,
just enough to bind the mixture |
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together, then add a bit of chopped fresh
basil and that’s it. Roll out the pasta (set on #7) and make a ribbon
about 14 to 16 inches long and 4 inches wide. Place a spoon full of
mixture on one side all the way down every 2”. Moisten the one side with
egg white and fold over and seal with your fingers. Then using a crimper
cut out the ravioli. Now let’s make the sauce: Sauté chopped garlic in
olive oil for 5 minutes. Add heavy cream and cook down to a medium
sauce. Cook raviolis in well-salted water until they float to the top of
the pot. Drain well then add to the sauce. Serve 5 ravioli’s per person,
garnish with chopped fresh basil. Sounds pretty simple to me folks! |
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