Category: Food & Wine

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now thats a bottle opener

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There are bottle openers and there are bottle openers. One type of opener I have admired is a simple 50 caliber shell turned into one. Simple, convenient and always raises a smile or opens someones eye. Some folks actually ask me if it is dangerous or will explode? I have to remind myself that I live near a university where ignorance abounds.

Here are a couple of places to buy such a great opener:

AMAZON.COM

NRA

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Last night, I attended a  Friends of the NRA  fundraising event in Paso Robles. There were a fair few folks who happened to drop by for a tri-tip, bbq’d chicken or ribs dinner. I didn’t win or successfully bid on anything this year, but I did walk away with a couple of bottle openers… which pleased me. Fun times!

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Bake some love for your Saint Valentine

An assortment of yummy things is always in order... on the left is some wonderful Amarula Carrot cupcakes, traditional Baklava and then Pecan studded Brownies!
An assortment of yummy things is always in order… on the left is some wonderful Amarula Carrot cupcakes, traditional Baklava and then Pecan studded Brownies!

“Nothing shows loven like something from the oven!” went the old Pillsbury jingle… and so true it is! If turkey is for Thanksgiving , then chocolate, flowers and desserts are made for Valentine’s Day!

Carrot cupcakes are great for all your little Valentine’s out there.

For that special Valentine of mine, I am using a (gasp!) mix from Louisiana of which I am fond for a Red Velvet Cake!

AaAaah... Red Velvet Cake!
AaAaah… Red Velvet Cake!

There are many claims as to where Red Velvet Cake originated… but there is no doubt that wherever it came it has been adopted as a favorite of the American South!  This mix comes from Louisiana… the home of all great food. It’s tough to lay your hands on, but so worth it!

Traditionally, folks bake it up into a multilayer cake, but I plan to use a bundt cake pan as “nature and God intended.”

Can you taste the cream cheese frosting??
Can you taste the cream cheese frosting??

Make something sweet for those you love this Saint Valentine’s day!

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Cioppino (Cha-Pee-No) for the holidays!

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Cioppino comes from the kitchens near the wharfs of San Francisco. Many fix it during the holiday season and it still has a great amount of appeal in California. It is said to have descended from the time when fishermen returning from their time at sea would be asked to ‘chip in’ something to the communal pot. Others claim that it is a version of an Italian meal from Genoa… either way, it is unique in its own way.

I love these one pot meals , especially since there really isn’t a right or wrong way to prepare it. Every cook or chef will add their touch to make it there own. For me, the real secret is making a delicious sauce to properly accent your fish and seafood collection.

MEATS

2 large talapia2 or more pounds of shrimp
9 large scallops quartered
1 pound or more of crab meat

( I prefer that the meat be slightly cooked and added at the last moment… and no shells)

WINES/LIQUIDS

375 ml ( 1/2 bottle) of a white slightly sweet wine
1.25 cups Pernod
1 tablespoon Tabasco
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Shrimp/shellfish stock (enough to make it a soup or less to make it a stew… this starts with the water you use to cook your shellfish… from there its up to you)

(Everyone… well almost everyone, adds some wine to the pot. I like the old World elegance of Pernod adding a tang of licorice )

VEGGIES & SUCH

4 tablespoons crushed Garlic
2 large shallots
1 bunch chopped Italian Parsley
1 sliced fennel bulb
1 large diced white Mayan Onion
1 – 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup chopped basil

(all veggies are sauteed prior to entering the pot! It’s nice to use a quarter of a cup of olive oil or more as you cook and throw whatever remains in the pot)

SEASONINGS

salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste ( probably 3 tablespoons total… but check as you go)
Taragon, Rosemary and Fennel seeds ( 1 teaspoon each)
Pimenton (smoked  Spanish Paprika) 1 teaspoon
Thyme 2.5 teaspoons
Fennel seeds 1 tsp crushed
Oregano dried 2 teaspoons

PROCESS

I love to cook the sauce (seasonings, liquids and precooked Veggies) overnight in a crockpot with enough shrimp stock that it renders down nicely. Add some tomato paste if you need and want a thicker sauce, follow with your choice of fish and scallops. When the scallops and fish appear cooked ad your precooked shrimp and crab for the last few minutes)

Lastly, whatever remains can be frozen and enjoyed again at a later time! I hope you make some for yourself and those you love!

CLICK  HERE for a 1 minute PTCH on my Cioppino

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chip in with cioppino on christmas eve!

shrimp and langostino!
shrimp and langostino!

As many Californians know, “Cioppino” (pronounced “CHIP-PINO!) is a favorite Christmas Eve meal. Some cooks make it as a hearty soup while others prefer the thick taste of a stew.

There are many stories on the origin of the name and the recipe for Cioppino. My favorite tale centers around fisherman returning with their catch being asked to ‘chip in’ some of their catch to the communal pot; others say this great dish had its roots in Genoa, Italy. Either way, the roots of this dish are definitely from San Francisco where it still is a popular everyday meal!

This was one of my late father-in-laws favorite meals and he loved fishing through the shells for the little treasures of meat. However, although the obstacles of shells make the dining experience more interesting; I remove all of the shells prior to the final assembly.Yes, I still cook the mussels in their shells and retain the water and flavor to start a nice fish stock. Our Cioppino contains whatever we have on hand along with some special shopping when necessary. Shrimp, langostino, clams, penn cove mussels, scallops, crab, wild cockles headline the dish… but my fish of preference is Talapia.

Cioppino is like a seafood gumbo without the ‘rouge.’ However, if you miss the thicker sauce, you can compensate with more tomato and it transforms into a stew. Everyone loves a little wine into the recipe and the choices very. Many like a bit of bite to the sauce and will add a range of things to meet that requirement… from Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco Sauce to orange juice and capers. I like to add a bit of Pimenton (smoked Spanish paprika).

Now that I have what I need, I can rest until the 24th. It’s worth the preparation.

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unintended consequences

a fond farewell to the wonderful world of Twinkies, cream filled chocolate cupcakes and Wonder Bread! CLICK on the picture for Hostess closing notice.

I remember my first childhood experience with a Hostess cupcake at the home of a friend having a birthday. I thought his mother was very cool… we had cake, punch and various Hostess products! I went for the Cream filled chocolate cupcake! YUM! I was in heaven.

Of course, heaven doesn’t last very long as a child. When I returned home I found all the usually waiting for me, including a great big bowl of carrots. The ‘line’ I received at home was always,”Hungry? then eat a carrot!” We’ve all met these women in our lives… flogging is too good for them!

Twinkies is certainly one of the greatest inventions on this earth. I stuck with the chocolate cakes though as I found Twinkies too compelling. It was like one was too many… and a million was not enough! Hostess Cupcakes are my sweet addiction… and like all wonderful things, I would ration them out over time. I am hoarding them now and they should keep me through the next zombie apocalypse… but they will be missed.

The great union organizer Samuel Gompers once said that unions should not have to support an inefficient marketplace; however, he faced companies with huge resources and not those teetering on the verge of bankruptcy, the growing burden of taxation and the widening  economic depression  ( DEFINITION: two or more quarters of recession) that we face today.

Cooperation and compromise have disappeared and the unintended consequences of arrogance and pride have lead us here today. On a personal note: proud of the Teamsters and having been one as they tried to keep the company alive!