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

Evvia in Palo Alto

the Evvia is Greek but very Palo Alto.

I spent a few years in my youth living in Palo Alto. Those were good times and Palo Alto was a simple and affordable university community. Oh how times have changed. I am sure it wasn’t their intention — but maybe it was — to design their streets for ‘locals only’, but that is how it has turned out. I had two tasks: 1) to buy my favorite Spartan Olive Oil and 2) find the sister restaurant to my favorite San Francisco restaurant Kokkari named in Palo Alto  Evvia. This wasn’t an easy task.

One of the neighborhood defensive measures in Palo Alto is to close off streets and to turn two way streets into one way. If this isn’t enough, there is very little lighting at night to find your way around. Well, my bride commented to me,” I thought you grew up here?” Yes, but that is before silicone valley money poured in. With a little luck, we found our way.

Evvia is a nice very popular Greek Restaurant in a nice setting with a selection of traditional and modern Greek food. I even own a cookbook of theirs and made most of what is in it! We were able to get reservations on a Saturday night… but not until 9:15 pm. I enjoyed the reddened lamb shank, various Greek Wines and Baklava Ice cream. Laura enjoyed an assortment of traditional Greek foods in a sampler, Greek wine and cookies for dessert. Oh yes, the service was superb.

Definitely a fun place to stop.