Monthly Archives: September 2009

Whole Acme smoked whitefish at Costco for the holiday

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Just a quick note about my having seen and purchased whole smoked whitefish at the Richmond, California, Costco the other day.  My guess is that they are carrying this for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.   Recall that this Costco carried Acme Smoked Fish Corporation’s whole smoked whitefish and smoked whitefish salad for a couple of years, and then both products disappeared all of a sudden a few months ago, to my disappointment.  I wrote them a couple of cards about this, begging them to bring back the whitefish salad, at least, and to provide samples to shoppers because most people around here have no idea what this is and how good it tastes.

I was happy to see the whole whitefish, since I can make whitefish salad from it, but I am asking the people who monitor blogs on behalf of Costco (come on – you know you do this – there are numerous indicators) to ask the Richmond branch to bring back both products for the months of December and January.  Please.  I beg you.  Have a heart for this ex-New Yorker.

Now we can ring in 5770 in style!

The escargot are out playing in the yard

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helix aspersa or common garden snail

It’s drizzling in the Bay Area as I write this – which is news in and of itself given the time of year – and the snails are out in full force.

I think they’re cute, so I don’t eat them, but many people do – though I would find out if my neighbors used snail poison first.

The garden snails around here, as I understand it, are nonnatives descended from those brought into the US from France as a food item in the mid-19th century.  These European Brown Snails (helix aspersa) escaped and took over, being stronger than the natives, and really are escargot.

San Pablo Lytton casino grub

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My Mother-in-law, Elaine, is here visiting from Delray Beach, Florida, which means a trip to Reno – and any other casinos that are handy – with my mother, Renate, Sr. 

They came back with a story the other day about some sort of buffet lunch at the San Pablo Lytton Casino (13255 San Pablo Avenue, San Pablo) based on a sign they supposedly saw on the way back from somewhere else.  I was a little skeptical because I know the restaurant set-up there, but, what the heck, Matt and I decided to drive over and meet them for lunch.

After a parking nightmare we made our way in and to the restaurant – which has no buffet.  We located the two of them at slot machines and decided to eat there anywhere – in the casual dining/coffee shop part, as I recalled having had dinner at the fine dining restarant there a few years ago and it being just fine and figuring the rest of the food is probably OK, too. 

I questioned their information about the buffet, and got back something sketchy from them about a sign saying, “Lunch for $7.99,” and their assuming that, since it was a casino, it “has to mean buffet.” 

I’m actually glad they kept the casual dining part as-is, because it’s pretty good.  They have many, many choices, including a couple of oddballs (for a casino coffee shop, anyway), like “oxtail over rice,” and there is a Chinese theme here – in keeping with a large portion of the casino’s clientele.  There are all kinds of sandwiches, fried chicken, burgers, fried catfish and chips, steak, calamari, and almost anything else you’d want.  The prices for most things are quite decent, which makes sense, though be aware that the fine dining option, The Broiler, is pricey.  In my opinion they should be running their entire food service operation as a loss-leader; there are not many regular diners near the casino, and I think they could rope more people into the place by making all of the food a bargain.

Our table of four ordered two BLT’s with avocado ($6.75), one catfish with chips ($7.25), a “Big Bucks Deluxe” burger ($6.95), an iced tea ($1.75) and two coffees ($1.25). 

Everything was fresh and appetizing looking and the service was great.  The BLT’s had plenty of ripe avo and enough bacon to satisfy her nibs (Renate, Sr.), though both mothers said they like their bacon less crispy.  Well, the time to say something about that is when the order is placed.  Matt’s catfish was a side fillet that looked like it had a cornmeal crust, and I guess it was pretty good because he chomped it down.  My burger was nice and hot (everything that was supposed to be hot was hot) and cooked rare, as requested.  It tasted like decent ground meat, and had some fried onions along with the usual toppings.  All the sides of fries were fine, and the coleslaw that came with the fish was very good, tasting as though the dressing was something on the order of a Chinese chicken salad dressing.

My mother was very pleased about the coffee being $1.25; she keeps complaining about the price of a regular cup of coffee in the Bay Area.  They make a good cup of coffee, by the way, and the ice tea is fresh-brewed.

The people in the place are very nice and were happy to accommodate my requests for special things, like a side of ranch dressing for my fries. 

It’s seems odd in that you are eating in an open area near the slots, but the air is well-filtered of cigarette smoke and it’s kind of a hoot, really, to have a bite in there.

Why you need a hand blender

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Hand blender

Word up:  part with the $20 it will take to get a hand blender, aka immersion blender, into the house.

There are things I can do easily with this guy that make it one of the most-used kitchen gadgets I own.  To be honest with you, I have two.  I got my father one some years ago and it came back to me when he passed away.  Thus, my own, which was stained red from a tomato product years ago, is used for things with natural dyes, and the other one is kept looking pretty.

Unless you plan on catering or otherwise making large quantities and/or feel more comfortable having something made by KitchenAid, I would not bother with the ~$50 KitchenAid model, though it is nice that its blending shaft is stainless steel and won’t turn purple or red, which the white ones will do, believe me, if you work with beets or pasta sauce.  I suggest you get the 200 watt Braun, which I have not been able to kill after years of hard use and dishwasher cleaning.  Given that the power (wattage) of the Braun and the KitchenAid (KHB100) is identical, the only thing you’ll give up is the stainless steel and about an inch of blending shaft length.  Note that the KitchenAid KBH300 costs about $100 but is the same blender with a boatload of attachments.  Since I have no intention of attempting to use my immersion blender for anything other than immersion blending, I don’t need all that stuff.

Here are a few things you can use this for:
1)  Thickening bean or veggie soups by blending all or part of the contents right in the pot
2)  Giving body to homemade tomato sauce so it’s not half tomato chunks and half liquid
3)  Blending thickening agents (and veggies cooked with meats) into cooking juices, which will result in smooth gravies
4)  Making cold sauces and spreads with things like roasted peppers, eggplants and nuts
5)  Making fresh mayonnaise
6)  Repairing broken sauces, like an anglaise
7)  Making baby food

The first item on the list is alone worth the cost of admission because it prevents the need to transfer hot liquid to and from a blender.

When you use a hand blender with hot liquids, just be sure to get enough immersion so you don’t splatter things all over yourself and get burned.  Practice with cold water, and try to use containers that give you height.  The little cup these units come with are great for blending small amounts of dressing, and you can stand the blender in the cup on your countertop when not in use.  The blade is on the end of a cylindrical piece that disattaches from the power unit, and can be cleaned in the top rack of a dishwasher.

I first used this tool in culinary school, though pro units are over three feet long and can puree gallons of soup quickly.  Professional cooks call these monsters “burr mixers, ” which may be an anglicized version of the brand name “Bermixer,” used by European manufacturer Dito Electrolux.  This is only a guess, and I’m trying to prove it.

For an interesting look at the invention and history of this appliance, check out the Bamix website.

Chalk up yet another great idea to the Swiss.

UPDATE on 28 September 2009:  I saw Cuisinart SmartStick handblenders for $30 at Costco today.  They have a stainless steel blending shaft and come with a bunch of attachments, though note that they are no more powerful (at 200 watts) and only a scant half an inch longer than the little Braun I discussed.

Tonina’s pignoli cookies

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Italian pine nut cookie

If I were being walked to my execution tomorrow morning and had to choose one type of cookie to eat tonight, it would be Italian pignoli (pine nut).  Soft in the middle and chewy outside with the strong flavor of almond paste that is its main ingredient, this cookie is special – and very much like a good macaroon.  As a German-American, I grew up eating marzipan in various animal and fruit shapes, and this is also close enough to that confection to hit home with me.

I used to buy these in Italian bakeries in Queens, and recently asked my friend, Tonina, who still lives in Astoria, if she had the recipe.  Lo and behold I am now able to enjoy pignoli cookies again – and without spending $18 a pound!

The downside is the cost of ingredients.  If you cannot make your own almond paste, you must find a reasonable source, because you’ll go broke buying those dear little packages in the supermarket.  If you live in my neck of the woods, know that Berkeley Bowl sells it in bulk for $6.95 a pound, which is an incredible price.  I buy the pine nuts at Costco and store them in the fridge.  You should do the same, else they will be pricey and go stale, respectively.  If you buy those tiny packs of pine nuts you’ll be spending a fortune, so do find a source of bulk nuts.  Also, this recipe has only a few ingredients, so make sure they are of a high quality!

Pignoli Cookies (courtesy of Tonina Derosa)

8 oz almond paste
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 medium egg whites, lightly beaten
8 ounces pine nuts
Extra confectioners sugar to finish (note that I don’t do this)

1)  Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2)  Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper, or use silicone linings
3)  Place the pine nuts in a bowl
4)  In a food processor, break the almond paste up into small pieces and then pulse with the sugars and flour until mixture is finely ground
5)  Add the egg whites a little at a time, until dough comes together.  Depending on the humidity, or the size of your egg whites, you may not always need the entire quantity of egg whites
6)  Using a teaspoon and slightly wet hands, scoop up a spoonful of the dough and form into a round with your palms
7)  Drop round into pine nuts and roll until lightly coated
8)  Arrange on baking surface 2 inches apart
9)  Bake 20 to 25 minutes and then cool (note that the baking time may vary depending upon the size of your cookies and how you like them)
10)  Dust with confectioners sugar, if desired