this is supposed to be the very original cioppino recipe (these people really love this stuff): San Francisco-style Cioppino Sunset Magazine says: It's traditional to up the thick tomato and garlic sauce with lots of extra-sour sourdough bread. This is supposed to be the original recipe, dating back to 1941 in San Francisco. Ingredients 1/4 cup olive oil or salad oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed 1 large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped 2/3 cup chopped parsley 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce 1 can (28 oz) tomatoes 1 cup dry red or white wine 1 bay leaf 1 tsp dry basil 1/2 tsp dry oregano leaves 12 clams in shell, suitable for steaming, scrubbed 1 lb large shrimp, (30 per lb), shelled & deveined 2 live or cooked large Dungeness crab (about 2 lbs each), cleaned and cracked Instructions In 6-8 quart pan over medium heat, combine oil, onion, garlic, bell pepper and parsley; cook, stirring often, until onion is soft. Stir in tomato sauce, tomatoes (break up with spoon) and their liquid, wine, bay leaf, basil, and oregano. Cover and simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. To broth, add clams, shrimp and crab. Cover and simmer gently until clams pop open and shrimp turn pink, about 20 minutes. Ladle hot broth and some of each shellfish into large bowls. Serve with warm sourdough bread. Peggy's Notes: You can really add whatever shellfish you like, and even fish. Scallops and monkfish are good in cioppino. Another suggestion is to serve it over linguini. Yum!
here's a good flank steak marinated in a dry rub from blue heron catering in san fran: Flank Steak Dry-marinated with Spices 1 (1 ¼ to 1 ½ pound) flank steak 1 tsp. dry mustard ½ tsp. cayenne or red pepper ½ tsp. cloves 1 tsp. cinnamon 2 tsp. ground cumin ½ tsp. salt 3 large grapefruits (pink if available) The far-traveled Romans were well acquainted with sweet spices and pepper. When the empire fell these spices no longer reached Western Europe. It wasn’t until after the year 100 that Venice acquired exclusive rights in the Near East and became the dominant spice marketplace in Europe for the next 400 years. Spices were held in such esteem that they served as stable exchange when the value of coins was in doubt. Also, a gift of spices was a valuable bribe to give to an Italian official. Here we use spices to dry-marinate flank steak and contrast flavors with the bright sweet-sour taste of grapefruit. Trim steak of excess fat or silvery “skin”. In a small bowl combine all of the seasonings. Pat them into the steak, wrap the steak in plastic wrap and marinade in refrigerator for at lest 2 hours or up to two days. One hour before serving, peel the grapefruits of the skin and separate into segments. Remove any white membrane or pith. Dry the segments on a paper towel. Preheat broiler or grill. Broil or grill the steak to medium rare. Let the steak cool for 15 minutes. Slice very thinly against the grain. Wrap the grapefruit sections with the steak slices and arrange on a serving plate. Serve at room temperature. Makes 10 servings
here's a pretty cool sambuca drink from san fran: Sambuca Julep 5 mint leaves Crushed ice 1 ounce Sambuca 2 ounces pineapple juice 4 drop mint extract 1 large sprig of mint, for garnish Sambuca is an anise (licorice) flavored liqueur from Rome. It is delightful in combination with pineapple and mint. Here’s an Italian version of a Southern favorite. Put mint leaves and crushed ice in a tall glass. Add liquids and mix well. garnish with mint sprig.
pretty good san fran breakfast (eggs and crab): Fried Egg With Crab & Shiitake Mushrooms (Kani-tama) This dish is a decadent treat: Every bite has a morsel of tender crab, smoky shiitake and piquant green onion. This is great for brunch or as a dinner for two with a green salad. INGREDIENTS: Sauce 1/2 cup chicken stock 1 teaspoon soy sauce 2 teaspoons cornstarch Salt and pepper to taste The Eggs 4 eggs, beaten 4 shiitake mushrooms chopped 2 green onions, chopped 1 cup fresh crabmeat 1 teaspoon sugar 2 teaspoons sake 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil + oil for pan Salt and pepper to taste INSTRUCTIONS: To make the sauce: Combine the chicken stock, soy sauce and cornstarch in a saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a small whisk, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. To prepare the eggs: Mix together the eggs, mushrooms, green onions, crabmeat, sugar, sake and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Oil a wok or skillet (preferably nonstick) and place over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the eggs by the half-cup measure. Cook for about 8 to 10 seconds, flip them over, and cook for an additional 5 to 8 seconds. Arrange the "omelets" overlapping on a warm serving dish. Drizzle sauce generously over the eggs and serve immediately. Serves 4
ok this is the last san fran recipe. i think we all get the idea that they like to cook with fish in stews and add alot of fruit to their meat dishes. san fran also is the training ground for some of the country's top chefs and they have the ingredient count in their recipes to prove it. i tried to pick some of the most "do-able" recipes. whew. here is a pretty good lamb recipe. Braised Lamb Shanks With Dried Fruit Dried fruit lends an exotic note to lamb. The sweet fruit is balanced by the red wine and vinegar in the braising liquid. Serve with rice pilaf and a seasonal vegetable that is simply prepared. INGREDIENTS: 4 lamb shanks (see Note) 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 teaspoon oil + oil as needed 1 large onion, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 1 cup medium-chopped celery 4 bay leaves 4 teaspoons minced garlic 1 cup red wine 1/2 cup cider vinegar 4 cups beef broth 1 cup water 4 thyme sprigs 1/2 cup chopped dried plums 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup chopped apricots 2 cinnamon sticks 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns 1 teaspoon allspice berries 4 Thai bird chiles, lightly crushed 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 325º. Trim excess fat from the shanks. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a little oil in a Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. Add the shanks and sear until nicely browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. Pour off fat in pan, but leave the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Return the pan to the heat and add 1 teaspoon oil. Add the onion, carrots, celery and bay leaves and sweat until the vegetables are limp, adding the garlic toward the end. Add the wine and vinegar and simmer until reduced by about half. Add the broth and water and return to a simmer. Return the shanks to the pan. Add the thyme, dried plums, raisins, apricots, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, allspice, chiles and cumin. (If you want to easily remove the loose spices at the end of cooking, place the peppercorns, allspice and chiles in a cheesecloth bag or tea infuser before adding them to the pot.) The liquid in the pot should come at least halfway up on the shanks. If not, add more water or stock. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven. Braise for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is fork tender, turning the shanks every hour or so and checking the liquid level. Add more liquid as needed. Remove from the oven. Discard the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and spices if desired. Simmer uncovered on the stove top until the sauce reaches the consistency you like. Season to taste. It will take more salt to get the flavors balanced. Don't be surprised if you use another 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon. Serves 4
