December 24, 2009

Swai Not?

It's pretty rare for me to walk into my grocery store and see something I've never heard of before. So yesterday, when I was purchasing Salmon for Xmas Eve dinner and I saw a fish called Swai (pronunciation rhymes with "why"), I said to myself: "Swai not??" The fish boy said that it was similar to a Dover Sole (which is not actually my favorite),but I told him to wrap me up a couple of filets and went home to play!

First, my two large filets came to the stunning total of $1.91. No that's not a typo, under $2. And the two filets were the perfect size for Mr. Vino and myself. After a little research (Thank you Google!), I discovered that Swai is also called Iridescent Shark. But Swai is really a type of catfish native to Southeast Asia.

I've been trying very hard to eat sustainably. My guide to seafood is the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx). Normally fish from Southeast Asian are not considered sustainable, but they list the Swai as a good substitute and sustainably harvested.

Evidently Swai is starting to become quite popular with consumers wanting to add fish to their diet, but not able to afford the astonishing $19.99/lb that Halibut or Swordfish are currently getting. There were a number of interesting recipes available online, but I decided on an old favorite: Meuniere.

I spritzed my non-stick skillet with my olive oil mister, dredged the Swai in flour (then shook it off really well), sprinkled it with salt and pepper and sauteed it for 3 minutes on each side, then removed it to the oven to keep warm. I browned 1T of butter in the sautee pan, then added a bit of shallot and the juice of a lemon. Plated the fish and drizzled the sauce over the top (a little meunier sauce goes a looonnng way). Time elapsed to prepare dinner: 10 minutes.

Let me just say that I am now a Swai convert. Catfish can frequently have a "muddy" taste to them. The Swai was the least "fishy" fish I have EVER tasted. But it was the consistency I fell in love with. The Swai was the consistency of a perfectly prepared omelete.

At $1.99/lb, Swai is my new "go-to" fish. Go to your fish market and tell your fish guy "Swai not??" You will be so glad you did. Next up, Swai poached in miso broth over udon and/or Swai dredged in seasoned cornmeal and baked with Mrs. Vino's lowfat Cole Slaw.

And, if you go to your supermarket and see something you've never seen before, BUY IT! If you can't figure out what to do with it, call Mrs. Vino at the tasting room and we'll figure it out together!

December 1, 2009

Rich's Caponata

Many of you know that cooking wasn't my mother's passion. But my father came from a long line of wonderful cooks. In fact, it's impossible for me to remember my father without thinking of food.

Because he was a typical 50's dad, he didn't end up in the kitchen much when we were kids, but he was the ultimate hunter/gatherer. He loved his vegetable garden - he grew the largest zucchini in town (I was 21 before I realized zucchini were only supposed to be 4-5" long, not the 24-36" size he loved). He was an avid fisherman. I was introduced to clamming in Pismo Beach at a very early age!

Dad always told my mother that he was going to take over all cooking duties when he retired - something my mother completely supported. And he started collecting recipes from many different sources. He always told me he was going to write a cookbook for my brother, my sisters and me. Dad was absolutely in love with bizarre ingredients. Today, he'd rival Andrew Zimmern and have his own show on the cooking or travel channels.

Unfortunately, Dad never made it to retirement. A few months after his passing, when we were putting away some of his belongings, I found his file of recipes. I laughed and cried my way through his folder of "Hot recipes from Sumatra" and his folder on "Tripe and other organ meats." That year, I compiled the cookbook he was never able to complete and gave it to my family. "Rich's Recipes" was a huge hit, although I don't think my siblings actually prepared many of the recipes in there. Me? I take after my dad. I worked my way through most of "Tripe and other organ meats," but I did put my foot down on the Sumatran recipes.

Here is one of my favorites from his cookbook: Eggplant Caponata. Miss you, Dad.

RICH'S CAPONATA Pair with Morovino Syrah (or '99 Zinfandel)

2 medium eggplant, stems trimmed
2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
2 large red, yellow or green bell peppers
1 large onion
2 large ripe plum tomatoes, seeded
½ c. red wine vinegar
2 t. sugar
1 bay leaf
½ c. green olives stuffed with sundried tomatoes (or other green or black olive-stuffed is better)
¼ c. olive oil
1 ½ t. salt
1 bulb garlic, cloves peeled, but whole
1 large bulb fennel (optional, but it really adds to the dish)


Fire up the oven to 400 degrees and let it preheat. Cut eggplant into 1” cubes. Place in a colander with 1 ½ t. salt. Let stand for 20 minutes to draw off the liquid, rinse lightly, drain and pat dry with paper towels. Cut zucchini into 1” cubes. Cut red pepper into 1” cubes (notice a trend here?). Cut the fennel into (say it with me) 1” dice. Cut the onion into large dice. Place all cut veggies into an 11 x 17” roasting pan

In a blender, food processor or big measuring cup with your stick blender, whirl the tomatoes, vinegar and sugar until smooth. Add the tomato mixture, the olives, the garlic and the bay leaf to the veggies. Drizzle on the olive oil and stir well to coat.

Put the roasting pan with the veggies et. al. Into the oven. Pop your favorite movie into the DVD player, cuz these guys are gonna roast for 90 minutes to 2 hours. Stir every half an hour or so – when you get up to get a glass of wine! The caponata is ready when the veggies are very soft and most of the liquid is evaporated. Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste.

You can make this dish ahead – cover and chill it for up to a week. How to use it?? As an appetizer with garlic toast (ummmmm). As a vegetable, either warm, chilled or room temperature. Or, in my classic family tradition, spread a big dollop between two pieces of rye bread, top with Asiago cheese and eat it as a sandwich!