NEW YORK, May 24, 2008
World-Class Griller's Feast For 6, On $60
"Chef On A Shoestring" Joey Campanaro Gets A Special, Bigger Holiday Budget!
-
Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of grilling season. This week's "Chef on a Shoestring" Joey Campanaro does the honors with soft-shell crabs. (CBS)
-
News Tools Recipes Galore Searching for a new dish? Get cooking with recipes presented on "The Early Show"!
So The Early Show turned to a top-shelf griller as its "Chef on a Shoestring" Saturday - and gave him a special budget of $60 - up from our usual $40.
He certainly put it to good use!
Joey Campanaro owns and is executive chef of "The Little Owl" in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan.
He grilled up a feast for six. His menu included soft-shell crabs, sausage, ramps, and fava beans. Specifically: Grilled Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Bruschetta; Grilled Soft-Shell Crab, Sausage, and Veggies; and Watermelon and Peach Salad.
TAKE-HOME TIPS
FOOD FACTS
Beefsteak Tomatoes: This meaty tomato is grown in a rainbow of colors, from vibrant red to pale yellow to purple-black. The best-quality beefsteak tomatoes aren't frequently available at major supermarkets. Instead, seek them out at farmers' markets or grow them in the garden or in patio containers. In selecting a beefsteak tomato for purchase, choose one that is firm, unblemished, and has unbroken skin. An under-ripe tomato is perfectly acceptable; simply ripen on the counter at room temperature.
Fresh Mozzarella: Mozzarella is a semi-soft cheese. Due to its high moisture content, it's traditionally served the day it's made, but can be kept in brine for up to a week, or longer when sold in vacuum-sealed packages. Mozzarella was originally made from water-buffalo milk in Italy. Most fresh mozzarella now comes from cow's milk, both in Italy and North America.
Soft-Shell Crab: In their natural environment, blue crabs begin shedding their outgrown shells on the first full moon of May to become the highly-prized and much-anticipated restaurant darling soft-shell crab. Once molting of their shell is complete, most of the crab is edible. But timing is everything. If the crabs are left in the water, they begin growing another hard shell. To prevent this, they are caught just prior to losing their shells and closely monitored in holding tanks until the molting is complete. When buying soft-shell crabs, live ones are best, but they're not always easy to find. To select the tastiest, use your nose. When fresh, they smell clean and astringent, like sea mist.
Ramps: Ramps, also known as wild leeks, are native to the Appalachian mountain region in eastern North America. Ramps are pleasant to eat and taste like spring onions with a strong, garlic-like aroma. Ramps have a very short season, lasting only from April to May.
Fava Beans: Unshelled, fresh favas look like giant, bumpy string beans. They're five-to-seven inches long and lined with padding that looks like cotton batting. The beans have a buttery texture, slight bitterness and lovely, nutty flavor. Fava beans have long been a staple in Asia, the Middle East, South America, North Africa and Europe. Now, more Americans are discovering their buttery texture and lovely, nutty taste.
Go to Page 2 for Joey's recipes
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
More From Chef On A Shoestring
Add a Comment
- I''d like to know where he did his shopping to get those prices.
- Reply to this comment
- Ah, but if one ate his 5 relatives with some fava beans and chianti, he''d be saving $50... and on his way to writing a knock-off of an overrated motion picture... I mean, that story about the lambs had NOTHING to do with mutton; I felt cheated and walked out out the theater...
- Reply to this comment
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
