Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 2, 2012

GOOD FOOD & DRINK

9

 Mountain Views News Saturday June 2, 2012 

JUNE IS FULL OF SEAFOOD !!!

 As much as I love a good burger, my waist band was 
expanding after having consumed as many burgers 
in the month of May -- you knew it was National 
Burger Month, right? Now, June is National Seafood 
Month and I hope to get some relief (at least my pants 
certainly do!!!) The Discovery Channel is full of great 
shows, and I turn to it when I have exhausted my 
usual programming, such as that critically acclaimed 
“Dining with Dills”. 

 One show that has increasingly captured my 
attention is “The Deadliest Catch”. I’m not moving 
from restaurant reviewer to TV Critic, mind you, but there is something about the show that 
just keeps my interest. I have no idea who the stars are, but it appears to me the treacherous 
weather is one of them. The entire show is dedicated to the life-threatening pursuit of 
catching crabs off Alaska and the Russian Border - the Baltic Sea to be exact. The ships are 
equipped with every technical gadget in the business, but like so many things in life, it comes 
down to instinct and, in this case, it is the captain’s instinct that directs the ship to fortune, 
failure or even death. Unlike the “Bachelor,” here I don’t have to wade through 10 episodes 
for the count or the discard, as nearly every episode they are pulling up crabs in five minute 
intervals. 

 Crew members battle the crippling Eskimo-
like conditions and sheer walls of mountainous 
sea to bring up a treasure chest of crabs that is 
as welcome as gold to the pirates of a distant 
age. The harvesting season is brief so each mistake, each lost moment of time is magnified as 
the crew must force themselves through fatigue and lack of sleep to race against the ticking 
clock. Maybe I find a special delight in the show, since I love king crab, but it is more that the 
show turns my stomach in knots as I watch with childlike fear and anticipation as the crew 
of the boats challenge the harshest elements of nature. 

 Here is a sample of the show’s description: “Relive the dangers, adventures and disasters 
of the original mini-series. Meet the salty sea captains and greenhorns who risk their lives 
on the job to earn part of a 90-million dollar King and Opilio Crab payoff. Set sail and learn 
all about crab fishing.” Yea, that’s the whole premise and I can’t get enough of it!!! If they are 
willing to risk their lives for this, I feel obligated to support these courageous soldiers and 
their imprisoned catch. This week is dedicated to those crews and their delicious prisoners, 
so let’s see where we can catch our own crab and not lose a life or wallet in the process.

 King crab legs can be very expensive, so I suggest checking out Albertson’s. Typically, they 
have a great selection at a very reasonable price. If you are a Costco member they have some 
of the freshest crab and some of the lowest prices anywhere. On sale, you can expect to pay 
about ($11.95) per pound. 

 How about crab cakes? If done right they can be very tasty, but many restaurants do 
not use the traditional method or lack the special quality in their crab cake to capture the 
heightened glory that this dish can achieve. 

 The traditional crab cake method is made with lump Dungeness crab meat. Some places 
to find them in our region are: Cameron’s Restaurant, San Marino Seafood, McCormick and 
Schmick’s, and Ruth’s Chris. For this crab lover though, the very best crab cake by far is at 
The Front Runner Restaurant 
located at the Santa Anita Race 
Track in Arcadia. There they 
use real lump crab meat with a 
light breaded cover. With this 
dish, all those thoughts of slow 
horses disappear in a Heaven-
filled plate of crab cake. 

 What’s your favorite place 
for crab cakes? Send me an 
email to the chefknows@yahoo.
com. Please listen to my radio 
show on KABC Radio Sunday 
evenings 790 AM KABC.


CEVICHE*

INGREDIENTS

 2 lbs of firm, fresh red snapper fillets (or other firm-fleshed fish), cut into 1/2 inch pieces, 
completely deboned

 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice

 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice

 1/2 red onion, finely diced

 1 cup of chopped fresh seeded tomatoes

 1 serrano chili, seeded and finely diced

 2 teaspoons of salt

 Dash of ground oregano

 Dash of Tabasco or a light pinch of cayenne pepper

 Cilantro

 Avocado

 Tortillas or tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS

In a non-reactive casserole dish, either Pyrex or ceramic, place the fish, onion, tomatoes, 
chili, salt, Tabasco, and oregano. Cover with lime and lemon juice. Let sit covered in the 
refrigerator for an hour, then stir, making sure more of the fish gets exposed to the acidic 
lime and lemon juices. Let sit for several hours, giving time for the flavors to blend.

 

During the marinating process the fish will change from pinkish grey and translucent, to 
whiter in color and opaque.

Serve with chopped cilantro and slices of avocado with heated tortillas for ceviche tacos or 
with tortilla chips.

Serves 4-8.

* Ceviche (also spelled cebiche or seviche) is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of the 
Americas, especially Central and South America, and the Philippines. The dish is typically 
made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices such as lemon or lime and spiced with chili 
peppers. Additional seasonings such as onion, salt, coriander/cilantro, and pepper may also be 
added. Ceviche is usually accompanied by side dishes that complement its flavors such as sweet 
potato, lettuce, corn, or avocado. As the dish is not cooked with heat, it must be prepared fresh 
to minimize the risk of food poisoning. (Definition From Wikipedia)

TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills

thechefknows@yahoo.com


ADULT COOKING 
CLASSES – 

SUMMER 2012!

Come and learn how to cook 
quick, easy and delicious 
3-course meals with Jan Sayvongsa, 
a Graduate of Le Cordon 
Bleu College of Culinary 
Arts. 

Every week will be an adventure 
for your taste buds. Enhance 
your knife skills and perfect 
all the cooking techniques. 
This class is for all skill levels 
of cooks! The fee is $50 for five 
weeks plus $50 for materials or 
$40 for four weeks plus $40 for 

Session 1.

Classes are held in the Arcadia 
Community Center Kitchen, 
365 Campus Drive, Arcadia 
91007.

You can register now on-line, by 
mail or in person! For specific 
times, location, fees and to

download the registration form 
go on-line to the City of Arcadia’s 
website: ci.arcadia.ca.us or

stop by the office, 375 Campus 
Drive.

For more information please 
call 626.574.5113!