Tag Archives: food

Easy and Delicious Walleye Cakes

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Walleye Cakes RECIPE

The Minnesota fishing season is now open and that means that it’s time to get the boats back into the water (as soon as all the ice is gone!) to resume the pursuit of the state’s most sought-after fish, the walleye.

I grew up spending summers at the lake and enjoy fishing when the opportunity arises, which sadly isn’t often enough. Tony, my city-boy husband, grew up in Toronto with Lake Ontario practically in his backyard, but that doesn’t mean he knows anything about fishing, or “the lakes.” He has no interest in these country pursuits; in fact, the very thought of touching a worm is enough to keep him in the concrete jungle of Fargo-Moorhead.

No matter how Gio and I try to sell it, Tony may never understand the lure of life at the lake (pardon the pun), or the thrill of finally catching a fish after hours on the water. But he does enjoy cooking and eating fish, and walleye has become a favorite for both. Before we were married, Tony had never even heard of walleye, even though it is as popular in Canada as in Minnesota. When we first opened Sarello’s, he refused to offer it on the menu, wrongly believing that it couldn’t compete with its cousins from the great big ocean. This was unlike him, as he’d never even tasted it. It took me, and our customers, years to convince him otherwise, but he finally relented and put walleye on the menu.

Tony was surprised and delighted to discover that walleye is indeed a superior fish in every way, delicate and flaky, with a fresh, mild flavor. Walleye made its debut at Sarello’s in 2009, was an instant hit with our guests, and has remained on the menu ever since.

We’ve served walleye in many different styles, but one of my favorite preparations is our current appetizer, Walleye Cakes. Tony’s recipe is a great way to utilize extra fish trimmings, and really showcases this local favorite.

There are a couple key things to know when making fish cakes. First, the fish is the star of the show. Great fish cakes taste good because the main ingredient, fish, is not overpowered by the stuffing. Second, the secret ingredient of a great fish cake is Old Bay Seasoning, a combination of eighteen herbs and spices with a wonderful, zesty flavor. Hornbacher’s in Fargo and Central Market in Detroit Lakes carry it, and your walleye cakes will suffer without it. The cakes be formed three to four days in advance and served either as a main course, or in smaller, bite-size cakes as an appetizer or hors d’oeuvre. Most other fish can be substituted for walleye, including salmon and jumbo lump crabmeat.

We recommend serving the cakes with our Tuscan Bean Salad and Roasted Red Pepper Aioli, and then finish off the meal with our Flourless Chocolate Torte or classic TIramisu. All of these recipes can be prepared in advance, which will leave more time for you to fish.

Happy Fishing!

Watch Tony’s VIDEO DEMONSTRATION

A Perfect Salad: Honey Gorgonzola Hearts

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While cataloguing our featured recipes from the past several weeks, Tony and I discovered that we had nearly all the components for a lovely Italian menu: prosciutto and cantaloupe melon appetizer, pasta primavera main course, and tiramisu, the ultimate Italian dessert. The only item missing from this menu was a great spring salad.

Without missing a beat, Tony turned to me and said, “Honey Gorgonzola Hearts of Romaine.” I was delighted by his response, as this is one of my all-time favorite salads from our repertoire at Sarello’s. This salad has so much going for it: crispy hearts of romaine lettuce and asparagus spears, crunchy toasted walnuts, and a velvety-smooth honey gorgonzola vinaigrette create a wonderful balance of flavor and texture.

Hearts of romaine lettuce, the leaves located in the center of the head, are the featured green in this salad. The hearts are lighter and crispier than the outer leaves, with a delicate, sweet, and refreshing flavor. They’re also smaller, which means we can leave them whole for this recipe, thus creating an attractive bed of lettuce on which to host the other ingredients.

Hearts of romaine are available in the packaged salad section, already separated from the head. Our recipe calls for one package of romaine hearts, which comes pre-washed, but we give it another good wash at home for good measure.

If you prefer to buy a whole head of romaine, look for lettuce that is free of dark spots and cracked ribs, and avoid any heads that are wilted or browning. Be sure to wash the leaves well, as romaine lettuce can be very sandy.

The other main ingredient is an Italian blue cheese called gorgonzola, which is showcased both on its own and in the vinaigrette dressing. Gorgonzola originated in northern Italy over a thousand years ago, reportedly in the town of Gorgonzola, Milan. Today, most Italian gorgonzola is produced in the regions of Piedmont and Lombardy, but our American cheese producers also make excellent gorgonzola.

The cheese is creamy and pungent, and pairs beautifully with honey, nuts, and asparagus, all of which you will find in this salad.  We use walnuts, and toast them beforehand for extra flavor. To toast, lay the walnuts on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake in a 350 degree oven for five to ten minutes, until they just start to brown and smell toasted. Watch them closely, as nuts can go from toasted to burnt in a matter of seconds.

This salad has a beautiful presentation which can be adapted according to your needs.  For more formal occasions, serve it plated individually for each guest. For family-style settings, take a more rustic approach and serve it on a large platter – either way it’s easy to make, and the result is elegant and delicious.

NOTE: Recently we received a question from a reader about the use of raw eggs in our tiramisu recipe. This week’s recipe also calls for raw egg yolks in the dressing. While we have never had an issue, please use caution when preparing and consuming dishes with raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness.

To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell. You may also choose to use pasteurized egg yolks, in whole or liquid form.

Gorgeous & Delicious: Prosciutto con Melone

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For the past two weeks, our local grocery store (Southgate Hornbacher’s), has been featuring large displays of cantaloupe melons from Guatemala. Tony mentioned them to me several times before I pointed out that we still had a package of prosciutto ham at home in our refrigerator, left over from our Easter feast.

Prosciutto and melon is a classic food pairing in Italy, and is commonly featured as an appetizer, or antipasto. Traditionally, the melon is sliced into long, crescent-shaped pieces and served with a slice of prosciutto wrapped around it.

When Tony first made this dish for me many years ago, I balked at the use of cantaloupe, and tried to reason with him that the sweeter, and firmer, honeydew melon would be much better.

“But then it wouldn’t be prosciutto con melone,” he said. His response was so simple, and typically Italian, that it left little room for argument. Tony assured me that, when paired with prosciutto, the balance of savory and sweet flavors would bring out the best in the cantaloupe.  And he was right.

Prosciutto, or Parma ham, is a cured Italian meat made from the hind leg or thigh of the pig. The meat is cured in salt for two months, and then air-dried for at least eight more months before serving.  Tony recalls that, in Etobicoke, the Toronto neighborhood where he was raised, there were several Italian families who made their own prosciutto, curing it on hooks attached to the ceiling of their basements.

Prosciutto is Tony’s favorite deli meat, and was a staple in his family’s home. One of his fondest memories of this Italian specialty comes from accompanying his mother on trips to their local butcher, the Savoia Meat Market. While they would wait for the butcher to prepare their order, Mr. Savoia would always make Tony a Panini of fresh Italian bread with a generous portion of his prosciutto.

Prosciutto is served in paper-thin slices, and has a silky, almost buttery texture. A delicious blend of salty and sweet, it’s so good you might be tempted to eat it by itself. But, when paired with the cantaloupe, this simple peasant creation assumes an air of casual elegance.

There are a few helpful tips to follow when buying cantaloupe. Look for a melon that is light tan in color with green lines running across it, and avoid any fruit with dents or bruises. Next, feel the melon: it should be firm, but not rock hard. If you’re planning to eat it within a day or two after purchasing, you’ll want a melon that has a little give when you press your thumb into it.

And finally, don’t be afraid to smell the melon. Give it a good sniff – a ripe cantaloupe should smell similar to a freshly cut one. If there is no smell, it’s under-ripe. If your nose picks up a very strong, fruity scent, or an unpleasant aroma, it’s probably overripe.

For this recipe, Tony is departing from the traditional presentation, opting instead to serve the sliced cantaloupe over a layer of prosciutto. He then drizzles the platter with a reduction of balsamic vinegar. This simple ingredient is made by cooking regular balsamic vinegar until it is reduced by half, and achieves a syrupy consistency. This final touch enhances the dish with its tart, tangy sweetness, and adds a dramatic contrast to the lovely pink and melon colors on the platter. Buon appetito!

Tiramisu: An Instant “Pick Me Up”

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Tiramisu. Just saying that word aloud makes me feel better, and it’s no wonder:  when literally translated from Italian to English, tiramisu means “pick me up.”

My first experience with this heavenly dessert was back in 1992, shortly after I joined the crew of the cruise ship, M/V World Discoverer. We had a wonderful pastry chef, a Filipino gentleman named Nick, who made the most delectable desserts. Nick was a true artist when it came to his pastries, and he had a flair for dramatic presentations. Regardless of how much the ship was moving, his creations were flawless, and included sky-high Chocolate Soufflés, perfectly layered Napoleons, and individual, flaming Baked Alaska.

Visually, Nick’s tiramisu paled in comparison. But in terms of flavor, this sweet creation had no rival. In fairness, my high regard may have been influenced by another factor. I’d just met a handsome young Italian named Tony who was quickly sweeping me off my feet, and he loved tiramisu. But, honestly, I’d never tasted anything like it.

Fortunately, I married that cute Italian. And, even better, he knows how to make tiramisu.

Tiramisu is a popular Italian dessert with somewhat ambiguous origins, which vary depending on the part of Italy you visit. The Savoy region of Piedmont claims to have invented it, and points to the use of ladyfingers, or savoiardi, as proof. However, the people of Lombardia will argue that the honor should be theirs, based on the mascarpone cheese, as it is a Lombardian creation. Tuscans and Venetians will happily jump into the debate, but their reasons for doing so aren’t as clear. And the Romans will put forth that any dessert so typically Italian could only be Roman.

Similar to a trifle, Tiramisu is a creamy, layered dessert consisting of ladyfinger cookies and a mixture of whipped mascarpone cheese, sugar, egg yolks and egg whites. Many recipes use heavy cream, but Tony prefers to use egg whites instead, which make the filling lighter and extend its shelf life in the refrigerator. This step also ensures that the entire egg is used, which is great since the recipe calls for ten eggs.

Traditionally, the ladyfingers are soaked in a mixture of espresso and liquor – we use brandy, but you can also use Marsala wine, Amaretto, rum, or just go without. Be careful not to oversoak the ladyfingers, or they will become soggy once layered. A quick dip for about five seconds should suffice, just before layering.

Tiramisu can be shaped to whatever dish you choose. In our recipe, we use an 8×12 inch glass baking dish, but at Sarello’s we prepare our Tiramisu in small bowls, for individual servings. You may begin layering with either the cheese mixture, or the ladyfingers, but the top layer should always be the cheese.

To finish, dust the top with a layer of cocoa powder, and refrigerate for at least twenty-four hours before serving. If planning to freeze, hold off on the cocoa powder and wrap the dish in two layers of plastic wrap, then top it with one layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw for twenty-four hours, and dust with cocoa powder before serving.

The end result is delicate, fluffy, light, and delicious. Some people claim that Tiramisu was given the name “pick me up” due to its high egg and sugar content, or its blend of espresso and liquor. While those ingredients are important, their effects are only temporary. It is the perfect combination of all the ingredients, coming  together to create an unforgettable taste experience, which makes this dessert truly worthy of its name.

Raw Egg Warning: While we have never found this to be an issue, there can be concern in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness.

To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell. You may also choose to use pasteurized eggs, in whole or liquid form. 

Tiramisu RECIPE

Watch Tony MAKE TIRAMISU