His uncle gave him 600 pounds of salmon… - includes recipes - Chefs of the West

Sunset, July, 1991

Salmon is not as expensive as truffles or the finest Strasbourg pate, but it is seldom inexpensive enough to warrant taking chances. For some people, though, fortune smiles and they have access to goodly quantities of salmon. Such a person is Mark Crain, whose uncle gave him 600 pounds of the fish-and with it a free rein to experiment.

Crain reports that simpler preparations produce the best results, then sends this recipe as an example. Drunken salmon (the term is poetic rather than literal) starts off a little like gravlax, with dill, pepper, and a bit of liquor, but it ends up as barbecued salmon with a sauce based on the marinade. Such simplicity should be encouraged.

Drunken Salmon
   4 salmon steaks, each about 1 inch
       thick (1 1/4  to 1 1/2 lb. total)
   1/2 teaspoon dry dill weed or dry
       tarragon leaves
   1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
   1 teaspoon salad oil
   2 tablespoons lemon juice
 1/4 cup Scotch or Bourbon
     Lemon wedges
     Salt

Rinse salmon, drain, and lay in a dish about 9 by 13 inches. Mix dill, pepper, oil, lemon juice, and Scotch; pour evenly over salmon. Cover and chill for 1 to 3 hours. Lift salmon from dish, draining. Pour marinade into a 1- to 1 1/2-quart pan. Place steaks on a lightly greased grill 4 to 6 inches above a solid bed of medium-hot coals (you can hold your hand at grill level only 3 to 4 seconds). Cook for 4 minutes. Brush salmon with marinade, turn with a wide spatula, and brush again. Continue to cook until salmon is opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test), about 6 minutes longer. When you turn salmon, set pan with marinade on grill beside fish. Transfer salmon to a platter. Pour hot marinade over fish. Accompany with lemon wedges and salt to add to taste. Serves 4.

Per serving: 232 cal.; 28 g protein; 10 g fa t

(1.5 g sat); 0. 9 g carbo.; 65 mg sodium; 78

Mark Kemp knows about the calories, fats, and sugars that most of us consume, but his attitude toward dessert is sensible: when he indulges, he will yield only to major temptation. His chocolate cheesecake is certainly that, combining the delights of butter cookies, cheesecake, and chocolate. There is no skimping on calories here. (Well, neufchatel cheese is a bit lower in calories than cream cheese, but you wouldn't know by its taste.)

Chocolate Cheesecake
  1 package (about 7 1/4 oz.) butter
       cookies
  1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) butter or margarine,
       melted
  2  cups (12-oz. package) semisweet
       chocolate baking chips
  2/3  cup sugar
  1   tablespoon all-purpose flour
  2 large packages (8 oz. each)
       neufchatel (light cream) cheese
  2 large eggs
  1 tablespoon vanilla
  1 tablespoon sweet marsala or sweet
       sherry

In a food processor or blender, whirl cookies to make fine crumbs. Pour into a 9inch cheesecake pan with removable rim. Add butter, mix well, then press crumbs evenly over pan bottom and about I inch up pan sides; set aside.

In a food processor or blender, whirl 1/2 the chocolate chips. In processor or a mixer bowl, combine ground chocolate, sugar, and flour; whirl or stir to mix. Add cheese cut into chunks, then eggs, vanilla, and marsala. Whirl or beat until well mixed. Scatter 1/2 the remaining chocolate into crust, then pour cheesecake batter into pan; spread batter level. Sprinkle remaining chocolate over batter.

Bake in a 300' oven until cake jiggles only slightly in the center when gently shaken, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Let cool; then cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. Makes about 16 servings. Per serving: 318cal.; 6g protein; 18g fat(7.2g sat); 33 g carbo.; 205 mg sodium; 66 mg chol.

Eugene, Ore.

Respect for vegetables is one mark of a good cook, and Floyd Paige is a fast learner. In just four months of married life, he's leaned away from meat and potatoes toward a more creative approach to what appears on the dinner plate. He devised this green bean, almond, bacon, and cheese combination to impress his bride.

Floyd's Zesty Green Beans
 1/2 cup sliced almonds
   4  slices bacon
   1 small onion, chopped
   1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
   1 teaspoon lemon juice
 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
   1 pound green beans, ends removed
 1/4  cup each water and dry white wine
 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
      cheese
    Salt

In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, stir almonds until lightly toasted, about 4 minutes; pour from pan and set aside.

In the pan, cook bacon over medium heat until evenly browned. Lift out bacon and drain on towels. When cool, crumble. Discard all but 2 teaspoons drippings from pan. Add onion, garlic, lemon juice, and chili powder; stir often over medium heat until onion is limp, 7 to 10 minutes. As onion cooks, rinse beans and cut into 2-inch lengths. When onion is limp, add beans, water, and wine to pan. Cover and cook until beans are just tender to bite, 9 minutes. Mix bacon and almonds with beans, then sprinkle with cheese. Cover and heat just until cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute. Pour into a bowl. Season to taste with sait. Makes 4 to 6 servings.