Big Sur Bakery Cookbook - Michelle Wojtowicz [23]
Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 1 cup sugar in a large bowl until smooth.
Bring the cream mixture back to a boil and temper the hot liquid into the egg yolks by adding it to the yolks a ladle at a time while whisking vigorously. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Discard the ginger, and return the liquid to the pan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the liquid is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Refrigerate until it’s cold. Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Photographs by Sara Remington
May
Fishing in Monterey
The Mountain Lion
Profile: Eric and Jasmine, Porch Farmers
Braised Rabbit with White Wine, Scallions, Mustard Seeds, and Ham-Wrapped Roasted Loin
Spring Risotto
House-Cured Salmon
Grilled Salmon with Meyer Lemon Dressing
Strawberry and Rose Geranium Shake
Peppermint Ice Cream Sundae
Photographs by Sara Remington
Fishing in Monterey
Today Monterey is probably best known for sea otters and John Steinbeck (his novel Cannery Row was set in Monterey). But for us, Monterey is all about fish.
Located about thirty miles north of Big Sur, Monterey’s history of commercial fishing began in the mid-1800s when Chinese settlers started harvesting abalone, yellowtail, sardines, squid, and shark, among other creatures, from the bay’s deep waters. By the beginning of the 20th century, Monterey was best known for its vast production of canned sardines—and in fact the sardine frenzy was so intense that by the end of World War II, the region’s supplies had been depleted. In 1945, John Steinbeck published Cannery Row, and Monterey began its evolution into what it is today: a spot still known as a commercial fishery, but with a downtown devoted primarily to tourism.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium represents both worlds. People come from all over the globe to check out its exhibits (and, yes, otters), but it also has become a leader in the sustainable fishing movement. Its Seafood Watch program helps protect the ocean’s fish stocks by recommending which varieties to buy or to avoid, depending on the health of fish populations and the methods that are being used to catch or farm them.
One repercussion of the sustainability movement is that it has become much more difficult to fish commercially. These days, the California Department of Fish and Game has an ever-growing list of regulations governing what species you can fish (and for that matter, how you can fish them). The regulations are stringent enough that some fishermen have left the area in search of less restrictive waters—and those who stick around sometimes have to call the department daily to stay abreast of the latest rules.
But of course there are reasons for the regulations. Take, for example, the mysterious disappearance of the Sacramento River fall-run Chinook salmon, which usually make up the bulk of the salmon caught in the Sacramento River system and off the California and southern Oregon coast. The situation was so bad in 2008 that the California Department of Fish and Game canceled the commercial and recreational ocean salmon fishing seasons.
We don’t have the necessary licenses to serve our own catches at the restaurant, but we still try to stock our menu with choices that are both sustainable and local. Luckily, even with all its restrictions (or perhaps because of them), Monterey Bay provides a continuous abundance of seafood for our menus.
Photographs by Sara Remington
Photographs by Sara Remington
The Mountain Lion
May—or more specifically, Memorial Day weekend—marks the real start of the tourist season in Big Sur. After a winter’s worth of Sunday afternoons off and quiet morning coffee