The Maestro's Favourites

By Marlin Wolfe

This cookbook has been in the making for some time. I have been cooking from a young age and have had things that turn out well and things that just turn out awesome. The objective of the book is to show anyone that has an interest in cooking and in being creative can do it as long as there is a desire to take on the challenge. I have a vast var

• Language: English
• Publisher: Inks and Bindings, LLC
• Release date: Feb 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9798886151176

Marlin Wolfe

MARLIN WOLFE studied violin and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London, England. As a violinist, he became a member of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 21, and also played with the London Mozart Players, and the English Chamber Orchestra. Maestro Wolfe, Conductor Emeritus was the founding Artistic Director of the Vancouver Island Symphony from 1995-2008. Wolfe has conducted concerts in Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia, Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden and recently conducted the Orchestra Sinfonica di Lecca in Italy to critical acclaim. He has also conducted numerous concerts with the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra in Croatia. He has conducted National tours of the nutcracker with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Performances with the Banff Festival Ballet. Maestro Wolfe founded the Edmonton Chamber Players Orchestra and was its Music Director and Conductor for five years. During this time, it was heard regularly on National CBC Radio in Canada and the US. Other Orchestras he has conducted are the Calgary Philharmonic, CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Canadian Chamber Orchestra, The Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Victoria and the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, and many others. In 2001, Marlin Wolfe was awarded the Excellence in Culture Award by the city of Nanaimo for his contributions and accomplishments with the Vancouver Island Symphony.

Book preview

FOREWORD

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH CONDUCTOR and gourmet chef Maestro Wolfe in 2017, Rosemary Phillips stated that conducting music was like creating a gourmet meal-combining a variety of ingredients that result in a magnificent concert or an absolutely delicious feast.

She was right! I am one of those lucky people who has had the privilege of both hearing a performance led by maestro Wolfe and sharing a meal planned and cooked by him, and I can happily attest to the fact that this wonderful collection of recipes proves he is as brilliant in the kitchen as he was on the podium, and not only that, but he also has the ability to share his talents with others. As a violinist, he shared his knowledge with a five-year old student named Tetsuumi Nagata, who under Marlin`s tutelage went on to debut as a soloist at the age of eleven. Now, as a gourmet cook. he is sharing another of his gifts with the world.

Joining Marlin at His table gives me as much pleasure as listening to the concerts he conducted. Every spring, When I shamelessly use my annual book tour as an excuse to visit him and his partner, Margaret, in their beautiful home {designed by Marlin}, I look forward to enjoying yet another exquisite meal. For days before I arrive, I imagine the delicious aromas emanating from the kitchen as we sit and chat, and I savour the knowledge that the meal we will share that evening around a plain and simple table will be one that meets and exceeds every expectation and delights and satisfies every single taste bud.

This book is yet another of Marlin’s gifts to the world. It is of course about food, and about cooking, and even about excellence, and it will surely find its way onto the shelves under the heading COOKING or FOOD, but to me, I think it should be called A SYMPHONY OF TASTE, and classified as A LOVE STORY WITH RECIPES.

Rachel {R.J.} McMillen.

Author of the Dan Connor mystery series

INTRODUCTION

THIS COOK BOOK HAS BEEN in the making for some time. I have been cooking from a young age and have had things that turn out well and thing that just turn out awesome. The objective of the book is to show anyone that has an interest in cooking and being creative can do it as long as there is a desire to take on the challenge. I have a vast variety of recipes within the book and some easy and a little more challenging. All my life has been involved in music as a violinist and a conductor of symphony orchestras in which I have played and conducted all around the world. As part of fundraising I have done, many five course gourmet dinners for symphony orchestras like Edmonton Symphony, the Vancouver symphony Orchestra also the Vancouver Island symphony just to mention a few. I have created over forty-five of those types of dinners. You will find ways also to create your own combinations to suit your own taste.

HAVE FUN COOKING!

APPETIZERS AND FIRST COURSE

Bruschetta With Basil and Tomato

Humus

Wolfes San Francisco Clams

Wolfes Steamed Clams

Wolfes Clams in Lobster Sauce

Chicken Liver Mousse

Dumplings in Red Pepper Sauce

Moroccan-Spiced Seared Scallops

Salmon Mousse

Tuna Seviche

Gravlax

BRUSCHETTA WITH BASIL AND TOMATO

6 or 7 plum tomatoes

4 garlic cloves chopped

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

8 fresh basil leaves sliced into fine strips

salt and pepper to taste

1 baguette

¼ cup of olive oil

1 whole garlic clove

Cut and discard the stem area of the tomato. Then cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze out the juice and seeds. Take each half and cut into three pieces lengthwise then cut into ¼ inchcubes.

Place tomato, garlic, olive oil and vinegar in a bowl and mix until coated then add basil and setaside.

Slice baguette on a diagonal a little less than ½ inch thick slice. Coat one side of the sliced baguette with olive oil and place on cooking sheet and place top rack of your oven. The oven should be set at broil. Toast until golden brown, turn slices over and toast other side until goldenbrown.

Turn slices over with oil side-up and rub with whole garlic on each side while stillwarm.

Mix basil, garlic, oil, balsamic vinegar and tomato in the bowl and place spoon full of topping on each slice. Place on serving tray and serve. Bruschetta should be served right away. Otherwise, the bread will becomesoggy.

HUMUS

19 oz. can chickpeas, drained

3 tsp. tahini

5 garlic cloves minced

3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup olive oil

1 lemon juice of

½ tsp. ground coriander

½ tsp. ground cumin

Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Process until ingredients form a smooth paste, add more oil if needed. Serve with Greek pita bread and enjoy.

WOLFES SAN FRANCISCO CLAMS

3 dozen littleneck clams

2 tbsp. olive oil

4 garlic cloves chopped

½ bottle dark beer

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup grated Romano cheese

1 cup heavy cream

Scrub clams with stiff brush, rinse thoroughly, heat large kettle over medium-high burner until hot, add oil and garlic, let cook 30 seconds, add clams and stir with wooden spoon until well-coated, add beer. Cover and cook for about 6 to 8 min. They should all be open at this point. Add the two cheeses and cream. Let cheese and cream heat through, put in serving bowls and serve with a good baguette.

WOLFES STEAMED CLAMS

3 dozen littleneck clams

2 tbsp. olive oil

½ cup of grated onion

½ cup of grated carrot

½ cup of grated celery

1 cup of white wine

Scrub clams with stiff brush, rinse thoroughly. Heat oil in kettle until hot. All the grated onion, carrot and celery, sauté until soft about two minutes stirring with woodenspoon.

Add clams and white wine. Cover pot and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until all opened. (Discard any that do not open.) Put in serving bowls with all the sauce in the bottom of the pot and serve with a goodbaguette.

WOLFES CLAMS IN LOBSTER SAUCE

3 dozen littleneck clams

2 cups of water

LOBSTER SAUCE

2 tbsp. of canola oil

1 tbsp. rice wine or pale-dry sherry

2 tbsp. of washed fermented black beans finely-chopped

3 garlic cloves finely-chopped

½ pound of lean ground pork

1 tbsp. soy sauce

½ tsp salt and sugar

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1 scallion finely-chopped

1 cup of chicken stock

2 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 3 tbsp. of water

2 eggs lightly beaten

Scrub clams with stiff brush, rinse thoroughly. Place clams in kettle ½ inch water at the bottom. Cover pot and steam over medium heat, until all clams have opened about 6 to 8 min. (Discard any that do notopen.)

While clams are cooking, make lobster sauce in another pan. Add 2 tbsp oil to the pan. Add the fermented black beans and garlic and stir for about four seconds making sure garlic doesn’t burn. Add the pork and stir. Fry until no longer pink about 3 min. Stir in soy sauce, sugar, pepper and scallions. Then, pour in chicken stock. Cover pan and bring the stock to a boil. Give cornstarch a stir to mix well and add to the pan. Stir well until thickened it becomes clear. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the beaten egg until blended. The egg should notcook.

Place the clams in one layer in serving bowl and fill each clam with lobster sauce. Repeat in layers until all clams are gone and filled. Serve while clams are hot with your crusty baguette’s.

CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE

1 ½ lbs. chicken liver

½-pound soft butter

⅓ cup minced onion

2 tablespoons minced shallot

1½ tablespoons Cognac

1½ tablespoons white wine or vermouth

freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground allspice

¾ cup heavy cream for the Aspic

1 ¾ cups chicken stock

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

¼ cup madeira wine

Soak chicken livers in a bowl of slightly salted cold water for 20 minutes. Drain and pat dry with a papertowel.

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet and sauté the onion and shallot over medium heat until tender but notbrown.

Add the livers and sauté over medium-high heat until cooked but not brown. Do notovercook.

Puree the liver mixture with the remaining butter. The cognac, wine, salt, pepper to taste, and the allspice in a food processor untilsmooth.

Whip the cream until stiff and blend thoroughly into liver mixture. Chill mousse in earth ware dish, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate until aspic isready.

To make the aspic, place 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin in a glass bowl and ¼ cup of chicken