RECIPES: TV star and local legend John Pisto makes rare public cooking demo at Wharf Marketplace.

For a guy who can be seen everywhere at once, chef-restaurateur John Pisto hasn't been getting out much.

Which means crowds are watering at the mouth for his first public appearance in months, maybe years, for a free—and multifaceted—cooking demo 11am Saturday, April 26, at the Wharf Marketplace (649-1116) in Monterey.

On the menu: mushrooms—mushroom risotto, to be precise.

"I love mushrooms, so much in fact that my second cookbook [Cooking With Mushrooms] was about mushrooms," Pisto says. "For me, the magic of mushrooms is that you go out in the forest and forage for them. We all have our own secret spots and when you find them it's like finding treasure. Then we take them home, clean them and prepare them for dinner. It's just a perfect circle."

Also on the menu: plenty of interaction.

"The thing I like most is meeting folks and sharing what I've learned about foods in my travels," he continues. "I've been all over this country, Europe and China and met so many interesting folks that are involved in one way or another with food and wine. Often we don't speak the same language but still we can communicate easily enough in the kitchen."

His Whaling Station Steakhouse (373-3778) continues to flourish above Cannery Row and his Monterey's Cooking Pisto Style continues to inspire viewers to get in the kitchen. As will this demo, and the mushroom recipes I extracted from Cooking With Mushrooms, appearing below, with an assist from his old pal Julia Child:

••Julia’s Mushrooms••

Tasty appetizer for 2

1/2 lb king bolete mushroom caps, 1/4” slices; stems chopped • 3 Tbs parsley, Italian flat-leaf (leaves only), chopped • 3 cups olive oil, extra virgin • salt & pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet filled with 2 3/4 cups of olive oil until simmering. Add mushrooms to skillet and fry over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally. Mushrooms should be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Season lightly with salt & pepper. Remove mushrooms and place on paper towels to drain, then set aside.

Place stems in a second skillet. Add remaining olive oil and sauté stems over medium heat. Stems are done when they are lightly brown. Place on paper towels to absorb oil. Lightly season with salt & pepper, and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Place sautéed caps on serving platter; sprinkle stems over caps, and serve.

••Wild Mushrooms with Onions••

Serves 3-4 as an appetizer

1/2 lb each shiitake, hedgehog, champignon (or other mushrooms), 1/4” slices • 6 Tbs olive oil, extra virgin • 6 Tbs butter, unsalted • 1 large onion, chopped • 6 cloves garlic, chopped • 1 shallot, chopped • 1 cup Madeira or dry sherry • 1 loaf French bread, sliced • salt & pepper to taste •

In a preheated (medium heat), medium-size skillet coated with olive oil and butter, add mushrooms. Add onion, garlic, and shallot and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Carefully add wine and sauté for 5 more minutes. Remove from skillet and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Serve mushroom sauce from skillet in a small bowl with toasted French bread surrounding dish. To eat, dip French bread into sauce, add mushrooms to bread, and enjoy!

Serve with a nice light red wine. 

••Shiitake Alfredo Fettuccine••

Robust and Tasty - Serves 6

1 lb fettuccine pasta • 1/2 cup shiitake or morel mushrooms, slices • 2 Tbs olive oil, extra virgin • 1/3 cup Plugrá, European-style sweet butter • 3 oz dry sherry or brandy • 1/2 cup Reggiano parmesan cheese, grated • 1/2 cup whipping cream • 2 eggs • 3 Tbs parsley, Italian flat-leaf, chopped fine

Prepare pasta al dente according to package directions. Rinse, drain, and set aside. Reserve a bit of the pasta water.

In a large, nonstick saucepan, sauté mushrooms in 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and butter over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Add sherry or brandy, and flambé for a moment to add a robust flavor. Remove mushrooms and set aside.

Add remaining butter, and blend in cheese, allowing it to melt. Stir in cream and blend well, allowing ingredients to reach a gentle simmer.

In a small bowl, scramble eggs well. Add 3 teaspoons of the simmering sauce to eggs; then transfer bowl’s ingredients to saucepan. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Be careful not to overcook sauce. Whisk in chopped parsley and mushrooms, and remove from heat.

Add alfredo sauce to pasta, and toss well. Serve immediately, pasta should be served hot.

••Truffle Chicken••

Serves 4

4 chicken breast, boneless halves • 2 Tbs Pisto’s Sensational Seasoning (substitution hint: Any good blackening spice will do. Depending on the particular spice, you may want to add a bit of salt.) • 1 Tbs lemon juice • 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs • 1/2 cup olive oil, extra virgin • 4 Tbs Plugra, European-style sweet butter • 3/4 cup Madeira wine • 2 Tbs Reggiano parmesan cheese, grated • 1/4 cup pine nuts • 2 Tbs parsley, Italian flat-leaf chopped • 2 slices bacon, fried & crumbled • 1/2 cup flour • 3 eggs • 6 Oregon white truffles, thinly sliced • salt & fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°

Place chicken breasts on cutting board and pound lightly. Season chicken with 1 teaspoon Pisto’s Sensational Seasoning, lemon, juice, salt, and pepper, then set aside.

In a bowl add breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and 1 tablespoon of Sensational Seasoning; toss well. In a medium-size skillet, add 2 tablespoons butter, breadcrumbs, 1/4 Madeira wine, cheese, and pine nuts. Sauté over medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes. Stir in chopped parsley and mix well.

On cutting board, lightly oil flattened chicken breasts. Place an equal amount of breadcrumb mixture (use about 1/2 of mixture) and a bit of bacon on each breast. Roll chicken breasts into tubes with stuffing inside. Use toothpicks to hold tubes together.

Add 1/2 cup of flour to remaining breadcrumb mixture. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and mix together well. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, salt and black pepper to form a batter. Dip chicken tubes into batter, and then roll in bread crumb mixture, coating chicken well. Grease baking dish lightly. Place chicken breasts in dish, and put a small piece of butter on each. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Remove chicken from baking dish, and deglaze pan with 1/2 cup of Madeira wine. Add truffles.

Place chicken on plates, and add a bit of sauce and truffles to top each serving. Note: If truffles are unavailable, substitute sautéed shiitake or white matsutake mushrooms.