My first REAL restaurant job was at Pebbles under the remarkable Chef Tony Pace and owner and restaurateur Manny Garcia.
I learned most everything I know about cooking there and was heartbroken when Manny retired, sold Pebbles and the whole great and wonderful (and profitable!) place became a memory.
What follows are a selection of recipes that I either “borrowed” from Chef Tony and brought home, recreated from memory, or found printed in the newspaper.
RECIPES
Pebbles’ Baked Chevre
The first time I had chevre cheese baked with a spicy tomato sauce… I thought I had died and gone to heaven. This is that. Eat it.
Ingredients
FOR SAUCE
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 cups canned crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups chopped plum tomatoes
- 4- ounce can tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped basil
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 cups water
FOR CHEESE
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 8 ounces chevre goat cheese
FOR GARNISH
- Asiago Cheese
- French bread
- Melted butter
Instructions
MAKE SAUCE
- Combine minced garlic, onion, crushed tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, black pepper, oregano, thyme, basil, olive oil, salt and water in a small pan and bring to a simmer.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for thirty minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Reserve.
MAKE CHEESE FILLING
- Put cheeses into the bowl a stand mixer fixed with a paddle attachment. Blend until thoroughly combined.
ASSEMBLE
- Ladle a cup of the tomato mixture into oven-safe chafing plates. Spoon the cheese mixture into the center of the bowl. Do not stir. Place in oven preheated to 375*F until heated through and slightly brown on top.
SERVE
- Slice bread and brush with melted butter. Broil until golden brown.
- Remove cheese-tomato mixture from oven. Place in the middle of a plate atop a napkin to keep it from sliding. Garnish with a fine grating of asiago cheese. Arrange bread slices on the plate around the chafer and serve.
Pebbles’ Nutty-Cheesy Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 small head romaine lettuce cleaned, cut in 1-inch squares
- 1/4 head iceberg lettuce cleaned, cut in 1-inch squares
Cheese mix:
- 1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped Danish fontina or white cheese of choice
Nut mix:
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Garnish:
- 1/2 to mato quartered in wedges
- 1 teaspoon black olive slices
Instructions
- Mix lettuce squares. Line individual salad bowl with the lettuce mixture.
- Combine the ingredients for cheese mixture and put in center of lettuce squares.
- Combine the ingredients for nut mixture and sprinkle around cheese mixture.
- Garnish with tomato wedges.
- Place olive slices in center of cheese mix and sprinkle with Salad Gems.
Pebbles’ Zucchini Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups salad oil
- 1 cup red-wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
- Pepper about 2 turns of the mill
- 1 tablespoon grated Asiago cheese fresh Parmesan may be substituted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 large zucchini seeded and grated
- Louisiana pepper sauce to taste
Instructions
- To make mayonnaise, put eggs, red vinegar in a food processor; blend until mixture doubles in volume, bout 1 minute. With the machine running, pour oil in a thin, steady stream until mixture thickens.
- Scrape into another bowl and, in the order listed above, blend balance of ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Pebbles’ Vinaigrette Dressing
Volume recipe for Pebbles signature vinaigrette – Makes 2 quarts
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons dry mustard
- 4 tablespoons dried oregano
- 4 tablespoons granulated garlic
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup lemon juice scant
- 1/3 cup soy sauce scant
- 1 quart salad oil
- 2 cups red-wine vinegar
Instructions
- Blend mustard with dry mustard, add spices, sugar and lemon juice.
- Slowly and alternately whisk in soy sauce, oil and vinegar.
- Dressing keeps well in refrigerator.
- Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.
Pebbles’ Cajun Grilled Shrimp with Pesto Linguine
Ahh… a great pesto and seafood dish. Nothing better.
Servings 6
Ingredients
For Shrimp
- 36 to 40 extra-large fresh shrimp peeled and deveined
- Softened butter to coat
- Cajun/ Blackening seasoning
- Fresh lemon juice
Pesto butter:
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons lightly sauteed chopped garlic
- 1/2 cup lightly roasted pine nuts
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 3 dashes Tabasco sauce
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup grated aged Parmesan cheese
- 3 sprigs fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dry oregano
FOR ASSEMBLY
- 1 lbs dry linguine cooked and reserved warm
- 8 ounces Fresh snow peas, Blanched
- 3 Plum Tomatoes, quartered
Instructions
MAKE PESTO
- Put all ingredients for pesto butter in the work bowl of a food processor. Blend mixture well.
GRILL SHRIMP
- Coat shrimp in softened butter. Season shrimp to taste with Cajun spices. Broil or grill just until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
ASSEMBLE
- Slightly melt pesto butter and stir into warm pasta. Top each serving with grilled shrimp and garnish with blanched snow peas and tomato quarters.
Chicken Vesuvio
Created for Pebbles Restaurant by Chef Tony Pace
Servings 2
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons capers
- 2 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary very finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
- 8 ounces chicken breast, boneless and skinless cut into strips
- 4 ounces demi-glace
- 2 ounces unsweetened white grape juice
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- 2 egg yolks
- 8 ounces perciatelli pasta very thick noodles, cooked and drained
- 4 Italian plum tomatoes heated and kept warm
- Chopped parsley for garnish
- 10 to 12 snow pea pods blanched (for garnish)
- 1/2 red pepper julienned (for garnish)
- 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
Instructions
- In a large saute pan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. Add capers, 1/2 teaspoon of the chopped garlic, lemon juice, rosemary, oregano, parsley, pepper and Tabasco; stir to make Vesuvio butter.
- Add chicken strips to pan and saute over medium heat until browned on both sides. Add remaining 2 teaspoons chopped garlic, demi-glace, wine and lemon juice; let mixture cook until reduced in volume by one-third. Whisk in remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Remove pan from heat; stir in egg yolks and continue stirring until sauce thickens. Add hot pasta and plum tomatoes.
- Turn pasta out onto a serving platter. Garnish with parsley, snow peas and red pepper if desired. Top with Romano cheese.
Notes
Makes 2 servings.
Perciatelli Piedmontese
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons cappers
- 2 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon each dried rosemary, dried oregano, chopped fresh parsley, black pepper and Tabasco
- 3 ounces fresh button mushrooms
- 1/2 cup demi glace
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 fresh egg yolks
- 8 ounces Fettuccine pasta cooked
- 4 Italian plum tomatoes
- 4 artichoke hearts quartered
- 10-12 blanched snow pea pods
- ½ julienned red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup Romano or Asiago cheese grated
- parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in saute pan. Add capers, 1/2 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, rosemary, oregano, parsley, pepper and Tabasco. Add mushrooms, saute briefly.
- Add remaining garlic and lemon juice, demiglace, and vinegar. Cook until volume is reduced by a third.
- Whip in remaining butter. Remove from heat. Stir in yolks. Add tomatoes and artichoke hearts. Add pasta, stir.
- Garnish with peppers, snow peas, parsley and cheese.
Notes
(8 servings)
Yield 8
Yield 8
Pebbles’ Frijoles Negros (Cuban Black Bean Soup)
2Created for Pebbles by Mrs. Garcia
Servings 10 12 ounce servings
Ingredients
For the base
- 1 pound black beans dried
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 whole tomato
- 1/2 medium bruleed onion
- 1/2 medium green pepper
- 1 clove garlic peeled and crushed
For the soup
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1/2 green pepper chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
Instructions
- Wash beans, discard imperfect ones. Place in a deep bowl and cover with water 2 inches above beans. Soak overnight.
- Next day, drain beans and rinse well. In a large pot, add to the beans 2 tablespoons olive oil, bay leaf, 1/2 bruleed onion, 1/2 green pepper, tomato, and crushed garlic clove. Add enough water to fully cover beans plus two inches. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to moderate; cover and cook until beans are tender, about 1 hour.
- Remove bay leaf and what is left of the tomato, onion, pepper and garlic. In a skillet, heat oil and saute the chopped onion and green pepper until caramelized. Add garlic, crushed oregano, cumin, sherry vinegar and salt. Stir to mix well and cook 2 minutes longer, then add to beans. Stir in hot sauce, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Correct seasoning, add additional sherry vinegar if necessary.
- Serve with cooked long grain rice and lemon twist. Place cruets of olive oil, vinegar and hot sauce on table as condiments.