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'Now you can try Rosine's recipes'
The Monterey County Herald, Sunday, October 15, 1989

The newest local cookbook, and one that is welcomed by the many people who enjoy eating at Rosine's Restaurant in downtown Monterey, is "Rosine's Cuisine" by Renee M. Davi.

Rosine Culcasi's daughter, Renee Davi (right), has just published "Rosine's Cuisine," a collection of recipes from the family's popular Monterey Restaurant.

"People keep asking for the recipe of something they've enjoyed here, so I decided to put them together in a book," explained Renee, who has been part of the family restaurant since it began at Del Monte Center in 1981.

Getting the restaurant recipes down to the "family size" home cooks will want took a lot of testing, and Renee precedes most of them with explanations or anecdotes. A chapter of helpful hints is also included.

Rosine and James Culcasi moved to Monterey soon after their wedding in Pittsburg and their children grew up here. He was a barber and then manager of Denny's for five years, and she was the baker at Eskaton Hospital. Then they decided to open their own restaurant as a family venture.

The Rosine's Restaurant family includes, besides mother and daughter pictured on the opposite page, father Jim Culcasi (seated), Susan Culcasi (also seated), Annette Culcasi, Stephen Culcasi and James V. Culcasi Jr.

Renee worked as a waitress and also cooked with her mother. Her borther, Jimmy, has developed into the grill cook who is adept at filling orders quickly and "turning out plates that look like pictures." Renee's husband, Anthony Davi, is a fisherman, but they both love to cook and entertain at home.

Their two children, Alexandra and Antonio, have been keeping Renee pretty busy as she also put together the cookbook.

The Alvarado Street Rosine's is much larger than the first restaurant, with more than 50 employees. "We have a good steady clientele," said Renee.

Cover design and illustrations for the new cookbook are by Ami Magill, who was first commissioned to do a mural for the restaurant and then added large garden panels.

Chocolate Ganache Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
5 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
10 oz. heavy cream
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 eggs
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted, warmed
2 cups whipped cream, unsweetened, stiff
white or bittersweet chocolate for garnish

Cooking:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9-inch cake pan, then line with parchment paper. Melt butter and bittersweet chocolate over low flame, stirring continuously. Beat egg yolk^and % cup sugar until thick and pale. Fold yolk mixture into chocolate mixture. Beat egg whites and cup sugar until soft peaks form. Carefully fold egg white into chocolate keeping as much volume as possible. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes forth clean. Immediately run knife around edge of pan and invert cake onto a cake platter or cake circle. Cake may settle in center.

Bring cream to a boil. Remove from heat, then stir in chopped chocolate until smooth. Cool to spreadable consistency. Spread around sides of cooled cake (parchment removed, of course). Chocolate should adhere to sides of cake without dripping. Place remaining chocolate in center of cake and spread over top of cake. Place in refrigerator while preparing the Chocolate Mousse.

Whip 3 eggs until they reach full volume, about 5 minutes. Add melted chocolate, combining well. Carefully fold in whipped cream. Spoon mousse onto cooled Chocolate Ganache Cake. Smooth with a spatula. Shave either white chocolate or bittersweet chocolate over mousse for garnish.

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