J.G.'s SPICY BITS

by John Garganigo

HOT SPOT: After years as restaurateur Bernard Douteau's right-hand man, Jim Kristo has teamed up with Dennis Roussel to open the area's newest "in" spot, Jimmy's Cafe on the Park, 706 De Mun Ave. Heading the kitchen staff is Chef Kathy Schmidt, who worked for years in private clubs and more recently, as second in command at The Seven Gables Inn and Bernard's.

Though young, Schmidt cooks with the best of them, especially when it comes to pastries and desserts. Her apricot cheese cake is not to be missed.

Another big hit at Jimmy's: flash-fried spinach, a dish that David Slay takes credit for first introducing here some years back at his La Veranda, now relocated to California. At Jimmy's, the flash-fresh spinach is crisp, fresh, virtually grease-free, and topped with Asiago cheese and a dash of lemon juice.

Among favorite entrees at Jimmy's is the plank salmon. Here is the recipe for two:

2 six-ounce salmon filets
1Tablespoon olive oil
4 Tablespoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cracked pepper
1 teaspoon thyme

Rub filets with olive oil. Mix other ingredients and spread evenly over fish. Place fish on an UNTREATED cedar shingle (available at a lumber yard). Soak the shingle in water for 15 minutes. Then put the fish on the cedar and cook under the broiler for approximately 10 minutes, a little less for medium rare. Serve with a few drops of lemon juice over a bed of wilted greens. The cedar flavor will permeate the fish and the high heat will keep it moist. Delizioso! For a marriage made in heaven, accompany your meal with some Sonoma-Cutrer Estate Bottled Chardonnay.