Kale and Cannellini Bean Soup

Here's a hearty and healthy recipe to nourish you in the cold months to come (adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine)

Kale and Cannellini Bean Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 cup dried cannellini beans
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp dried sage
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 cups coarsely chopped lacinato kale (stems removed)
3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tsp dried crushed red pepper
4 cups cooking liquid (reserved from cooking the cannellini beans), plus 1 cup of water (and extra if needed)
2 Tbs olive oil
4 strips thick cut bacon, diced (or, if you prefer something spicier, try a hard chorizo, finely diced)
2 carrots chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup diced Italian tomatoes (canned)
3 Tbs freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions
1. Place the dried beans in a pot and cover with 3 inches of water. Bring a boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the beans sit for an hour to soften.

2. Drain the beans and return them to the pot. Add 7 cups water, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and sage. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Stir in the salt and kale and cook for another 4 minutes to soften the kale.

3. Drain into a large bowl (reserving the cooking liquid). Pick out the bay leaf and discard. Remove the garlic cloves, if desired. Add the lemon juice and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. In large pot, heat the olive oil and add the diced bacon. Cook until bacon is crispy and fat is rendered. Then add the carrots and celery. Saute about 5 minutes. Then add the cooking liquid, water, and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Add the cannellini beans and kale. Simmer to meld flavors, tasting and seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. If the soup is too thick, add some water to thin it.

5. Stir in the grated parmesan cheese and serve!

Bon Appetit!

Brunch: Adventures in Hollandaise

Eggs Benedict, that most iconic of brunch dishes. But, without the rich, creamy Hollandaise poured atop the quivering egg, what would it be but eggs and toast with a bit of meat? Not much, if you ask me.

I've always loved Eggs Benedict but have been too intimidated to take on the task of preparing Hollandaise sauce. I mean, you hear these horror stories about broken, curdled messes sending chefs into fits of weeping and days of ennui. Who wants the heartache?

But, I also figured if I was really going to lay claim to the title of Kick Ass Home Cook, I'd better learn how to make Hollandaise. It was easy! I recount my experience here as a how-to guide for the equally trepidatious.

First off, I'd always thought of Hollandaise as an egg sauce. But, as I learned this morning, it is actually better described as a butter sauce. There is a truly sick amount of butter in Hollandaise, all of which is meant to absorb into the egg yolks. Julia Child recommends no more than 3 oz of butter per egg yolk, and sometimes less is more.

Each tablespoon of butter is equivalent to about 1/2 an ounce, so you want no more than 6 tablespoons of butter per egg yolk (and that is a maximum).

To serve about 4 people generously, I started with 3 egg yolks and 14 tablespoons of butter (well shy of of the maximum - and it still came out plenty rich).

You'll also need about 1 Tbs lemon juice (fresh squeezed), 1 Tbs of cold water, and salt to taste.



Here's what you do:

Melt 12 Tbs of unsalted butter over low heat. Then set it aside. Cut 2 Tbs of cold butter and have at the ready.

Set a pot with an opening large enough to accommodate your metal mixing bowl to a low simmer with 2-3 inches of water.



In a large, metal bowl, whisk 3 egg yolks until creamy and well-incorporated (about 1 minute). Then add 1 Tbs lemon juice, 1 Tbs water, and a pinch of salt. Whisk again, about 1 minute.

Place 1 Tbs of the cold butter in the egg mixture and then place the metal bowl over the lightly simmering water. Gently whisk the eggs until the butter melts and is incorporated. The idea here is to thicken the eggs very gently. If they seem to thicken too quickly or to start to curdle, you must take them off the heat immediately and plunge the bottom of the bowl in cold water. Once you can see the bottom of the bowl each time your whisk scrapes over it, the eggs are sufficiently thickened (this will take only 1-2 minutes). Take the bowl off the heat.

Set the bowl on a dishtowel to brace it and whisk in the remaining 1 cold Tbs of butter to temper the eggs and cool them slightly.

Then, whisking constantly, add a few drops of the melted butter. At this early stage, you must add only a very little butter and whisk vigorously. You are trying to force the thickened egg yolks to absorb the butter. You can graduate to drizzling in 1 Tbs of melted butter at a time, whisking and drizzling. If the butter seems to slow in its incorporation, stop drizzling and whisk vigorously. This process takes about 3-5 minutes and requires a strong whisking arm, but it's well-worth the effort. You can stop short of whisking in the pale milk solids that will have settled to the bottom of the butter pan.

Your Hollandise should now be thick and fabulous:


Once all the butter is incorporated, season with salt to taste. The Hollandaise can be set aside in a warm spot (near the stove) and will hold for at least 30 minutes. Don't try to reheat it; it's meant to be served only just warm.

Meanwhile, prepare the desired quantity of poached eggs. I like to cheat and cook mine in those little silicone cups. I season them with salt, olive oil, and hot sauce and poach them in a covered pan of simmering water for 4 minutes. You'll also want to have some nice English muffins toasted up to serve as a base. For the meat, you can use what you like - Canadian bacon is a classic, but I recommend a spicy chorizo or Cajun sausage to add kick and cut the richness of the sauce and poached eggs.

All that remains is to assemble the Eggs Benedict - muffin on the bottom, then the meat, eggs perched on top. And, at last, pour over that glorious yellow Hollandaise sauce. Believe me, one serving will earn you back all the calories you burned whipping the sauce...and then some!

Bon Appetit!

Recipe: Spicy Meatballs in Fiery Tomato Sauce

These are juicy, spicy, and work well as either a hot tapas dish or as a hearty sauce to put over couscous or pasta. The flavors are more Mediterranean than Italian.


Spicy Meatballs in Fiery Tomato Sauce
makes about 40 small meatballs

Ingredients (meatballs)
2/3 lb ground pork
2/3 lb ground sirloin
2/3 cup freshly dried breadcrumbs
2 Tbs milk
1/2 cup finely minced onion
3 large cloves finely minced garlic
1/2 tsp cumin (ground)
1 tsp ground coriander
pinch of ground clove
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 fresh egg, lightly beaten

Instructions (meatballs)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Holding your fingers in the shape of a claw, loosely toss and mix the ground sirloin and ground pork together. Add the minced garlic and onion, the spices (cumin, coriander, clove, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, paprika and salt & pepper). Using the "claw" hand, mix gently.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg and pour it over the meat mixture. In the same bowl, moisten the breadcrumbs with the milk. Add to the meat mixture. Use the "claw" hand again to loosely mix the ingredients (try avoid overmixing or tightly compacting the meat).

Lightly oil a large baking sheet with olive oil. Using a 1 TBS scoop, roll small meatballs and place them on the baking sheet (they may be close together, just not touching). Place the meatballs in the oven and cook for 10-12 min. Remove from oven and set aside.

Ingredients (Sauce)
1 28 oz can Italian plum tomatoes
1 Tbs salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2-4 dried hot chilies (torn into pieces), or 1 Tbs crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1/2 cup finely diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp granulated onion/onion powder
3 Tbs olive oil

Instructions (Sauce)
In a large sauce pot, heat the olive oil over medium high. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the red peppers. Saute about 5 minutes.

In a blender, puree the canned tomatoes until smooth. Add to the pot (carefully, to avoid splattering from the hot oil). Add the vinegar, cover and let simmer on medium for about 15 minutes.

Uncover the sauce and stir. Add the salt, granulated onion and garlic - taste and adjust seasonings as needed as you continue to simmer the sauce for about 10 more minutes.

When the sauce tastes as desired, gently add the meatballs. Unless serving immediately, turn off the heat, cover, and let the sauce cool. Gently reheat to serve as desired.

Bon Appetit!

From Miranda's Kitchen: Carnitas Enchiladas

Carnitas Enchiladas
(serves 4)

Ingredients
2 lbs baby back pork ribs or country style pork ribs
1 lime (zest only)
1 orange (juice & zest)
3 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 red onion, finely diced
1 Tbs rice vinegar
salt to taste
Corn tortillas
2 cups canola oil
Cotija cheese, finely grated (about 4 cups) - this is a hard, slightly salty Central American cheese that can be found in most grocery store cheese sections.
2 jalapenos, minced
1 can spicy red enchilada sauce
1 can green enchilada sauce
accompaniments: hot sauce, sliced avocado, sour cream

Instructions:

For the filling -- rinse ribs under cold water and pat dry. Cut into 3-4 rib sections and place in a large, heavy duty pot. Try to use as wide a pot as possible and lay the ribs in a single layer. Cover the ribs with water (water should not come more than 1/4 inch above the ribs). Add half the lime and orange zest and one half of the orange juice. Add about 1 Tbs salt. Bring the water to a boil, then cover and reduce to simmer on low about 2-3 hours, until meat is falling off the bone. Check periodically to make sure the water does not dry up (though it should be reducing).

After a few hours, the water should have reduced down so that most of what remains is the grease and fat from the ribs (if it has not, continue to boil it down while you shred the meat). Remove the ribs from the pot and pull the meat off, using a fork to shred. Be sure to discard all the bones, cartilage, and membrane. Return the meat to the pot, bring heat up and fry in the remaining fat for about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the zest, the rest of the orange juice, the apple cider vinegar, and more salt to taste.

Remove the meat from the pan, leaving behind as much fat as possible. Add the onion dice to the fat and fry until soft and caramelized, about 7 minutes. Deglaze with the rice vinegar. Then stir the onions into the meat mixture. Set aside or refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the enchiladas.

For assembly.
Mince the jalapenos and finely grate the cotija cheese. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a saute pan with straight sides. Fill a wide, shallow bowl with 1/4 cup of each type of enchilada sauce. Set the pan(s) you wish to bake the enchiladas in at the ready.

Briefly fry each corn tortilla until it just begins to puff (a few seconds only). Lift the tortilla out of the oil with a slotted spatula and place it in the sauce mixture. Moisten each side of the tortilla with sauce and then transfer to the baking dish. Fill with meat, jalapenos, and cheese, and then roll. Repeat this process until the pan(s) are full.

Drizzle the remainder of the enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas, paying careful attention to moisten the ends of each roll to prevent drying in the oven. Sprinkle a layer of grated cheese and any remaining jalapenos over the tops of the enchiladas. Also add a sprinkling of salt.

Bake in a 400 degree oven until the sauce is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Serve hot with sliced avocados, hot sauce, and sour cream.

Bon Appetit!

Saturday Morning Blueberry Muffins

Every weekend I wake up feeling the urge to make something special for breakfast. And every weekend I open the fridge only to realize that, yes, it has been several days since I've been to the store and supplies are dangerously low. There is no syrup, so pancakes are out. The bagels hiding in the back of the fridge are hard and give off an 'eat me and regret it' vibe. Then I peek in the freezer and see those yummy frozen blueberries I bought to make smoothies and never used. I smile and think: "Blueberry muffins!" If you're thinking the same thing, here's a great recipe to try. It's a bit different in that it relies on yogurt rather than milk or sour cream to provide body.

Saturday Morning Blueberry Muffins
Serves 3 (makes 6 muffins)

Ingredients:
4 Tbs softened butter (I use salted organic)
1/2 cup sugar (I use raw)
2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt (I like Stonyfield)
1/2 - 3/4 cup of frozen organic blueberries

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven.

Beat the softened butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Beat in the egg and vanilla until well incorporated.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add half of this mixture to the egg/butter mixture and beat until just incorporated. Add 1/4 cup of the yogurt and beat until just incorporated. Repeat with the remaining flour and yogurt. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Line muffin tin with paper cups and fill each with batter (I fill them nearly full). Dust the tops of each with a little sugar.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the muffins are golden brown. Let them rest in the tin for 5 minutes after removing from the oven. Remove to a rack and cool.

Bon Appetit!

Obscenely Good Cupcakes

Well, if you didn't put on as much extra weight as you were fearing over the holidays, I recommend these cupcakes as the perfect solution. They are, as the title of this post asserts, obscenely good. These have a light texture but buttery mouthfeel and the almond adds a subtle but addictive flavor. I've adapted this from the "Barefoot Contessa Cookbook"

Homemade Yellow Cupcakes w/Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
(makes 24 cupcakes)

Ingredients (cupcakes)
3/4 lb salted butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 extra large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp of pure almond extract
3 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk at room temperature

Instructions (cupcakes)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about five minutes - don't skimp on time here, this step is important). Before you begin creaming, make certain the butter is at room temperature! After five minutes, set the mixer on low and add each egg, one at a time. Beat at least 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate each egg fully and create a light, airy mixture. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat to combine.

In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in three separate additions, alternating with the buttermilk (beginning and ending with the dry). Incorporate until *just* blended (you don't want to overbeat the flour, it will toughen the batter).

Line a muffin tin with liners and fill each cup to the top with batter. Bake for about 30 minutes (begin checking at 25 minutes). The cupcakes should be a light golden brown on top (you may need to bake as long as 35 minutes). Take them from the oven and let them cool 15 minutes in the tin. Then remove from the tin and cool completely on a rack.

Ingredients (for the icing)
16 ounces cream cheese (I like Philadelphia brand) at room temperature
3/4 stick of butter at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
About 1 cup confectioners sugar (to taste)
4 oz bittersweet baking chocolate, melted (I like Ghiradelli)

Instructions (for the icing)
While the cupcakes are baking, remove the cream cheese and butter from the fridge and bring to room temperature.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together until fluffy and well-incorporate (about 2 minutes). Add the vanilla and almond. Beat in the confectioners sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Taste after each addition, adding more if you want the frosting sweeter. Add the melted chocolate with the beaters on low, fully incorporating. Taste and adjust sweetness as needed. Chill icing in the fridge until the cupcakes are ready to be frosted.

Assemble the cooled cupcakes by piping or spreading the icing on. Store the cupcakes in the fridge (though I recommend bringing them to room temperature before eating)

I dare you to eat just one cupcake at a time!

Bon Appetit!

Sharing the Love: Fabulous Recipe

Last night I adapted a recipe out of the latest issue of Food and Wine that left both Sid and I literally licking our plates....so, I thought I'd better share it with everyone.

Seared Skirt Steak w/Farro, Chard, and Mushrooms (adapted from Food & Wine)
Serves 2-3

Ingredients
For the steak:
1 1/2 - 2 lbs skirt steak, membrane removed
3 Tbs butter
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp smoked hot paprika (pimenton)
1 lemon
Salt & pepper to taste

For the Farro:
3/4 cup farro
1 - 1 1/2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
1 lb of swiss chard
2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
Begin by preparing the skirt steak. Rinse, pat dry, remove any membrane and trim excess fat. Set aside.

Cook the farro by placing it in a pot and covering with about 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook covered for 25 minutes (farro should be tender). Drain and set aside. Wash and pat dry the chard, roughly chop both the leaves and tender top portion of stems. Clean the mushrooms and thickly slice. Thinly slice the onion.

For the farro: Heat 1 Tbs each of the oils in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent (about 3 minutes). Add the mushrooms and saute another 3 minutes. Add the rest of the oil and the swiss chard (this will fill the pan, but will cook down dramatically). Toss with tongs frequently to ensure even cooking down of the chard. Salt and pepper the vegetables and then add the farro. Reduce the heat and toss the vegetables with the farro. After about 2 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings. Take off the heat.

For the paprika butter: in a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the sliced garlic. Saute until the garlic is lightly golden brown, making sure not to burn the butter. Add the paprika and continue cooking another 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the steak: Heat a grill or grill pan smoking hot and lightly coat the meat with oil. Season w/salt and pepper (generously). Add the meat to the hot pan or grill and cook undisturbed about 3 minutes per side (each side should be well charred but the meat should still be medium-rare in the center). Remove the steak from the grill, squeeze with lemon, and cover with foil; rest the meat for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, rewarm the paprika butter and the farro salad.

Slice the meat and serve atop a bed of the farro salad. Drizzle all with the paprika butter.

Enjoy!
(photo by John Kernick, from Food & Wine.com)

From Amy's Kitchen: Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

My sister, Amy Miller, recently shared this holiday standard with me and I thought I should pass them along to all of you! The cream cheese in this recipe really adds a lovely, subtle flavor that sugar cookies often lack. These are great for cutting into festive, holiday shapes and gobbling up.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

(makes about 2 dozen cookies, depending on cookie cutter sizes)
1 c. white sugar
1 c. butter, softened
1 3 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
2 1/4 c. flour

1. In large bowl, combine sugar, butter, cream cheese, salt, extracts, and egg yolk. Beat until smooth. Beat in flour until well blended. Chill dough for 8 hours or over night.

2. Preheat oven to 375.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/3 at a time, a generous 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate remaining dough as you work, until ready to use. Keeping the dough cold is essential for preventing it from sticking to the counter. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.

Place cookies 1 inch apart on un-greased cookie sheet. Brush each lightly with egg white (slightly beaten) and sprinkle with colored sugars.

4. Bake 7-10 min or until light and golden brown. Don't over cook. They'll set up a bit as they cool. Share or freeze extras!

Bon Appetit and Happy Holidays!

From Miranda's Kitchen: Homemade "Fish Sticks"

Not too long ago I was stuck in a long line at the grocery store, one that wound all the way past the frozen food section. And there, staring meaningfully at me from the freezer, were the golden and glorious frozen fish sticks of childhood.

How I craved them! So, I decided to come up with a recipe to make them fresh at home. It turned out pretty damn good, if I do say so myself, so I thought I'd share the recipe with you.

Homemade Fish Sticks (serves 2-3)
Ingredients
1 lb fresh cod fillets
Sourdough bread
3/4 cup of flour
1 egg white
Salt & pepper
Canola Oil (enough to fill a heavy-duty pot about 1-2 inches deep)

Garnish
Lemons cut into quarters
1/3 cup Mayo
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp olive oil

Instructions
Lightly wash the cod fillet and pat dry (it's important to get the fillets very dry). Cut them into short, fat strips of roughly equivalent size. Set aside.

Meanwhile, fill a shallow dish with flour for dredging and season it well with salt and pepper. Whisk the egg yolk with some salt until loose and slightly foamy.

For the breadcrumbs, tear some chunks of the sourdough bread and process them in a food processor. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the breadcrumbs onto a cookie sheet and toast until dry and lightly browned (keep a close eye on them so they don't burn). Place the dry crumbs into a shallow dish and season these with salt and pepper as well. [This really is worth the extra 5 minutes or so that it takes; the sourdough crumbs add something special to the final product]

Season the cod fingers with salt and pepper. Dredge them in the flour to lightly coat. Then slip them through the egg white, shaking off any excess, and press them into the breadcrumbs to cover all sides of the sticks.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees. When it comes to temperature, drop in the cod fingers. Only fry a few at a time - it is very important not to crowd pan so that the temperature remains constant. It is okay if the oil doesn't cover the fish sticks all the way. Let the sticks sizzle and bubble in the oil for about 1 minute and then flip them over (they should be a nice golden brown) and brown the other side. Don't overcook - you want a crispy crust with a tender flaky interior. Drain the fingers on a couple layers of paper towels while you fry the remaining fish sticks.

Serve with lemon wedges and a simple aoili (for the aoili, mix together the garlic powder, mayo, and 1 tsp of olive oil).

These are great with oven fried potato wedges and some nice sauted Swiss Chard.

Bon Appetit!

From Miranda's Kitchen: Lasagna al Forno

I made this lasagna for dinner last night and it was absolute perfection.



Imagine: a cold, windy night that spoke of winter's insidious fingers. A hot oven, venting the aroma of blistering cheese and slowly caramelizing tomato. Gooey layers of bechamel and meaty ragu enfolded in tender pasta, layered up until it gives way to the crisped, curled edges exposed to the oven's inferno. Like I said: perfection.

This recipe is loosely adapted from Mario Batali's cookbook "Molto Italiano" and is in the style of a Lasagna al Forno.

Serves 6. Total cooking time about 2 1/2 - 3 hours (but worth every second, I swear!).

Ingredients
For the ragu
1 lb of Italian sausage, removed from the casting
4 oz of pancetta, finely diced
1/2 lbs of ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large rib of celery, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1/2 cup of tomato paste
12 oz of diced tomatoes in their juices
1/2 cup of whole milk
1/2 cup of water (or white wine)
1 tsp of fresh thyme
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

To make the ragu: pour about 1 Tbs olive oil in a large pot and heat on medium high. Add the diced onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and saute until translucent but not brown (about 5 minutes). Increase heat to high. Add the sausage, pancetta, and ground beef. Stir and break up clumps with your spoon until the meat is browned. Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, water (or wine), and milk. Stir well to incorporate. Add the thyme. Bring the mixture to a low boil and then cover and reduce heat. Let the ragu simmer, stirring occasionally, for about an hour and a half. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings by adding salt and pepper as needed.

For the bechamel sauce
5 Tbs of butter
1/4 cup of flour
3 cups of whole milk (2% may be substituted, but do not use skim)
grated nutmeg & salt to taste
2 Tbs of marscapone cheese

To make the bechamel: in a clean pot, melt the butter and wait until it bubbles/sizzles slightly. Add the flour and stir while it bubbles and sizzles to cook the roux. Add the milk, whisking vigorously to prevent lumps from forming. Cook the mixture over medium to medium-high heat until the sauce thickens and bubbles. Add grated nutmeg and salt to taste. Whisk in the marscapone.

For the noodles
1 package of dried Lasagna noodles
fresh parmigiano reggiano cheese (do NOT substitute pre-grated cheese!!!).

To cook the noodles: bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 4 lasagna noodles at a time, about 4 minutes each to par-cook.

To assemble the lasagna: layer the ragu, noodles, bechamel, and freshly grated parmigiano reggiano in a large, oven-safe casserole dish. Begin with a thin layer of ragu (enough to just cover the bottom of the dish). Layer noodles (one noodle thick) atop the ragu. Add another layer of ragu (a good, thick portion so that the noodles no longer show through.) Atop the ragu, add a layer of bechamel sauce. Atop the bechamel, add a layer of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and a sprinkle of sea salt. Repeat this process until the dish is nearly full. Be sure not to skimp on the layers of ragu and bechamel; the idea is to create a thick, gooey layer between each noodle. You should wind up with only about 3 layers of noodles. The final, top layer should be bechamel sauce with plenty of parmigiano grated atop it and sprinkled with sea salt.

Place the lasagna into a preheated 375 degree oven and cook until the dish is bubbling and the cheese on top is beginning to brown (about 45 minutes). Any exposed pasta edges should be crisp. After removing from the oven, let the lasagna rest about 10 minutes (if you can bear it). Serve with wine (to cut the richness) and a simple salad.

Bon Appetit!

World's Best Oven Fried Chicken - Butter Baste

Here is a cooking technique for the most awesome Fried Chicken without all the trouble, mess, labor intensity, and variability of quality finish that normal deep or pan frying involves. In fact, the coup de grace of the technique is a single, easy butter baste of the chicken in the last 10 minutes of the baking - it is YUM.

The preparation of the chicken is critical to world class chicken in any recipe. This oven fried chicken technique will be really great with straight out of the plastic wrap supermarket chicken pieces but not in the same class as the following Thomas Keller Ad Hoc Restaurant preparation technique. Three Days (or combine day 1 and 2 by starting early for a 2 day chicken) Elapsed for perfection. If you can't make the time go straight to the dredge and cook with skin on supermarket chicken pieces and it will still be really good.

Day 1
Step 1: Make brine and bring it to room temperature or lower:
Step 2: Buy and cut up whole chickens make Chicken stock from bones

Day 2
Step 3: Brine the chickens and reduce the chicken stock from 2 gallons to 1 cup
Step 4: Air dry the chicken pieces in the fridge overnight

Day 3
Step 5: Bring chicken to room temperature - dredge in flour mixture and buttermilk
Step 6: Bake and baste till perfect
Step 7: Serve and enjoy


Buy 2 whole, organic chickens - the smaller the better - under 4 lbs if possible. That day, wash them under the tap thoroughly and cut into 10 pieces each: 2 boneless breasts each cut in half, 2 wings, 2 thighs, 2 legs. Take the remaining carcass, wing tips, neck bones and make a chicken stock for the gravy.

Brine the 20 pieces of chicken in the following brine for 6 to no more than 12 hours (too salty if brined longer).

Brine recipe:
1 gallon cold water
1 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup honey
8 large or 12 small bay leaves1
head of garlic, smashed but not peeled
2 tablespoons black peppercorns not ground
1 small bunch of thyme
1 small bunch of parsley
3 small lemons cut in half

6 cloves of garlic cut in half

Preparation of brine: Brining
Combine 1 cup of water and all other ingredients including lemon rinds in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to combine all ingredients. Remove from heat to cool. To brining container add the birds (2 chickens cut into pieces, the 3 quarts of cold water, and the now cooled (can be fairly warm) contents of the saucepan. Make sure chicken is completely submerged. Refrigerate overnight -up to 12 hours.

Preparation for cooking: Tempering
After brining time is up drain and discard all liquid, wash off the chicken pieces under the tap, get rid of any herbs, etc sticking to bird. Use paper towels to dry and then refrigerate on a baking sheet overnight uncovered (or lightly covered with a dry kitchen towel). at least 2 and preferably 3 hours before cooking take out of fridge. You want the chicken at room temperature before it goes in the oven. It WILL NOT GO BAD - the salt and acid in the brine has totally sanitized the bird and even if unbrined it would not go bad rising to room temp over a couple of hours in any case. This is an important step to have tender moist chicken that is cooked thru properly.

Dredging and coating:

DREDGE INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
2 cups buttermilk
In a food processor combine the dry ingredients thoroughly. Divide the dry mix evenly between a paper or plastic bag and a bowl. shake the chicken pieces in the bag to coat well with the mixture. Shake off excess. Put the buttermilk in a large, shallow bowl. Working with a few pieces at a time, dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then dredge in the flour mixture bowl, pressing so it adheres all over. Transfer the chicken to 2 baking sheet s(rimmed to contain grease or make a rim from foil) lined with oiled (to prevent sticking) aluminum foil - skin side up. On one sheet put the breasts and wings on the other the legs and thighs.

Cooking:

melt 1 (or more if needed) stick of butter for basting and divide between 2 small bowls.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
When the oven is hot put the baking sheet with the thighs and legs on the rack in the top 3rd of the oven. After 15 minutes put the sheet with the breasts on the rack in the middle of the oven.
Bake for an additional 15 minutes. Open oven pull out each rack and baste the chicken pieces with half the butter. Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees - close the door and cook for 10 minutes until golden brown. Test internal temperature of thighs with in instant read thermometer - should be at least 160 (to 175) degrees in thickest part when done. Depending on your oven, internal temp should be well below that so you can turn the chicken over individually and baste the other side with the other half of the butter and cook for about 10 minutes till brown. check temperature often as it nears 170. If internal temp is not high enough but skin is crisp and brown turn off oven, turn the chicken skin side up, but leave chicken in for another few minutes (up to 15 or 20) to heat through without over-browning and drying out. Let chicken rest on counter, skin side up under more foil while making gravy.

Make Chicken Gravy:
Take your cup of greatly reduced chicken stock and put in a saucepan with 1 pint of heavy cream and salt and pepper to taste. Heat to boil and boil down by half to about 1 and a half cups.

To Serve:
Let chicken rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes after coming out of oven.
Serve with whatever sides you have prepared and pass the gravy for a light drizzle.

Quick Spring Dinners to Know and Love

With the spring semester wrapping up, summer coming on, and too many fun things to do to stay cooped up inside cooking all day, I have been turning increasingly often to pork tenderloin as my go-to dinner meat (every time I try to cook vegetarian, I end up with a hungry husband!).



Pork tenderloin is relatively inexpensive, can be treated with any number of quick spice rubs or marinades, cooks very rapidly (about 15 minutes, following the instructions below), and is always tender, juicy, and flavorful. What's not to love?

Usually, I take a nice long tenderloin and quickly rub it with spices (which result in a tasty crust on the meat after cooking) or marinate the meat for about 15-20 minutes. Consider these ideas:
Rubs:
1. 5 Spice Powder, a little cinnamon, and a touch of cardamon
2. Hot smoked Spanish paprika, a little garlic powder, and some salt
3. Dried oregano, dried basil, a touch of crush fennel, salt and pepper
Marinades:
1. Olive oil, crushed red pepper, crushed garlic cloves, lemon zest, salt & pepper

Once the meat is ready to go, I heat a good skillet (I use All Clad stainless steel - don't use non-stick as you want a crust to develop) over high heat with some oil (grapeseed or canola, for example). I add the meat (cutting into two sections if it is too long for the pan) and sear it until both sides are golden and crusty (a few minutes per side). Then I put the pan into a preheated oven (usually around 450 degrees). Continue to roast the meat until a thermometer registers about 130-135 degrees (you want some slight pinkness in the center of the meat).

Carefully remove the pan from the oven and put the meat on a cutting board. Cover loosely with foil and let rest a few minutes. While the meat rests you can make a little pan sauce to drizzle over it by adding some water to the hot cooking pan (If you use the marinade recipe above, add some fresh squeezed lemon juice instead). Scrap up the bits on the pan's bottom and reduce the sauce slightly. Don't burn your hand on the hot-hot handle!

Slice the meat into medallions and drizzle with the pan sauce.



Now that its spring, I like to serve the pork tenderloin with as many lovely fresh things as possible. Last night we had it with a saute of crimini mushrooms (though if your store has any morels in, go for those!), chopped up ramps (spring's glory! - pictured here), and fresh thyme (saute in olive oil with plenty of salt and pepper). I garnished the saute with a salad of raw, fresh pea shoots tossed with lemon juice and olive oil. It was fabulous!



Another good side dish idea is shaved brussel sprouts. You can either shave them incredibly thin, toss them with a lemon-mustard vinaigrette, a bit of shaved parm, and some salt and pepper (a lovely, surprising raw salad) or slice them thicker and saute them in olive oil with fresh spring peas from the pod, ramps, jalapenos, or any other delightful spring veggies you like!



Finally, for a bit of starch, there is no beating oven-roasted potatoes! Take some nice Yukon golds (beautiful right now) and cut them into wedges. Toss the wedges with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Set them on a baking sheet (make sure the slices are not touching each other) and roast at 450 degrees until golden brown and puffy. Serve these with an aoili (I prepare mine the lazy way by taking good quality mayo and mixing it with the spices of my choice: usually either smoked paprika, a touch of olive oil and lemon juice or roasted garlic with a touch of olive oil and lemon juice).

Enjoy!

Jeff's Birthday Dinner - Planning and Executing

So, today is Thursday and we have decided to have a Birthday Feast for Jeff on Saturday. Amy, Jeff, 3-4 friends, 2 babies, and Cindy and I will enjoy Lunch at noon followed by an 8 course Gourmet - totally awesome - Dinner starting around 4pm. Lunch will be a everything from scratch Pizza on my new awesome Viking Grill "Pizza Oven" which consists of an insulated BBQ capable of sustaining 800 degrees - with a 2 inch think sandstone pizza stone holding similar heat. Yum!

For the dinner Jeff and I discussed whether he wanted a traditional 3-4 course or a tasting menu - he opted for the latter. I then composed menu options for each course of an 7 course dinner. The format for such a meal is pretty consistent starting with an amuse bouche and sparking wine, followed by the light courses such as soup, salad. pastas, light casseroles, and fish. In selecting the options to be chosen from and their order of presentation a lot of thought is required. You must insure a harmonious flow of tastes, temperatures, and textures while allowing the chef some work flow conveniences. All of these light courses also compliment the lighter, usually white wine that can accompany them. You then flow courses to a heavier red with the later meat courses. Following the light courses come the meats, then dessert. Obviously portion control, the proper (tiny) dishes, proper garnishes, efficient utilization of ingredients, etc is required. Since everything in this type meal has to be as fresh, from scratch, and as "of the moment" as possible you have to think thru your mis en place, sequencing, conflicts on ovens, etc,

Having done a lot of these type meals I kind of know what I can execute really well and what are the risky approaches. Actual dishes are usually inspirations from restaurant meals, Miranda's cooking, cookbooks I love, imagination based on time of year, and finally things I have been wanting to do for a while. In any event for Jeff's event (Jeff is a very adventurous eater but is also a "super taster" which basically means things he doesn't like he HATES) I gave him several options for each course. As you will she from our shared document Jeff also understands what goes with what so he knows if he chooses a crab bisque he probably should not choose a next course of a crab salad.

Here is our exchange with Jeff's note in Red:

Jeff’s Birthday Dinner Menu
Wow, heavy dishes for an amuse no? Actually the asparagus sounds pretty good, less heavy than the fried stuff for an amuse.
Amuse Ideas
Asparagus wrapped in pepper and prosciutto
Deep Fried Gougers’
It’s hard to pass on the pea soup, that’s some incredible stuff. But I’m not sure I’ve had your crab bisque before. Both sound good and would be good after the asparagus. Chefs choice here, but I think crab bisque would be my choice.
Soup Ideas
Potato/corn chowder with bacon
Pea
Squash
Crab bisque en cruet
If we have crab bisque then we would need to go with option 2 here.
Salad Ideas
Arugula/orange/mango/crab
Vetri flan with arugula bacon salad
Is number 1 salmon? “Skin up potato crusted” what? With spot prawn dressing. Regardless, I choose number 1.
Fish Ideas
Skin up potato crusted with spot prawn million isle dressing
Salmon Picatta
Crab deconstructed ravioli with butter and crème fraise
There’s not really any pasta on here, so I’m going with Gnocchi. It’s a good fake pasta. You really want to make gnocchi, that’s hard!
Pork Ideas
Tenderloin roulade with Swiss chard wrap with potato puree
Vetri gnocchi with braised boneless pork en brown sage butter
Rib eye = awesome. The “pasta” is the gnocchi.
Beef Ideas
Rib eye frites with shallot wine sauce
Braised short rib with pasta

There is only one choice here, fortunately you have the right one!
Dessert Ideas
Grand Marnier Soufflés with (Valrhona) chocolate

Thinking thru that I made a menu as follows:

Jeff’s Birthday Dinner Menu
Amuse: Wine: Kir
Asparagus wrapped in roasted pepper and prosciutto (cold - crunch)

Soup: Wine: Eroica - Reisling
Crab Bisque en Cruet (hot velvet)














Salad: (we ate it before anyone got a picture - sorry)

Fish:
Skin-up Potato Crusted Sea Bass with Spot Prawn Bordetto w/Citrus “Million Island” Sauce (hot/cold - smooth/crunch)




Pork: Wine: Cote de Beaune
Marc Vetri’s Spinach Gnocchi with Braised Pork en Brown Sage Butter (hot- smooth)

Prime Rib Eye Steak Duck Fat Frites w/ Shallot Wine Sauce (hot- crunch, chewy)

Dessert:
Grand Marnier Soufflés with Melted Chocolate Heart w/Crème Anglaise (hot - smooth)

Crazy Good Banana Muffins

I just made these delicious dairy and soy free banana muffins, and simply had to share. I promise you won't miss the dairy in these, and my dairy and soy eating husband thought they were great.

The recipe for these muffins is a modification from the Food Network Kitchens' Banana Muffin recipe, and it's absolutely vital that you use very ripe bananas in order to ensure good flavor.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

If you're interested in more dairy and soy free tips, recipes, and information, check out my other blog http://www.dairyandsoyfreemom.blogspot.com/

Crazy Good Banana Muffins

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 cups smashed, very ripe bananas (about 4 to 6 bananas)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup plain rice milk
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a 12-muffin tin with muffin liners.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl; set aside.

Whisk the banana, oil, rice milk, eggs, salt, and vanilla in another bowl.
Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into the center; then stir with a wooden spoon until the dry ingredients are just moistened but still lumpy. Do not overmix the batter or your muffins will come out dense. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tin, filling each cup to the top.

Put the muffins in the oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking. (Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin to check if it is done. Toothpick should come out clean).

Cool muffins in the pan on a rack for a couple minutes. Turn the muffins out of the pan and cool on the rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Better Than "Better Than No Knead Bread" Recipe

I have been seriously making bread for about 18 months now and I think I have a pretty good handle on how it works now. I make some type of dough every few days - pizza, sandwich bread, rustic bread, flat bread, foccocia, rolls, boules - whatever strikes the fancy. I have discovered that lots of my friends also like to make bread and most of them are disciples (or perhaps slaves) of the Mark Bittman (NY Times)"Better than no knead bread" recipe. Obviously, as the name implies, no knead bread doesn't require kneading and thus is pretty easy and can be quite good as well.

I am a technique cook rather than a recipe cook so I am going to talk about how to make bread REALLY WELL rather than focus on a specific detail recipe. Mark Bittman's Recipe is fine to get started. Most of you have heard the statement that cooking is flexible and creative but Baking is a "science" where exact measurements are essential. While this is true, unfortunately, the exact measurements, and techniques, in a recipe are almost guaranteed to be the wrong scientifically because of large variance in the weight of a cup of flour, the potency of your yeast, the humidity and temperature of the air, the water temperature, etc. So, good dough is really an art and a matter of understanding what it should feel and look like.

So what are the ingredients in great bread (at least the type I am going to discuss here)?

Flour: Always use AP (all purpose) unbleached white flour. If you want "whole wheat bread" you have a large challenge to make it and not have a dense, heavy, unappetising bowling ball. My solution is to add some wheat germ to your white flour - you get the nutrition and the taste without giving up lightness. Bread flour also is generally too heavy for bread (ironically) made at home by hand.

Dry Yeast: Always use instant or quick rising yeast - never use regular yeast for anything (it is actually intentionally mutilated to reduce its potency which is why it has to be reconstituted by adding water and sitting around and waiting for it to activate - quick rising yeast is up to 10 times more active and is just added dry to the flour). Depending on what you are doing you use more or less yeast to get the result you want - great bread flavor and texture develops over time - more yest means quick rising which gives you easy, quick, predictable results that doesn't taste or bite as well as less yeast. Temperature also makes a huge difference - the higher the temperature up to 105 degrees the faster and higher the rise and the less flavorful and textural. Bread can be baked within 2 hours of mixing ingredients - but great bread requires starting a day or 2 ahead of when you want to eat it and/or using my secret ingredient.

Natural Yeast: Poolish, Bigga, Levain, Chef, Sponge Sourdough starter : Great bread always uses this magical ingredient. What is it? Basically, the various names relate to country of origin, amount of water in the mix and how it is stored. My technique, has refined over time to one I am now really happy with Basically, I have a Tupperware in the refrigerator with natural yeast in it - what is called by many a "sourdough starter". How do you get this magical ingredient? How much work is it? What if you don't make dough for a week or a month?

Basically, you start with a starter you buy or get from a friend or just by taking some dough you have made with instant rise yeast, add some extra water to make it like heavy pancake flour, throw it in the Tupperware and stick it in the fridge. The start either using it at least once a week. To use it you remove about 75% of it and add it to your next bread dough as the first ingredient. Add enough water and fresh flour to the Tupperware to bring it back up to original volume, stir it up and put it back in the fridge. Whether you get a starter or start with a instant quick rise yeast packet dough within a couple of weeks you will have a "natural yeast' starter that will continue to improve in flavor over time.

The refrigerated starter you use in your bread doesn't replace instant yeast, it adds to it and adds an unbelievably good flavor and texture to the bread. It is basically no work at all and it will raise the level of you bread completely.

Water: As I explained in my Post "How to Boil Water" this is a critical ingredient. I use well water but you could you Brita home filtered, bottled water, or good tap water that has set at room temperature for 24 hours (chlorine needs to dissipate or yeast is inhibited and taste is bad). The amount of water, in relation to flour, determines the texture, rise, and many other factors in your bread. More water is a lower loaf with more open texture - less a higher, denser loaf.

Salt: Kosher or Sel de Mer of course!. Never, ever, use table salt in bread or anything else. If you are following a recipe at least DOUBLE the amount of salt. I use at least a tablespoon, and up to 2 tablespoons per loaf. Salt is a critical flavor, and staleness prevention, element in bread. It stiffens the dough and inhibits yeast though so be sure NOT to add it to your Sourdough starter - that should merely be water, flour, and previous starter base. I also sprinkle coarse Sel De Mer over the top of the bread just before putting it into oven.

Olive Oil: I only use this in specialty breads except to coat the Le Cresuet pan. I will do another post of other types of bread.

Herbs de Provence: I almost always sprinkle liberally over the top of bread, with salt, before it goes in Oven.

Technique

1. The day before you want to bake take your starter out of the refrigerator and divide and feed it. What I do is leave about 1/2 cup of starter in the Tupperware, add a cup of flour and a cup of water and stir. Put back in fridge. The remaining starter I add to another Tupperware and add 2 cups flour and 2 cups water. Put the lid on and put on counter for a couple of hours to get going and then put in fridge till next day. This step takes less than 10 minutes work.

2. Morning I want to bake I take the 4 cup starter out of the fridge. I take my Le Creuset and add fresh water till it is bout 20% full. I put on stove for a minute or less to get water to somewhere under 100 degrees (use instant read or your finger "warm"). I then add the four cups of starter to this water and stir it up well. Note, if water is over 105 degrees you will instantly kill your starter which is not good.

3. Add flour to the pan, off stove of course, stirring it in with a big spoon until it will not stir any more - still wet but starting to not allow flour to stir in. Put some plastic wrap over pan and put lid on - Do something else for 20 minutes to an hour. this step is active time of maybe 15 minutes or less.

4. Come back and scrape the dough out of the pot onto the counter top. Sprinkle a half a packet of quick rising yeast and a tablespoon or 2 of slat over the surface of the dough. Using a pastry scraper, or spatula, start "folding" the dough over in all directions, adding flour as you fold. As the dough gets less sticky and more floury you can knead a bit with your hands continuing the fold and turn and fold. When the dough gets just not too sticky to handle stop adding flour and keep folding and turning. It will get more sticky again so add a little more flour - you just want to be on the edge of sticky surface. this process takes about 20 minutes.

5. Oil the Le Creusent with olive oil and put the dough in - put the lid on. Let the dough rise for a couple of hours until it has risen near the top of the pan. You can now sprinkle salt and herbs de provence on the top of the dough.

6. Preheat the oven with the Le Crueset lid in it to 450 degrees. When it is ready to do put the Le Creuset on top the stove over high heat for about 4-5 minutes to heat the heavy metal bottom of the pan, Put the Le Creuset in the oven, put the hot lid on it. Cook for 15 minutes and then remove the lid and lower the temperature of the oven to 375 and insert remote thermometer inserted in the bread. Cook about another 20 minutes until the internal temp of the bread is 200 to 210 degrees.

7. Turn the bread out of the pan onto a rack and let sit for at least an hour. If you cut it sooner the texture of the bread will suffer from the loss of steam/moisture.

8. Note day old bread is revived by heating it in the toaster or oven. SO even if making sandwiches for the lunch box toast the bread before you start. Also, bread MUST NOT BE STORED IN REFRIGERATOR or in plastic bags - it will spoil and lose all texture and flavor. Just keep on counter or in an open paper bag. The reason Mass produced bread stays "fresh" in the oven is that it is saturated with additives and chemicals that you don't even want to think about. Real bread is good on the counter for several days if revived for use.

Murray's Mom's Meat Balls - Pair with Miranda's Sauce

I love Miranda's recipe for Spaghetti and meat sauce - especially the tomato sauce. However I am a MEATBALL person since I was introduced by Amy to our joint friend Murray's Mother's Meatball Recipe. The recipe and technique follows and it makes enough to pair with 3 of Miranda's dinners. Just pop the meatballs out of the freezer and drop into the sauce where Miranda calls for adding the meat back - or if you are like me keep all of Miranda's recipe including the meat and add the meatballs TOO!
Murray's recipe and notes:
- 3 lbs ground beef
- 1/3 cup minced onion (if dried or 1 medium onion minced if fresh)
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp salt
- pepper to taste
- garlic powder (or fresh, minced) and whatever herbs you'd like (my mom uses garlic powder (a tsp or 2) and dried oregano usually (~1 tblsp? crushed a bit in your hand))



Mix wet ingredients. Add bread crumbs, mix. Add onion + seasonings, mix. Mix in meat (probably with hands). Form balls. Steve's Note: critical to have the meatballs as "airy" as possible - as you mix keep as loose as possible and don't compress the meatballs when you form them.


Bake in 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes (depending on size of meat balls, my mom usually goes for golf-ball sized). Bake on a rimmed cookie sheet (to catch the grease). If you have an old, beat up rimmed cookie sheet, use that. If you have a nice cookie sheet, line with foil. The meat balls tend to leave dark marks on the cookie sheet. Drain (if needed) on a paper towel. They might get slightly smokey in the oven, be sure to have the fan on.


Or you could brown them in a pan, but the baking method (according to my mom) gives a less greasy meat ball and goes faster since they all cook at once.


They freeze really well just in a freezer bag with one meal's worth. I don't know how long, several months at least. I defrost them in the microwave until they are warmish, then throw them in a pot with the tomato sauce to warm up the rest of the way.

From Miranda's Kitchen: Sunday Spaghetti

An hour and a half of your time on a Sunday afternoon turns out this rich, hearty sauce - great for dinner that night or to be reheated with freshly boiled pasta during your busy week ahead. Leave the canned sauce behind forever!

Sunday Spaghetti
Serves 4 (plus leftovers)

Ingredients:
1 28 ounce can of whole, peeled San Marzano Italian tomatoes
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 fresh Roma tomato (finely diced)
1 lb high quality ground beef (grass-fed is the most flavorful)
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and finely diced
2 tsp dried oregano (the fresher, the better)
1 tsp dried basil (again, fresh is best)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 slices of bacon, cut into lardons
3 dried red chilies
Olive oil
Salt


Instructions:
Heat a large saucepot on the stove over medium-high heat. Immediately add the lardons, stirring occasionally as they heat, render their fat, and begin to crisp. Once crisp, remove the lardons from the pot, but leave their rendered fat behind.

Shred the dried chilies and add them to the hot bacon fat (be careful not to burn them) and stir for about 30 seconds. Add 1 Tbs of olive oil and then the diced onion. Stir to combine and then add the dried herbs and garlic powder. Stir this mixture occasionally over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 3 minutes.

Remove the onion and spice mixture from the pan and reserve in a bowl. Add another Tbs of olive oil to the pan and add the ground beef, along with about 2 tsp of kosher salt. Cook the beef, stirring and breaking up the clumps, until it is fragrant and beginning to lose its pink color (the beef should still be pink in the center when you remove it from the pan). Remove the beef from the pan and add it to the reserved onion mixture. Leave the oil and beef juices behind and let them reduce slightly over high heat.

Add the tomato paste to the beef juices and oils. Stir vigorously and then add the finely diced fresh Roma tomato - cook until the tomato is reduced to a paste.

Meanwhile, open the can of San Marzano tomatoes and separate the tomatoes from the sauce. Roughly chop the tomatoes on a cutting board into smaller pieces. After the fresh Roma tomato has reduced to a paste-like consistency, add the chopped canned tomatoes along with their sauce. Stir and bring the tomato mixture to a low but steady boil. Cover the pot and let it cook (stirring occasionally) for about 15 minutes.

After the tomato mixture has reduced and combined, add the beef, onion and spice mixture, and reserved bacon. Pour about a cup of water into the tomato can to capture any sauce clinging to the side and pour this into the pot. Stir to combine and reduce heat to medium low. Cover the pot and let the sauce simmer for at least 30 minutes. Add more water as needed if the sauce becomes too dry. Stir every 5 minutes or so.

Now taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Salt will definitely be needed. If the mixture tastes too acidic or sharp, add a pinch of sugar and some more garlic powder. If it tastes too sweet, consider adding more salt, pepper, and a dash of red wine or balsamic vinegar (just a *touch* - too much and you'll ruin it irrevocably). Remember, you can always continue to add seasonings, but you can't ever really take them away, so season gradually, stir often (sometimes the saltiest sauce is at the bottom of the pot), and taste often.

Once the sauce is ready, bring cold, heavily salted water to a boil in a large pot (see Steve's Cooking Techniques on boiling water). Add the pasta of your choice (traditional spaghetti is always a good route, but you can use penne, rigatoni, fusili, or fettucini too).

I like to serve this by spooning a big pile of sauce on top of the cooked noodles in a pasta bowl. I add a drizzle of olive oil and a grind of fresh pepper. You can also shave some fresh parmesan on top. Another variation is to add a bit of cream to the sauce near the end of cooking to make it a little richer.

And, of course, eat with lots of red wine in a big glass!

Bon Appetit!

From Miranda's Kitchen: Spicy Fried Pork Chops

Spicy Fried Pork Chops

serves 2

I was blessed with the inspiration for this dish when I was visiting my sister and her husband in Seattle over the holidays. I wanted to make Salt Baked Shrimp for dinner, but Amy is no fan of our sea-dwelling friends. So, I though...hmmm, could I adapt this recipe with everyone's favorite animal - the pig? I gave it a whirl, with awesome results! The cornstarch makes the perfect light, crispy crust and the jalapenos infuse the meat with flavor...and heat!

Ingredients
2 Pork Rib Chops (important to use the fattiest chops from the rib), pounded thin
2 fresh jalapenos
2-3 Tbs cornstarch
2-3 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Canola oil

Instructions
Pound the pork chops thin (particularly if they are very thick chops) - they should be around 1/2" thick. Divide the salt between the two chops and rub it into the flesh on both sides. Season liberally with freshly ground pepper. Let the chops sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Divide the cornstarch between the two chops and dredge them on both sides so they are well coated (shake off any excess). Roughly chop the jalapenos (if you don't want this too spicy, you can remove some of the seeds and white pith, but don't take it all away...this is also where the flavor is!).

In a large, heavy cast iron skillet (preferably a coated Le Creuset or something similar) heat enough canola oil to completely coat the entire bottom of the pan. Heat the oil until it is very hot, just below the smoke point (you may want to turn on the exhaust fan). Add about 1/4 of the chopped jalapenos and saute them quickly. When the jalapenos begin to brown, remove them from the pan and discard. Then add the chops. Sear them on one side until they are dark brown and very crusty. Adjust the heat as needed to keep them from burning but don't turn it too low (not below medium-high). Depending on your stove, the thickness of the chops, and the pan you are using, this will take anywhere from 3-7 minutes. Try not to disturb the chops for at least the first 3 minutes (they more you move them, the less they'll brown). Once they are dark golden brown, flip them over and cook them on the other side. Keep the temperature high. The interior of the chop should remain slightly pink (it should register 135 degrees on your meat thermometer). In the final minute of cooking, add the remaining jalapenos and saute. Serve the chops hot with jalapenos scattered on and around them.

This dish is great accompanied with oven roasted Yukon Gold potatoes (seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and roasted in wedges at about 375 degrees) served with a spicy aioli (think a roasted garlic aioli or a spanish paprika aioli). If you must sully the meat-and-potatoes gluttony with green veggies, a nice salad, steamed green beans, or the like would be good.

Bon Appetit!

Hearty breakfast that's simple, easy, and oh so good!

I'm a busy mom, who just started back to work after maternity leave. I don't have time to spend a lot of energy in the kitchen in the morning, and I need a breakfast that's fast, easy, tasty, and good for me. Recently, I did some Web browsing in search of something that would fit the above requirements. Thanks to a genius named Tracy, who posted a recipe on www.allrecipes.com, I was able to find the perfect breakfast fare...with some tweaking and revisions, of course!

The beauty of this recipe is that you whip it together the night before, stash it in the fridge overnight, and toss it in the oven for 35 min. while you're showering and dressing in the morning. It's great when you have company (just tried it with the in-laws over the holidays), and it heats up beautifully for a snack or a second day on the breakfast table. The other great thing about this recipe is that it's totally customizable (I can't have dairy, but rice milk subs wonderfully, and you can use whatever fruit you like. Walnuts would be a great addition as well, unless you have a husband that hates them, like me :).

So without further ado, here is my take on lovely Tracy's baked oatmeal.....

Baked Oatmeal with Fruit

Prep time: 10 min. (the night before)
Bake time: 35 min. (the next morning)

Ingredients:
1/2 c. vegetable oil (or apple sauce)
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. milk (or soy or rice milk)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T baking powder
3 c. quick cooking oats
1/2 c. fresh or frozen fruit of your choice (blueberries, raspberries, peaches, etc.)
1 apple, grated (no need to peel)
1-2 generous dashes cinnamon

Mix the oil and sugar in a bowl. Add the eggs, milk, salt, and baking powder, and mix well. Add the oats. Add the fruit, grated apple, and cinnamon. Mix. Pour into a square pyrex pan or pie pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the oatmeal, uncovered for ~35 min, or until it's slightly brown around the edges and soft/firm to the touch in the center.

To serve, cut or spoon a portion into a bowl and pour warm milk (soy or rice milk) over the top. Note that Jeff likes it dry (without the milk). So you could try that too!

Hope you enjoy this, and find it as easy as I do! Happy eating!

Even Better Scrambled Eggs

I moved Miranda's Blog on her perfect scrambled eggs forward because I was reading Patrica Wells Paris cookbook the other day and saw a couple of techniques for perfect scrambled eggs that immediately brought Miranda's recipe to my mind. I have enjoyed Miranda's eggs and they are GREAT. However, as soon as I read Patrica Wells recipe I knew there were some wonderful technique options worth passing along. First, Patrica suggests passing the raw eggs after beating through a fine mesh sieve to create an incredible smooth and silky egg. If you have read my blog on "tools of refinement" the Tamis or fine mesh sieve you will know why I knew this was an elevating and easy improvement. The second option that Patrica suggests is cooking the eggs very slowly over medium low heat for about 10 minutes over a water bath while stirring Ala Miranda. This technique which is used for many delicate items allows for infinite control of the doneness of the egg (or custard, chocolate or whatever you are cooking) that prevents the very easy mistake of overheating or overcooking the delicate ingredient. So if you had trouble with Miranda's recipe because of problems of overcooking try this technique and you will become an instant better cook. this technique also allow for incorporation of some truffle oil or creme fraiche (sacrilege per Miranda) if you want to adulterate the whole recipe Miranda is proposing.