Let's Make. . . Bucatini Carbonara

A few perfect ingredients!


This is a super quick, really satisfying meal. Ingredients are very important here because there are so few. . .farm fresh eggs, the best pasta you can get your hands on and excellent bacon or pancetta are key. Also, the cheese is key as well. Best ingredients, 15 minutes to prepare and probably one of the best dishes ever. This is Marcella Hazan's recipe which I think is the best recipe. No cream, no peas, no f'ing around. . straight up delicious.

Bucatini Carbonara

1/2 lb. pancetta or bacon, cut into 1/4 inch strips (I like to use Nueske's bacon)
4 garlic cloves
3 T. olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 large eggs
2 egg yolks*
1/4 cup freshly grated romano cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated pamigiano-reggiano
freshly ground black pepper
2 T. chopped Italian parsley
1 1/4 lbs. pasta - Marcella says it must be spaghetti but I like to make it with Phoenix Pasta's bucatini

Smash the garlic cloves, remove the skins and leave whole but smashed. Heat the olive oil, add the garlic and saute until the garlic is dark golden. Remove the garlic and discard it. Add the pancetta or bacon to the garlic scented oil and cook until they start to crisp around the edges (I cook it longer. .until it's crispy - I prefer it that way). Add the white wine to the bacon and cook for 2 minutes or until the alcohol smells burned off, turn off the heat.
In the same bowl you're going to add the pasta, combine the eggs, yolks*, cheeses, a VERY generous grinding of black pepper and parsley. Whisk well. Cook the pasta in well salted water to taste - I like my a little beyond al dente. Right before the pasta is done, heat the bacon mixture on high until very hot. Drain the pasta and immediately add the hot pasta to the cheese/egg mixture. Toss quickly and then add the hot bacon. Toss again and serve immediately with extra cheese and a pepper grinder handy.

* the extra yolks are my own idea. . the original recipe simply calls for the two eggs.


Delicioso!

Let's Make. . . Chile Verde

Chile Verde is one of my favorite Mexican stews. . .slow braised pork nestled in a roasted tomatillo sauce. . what could be better? Years and years ago, when recipe boards were a novel idea, someone asked for a recipe for chile verde. I posted one, adding the pinch of sugar my abuelita always added. That caused a riot of sorts. . .suddenly the recipe was not "authentic" because true chile verde or even salsa tomatillo would NEVER have sugar in it. Well, perhaps these people knew more than me or my grandmother but this is HER recipe and to me, it's authentic, sugar and all!

Chile Verde

3 lbs pork meat, butt or shoulder (I like butt *chortle*), trimmed, cut into 2" cubes
4 tablespoons olive oil or freshly rendered pork lard
2 lbs tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1/2 white onion, whole
3-4 green onions, white and green parts (remove roots after roasting)
2-3 poblano chiles
2 jalapenos (or more depending how spicy you like your food)
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 bunch of cilantro
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground toasted cumin
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or water
salt, pepper and a big pinch of sugar

Char is IMPORTANT!

Heat a comal, griddle or broiler and toast/roast the chiles, onion (flesh side down), garlic cloves (in husks) and tomatillos. Place the chiles in a plasic bag or bowl covered with plastic and let steam to loosen skin. Remove chile skins. Peel the toasted garlic and place the tomatillos, onions, chiles, garlic and cilantro in a blender and blend until you have a somewhat smooth puree. Set aside.

Don't overcrowd the meat to get a nice even brown!

Season the meat well with salt and pepper, brown meat cubes, doing so in batches so the meat browns nicely. Remove meat, set aside.



Be careful of splatters!

Turn the heat up and add the tomatillo salsa to the pot, it will splatter so use caution. Heat and reduce by 1/3. Add the meat, cumin, oregan, sugar, salt & pepper and the stock or water. Return to a low simmer and cook until the meat is fork tender - about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning.

Serve with warm tortillas, rice, beans and avocado.

Let's Make. . . Rice (uh, what?)

The Culprit

I don't really believe in psychotherapy. The whole "tell me about your parents" thing doesn't really make sense to me. While you might be influenced by your parents, eventually you reach an age and awareness where you have free will to make your own decisions. At some point, it's not mommy and daddy's fault you're f'd up, it's your own. The one thing I will plant firmly on my mom's shoulders is my obsession with good rice. You see, mom was a convenience cook. Betty Crocker Au Gratin Potatoes (heck, I used to like to eat the little potato wafers...like a giant super crispy weird ass potato chip), Bag N' Season Pot Roast (it's nubby, weird reconstituted green and red peppers and thin sauce), Pork Chops cooked in Lipton's Onion Soup Mix, Company Chicken made with Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup. . . all those I can live with. . in fact, sometimes I crave those things something fierce - especially Company Chicken. But one thing I never could get past was the dread MINUTE RICE. Sweet Mary Mother of Jesus, I hate that stuff. Reconstituted rice from which all texture and flavor has been removed. It wasn't until I was in 3rd grade that I learned the true delights of rice. I went to my friend Feli's house and her mom served chicken adobo over rice. It was a complete revelation for me. Feli's family was Filipino and like any good Filipino family they had a giant rice cooker from which scoops of steaming hot rice emerged. . .rice actually smelled good. It actually had texture and flavor. Oh my!

Being as I came from a non-real rice household, I had a hard time learning how to cook rice. I got all kinds of advice. .. get a rice cooker (um, no, not in my house . . . I was the only one so rice obsessed) measure the rice, cover it with enough water to come up to the first knuckle of your pinkie finger (index finger, pointer finger, etc. etc.). . . being as I have smaller than average hands, that never worked for me. Boil the rice in the water, turn it down and simmer for 15 minutes. Boil the water, add the rice, cover, boil for five minutes, take off heat and let rest for 15 minutes. .. a million different ways but none of them consistently gave me good rice. One day it dawned on me to read the package. .. uh, yeah...for long grain white rice it's two to one. . two parts liquid to one part rice. Boil the water, add the rice, cover tightly and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, let rest five minutes, fluff with fork. Et voila - perfect rice. I always add a dash of salt and sometimes a little nub of butter but that's pretty much it. Same for a rice pilaf, saute the rice with whatever aromatics you're going to use but the liquid/rice ratio stays the same. Perfect rice every time. Or I guess I should say perfect REAL rice every time. I am partial to Mahatma extra long grain white rice. . .sometimes I just eat it plain with butter or soy sauce just 'cause I can.

Perfect Long Grain White Rice

2 cups water (or chicken broth)
1 cup long grain white rice (I love Mahatma)
pinch of salt
nub of butter (optional)

Boil the water in a small pan with a tight fitting lid. Add rice, salt and butter, if using, and stir to combine. Bring the water back to a simmer, cover, put on lowest heat possible and cook, undisturbed (that means DO NOT lift that lid!) for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, let rest for five minutes. . fluff with fork (or alternatively, just eat by the forkful out of the pot!)

Leftover Boeuf Bourguignonne over plain ol' delicious white rice!

Let's Make. . . Beef Bourguignonne

I have long planned on making this on the day that I go see the new Julie and Julia movie - little did I know what a big part this dish plays in the movie! Julia Child has always been an icon to me. There is a thread on Chowhound asking about people's "favorite Julia Child" moment and this is what I wrote, I wrote it off the cuff without thinking too much about it - it is straight from the heart:

"I know many, many people talk about how Julia influenced them and it's true for me as well. Julia came on PBS in the afternoon when I awoke from my nap and I loved her. . my mom would sit me in front of the television and I would watch, mesmerized by her - I loved her voice. When I was 14 years old I started to cook my way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking. To me, it was the greatest form of self-expression. It built my confidence and taught me what a pleasure it is to feed people food that your hands have created. When I wanted to go to cooking school after high school, I was told that I was "too smart" to be a cook. So I shelved those dreams for a while, all the while cooking out of Julia's books - Baking with Julia and Julia's Master Chef series. She was always so close to my heart. I finally went to cooking school later in life and actually met Julia Child once. She was doing a book signing with Jacques for their new book and I swear to god, for me, it was like meeting the Beatles! I was shaking and teary-eyed and as sweet and charming as Jacques was, I only had eyes for Julia. She looked me in the eye, asked my name, signed my book and then took my hand and it was electric. . . it's as though she instinctively knew how much she meant to me and she smiled. I tell you now, I almost fainted. I was working as an executive pastry chef at a vineyard in the middle of nowhere on August 13th 2004 - 18 hour day in an off-site kitchen that was very isolated. As I got in my car to drive home, I had many hang ups on my cellphone voice-mail. Weird. I was heading home - my commute was an hour. I turned on NPR and there was the dulcet tones of my beloved Julia. I was so happy and thought that they were doing a show about her since her birthday was coming up. Then they announced her death. I had to pull over and cry. And cry. And cry. The hang ups were loved ones trying to reach me to tell me about her death - not wanting to leave it on voice-mail to upset me. She left an indelible mark on my life and I just adored her."

As with almost every recipe I have ever made, I make the recipe as it is written and once I've made the recipe once, I kind of do my own thing from then on. As much as I adore Ms. Child I will say that the recipe layout of Mastering the Art of French Cooking is clunky and hard to follow. You have to keep in mind that when the book was published, it was groundbreaking and the layout best guides a cook new to a cuisine through the steps necessary to accomplish the correct results. There are points in some recipes where I actually question why I would have to do them. . . in the end, trust Julia. . .she was thorough and the recipes are meticulously tested and if you follow them, you will get good results. The following recipe is 75% Julia and 25% me. Two points that I have found imperative to perfect results are drying the meat well and roasting the meat/vegetables/flour to achieve the proper depth of flavor.


Boeuf a la Bourguignonne Julia/Lainie

1 lb. thick sliced bacon, cut into 1/2 inch lardons
4 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into 2-inch cubes
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 yellow onions, diced
1/4 cup flour
1 750ml bottle red wine, Burgundy or any other robust red
4 cups beef stock (avoid canned if at all possible, if not, use low sodium)
1 T. tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
bouquet garni consisting of two bay leaves, one sprig of rosemary, 1 sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns and 2 sprigs of fresh parsley

2 lbs. mushrooms, quartered

Preheat the oven to 450F.

Prepare a bouquet garni by wrapping the herbs and peppercorns in cheesecloth and tying it with butcher's twine.Roll it up into a tight bundle.

Pretty!

Heat a large dutch oven, add bacon and cook until the bacon is fairly crispy.
Mmmmm, bacon!

Remove the bacon from the pan and ladle out about 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Set aside. And by aside, I mean move the bacon out of your reach or it's entirely possible to end up with less bacon then you need due to cook consumption. Ahem.

Dry the meat thoroughly - you can use paper towels but I have had great results with the lint-less bar mops I use in my kitchen.

Place a few pieces on a cutting board and season well - you want to do this step right before you add the meat to the pot - this is important. Add a small amount of olive oil to the bacon fat and heat until the the fat is almost smoking.

Add seasoned pieces of meat to the pot, being very careful not to crowd the meat. Leave it alone.

Let it brown well and when little dots of blood start to rise to the surface of the meat, turn the pieces and thoroughly brown the other side. Remove meat to a sheet pan and repeat the process until all the meat is browned. properly caramelized meat - lots of flavor up in there!

Add the onion and carrot to the hot pan and saute until the pan is deglazed of all the lovely brown bits.

Pour out any extra fat, leaving the vegetables in the pot. Take half the bacon and add that and the browned beef to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle the flour over the meat and toss until all the meat is coated with flour.

Place in the oven and roast for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss the meat around to expose new pieces to the direct heat and roast again for 5 more minutes.crusty!

Remove the pot from the oven and reduce the heat for 325F.

Stir the wine, stock, tomato paste, garlic, and bouquet garni.send the bouquet garni to it's winy grave.

Bring to a simmer atop the stove, cover and place in the oven. Regulate the heat so that the liquid barely simmers and cook for 2 1/2 to three hours until the meat is very tender when poked with a fork.* done!

Towards the end of the cooking time, prepare the mushrooms: Heat up the reserved bacon fat in a very large, heavy pan. When it's almost smoking, add butter and quickly add the mushrooms - doing it in batches if necessary to prevent overcrowding - maintain the heat on high and saute, the mushrooms should be sizzling. Season with salt and pepper. The mushrooms will give off liquid but the pan should be hot enough to reduce the liquid almost immediately - cook until the mushrooms are well browned and dry.no liquid left!

Add the remaining bacon and a handful of parsley. mmmmm bacon and mushrooms!


When the stew is done, remove the bouquet garni. thanks for all that flavor!

Pour the stew into a sieve set over a bowl.First time I did this, I forgot the bowl. :(

Pick out the pieces of carrot and discard (Julia does not do this, but I cannot stand mushy carrots so I pick them out - they've done their job flavoring the sauce). Put the meat aside and pour the sauce into the pot, skim any visible fat and reduce until you achieve a thick sauce so that when you run your finger across a wooden spoon your finger leaves a trail that does not close.Nappe!


Season the sauce and add the meat back to it, delicately napping the sauce over the meat. Place on a large serving platter and top with mushroom/bacon mixture. I am taking this to a friend's house so it stays in this and can be heated in the oven as is.

*if you can stand it, this stew is better the next day so you can cook it to that step and refrigerate overnight and finish the remaining steps the next day.

I like to serve this with pan roasted baby potatoes:

Pan Roasted Potatoes

1 lb. small red potatoes
1 lb. small yellow potatoes
1 stick butter
salt & pepper
handful parsley, chopped

Cook the each kind of potatoes seperately in highly salted water until they are tender. Remove from water and let cool on a sheet pan.


In a heavy pan, melt the butter until it's bubbling. Add potatoes to butter and turn heat to high. Shake the pan to roll the potatoes in butter and season well with salt and pepper.

Do this in batches if necessary so the potatoes are always in contact with the pan and wipe pan between batches, starting with fresh butter each time - cook until they are sizzling hot and the skins are crispy. When all the potatoes are cooked, toss with parsley.

Let's Make. . . Fruit & Oatmeal Sundae

Now you might be grumbling about how this cannot be dinner. . .it might not be dinner to you, but it is my dinner more often than I care to admit. At work, we have family meal at 2pm. When I have the time to participate in family meal, I am usually left quite full for the rest of the day because they like to throw down the culinary gauntlet. At about 8pm, I get a little hungry. Since I get up so early everyday, eating a big meal is not an option and I don't like cold cereal. I have hated oatmeal all my life until I took it upon myself to figure out a way to prepare it so I could find it at least palatable. What I realized is that all I had been exposed to was either quick cooking oatmeal, which has no texture or gluey overcooked oatmeal reminiscent of wall paper paste. The way I cook it now leaves me with a drier (as in not pasty) but tender cereal with a slight al dente texture. I have quite the sweet tooth in the evening so this is my alternative to eating something bad for me - such as a bowl of ice cream. That's why I call it a sundae - you know, to psyche myself out. In the end, the contrast between the warm oatmeal, creamy greek yogurt and sweet fruit is completely satisfying.


Fruit & Oatmeal Psyche Out Sundae

3/4 cup thick-cut organic oatmeal (I get mine at The Food Mill)
1 1/2 cup vanilla soy, rice or almond milk
pinch of salt
1 4 oz. container Fage 2% Greek Yogurt
Fruit of choice - in the picture I have white nectarine, mariposa plum & blueberries
Honey or I really like raw dark agave - it has a lovely almost smoky element.

Combine the oatmeal, milk and salt in a saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer until all the bubbles have gone and the mixture looks somewhat dry, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, set aside, covered, to steam and allow the oatmeal to absorb the extra liquid. Place hot cereal in a deep bowl, top with yogurt, drizzle with honey or agave and top with fruit.

Let's Make. . . Twice Baked Potatoes

There is an Italian cookie called Brutti Ma Buoni. . .translation: ugly but good. These could be called that as well. . they ain't pretty but they are really delicious. This is a super basic recipe that is completely open to interpretation. Potatoes are a chameleon of the cooking world, they sort of take on whatever flavor you want to throw at them. I think of this version as quintessentially American. But you could make them with ground chicken or turkey browned with a little chorizo, pepper jack, roasted zucchini. . .for a Tex-Mex profile. You could roast a ton of your favorite vegetables, mix them with herbs and top them with goat cheese. You could use ground lamb, Greek oregano, roasted eggplant and feta for a Greek flavor profile. The possibilities are endless. This isn't fancy food but it's sort of soulful and it's definitely tasty. The pictures here are for a large batch I made for Tim to take on the road with him. They keep well and can be popped in a microwave to heat up. . . I personally do not believe in microwaves but I am told they exist. I did a whole photo essay but even just editing them almost put me to sleep. . the steps are basic and boring but the result are delicious.

Twice Baked Potatoes
4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 lb. ground beef
1 stick butter
2 bunches of scallions, thinly sliced white and green parts
1 jalapeno, minced - remove the seeds and ribs if you don't want too much spice
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped
4 oz of cream cheese - I use the lower fat neufchatel with good results
3 oz. of sour cream or greek yogurt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 bunch broccoli, steamed to your liking
Sharp cheddar cheese, thickly sliced

Bake the potatoes at 375 for two hours. . . you want them to be completely tender (btw, I do not poke my potatoes to bake them. . I find they come out fluffier if they don't lose any steam - I haven't had a any exploding potatoes). Set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, brown the meat, seasoning with salt and pepper. Once it's completely cooked, set it in a colander to drain well. Once the potatoes are cool enough for you to handle, split down the middle. Scoop the warm potato pulp into a large bowl, leaving behind 1/8 of an inch of potato in the skin. You are going to use all the potato pulp but only six of the potato skins so pick the best ones and discard two. In the same pan you cooked the meat in, melt the butter. Brush the inside of the potato skins with melted butter and season the skins with salt and pepper. Heat the butter to bubbling and add the scallions and jalapeno. Cook until the scallions are tender then add the garlic and saute for about two minutes. Tip the scallion mixture, butter and all into the bowl of potato pulp. Add the cream cheese, sour cream and Parmesan with some salt and pepper and mash all together being careful not to over do it or you'll end up with a gluey mass. Adjust seasoning. Fold in the meat, then fold in the broccoli. Stuff the potato skins with the potato mixture making sure to pack it in well. Place a thick slice of sharp cheddar cheese atop the potato and bake at 350F until heated through and the cheese is melted, about 1/2 an hour. Serve with a nice green salad.

Let's Make . . . Roasted Vegetable Fideos with Swiss Chard

How to explain fideo. . . first of all it's a sopa seca, which in Spanish means literally means "soup dry" or dry soup. It's pure simple comfort. I've seen it referred to as a casserole on the interwebz but I would liken it more to a Mexican style pasta pilaf. No matter, in the end you'll just call it delicious!
look at that chicken stock!


Roasted Vegetable Fideos with Swiss Chard

4 ripe tomatoes, stemmed and halved

1 white onion, 1/2 whole, 1/2 diced finely

8 cloves garlic

2 jalapenos, split

1 large carrot, peeled and diced in 1/4 inch pieces

1 green zucchini, diced in 1/4 inch pieces

1 yellow zucchini, diced in 1/4 inch pieces

1 bunch swiss chard, stemmed and cut into 1/2 inch chiffonade

garlic olive oil*

olive oil

1 7-oz. bag fideo

4 cups chicken stock (homemade if at all possible)

1/2 bunch cilantro

avocado slices, crema, cotija cheese (or parmesan)

* Garlic Olive Oil
2 cups olive oil
10 garlic cloves, chopped finely
heat olive oil until hot. Place garlic into a heatproof container and pour olive oil over garlic, stir and let cool. Garlic will settle to the bottom. Spoon olive oil from the top. Store in refrigerator for up to one week.

Place fideo in a single layer on a baking pan and low (275F) until nicely toasted. Set aside. (you can fry the noodles but I like it better toasted in the oven.)

untoasty
toasty!


Place the tomatoes, onion and jalapenos cut side down and roast on high until bubbling. Add the garlic cloves at this point and continue to roast until tomatoes, onion and jalapenos are caramelized.
roasty!

Let cool and puree in a blender until smooth.


Toss carrots with garlic oil, season with salt and pepper, roast until tender, about 20 minutes. Toss the zucchini with garlic oil, salt and pepper and roast (making sure they are not too close together) until tender, about 10 minutes or until tender.
Heat some garlic oil in a heavy bottomed pot. Add swiss chard, salt and pepper and saute until tender. Remove from pot, set aside and wipe out the pot. Heat olive oil in the pot and add diced onion. Saute until translucent. Turn heat to high and add fideo, stirring and coating evenly with oil. Fry until noodles darken.

more toasty!

Add tomato puree and stir until noodles soften and puree thickens.

ready for the stock!



Add chicken stock and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. The noodles will absorb the stock.

ready for the vegetables!

When there is barely any stock left, add the roasted veggies and swiss chard, distributing veggies gently. Add cilantro and adjust seasoning as needed. Let rest, uncovered for 10 minutes - the noodles will absorb the stock.
perfect!

At this point some cooks stir in crema and queso cotija. I like it simply dressed with fresh cilantro and cool avocado slices.

Looks like dinner!

Let's Make . . . my favorite simple pasta

When I say this is my favorite simple pasta dinner, I have to add that modifier because my favorite pasta is Spaghetti Bolognese which is not, in any way, a simple pasta. This one though. . this is a taste of summer. .. fresh basil, lemons, good fruity olive oil. It can be made in 12 minutes. . .it'd be shorter is the pasta cooked faster!

Five Simple Ingredients!


Spaghetti al Limone

8 oz. spaghetti (I like to use Rustichella)
juice of 2 lemons (half regular/half meyer if they're available)
2/3 cup olive oil (nice, green and fruity)
1 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
salt and pepper
Lemon zest from one lemon
1 cup of fresh basil leaves

Heat a generous amount of water, season like the sea with kosher salt. When the water is boiling vigorously, add the pasta.
While the pasta cooks, hand tear the basil leaves into a small bowl and add the lemon zest to the basil. Drain the spaghetti once it's cooked to your liking and return it to the warm cooking pot. Whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice until it's lightly emulsified. Whisk in the parmiggiano - it will become somewhat creamy. Season with salt and lots of freshly ground pepper and toss with the pasta until all the pasta is coated. Add the basil and lemon zest, toss well and adjust seasoning if needed. . at this point you might want to add a small pinch of red pepper flake - this is how I like it but the person who taught me how to make this says it "compromises" the integrity of the dish. I won't tell if you don't! :) Also remarkably good with this pasta is roasted prawns added as a condiment.

Simple and utterly delicious!

Let's make . . . a dinner out of leftovers

So yesterday was my mom's meatloaf birthday dinner. My favorite thing about having meatloaf for dinner is the leftovers. I love nothing better than a meatloaf sandwich. Cold meatloaf, thinly sliced on homemade white bread with homemade mayonnaise. Yes, please!

Here is a recipe for my favorite simple loaf of white bread. It's as quick and easy as a yeasted bread can be - great flavor, great crumb and very easy to make - I use rapid rise yeast with good results.

I also am including my favorite mayo recipe. . . because let's face it, when you have three ingredients (if you don't count the slices of dead ripe brandywine tomato I added) in a sandwich, they should each be their own little islands of deliciousness so when put together, the sum of parts is incredibly delicious!

Good Old Fashioned White Bread
(I think I got this from Fleischmann's years ago)

6 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3 T. sugar
2 pkgs RAPID RISE yeast
2 t. salt
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup milk
2 T. butter

Combine 2 cups of flour with the sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Melt the butter, add the milk and water and heat to very warm. Add to the yeast mixture and beat until smooth using the paddle attachment. Add 1 cup of flour and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Change to the dough hook and add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough that grips the dough hook and cleans the sides of the bowl. At this point you can either knead the dough by hand for about ten minutes or knead it on the mixer - I've done both with identical results. When the dough is smooth and elastic, cover it and let it rest for 10 minutes. Divide the dough in half and press it into a rectangle and shape the dough by rolling it tightly like a jelly roll. Pinch the edges together and place the dough into lightly greased 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 loaf pans. Proof until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 400F for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove to cool on wire racks.

Julia Child's Food Processor Mayonnaise
We learned how to make mayonnaise by hand in school. . as I beat the ingredients together to form the emulsion, all I could think about was this recipe and how I wish I could just make this. This is the first mayonnaise I have ever made and it's still my favorite!

1 egg
2 egg yolks
1/4 t. dry mustard
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. white wine vinegar
1 cup excellent olive oil
1 cup vegetable oil
freshly ground white pepper

Using a steel blade, process the egg and yolks for 1 minute. With the machine running, add the mustard, salt, lemon juice and white wine vinegar. Combine the two oils in a measuring up. If you have a Cuisinart, there is a little hole in the white sleeve that fits into the feeding tube - this hole is there to use when making emulsified sauces. Pour half the oil into the white sleeve and continue processing until the mixture has emulsified. If it is too thick at this point, add a little more vinegar, then continue with the rest of the oil. Season as needed with more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice or vinegar.

I have no pictures for this post as by the time I baked bread and made mayonnaise I was starving. Suffice to say that these sandwiches are what heaven is made of!

Let's Make . . . Mom's Birthday Dinner!

The Birthday Girl rockin' her new Snuggie!



I am a classically trained chef. I can pretty much cook anything. I am not bragging - I seriously can throw down on most things and do it well. As my mom's birthday approached, I was prepared to go to yet another steakhouse (mom is seriously into meat and potatoes) but she said she wanted me to cook her dinner. As I rubbed my hands together in anticipation, I asked what she wanted. . .visions of caprese salads, gnocchi al pesto, Bistecca alla Fiorentina swam through my mind and taste buds. .. "I want meatloaf, mashed potatoes and peas." *insert sound of slide whistle here".

oh.

man.

Okay, fine. Simple is good. I have made quite a few meatloaves over the years - fancying them up with ground bacon, ground pork, ground veal, sauteed mushrooms, pancetta wraps, etc. But I think my basic one is pretty damn good. It's simple and delicious. So while this blog post is in no way groundbreaking, it is beautiful in it's simplicity.

As I prepared the pie crust for the inevitable birthday "pie" my mom always request, I was thrown for a loop when I called to ask her what kind of pie she wanted.

"I don't want pie, I want a carrot cake, please."

Oh. No problem. Pie dough freezes beautifully.

Lainie's Simple Loaf of Meat
(please note this makes quite the meat zeppelin - the recipe is intentionally large to accommodate the requisite meatloaf sandwich that is a MUST the next day - you can easily halve the recipe)

Olive oil
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 bunch flat leaf Italian parsley, stemmed and finely chopped
3 1/2 lbs. ground beef (80/20 is best. . any leaner and it will be dry)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
4 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs (fresh is best - but if you don't have fresh, store bought will do but I will cry. . you don't want to see me cry, do you?)
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup ketchup
2 T. tomato paste
3 T Worcestershire sauce
1 good squirt sriracha (back in the day I used tabasco, but Rooster sauce is the new tabasco)
Salt & pepper

Heat olive oil and add onions, sauteing until translucent. Add garlic and season mixture with salt and pepper, stirring over low heat - make sure the garlic does not burn. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add chopped parsley. Add onion/garlic mixture to the parsley in the bowl and mix together to wilt the parsley. Let the mixture cool. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly with your hands. . .really working all the ingredients together. Fry up a small patty and taste for season. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Turn the mixture into a roasting pan and shape into a loaf - it ain't pretty but it will be delicious.

Glaze:
1 cup ketchup
2 T. tomato paste
Squirt of Sriracha (not too much - even if you love the stuff, it goes a long way here)
1/2 cup brown sugar


Whisk the glaze ingredients together until sugar is incorporated. Top the meat loaf with the glaze, covering it evenly.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove from oven and let rest at least 15 minutes before serving.

naked!

glazed!

cooked!



Elaine-O's (aka the best mashed potatoes in the world)
I know that's a tall statement but these are pretty damn good - they aren't fancy like the potato/butter/cream puree you get at a restaurant. These are homey and somewhat homely - lumpy in a good way.

4 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 sticks butter (I ain't playin')
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook the potatoes in highly salted water until very tender. Drain well. In the same pot you cooked the potatoes in, melt the butter and add the milk to heat through. Return the potatoes to the pot. Add the cream cheese, sour cream, salt & freshly ground pepper. Mash well being careful no to overwork the potatoes as they will get gluey. Taste for season, adjust if necessary.

Hella Elaine-O's!


Peas
So my intention was to buy fresh English peas to shell and cook but the ones I found at two different stores were disappointing. I ended up getting frozen organic ones and I was happy with them. The only thing I do to peas that might be a little different is that I cook them, drain them and then I brown some butter in a pan - just until it gets the slightest tint, I add the peas back, add a little salt, pepper and a tiny pinch of sugar and saute them in the brown butter - the brown butter adds a nice, nutty nuance to the peas.
Grub!


Mile High Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is a recipe I have been making for years. It is adapted from the Silver Palate Cookbook and what attracted me to this recipe was the fact that it uses pureed carrots instead of shredded ones. It is supremely moist and delicious. I also amp up the spice profile quite a bit as the original recipe only has cinnamon in it. I also add golden raisins because I like them in this cake. Other than cooking and pureeing the carrots, this cake comes together really quickly.

3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
1 t. salt
1 T. baking soda
1 T. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground cloves
1 1/2 cups corn oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 T. vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 1/3 cups pureed carrots (about three)
3/4 cup drained crushed pineapple
1 cup golden raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and line two 9-inch pans with parchment paper.
Sift dry ingredients together into a large bowl. Add oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Fold in walnuts, carrots, coconut, pineapple and raisins. Place in prepared pans (they will seem alarmingly full but the cake does not overflow!) - bake 35 to 40 minutes until the edges have pulled away from the sides and the centers are set. Cool and frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting
I CANNOT stand frostings that are powdered sugar based. They taste sandy to me and I can always detect the cornstarch in the powdered sugar. This is my own version and it's smooth, creamy and tangy.

3 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 stick butter
1 T. vanilla
Juice of 1 lemon

Beat the cream cheese with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy and the sugar has dissolved into the cream cheese (about 7 minutes), add the butter, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat until smooth. If the frosting is too loose, let it rest until it's spreadable.

Split the cake layers in half. Frost and fill all layers.

cake!

Let's make. . . reservations!

So, usually I make a good Sunday night supper. . something comforting and rib sticking. My friend Nicole came over and we were visiting and talking and having a wonderful time. The sun started to go down and our bellies started growling. . . I had a chicken ready to be roasted but we decided that we didn't want to wait for it to cook, so off to A Cote Restaurant we went. A few glasses of nice wine, a nectarine and prosciutto flatbread, wood oven roasted game hen with panzanella, a nice cheese plate with a perfectly ripe Brebiou and a dessert, of course and we were happy and sated. Which proves the point that sometimes the best thing to make for dinner is a reservation!


A Cote Restaurant
5478 College Ave
(between Forest St & Kales Ave)
Oakland, CA 94618
(510) 655-6469
www.acoterestaurant.com

Let's make. . . Dinner!

Inspired by this article for the New York Time by Michael Pollan, I decided to dip my toes back into the blogging waters by writing about what I cook/eat for dinner for one month.



Sure, the article is long but it does touch on some important topics - why are we always in such a rush to get things on the table? Why is it so valued to do things the fastest or more importantly, with the least effort? This is food. Fuel for our bodies. Why shouldn't we take the time to prepare something for ourselves that takes time or that has the best ingredients possible? I feel like it's time to put real love back into our food. Mr. Pollan mentions Julia Child in the beginning of the article. . .she is the reason I cook - she is the first person to ever show me that cooking can be a joy instead of a chore. Both my grandmothers were excellent cooks in their own way but they did it because they HAD to. My mother cooked because she HAD to and took no joy in putting food on our plates. Julia was the first person I ever saw who actually smiled as she cooked. .. and I realized that cooking and sharing food could feed not only your belly, but your soul.

That being said, my month of dinners started off with me going out. Tonight I ended up going to my favorite Vietnamese restaurant - Bodega Bistro. I had their superlative Papaya Salad, Pot Stickers (yes, it's a Vietnamese restaurant but OH MAN can they make a mean Pot Sticker!) and Shaking Beef. Just the right thing to start off my weekend.

Bodega Bistro
607 Larkin St
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 921-1218
www.bodegabistrosf.com