Sunday Supper - Beef and Guinness Stew

Happy St. Patrick's Day! This crock pot recipe is great for parade revelers and bar crawlers. Start it early, forget about it for the day, return home to a hot, tasty meal.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 lbs. beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 large onions, halved and cut into slices
• 2 strips of bacon, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
• 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 1 bottle (12 oz.) Guinness draught
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 lb. carrots, cut into large chunks
• 1 lb. fingerling potatoes

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, pepper, and one teaspoon of salt.
2. Lightly toss the beef in the seasoned flour. Pat off any excess and reserve the remaining seasoned flour.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Brown the meat in batches, 2-3 minutes per side. Set aside on a plate.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onions to the skillet. Cook until tender for 5-10 minutes.
6. Transfer the onions to a preheated 5- to 6-quart slow cooker and lay the beef on top.
7. Add the bacon to the skillet and cook over medium heat until cooked through.
8. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, rosemary, basil, and reserved flour. Cook for 3 minutes.
9. Stir in the remaining one teaspoon of salt, ancho chili powder, brown sugar, and beer. Simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened (about 5 minutes).
10. Add the carrots and potatoes to the slow cooker.
11. Pour the sauce over the beef and vegetables. 
12. Bury the bay leaves in the sauce, cover, and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8-10 hours.
13. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the parsley before serving.

Sunday Supper - Lasagna alla Bolognese

My kitchen adventure continues . . . as I now tackle the rest of the lasagna. Thanks to the previous recipe, a bottle of wine is open and looking a bit lonely. So, I grab a glass, or two, to assist in the process then jump into the next steps. Noodles, béchamel, noodles, assembly.

Note: I had never made noodles before. Believe me, this is less daunting once you are a half bottle into the process.

All of the time and energy (and flour all over the place) is totally worth it, though. This was absolutely the best lasagna that I have ever had. Made all the more delightful when you can say that it is made from scratch. So, take an afternoon and enjoy the experience.

Ingredients

Lasagna

• full amount Ragù alla Bolognese recipe
• lasagna noodles
• béchamel sauce
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
• 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Noodles

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
• 3/4 cup semolina flour
• 2 large eggs

Béchamel Sauce

• 3 cups whole milk
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, unbleached
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Lasagna

1. Prepare the bolognese sauce and set aside or allow to simmer on low heat.
2. Begin to make the pasta dough.
3. After the pasta dough has rested, cut the dough ball into four equal pieces. Leaving the remaining dough under the bowl, take one of the pieces of dough and flatten it with the palm of your hand. This will make it easier to initially push it through the machine.
4. Pat both sides of the dough with flour. Start coaxing the dough through the largest opening of the pasta machine (No. 1 on mine). Fold dough lengthwise into thirds, and rotate 90 degrees. Pass through the machine two more times.
5. Keep feeding the dough through the rollers, moving the size notch up one number higher each time. Pat the strips of pasta with flour to avoid sticking.
6. Continue to roll dough through ever-finer settings, 2 passes each, until sheet is almost translucent (No. 6 on my machine).
7. Repeat this process for each of the four sections of the pasta dough.
8. Cut sheets in to 13 inch strips. Transfer lasagna noodles to a drying rack for 1 hour.
9. Prepare the béchamel. When done, keep it warm in the upper half of a double boiler over very low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent a film from forming.
10. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
11. Fill a large bowl with ice water. 
12. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 2 to 3 noodles at a time for 90 seconds.
13. Using a wire-mesh skimmer, transfer noodles to cool water, and swirl a few times.
14. Place cooked noodles on a parchment-lined baking sheet until ready to use, placing a piece of parchment between layers.
15. Thickly smear the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with butter and one tablespoon of béchamel.
16. Line the bottom of the pan with a single layer of pasta strips, allowing no more than 1/4 inch overlap.
17. Combine the bolognese and the béchamel and spread a thin coating of it on the pasta.
18. Sprinkle on some of the grated cheeses, then add another layer of pasta.
19. Repeat this process, building up at least six layers of pasta.
20. Sprinkle the top-most layer with the remaining cheeses and dot with butter.
21. The lasagna may be complete up to two days in advance up to this point. Refrigerate under tightly sealed plastic wrap.
22. Bake on the uppermost rack of the oven for 5-10 minutes at 400 degrees F.
23. Increase the heat to 450 degrees F and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until a light, golden crust forms.  (Do not bake longer than 15 minutes total).
24. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

* This recipe is loosely adapted from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.

Noodles

1. Place the semolina and regular flour into a food processor bowl. 
2. Add the eggs, then pulse the ingredients until a ball starts to form. 
3. Add more flour or semolina if it seems too sticky. 
4. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky, about 5 minutes.
5. Let the dough rest under a bowl for at least one hour.

Béchamel Sauce

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk to medium low, bringing the milk just to the verge of boiling.
2. While the milk is heating, melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. 
3. Once melted, turn the heat to low and whisk in the flour. Cook, while stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Do not the flour to become colored. Remove from heat.
4. Add the milk to the flour and butter mixture 1/4 of a cup at a time. Stir steadily and thoroughly until all of the milk is smoothly incorporated.
5. Place the pan over low heat, add the salt, and cook until the sauce is as dense as thick cream. Stir constantly.

Ragù alla Bolognese

So, I got a bit of a wild hair this past weekend. I decided that I was going to make lasagna completely from scratch. Sauce, noodles, everything. I got up this morning, went to the grocery store, then hauled up in my tiny kitchen for the rest of the day.

First order of business, a delicious meat sauce. I highly recommend this one. Traditional recipe, simmered for four hours. The bolognese works perfectly in a lasagna or simply tossed with spaghetti and topped with grated Parmesan.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 2/3 cup celery, chopped
• 2/3 cup carrot, chopped
• 1 1/4 pound ground beef chuck
• 1-2 tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 (28 oz.) can imported Italian plum tomatoes, torn into pieces, with juice

Directions

1. Add oil, 3 tablespoons butter, and chopped onion in a heavy 3 1/2 quart pot and turn heat to medium. Cook and stir onion until it has become translucent.
2. Stir in the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes.
3. Add ground beef, a large pinch of salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Crumble meat with a fork, stir well and cook until browned.
4. Add milk and let simmer gently, stirring frequently, until it has bubbled away completely. Add fresh nutmeg and stir.
5. Add wine and let it simmer until it has evaporated. 
6. Add tomatoes and stir thoroughly to coat all ingredients well. When tomatoes begin to bubble, turn heat down so that sauce cooks at the laziest of simmers, with just an intermittent bubble breaking through the surface.
7. Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours or more, stirring from time to time. While sauce is cooking, you are likely to find that it will begin to dry out and the fat will separate from the meat. To keep it from sticking, add 1/2 cup water as necessary. At the end of cooking, however, the water should be completely evaporated and the fat should separate from the sauce. Taste and correct for salt.

* This recipe is adapted from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.

Travel Bites - Key West

After the chaos of the wedding week last year, Jared and I planned a road trip honeymoon through the Florida Keys. We flew to Miami, rented a car, and made our way down to the zero mile marker on Highway 1. This year, we returned to Key West for a long, tranquil weekend. It was warm, sunny, and weird. Just like we remembered.

For our first night back in town, we strolled around Old Town people watching and enjoying the weather. We stopped in at Santiago's Bodega for delicious tapas and sangria. It was a feast of cherry-hoisin glazed beef short ribs with orange-miso slaw; shrimp and chorizo skewered and pan-grilled with minced garlic; and cayenne-spiced potato croquettas with house ground prosciutto and provolone cheese served with scallion cream.

Sadly, they were out of the saganaki (haloumi cheese sprinkled with oregano and flambéed with brandy, served with pita bread), but it was probably for the best. Too many other tasty bits to try.

The next morning, we did the tourist thing and checked out the Hemingway House. Our feisty guide told us tales of the writer's stormy past - from loves and divorces to inspirations for novels and wild gaming. 

We traipsed around the beautiful estate for a while after our tour, and one of the six-toed cats befriended Jared (much to his dismay). The little beast made himself comfortable, even as my charming husband cursed and tried to push him away. A cat after my own heart, being perfectly sweet and infuriating all at once. Maybe we should have taken him home.

That evening, we walked down to Camille's for dinner. The wait staff there is eclectic and quirky. The decor is hippie-island chic with a nod to female power. The menu changes daily with food that is local and fresh. It's an odd little joint in the best way possible. We happened upon it during our trip last year and returned this year to find it just as strange as usual.

And, thankfully, just as tasty as we remembered. I ordered the Ahi tuna ceviche and seared swordfish, enjoying every mercury-laced bite. Jared went for the spaghetti with clams and white wine butter sauce. Lovely.

We spent the rest of our trip biking around the island, discovering new beautiful neighborhoods, touring the old fort, and relaxing in general. But we had one last culinary venture on our list for the weekend . . . and it was Better Than Sex. No really, that's the name of the restaurant.

This saucy little late night spot does nothing but desserts. And my sweet tooth finally met its match. The vibe is a little sultry and a little seedy. Rich textures and dark corners where some patrons were getting a little too handsy. Voyeuristic entertainment aside, this place is decadent and amazing. Our desserts of choice? The Chocolate Grilled Cheese: Danish brie cheese and dark Belgian chocolate grilled on home-style buttered bread kissed with cinnamon and sugar and served "snuggled up" against a shot of strawberry champagne soup. And the "Between My Red Velvet Sheets" Cheesecake: touted as velvet creamy love fluffed up to perfection. "You'll be floating on Cloud 69 from your first nibble." Get some.

Grilled PB & Banana Sandwich

Now that Lent is in full swing, I figure a meat-free Friday post is appropriate. This little twist on a classic is the perfect way to cap off my work week. Comfort food, book, bed. Looking forward to my quiet, relaxing evening.

Ingredients

Sandwich

• two slices of bread (I used a loaf of oatmeal-honey wheat)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon honey butter
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
• 1 small banana, sliced
• 1 teaspoon good honey (optional)

Cinnamon Honey Butter

• 1/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons good honey
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Sandwich

1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. 
2. Spread cinnamon honey butter on one side of each slice of bread.
3. On the other side of each slice of bread, spread the peanut better.
4. Drizzle with honey (optional).
5. Arrange the sliced bananas evenly on the peanut butter side of one slice of bread, then top with the other slice of bread (cinnamon honey butter side out).
6. Note: I prefer creamy PB with sliced banana, but crunch PB with mashed banana would work well too. I wouldn't go with creamy PB and mashed bananas, though. The sandwich would lack a bit in texture.
7. Grill the sandwich on medium heat until the peanut butter is slightly melted and gooey and the bread is golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Cinnamon Honey Butter

1. Combine the butter, honey, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
2. Refrigerate after initial use.

Traditional King Cake

So, I know that this is blasphemy, but I made a couple of post-season king cakes this weekend. First of all, it was my mother-in-law's birthday yesterday and her only requests were brunch with the family and a king cake birthday cake. And you just don't question a birthday cake request.

Typically, king cakes are reserved for Mardi Gras season,
but we're gonna go ahead and make a few exceptions here.

Secondly, one year ago today, Jared and I walked down the aisle, made it legal, and sealed our newly minted marriage with a giant tiered king cake. Instead of doing the traditional choking down of the year-old frozen, crusty wedding cake, we decided to bake our own king cake this year. And every year, from now on, in honor of the anniversary. In the process, hopefully we'll land on a recipe that becomes our new favorite.

The Anniversary Cake

For the first attempt, I found a recipe courtesy of one of my favorite Louisiana chefs, John Besh. While I'm sure that a better baker could have yielded better results, my cakes were a bit of a bust. They looked great and tasted ok, but they were dry and tough . . . thanks in large part to my over-kneading the dough. Oops. Better luck next year, I guess.

Ingredients

• 1 cup lukewarm milk, about 110°F
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons dry yeast
• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 5 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• several gratings of fresh nutmeg

Icing

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Purple, green, and gold decorative sugars

Directions

1. For the cake, pour the warm milk into a large bowl. Whisk in the granulated sugar, yeast, and a heaping tablespoon of the flour, mixing until both the sugar and the yeast have dissolved.
2. Once bubbles have developed on the surface of the milk and it begins to foam, whisk in the butter, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the remaining flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg and fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a large rubber spatula.
3. After the dough comes together, pulling away from the sides of the bowl, shape it into a large ball. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes.
4. Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a draft-free place to let it proof, or rise, for 1 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in volume.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough between your palms into a long strip, making 3 ropes of equal length. Braid the 3 ropes around one another and then form the braided loaf into a circle, pinching ends together to seal. Gently lay the braided dough on a nonstick cookie sheet and let it rise until it doubles in size, about 30 minutes.
6. Once it's doubled in size, place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake until the braid is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
7. For the icing, while the cake is cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar, condensed milk, and lemon juice in a bowl until the icing is smooth and very spreadable. If the icing is too thick, add a bit more condensed milk; if it’s a touch too loose, add a little more powdered sugar.
8. Once the cake has cooled, spread the icing over the top of the cake and sprinkle with purple, green, and gold decorative sugars while the icing is still wet.

* King Cake recipe is adapted from John Besh's My New Orleans: The Cookbook.

Happy (belated) Birthday Sarah P!!

Sunday Supper - Seared Venison Backstrap with Mushroom Risotto

This meal is always a favorite. The tender, rare backstrap pairs nicely with the creamy, subtle flavors of the risotto. Perfect comfort food for a regular evening or a lovely dinner with friends. Pour yourself a glass of Côtes du Rhône Rouge and enjoy.

Ingredients

Seared Venison Backstrap

• 1 2 lb. venison backstrap
• 1/2 cup Allegro marinade
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Mushroom Risotto

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 2-3 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 pint mushrooms (creminis, oysters, porcinis, portobellos, shiitakes), cleaned and sliced
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 
• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

Directions

Seared Venison Backstrap

1. Marinate the meat in the Allegro for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Sear the meat until browned, about 2-3 minutes. Turn and brown for an additional 2 minutes.
5. Place skillet into the preheated oven and cook until medium rare, about 5-10 minutes depending on thickness.
6. Allow meat to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Mushroom Risotto

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large cast iron pot over medium heat.
2. Add the shallots and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the rice. Heat the grains for 1 minute.
4. Add 1/2 cup of hot broth and lower heat until barely simmering. Continue to stir constantly.
5. As the liquid is absorbed, add more broth in small amounts.
6. Continue the process until the rice is slightly tender. 
7. In a separate pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of butter.
8. Add mushrooms and sauté until soft.
9. Stir the mushrooms into the risotto.
10. When the rice is almost completely cooked, add heavy cream and stir slowly until absorbed.
11. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, fresh herbs, and pepper.