FIFTY-SEVEN : VEAL STOCK

OCTOBER 24 2011

Hypothesis : veal stock is indistinguishable from beef stock. Therefore it is not necessary to spend $13/pound on veal when $2/pound beef bones give me the same results.

Testing Method : prepare two pots of stock, one containing 2 pounds veal shanks and one containing 2 pounds beef bones, with all other ingredients being identical.

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It is very, very hard to justify spending $25 to make 4 cups of stock. It was actually painful. But I did, really, want to see what the fuss was all about.

veal shanks = expensive

FIFTY-FIVE & FIFTY-SIX : ROAST PORK WITH SEMOLINA POLENTA

OCTOBER 23 2011

FIFTY-FIVE : ROAST CENTER-CUT PORK CHOPS
FIFTY-SIX : SEMOLINA POLENTA

Today marked my first foray into "BIG MEAT"!! This recipe features a 6-bone rack of pork, which is a lot of pork, but I didn't want to do less than that because I knew it would change the cooking time. So instead I enlisted some willing friends to come help us eat it :)

buying some BIG MEAT at Gartner's

But, before we could eat, I had a little work to do.

FIFTY-FOUR : JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES

OCTOBER 18 2011

[JER•U•SA•LEM AR•TI•CHOKE] noun : "also called the sunroot, sunchoke, earth apple or topinambour, is a species of sunflower native to eastern North America, and found from Eastern Canada and Maine west to North Dakota, and south to northern Florida and Texas. It is also cultivated widely across the temperate zone for its tuber, which is used as a root vegetable." ~wikipedia

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Fall is root vegetable season and that makes me happy.

FIFTY-TWO & FIFTY-THREE : RICOTTA CAVATELLI WITH SAUSAGE

OCTOBER 17 2011

FIFTY-TWO : RICOTTA CAVATELLI
FIFTY-THREE : CAVATELLI WITH SAUSAGE & BROWNED SAGE BUTTER

You know what is really, really good? Browned sage butter... yummmmmmmm! But, my road to butter deliciousness had one large hurdle, hand-rolling an entire batch of cavatelli. It's my own fault, really, for not shelling out $36 for the Kitchenaid attachment. I instead invented my own process involving a butter knife and two forks taped together around a chopstick. Worked pretty well, although I think my cavatelli weren't quite as delicate as they would be from the machine. Oh, and it took forever...

The dough came together quickly in the mixer and I started rolling it into ropes, then cutting said ropes into 1/4 inch thick slices.

rolling & cutting cavatelli dough

My only feedback here would be to let the dough rest for about 20 minutes before rolling to relax the gluten. Otherwise, it fights you the whole way. Once cut, each slice was stabbed with the butter knife then rolled across the fork tines. Turned out pretty darn good, I'd say!

here's my cavatelli rolling machine

FIFTY-ONE : LENTIL SOUP WITH SMOKED BACON

OCTOBER 12 2011

This lentil soup is exactly how I would have made lentil soup on my own, only way more boring. It starts by sauteing a standard mix of celery, carrot, onion and garlic, plus a slice of bacon to add smokey, porky flavor.

soup ingredients, waiting for the pot

The veggie mix is cooked until softened and browned. Always love to see a nice layer of fond on the bottom of the pot!

FIFTY : SHAVED RAW BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH CASTELROSSO

OCTOBER 10 2011

As a big fan of brussels sprouts, I am quite disappointed to report that this is my least favorite dish of the cookbook so far. Tossed in a dressing that is nearly 50/50 olive oil to lemon juice, any subtle flavors in the dish are completely overwhelmed. And raw brussels sprouts... not so good it turns out.

shaved brussels sprouts ingredients

Plus, there is the saga of the Castelrosso cheese, my biggest nemesis of this project.

FORTY-NINE : MOZZARELLA, TOMATO & RED PEPPER SANDWICH

OCTOBER 8 2011

With my supply of big, beefy garden tomatoes dwindling rapidly, I was anxious to make this recipe. It's the last one that really hinges on having fresh, delicious tomatoes.

This sandwich layers up tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, sliced red pepper and arugula into a behemoth of a bite. But the biggest surprise is that it has absolutely no condiments or seasoning. I am not instructed to salt & pepper the tomatoes (a shame, really) and for once there isn't a thick spread of mayo. I kinda wish one of those were included. I mean, it is a really good sandwich but it could have used a little zip... maybe balsamic vinegar or a sprinkle of black pepper. I can't really complain though with my amazing Mortgage Lifter heirlooms front and center :)

mozzarella, tomato & red pepper sandwich

the perfect cross-section of flavor. yummmm!

FORTY-SEVEN & FORTY-EIGHT : MEATBALL SANDWICHES WITH TOMATO & AVOCADO SALAD

OCTOBER 5 2011

FORTY-SEVEN : TOMATO, AVOCADO & RED ONION SALAD
FORTY-EIGHT : MEATBALL MARINARA SANDWICH

Only good things can come from having leftover meatballs. And one of them is a meatball sandwich... sooooo gooooood! I knew they would be rich and hearty so decided to serve them with a refreshing tomato, avocado & red onion salad. Both are dead easy!

For the salad, the veggies are simply sliced and dressed with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and black pepper. Just the kind of salad I love that highlights the fresh, lovely ingredients and the perfect way to enjoy the last of the garden-fresh tomatoes.

simple garden-fresh salad

Then on to the sandwiches.