THIRTY-EIGHT & THIRTY-NINE : FROZEN DINNERS AND A FRESH START

Delia Smith's Winter Collection

JUNE 01 2012

THIRTY-EIGHT : BLACK BEAN CHILLI WITH AVOCADO SALSA
THIRTY-NINE : VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA

It's a very strange thing to lose one's mojo. Mine has been elusive for a few months now and, although I know why it has now departed, I'm not sure exactly how to get it back. It lurks around corners, almost within reach, but as soon as I catch it's eye my mind drifts off and I lose focus. "Oh well", I shrug. It has become so much easier these days to think of nothing rather than that which occupies my mind entirely. So I sit in the backyard, avoiding all thought, and instead watch the little finches gorge themselves on thistle seed.

But as spring swings into summer and my garden offers up the first few radishes, I'm reminded again of what I'm missing. So how best to lure it back? The answer is pretty clear. Start doing again what I love to do... garden, cook and share it all with my friends.

THIRTY : STEAK AU POIVRE IN RED WINE

Delia Smith's Winter Collection

MARCH 29 2012

TWENTY-EIGHT : BRAISED STEAK AU POIVRE IN RED WINE
 
I am well versed in basic kitchen arithmetic : beef + onions + red wine + 2 hours = one amazing dinner. I don't need Delia to teach me that. But, maybe I do need her stern glare that prevents me from skipping the hated step of browning the meat. And then, again, to sweet talk me into adding an obscene quantity of black pepper to the pot. Both of these conspired to take our au poivre to the next level.

crushing peppercorns

TWENTY-ONE : OXTAIL BRAISED IN GUINNESS

Delia Smith's Winter Collection

MARCH 2 2012

TWENTY-ONE : OXTAIL BRAISED IN GUINNESS WITH CANNELLINI BEANS
 
Braised oxtail, another exercise in browning a strange, tough cut of meat before slowly and lovingly braising it for hours and hours in a flavorful (and often alcoholic) liquid. I am becoming very familiar with this technique as I cook my way through the Winter Collection. Admittedly, slow braised meat kills it during a cold, rainy evening. So we are eating it up! And, I do enjoy trying new flavors and stewing cuts such as oxtail, a first for me.

NINE : MEATBALLS IN GOULASH SAUCE

Delia Smith's Winter Collection

FEBRUARY 10 2012

NINE : MEATBALLS IN GOULASH SAUCE

You ready goulash meatballs? You think you can out-meatball the Frankies? You know you're facing some tough competition here. Those handball-sized hunks of beefy heaven are probably the best meatballs of my entire life. Yep, I said it. Best. Ever. So, show me what you got!

Ooh, very interesting. You're gonna add some ground pork to the mix. Now, I can definitely appreciate the flavor enhancement and fatty joy you get from the pork. In fact, I was always surprised the Frankies' meatballs were all beef. But, will it be enough?

Wait, now you're throwing in chopped peppers and onions? Cheater! Oh yeah... there aren't actually any meatball rules so you can do what you want. Do I really have to very finely chop them? I'm feelin' kinda lazy...

ONE & TWO : BEEF IN DESIGNER BEER W/ GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

Delia Smith's Winter Collection

JANUARY 26 2012

ONE : BEEF IN DESIGNER BEER
TWO : MASHED POTATO WITH GARLIC-INFUSED OLIVE OIL

Oooh la la, beef! You look so fantastic in your designer beer! And what is that intoxicating scent you are wearing? I still can't believe it was only 2 1/2 hours ago I was cutting you into 2 inch chunks to be seared before getting all glammed up in your rich, glossy beer sauce. I have to admit, the searing part was a bit of a pain... but I just know your resulting deliciousness will make it well worth the effort!

beef in designer beer with garlic-oil mashed potatoes. YUM!

EIGHTY-SEVEN - NINETY-FIVE : SUNDAY SAUCE!

JANUARY 5 2012

EIGHTY-SEVEN : OLIVES
EIGHTY-EIGHT : ANTIPASTO PLATE
EIGHTY-NINE : CANNELLINI, CAPER, LEMON & ANCHOVY CROSTINI
NINETY : MULLED WINE
NINETY-ONE : PORK BRACIOLA MARINARA

NINETY-TWO : POTATO GNOCCHI 
NINETY-THREE : GNOCCHI MARINARA  
NINETY-FOUR : PUNTARELLE WITH LEMON, CAPERS, ANCHOVY & PECORINO
NINETY-FIVE : TIRAMISU

 
And that's all folks. I am now done with the book! My grand adventure culminated tonight in a fabulous Sunday Sauce (on Thursday) party where I crammed all the remaining dishes onto the table and we ate until we just about burst. I think it will be easiest to talk about each section separately. So here goes...

EIGHT-ONE - EIGHT-THREE : NEW YEARS EVE!

DECEMBER 31 2011

EIGHTY-ONE : SPAGHETTI WITH CRABS
EIGHTY-TWO : SLOW-ROASTED RIB EYE, SLICED COLD
EIGHTY-THREE : VANILLA BEAN CREME BRULEE

New Year's Eve demands decadence... and we did not disappoint. Surf 'n turf, baby!

First I have to admit that I did not exactly follow the the recipe for the rib eye. Sorry Frankies, I just can't shell out $60 for a beautiful rib eye roast, cook it to perfection, then just shove the whole thing in the fridge to be served cold, hoping it is worth it. I just can't. Not even for "thoroughbred roast beef". I also did not roast it at the temperature they designated. Last year I did a super, super slow roast that was amazing so decided to do it again this time. So, instead of cooking it at 325º, it spent over 4 hours in the oven at 200º which makes it exactly medium-rare through the entire thing. I did use the fantastic herb rub from the recipe which smelled like heaven while it was cooking.

Phew.. now that I've got that off my chest, I can tell you all about our New Year's Eve feast :)

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.

~~

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

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.

FORTY-FIVE & FORTY-SIX : EGGPLANT CROSTINI & MEATBALLS

SEPTEMBER 30 2011


FORTY-FIVE : ROASTED EGGPLANT CROSTINI
FORTY-SIX : MEATBALLS (!!)

Oh meatballs, how I love thee. I want to eat you every day. Except that making Frankies meatballs requires a whole batch of tomato sauce, which has to simmer for hours. I had already made the sauce on the stovetop as the recipe directs, so I decided to make it a little easier on myself and used the crockpot this time. That way, I could go run errands as it bubbled away. It took a little longer, but was totally worth it.

This making of the Frankies meatballs, a momentus milestone in my journey, required a gathering to commemorate. So I took this opportunity to whip up the roasted eggplant crostini as well to feed our hungry guests.

TWENTY-TWO : BRAISED SHORT RIBS

JULY 9 2011

"Oh man, so so good". What can I say? The Braised Short Ribs are fabulous. Most of the action happened Thursday when I roasted the short ribs, sauteed the flavor-enhancing veggies, then braised the whole lot in wine for 2.5 hours.

roasted ribs, ready for a winey bath

Once the meat was falling off the bones, it was pulled out of the braising liquid and set aside.