Beef Bourguignon

I have been wanting to make an authentic Beef Bourguignon for a long time. I found the recipe from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child.

I want to try to adapt this to make a vegan version for my sister when she comes out. I know that sounds insane. It will really be a different dish that is merely inspired by it but it should still be pretty tasty.

Ingredients
# One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon
# 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
# 3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
# 1 carrot, sliced
# 1 onion, sliced
# Salt and pepper
# 2 tablespoons flour
# 3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (like Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)
# 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups brown beef stock
# 1 tablespoon tomato paste
# 2 cloves mashed garlic
# 1/2 teaspoon thyme
# A crumbled bay leaf
# 18 to 24 white onions, small
# 3 1/2 tablespoons butter
# Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)
# 1 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered
#
Cooking Directions

Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.

Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust).

Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.

Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.

Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet.

Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.

Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms.

Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.

Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.

Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.

Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.

Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

Chicken and Kidney Bean Stew

**I have what I believe is a pretty wicked sinus infection that is manifesting in the form of ear/jaw pain, headaches and a sore throat. I probably should be resting but I have been wanting to update considering how far behind I'm falling with the recipes**

Anyway, I bought a load of beautifully ripe roma tomatoes on the way home from our honeymoonlette in Sonoma. I made salads and ate them with cheese but I still found myself with about 10 quickly ripening tomatoes in my produce basket. I found this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis--I have used a few of her recipes in the past and she's alright. It calls for canned tomatoes but I used the fresh ones and just made sure it was seasoned well.

It's a very common sense kind of stew. I use that root vegetable base (onion, carrot, celery) a lot in my soups/stews so I just felt like I got the idea to tweak it with basil and canned beans from her. It was great with a sweet, crusty baguette.

I didn't take a single picture of the stew but it didn't look all that special. Instead I included pictures from my garden!


I planted some little succulent plants.


These are beets, carrots, and edamame in the large rectangle planters. I also have chives, basil, mint, rosemary, thyme, and italian parsley. I am having a lot of fun in my garden this year.



Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 stalks celery, cut into bite-size pieces
* 1 carrot, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces
* 1 small onion, chopped
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes (I used 8 large, very ripe romas)
* 1 (14-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth (I used vegetable broth)
* 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste (I didn't use)
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
* 2 chicken breast with ribs (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
* 1 (15-ounce) can organic kidney beans, drained (rinsed if not organic)
* Serving suggestion: crusty bread (check!)

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy 5 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, and onion. Saute the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, basil, tomato paste, bay leaf, and thyme. Add the chicken breasts; press to submerge.

Bring the cooking liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently uncovered until the chicken is almost cooked through, turning the chicken breasts over and stirring the mixture occasionally, about 25 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken breasts to a work surface and cool for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Add the kidney beans to the pot and simmer until the liquid has reduced into a stew consistency, about 10 minutes.

Discard the skin and bones from the chicken breasts. Shred or cut the chicken into bite- size pieces. Return the chicken meat to the stew. Bring the stew just to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the stew into serving bowls and serve with the bread.

Father's Day Cookies Research

So I was on my honeymoon last week and before that my wedding. I haven't had much time to plan a thoughtful father's day gift. The last two years I have been sending my dad these hulking pecan and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and he seemed to like them. My sister said he doesn't really like the cookies with nuts anymore so maybe he was just being polite. She keeps telling me to simplify my cookie recipe when I bake for him.

This year I tried to go with a more elegant version of the cookies as opposed to the lumberjack style that I made last year. A dainty, gentleman's version of the chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. I used a simple recipe that I found at The Repressed Pastry Chef and altered it a bit: I used tiny chips and ground the oats very fine. The only other thing that I would do differently would be to double the recipe. I only came out with about two dozen cookies!


Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoons vanilla extract (I always double this)
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (I always double or triple the salt in a chocolate chip cookie recipes--I think salt mixed into chocolate desserts makes them much more complex and I think that people like it much more than they think they do so I try to sneak it in)
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (I also ground the oats in the food processor)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used extra tiny chips)

Method

Preheat the oven to 325° F (165° C).
1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.

2. Beat in egg then stir in vanilla.

3. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended.

4. If you want to you can either toast the oats in the oven to give them a deeper flavor or, like I did today, pulse them in the food processor for a smoother cookie.


5. Mix in the quick oats and chocolate chips.

6. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes then remove sheets from oven and cool cookies on sheets for 5 minutes then remove to rack and cool completely.



Yield: ~2 dozen


Look at these little gentlemen! They look so cute all lined up like a chorus line in front of my brand new toaster! I feel all busby berkeley now.

Chicken and Dumplings (Slow-cooker)

I have been making this recipe on a weekly basis for the past few months. I like using my slow-cooker--I went through a phase when I was convinced that the dutch oven was far superior but I am growing out of that silliness. It is nice to use when the weather is hot and you don't feel like turning the oven on all day to make something.

There are lots of ways to customize this recipe to your taste or based on what you have on hand:
Spicy version: jalapenos, corn, tomatoes, green onions in the dumplings
Herby version: fresh dill, parsley, thyme, rosemary, green onions and chives in dumplings
Vegetarian version: veggie chicken, vegetable stock, mushrooms, dill (any other fresh herbs), bacon bits (vegan) in dumplings

I like starting it early and forgetting about it. The dumplings are so easy to make from the bisquik mix. I just start them 20 minutes before I plan to serve.

Ingredients:
soup:
2 or 3 carrots cut into coins
1 white or yellow onion diced
3 ribs of celery chopped
optional: the kernels from one ear of corn
optional: fresh dill
3 or 4 cups of chicken stock
2 chicken breasts
2 bay leaves
sprinkle of thyme
pepper and salt

Directions:
1. Place cut vegetables, chicken, and bay leaves into the bottom of the pot. Cover with stock and salt and pepper the whole thing.
2. set pot to "low" setting and let it go until chicken starts to fall apart (about 6 hours).

Dumplings:
1 c. bisquik mix
1/3 c. milk, soy milk, stock, or even water
optional: chives or green onions chopped
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Turn up pot to "high" setting. Mix all of the ingredients. I like to dissolve the salt into the liquid ingredient so it doesn't end up being crunchy inside of the dumpling.
2. Use a teaspoon to drop large lumps of dough into the broth. Cook covered for ten minutes and then uncovered for 10 minutes.

Recipe Roud-up

A few things I want to try to cook/photograph:
Ratatouille
chicken and dumplings with fresh dill (photo)
freedom pochettes (photo)
shrimp and peanut sauce
zuppa toscana
hamentaschen
croissants
strawberry summer cake
spaetzle
meatballs
french onion soup
Beef bourguignon
White Chocolate and Raspberry Paris-Brest

White Chocolate and Raspberry Paris-Brest
For 10 – 12 gorgeous little pastries you will need…
Pastry Cream (crème pâtissière)

300mls fresh milk
50g caster sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
15g plain flour
15g cornflour
4 egg yolks
50g good quality white chocolate, chopped

1. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan until simmering.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks together with the vanilla extract and sugar until thick and paler in colour. Add in the salt, plain flour and cornflour and whisk until incorporated.
3. Slowly add the simmering milk to the egg yolk mixture, whisking all the time (never add cold eggs to hot liquid unless you want scrambled eggs). Mix well and return the liquid to the saucepan. Continue to whisk over a low heat until the liquid has become a thick custard. This will take about 3 or 4 minutes. Make sure not to boil the custard or it will become grainy and may scramble. The custard is thick enough when it coats the back of a wooden spoon and a finger pulled though this coating leaves a clean trail.
4. Add in the white chocolate and stir until it has melted into the custard.
5. Transfer to a bowl and cover with clingfilm, making sure the clingfilm makes contact with the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until ready to use. This can be prepared ahead and will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

Choux Pastries

150mls water
50g butter
70g strong white flour/plain flour
A pinch of fine salt
2 eggs beaten
25g flaked almonds
You will also need a punnet of fresh raspberries
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (fan oven) at step 8

1. Heat the water and butter together in a medium saucepan until the butter has melted and the liquid is simmering
2. Carefully tip the flour and salt into the liquid in one go. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together in a soft ball of paste and no dry flour remains. Spread the ball of paste over the bottom of the saucepan and leave to cool to room temperature.
3. When the paste has cooled, add in the beaten egg a little at a time, whisking well between additions. An electric whisk is best for this job. You want a smooth glossy soft paste that will hold its shape so check the mixture as you go along as you may not need to add all the egg.
4. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and pipe circles of the mixture (approximately 8cm/3 inches in diameter) onto a lightly buttered baking tray, leaving 5cm/2 inches between circles. Scatter the tops of the circles with almond flakes and transfer to the oven. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until evenly golden brown. Remove from the oven and poke 2 horizontal slits in the side of each pastry to release some steam. Return to the oven for a further 2 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack.
5. Assemble the little pastries just before serving: slice them in half horizontally. Beat the cooled pastry cream until smooth. For a really decadent touch, I sometimes stir a tablespoon of mandarin brandy into the pastry cream at this stage. Pipe onto the lower half of the pastry wheel and add fresh raspberries. Replace the top and dust with icing sugar.






Poached Scallops cut into 1/3 and served with greens (taken from food and wine mag)


Anthony Bourdain's Boeuf Bourguignon
The Washington Post, December 22, 2004

* Cuisine: French
* Course: Main Course, Soup

Summary:

"This dish is much better the second day. Just cool the stew down in an ice bath, or on your countertop (the Health Department is unlikely to raid your kitchen). Refrigerate overnight. When time, heat and serve. Goes well with a few boiled potatoes. But goes really well with a bottle of Cote de Nuit Villages Pommard."

6 servings
Ingredients:

* 2 pounds beef shoulder or neck, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 4 onions, thinly sliced
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 cup red Burgundy
* 6 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 1 clove garlic
* 1 bouquet garni (a tied bundle of herbs, usually thyme, bay and parsley)
* A little chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Stage One: Season the meat with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat until it is almost smoking. Add the meat in batches -- NOT ALL AT ONCE! -- and sear on all sides until it is well browned (not gray). You dump too much meat in the pot at the same time and you'll overcrowd it; cool the thing down and you won't get good color. Sear the meat a little at a time, removing it and setting it aside as it finishes. When all the meat is a nice, dark brown color and has been set aside, add the onions to the pot. Lower the heat to medium high until the onions are soft and golden brown (about 10 minutes). Sprinkle the flour over them. Continue to cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the red wine. Naturally, you want to scrape up all that really good fond from the bottom of the pot with your wooden spoon. Bring the wine to a boil.

Stage Two: Return the meat to the pot and add the carrots, garlic and bouquet garni. Add just enough water (and two big spoons of demi-glace, if you have it) so that the liquid covers the meat by one-third -- meaning you want a ratio of 3 parts liquid to 2 parts meat. This is a stew, so you want plenty of liquid even after it cooks down and reduces. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, and let cook for about 2 hours, or until the meat is tender (break-apart-with-a-fork tender).

You should pay attention to the dish, meaning to check it every 15 to 20 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to make sure the meat is not sticking or, God forbid, scorching. You should also skim off any foam or scum or oil collecting on the surface, using a large spoon or ladle. When done, remove and discard the bouquet garni, add the chopped parsley to the pot, and serve.

Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients:
* 1 lb Italian sausage (I like mild sausage)
* 2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half,and then in 1/4 inch slices
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1/2 can oscar meyer bacon bit
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 cups kale or 2 cups swiss chard, chopped
* 2 cans chicken broth
* 1 quart water
* 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:
1. 1 Cook sausage in a 300°F oven for approximately 30 minutes.
2. 2 Drain sausages on paper towels and cut into slices.
3. 3 Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot, and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done.
4. 4 Add sausage and bacon.
5. 5 Salt and pepper to taste.
6. 6 Simmer for another 10 minutes.
7. 7 Turn to low heat.
8. 8 Add kale and cream.
9. 9 Heat through and serve.