I love Korean food so when my husband and I saw this recipe in the New York Times from Momofuku in NYC, I was intrigued. Essentially, Bo Ssam is a slow roasted pig that is then served with many accompaniments and sauces to be wrapped with rice in a lettuce leaf. A version that serves 6-10 people (like the recipe below) goes for $200 at Momofuku. And for good reason with all of the ingredients, time and love that goes into it. It looked like quite a production – the perfect meal for a Sunday night.

The ingredients are easier to find than you would think, with the exception of kimchi which resulted in a trip to our Asian market to purchase. Could you do without one item? One sauce? One accompaniment? Sure. But do you want to go through all of this effort and be one element short? I don’t think so.

The Bo Ssam was worth every effort I put into it. And, it is quite an impressive feast when spread out on a table. The pork is so tender it falls apart, and has such a deep flavor, despite not having excessive seasoning. And every sauce, every element goes perfectly together in the lettuce. With leftovers the next day, I shredded the pork, mixed in some of the sauces, and we made sliders. Also delicious.

So if you have a Sunday when you are feeling up for something special, I highly recommend this recipe. Because of this size, it also is perfect for entertaining. Although much cheaper than a flight to NYC and $200 to eat this at Momfuku, I officially put that experience on my to do list. I am sure it is worth every penny.

BO SSAM (from Momofuku)
Serves 6-8
Pork Butt:
1 whole bone-in pork butt or picnic ham (8 to 10 pounds)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt
7 tablespoons brown sugar

Ginger-Scallion Sauce:
2½ cups thinly sliced scallions, both green and white parts
½ cup peeled, minced fresh ginger
¼ cup neutral oil (like grapeseed)
1½ teaspoons light soy sauce
1 scant teaspoon sherry vinegar
½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Ssam Sauce:
2 tablespoons fermented bean-and- chili paste (ssamjang, available in many Asian markets, and online)
1 tablespoon chili paste (kochujang, available in many Asian markets, and online)
½ cup sherry vinegar
½ cup neutral oil (like grapeseed)

Accompaniments:
2 cups plain white rice, cooked
3 heads bibb lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
1 dozen or more fresh oysters (optional – I did not include))
Kimchi (available in many Asian markets, and online).

1. Place the pork in a large, shallow bowl. Mix the white sugar and 1 cup of the salt together in another bowl, then rub the mixture all over the meat. Cover it with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

2. When you’re ready to cook, heat oven to 300. Remove pork from refrigerator and discard any juices. Place the pork in a roasting pan and set in the oven and cook for approximately 6 hours, or until it collapses, yielding easily to the tines of a fork. (After the first hour, baste hourly with pan juices.) At this point, you may remove the meat from the oven and allow it to rest for up to an hour.

3. Meanwhile, make the ginger-scallion sauce. In a large bowl, combine the scallions with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and taste, adding salt if needed.

4. Make the ssam sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the chili pastes with the vinegar and oil, and mix well.

5. Prepare rice, wash lettuce and, if using, shuck the oysters. Put kimchi and sauces into serving bowls.

6. When your accompaniments are prepared and you are ready to serve the food, turn oven to 500. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining tablespoon of salt with the brown sugar. Rub this mixture all over the cooked pork. Place in oven for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, or until a dark caramel crust has developed on the meat. Serve hot, with the accompaniments.

Recipes are from the cooking class I took at Rancho La Puerta, taught by Nani Steele of the restaurant legacy Nepenthe in Big Sur, California. See my post about being gluten free at the spa!

Quinoa with Cucumber and Mint

This dish is gorgeous and its taste is a mix of savory/nutty (from the quinoa) and sweet (from the citrus). It is easy to make, easy to serve (hot or cold) and great as a side dish or as a main entree. I suggest bringing this to your next dinner party or event where you worry that you may not have any GF options prepared by the host.

Ingredients:

3 cups of tri-colored quinoa *make sure the amount of red and black quinoa far exceed the amount of white because the white quinoa cooks faster

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 dried chili

1 bay leaf

4 1/2 cups of veggie stock or water

1/2 cup currants soaked in hot water with a splash of sherry vinegar (or rice vinegar)

1 1/2 cups diced cucumber

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Zest AND juice of 2 lemons

1/4 bunch parsley

1/4 bunch mint

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

To cook the quinoa, lightly toast it with a small amount of olive oil. Stir in the shallot, the chile, the bay leaf and cook for two minutes. Stir in 4 1/2 cups of water or stock. Bring to simmer, reduce heat and cover until done, stirring on occasion (around 20 minutes). Remove from heat. Let sit covered, to steam, about 15 more minutes. Toss with the remaining ingredients

Sea Bass with Orange-Tarragon Relish

Ingredients:

4, 6 oz wild White Sea Bass fillets

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

—-

8 oranges

1 tablespoon minced shallot (sweated with a splash of rice wine vinegar)

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1/2 bunch tarragon (picked and chopped)

salt and pper to taste

splash of olive oil

Instructions:

Remove the peels from the oranges using a sharp knife, cutting all the way through the pith. Section the oranges into supremes by cutting between each membrane. Click here for a “how to” on cutting out supremes. Squeeze each membrane of its juices into a bowl (save for the relish!). Corasely chop the orange sections and place in the bowl with the juices. Then add the sweated shallots, vinegar and tarragon to the bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the splay of olive oil. NOTE: feel free to improvise by adding more things to this relish like fresh, diced cucumber.

For the fish: season the White Bass with salt, pepper and olive oil (liberally) on each side. If the fish has the skin on it, heat a pan with olive oil. Add the White Sea Bass skin side down and cook for 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom. Brush the top with a little more olive oil. Place White Sea Bass in the oven set to 375 degrees (preheat!). Roast until opaque in the center (12-15 minutes).

Enjoy!

-CC

Cream of Chickpea and Ham Soup

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed well

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 celery rib, diced

salt and pepper; to taste

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 quart chicken stock

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

10 oz. diced cooked ham

3 tablespoons sliced fresh chives

In a soup pot saute the onion, celery, carrots and garlic in the olive oil until softened. Pour in the chicken stock along with the red pepper flakes,cumin and drained garbanzo beans. Bring to a boil; lower heat to a slow simmer for 30 minutes. Using a immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the thyme, chives, ham, sherry vinegar and heavy cream.  Heat over low heat until warmed through.

For a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock and omit ham.

I have raved about How to cook like Heston before, and I’m still determined to try quite a few of the recipes. Like his version of scrambled eggs which I tried at the weekend. It is regular scrambled eggs recipe using eggs, milk, cream and butter. Normally I just use cream and butter, but there is not a vast difference.

Heston cooks his scrambled eggs over a bain marie, and that was the only thing I didn’t follow. Instead I cooked the eggs on very low heat taking the pan off and on the hob to imitate using a bain marie. I find this easier, but if you haven’t tried it before I recommend a bain marie.

To season the cooked eggs with nutty brown butter and sherry vinegar was a hit, and I will definitely do this more often. And I have a sneaky feeling I will put brown butter in just about everything from now on.

Heston’s scrambled eggs with brown butter and sherry vinegar, serves 1

2 eggs

1 tbsp milk

1 tbsp double cream

1 knob of butter

salt, white pepper

sherry vinegar

brown butter (see below)

Mix milk, cream and egg with a fork in a bowl. Pour the egg mixture into a pan over a bain marie and add the butter. Stir while the eggs slowly cook. Once they are still a bit too wet remove from heat as they will cook into perfect consistency on the after heat.

Add salt and pepper, brown butter and sherry vinegar. Serve immediately!

Brown butter

Melt butter in a saucepan while whisking. Once the butter has melted continue stirring until the butter changes colour into brown. Remove from heat and pour the butter through a muslin cloth or similar to get rid of the sediment. The liquid is your bron butter. Keep in the fridge.

There’s nothing I like more than a grilled cheese. I like every kind, from the traditional diner cheddar on white bread to the fanciest, wild mushroom truffled grilled cheese. When I saw a recipe for bacon jam, I immediately thought that would make a great grilled cheese– everything’s better with bacon and this jam has a nice sweetness from the caramelized onions. You can use it as a condiment for many things, I’m already thinking about eggs and of course, egg sandwiches. I planned to make this with sliced peaches when they are in season, but for now I’m using apples.

Bacon Jam

Sweet and Sour Fig Pizza with Goat Cheese, Shallots and Thyme

Do you still have “Zou Bisou Bisou” stuck in your head after last Sunday’s Mad Men? (Did I just get it back in your head after you thought you had bested that earworm? Sorry.) While it was inevitable that we were going to celebrate its return after at 17-month long hiatus with food and drink, the fact that you only rarely see any of the characters with food (with none of it looking all that appetizing to boot) meant that I wasn’t going to adhere to any strict theme, save for insisting Michael make us a round of Old Fashioneds. Certain nods to the show, after all, must be made, and cocktails have always felt far more appropriate than food.

Caprese salad and old fashioneds.

Besides: we had finally gotten a couple of new half sheet pans at Chef’s the day before, and I was in the mood for homemade pizza.

The first one was inspired by two separate dishes, both from Barcelona Wine Bar: their classic tapa chorizos with sweet and sour figs and the coca we enjoyed at the Stamford location a couple of weeks ago that boasted caramelized onions and goat cheese. I’m not sure why I never thought to put the sweet and sour figs on a pizza before, but I’m glad I finally did–with some shallot and some drunken goat cheese (i.e. goat cheese in which the rind has been rubbed in red wine), this was a rich pizza without being too heavy (as we had a second one to make) or too cheesy (as that would upset Michael’s stomach). For all I know, this was basically what we had at Barcelona without the caramelized onions, but, to paraphrase Pete Campbell from a season one episode, I arrived at it independently.

The second pizza was one that sounded good on paper, but didn’t quite come out the way I was hoping it would. I wanted to do a play on veal saltimbocca and have a pizza with ground veal, sage, prosciutto and some hard cheese. The pizza looked good, but the ground meat was a little too crumbly and wasn’t terribly neat to eat because the piave and romano cheeses I had laid down as a base were not enough to get the other toppings to cling to the dough. I’m pretty sure fresh mozzarella would do the trick nicely, but that will have to wait for another pizza night.

(via AMC)

And as for this new season of Mad Men, while I’m very glad that it’s back, I’m also glad that we’re only getting one two-hour episode. Two hours of new material is just too much to take in all at once. The show is so excellently paced that makes it just right for seeing one hour a week, something I didn’t fully appreciate until we tried watching a few other shows while we waited for it to come back onto the air. Regardless, I’m looking forward to eleven more weeks with the SCDP crew.

Sweet-and-Sour Fig Pizza with Goat Cheese and Shallots

Makes one pizza

• One half recipe of dough, with the other reserved for another pizza
• 1 cup of dried white Spanish or Turkish figs
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup sherry vinegar
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• Ground cinnamon
• 1/3 pound drunken goat cheese
• 1 shallot, sliced thinly
• 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
• Kosher salt to taste

Preheat the oven to the highest temperature possible (set  the broil temperature on the baking setting if possible).

Place the figs, vinegars, brown sugar, water, and cinnamon into a saucepan. Bring up to a simmer and cook for about 10-12 minutes to let everything reduce to more of a syrup than a sauce.

Stretch the dough out to fit onto your stone or an upturned sheet pan, and use a fork to dimple the dough so it doesn’t puff up too much while cooking. Blind-bake the dough for about six minutes, then take out of the oven, evenly spread the cheese , the shallots, and then the figs and sauce, and place back into the oven to cook for another six minutes. (Note: we’ll just pull the rack out and carefully add ingredients, as the pan will be very very hot at this point.) When the cheese is melted, remove from the oven and let cool on a cutting board and sprinkle thyme leaves over the pizza. Cut into slices and serve when pizza is cool enough to touch, and season with salt to taste.

Mexican food always means a party. There’s a time and place for (Italian) comfort food when I’m looking for a pick-me-up, and then there’s time for fish tacos and margaritas. I love these because they’re not so heavy, and I can make them quickly and concentrate on spending time with friends. Plus, when margaritas are involved, it’s best not to wait too long to eat….

Fish Tacos

2 fillets of white, firm fish, like tilapia

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

4-6 tortillas, warmed in a pan or oven for a few minutes

1-2 cups shredded napa cabbage

3 tablespoons cider vinegar or sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 limes, juiced

1 poblano pepper, broiled quickly to blister the skin (put in paper bag to help remove the skin)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, roasted under the same broiler until the skins start to burst

1 teaspoon Sriracha or other hot sauce

1 garlic clove, roasted with the tomatoes

cilantro or parsley

For the hot sauce, combine the pepper, tomatoes, garlic, and hot sauce in a blender with some salt and pepper to taste. Add half the lime juice and a handful of cilantro or parsley and blend again.

For the cabbage slaw, combine the cabbage, vinegar, half the lime juice and salt and pepper. This is best done ahead of time because it gives the flavors a chance to combine, but it will still be good if you make it at the same time.

Combine the flour, paprika, chili powder and some salt in a plate. Dredge the fish lightly and put directly into a couple tablespoons of oil in a pan. Allow it to brown on one side and then flip. I like to use non-stick for fish but if it sticks a little, it’s not the end of the world. You’ll be breaking up the fillets anyway.

Layer some fish, hot sauce and cabbage slaw onto a tortilla. Serve with some beans and rice and maybe a couple wedges of lime for squeezing at the table.

For my rice, I like to cook it according to package instructions but use half the amount of water and replace the rest with chicken stock. I add a bay leaf or two and a pinch of saffron. Sometimes I add a little ground cumin too. Not too much to make it really strong, just a gentle flavor.

For my beans, I generally use canned because they’re so handy, but I rinse them REALLY well. You don’t want any of that viscose liquid they come in, it’s full of sodium and it tastes weird. I saute up some bacon with some brown sugar and then toss in the beans. Add some water if it’s too thick and allow it cook together for 10 minutes.

Onions! Onions are a versatile vegetable that can stand alone or added to dishes to create an added layer of flavor. Often misunderstood and mistreated, today’s blog will address some of the common questions and give you some handy tips! Be sure to read to the end where I post an absolutely orgasmic recipe for an onion side dish! (Sorry! I couldn’t resist the joke!) Every time I make it, there are never any leftovers….no matter how much I make. Darn!

The most common and reasonable question is what are the differences between all the dry onions at the store? The big sweet ones, the red ones, and the yellow ones? If a recipe calls for a Walla Walla sweet, can a yellow onions be substituted, for example?

Fresh onions are the green or spring onions with the long green tops. These are often added to fresh salads and cold dishes for color and for kick or bite. They deliver a spicy hit when they are fresh. Sometimes a recipe will only call for the white bottoms and not the tops. You can substitute a dry onion in its place if you wish but the pieces won’t be so delicate. In a cooked dish, it isn’t going to matter either way.

Shallots look like dried out green onions as they are small and similarly shaped. However, shallots are much sweeter and have a mellow flavor. They are related to onions and garlic and contain more flavonoids and phenols than their cousins. They are popular with the gourmet crowd and are typically more expensive as well. Solution? Grow your own! They are easy and will store for at least 6 months. (http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-411/426-411.ht)

Fat juicy shallots!

Now about dry onions: yellow, sweet, white, red, cipollini! Briefly, yellow or storage onions are the least sweet, have thicker skins and tend to be the most spicy or hot. Sweet onions (Walla Walla, Vidalia, Supersweet, Maui) have thinner skins and are considerably more fragile than storage onions. Sweet onions must be refrigerated. Because of their much higher sugar content, they do not have the same bite as storage onions and are great used fresh in salads. Red onions are often called for because they add color to recipes, particularly when used fresh. Cipollini (Cheep-oh-lee-nee) or wild onions are a flat onion that originated in Italy and have an intense sweet flavor, especially when roasted. They are especially delicious! All of these onions can be used interchangeably in recipes.

White Onions

Red Onions

Pearl Onions (Baby Onions!)

Note: When purchasing onions, they must be dry and have ZERO odor. If they smell, they are rotting somewhere inside and you don’t want them!

Why are onions so often used in recipes or why should I care? The simple answer is that onions add a layer of flavor. I keep talking about “layers of flavor” because that is a big reason why we perceive foods to be delicious that is, IF the layers are added appropriately. In other words, savory layers go together and sweet layers go together but you have to be VERY careful if you start mixing the two! Onions are savory and for that reason, are often added to meat and vegetable dishes to add more complexity and deliciousness (and if raw- bite!) to a dish.

Costco problem? Or what do you do when you have a wheelbarrow full of onions and they are going to rot before you can possibly use them all? My favorite solution is to dice the onions and saute them in good olive oil till softened. Let them cool and put into ziplock snack bags or 1/2 to 3/4 cup portions and freeze. The next time you need sautéed onions for a recipe (or you want to add another layer of savory flavor to a recipe) simply pull a bag out of the freezer! Yes, it takes a chunk of time when you first chop and saute a 15# bag of sweet onions from Costco, but trust me…every time you pull one of those pre-cooked bags out of the freezer, you are going to be doing the happy dance!

And for all those folks who need ANOTHER reason to add onions, research has shown that onions have powerful antioxidants (quercetin and Onionin A–a unique sulfur molecule in onion found in the bulb portion of the plant) which can be very helpful controlling inflammation. Additionally, studies have shown moderate consumption of onions (3 times per week) reduces risk of certain cancers! Who knew! (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=45)

Now are you ready for a scrumptious onion recipe? This is guaranteed to make an onion-lover out of a (former) vegetable-hater! lol This recipe was originally out of the FoodDay section of the Oregonian, November 21, 2006. The following recipe includes a sherry caramel sauce that can be used for a whole lot more than this recipe- salads, basting meats, even topping ice cream! (Really, it’s that good!)

Roasted Cipollini Onions with Sherry Caramel Sauce

Sherry Caramel Sauce:

2 c. granulated sugar

1 c. water

2 c. sherry vinegar

In a heavy sauce pot, combine the sugar and the water. Over a medium flame, heat the sugar and water mixture, periodically swirling the pan and cooking until the caramel is the color of cola. Add the vinegar. STAND BACK as it will hiss and spatter! Stir and simmer the caramel for 8 minutes dissolving any lumps that may have formed as you go. remove from the heat and let it cool. This makes more than enough for the onion recipe below.

Roasted Onions:

40 cipollini onions

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1 fresh organic rosemary sprig, 5 to 6 inches

6 springs fresh organic thyme

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

1/2 c. finely chopped Italian (flat leaf) parsley

Trim the onions and remove the outer papery skin. To speed the process, drop them in a pot of boiling hot water for 60 seconds. Pull them out and the skins should slip right off! Grease a heavy baking dish with butter or olive oil.The baking dish should be big enough to accommodate the onions in a single layer.

Toss the trimmed onions in the olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper until evenly coated. Spread them around in the greased pan and bake in a hot oven (400 degrees) until golden and tender, approximately 40 to 50 minutes. Remove the herb springs and add about one cup of the caramel sauce to the onions and carefully roll the onions in the sauce. Return the pan to the oven and raise the temperature to 450 degrees. After 5 minutes remove the pan from the oven, carefully stir the onions to coat them in the sauce, and return the pan to the oven. repeat two more times until the onions are evenly coated with the caramel. Add the parsley, toss again, garnish with some pretty rosemary and serve. Uh…slip some into a dish and hide in the fridge if you want any leftovers! I learned that the hard way!

PLAN B: Just throw some lovely balsamic vinegar in with the olive oil and herbs and roast/baste till done. Delish! Either way, I guarantee everyone will be wanting what YOU are having!

I despair of all these recipes that endlessly insist in dribbling drizzling drops of balsamic vinegar all over everything. This trend must have started years ago, I would have thought it should be well past its sell-by date.

Vinagre de Jerez is a vastly superior vinegar. Apart from the fact that it makes sense to buy a locally-produced vinegar (ie in Jerez in Andalucía) I prefer the flavour because it isn’t as sweet as balsamic.

On my father’s side, the family adored vinegar, and I inherited the trait. Although not to the extent my partner does, as he slops some on every single meal. I suspect this was a childhood habit to counteract the excessive salt thrown into everything by his mother. [Ouch!] Still, he does tell me my food tastes wonderful, so who am I to worry if it’s really vinagre de Jerez that tastes wonderful.

Sherry vinegar at Morrisons costs around £1.99 for 250ml. I think this was slightly cheaper and is 375ml, from Coviran (at New Harbours), but it is a far superior ‘sherry vinegar’. I tend to be a label woman – if it’s a decent label, I’ll buy it.

Vinagre de Jerez, Romate

This one is made by the Sanchez Romate brothers and the firm dates back to 1781. The vinegar is produced in casks of American oak and the acidity level is 7%. The bottle has an official ‘denomination of origin’ stamp on it, pretty much like wine bottles have.

There is only one sherry vinegar at Morrisons – there are six, yes SIX! balsamic vinegars there, and a balsamic glaze, which naturally is for dribbling, drizzling, according to the label. The world is full of sheep. So if you are one, follow me instead and put down that bottle of balsamic stuff and buy vinagre de Jerez. Apart from anything else, technically it is nearer to both the UK and North America than Italy. Possible even to Australia as although further west than Modena, it is further south. OK, I digress.

Next, red wine vinegar. What a silly label on this bottle with those mixed lower case fonts. It looks like one of those ghastly WP cloud category things. (But it was cheaper than Aspall’s).

Red wine vinegar

Occasionally used by me in cooking, or as a change to Jerez, but its main use at the moment is to marinate our onions. I said before that we always have a bowl of onions soaking in the fridge, to use with sandwiches, or sometimes with Thai or Indonesian meals, when I add cucumber and chillies too.

In this one, I’ve stuck a couple of leaves of mint in for a change.

Onions and mint in red wine vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is the least used one in our repertoire. It goes in Chinese meals sometimes for that slight apple flavour to contribute the ‘sweet’ aspect of sweet and sour. It’s the nearest we get to sweet. Sour and hot is our preference.

ACV also occasionally goes in the dog water dish as prevention against fleas and ticks. Might think about adding it to his food rather than water, and also spraying him with it in tick/flea season.

Vinagre de manzana

Finally, ordinary wine vinegar. We always tend to have this in as a basic vinegar – it can be used like any of the others above. I tend to forget you can use it as an all-purpose cleaner, its main use at the moment is as a conditioner for my hair.

I was reminded about this on another blog site and, when I ran out of conditioner one day, decided to give it a go. If you look at my profile pic, it’s obvious I’ve got long hair that isn’t straight, and can literally be a pain to brush. Vinegar rinse? Brilliant. Leaves it tangle free, shiny, and not surprisingly, my hair just doesn’t get greasy.

Compare the ingredients in a bottle of vinegar with the junk in some gloopy conditioner container. Much simpler and more natural.

Compare the price. At Coviran, the 2 litre bottle was 80 pence, the smaller one is 45 pence, but probably equally as cost effective as it has a tiny trickle spray thing. And not as big to take in the shower. Morrison’s vinegar runs out dearer at 55 pence for 500 mill. Hence buying the Coviran vinegar.

Vinagre de vino - my hair conditioner/rinse of choice

Cheap, effective, and pretty natural. My top tip for the day.

And no, I don’t smell like a fish and chip shop.

Pronunciation note: If there is anyone who doesn’t know, thought I would point out that Jerez is pronounced Herrrrrr-reth. Sorry about all the rrs – the only way I could think of to try and indicate that it is a short ‘e’ and the first syllable is not pronounced Her, as in the English word ‘her’. The accent is on the last syllable.

And I should have said that this fitted neatly into the WordPress ‘indulge’ photo challenge word of the week. I don’t think I need to spell it out, you can all work it out for yourselves.

When I was at Trader Joe’s, I asked the guy there about Manchego cheese (originally what the recipe calls for).  Manchego cheese has a distinctive flavour, well developed but not too strong, creamy with a slight piquancy, and leaves an aftertaste that is characteristic of sheep’s milk. It is similar in taste to colby or a mild cheddar. I learned later that it melts well and is often used in quesadillas. . .  While at Trader Joe’s the guy told me Manchego cheese does not melt well so he suggested Iberico cheese, which is what I tried. Iberico cheese is a blend of cows’ and sheep’s milk, which gives this cheese its smooth flavor. It’s delicious!!! But next time, I will try the manchego.

MUSHROOM, TOMATO & IBERICO PANINI

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 (4-ounce) packages presliced exotic mushroom blend (such as shiitake, cremini, and oyster)
• 1 (8-ounce) package presliced cremini mushrooms
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• Splash of balsamic vinegar
• 8 (1 1/2-ounce) slices sourdough bread
• 3 ounces Iberico cheese
• Cooking spray
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• Tomatoes; sliced (I used Roma); optional

Preparation

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add shallots and next 6 ingredients (through cremini mushrooms). Cook 10 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently. Add vinegar; cook 30 seconds or until liquid almost evaporates.
2. Divide the mushroom mixture evenly among four bread slices. Top evenly with Manchego cheese and remaining bread slices.
3. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sandwiches to pan. Place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of sandwiches; press gently to flatten. Cook sandwiches 2 minutes on each side or until cheese melts and bread is toasted (leave skillet on sandwiches while they cook). Rub the top and bottom of each sandwich with cut side of garlic clove.
4. OR simply add some olive oil to your pan and lay the bread down, toasted each side. Add the cheese, tomatoes & mushroom mixture and the other bread slice on top, press gently to flatten and toast a little more.

When working with fresh thyme, you should tear just the leaves off and add

Open face shot with no tomatoes.

Recipe from: Cooking Light; click here.
MARCH 2012

Hello, my friends.  Are you coming down off of your sugar high from Valentine’s Day?  I thought after several posts on love notes and Valentines and fluffy pink wreaths {not to mention chocolate cupcakes}, it would be nice to share a recipe for a simple weeknight dinner.

I clipped this recipe from the February 2011 Everyday with Rachael Ray mag and have had it in my binder of recipes to try in the future.  And though her kinetic energy isn’t always appealing to me, several of her recipes are.

Actually, I think I just wish I had half of her energy.  I can never seem to make it past the half-way point in my weekly to do list!

This dish spoke to me.  Braised chicken thighs with caramelized onions, the dried plums and a touch of cream.  Sounds good, right?  Most everything is in your pantry already {love that} and you couldn’t possibly mess this up, even if you’re being pulled in a couple of different directions while you try to make it.

So, grab an onion, some brown sugar and the sherry vinegar, and of course those  prunes and you’re ready to get started.

 You’ll need a small bowl to mix together a 1/2 cup of dried prunes, a 1/4 cup of sherry vinegar and 1 tsp of brown sugar.  Stir the prunes a bit so that they can sit in the brown sugar-vinegar mixture and marinate.  Set them aside.

Oh, and if you didn’t find a bottle of sherry vinegar in the back of your cabinet just use cider vinegar instead.  See, we’re keeping it easy breezy here on Main St.!

Season 4 chicken thighs with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil and when the oil is hot brown the 4 chicken thighs on both sides for approximately 8 minutes.  Transfer to a clean platter.

Discard all but 1 tbsp of the fat and lower the heat to medium.  Add 1 onion that has been sliced with uniform thickness to the Dutch oven.  Cook, stirring until softened and golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Here are the onions at about the halfway point in the process.

Return the browned chicken thighs to the pot and place them on top of the onions.  Then add the prune-vinegar mixture.

Pour 2 cups of chicken broth into your Dutch oven and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid is reduced by half, about 25 minutes.  Stir in 1/3 cup half and half.

Those lovely little plums had a soft, creamy texture after spending some time in the braising liquid.

I served it with some fluffy rice which absorbed the sherry-cream sauce when plated.  This is the perfect time of year for a dinner that features caramelized onions and plump, dried fruit.  If you’re looking for the original recipe, just click here or you can scroll below and print the recipe that I adapted ever so slightly.

Braised Chicken with Prunes and Cream

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried pitted prunes

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1 tsp brown sugar

4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, patted dry

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, sliced into uniform slices

2 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup of half and half (or heavy cream)

2 cups long-grain rice, cooked

Method

In a small bowl, toss the prunes with the vinegar and brown sugar and let marinate for at least 10 minutes.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, season the chicken thighs with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  In a large killet or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook , turning once, until browned, about 8 minutes; transfer to a plate.

Discard all but 1 tbsp of fat and lower the heat to medium.  Add the onions and cook, sturring frequently until soft and golden in color, about 5 or 6 minutes.  Add the chicken back into the pot, nestling into the onions and then add the prune-vinegar mixture and return the chicken thighs to the pan.  Add the chicken broth and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid is reduced by half , about 25 minutes.

Divide the rice and chicken between two plates and spoon the sauce over the top.

Serves: 2

]]> http://fifthgrouprestaurants.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/the-fat-is-back-at-la-tavola/ Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:12:07 +0000 Fifth Group Restaurants http://fifthgrouprestaurants.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/the-fat-is-back-at-la-tavola/ Trust me when I say skinny doesn’t feel nearly as good as this is going to taste. La Tavola once again gives weight to Bologna‘s nickname, “la grassa”—which literally means “the fat one”—by bringing back the fifth-annual La Grassa menu February 29-March 10.

Bologna—the capital of Italy’s fertile, food-producing Emilia-Romagna region—received this playful nickname in reference to the city’s cuisine which is big on flavors, preparations and enjoyment. Renowned for its culinary tradition, Bologna’s influence is made larger through the contributions of nearby towns and surrounding cities, such as Parma’s prosciutto, Reggio Emilia’s Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and Modena’s balsamic vinegar.

The decadent $35 3-course prix fixe menu (which is also available a la carte) will be offered in addition to most of the items on our regular dinner menu, too.

Choice of Appetizer
Dandelion greens, grilled pears, Parmigiana, and Saba di Modena 8
Roasted veal sweetbreads, sunchoke puree, pea tendrils and pancetta conserva 11
Garden lettuces, pickled sunchokes, Aceto Balsamico Parmigiano Reggiano 8
Grilled mortadella with polenta rustica, frisee and pistachio oil 9
Duck liver and black truffle terrina, aged sherry vinegar and grilled ciabatta 11

Choice of Entree
Tagliatelle, grilled radicchio di Treviso, fried duck egg, Balsamico Aceto 17
Roasted monkfish, fagiolini Bolognese, farro piccolo, vin cotto 22
Cappelletti faentini, housemmade ricotta, mascarpone, black pepper in a capon brodo 17
Roasted pork shank, smoked potato puree, savoy cabbage and gremolata 20
Spinach garganelli with lamb Bolognese and Parmigiano 18
Bollito Misto—braised beef shoulder and veal with fingerling potatoes and
quince mostarda 18

Dessert
Sbrisolonao—“crumbly cake” with preserved cherries and mascarpone cream 7

So loosen that belt a notch and make your reservations online or by calling 404.873.5430 today! That silly diet can wait.