Vegetable and chickpea curry

Several of my favorite people are vegetarians and I too often find myself scratching my head about what to serve when they come to dinner. As a result, I've spent a fair amount of time hunting for interesting vegetarian options.  I stumbled onto this recipe from Cooking Light and was pleasantly surprised to find that with a few tweaks we could enjoy a very healthy, veggie-filled meal that was still hearty enough to feel like a winter comfort food.  The ingredients and instructions below are my updated version.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
6 carrots, sliced (1/4 inch thick)
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and minced
3 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14-ounce) can vegetable broth
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
6 lemon wedges

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add curry powder, sugar, ginger, garlic, and Anaheim pepper; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Place onion mixture in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Stir in chickpeas and next 8 ingredients (through broth). Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours or until vegetables are tender.

 The chickpea and vegetable mixture, ready for its last ingredients

Add spinach and greek yogurt; stir until spinach wilts. Serve over Basmati rice with lemon wedges.

Before and after: smaller guest bedroom

Finally, a year and a half after moving in, we've finished redoing our first room! I know, I know. It took long enough. But with our crazy travel schedules and long work hours its taken a long time to get any of the changes we wanted to make underway. Just a few days before Christmas I put the finishing touches on our office/smaller guest bedroom.

Remember the before, complete with fabulous sun and moon wallpaper border and blue aluminum blinds.

Before

And now, the after. A new paint job, new dark wood blinds and best of all - NO WALLPAPER.

The "guest room" part of the room, complete with your own cat

The "office" part of the room

What do you think?

Soft gingersnaps

Generally, I'm not a fan of gingersnaps. They get stale quickly and within a day or so go from tasty cookie to something with which you could bludgeon a robber.  At least that's how I felt until I found this little gem of a recipe. They are soft, delicious and as close to perfect as a cookie gets. I took these to my office holiday party and received RAVE reviews.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Additional sugar

Using a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar. If you don't have stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer, but be mindful that this batter gets very heavy and thick and might burn out an old or less powerful hand mixer. Add eggs, one by one, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture.

Refrigerate the dough for one hour.  Roll into one inch balls. Roll each ball in sugar. Place two inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for two minutes before moving to cooling racks.

Tru(th) be told, I liked Boka better

Since B and I flew in and out of Chicago to attend his sister's wedding, we decided it would be a great opportunity to steal a little bit of time just the two of us.  This was a tough decision to come to because we have so many friends in Chicago that we love and would like to have seen. But it's been a long year with too many hours work, too many miles traveled individually and not nearly enough time spent just enjoying each other.  So we decided to keep our trip, which was quick anyway, just between us, in spite of all the wonderful people we wanted to see while there.

Xoco or proof that food doesn't have to be expensive to be fabulous

We arrived in Chicago in time to check into our hotel on the Magnificent Mile and grab a late lunch.  We had done some online research before arriving and decided to give Rick Bayless's downtown cafeteria style spot, Xoco, a try.

Taking our position in line, we had just enough time to decide on our tortas and order before our places in the 40-seat restaurant were available.  B chose the Pepito torta, a crusty sandwich filled with braised shortrib, caramelized onion, Jack cheese and black beans.  I selected the Choriqueso torta, a mash up of house-made chorizo, roasted Poblano peppers and tomatillo salsa.  Both were unbelievable.  The meat in B's sandwich was so tender it fell apart and the caramelized onions added a delicious sweetness.  My sandwich was the spicier of the two.  Packed with heat, I had a hard time putting it down.  In fact, had B and I not agreed to share both sandwiches I would have mowed through both halves without a second thought.

Xoco's wood firing oven where every delicious torta is made

Boka, a return to our roots

The year that B and I lived in Lincoln Park, a new restaurant - Boka - sprang up right across the street from our apartment.  We went in for drinks a couple of times, but at the time we were so poor we could scarcely afford a glass of wine. We never even considered eating there, it wasn't an option.

But this restaurant, new in 2004, is still there and getting rave reviews. It was awarded its first Michelin star last year.  So we couldn't pass up an opportunity to try it now that we wouldn't be forgoing rent money to do so.

We arrived in time for our 7PM reservation and were seated in a cozy corner booth near the rear of the restaurant. It was a great spot to enjoy some intimate conversation and reminisce about our days in Chicago.  We enjoy that particular kind of reminiscing because, in retrospect, we were seriously strapped for cash, overworked (I was in grad school and working full time for the Senate and B was working 80 hours a week on a campaign) and so damn happy. I'm not saying we're uphappy now, it's just a different kind of happy. We're real adults now with all the responsibilities that entails.  Back when we lived in Chicago, we had all the freedom of adults but not nearly as much of the reality that comes with it.

One short trip down memory lane later, we were greeted by a friendly server who, in addition to answering some questions about the a la carte menu, explained the three, six or nine-course Chef's tasting menus.  Basically, you just tell them what you don't like (or in my case are allergic to) and they create the requisite number of dishes without any additional intervention from the customer.  We chose the six-course menu with the wine pairing and sat back to await the surprise of each course.

First Course: Quartet of sushi and seafood

This will be one of the last photos, as darkness became increasingly problematic

Clockwise from the lower right we enjoyed a British Columbian oyster with a yuzu glaze; yellowtail with edamame, sesame and white grape; red snapper carpaccio with black truffle; and adobo seared tuna with king crab nori roll.  

Every single bite was bursting with flavor. B's favorite - hands down - was the oyster. He described it as a fresh blast of ocean.  I fell in love with the adobo seared tuna.  Perfectly prepared, the seasoning was robust yet somehow didn't overpower the tuna and king crab's subtle flavors.  Everything about this box was incredible.  With a first course like this we couldn't wait to see what else was on the way!

Second course: Steel head trout

Our second course was composed of a small piece of perfectly seasoned steel head trout with exceptionally crisp skin.  It shared the plate with celery root puree, curried leeks, seafood dumplings and pickled crosnes.  The first bite was a little bit of everything and it was exquisite - a perfect balance of flavors.  Tasting each item individually however, revealed that the leeks were the best thing on the plate. I should be raving about the trout, and don't get me wrong, it was very, very good, but the leeks had more flavor than any vegetable I have ever encountered. 

Third course: Sweetbreads

Next to the table was a small assortment of veal sweetbreads served with roasted figs, celery root puree,  broccoflower and wild mushrooms.  

If you can put aside the idea of what you're eating, this is a dish I would recommend without question.  Sweetbreads, when prepared properly as Boka certainly did, are tender and succulent. The most interesting element of this plate was the juxtaposition between the mushrooms and the sweetbreads.  The earthy bite of the mushrooms against the soft, buttery texture of the sweetbread made the whole dish.

Fourth course: Lamb

When considering the a la carte menu, the lamb loin with poached milk belly, arancini, broccoli hash and black garlic sauce was high on my list.  And lo and behold, a very similar creation appeared as our fourth course.  The lamb was a perfect medium rare.  But the star of this dish, again, was the vegetable.  Likely packed full of butter, the broccoli hash had all the sweetness of a broccoli floret and none of the bitterness of the stems.

Fifth course: Beef Tenderloin

Our last savory course arrived bursting with meaty flavor.  Again, perfectly prepared, the medium rare beef tenderloin could be cut with a butter knife.  Add to it a tiny Yorkshire pudding, savoy cabbage and Cipollini onions and you have a truly incredible set of flavors.  The highlight of this dish was the beef, yet I found myself wondering how the cabbage was prepared that it had none of the normal, almost slimy texture of cooked cabbage (something I generally don't like).  It was delicious.

Sixth course (bonus course): Panna cotta

This was the most unexpected course. An addition from the Chef, our first sweet course could have happily ended the meal for me.  Made with yogurt, this panna cotta was tangy and rich without being overpoweringly sweet.  Topped with a gelee and fresh grapes, it was extremely refreshing and a great way to clear the palate.  

Seventh couse: Chocolate Ganache

The last course - we were SO full at this point! Maybe that's why this course felt like it missed the mark.  But the Chocolate ganache with flourless chocolate cake and horchata ice cream just seemed a little one-note after all of the incredible combinations of flavors we'd enjoyed throughout the evening. Sure, it was decadent, but it just didn't hold up to scrutiny the way every other dish had.

Three hours, seven courses and seven wine pairings later we were back on the street looking for a cab, feeling gluttonous but extremely satisfied.  What a fabulous way to wander down memory lane, coming back to our old neighborhood to try this tremendous restaurant (which really, really deserves that Michelin star).

Tru(ly) a little ovepriced

For our last meal in Chicago before heading home the following morning, we made a reservation at Tru in Streeterville.  Right down the street from our last apartment in Chicago before moving to the East Cost (are you seeing a theme here?), this restaurant has been receiving accolades for as long as I can remember.  We had to give it a try.

We arrived in just a few minutes past our 730PM reservation time - evidently we'd forgotten just how long it takes to cross Michigan Ave - and were ushered into the lounge to wait for our table.  In just the five minutes we spent in the lounge we caught sight of three men in tuxedos and an Ambassador in full regalia.  We joked about the irony of living in the DC area and never running into an Ambassador, but in Chicago he walked in like he owned the place.  But we didn't have much more time to contemplate it as our table was ready.

First a comment about the service. In addition to excellent food, this is what you're paying for at a restaurant like Tru. Over the course of our two hour meal we had no less than a half dozen sets of hands ensuring our every need was met and that doesn't even include the Sommelier.  This type of service began from the moment we sat down and were greeted by our Barack Obama look-alike server.

Since we had been over the top with our Thursday evening meal at Boka, we decide to stick to the a la carte menu for the evening and after several discussions with our waiter and sommelier decided on a first course and entree a piece as well as an exceptional bottle of Pinot Noir.

B chose the duck consommé with confit and foie gras ravioli as his first course and the wild Scottish hare as his main. I selected the Grass fed beef carpaccio with yuzu and aged white truffle balsamic for my first course and braised Wagyu beef short ribs as my main.

Unsurprisingly, the timing of our meal was perfect, with the appropriate lull between courses to savor the flavors. For B, the duck consommé was the stand out, packed full of earthy duck flavors and rich bites of foie gras. His main arrived with a lot of whimsy on the plate. The hare and its accompaniments were arranged to look like a Scottish moor. While it was well prepared and delicious, the portion was disappointingly small for the exorbitant price. In fact, we found this to be true of every dish all evening. We're used to fine dining portions which don't and should not compete with the modern American portion of whole sides of beef, but even for fine dining these were extra dainty. For me the highlight was the short ribs. Braised 72 hours, this was the most succulent, tender meat I have ever encountered, all four bites of it.

We rounded out our evening with a selection of three cheeses, a cow, a sheep and a goat milk cheese. Each was delectable in its own right, but as I capture this only the goat cheese made high in the Pyrenees stands out in memory. Rich and nutty, I could have eaten it all night.

Our last course was a shared dessert and like most fine dining establishments, the pastry chef did not disappoint with the honey crisp apple beignets. Served with smooth homemade vanilla bean ice cream, these new French pastries were an excellent blend of flaky and buttery on the outside with warm and gooey on the inside and a lovely high note on which to finish our meal.

While I understand the accolades Tru receives for the flavor and presentation of its food, I wouldn't go back. Yet I would happily duplicate the Boka experience. For about 60 percent of the price of Tru we had an incredible, stand out meal at Boka, complete with every flavor you could want and nearly as much of the fine dining experience.

Congratulations A & D!

The second weekend in December, Ben and I hopped a plane to Chicago to attend his youngest sister A's wedding in Kalamazoo. They had a quick but sweet ceremony at the County courthouse followed by plenty of pictures and a lovely lunch at a local Italian restaurant.  We got to spend some time chatting with the happy couple over lunch and even got to spend a little time with Ben's mom, uncle and sister B.

Congratulations A and D. May you find many, many years of marital bliss ahead of you!

Dining room delivered

The only thing as important as good food is a great place to share it with your guests.  We've been in our house for about a year and a half and we're slowly starting to make it home.  That includes accumulating the furniture we need to make sure we can entertain.  The most important addition to make this possible was a large, modern dining room table from West Elm and accompanying chairs.  The picture below was taken on the eve of our inaugural dinner party, where a half dozen of our friends gathered around our new dining table to enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers, wine and laughter.

We still have a lot of work to do in the dining room including painting and replacing the outdated chandelier with something more modern, but for now the dining room table and chairs will allow us to entertain the way we like even if the room isn't completed finished.

Secrets to a successful Thanksgiving

I've had a dozen or more friends, many food-focused people like me, comment on how stressful it can be to host your first (or your fifteenth) Thanksgiving dinner. Here are my tips, based on seven years of delivering what I hope have been delicious Thanksgiving meals, to make it as minimally stressful as possible.

Plan ahead:
I plan my Thanksgiving meal at least two weeks in advance, sometimes as early as a month before.  I start stocking up on the staples (chicken stock, etc.) that can take up a little pantry space but won't go bad lest I be left standing in Whole Foods wondering where all my ingredients have disappeared to and whether they might return before I'm totally out of luck.

Stagger the work:
There are many Thanksgiving "to do" items that can be accomplished long before Thanksgiving day arrives.  Pie crust can be made two days ahead and refrigerated and pies can be made the night before. Making bread stuffing? Bread can be be broken up and left to dry up to three days ahead of time. This goes hand in hand with good planning and will leave you with far less to do on the actual day.

Share with your guests:
When your guests say, "What can I bring?", don't be afraid to give them something significant to add to the celebratory meal.  It's easy to give away the dinner rolls or a few bottles of wine, but there's no reason not to assign something more substantial like a salad or other side dish.  I'd stay away from the staples here though, as you never know when someone's plans might change unexpectedly and leave you without the mashed potatoes (which in my house might be cause for riot). And yes, for those of you who know me, you realize this particular piece of advice is a "do as I say, not as I do" commentary since I'm clearly the queen of kitchen control freaks and refuse to assign anything more substantial than flowers for the table to a guest.

Stick to what you know:
Thanksgiving is not the time to experiment.  My rule of thumb is no more than one brand new dish and never a staple.  For example, this year I made all the normal fixings - turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, etc.  And I also tried out a new roasted Brussel sprout with pomegranate molasses recipe.  Survey says? Ok. Not the best, not the worst.  But that's fine, because I stuck to what I knew and also made green beans tossed with olive oil and garlic, a nice alternative to the bitterness that even the best Brussel sprouts can bring.

Don't forget the wine: 
Wine is as much a part of your Thanksgiving meal as the turkey.  Know your guests tastes and decide ahead of time whether you want to serve red, white or both. I love to start my Thanksgiving day out with a bottle of bubbly for guests to sip while B and I finish with dinner preparations.  And of course, have plenty of beer, liquor and non-alcoholic beverages on hand for the non-wine drinkers in the group.

Think long-term (for the food):
The best part of Thanksgiving, by far, is the leftovers.  Consider this when you're planning your meal.  If you want to make sure you have left over turkey to go around, plan two pounds per person instead of one. Also consider the need for leftovers in your preparation. For example, I brine my turkey to make sure that it's really juicy so that not only is it excellent the first time it hits the table but stands up to reheating without turning to dust.  Extra mashed potatoes make great potato croquettes the next day, so don't skimp on those either.

Give up on perfect and be happy with pretty damn good:
Every host stresses about making their Thanksgiving day a perfect celebration.  There is no such thing. Your pie crust won't be as good as last year's or your idiot cousin will get drunk and offend your friends.  One way or another, something won't go according to plan. So instead of spending a lot of time fretting about what might go wrong, resolve that something probably will and be willing to roll with it.  This will allow you to enjoy the rest of the day that much more and will keep your blood pressure nice and low. And if all else fails, crack into the Champagne before your guests arrive.  Just make sure you can still whip the potatoes.

Spicy chili with beans

I am not a chili purist. I believe that if it looks like chili when it's done and it tastes good, well then, mission accomplished. Therefore, the recipe I am about to share has beans it. But I'm still calling it chili and I am unapologetic about it. It's a great cold weather comfort food that's easy(er) on the waistline without forgoing all the flavor I've come to expect from chili. This recipe makes enough for six people and can be enjoyed over several days. In fact, it seems to get better with age (within reason).

Ingredients
1 1/4 lbs ground beef
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can of tomato sauce
2 (14 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, San Marzano preferred
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
4 oz beer, stout preferred
1/8 cup of Worcestershire sauce
1 (16 ounce) can of red kidney beans
Shredded cheddar cheese (for garnish)
Sour cream (for garnish)

To prepare:

Brown the beef in a large, heavy bottomed pan along with the jalapeno, garlic, and the chopped onion. If the water released by the beef fails to evaporate during the browning process drain it off before continuing.

Add the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, beans, 2 tablespoons of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the beer, Worcestershire sauce and another 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and chili powder. Simmer for 2 hours.

To serve top with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!

Restaurant Review: Sea Pearl

This Sunday N, B and I tried out a relatively new local spot, Sea Pearl, for brunch.  B and I have been there once - when it first opened - but the menu has changed considerably which made us excited to try it again.

When you walk in, you're greeted with lots of warm toned wood, dark and rich, in the bar and lobby area.  And it's spacious, much more so than you expect for a little-known restaurant located in this area.  The dining room itself combines sea tones with brighter accents (like orange place mats) and generally keeps to the contemporary theme the whole place has going for it.

The menu is filled with a combination of brunch standards, many with some interesting twists, and a few just straight up new and novel dishes.  Having looked at the menu before arriving, we wasted no time ordering two starters (which we claimed we weren't going to finish to leave room for our mains - hah!).  N chose the ricotta fritters while B selected the churros. Two fried items to start the brunch? Sign me up, I'm training for a half marathon, it will be fine, right?  Don't care. It was TOTALLY worth it. The churros arrived hot and crispy and sweet (and if I'm being honest, a little phallic looking).  The ricotta fritters came cloaked in slices of caramelized peach and begging to be dipped in the lavender honey that accompanied them. One word - delicious.

The churro or a good reason to love Sea Pearl

Ricotta fritters with the peach accessories

After mowing through our starters (there was one churro and one fritter remaining, both of which would be devoured before the meal was done), we sat back to wait for our mains.  Their arrival was met with more awe as we dug in.  B had chosen the foie gras benedict, a fun twist on an old standard.  While I'm not much for foie gras, it's something B always enjoys and his opinion of this dish was clear when he was the first one to clean his plate by several minutes (a title that as a former waitress who used to live by the "eat it fast while it's hot" mentality, I generally claim).

English muffin, foie gras, poached egg and hollandaise

N decided to give their upscale slant on the burger a try, ordering the Wagyu beef burger.  This large burger arrived open faced, served with caramelized onions and sharp cheddar.  While normally also served with garlic fries, this potato side isn't one of N's favorites leading her to choose a healthier option- steamed spinach.  Another win with this dish as it was well prepared, juicy and delicious.

Beautiful burger presentation

After playing obnoxious food blogger and snapping pics of everything on the table, I finally got to dig into my own Cajun-style shrimp roll served with a mixed green salad and garlic fries.  The shrimp had lots of spice but somehow still retained its fresh shellfish flavor.  The roll was buttery and soft and made a great compliment to the shrimp.  And of course there were the garlic fries, which in an absurd act of self restraint I only ate half of, but they were good enough to clean the plate!

Mmm...shrimp

Clearly, this was a meal filled with highlights. But there was one lowlight too - the service.  Up until our mains arrived the service was fine, attentive but not intrusive, what you'd expect.  Then our meals were delivered and it was as though the server's responsibility to our table was complete.  We had to actually get up and go to the bar to get our check.  Not cool.  I'm going to throw the place a bone and say that they did get slammed with what looked like two servers on the floor, but that's when you get your host or bar staff to help out with things like filling water and delivering checks.  Since the service was fine the first time B and I went, we're hoping this is a fluke and are willing to give the place another chance since the food is excellent, but it's a one more shot deal.

"Game day" chili

"Tis the season for chili. And since I'm really over the last chili recipe I used, I spent some time looking for a new one to try. In fact, this recipe, courtesy of Food Network's Melissa d'Arabian, is one of several chili recipes I intend to test drive over the next few weeks as I search for the right one to add to my fall food arsenal.

The verdict? This chili contains a whole dark beer and a teaspoon of cocoa. I chose stout to pair the chocolate undertones with the cocoa and it turned out really well. In fact, for depth of flavor/richness, this chili gets an A. However, if you're looking for a zesty chili, this is not the recipe for you. It's got great flavor, but it will not make your nose run as some of the best chilis do!

Ingredients
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound ground beef
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
3 cups black beans
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 (14-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
Kosher salt
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated Cheddar, for garnish
Chopped scallions, for garnish

Directions

In a large saucepan or small Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until the fat renders and the bacon is cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook until the onion softens, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the beef and cook until no longer pink. Raise the heat to medium-high, deglaze with the beer, and allow to bubble and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beans, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, chili powder, red pepper flakes, cocoa, and salt. Stir to combine well. Simmer for 30 minutes, or more, and serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and chopped scallion, if desired.

 Chili, ready to be served and garnished

Caramel Apple Cake

Last fall I had a bunch of girlfriends over to eat ourselves stupid on fall comfort foods while watching college football and carving pumpkins.  Included on the day's menu was a Caramel Apple Cake, the recipe for which hails from the Food Network, that got rave reviews.  In honor of my office's "Fall Treat Day" this year, I decided to reprise the cake and share it with my office mates.  Again, to rave reviews (so much so that by the time I thought about snapping a picture the cake was already demolished).  The recipe is a little bit cumbersome, but stick with it, the results are worth it!

Ingredients

For the Caramel and Apples:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
3 cups sugar
5 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream
5 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled 

For the Batter:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
Directions

Butter a 9-by-13-inch cake pan. Make the caramel. Cook the sugar and corn syrup in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is dark amber, 7 to 10 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium. Carefully add the cream and 4 tablespoons butter (it will splatter) and cook, stirring, until combined, about 3 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and let sit 1 minute. Pour 1 1/2 cups caramel into a glass measuring cup and set aside. Pour the remaining caramel into the prepared pan and set aside until set, about 30 minutes.

Cut 4 of the peeled apples into quarters and cut out the cores with a paring knife. Arrange the pieces in the pan (overlapping them slightly). Save any pieces that do not fit for later.

Chop the bottom and any of the leftover quartered apples into pieces; set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the batter. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream, orange juice and vanilla.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Crack the eggs into a small bowl. Slip them into the mixer bowl, one at a time, and beat until the mixture is pale and creamy, about 5 more minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater with a rubber spatula.

With the mixer on low speed, add half of the sour cream mixture, then half of the flour mixture. Repeat. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula; finish combining the batter by hand.

Spread the batter over the apples in the pan. Top with the chopped apple. Bake on the middle oven rack until the cake is brown on top and springs back when pressed, 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes (don't worry if the top is dark).

Cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Carefully run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan several times. Invert a plate on top of the cake, then flip over the cake and plate. Using pot holders or a towel, wriggle the pan off. Soften the reserved 1 1/2 cups caramel in the microwave, about 2 minutes. Drizzle the cake with some of the caramel. Slice and serve with the rest.

Team in Training

Dear family and friends:

On March 17th, 2012, my brother T and I are running the CareFirst Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in our nation’s capital, Washington DC. We’re running with Team in Training (TNT), a national organization focused on training athletes to complete endurance events all over the world. TNT provides coaching and support as we prepare our bodies for the grueling distance. In turn, we must raise a mimimum of $1200 per person to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s work toward finding a cure for blood cancers.

But I bet you’re wondering why we’re putting ourselves through all of this? In May 2011, T and I got the news that everyone dreads. Our Dad, P, had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

For several weeks we all held our breath while he underwent tests, doctor appointments and more tests. In June, we got good news. Our Dad’s cancer was indolent, follicular lymphoma – a slow moving form that readily lends itself to treatment and can often be managed for the duration of a person’s life with limited adverse impact. Relieved, we joked that he had hit the cancer jackpot. No one wants cancer, no matter how slow moving, but his particular diagnosis was met with some relief.

In late July 2011, our Dad finished nearly three weeks of radiation, a treatment the doctors said could CURE his lymphoma. All signs point to his complete recovery and we’re hopeful that his November 2011 doctor visit will reveal just that. In the mean time, he’s busy enjoying life and staying active. Our Dad has never been one to take life lying down and that was his commitment when he told us about his diagnosis – that while there might be tough days there would be no giving up.

So clearly, we’re running to honor our Dad, our own Greek warrior, in his fight with lymphoma. But just as importantly, we’re running for families who aren’t as lucky as we are – for those patients for whom a round of radiation is just the beginning. We’re running to ensure that someday soon, no child will have to hear the words drop from their father’s mouth, “I have cancer.” And no parent will have to watch their son or daughter surrender their childhood to this disease.

Every dollar we raise contributes to the vital cause of finding a cure and we can’t do it alone. If you’d like to pledge your support, donations can be made by accessing our fundraising websites.

And if you’d like to come support us as we burn through 13.1 miles, we’d love a cheering section – come on down!

Thank you for your support! It means more than we can say to our family and to countless others.

Creamy mac and cheese

Are you seeing a theme? Comfort food perhaps?  Well, this blog post will offer more along the same lines - this one pulled from the pages of October's Cooking Light magazine.

This Mac and Cheese variant uses the starchy sweetness of butternut squash to develop its creaminess without all the added fat of a bechamel.  If you're looking for a super rich, homestyle mac and cheese, dripping with cheddar, parm and pecorino, well, look elsewhere.  But if you're willing to give a relatively healthy, tasty substitute a whirl, even if it doesn't have the same traditional elements, you're in for a treat.

3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 [1-pound] squash)
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk (whatever kind you have on hand)
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
1 pound uncooked cavatappi
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375°. Combine squash, broth, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat.

A nice bright pile of squash, before its trip into the pot

Place the hot squash mixture in a blender. Add salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure the lid on the blender. Place a clean towel over the opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Place blended squash mixture in a bowl; stir in Gruyère, pecorino Romano, and 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir until combined.

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain well. Add pasta to squash mixture, and stir until combined. Spread mixture evenly into a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.

 The pasta and sauce, ready for its topping

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko, and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Sprinkle evenly over the hot pasta mixture.

Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

Golden Honey Apple Pie

I have a TERRIBLE track record with apple pies.  I can make pumpkin, blueberry, cherry, you name it, but recently apple has alluded me.  But if I am anything, I am persistent. My persistence found me spending the bulk of a Sunday afternoon trying to perfect the apple pie.  In the end, it wasn't perfect. But it was very good.  The trick I learned this time? It's all about the apples.  While many recipes call for Granny Smith apples, this sturdy variety doesn't always break down in the baking process leaving bony, hard apples in the finished pie.  Macintosh are great pie apples, but you can't get them in Virginia (or DC or Maryland).  With the two obvious choices out of the running to fill my pie, I had to go hunting for other choices.  After reading what felt like 6,000 other recipes, I settled on two different kinds of apples - golden delicious and honey crisp - thus the pie's Golden Honey moniker.  Both held up to the baking process without turning to mush.

Ingredients
 
Pie crust
2 1/2 cups of flour (plus more for kneading)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks cold butter (1 cup), diced
Ice water as needed (+/- 1/2 cup)

Filling
3 lg Honey Crisp Apples
3 lg Golden Delicious Apples
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

Eggwash
1 egg
1 tablespoon of water

To make the crust, combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Give it a quick whir to mix the salt through.  Add the diced butter. Pulse the food processor on the "dough" setting until combined. At this point your dough should look like many little balls the size of peas. Gradually add in the ice water while pulsing.  You'll know you have enough when the dough begins moving around the food processor in one large chunk rather than allowing the blade to move through it. Dump the contents of the food processor onto a floured board (or a floured clean counter top) and knead only enough to gather it into a ball.

Pie crust dough, freshly kneaded and headed for the refrigerator

Cut the dough in half and form each half into a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before attempting to roll it out.  When the dough has finished chilling, return one dough ball to the floured board.  Roll it out as evenly as possible in a large square to make the bottom crust of your pie. You'll be using a 9" pie pan, so a 12" square should cover it. When rolled out properly, the crust should a generous 1/4 inch thick.  Thicker and the crust will be mushy, thinner and your filling may break through and make a mess.  To get the pie crust from the board to your pie pan, roll it around the rolling pin and slowly roll it over the pie pan.  It's ideal if you can cover the whole pan including up the sides with one piece of crust.  But this is not an ideal world.  Once the crust is in the pan, cut the excess from around the sides.  Use these pieces to fill in the gaps where there is not enough crust in other places.  Just make sure to adhere the pieces of crust with your fingers or else the filling will leak through.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare your filling.  Mix the white and brown sugar together in a small bowl with the cinnamon. Peel and evenly slice each apple - the yield should be six or seven cups of apple slices.  Begin placing your apples in the pie working in a continuous circle from the outside.  Each apple should overlap the one before it slightly.  Filling the middle in the same circular pattern can be tricky - do the best you can.  When you've finished one layer of apples, sprinkle one-third of the sugar-cinnamon mixture over them.  Make sure to sprinkle everywhere.  Continue the same process for two more layers of apples, laying them in the overlapping circle and then sprinkling with the sugar-cinnamon mixture.

Three layers of apples, about to receive their final dusting of the sugar-cinnamon mixture

Once the apples are laid out and covered with sugar-cinnamon mix, set your pie pan aside for a moment. Quickly roll out the top layer of pie crust, ensuring again that you roll in a square(ish) shape sufficient to cover the 9" pie pan and the filling. Just before placing the top crust in place, dice two tablespoons of butter and place them randomly on top of the apple filling. Cover quickly with the pie crust, cutting off the excess and crimping the edges with either a fork or your fingers to ensure that the top and bottom crust adhere. Using a sharp knife, make three small slits in the top of the crust near the center to allow steam to escape.

Make an aluminum foil skirt for your pie.  The skirt should cover the edges of your pie and nothing else.  By baking with this skirt, the pie's edges are safe from over-browning or burning and becoming brittle.  Bake the pie with its aluminum skirt for 25 minutes.  While the pie is baking, make the egg wash by beating one egg with a tablespoon of water.  When the 25 minutes have elapsed quickly remove the pie from the oven, remove the aluminum skirt and brush the egg-wash all over the crust, including the edges.  Return the pie to the oven and continue baking for another 25 minutes.When the pie has finished baking, remove it from the oven to a cooling rack and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes before cutting into it.  There is nothing better than warm apple pie, but cutting into it too soon will cause it to fall apart. 

The final pie!

Winter minestrone

As the weather starts to turn cold I love to make soups and stews.  I have a pretty big repertoire including chicken, beef and veggie based concoctions.  This soup is one of my all time favorites.  Like a lot of what I post here, I've taken a recipe (in this case a Giada original) and tweaked it to accommodate both what I have on hand and what I like best (potatoes!).

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
6 carrots, peeled, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves coarsely chopped
2 russet potatoes, peeled, cubed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 fresh rosemary sprig
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
2 (14-ounce) cans low-sodium beef broth
1 ounce piece Parmesan cheese rind
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, pancetta, and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

 The soup's base: pancetta, onions, carrots, celery and garlic

Add the Swiss chard and potato; saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and rosemary sprig. Simmer until the chard is wilted and the tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes.

Chard breaking down with the soup base, potatoes, tomatoes and rosemary

Meanwhile, blend 3/4 cup of the beans with 1/4 cup of the broth in a processor until almost smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining broth, and Parmesan cheese rind to the vegetable mixture. Simmer until the potato pieces are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Stir in the whole beans and parsley. Simmer until the beans are heated through and the soup is thick, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Discard Parmesan rind and rosemary sprig (the leaves will have fallen off of the stem.)

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

Steak sandwich with gruyere sauce and arugula dressing

Back when Michigan went to bowl games (here's hoping we've learned how to do that again), New Years Day was a great day to spend tucked into good food and football. A few years back we had Alyce, Dave, Jody and Patrick down to celebrate the calendar holiday and to join in the football watching fiesta (Michigan beat Florida that year, so there Tim Tebo!). In honor of the days events I prepared a get it when you want it meal that included soup and what I'm going to go out on a limb here and say were amazing steak sandwiches. Which brings us to the present day, where I'm desperately searching for something interesting to make for dinner that will double as lunch at work the next day. Mental archive search results in this sandwich, which hadn't graced our table since that fateful (for Florida) New Years Day. This dish looks like it has a lot of steps, but don't be intimidated, it's easy and extremely flavorful.

Ingredients

For the Bechamel

1/2 stick unsalted butter
3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk (I substitute 1% with no flavor faults)
2 cups grated Gruyere
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

For the Arugula Mayonnaise

1 bunch baby arugula
1/2 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise

For the Steak Sandwich

2 soft hoagie rolls
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound New York Strip steak, grilled and finely sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

Make the bechamel cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly to incorporate - you do not want any color. Gradually pour in the milk as you stir, and whisk out any lumps. As the mixture thickens up continue to stir until it reaches a boil - this ensures the flour is cooked completely. Dump in the cheese and stir for another minute until the cheese is completely melted. Stir in the horseradish and season with salt and pepper, then set aside to keep warm.

Creamy bechamel, just as the cheese melts

Make arugula mayonnaise. Put arugula in a food processor with the lemon juice and salt and pepper. Top with mayonnaise and process until well combined. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning if required. NOTE: I know it seems like a lot of arugula, but the mayo has a strong flavor on its own, you need the whole bunch to get the full flavor.

All the ingredients for the mayo, ready to go for a ride

The finished mayo, prettied up with some parsley

Prepare the steak by liberally seasoning it with salt and pepper.  Place the steak on the preheated grill and cook to medium rare.  How long is required to do this will vary based on the thickness of the meat and how hot your individual grill gets.  In general, it should be about 4 minutes per side.  When done, remove the steak from the grill and allow to rest, tented in aluminum foil for about 10 minutes.  At this point, preheat your broiler. Once the steak is thoroughly rested, slice thin and set aside.

Split the hoagie rolls in half, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place on a flat baking sheet and toast under the broiler until brown, one to two minutes.

To serve, smear each half of the roll with the arugula mayonaisse. Top the bottom with the steak and cheese and serve.

Chicken kapama, a greek village tradition

The last weekend in September my Dad brought three of my Aunts, visiting the States from Greece, down to visit B and I in Virginia.  Since they were arriving in time for a late dinner, I decided to take a shot at making Chicken Kapama, a traditional village dish that I thought they would all like.  In the end it was very well received and, considering the ingredients, its a great, good-for-you fall comfort food.

Ingredients
8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped
5 peeled garlic cloves
1/2 cup dry white wine (for this dish I prefer Pinot Grigio, but any dry white will do)
1 cup water
1 cup chicken stock
6 oz (1 can) of tomato paste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
Finely grated mizithra cheese
1 1lb box of orzo

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. A wet chicken will cause the oil to spatter while browning.  Mix the cinnamon, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Rub the chicken pieces on all sides with the seasoning mix.

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep, non-reactive skillet or dutch oven over high heat.  Place the chicken in the pan with enough space between the pieces to allow it to brown without steaming (overcrowding the chicken will cause it to steam, not brown).  Brown the chicken for about four minutes on each side or until it is a rich, golden color.  If all the chicken does not fit at once, brown in batches. Remove the browned chicken to a plate layered with paper towel (to absorb excess oil).

The first batch of chicken browning in the dutch oven

Browned chicken, resting on a bed of paper towel

While the chicken is browning, chop both onions and all the garlic.  Reduce the heat in the pan (after the chicken has been removed) to medium.  Add both onions.

Onions on their way to caramelized

Allow the onions to caramelize in the pan.  Add garlic and allow the mixture to continue cooking for another two minutes.

Caramelized onions with garlic added

Turn up the heat to medium-high.  Deglaze the pan by adding 1/2 cup of dry white wine and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits of flavor stuck to the bottom.

Once the wine has evaporated, add the water, chicken stock and tomato paste. Stir until the tomato paste has dissolved into the broth.  Add the fresh oregano.  Nestle the browned chicken into the pan.  The liquid should cover about 3/4 of the chicken (if not a bit more).  Bring the liquid to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook, low and slow, for at least one hour.

 The whole dish ready to simmer slowly

In the last twenty minutes of the chicken's cooking time, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add half the contents of the one pound box of orzo.  Cook until al dente.  Drain and portion out immediately. Top the orzo with two chicken thighs and a heaping ladelful of the sauce. Top with finely grated mizithra* cheese and serve.

*If you do not have mizithra, serve the dish without cheese, as there is no good substitute.

Tin Fish in San Diego, California

Before leaving San Diego, I had to make one last stop for a fish taco at the king of fish taco stands - Tin Fish. While this local taco shop has a couple of locations, the most convenient is located right in the Gaslamp Quarter in striking distance of the harbor and Convention Center.  I have never made a trip to San Diego without making a stop here.  This Sunday, since I was getting ready to pack out for Tucson and had a few hours to kill before my flight, it seemed like a perfect time to hit up this spot and enjoy some good, cheap eats and a couple hours of reading in the sun.

While there are lots of "fish taco" options including salmon, mahi mahi, and more, my two favorites are always halibut and shrimp.  Both are "meaty" choices with a lot of substance and hold up well with all the other flavors in the taco.  This time around I opted for shrimp tacos.

 

  

When they arrived they were laden with thinly sliced, crispy cabbage, in addition to cheese, sour cream and homemade pico de gallo.  It took me all of ten minutes to belt back both tacos after which I spent the next two hours basking in the sun, digesting and reading a good book.  Great way to end my San Diego visit.

Cafe 21 in San Diego, California

While on my whirlwind adventure across the Southwestern United States, I got to spend my weekend in San Diego, in between meetings in Orange County and Tucson.  Having been to San Diego several times, I had a good feel for the local cuisine, with the exception of breakfast. I've always been there during the week, making breakfast whatever could be easily acquired at the hotel or en route to my work destination. I wasted no time letting my fingers do the walking to Yelp and in minutes I was strolling down Fifth Street from my hotel to Cafe 21, a boutique restaurant with rave breakfast reviews. 

As the marquis gives away, this place had a large and varied menu that included any breakfast item you might want and then some.  However, one of their specialties and a dish for which they had earned much praise from Yelpers, was the Azeri Style French toast.  Unsurprisingly, it took me no time once I took my seat at the bar to decide on the Strawberry version of this French toast variant.

 My strawberry Azeri toast

From the minute my breakfast hit the table, I was in heaven. Made with sweet mascarpone and two chunky slices of homemade bread, this french toast sandwich of sorts, had yummy written all over it. And it was! Crunchy bread, creamy cheese, punctuated with strawberry bursts.  Breakfast does not come better. Or so I thought.

After my unbelievable breakfast at Cafe 21 on Saturday, I looked around Yelp for other places to try on Sunday.  But I just couldn't find anything that had comparable reviews and there were so many other delicious menu items calling to me, that I ended up back at Cafe 21 for breakfast on Sunday.  This repeat performance forced me to break on of my cardinal travel rules - use every opportunity to try new restaurants - but it was well worth it.

This time, I spent more time scanning the menu, deciding which of a dozen or so tasty looking items I would take a shot with.  In the end, I settled on the shrimp and corn cakes served with poached eggs and a cilantro cream.  Call this a west coast nod to eggs benedict.  

It arrived, two round shrimp and corn cakes, on a gleaming green bed of cilantro cream.  Perched perfectly on top of each cake was a poached egg, prepared soft. 

Shrimp and corn cake with poached egg, cilantro cream

If I had been happy the day before with my Azeri toast (oh and I was! I was!), it was nothing to my new breakfast companion.  The cake was pan-friend just enough to warm everything through, but not so much as to overcook the shrimp. Loading a fork full of gooey egg and soft shrimp cake rolled in cilantro cream was the perfect way to start the day.  The only downside was my disappointment at cleaning my plate. I could have gone on a long time with that meal.

The Winery in Tustin, California

Another week spent in Orange County for work meant more opportunities to try some of the restaurant offerings in the area.  For a large group meal, two of my coworkers chose The Winery, a large fine dining restaurant located, in of all places, a huge strip mall.  But if you can put aside the fact that you're view from the lovely porch is of Best Buy, you're in for a treat.

The evening we were there, The Winery was offering both its regular menu and a three course prix-fixe menu.  With many choices, it took everyone a long time to decide.  While people were digging into the menu, I got to dig into the wine list.  Since the restaurant is called, The Winery, I'm sure you won't be surprised to learn that they have an amazing selection of vintages, old and new. Since it was a "school night" and not everyone at the table drank wine, we settled on two bottles to share among 7.  A syrah and a pinot noir.  And because I am a terrible food blogger, although I had the sommelier write down the name of both bottle, I have misplaced the listing.  Unfortunate all the way around, especially considering the syrah was one of the best reds I've ever had.  I'll just have to go back to figure it out.

Quickly, the waiter was back to walk us through the list of specials which included an excellent sounding buffalo steak.  Orders were placed all around to include starters of wild mushroom bisque, heirloom tomato and burrata salad (caprese style) and mains of buffalo steak, racks of lamb, short ribs and pasta.

When the first course arrived, we were treated to a variery of sea salts, all fashioned differently including traditional, smoked, and several others.  While they were brought to pair with the heirloom tomato and burrata salads, everyone at the table got to have a taste.  Each flavor was interesting, and strong, thanks to its salty backing. 

 

Our various sea salts

The first course was delicious. The salads were served with multi-colored Santa Barbara heirloom tomatoes, fresh, creamy burrata cheese, micro arugula for some delicious spice and topped with an aged balsamic, sweet and syrupy.  Add to this a little traditional sea salt (as was my preference) and you have a superbly balanced and refreshing first course.  Frankly, I probably could have eaten a couple more as a main it was so good!

One of the three starter heirloom and burrata salads, sorry about the photo quality, 

tough to shoot with an iPhone outside after dark

In addition to this great salad, another coworker ordered the wild mushroom bisque.  This heavier starter also received rave reviews for its velvety consistency and warm, earthy flavor.

Wild mushroom bisque with a splash of cream for richness

After ample sharing and testing of the first course selections, our mains arrived. Sadly, this is where the pictures peter out.  We had some lovely presentations on the table but the increasing darkness coupled with the less than professional quality of my iPhone camera meant everything is either too dark to be distinguishable or so washed out it looks like ghost food.  I'll have to rely on the pictures my words paint.

For her main, D had chosen a garlic and herb marinated buffalo steak served over a wild mushroom risotto with a shallot reduction.  In addition to not skimping on flavor, the portion was hefty.  D spent several minutes after its arrival contemplating the best way to attack it.  In the end, there was more than one bite left on the plate, even with lots of sharing.  This is shocking since the buffalo, while very lean, was packed with flavor, in large part due to the well-prepared sides that accompanied it.

Two of us chose the rack of lamb which looked almost evergreen when it arrived.  Rubbed so thoroughly with Herbs de Provence, the lamb took on a green tinge even in the gathering darkness.  Served over sweet basil gnocchi (although not enough of them in this carb-loving lady's opinion), the lamb was exquisitely prepared to a perfect medium rare.  The fat content in the lamb was a little unfortunate as I found myself attempting to cut around the sinewy pockets to get to the tender meat.  But this is a risk you take with lamb and is hardly the chef's fault.  All in all, it was a delicious dish.

Two more opted for "The Winery Corkscrew Pasta", a tasty looking combination of pesto, sun dried tomatoes, grilled chicken and baby artichokes.  Since my allergies precluded me from trying this one as it circled the table, I had to take my coworkers word for it that it was good.  And miraculously, I have a picture of it!

Fancy pasta

And last, but certainly not least, were the short ribs. Also served in an enormous portion, this heaping plate came accompanied with pearl couscous, red zinfandel reduction and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus. I knew by the silence that followed its arrival that it would be good.  And even though I was nearly too full to lift the fork, my stolen bite proved worth the effort.  Fall off the bone tender and so well seasoned. Should we ever go back that way, I will be ordering short ribs.

When the waiter reappeared offering dessert, he was met with groans and looks of disbelief.  Unlike many fine dining establishments, The Winery served significant portions.  There was absolutely no room in anyone for dessert.  We only mingled around the table long enough to make sure every drop of wine was consumed, because after all, we couldn't let it go to waste.

Sausage, chard and lentil stoup

I need a hobby. Or rather, I need several more hobbies.  Since B and I work and travel a lot, I’ve noticed that the house is the first thing to suffer.  Not the day to day picking up or laundry, but the deep cleaning.  To keep it from looking like a post-apocalyptic wasteland, I spent most of my little weekend free time cleaning and I just didn’t want to do it anymore. I wanted my free time to be exactly that, free. Since I cannot and will not suffer dirt, we decided our best choice was to hire a cleaning service to come every three weeks to do the big stuff, to allow us to focus on more important things.  Only one problem – now I don’t know what to do with myself.  The first weekend I didn’t spend scrubbing toilets was bliss.  Pure, unadulterated contentment.  And then I was bored.  I blogged. I exercised. I Facebook surfed. I reorganized the pantry. I read. I read some more. I watched TV.  And then finally it hit me as I watched Rachael Ray make this recipe.  So obvious I could hardly believe it took me so long to discover the solution to my boredom – the kitchen!!

One quick trip to the grocery store for a few ingredients and my day was made. I spent hours in front of the stove making homemade bolognese to freeze for later meals, cocoa brownies to use up the three containers of dutch processed cocoa I’d discovered lurking in our pantry the week before, and finally, this sausage, kale and lentil stoup.  To thick to be a soup, but too runny to be a stew, stoup covers it.  It is hearty and filling while still good for you.  Here is the link to the original recipe.  The recipe below is modified according to my preferences and to make for a leaner, healthier dish.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

1 pound hot chicken or turkey sausage, bulk or casing removed

1 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped, leafy tops reserved

4 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 large Idaho (russet) potato, peeled and chopped into small dice

1 Fresno or Holland chile pepper, thinly sliced or finely chopped

2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped

2 large cloves garlic, chopped or sliced

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 bundle red chard, stemmed and very thinly sliced

Freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 cup white wine

1 3/4 cups lentils

4 cups chicken stock 

2 cups water

Directions

In a soup pot or large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Add the sausage, breaking it into pieces, and cook until lightly brown. Add the onions, celery, carrots, potato, chile pepper*, rosemary, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper, and cook to soften, 8 to10 minutes. 

Wilt in the chard, and season the  leaves with a little freshly grated nutmeg. Stir in the tomato paste for 30 seconds, then add white wine. Cook to reduce by 1/2 and stir in the lentils, stock, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the soup until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Serve immediately or cool, store, and reheat. 

*The chili pepper can be easily left out for those who don’t like the heat.  While it adds a nice depth, there are plenty of other flavors in this dish to go around.  It’s not necessary.