Recipe of the Week

Braised Beef Short Ribs

Servings: 6

Courtesy of: "The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show" cookbook Photograph by: Your's Truly

I love, love, love America's Test Kitchen recipes! They almost always turn out just like they are supposed to; this recipe being no exception. I served this over wide egg noodles. Delicious! 

EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Vegetable peeler

Large Dutch oven

Medium bowl

Wooden spoon

Small bowl

Tongs

Aluminum foil

Fine-mesh strainer

Fat separator (optional)

INGREDIENTS:

- 3 1/2 pounds boneless beef short ribs, trimmed of excess fat

Make sure that they are at least 4 inches long and 1 inch thick. If you can't find boneless, buy 7 pounds of bone-in. To bone you simply take a chef's knife and run it as close the bone as you can, then just trim the excess hard fat and silver skin from both sides. 

- Table salt and ground black pepper

- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

- 2 large onions, sliced thin from pole to pole (about 4 cups)

- 1 tablespoon tomato paste

- 6 medium garlic cloves, peeled

- 2 cups red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Cotes du Rhone

I buy the 4-pack of the small bottles. That way you don't have to crack open an entire bottle (unless you would like to drink the rest!)

- 1 cup beef broth

- 4 large carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces

- 4 sprigs fresh thyme

- 1 bay leaf

- 1/4 cup cold water

- 1/2 teaspoon powdered gelatin
This is used to replace the body that the bones connective tissue would have added to the sauce.

INSTRUCTIONS:
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until smoking. Add half of the beef and cook, without stirring, until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn the beef and continue to cook on the second side until well-browned, 4 to 6 minutes longer, reducing the heat if the fat begins to smoke. Transfer the beef to a medium bowl. A bowl is important here to catch all of the juices. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the remaining meat.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. (If the onions begin to darken too quickly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water to the pan.) Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it browns on the sides and bottom of the pan, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the wine, and simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits, until reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the broth, carrots, thyme, and bay leaf. Add the beef and any accumulated juices to the pot; cover and bring to a simmer. The meat should be half-submerged in the liquid. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook, using tongs to turn the meat twice during cooking, until a fork slips easily in and out of the meat, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Place the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top; let stand at least 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the meat and carrots to a serving platter and tent with foil. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a fat separator or bowl, pressing on the solids. Allow the liquid to settle for about 5 minutes and strain off the fat. This is an important step. Short ribs have a tremendous amount of fat. Return the cooking liquid to the Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until reduced to 1 cup, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatin mixture; season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the meat and carrots and serve.

Recipe of the Week

Classic Macaroni and Cheese
Servings: 6 to 8



This is by far the very best recipe I have found for Mac & Cheese. It's rich (but not too rich) and creamy and the kids (and adults) can't get enough.

Courtesy of: "The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook"

EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES NEEDED:
Food processor
Large pot - More than enough for 4 quarts of water
Colander
Whisk
Broiler-safe 13x9-inch baking dish

INGREDIENTS:
Bread-Crumb Topping
- 6 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

Pasta and Cheese
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 5 cups milk
Whole, low-fat, and skim all work well
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)

For the bread crumbs: Pulse the bread and butter in a food processor until coarsely ground, 10 to 12 pulses. Set aside

For the pasta and cheese: Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the broiler. Bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon of the salt and the macaroni and stir to separate the noodles. Cook until tender, drain, and set aside. It is crucial to cook the pasta until tender - that is, just past the al dente stage.

In the now-empty pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour, mustard, cayenne (if using), and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until the mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, gradually add the milk; bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly (the mixture must reach a full boil to fully thicken), then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the cheeses until fully melted, Add the pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a broiler-safe 13 by 9-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Broil until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, then serve.

Turducken

A chicken stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a turkey....WITH stuffing? All of the birds must be de-boned.

First of all, I had no idea that a chicken could fit inside of a duck. I figured it would be the other way around. And you have to wonder what made the inventor of this dish even TRY it? 

Apparently, turducken (even the name sounds gross...."turd") was invented by Junior Hebert and his brother Sammy in Maurice, Louisiana. A farmer came into their butcher shop with all three birds, freshly killed, and wanted them stuffed. It didn't gain much traction in the south, but has somewhat of a cult following elsewhere. 

You can get them from Dean & Deluca for $100 a pop or drive to your nearest Costco who sells them during the holidays. I think I'll pass. 

Eating Raw Cookie Dough

What is this world coming to? I'm seeing headlines all over the place that say that it is unsafe to eat raw cookie dough, particularly if you buy it "ready-to-bake" from the grocery store.

I've honestly never thought about the fact that I am actually eating raw eggs along with my wonderfully yummy raw dough. Raw eggs are potentially hazardous because they can serve as sources of harmful bacteria, including salmonella, which can cause serious illness. Apparently, unpasteurized flour can also be harmful.

What kind of mother AM I? Will Dairy Queen take the Cookie Dough Blizzard off the menu?

So what about making cookies from scratch? According to some, if you use pasteurized eggs or pasteurized egg products, you should be ok. I think I might just give my little guys a warm, soapy bath before cracking them.

As for the store-bought dough, scientists are urging manufacturer's to reformulate their products to make them safer to eat raw. You can see the entire article here.

Funny Celebrity Chef Moment

My favorite singer hosted "Live! with Kelly" at the end of last week. There was a very funny situation with celebrity chef Anne Burrell that I have to share. She was on the show promoting her new cookbook "Cook Like a Rock Star" and she and Josh were attempting to demonstrate one of the recipes in her book. She got a little flustered.....


 

 You can purchase a copy of Anne's new book here.

Recipe of the Week

Potato Gratin with Mushrooms and Gruyere
8 to 10 Servings
Prep: 1 Hour  Total: 2 Hours

Courtesy of: Bon Appetit, November 2010
Recipe by: Diane Rossen Worthington
Photograph by: Hans Gissinger

I served this rich and creamy side dish last year for Christmas dinner and everyone loved it so much, they requested that I bring it to our Thanksgiving potluck this year.

EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES NEEDED:
Large skillet
Large pot
13x9x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish
Cheese grater
Aluminum foilColander (optional)
Mandoline (optional)
Baking sheet (optional)

INGREDIENTS:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cups finely chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only, about 3 large)
Rinse whole, paying special attention to the roots, where dirt can cling. Lay on a cutting board and trim away the root end and the tough, dark green portion of the leaves. Cut the leaves away at an angle to avoid losing the tender light green leaves at the center of the stalk. Now cut lengthwise quarters. Rinse under running water, gently separating its leaves to flush out grit and sand.
- 1 1/2 pounds 1/2-inch cubes assorted mushrooms (such as crimini and stemmed shiitake; about 10 cups)
Clean just before preparing them and with as little water as possible; they absorb water like sponges, which can interfere with cooking. If they are relatively clean, you may only need to rub them gently with a cloth or soft brush. If they are very dirty, put them in a colander and rinse in cool water just long enough to remove any dirt. Drain well on layers of paper towels before you cut them. As a general rule, remove all stems.
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
I use a mondoline to insure consistent thickness.
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon (or more) salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (or more) freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup coarsely grated Gruyere cheese

THE TECHNIQUE: GRATIN
Parboil sliced potatoes in whipping cream, then layer them with mushrooms and top with Gruyere. Your end product has great texture and flavor through and through-the cheese gets browned and toasty in the oven, and the layers of creamy potatoes and mushrooms are rich and satisfying.

PREPARATION: Heat 1/4 cup oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks; saute until soft and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute until soft and liquid evaporates, 7 to 8 minutes. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. DO AHEAD Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 375. Pat potato slices dry with kitchen towel. I line a baking sheet with paper towls, spread them out in one layer and gently pat the tops with more paper towels. Combine cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large pot. Add potatoes. Be sure your pot is large enough for the cream to completely cover the potatoes. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, 10 minutes, stirring occasinally. Remove lid; simmer until cream is reduced by about half and potatoes are partially cooked, stirring often and watching closely to prevent mixture from burning, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Brush a 13x9x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with oil. Transfer half of potato mixture to dish, spreading out in even layer. Spoon mushroom mixture over in even layer. Spoon remaining potato mixture, over spreading in even layer. Sprinkle cheese over. Cover with foil, tenting in center to prevent chesse from sticking to foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake until potatoes are tender and top is blown, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

For nutritional information, please visit Bon Appetit.com.

How do you plan your holiday feast?

I often wonder if I'm becoming more and more OCD when it comes to planning/prepping/preparing Christmas dinner. Each year I learn something new - which is always a good thing - but with each passing year, I seem to make it harder and harder for myself.

Last year we had 12 guests for dinner. This is kinda how it went:

I chose the menu from the thousands of recipes that I have collected over the past several years (I'm not exaggerating), about two weeks in advance. There wasn't one thing I chose that I had prepared before. Mistake!

I printed out all of the recipes and prepared a shopping list. I ordered the items the way I normally shop the store (starting at deli, around to bakery, then to produce, etc.). I also made a schedule, beginning two days before, on what could be prepped ahead of time, the oven schedule, what order I should cook things in, etc.

Shopping day was split into two days: The first day for items that are non-veggie and then the veggie items I bought the evening before. Yes, Christmas Eve. Another DUH! EVERYONE was at the store at the same time and they weren't nearly as prepared as I was (that might be a subject for another post).  :)

The major prep started the night before. I had every size bowl imaginable with measured out ingredients. They were all nicely labeled and carefully placed in the refrigerator or on the counter in the order they were needed. I'm talking down to the "6 slices of cooked bacon" I needed for the mac & cheese (yes, bacon AND mac & cheese is amazing!)

Christmas day was a complete and utter zoo. Dinner was scheduled for 5:30 and I literally stood in that kitchen THE ENTIRE DAY and still didn't get the meal on the table in time. What was I thinking peeling/sectioning and juicing a dozen nectarines? Cleaning/trimming and shredding a truckload of brussels sprouts? 

Alright, so as I mentioned, I learned a lot and will make many changes this year. #1 lesson - K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid). I enjoy cooking, but when I am missing out on my son playing with his toys and watching football, something has to give. 

In case you are wondering how it turned out....very well! Rave reviews from everyone - or maybe they were just being generous. I am sure that the entire ordeal was written all over my disheveled face. 

How do you prepare for your holiday feast?