Provencale Beef Stew

This dish is the essence of Provence. We actually ate at the restaurant that created this recipe. Provencal Beef Stew is the essence of a fall dish. It is served over the gratin that is infused with the gravy from the cooking of the beef. You can get the recipe on our blog of: March 21, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

Pasta With Parsnips and Bacon

We saw this recipe in the New York Times. We had never made a pasta with Parsnips before. Give it a try.

Pasta With Parsnips and Bacon

New York Times

They may seem like an unlikely duo, but pasta and parsnips work really well together, with the parsnips becoming almost like a sweet and soft extension of the pasta. And they’re another vehicle for the creamy, bacon-rich sauce. You can roast the parsnips several hours ahead (they’ll be fine at room temperature). But the rest of the dish is best made just before serving. Then serve it hot. There are few dishes that are cozier on a cold winter night.

3         medium parsnips (3/4 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1-½         tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling

Kosher salt and black pepper, as needed

½         pound dried campanelle or farfalle pasta

¼         pound bacon, diced

1         medium leek, thinly sliced

¾         cup heavy cream

⅔         cup grated Parmesan cheese

2         tablespoons chopped parsley

Preparation

1.   Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss parsnips with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until parsnips are golden and tender, about 25 minutes.

2.   Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until 1 minute before it’s al dente. Drain.

3.   In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes; use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.

4.   Return skillet to heat and add leeks. Cook in remaining bacon fat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and cooked bacon. Simmer mixture until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

5.   Stir in pasta, parsnips and cheese. Simmer until heated through and cheese is melted, then remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper; toss with parsley. Serve drizzled with olive oil, with plenty of black pepper on top.

Buttermilk Chicken

We decided to make Buttermilk Roast Chicken again. Besides being delicious (and relatively easy) doesn't the crispy skin look fabulous!

You can get the recipe for this great dish from out blog of June 24, 2016. Click the date to get the recipe.

Wagyu Steak and Potatoes

This was an outrageous dinner. We purchased a Wagyu Steak. It was very marbled (meaning lots of fat) as these steaks are supposed to be. We seared it in the house and served it with an Arugula Salad dressed with balsamic to cut the richness of the meat. You really can't it a lot of this rich meat. Steak calls for potatoes. We found a recipe for Potato Nik that was fun to make. It is basically I giant Potato Latke. It was great. Potato Nik is a perfect side to eat with the steak. Potato Nik is a potato preparation that we will make again. I loved it!

Potato Nik

New York Times

After living in what must have seemed like every neighborhood in three boroughs, my mother’s parents, in their old-ish age, settled in Astoria, which is where I spent almost all the Thanksgivings of my childhood. Thanksgiving was always (in my memory) gray and blustery, and my grandmother’s kitchen, steamy. She produced, almost solo, the traditionally ridiculous abundance of food, including my favorite, the potato “nik,” a huge latke fried in chicken fat until really brown, and as crisp as perfectly done shoestring fries. I still make this, and so can you.

Ingredients

About 2 pounds baking potatoes, like Idaho or russet, peeled

1 medium onion, peeled

2 eggs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons plain bread crumbs or matzo meal

Neutral oil, like corn or grape seed.

Preparation

1.   Grate potatoes and onion by hand or with grating disk of a food processor; drain in colander or strainer. Combine potatoes and onions in a large bowl with eggs, salt, pepper and bread crumbs or matzo meal.

2.   Put about 1/8 inch oil in a large, deep skillet, either nonstick or seasoned cast iron; turn heat to medium-high. When oil is hot (it will shimmer) put all the batter in pan, and smooth the top. Cook, shaking pan occasionally; adjust heat so mixture sizzles but does not burn. Continue until bottom is nicely browned, at least 15 minutes.

3.   To turn, slide cake out onto a large plate, cover with another large plate and invert. Add a little more oil to pan if necessary, and slide pancake back in, cooked side up. Cook 15 minutes or so longer, until nicely browned. Serve hot or warm.

Wagyu Steak and Potatoes

This was an outrageous dinner. We purchased a Wagyu Steak. It was very marbled (meaning lots of fat) as these steaks are supposed to be. We seared it in the house and served it with an Arugula Salad dressed with balsamic to cut the richness of the meat. You really can't it a lot of this rich meat. Steak calls for potatoes. We found a recipe for Potato Nik that was fun to make. It is basically I giant Potato Latke. It was great. Potato Nik is a perfect side to eat with the steak. Potato Nik is a potato preparation that we will make again. I loved it!

Potato Nik

New York Times

After living in what must have seemed like every neighborhood in three boroughs, my mother’s parents, in their old-ish age, settled in Astoria, which is where I spent almost all the Thanksgivings of my childhood. Thanksgiving was always (in my memory) gray and blustery, and my grandmother’s kitchen, steamy. She produced, almost solo, the traditionally ridiculous abundance of food, including my favorite, the potato “nik,” a huge latke fried in chicken fat until really brown, and as crisp as perfectly done shoestring fries. I still make this, and so can you.

Ingredients

About 2 pounds baking potatoes, like Idaho or russet, peeled

1 medium onion, peeled

2 eggs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons plain bread crumbs or matzo meal

Neutral oil, like corn or grape seed.

Preparation

1.   Grate potatoes and onion by hand or with grating disk of a food processor; drain in colander or strainer. Combine potatoes and onions in a large bowl with eggs, salt, pepper and bread crumbs or matzo meal.

2.   Put about 1/8 inch oil in a large, deep skillet, either nonstick or seasoned cast iron; turn heat to medium-high. When oil is hot (it will shimmer) put all the batter in pan, and smooth the top. Cook, shaking pan occasionally; adjust heat so mixture sizzles but does not burn. Continue until bottom is nicely browned, at least 15 minutes.

3.   To turn, slide cake out onto a large plate, cover with another large plate and invert. Add a little more oil to pan if necessary, and slide pancake back in, cooked side up. Cook 15 minutes or so longer, until nicely browned. Serve hot or warm.

Moroccan-Spiced Chicken with Dates and Eggplant

We discovered this recipe for Moroccan-Spiced Chicken with Dates and Eggplant and decided to give it a go. It was ok, but not fabulous. The night made up for it. It was a beautiful warm night. We have been eating outside on our deck where it is always warm (we have great heaters) and the sky was beautiful as we watched the sunset drinking wine. Sometimes simple isn't better.

moroccan-spiced chicken with dates and eggplant
Simple
Diana Henry

A useful, no-hassle chuck everything in together dish. You don’t need to brown the chicken (though make sure you sprinkle the skin with sea salt flakes, to help it crisp up). Find a dish that has about the right dimensions, to ensure that it works well. Don’t be afraid of assertive seasoning rice dishes such as this need it-and don’t skip the step where you wash the rice, or it will end up sticky. A bowl of Greek Yogurt is good on the side.

Serves 4 to 6

1     cup basmati rice

1     large onion, coarsely chopped

1     eggplant, cut Into cubes

3     garlic doves, crushed

1     teaspoon ground ginger

1     tablespoon ground cumin

1-1/2     tablespoons harissa

finely grated lest and juice of 1 orange

8     skln-on bone-In chicken thighs

12     dates, pitted and sliced

2-1/2 cups boiling chicken stock sea salt flakes and pepper

3     tablespoons olive oil

2     tablespoons chopped pistachios

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Put the rice in a sieve and run until the water runs clear. Tip it into an ovenproof dish that will hold the chicken in a single layer (I use a shallow cast-iron casserole, 12 inches in diameter). toss around to Add everything else except the oil and pistachios, and toss around to mix, leaving the chicken pieces skin-side up and sprinkle with the salt.

Drizzle with the oil Cook in the oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes. The top should be golden and the chicken cooked through. with the pistachios and serve with a green salad.

Sausage and Mushrooms over Polenta

Talk about your hearty earthy dinner. Sausage and Mushrooms served with Polenta are the essence of fall in Italy. We love this dish. You can find the recipe on our blog of: June 9, 2014. Click the date to get the recipes.

Black Cod with Miso Sauce

We really like Black Cod with Miso Sauce. The fish has a wonderful creamy texture. The Miso Sauce gives a great punch to the dish. We serve it with Rice and Seaweed Salad. You can get the recipe for the fish on our blog of: May 12, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe.

Crab Cake

We wanted Crab Cakes and went to Cape Seafood, which sells them all prepared. Just fry them a couple of minutes on each side. The also sell Tartar Sauce. We served them with Roasted Potatoes. It was a delicious dinner. Couldn't have been easier to make!

Tandoori Lamb Chops

Tandoori Lamb Chops are among my favorite grilled dishes. They really pickup the taste of the grill. We use the recipe for Gael's Tandoori Lamb Chops from Indian Home Cooking by Suvir Saran. It is a great recipe. If you have leftover lamb chops they make for a great salad when served at room temperature. Of course we got the lamb chops at McCall's Meat and Fish. You can find the recipe for the Tandoori Lamb Chops on our blog of: July 16, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe. You don't need a Tandoori oven, you just throw them on the grill. 

We served the chops with Cumin Rice.

Ronnie Cooks

Shumon was away but his roommate Ronnie, generously cooked us a great Seafood Paella. It was really loaded with great seafood. He delivered it to our house. All we had to do was reheat.  It was delicious. We had small Key Lime Pie from McCall's Meat and Fish that we ate for dessert.

Pasta

Once again we made what call "The Hungry Cat Salad". You can get there recipe on our blog of: November 21, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

We made one of my very favorite pastas: PASTA ALL 'AMATRICIANA, This is a simple dish that is delicious. You can get the recipe on our blog of: November 21, 2207. Click the date to get the recipe.

It was a beautiful warm night and we ate outside. We made Chicken and Chickpea Tagine. It was not a keeper for us. Sometimes the magic works and sometimes it doesn't.

Chicken and Chickpea Tagine

Mark Bittman

New York Times

Like many dishes that rely on a combination of spices, a tagine, which is a slowly braised Moroccan stew, may look more intimidating to cook than it is. Even with shortcuts, the results are exotic in flavor and appearance. My version may not compare to those that begin with toasting and grinding spices and peeling grapes, but it is easily executed and still divine.

Use dark-meat chicken here, and be aware that tagines are on the dry side, so don't add liquid to the sauce unless it is threatening to burn. Home-cooked chickpeas and fresh tomatoes are, of course, preferable to canned varieties, but in this dish the differences are not marked. Do, however, use a vanilla bean, not vanilla extract. Serve with couscous.

Ingredients

2  tablespoons corn or canola oil

2  tablespoons butter

1  large onion, peeled and thinly sliced

2  cloves garlic, minced

Salt

Pinch nutmeg

½  teaspoon ground cinnamon

1  teaspoon ground ginger

1  teaspoon ground cumin

1  teaspoon ground coriander

½  teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch cayenne

1-1/2 to 2 cups chopped tomatoes (canned are fine; drain excess liquid)

4  cups chickpeas (canned are fine; drain and rinse first)

½  cup raisins or chopped pitted dates

½  vanilla bean

8  chicken thighs, or 4 leg-thigh pieces, cut in two

Chopped cilantro or parsley leaves

Method

Step 1

Put oil and butter in a large skillet or casserole, which can be covered later, and turn heat to medium high. When butter melts, add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, a large pinch of salt and spices. Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, raisins and vanilla, and bring to a boil. (If mixture is very dry, add about 1/2 cup water.) Taste, and add salt as necessary.

Step 2

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, and nestle them into sauce. Cover, and 5 minutes later adjust heat so mixture simmers steadily. Cook until chicken is very tender, 45 minutes to an hour. Taste, and adjust seasoning. Then garnish, and serve.