Even though the main ingredient is a mushroom and there are many (half pound), it is still a meatloaf.  Since mushrooms are usually mild in taste, the flavors of the beef, leeks, and garlic are apparent.   The gravy is the pièce de résistance in this meal.  The gravy is mushroom based as well with one and half pounds included.  The gravy has flavors of garlic, thyme, shallots, onion, celery, wine, mushrooms and heavy cream.  Put this on top of the meatloaf and you forget you are eating meatloaf all together.  It is heavenly.

This recipe takes some time to prep.  It takes about an hour and half to prep.  There is a lot of chopping, slicing and dicing in the prep.  My best friend in this recipe was a food processor.  If I did not use it, the time would have increase another fifteen minutes.  Other than having a lot of vegetables that need to be sautéed before including in the meatloaf, the prep is similar to other meatloaves.  The gravy is easy to make as well.  No special skills needed other than patience.

This recipe is from MidAtlantic Restaurant and Tap Room in Philadelphia and is featured in the September 2010 issue of Bon Appetit.  The recipe serves six.  The cost per serving was $3.07.  Total cost was $18.39.

I paired this recipe with a 2006 Black Bridge Winery West Elks Pinot Noir from Paonia, Colorado.  This Pinot Noir had notes of mushrooms, cherries and was smooth with light tannins.  The wine complemented and did not overwhelm the flavors of the meatloaf.

Mushroom Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy

Serves 6

Gravy

2  tablespoons olive oil

1 ½  pounds crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced

1 ½  cups chopped onions

1 ½  cups chopped celery

1 ¼  cups chopped shallots

6  garlic cloves

1  tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1  cup dry red wine

6  cups low-salt beef broth

2  tablespoons (¼ stick) butter, room temperature

1  tablespoon all purpose flour

¼  cup heavy whipping cream

Meatloaf

2  tablespoons olive oil

2 ¼  cups thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; 2 to 3 large0

8  ounces thinly sliced crimini (baby bella) mushrooms (about 3 cups)

6  large garlic cloves

2  tablespoons Dijon mustard

1  tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1  teaspoon salt

1  teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2  large eggs, beaten

½  cup crushed crackers (such as Ritz)

2  pounds ground beef (20% fat)

2  tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Gravy – Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms, onion, celery, shallots, garlic, and thyme.  Sauté until vegetables are soft, about 18 minutes.  Add wine and boil until reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes.  Add broth.  Boil until mixture is reduced to 4 cups, about 25 minutes.

Blend butter and flour in small bowl to smooth paste.  Whisk cream and flour paste into gravy.  Simmer until thick, stirring often, about 5 minutes.  Season gravy with salt and pepper.  DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead.  Cool, cover, and chill.  Rewarm before using.

Meatloaf – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add leeks, mushrooms, and garlic. Sauté until soft, about 10 minutes; scrape into food processor.  Add mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.  Blend until coarsely chopped; transfer to a large bowl and cool.

Mix eggs, cracker crumbs into vegetables, the beef and cream.  Transfer to a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.  Bake meatloaf until thermometer inserted into center registers 160 degrees F, 1 ¼ to1 ½ hours.  Let meatloaf rest15 minutes; turn onto platter.  Serve with gravy.

Recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit.

I picked up a two rib (~5.5 lbs) and decided to dry age the beef at home.  It was pretty easy to do.  I unwrapped the beef, patted it dry with towels and stuck it in the back of the refrigerator on a platter for three days.  Dry aging helps concentrate the flavor of the beef.  When I took the roast out of the refrigerator after the three days, the outer layer was cherry red.  I encrusted the roast with a rub of salt, herbs and garlic.  The rub soaked right into the outer layer and became infused.

The rib roast roasted in the oven at 450 degrees to start and then was reduced to 300 degrees.  I removed the roast from the oven when the beef reached 125 degrees.  I held it covered with foil for forty-five minutes where it continued to cook and reached 135 degrees that resulted a perfect medium-rare rib roast.  During the forty-five minutes, I made the Madeira sauce and the Yorkshire Puddings.  The Madeira sauce is slightly sweet and pairs well with the rib roast.  Yorkshire Puddings are delicious herbed bready puddings.  They taste great with the beef and are good to sop up the Madeira sauce.

This recipe takes some time to make. The dry aging takes three days.  Prep time for the roast, sauce and puddings is thirty-five minutes.  Total cook time is two and half-hours.  The result will not disappoint.

I pulled this recipe from the December 2001 issue of Cooking Light.  The recipe yields twelve servings.  There are 304 calories per serving.  Cost per serving is $2.62.  Total cost is $31.51.  The roast was juicy and mouth-watering.  This is a dish that will end up in my recipe box and will be made again.

I paired the standing rib roast with a 2007 Patz & Hall Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir.  The lushness of the wine does not overpower the rib roast like some Bordeaux blends.  The pinot noir had the aroma of cherries and cassis.  The flavor had great texture and was smooth on the pallet.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

The Madeira gravy is the show-stopper. Madeira is a fortified white wine from the Portuguese island of Madeira. It is amazing in gravy and a wonderful aperitif as well. Make sure you have some bread to sop up the extra gravy. It’s so good you do not want it going to waste.

The secrets of making a juicy and tender turkey is to roast it in an oven bag and rubbing one stick of softened butter all over the turkey before roasting. The bag keeps the pan juices around the turkey. There is no need to baste the turkey. The juices steam around the bird keeping it moist. Roasting in an oven bag also cuts the cook time by at least one-hour.

The prep time for the turkey, stuffing and gravy is one hour. The turkey was fourteen pounds. The cook time is just under three hours. This recipe came from the November 1995 issue of Gourmet magazine. The recipe serves eight. The cost per serving is $3.95. Total cost is $31.62.

I paired this course with 2007 Clos du Val Carneros Pinot Noir. The soft tannins and the moderate acidity of the Pinot Noir are a nice complement the turkey and stuffing.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

This year I wanted to change things up a little when it came to the traditional Thanksgiving feast.  I was becoming bored with the long-established menu that is served every year like clockwork.  I wanted to try something new.  I sought a menu that was out of the ordinary and had the potential to become a future family tradition on Thanksgiving.

I poured through many recipes online and put together a menu that was different, but not too much a departure from tradition.  The menu has a Mediterranean twist.  It brings flavors of Greece, Italy and Southern France into the American Thanksgiving institution.  Flavors of fennel, garlic, feta, citrus, and roasted peppers are intermixed with each course.  Together, each course provides satisfying temptation to the palette.

The Menu

• Marinated Olives with Tangerine and Rosemary

As a hors d’oeuvre, the meal starts with Marinated Olives with Tangerine and Rosemary.  If you enjoy olives, this is a great dish. Fennel and coriander tangerines and rosemary provide a sweet and fragrant flavor to the olives.

This dish is easy to make and flavor grows the longer you marinate the olives. This recipe came from the November 2006 issue of Bon Appetit.  It serves ten.  The cost per serving is $0.70.  Total cost is $7.01. Prep time is about twenty-five minutes plus two days of marinating in the refrigerator.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

• Radicchio Salad with Oranges and Olives

Continuing with the Mediterranean theme, the Radicchio Salad with Oranges and Olives is light and refreshing and prepares your palette for the next course.  The mixture of chicory family greens provides a pleasant variation on traditional salad. The orange and sherry dressing is light and does not overpower the greens.

I pulled this recipe from the January 2008 issue of Bon Appetit.  It serves eight.  The cost per serving is $0.92.  Total cost is $7.32. Prep time is fifteen minutes.

I paired this and the previous course with a 2008 Bonacquisti Colorado Riesling.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

• Roast Turkey with Sausage Fennel Stuffing and Madeira Gravy

For the main course, served is a Roast Turkey with Sausage Fennel Stuffing with Madeira Gravy.  This is an amazing recipe.  The turkey is juicy and tender.  The sausage fennel stuffing is sweet with flavors of anise. Top it with the Madeira gravy and you have a winning combination.

The Madeira gravy is the show-stopper.  Madeira is a fortified white wine from the Portuguese island of Madeira.  It is amazing in gravy and a wonderful aperitif as well. Make sure you have some bread to sop up the extra gravy.  It’s so good you do not want it going to waste.

The secrets of making a juicy and tender turkey is to roast it in an oven bag and rubbing one stick of softened butter all over the turkey before roasting.  The bag keeps the pan juices around the turkey.  There is no need to baste the turkey.  The juices steam around the bird keeping it moist. Roasting in an oven bag also cuts the cook time by at least one-hour.

The prep time for the turkey, stuffing and gravy is one hour.  The turkey was fourteen pounds. The cook time is just under three hours.  This recipe came from the November 1995 issue of Gourmet magazine.  The recipe serves eight.  The cost per serving is $3.95.  Total cost is $31.62.

I paired this course with 2007 Clos du Val Carneros Pinot Noir.  The soft tannins and the moderate acidity of the Pinot Noir are a nice complement the turkey and stuffing.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

• Roasted Fingerlings with Red and Yellow Pipérade

As a starch and vegetable side to the turkey, the Roasted Fingerlings with Red and Yellow Pipérade provide a spiced up alternative to traditional mashed potatoes or yams. Fingerlings are small potatoes shaped like a finger.  They come in many different varieties.  In this recipe the red and yellow pipérade refer to roasted red and yellow bell peppers.  The dish is topped with fragrant herbs adding to the sweet buttery flavor of the roasted peppers and potatoes.

Other than the chopping of a lot of herbs, potatoes and peppers, I found this recipe easy to make.  Prep time is thirty minutes.  The cook time is one-hour five minutes.  I found this recipe in the November 2007 issue of Bon Appetit.  The recipe serves ten.  The cost per serving is $1.44.  Total cost is $14.38.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

Overall the each of these dishes was moderately easy to make.  It is helpful to have a double oven when making this menu.  It is hard to roast the turkey and the potatoes at the same time.  Total cost of the entire menu is $60.40.  The menu serves eight to ten people.  Cost per serving ranges from $6.04 to $7.55.

As a departure from the traditional Thanksgiving menu, this Mediterranean twist fit the bill.  The menu is different enough to spice up Thanksgiving.  However, it is close enough to the customary menu that traditionalists will be appeased.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is an amazing side dish. I serve it often.  The creaminess of the crème and the tanginess of the Gruyere and Emmentaler cheese provide a divine experience.  I recently served this with prime rib and the gratin was a bigger hit.

This dish is easy to prepare.  I used a mandolin to slice the potatoes to 1/8 inch thickness.  Prep time was twenty-five minutes.  Cook time was one hour fifteen minutes.  The gratin serves eight.  The cost per serving was $1.44.  Total cost was $11.50.

Emmentaler, Gruyère and Crème Potato Gratin

• 2 ½ cups heavy cream
• ¾ cup grated Emmentaler cheese (packed)
• ¾ cup grated Gruyère cheese (packed)
• 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8 inch rounds
• 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the Emmentaler and Gruyère cheeses together.  Butter a 13x9x2 glass baking dish. Place half the potato slices in the bottom of the buttered dish, overlapping slightly.  Shake salt and pepper over the potatoes generously.  Spread the half the heavy cream over the potatoes.  Spread half the cheese over the potatoes and cream.  Add the remaining potatoes evenly over the potato, cream and cheese. Shake salt and pepper over the potatoes generously.  Spread the rest of the heavy cream over the potatoes.  Spread rest of the cheese over the potatoes and cream.

Bake uncovered for thirty minutes.  Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.  Bake for an additional forty-five minutes or until top is golden brown and the potatoes are tender.  Remove from oven and let stand for ten minutes.  Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Source  – adapted/modified from a recipe by bon appétit

I feel like I was haunted by Martha Stewart last night.  I was literally frightened.  I woke up thinking what marvelous thing I could make for breakfast that would not draw the ire of Martha.  I found a french toast recipe from Martha Stewart had cognac in it.  I like cognac, but I love Madeira.  I modified her recipe in a couple areas and came up with decadent dish.

The flavors of orange, lemon, vanilla, Madeira, cinnamon and nutmeg make this custardy french toast amazing.  With this recipe, it’s all about the bread.  If you use regular sandwich bread, it’s not going to taste right.  Use day old french bread or similar artisan bread. You need a good bread in order to make a custard inside the slice.

Madeira French Toast

• 6 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• Juice of 1 medium orange, (about ¼ cup)
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons Blandy’s 15 year old Madeira
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon, (about 1 tablespoon)
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Dash of ground nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 6 slices french bread, sliced 1-inch thick, preferably day-old
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, separated
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, separated
• Pure maple syrup, (optional)

Whisk together eggs, heavy cream, juice, vanilla, Madeira, sugar, zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl; set aside.

Place bread in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold bread slices in a single layer. Pour egg mixture over bread; soak 10 minutes. Turn slices over; soak 10 minutes more or until soaked through.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet, and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté half the bread slices until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to wire rack; place in oven while cooking remaining bread. Wipe skillet, and repeat with remaining butter, oil, and bread. Keep in oven until ready to serve. Serve warm with maple syrup, if desired. (portions of recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart)
_____

This was a very easy breakfast to make.  Just some mixing and sautéing.  Prep time was twenty-five minutes.  Cook time was twelve minutes. This recipe serves six.  The cost per serving is $0.64.  Total cost is $3.84.

I would make this french toast recipe again.  It was amazing.  My official taster had three servings.  I think this recipe might even put a smile on Martha.

I have been trying a group of different recipes and variations recently to find the one I like best.  Much of the sauces have been too weak without much flavor.   I found the recipe from the now defunct Gourmet Magazine the best of the bunch.

This is an easy recipe to make but is labor intensive. The recipe takes about fifty minutes to make.  Chicken breasts are pounded to about quarter inch, seasoned, dredged in flour and sauteed.  The sauce is made by sauteing mushrooms, shallots and sage and adding it to a reduced Marsala wine and chicken broth mixture.  Add cream, lemon juice and some more sage and pour it over the chicken. The prep time is about thirty minutes and the cook time is around 2o minutes.

This recipe comes from the June 2005 issue of Gourmet Magazine.  It produces four servings.  The cost per serving is $3.02.  Total cost is $12.07.  As a variation to the recipe, you can use veal cutlets or boneless pork loin in place of the chicken breast.  Pound and saute as if you were making it with chicken. The sauce goes wonderfully with both.

Because of the boldness of the sauce, a medium bodied wine is required.  I paired this recipe with a 2009 Boulder Creek Winery Colorado Chardonnay.   The wine is oaky and buttery and delightfully complements the flavors of the chicken and Marsala sauce.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

I usually do not go out to a restaurant and order pork chops.  However, this time, I took the plunge.  I tried the Cote de Porc, which is a roasted pork chop with tomato provencal, sauteed greens and topped with garlic herb butter.  The garlic butter had tarragon in it and it was excellent complement to the pork.  I thought this is great! However, I can do better than this.  I came home and found the recipe for Pork Chops with Tarragon Sauce and Cornichons.

This dish blew me away.  It is made with pork rib chop sauteed with a rub of salt, pepper and fresh chopped tarragon.  It is topped with a pan sauce made from shallots, cornichons (little gherkin pickles), whole grain mustard, chicken broth, apple juice, and butter.  The dill flavor of the cornichons with the tarragon make this sauce amazing over the pork.  Combined, the flavor was stunning.

The recipe was easy to make.  This was made in about thirty minutes.  The hardest part of the recipe is thinly slicing the tiny cornichon pickles.  That took some intricate knife work.  Prep time was about fifteen minutes and cook time was about fifteen minutes as well.

I found this recipe in the November 2008 issue of Bon Appetit.  This recipe makes four servings.  The cost per serving is $2.17.  Total cost is $8.69.  This recipe won the contest for a permanent place in my recipe box.

I paired this wine with 2008 Reeder Mesa Colorado Riesling. The wine has an off dry flavor that is typical of an Alsatian style Riesling.  The slight acidity in the wine contrasted the dill in the cornichons and complemented the pork. The wine is enjoyable with or without food.

CLICK HERE FOR THE THE RECIPE

Joie du Vivre mission is show how anyone can make good food at an affordable cost.  By partnering with Rouxbe Cooking School, Joie du Vivre will be able to illustrate cooking techniques through videos and images.  We will be providing these videos imbedded in the posts of recipes.  In addition, Joie du Vivre can help you join Rouxbe directly and enjoy the full curriculum of the cooking school.

What is the Rouxbe Cooking School

Rouxbe is the online cooking school that teaches cooks of any level to become better and more confident cooks.

Rouxbe is a different kind of cooking website

We’re an online cooking school that guides users along the same learning path used to teach aspiring chefs in professional culinary schools around the world. And with Rouxbe, you can do it all in your home, on your schedule, and at your own pace.

The path to becoming a better and more confident cook

Would you use a map to teach you how to drive? Probably not. Yet some people rely entirely on recipes to teach them how to cook. As with driving and most other skills, learning the fundamentals leads to a lifetime of enjoyment and success. Why would cooking be any different?

By learning fundamental cooking skills and techniques, practicing with delicious recipes, and getting personalized feedback from professional chefs, you’ll quickly become a better and more confident cook. And with Rouxbe, you can do it all in your home, on your schedule, and at your own pace.

The raviolis are filled with this wonderful blend of ricotta, taleggio and parmiggiano-reggiano cheeses.  The flavors are smooth and creamy with a bite on the end of your pallet.  The sauce is simply astounding.  It is made with pancetta, a blend of shiitake, oyster and cremini mushrooms, chicken stock, garlic and chives.  Together, the meal is satiating.

The recipe is straightforward, but somewhat involved due to making the ravioli from scratch.  Needed is a pasta maker plus two-to-three inch fluted cutter.  The process of making the ravioli is three steps; making the dough, rolling it out through the pasta maker, and assembling and cutting the raviolis.  This process takes about one and half hours with inactive time.  Making the filling is easy.  It involves blending the three cheeses with eggs and chopped parsley.  Taleggio cheese can be found at high-end grocers and Whole Foods.  If you cannot find it, substitute fontina cheese or a soft goat cheese.  The sauce is easy as well. It is made by sautéing the mushrooms, pancetta, garlic and blending it with the chicken stock and chives.  Total prep time is about one and one half hours.  Cook time is about twenty-five minutes.

Making Pasta Dough

This recipe is by Ann Burrell and featured in the March 2010 issue of Food Network Magazine.  The recipe serves four. The cost per serving is $7.01 USD.  Total cost is $28.02.  This recipe is suitable for weekend dinners and special occasions.  I enjoyed this dish and would make it again.

I paired this recipe with an NV Azura Select Colorado Pinot Noir.  The earthy, mushroom and meaty flavor plus the light tannins pair well with the mushroom sauce and do not overpower the ravioli.  Azura Cellars is located in Paonia, Colorado.  This area is one of the few areas in Colorado suitable for growing Pinot Noir due to the high elevation and cool nights.  The flavors together with the ravioli are perfect together.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

You cannot go wrong with this recipe because it is easy to make and the result is an amazing meal.  The corned beef is juicy, and is fork tender.  Top it with the horseradish cream sauce and you will think you were in heaven.  The cabbage is flavorful accompanies by rutabagas, fingerling potatoes, leeks, and carrots.  I could just eat the vegetables in this dish and go home happy.  They are truly remarkable.

The recipe is easy to make.  The most involved part of the recipe is slicing the carrots, rutabagas and cabbage.  Place the corned beef brisket in a slow cooker (i.e. Crock Pot) and layer it with rutabaga, carrots, potatoes and leeks.  Pour water over the brisket just enough to cover it by one inch.  You cover the slow cooker and let the brisket braise for about eight hours.  Towards the end of the eight hours, you take some two cups of the braising liquid and pour it over sliced cabbage in a microwave bowl dish.  Seal the dish and steam the cabbage for about ten minutes.  The result is perfect cabbage with the flavors of the corned beef.  Prep time is about ten minutes.  Cook time is eight hours.

I found this recipe in March 2010 issue of Food Network Magazine.  The recipe serves six with enough leftovers to make corned beef hash the next morning.  The cost per serving is $4.47 USD.  Total cost is $26.80 USD.  This recipe was notable and I would make it again.

I paired this recipe with 2006 Black Bridge Winery Colorado Pinot Noir.  The Black Bridge Winery is a wonderful winery in Paonia, Colorado in the West Elks AVA.  The light tannins of the Pinot Noir do not overpower the smooth flavor of the corned beef.  The flavors of the Pinot Noir are cherry, cabbage and raspberries.  It is a perfect pair for Corned Beef and Cabbage.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

The sandwich is wonderful.  However, you can eat the short ribs by themselves and be quite happy.  You can make the sandwiches from the leftovers of the short ribs.  You have two meals in one.  The short ribs braise in celery, carrots, onions, red wine, beef broth, Sherry, thyme, bay leaves, and garlic.  It is truly decadent in its own right.  Serve it atop polenta for a wonderful dinner.

The recipe is easy to prepare.  It just takes some time.  The short ribs take about twenty minutes to prep and braise for about three hours.  The caramelized onions take about five minutes to prep and ten minutes to cook. The assembly of the sandwich is simple.  It is similar to a grilled cheese sandwich.  You place some short ribs on some country bread; add some cheese, onions, and then top with arugula.  Toast it on a hot skillet until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted.  Total prep time is about thirty minutes.  Cook time is about three and half hours.

This recipe comes from a wonderful market in Los Angeles called Joan’s on Third.  They are a great little marketplace and catering company.  This recipe was recently featured in the February 2010 issue of Bon Appétit.  The recipe serves eight with leftovers.  The cost per serving is $5.13.  Total cost is $41.05.  This is an astounding recipe and I will make it again.

I paired this recipe with a 2008 Olathe Winery Colorado Pinot Noir.  A light-bodied Pinot Noir goes well with this dish because it does not have strong tannins.  Strong tannins would overpower the meat.  The Olathe Winery Pinot Noir has hints of oak and cherry and is smooth with light tannins.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

Pork Stew with Hard Cider, Pearl Onions, and Potatoes is an exceptional stew. It has the flavors of the pork and apples and so much more. The flavors of fresh sage, shallots, parsnips, and pearl onions bring the stew to a new level. This is a rich and hearty stew will stick to your ribs on a cold winter night leaving you happily satiated.

The stew is straightforward and easy to make. Prep time is about twenty-five minutes. Total cook time is two hours forty-five minutes. The preparation is a combination of a lot of chopping of meat, herbs, and vegetables and adding the ingredients at various times during the cook time. The heavenly aroma the stew produces permeates the kitchen as well as the rest of the house. Be prepared and carry around a towel to wipe up all the drool your family has produced in anticipation for this dish.

This recipe is by Bruce Aidells, and featured in the February 2010 issue of Bon Appétit. The recipe yields six servings. The cost per serving is $4.95 USD. Total cost is $29.72 USD. I enjoyed the stew immensely. There is no doubt I will make it again.

I paired the stew with a Woodpecker Hard Cider from Britain. Since the stew is made with hard cider, it naturally complements the stew. Alternatively, if you would like wine, a Pinot Noir will pair nicely with this dish.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

Moroccan Beef Meatball Tagine

In this recipe the meat is a seasoned beef meatball made with turmeric, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper and ginger.  The broth infused with the flavors of saffron, raisins, spinach, cilantro and cinnamon is delightful.  Together, the flavor is distinctive, savory, and satiating.

The recipe is straightforward to make.  The meatballs are made first and are braised in the broth of the stew.  This insures that the meatballs stay juicy and the flavors of the broth permeate the meatball.  The stew is served on a bed of couscous and is garnished with lemon wedges.  Prep time is about thirty minutes. Cook time is about forty minutes.

Tagine in Marrakesh - Photo by Daniel Anderson

This recipe is by Jean Thiel Kelley and is featured in the January 2010 issue of Bon Appetit.  The recipe yields six servings.  The cost per serving is $3.18.  Total cost is $19.05.  This is an amazing dish and I would make it again.

I paired this recipe with a 2003 Plum Creek Grand Valley Syrah. The Plum Creek Winery is located in Palisade, Colorado.  This exceptional winery makes premium wine sourced only from grapes grown in Colorado.  The aroma of the Syrah is spicy and nutty.  The flavors have hints of cherries and blackberries.  This full-bodied Syrah with medium tannins is perfect for the tagine.  The blackberry and cherry flavors complement the raisins and ginger in the broth.  The tannins in the wine contrast the smooth flavor of the meatball.  Together with the wine, this meal was one of the better meals I have had in awhile.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

The title of the recipe begins with the word spiced.  However, this does not mean it is spicy.  The heat of the spices in this recipe is mild.  The flavors of cracked (rajas) coriander and cumin give this recipe a unique taste that blends well with the poblano chilies.

The recipe is easy to make and can be made start to finish in about thirty minutes.  Rub spice mixture of coriander, cumin, salt and pepper all over the chicken. Sauté the bell peppers, poblano, and onions until almost tender.  Sauté the chicken. Add the pepper mixture and more spice mixture back in with the chicken and sauté some more. Blend in some cilantro and you are finished.  Serve the chicken atop a bed of the pepper mixture. Prep time is about five minutes.  Cook time is about twenty-six minutes.

I found this recipe in the January 2010 issue of Bon Appetit.  The recipe makes four servings.  The cost per serving is $2.02.  Total cost is $8.08.  The recipe was easy to make and I would make it again.

I paired this dish with a 2008 Reeder Mesa Vineyards Colorado Riesling.  Reeder Mesa Vineyards is this small winery on top of a mesa overlooking the Gunnison and Colorado River Valleys south of Grand Junction, Colorado.  The environment atop the mesa is perfect for growing the Riesling grape. The Reeder Mesa Riesling goes great with the chicken.  The sweetness and acidity of the wine enhances the flavors of the chicken and peppers.  The wine is enjoyable, with or without food.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

Casônsèi della Val Camonica

Casônsèi, also know as casoncelli, is an interesting stuffed pasta dish, similar to a ravioli, tortelloni or agnolotti. Casônsèi della Val Camonica has its origins in the Camonica Valley in Lombardy.  Some say casônsèi means little caskets, and others say it means house pasta.  Either way, it is a great dish.

Casônsèi is a sheet pasta rolled and sealed, stuffed with potatoes, Swiss chard, parsley, leeks, garlic, Italian sausage, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  It is topped with a Parmesan butter sauce.  The flavors are exquisite.  The flavors are light and one flavor does not overpower the others.  You can distinctly taste every ingredient.  One bite and I was sold.

The casônsèi is straightforward to make.  However, the prep time is extensive.  The process starts by making the pasta dough from scratch.  The recipe forgets that you need to add some water to the dough.  While kneading, Wet your hands and add water to the dough until it looks like the right consistency.

While the dough is resting, the filling is made in several steps.  The potatoes are boiled and mashed. Then the Swiss chard is boiled until tender and then chopped.  In a skillet, the garlic, parsley, leek, and sausage are sautéed until done. Then all the cooked ingredients plus the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and egg are combined in a bowl.

You then roll out the dough and cut it into rectangles.  The filling is placed on each dough rectangle.  The dough is then rolled around the filling, sealed and then bent into a horseshoe shape.  The casônsèi is boiled for about five minutes and you serve it with melted butter and Parmesan cheese on top.  Prep time is about an hour; cook time is about forty minutes.

This recipe is from the cookbook The Silver Spoon Pasta (Silver Spoon Book)and was recently featured by Epicurious.  The recipe serves four.  The cost per serving is $2.80.  Total cost is $11.80.

I paired this recipe with a 2008 Creekside Cellars Rosso.  Creekside Cellars is a great little winery and Italian deli in Evergreen, Colorado.   It is a light bodied red with flavors of pomegranate and cranberries.  It acidity in wine complements the flavors of the casônsèi.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

Roasted Potatoes with Garlic, Lemon adn Oregano

The potatoes pair with pretty much any Greek style main dish.  I paired it with Beef Stew with Leeks.  Together, it was a heavenly stick to your ribs meal.

The potatoes are easy to make.  The most involved part of the recipe is dicing the potatoes.  With the potatoes, you add different ingredients at different times during the roasting.  This insures you have the correct flavor for the result.  If you like crispier potatoes, I would suggest at the end broiling them under the broiler for a couple minutes.Prep time is about fifteen minutes.  Cook time is forty plus minutes.

I pulled this recipe from the book The Foods of the Greek Islands: Cooking and Culture at the Crossroads of the Mediterranean by Aglaia Kremezi.  The recipe serves six.  Cost per serving is $0.88.  Total cost is $5.88.  This is a great recipe and I will make it again.

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Beef Stew with Leeks

Beef Stew with Leeks or Bodino Stifado Me Praso is a Greek style stew.  Though it may have many of the same ingredients of a typical American style stew, the flavors uniquely different.  This dish is similar to the French boeuf bourguignon, but with flavors of cinnamon, orange, leeks, sage, thyme, and rosemary.  These flavors combined produce a savory stew that warms the insides.

This recipe is easy to prep.  The prep consists of chopping vegetables and slicing meat. Prep time is about twenty minutes.  Total cook time is about one hour fifty minutes.

Since the recipe calls for stew meat, which is usually meat with tough muscle tissue and tendons, it takes some time to cook.  The longer you braise the meat, the tenderer it becomes.  Try not purchase the stew meat from the grocery store that is pre cut.  Buy the meat and cut it up yourself or have the butcher cut it to recipe spec.  Otherwise the pre cut meat will be too small and will fall apart.  I used petite sirloin.  After cutting the meat, make sure you pat dry the meat before browning.  This insures that it browns properly and the result is a juicer piece of meat through the braising process.  The result of braising is fork tender meat that is savory with a multitude of flavors.

This recipe came from How to Roast of Lamb: New Greek Classic Cooking by Michael Psilakis.  The recipe yields six servings.  Cost per serving is $2.00.  Total cost is $11.98

I enjoyed the flavors of this Greek Style stew and would make it again.  Next time I am going to try making it in the Crock Pot and slow cook it all day.

I paired the Beef Stew with a Bonacquisti Wine Company [d] Red.  [d] Red is a blend of Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel and Cinsault.  The wine is easy to drink and has light tannins.  It is light to medium bodied and complements the beef stew.

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Wine aging in barrels

Bonacquisti Wine Company is a winery that produces wines that are hard to beat.  Located in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Northwest Denver, Bonacquisti makes their wine in a chic industrial wine loft.  If you should go there for a tasting, you will have an up close view on how the wine is made.

When visiting the winery, you will receive a warm welcome from the winemaker and the wine puppy, Kota.  Paul Bonacquisti, winemaker extraordinaire, produces the wine within a couple feet of the tasting room bar.  You can see crush to bottling right in front of your eyes.

Kota, The "Wine"heimer Pup

Paul and Judi Bonacquisti started this winery in 2006 with the goal of producing great wines without the pretense that usually is attached to winemaking. The title of Paul’s blog, “Wine for the People,” reveals his philosophy towards wine.  The atmosphere of the winery is relaxing and a great place to try some great wines.

I was fortunate to be asked by Paul to help out occasionally around the winery last year.  I have bottled wine, supervised children crushing grapes at a music festival and poured wine for the winery up at Colorado Mountain Winefest.  In return, I have received an invaluable education on winemaking and enjoyed some excellent wines.

Bonacquisti currently has ten wines released.  Many of the wines won medals at the 2009 Colorado Mountain Winefest.  They won golds for the 2007 Cabernet Franc and the Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre. They also won the following medals at the 2009 Colorado Mountain Winefest.

• Gold
  • 2007 Cabernet Franc
  • N/V Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre
• Silver
  • 2007 Vinny No Neck
• Bronze
  • 2006 Colorado Semillon
  • 2007 Lodi Zinfandel
  • 2007 Colorado Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 2008 Colorado Riesling

Bonacquisti Wines

What is most impressive about the Bonacquisti wines is that they are drinkable now.  You do not have to wait years to enjoy the wine.  Some of the standout varietal wines produced are the 2008 Riesling and the 2007 Cabernet Franc.  The Riesling is a semi-sweet white wine reminiscent of an Alsatian style Riesling.  The Cabernet Franc is a red that big red drinkers will love.  Paul makes some wonderful blends as well.  Try the SGM, Vinny No Neck, Bella Risa, and D Red.  All are pleasing on the pallet.

If you would like to taste these wines, the winery is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Sunday through Wednesday by appointment.  They are located at 4640 Pecos St Unit I, Denver, CO 80211 one block south of I-70.  www.denverwine.net

Vaselka's Cabbage Soup

I am a fan of cabbage in the winter.  Vaselka’s Cabbage Soup fits the bill on a cold winter’s night.  It is hearty, savory and first-class.  This cabbage soup is similar to the Russian dish Sour Shchi or Shchi Kisliye, which is a sour cabbage stew made with sauerkraut.  This recipe comes from Veselka, a Ukrainian eatery in the East Village of New York City.  They have been around for many generations and are legend in their own right.

My father exposed me to this type of soup.  He has an affinity to Russian and Ukrainian food. This soup is made with pork, cabbage, onions, carrots, celery, sauerkraut and fragrant spices.  The sauerkraut gives the soup its uniquely sour taste.  It is easy to make.  Most of the work in this recipe involves chopping vegetables.  Prep time is about twenty minutes.  Cook time is almost three hours.

I found this recipe in New York Magazine.  The recipe serves eight.  The cost per serving is $1.28.  Total cost is $10.22.

I paired this with 2003 Olathe Winery Colorado Chardonnay.  The tannins of the Chardonnay contrast the acidity of the soup.  The wine has flavors of apple, oak and a hint of spice.  It is medium body wine that is perfect for this dish.

Veselka’s Cabbage Soup

• 1 pound pork butt, cut into small cubes
• 1 1/2 quarts chicken stock
• 4 cups water
• 3 allspice berries
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
• 1 cup sauerkraut, plus around 4 tablespoons juice
• 1 large potato, peeled and diced
• 2 carrots, minced
• 3 stalks celery, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cups fresh cabbage, shredded thin

(1) Place the pork in a medium stockpot with the chicken stock, water, allspice, bay leaves, and marjoram. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low heat for about 2 hours. Remove the pork and set aside on a plate to cool. Skim fat from stock, leaving a few “eyes” of fat for flavor. Add sauerkraut and simmer for 20 minutes. (2) Add potato and simmer for 5 minutes. (3) Add the carrots, celery, onion, and cabbage and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the pork and simmer for 10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add sauerkraut juice. Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe courtesy of New York Magazine