Grilled Octopus

I am so pleased to share a recipe that I just stumbled upon. I finally figured out octopus…

The key for octopus is that it has to be braised or you’ll be chewing it for a long time! The other thing is that I used a 3 pound octopus for this and it was barely enough for 3 people. I suggest adjusting your octopi for the people and if it will be the main attraction. This is a base recipe and I am not including a marinade as I am still working the kinks out.

1) 2-4 lb cleaned octopus, put in a Crockpot with 5 allspice berries (or a 1tsp of cinnamon), 2 -3 cloves of garlic minced, a bay leaf, some thyme . Cover with red wine. Put on high for 4-6 hours until the skirt (between head and arms) are knife tender.

2) Take out octopus and cut the head off, and cut the arm section in half (4 arms each). The head will be tiny at this point.

3) Get your grill piping hot! All you want to do is add a bit of char/crunch to your octopus since it is already cooked. Oil your grill or the octopus and cook a minute or two a side just to get that crunch you desire. DONE!

4) Put your octopus into a marinade of some type. I would use an Italian dressing in a pinch for now. Let it sit in the marinade for 5-10 minutes. Cut your octopus into bite size pieces. Serve on a bed of lovely saffron or Spanish rice.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Cacio e Pepe

We thrive off of cheap and easy dishes here at the ‘Nosh. Here is one where I immediately fell in love with it. I am not responsible for this one but it comes from the Pasta Queen. She is a native Roman and this is right in her wheelhouse. Here we go…

1) Toast 1-3 tsps of cracked pepper in a deep skillet

2) Take some hot pasta water and mix with Pecorino Romano, grated. 30g per person in a separate bowl. This will allow the cheese to mix smoothly without clumping.

3) Add al dente pasta, spaghetti is traditional, to the skillet. Now, OFF HEAT, add your Pecorino Romano mix and gently, with love of course, toss your pasta. Add about 1/2 cup of the pasta water to thicken your sauce. It should be creamy. Serve immediately. That’s it! Yes, I am not kidding..

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Crockpot Brisket

Whenever I am a pinch, I always yank out my trusty Crockpot. I love to prep something in the morning and come home to a great smelling house. I seem to like this recipe a lot as it is rather easy.

1) Cut 2 onions into rings. Put some on the bottom of a 6 quart Crockpot. Next, put in a brisket flat, 2-3 pounds is ideal for a family of 4. Put some of the onion rings on top. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and what else your heart desires.

2) I add about 1/2 - 1 C of liquid around the brisket (not on top). Guinness, other non-hoppy beer or beef broth works well here. If you want to add carrots or celery on the side to flavor your gravy, sure.. go ahead!

3) 10 Hours Low. When you come home, it should be rather tender. If not, you can always cook a bit longer or blast it in the oven.

Serve with a nice starch and some veggies. Make a gravy out of the liquid in the pot.

Eat. Drink. Savor.

Poached Eggs

Eggs, one of our most versatile foods. Many ways to cook it and it adds quite a bit to any dish. I am typically a fried egg kind of person but now and then I want something a bit lighter. Poaching is not that difficult but I believe in practice to get good at it. I have tried many methods but I have coalesced around this one by America’s Test Kitchen. This is where a delicate hand is your friend.

1) Fill a pot full of water. I like to give the eggs room to swim if needed especially if you are making a big batch for a family breakfast. Get that to a boil.

2) In a colander, gently crack your eggs into it. What?!? Yes! This will allow those wispy whites to drain away while the main white remains. Only let the eggs sit in the colander for 30 seconds. Carefully pour the eggs into a 2-4 cup measuring cup.

3) Add 1 TBSP of vinegar and 1 tsp of salt to the boiling water. This will allow your egg whites to coagulate and set. Very important.

4) Take pot off heat. CAREFULLY, pour in your eggs, one at a time. Try to let them have room between them. Cover pot. Check after a minute to move the eggs around gently. They will stick to the bottom if you don’t watch it. After 2 minutes, the whites should be set. CAREFULLY, remove each egg with a slotted spoon. Serve.

Nosh Tips: You can play with vinegar for more of a color tint but I think it is diminimus. Bigger eggs, like duck will take longer and I think are more luxurious. For a showier presentation, carefully flip over the eggs as it has a flatter side.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

French Onion Soup - One Way

Nothing like a hearty soup to warm the soul like French Onion. In most cases, it really can be the main dish since it is very very heavy. With all that cheese, bread and onions, it is hard to eat much else. We don’t make it often at the house but when the craving strikes..

This is a recipe from Julia Child and it is really geared for speed. Other recipes I make are more long and drawn out to get that onion just right. Cook’s Illustrated has some great methods, so you can check them out too or make this recipe your own. This makes about 6 servings.

1) Add 2 TBSPs butter and 1 TBSP oil to a pot. Melt over medium - low heat.

2) Add 1 1/2 pounds of sliced onions to the pot. You can use normal yellow/Spanish onions. You can add sweeter onions but they might get too mushy. Add a few sprigs of thyme or other herb. I like throwing in a bit of savory here or use a TSP of my poultry seasoning. Add about a 1 TSP of salt and a dash of pepper, if desired.

3) Cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. The key is to cook the onions slowly to carmelize them not burn them. It is ok and desirable to get a nice fond on the bottom of the pot. The goal in this stage is to get the onions softened.

4) Uncover and cook for about 25 minutes until the onions are golden brown. Keep stirring! Remember you need to monitor your heat and the onions. No burning them!!

5) Add 5 cups of HOT chicken stock. Now simmer for about 10 minutes or longer. Your soup is done. Adjust for taste with salt and other seasoning.

6) SERVING - In each bowl, add a large crouton of bread, 1-2 TBSPs of Swiss cheese. Ladle soup on top. Now add a layer of cheese. Put on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and starts to brown a bit.

OH HEAVEN!!

Nosh Tips - Play with your choice of onions, stock and cheese. For even more luxury, add a shot of wine, Cognac or bourbon to the soup. You can get very creative here. One thing you notice is that unlike other recipes, the bread and cheese is put in first vs. floating on top. Such a challenge to eat it that way if you ask me.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Mussels a la Nosh

Here is a even better recipe than I posted before for steamed mussels. The broth will be even more concentrated and flavorful

1) 2-3 pounds of mussels, let soak in water for a few hours to ensure there is no grit/sand is in mussels. Inspect each mussel for any “beard” hanging out, rip or cut that off. Also, for any mussels that are not fully closed when you grab them, throw them out. Any cracked or damaged ones has the same fate.

2) Add 1 1/2 c. of Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc with 1/2 c. minced shallots, 5 springs of parsley/cilantro, 6 TBSP of Irish butter (Kerry Gold) and 6 cloves of garlic minced into pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.

3) Add mussels and shake or stir a few times during a 6 minute cook. Any longer than that you can overcook them. Examine the broth for any grit. If there is any, let it settle a bit before you pour them over your mussels. Enjoy with some crust bread…

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Cioppino - One Version

Here is an awesome fish stew especially if you love those tomato-based broth ones. A loaf of crusty bread to sop up the broth is really recommended. I have made many versions over the years but this one that is an offshoot of Ina Garten’s, works well. It really comes down to the stock here. This works well for 6 people.

1) Heat 1/4c. of olive oil in a large pot over low to medium heat. Add 2 C. of chopped fennel and 1 1/2 C. of chopped onion. Cook until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add 3-4 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tsp of fennel seeds and 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes. For that added boost, add 2 anchovies or a TBSP of fish sauce. Cook 1-2 minutes

2) Add 4 C of really good seafood stock. I use lobster broth and add shrimp shells to amp up the flavor. Add a 28oz can of San Marzano whole, peeled tomatoes. and 1 1/2 C. white wine (I use Sauvignon Blanc). and a little salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil and lower heat to barely simmer uncovered for 30 minutes to concentrate the broth.

3) Add about 3 - 3 1/2 pounds of seafood, mixed. I like haddock, squid and shrimp here. Mussels and clams add a little fun to the eating so about 2 dozen of those. Add the fish first then the items that need a little less cooking next. Bring to a simmer, cover and then cook for about 8-10 minutes. You can add an optional liquor here like Pernod, Ouzo, Sambuca but I think the fennel is enough licorice for my tastes. Throw out any shellfish that hasn’t opened.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Dutch Oven Braised Turkey Breast

I love this recipe because it can be made into a one-pot meal. I used a few turkey breasts (boneless) that I portioned from a whole bird. I had about 4 lbs but you can use various sizes, just keep an eye on that internal temp, that’s all. You will need a Dutch oven for this or you can do it in a saute pan and a regular ovensafe pot.

1) Dice up some bacon and render some fat, about 2 TBSPs worth. You can interchange butter, oil or other fats. Make sure the fat is hot. Pat the turkey breasts so that they don’t have moisture. Put them in skin side down and brown them for about 3-4 minutes. Flip and do the other side.

2) Take out turkey breasts and put them aside. Add 2 large onions, chopped into large pieces in bottom and some sprigs of your favorite herbs . Add a splash of wine to deglaze the pot for a few minutes. Now put the turkey breasts on top of the onions. Add 1/2 C. of chicken stock. Cover and put in a 325 degree oven for about an hour.

3) After an hour, take pot out of oven. Take turkey breasts out. To the pot, add 2 potatoes, chopped, 1 celery stalk, sliced thick and 2 carrots sliced thick. Mix the vegetables into the cooking liquid. Add seasoning if desired. Put breasts on top of the vegetables and cook for about another hour. The breasts are safe to eat at 165 degrees internal temp.

4) Remove the pot from the oven. Take out turkey breasts and let them rest on a carving board for at least 15-20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove vegetables on put in bowl, cover. You have the option of making a gravy from all this wonderful liquid leftover if desired.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Pommes Anna - Potato Cake

Up for a challenge? Well here it is. 2 ingredients, that’s it! Well, not really. The problem to conquer is the cake, molding it, and having it come out in one piece. I recommend a 8” diameter oven/stove-top safe skillet or pot as it will build a compact and tall cake. Larger diameter is ok but it will be a little harder. This is a Julia Child recipe that I adore and make 1x per year. It is heavenly and well worth the effort. This recipe serves 4-6.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, middle to lower rack.

2. 3 lbs russet potatoes, yes more starch the better. If possible, pick out potatoes all the same size. Peel and slice 1/4- 1/8” thick. Don’t wash. You want that starch to help you bind the cake. Dry the potatoes with a paper towel and have at ready.

3. 1/2 lb butter (2 sticks). Melt and clarify it. If you want to skip the clarification, buy some ghee. Layer 1/4” of clarified butter in pan/pot over medium heat. Once butter is hot, get ready.

4. READ THIS A FEW TIMES. Quickly, put one potato slice in middle, then in a clockwise pattern lay overlapping slices in a circle around the one in the middle. And continue to build out larger circles until you reach the edge. Drizzle a spoonful of butter on this layer and if desired, sprinkle some salt and pepper. Do the same thing for the next layer but build a circle of potatoes counterclockwise. Keep repeating this procedure until you run out of potatoes switching back between clockwise and counterclockwise. Make sure you shake the pan/pot from time to time so potatoes don’t stick to bottom.

5. Take a smaller pan or pot, butter/oil the bottom. Now use this to push down hard on the potatoes. Cover the pot and put potatoes in the oven. Put a pan underneath in case any butter spills out. No need to have a fire in your oven… Anyway - Cook 20 minutes.

6. Take a smaller pot/pan and push down on the potatoes again. Cook, uncovered 25 minutes. Press down again toward the end of the baking.

7. Take pot out of oven and carefully, tilt the pot/pan to drain any excess butter. Run a spatula around the edge of the potatoes. Shake the pan. Now do you best with this and the rest of the recipe.

8. Unmold the cake. Safely, take a flat plate or cooking pan, cover the pot. Invert pot. If any potatoes stick, do you best to mold back into the cake.

9. If desired, you can add cheese, sour cream and other accents.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Shrimp Gumbo

I often repeat myself but Southern cuisine is the epitome of comfort food. It calls to me! I love soups, stews and chowder especially during cold weather. I have a base recipe I use from Paula Deen and play off of it. Here it is:

1) Saute (with a little oil) 1 C. of okra, chopped over medium heat for 5 minutes. The key is that you don’t want slimy okra in your gumbo. Set the okra aside.

2) In a large saucepan, you will make a roux, 3/3 TBSP of butter to flour. Melt the butter over low to medium heat. Slowly sprinkle in the flour and whisk. You will cook this until it is a light brown and has a pleasant nutty aroma. Make sure you constantly stir or it will burn.

3) To the pan, add 1 onion (your choice) chopped, 1 bell pepper (your choice of color) chopped, 2 cloves of garlic chopped and cook for a few minutes.

4) Now add high quality broth/stock, 4 C. I use lobster or shrimp but you can use chicken. Add 1/4 lb of precooked smoked sausage sliced, 1 tsp of Cajun/cayenne seasoning and a little salt and pepper for taste. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a slight simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes.

5) Add 1 lb of large shrimp, either 16/20 or 21/25 in the pot and cook for 5 minutes until shrimp turns opaque. Serve over white rice. This recipe serves about 4-6.

Nosh Options: You can cook that roux longer but you have to be very careful. If you want a thinner/thicker end product, play with the ratio of butter to flour , either 2/2 or 4/4. I like some color in my food so I would add 3 different colors of pepper but keep the same amount to equal 1 pepper. Andouille or some other cajun sausage is recommended to keep it authentic but in a pinch use smoked kielbasa or chorizo which are already cooked. Add Old Bay or something else with a little kick for the spice.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Beyond Meat Meatloaf

Fresh off the presses!!! I can’t take credit for this one though. I had this one on my list to explore for some time. As someone that has vegetarians that visit the house, I had to create something for them. But I didn’t need to with this recipe. It was so tasty, I was impressed! Here it is with my minimal tweaking of course:

1) Take 1 pound Beyond Meat break up into little pieces in a mixing bowl. Add: 2 TBSP ketchup, 1/2 C diced onion, 1 TBSP mustard, 1 TBSP liquid smoke, 1 TSP garlic powder, 1/2 TSP salt, 1/2 TSP paprika, 1/2 TSP oregano. Mix well. Now, I let this sit in the fridge for at least half the day. You can omit this but I think it will miss out on the flavor.

2) Now, add the binder. 1/2 C breadcrumbs and 1 egg whisked. Mix with hands well.

3) Put in a 1 Quart loaf pan lined with parchment paper or you can free form the loaf. Fill and pat down to ensure there are no air pockets. Put in a 375 degree oven for 35 minutes.

4) Make a Glaze. 1/4 C. ketchup, 1/4 C. brown sugar and 2 TSP Dijon mustard. Mix well. Put on the loaf and then cook the loaf for another 25 minutes.

5) Remove from oven and let rest for a minimum of 10 minutes. Cut with a serrated knife.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

My Meat Lasagna - A lighter version

Please review my Base Meat Lasagna recipe for reference. I modified that recipe to take the super heaviness out of the dish. Please experiment! Cooking is about trying stuff to see if it sticks (pun intended). In this recipe, I made the pasta sheets, so fresh pasta vs. commercial boxed dry. My pasta was 50/50 semolina to 00 flour with 5 eggs and some water. Also, I don’t precook my pasta sheets. Here we go!

1) Spread about 2 C. of Ragu’ Bolognese sauce on the bottom of a deep roasting pan. Lay pasta sheets side by side on top of the sauce. Try not to overlap as you want those layers of sauce and meat and cheese to intermingle and bubble up during cooking.

2) Here is the key to keeping the dish light vs. heavy: there is no need to build out a inch of sauce, cheese etc. for each layer.

3) Here is the order of battle:

1 ladle of Bolognese sauce dotted or dribble over the layer of pasta (have 4-6 cups on hand)

1 ladle of Bechamel sauce (look for my base recipe) dotted or dribbled over the Bolognese (have 4 cups on hand)

Spread little pieces of Mozzarella over the Bechamel sauce. I slice Mozzarella and tear tiny pieces (2 balls of Mozzarella on hand)

Grate some Parmesan and Pecorino Romano on this layer. (Blocks of cheese, fresh tastes so much better)

4) Repeat until you run out of fillings, pasta or sauce or room in the roasting pan. I typically have about 4-6 layers when I am all said and done.

5) Put in a 325 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You can put foil on but you don’t need to cook much here as you have fresh pasta. For 10-20 minutes, crank up the heat a bit to add some crust for those how love those crunchy corners. Once done, let cool 10 minutes minimum prior to cutting and serving. Put a ladle full of Bolognese sauce on each portion and maybe a dash of cheese.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Dutch Oven Pork Loin Roast

Not typically part of my rotation, but wanted to share another easy recipe. I normally roast my loin on a roasting rack set in a pan. I think this adds a bit more of tenderness vs. the “bark” of the open rack method. This recipe is not modified at all and comes straight from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Amazing that this recipe still works and it is 60 years old. You must have a fireproof and oven-safe pot (Dutch Oven) with cover for this recipe or you will need to improvise. For brevity, I have reworked it a bit here:

1) 3 # boneless pork loin. It calls for a marinade but I did my typical 48 hour dry brine of salt, pepper and Adobo.

2) In a Dutch oven large enough (I put mine in a 4 1/2 quart Dutch oven), heat 4 TBSP of fat, lard or oil. You are now going to brown all sides of the loin. A few minutes all over to create a crust.

3) Take pork out and set aside. Leave 2 TBSPs of fat left in the pot. If needed add butter. Put in 1 sliced onion, 1 sliced carrot, 2 cloves of garlic (I omitted it), and some herbs (parsley, thyme sprigs, bay leaf). Cook for 5 minutes.

4) Add the pork back in pot and put cover on. Put in a 325 degree oven and cook until the meat registers 145 degrees. I lowered mine to 300 degrees as I wanted to give myself some time for other things. The 3 lb should take 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Mine was done in 1 hr 30 minutes. I do recommend that you check on it prior to that point.

4) Take out pork and put on a carving board to rest for at least 15-20 minutes. Take out the vegetables and set aside too. Resting the meat is so important as all the juices will need time to redistribute through the meat. Also, there will be carryover cooking and the internal temp will rise 5-10 degrees getting above the USDA recommended temperature. Now, this is up to you but you can make a gravy out of those drippings in the pot.

5) Optional: Leave about 1-2 TBSP of fat in the pot. Take 1/2 C. of wine and simmer in the pot, scraping up all those wonderful bits on the bottom. If you are short a little liquid, add some chicken stock.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Making your own Smoked Bacon

A recipe that I used for many years and actually have used the same cure for other types of meats. The cure works fantastic for fresh ham. The original recipe was courtesy of In the Charcuterie by Taylor Boetticher and Toponia Miller. They also run a shop in San Francisco and Napa called The Fatted Calf. I am a big fan as you can tell. Not many ingredients but still I modified it..

1) 8 lb skinless pork belly. You don’t have to use all of the cure if you don’t have that much pork belly. I cut the pork belly into equally sized squares that can fit in a baking dish.

2) Cure. 1 lb of brown sugar (I use dark), 12 ounces of fine sea salt (I use ground up kosher), 1 TBSP Curing Salt #1, 1 TBSP cayenne and 1 TBSP freshly ground black pepper. Mix all ingredients well in a bowl. The curing salt can be found online. The salt acts as a preservative and protection against bacteria while the meat is curing.

3) In your baking dish, put down a layer of the cure. Put one of your belly portions on it, meat side down. Rub the cure all over the sides and top. Put a belly on top of this, meat side down and repeat. Put in fridge. I don’t cover but you can if your fridge is full of other odiferous foods.

4) Next day, pour out any liquid in the dish and swap the belly portions around. Put on any additional cure on thin spots. Return to fridge and repeat. Typically by the 3rd day, there isn’t much liquid left. I pull it off by the 3rd day regardless. You can experiment with longer cure times but it may get too salty.

5) Rinse off all cure from the bellies. Pat dry. Get your smoker going and smoke the bellies until they read 140 - 150 degrees internal temperature. Let cool and either keep in slab form or slice. I like to let the bellies cool overnight and use the slicer the next day. I’ll often have a portion that is sliced and a portion that remains in slab form. Some will remain in the fridge and some will be in the freezer. With the curing salt, your bacon won’t spoil until after 3-4 weeks in the fridge and after 6 months in the freezer.

Options: 1) I will do a mix of maple syrup and brown sugar along with a shot of rum. 2) Different kinds of sea salt 3) Applewood, cherrywood or pecan for the smoker 4) Play with an alternative spice vs. cayenne 5) Throw in some herb springs on the smoker fire

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Steamed Lobster

Growing up in New England, whole lobster is something more transcendent than just eating food. It is a labor of love and something that is shared by all around the table. Many arguments have started over a simple question on how to eat your lobster. Let’s not talk about lobster bibs either..

Anyway, I am a big proponent of steaming vs. boiling lobster. My key reasons are: less water to deal with, less time to heat up the water, room for experimentation and lastly a better preservation of the taste of the lobster. Here is my approach with options:

1) Put 1” of salt water in a 4-5 gallon pot. You can steam 6 Chicken (1 pound) lobsters OR 4 Select (1 1/2-2 pound) or less as you get bigger. If you don’t have this size pot, use 2 smaller ones. The key is not to overcrowd the pot or cooking times will get elongated. If you have a steamer pot, even better.

2) For those, like me, who don’t have a steamer pot, try to build a barrier (rack) between the water and the lobsters. An upside collander, large bowl, seaweed, leeks can work here. If you can’t do this, it will be ok. I prefer having the lobsters at the bottom not sitting in the water.

3) Once the water is boiling and steaming over high heat, put your lobsters in and start timing. Here is an excerpt of a chart that I use from Jasper White’s Lobster At Home:

1 pound lobsters-10 minutes, 1 1/4 pound - 12 minutes and go up in 1/4 pound increments to 2 pounds. Add 2 minutes of cook time. I always shoot over the time as I don’t want to crack open a lobster to check as it is hot and dangerous to do so (think burning your hands). Start the time from when the lobsters go in the pot.

4) Halfway through the cook time, get some long tongs and move the lobsters around.

Nosh Options: Use wine instead of salt water. Use seaweed as your “rack”. Throw in some vodka to the seawater. Put in new potatoes in the bottom of the pot and cook for 10 minutes before you put in the lobsters.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

My Base Meat Lasagna

My Italian cuisine and cooking skills are evolving. I am not of Italian descent and only have been exposed to this great food through friends. I have worked with this recipe of Emeril’s over the years. When I would cook food for our family vacations ahead of time, I wanted something that could be frozen and make plenty of leftovers. I also wanted a recipe where I didn’t have to precook the noodles. Warning! Some Italians will scoff at the use of ricotta here.. so be warned.. I will have another version up without it. This recipe yields 12-16 servings depending on your guests. Here is my version after many modifications.

1) In a bowl, mix 1 1/2 C. ricotta, 6 ounces grated Provolone, Mozzarella and Pecorino-Romano, an egg, 1/4 C. half/half (or milk), 1 TBSP minced basil/thyme/oregano, 1-2 TBSP chopped garlic. In reserve, have 1 1/2 lb of grated Parmesan and a package of lasagna noodles ready.

2) Meat Sauce. You can make your own but for ease of use, buy quality pasta sauce with meat. If you want to jack it up, brown a pound of meat (beef/pork/lamb etc.) I’d have enough sauce for about 6-8 cups. If you have extra, you can use it elsewhere.

3) Assembly. In a deep baking dish/lasagna pan, spread about 2 cups of sauce on the bottom. Sprinkle a quarter of the parmesan on. Cover this layer with dried lasagna noodles. Repeat. You’ll likely have 3-4 layers. The last layer is sauce unless you want it to be cheese but it may burn, so watch it.

4) Cook in a 350 degree oven 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool about 10 minutes, minimum before serving.

Nosh Options: You can add more cheese into the mixture but it may be overkill. For the meat sauce, you can do a meatloaf mix for the meat. A homemade Ragu’ Bolognese is highly recommended for tremendous flavor.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Stuffed Peppers

When I was just starting to cook and single, I would make stuffed peppers. They were easy, could be made ahead of time and were filling. Over the years, I migrated away from them as I tried other things and the kids didn’t like peppers as much. I love this recipe because you can experiment to your hearts content. Also you can make the filling ahead of time and stuffing/cooking the peppers another time. The filling is where the flavor resides and is important to make it to your liking. This recipes serves 6-8.

1) Heat the oven to 400 degrees. 4 Large Red, Green or Yellow Bell Peppers. Here is your choice, cut the peppers lengthwise or crosswise. I like both. With cross, you can add more filling but run the issue of them possibly tipping over. Lengthwise is easier to eat and to remove the ribs/seeds of the pepper. Also, the filling isn’t as compacted. Put cut peppers in a baking dish.

2) Filling. Ok, here is where the fun starts. In a skillet, 2 TBSPs of olive oil, heat. Add 1-2 minced shallots for a few minutes to soften, add 3 garlic cloves, minced. For spice, add some (1-2 TSP) red pepper flakes and cook for a minute. Add a total of 1 pound of meat; I use ground beef and pork. You can use turkey or chicken too. Brown meat for 3-5 minutes until no longer pink. I like adding a dash of either Worcestershire or soy sauce as well.

3) Deglaze the skillet with 1/2 C. wine/broth/port etc.. Scrape off any cooked bits off the skillet. Now add 14 oz of diced tomatoes or for fun, sun-dried tomatoes, salt/pepper and bring to boil. Off heat, add 1/4 C. grated cheese, I prefer Parmesan and 2 TBSP minced parsley. Add 1 cup of cooked rice, I love pearl couscous here. Mix ingredients in skillet well.

4) Fill up the peppers. Pour 1/4 C. of liquid in the baking dish (use vermouth/wine/beer/stock). Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 35 -40 minutes until you can poke a knife into the peppers with no resistance. Spoon any juices on top of the peppers. Sprinkle the peppers with a healthy dose of grated cheese. I like Gruyere (Swiss) here. Put back in the oven for 10 minutes to melt the cheese. Cool peppers for 5 minutes and serve.

Nosh Options: TONS!! The filling and cheeses are where you can omit/add or tinker with. You can make a mini meatloaf mix as your filling.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Crispy Pork Belly

Here is a cut that often is overlooked as a standalone dish: Pork Belly. The belly is commonly used for bacon and/or pancetta and most butchers will cut the pork belly with that in mind; no skin. If you are fortunate to find skin-on pork belly, grab it! You can make more of a gourmet dish, porchetta where you wrap a belly around a tenderloin, add spices and tie it up like a nice roast. But we believe in simplicity here. We can gourmet some other time.

1) 2-4 pound skin-on pork belly. If you can find a bigger one, by all means grab it. Save one half for bacon or other uses. You can cook a larger belly but you run into real estate challenges with your oven or pan.

2) Crosshatch with a knife (diamond pattern) the skin. Be careful to cut only the skin and the fat. The goal here is to give the fat ample ways to render out during the cook. Season as you see fit, I keep it simple with maybe a little salt, pepper, dry mustard and thyme. You can dry brine this too if you have the time.

3) Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Low and slow here is the operative word. That belly has a ton of fat (and flavor) and you have to give it time to render out. No need to roll the belly into a roast. You can keep it flat, it may cook unevenly but it really doesn’t matter.

4) Put in a deep roasting pan with a rack. Cook for about 2-3 hours. Check for an internal temp (make sure you are testing the meat and not the fat) for close to 200 degrees and the meat is fork tender. Most of the fat should have rendered and is in bottom of the pan.

4) Take roasting pan out of the oven. Remove rack with belly on it and put it on a new roasting pan. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. Put belly back in the oven and cook it for about 15-20 minutes or until your desired crispiness. If you see it burning but need more time, put on some foil. Take out and rest for minimum of 20 minutes.

5) Depending on tenderness, you can slice and serve or pull it into shreds. Serve with the crispy skin.

This is pork heaven!!

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Filet Mignon

If you ever was curious on what to do with the broiler setting for your oven and the broiler pan you inherited with the oven, here you go!! This is so simple and fast. Even my wife, who loathes medium rare doneness on steaks, loves this recipe. Again, if you want to splurge on steak but don’t want the 50 ouncer, this is a great option.

Since it won’t take too long, let’s get your oven rack on the highest setting. Turn your oven on Broil; it will take some time to preheat.

1) Put a little olive oil on 2, 8 ounce, 1 inch thick filet mignons. If you can’t find this, ask the butcher. Or if you are feeling adventurous, buy a whole beef tenderloin and portion it out. You can freeze the rest for another time.

2) Sprinkle with salt and pepper and other savory seasonings that you prefer. Wrap one piece of bacon around each filet and use a toothpick to keep it in place. The bacon has 2 purposes, one is for flavor with the fat but the other is a little protection as filet is rather lean and can dry out easily.

3) Put the steaks on the broiler pan and broil 5 -7 minutes. Flip over. Cook 5-7 minutes. For safety, I’d use an instant read thermometer after 5 minutes. Cook to 130 for medium rare, higher for more doneness

4) I always make a compound butter to put on the top of the steaks after it comes out of the oven and is resting. The butter will melt as it rests. My favorite is a blue cheese and sage butter. Other options for toppings are sauteed mushrooms, onions or gravy.

Eat.Drink.Savor.