Braised Lamb Shank

It has been such a cold and rainy Spring that a braised dish seemed perfect for a late lunch last Sunday. I gave this one some Moroccan flavors with dried plums and apricots, olives, orange, cinnamon, and cumin.

1 or 2 meaty lamb shanks

1/4 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

2 T oil

6 dried apricots

6 dried plums

2 small turnips, quartered

4 red "B" potatoes, quartered

2 carrots, sliced

1 onion, sliced

2 cups of beef stock

1 cup red wine

Zest and juice of one orange

1 cinnamon stick

1 T cumin seeds

1/4 cup mixed green and black olives

Dust the shanks with the seasoned flour

Brown the shanks in the hot oil in a Dutch oven

Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil

Cover the Dutch Oven and place in a preheated 300 degree oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours

1/2 hour before finishing cooking, add the olives

Red Lentil and Roasted Beet Salad

Beets are such a maligned vegetable that it almost breaks my heart. They are at the same time regal, by virtue of their color-they dominate anything they come into contct with, and humble, as they are just roots. I find their earthy sweetness irresistable, and I blame all their woes on too many canned beets. I do admit their staining qualities might prevent more widespread use. Roasting beets is very simple and avoids alot of the mess. Simply remove the green tops, douse with a bit of olive oil, wrap tightly in foil, and roast in a 350 degree oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hour (depending on how large your beets are). Once they are roasted, their skins slip off effortlessly, leaving you a gorgeous vetetable to work with. I love them like this mashed with a little salt and pepper.

But for this recipe, I diced them and used them as a component for a beautiful and nutritious lentil salad. Lisa at Champaign Taste posted a recipe (sans beets) for this salad last week, and it inspired me to make this salad to which I added beets to enhance the color of the red lentils. Caution:red lentils cook much faster than the green and brown ones-so be careful not to over cook them. Then I came across another lentil salad-this one made with beets and regular brown lentils posted by Emily at Cook the Wolf. Emily's recipe comes with a tutorial on recipe writing, borrowing, and outright stealing. Very enlightening for anyone writing recipes. It seems that recipe ingredients cannot be copywrighted, but directions on how to use the ingredients can be. Fascinating, really. Do visit her blog for a more articulate explanation.

3 cups of cooked red lentils (cook them al dente with your best pasta cooking technique)

3 small beets, roasted and diced

1/4 cup sliced celery-I found this a distractin and will not add it next time

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup minced fresh tarragon

1/4 cup minced fresh Italian parsley

Juice of three lemons

1 Tablespoon of honey or sugar (beets marry well with sweet)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your liking

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all of the ingreients and chill at least 1 hour before serving.

I served it on a little curly endive, garnished with some more fresh tarragon.

If you don't like tarragon, Emily suggests Basil in her salad.

Greek Shrimp, Olive, and Feta Salad

This is a tasty simple salad, great for hor d ouevre. Because of the salty feta and olives it is especially good with cocktails.

2 pounds of cooked shrimp-I leave the tail on

1 cup mixed olives, green and black Greek or Nicoise are best

1/4 pound good feta-imported Greek or French is usually the best

2 lemons, thinly sliced and squeezed, reserve two or three slices to garnish the top of the salad

2 Tablespoons of chopped fresh Oregano

1/4 cup fruity olive oil

Combine all of the ingreients and chill for a couple of hours or overnight.

Bring to room temperature before serving.

Crisped pita triangles are a good accompaniment.

Rebel Burger

Here is another of our specialty burgers for "Gourmet Burger" month at Gallagher's. It is an 8 ounce burger, grilled then topped with Southern-fried green tomato, dill pickle, and a tower of onion rings. I created a sweet and spicy spread for it as well.

Pesto Burger

Starting April 1st we will begin "Gourmet Burger " month. The pesto burger will be one of the choices. We will be using a ground chuck with 80% lean to 20% fat-I do not approve of lean burgers. They are dry and nasty, these are juicy and delicious, with a luxurious topping of fresh mozzarella cheese, and my own pesto which includes fresh Basil, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and olive oil. Served on a corn meal dusted Kaiser Roll-butter toasted.

Rack of Lamb Roasted with Red Potatoes

I got this rack of lamb at Trader Joe's for the amazing price of just over $15, At my regular butcher, this rack would cost about $35. It is frozen, and pre-seasoned, two drawbacks as far as I'm concerned, but the roast was tender and juicy. I'm definitely picking up more of them.

1 lamb rack, bones Frenched

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoon of minced fresh Rosemary, divided in half

1 Tablespoon of minced fresh Parsley

2 Tablespoon of butter, melted

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 pound of red potatoes, size "B", or quartered large ones

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

In a roasting pan just large enough to hold the rack, toss the potatoes with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and 1 Tablespoon of the minced Rosemary, roast for 1/2 hour.

While the potatoes are roasting, season the rack on all sides with salt and pepper, next spread the fat side of the rack with the dijon mustard.

Toss the bread crumbs with the melted butter, 1 Tablespoon of the Rosemary, and the Parsley.

Pat the seasoned bread crumbs onto the Dijon coated lamb rack.

After the potatoes have roasted for 1/2 hour, place the lamb rack-bread crumbed side up, on top of the potatoes.

Return to the oven and continue roasting for 20 to 25 minutes for medium rare.

A Jackie Kennedy Inspired Lunch.

Lori Lynn, who writes Taste With The Eyes, wrote about a preparing a Kennedy themed dinner party. It inspired me to create one of the dishes on her blog. It is an over the top salad with green and yellow beans interspersed with slices of foie gras, served over butter lettuce with dijon vinaigrette. It was an amazing combination of flavors, textures, and colors. Visit Lori's blog Here.

I also pulled out one of my books on the Kennedy's "In the Kennedy Style" written by Letitia Baldrige (Jackie's Social Sec) and Rene Verdon (White House chef for the Kennedy administration). From that book I chose to make Homard en Bellevue, which was a fish course served at a state dinner on May 11, 1962 honoring Andre Malroux, an important French diplomat and author. In the book, it is a lobster salad served under aspic. While personally I like aspics, I find alot of Americans do not, so I served the salad with Tarragon vinaigrette instead of being covered with aspic.

Homard en Bellevue has an interesting history. It was created for King Louis XV by Madame Pompadour, his mistress, or rather his mistress's staff-I heard she wasn't much of a cook herslf. Bellevue was the name of the chateau Louis built for her.

First I made a potato salad with small diced potatoes, baby turnips, carrots, and peas, dressed with mayonaise flavored with tarragon vinegar. Lobster tails are poached and pulled from their shells. When the lobster cools, slice the tails into 1/2" slices. Mound the potato salad into the lobster shells and lay the lobster slices across the salad. I served the stuffred lobster tails on a salad of pea shoots with tarragon vinaigrette on the side.

Banana Flan

Tim, a culinary student as well as one of our line cooks, made this lovely flan last week. He is especially interested in baking desserts, and his favorite flavor is banana. So when he wanted to bake this I said do it.

For the caramel:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

In a saute pan, dissolve the sugar in the water and bring it to the boil. Boil until the syrup becomes a rich amber color.

Pour the caramel into custard cups and swirl the caramel around the sides of the cup.

2 1/2 cups half and half
1/4 cup banana liqueur
1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
3 egg yolks

Whisk all of the ingredients together and strain. Pour the strained custard into the prepared custard cups and bake in a bain marie in a preheated 325 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the custard is set and an inserted knife comes out clean.

Chill for several hours. To unmold, run a thin knife around the edge of the cup and unmold the custard, be sure to let all the caramel run out over the top of the flan. Serve with fresh fruit, if desired. We made a compote of bananas, oranges, and strawberries.

Crawfish Etouffee

I made this yesterday (Mardi Gras) for a special. The flavors are deep, rich and spicy. The really dark Cajun roux is a little unnerving, and the ingredient list is long, but the results are satisfying and delicious. Based on a Paul Prudhomme recipe. I love Paul's use of three peppers (black, white, and cayenne), and I also admire his technique of plunging the aromatic vegetables (green bell pepper, onion, and celery-known as the Holy Trinity of Cajun cooking) into the hot roux to instantly cook them.

2 teaspoons of salt

2teaspoons of cayenne

1 teaspoon of white pepper

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1 teaspoon of dried basil

1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme

mix well and reserve

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3 cups fish stock or clam juice

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 pounds of crawfish tails, plus extra fish for garnish

1 cup minced green onions

cooked rice

Put the oil in a heavy bottomed pot and heat until smoking hot, add the flour and whisk continually until the flour reaches a dark reddish brown color. This will take up to 5 minutes and the mixture is extremely hot-be careful-and must be stirred continuously less the flour scortch and burn. Remove from the heat and add the vegetables and 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix, stir until slightly cooled.

Add the stock to the roux and bring to the boil, simmer over low heat for several minutes.

In a separate saute pan, saute the crawfish in the butter, add additional seasoning mix to taste.

Combine the crawfish and the sauce and blend. Serve with steamed rice garnished with the green onions and whole fish.

Lebanese Spinach and Oil

I got this recipe from a book called "Lebanese Mountain Cookery" by Mary Laird Hamady. It is such a refreshing and simple treatment for fresh spinach. I added some garlic to the recipe and some fresh red currants. I was at Trader Joe's in the morning and could not resist the fresh currants, and I just added them to the spinach at the last minute.

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup roughly chopped red onion

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 pound fresh spinach

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Juice of one lemon

Red currants (optional, but tasty and pretty-toasted pinenuts and golden raisins would also be good

Heat the oil in a saute pan and add the onion and garlic, saute over low heat until they are softened.

Wash the spinach and leave it a bit damp to help steam the leaves.

Add the spinach to the saute pan and wilt the spinach, remove from the heat.

Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and red currants.

Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.

Valentine's Dinner

We had a really successful Valentine's dinner. Sold out without any reservation cancelations or no shows-you almost always get that last minute cancellation so late you can't re-book it. Dinner started with three appetizers-cayenne candied bacon, tenderloin stuffed mushroom s with blue cheese crust, and seared tuna with ginger, wasabi, and sweet soy.

A chopped salad of mixed lettuces (romaine, chicories, baby greens), artichoke, hearts of palm, fennel, and toasted pine nuts dressd with lemon-mango vinaigrette was served next.

The entree was Tournados of Tenderloin with Morel mushrooms, roasted asparagus with Balsamic and almonds, and Potatoes Scalloped with Fontina and Roasted Peppers.

Dessert was a lovely chocolate cake, filled with white chocolate raspberry mousse, raspberry sauce.

Chicken Hash with Fried Eggs

I've been eating hash all my life, although my mom usually made it from left overs from a Sunday Roast Beef dinner. Probably the most famous is corned beef hash, but left over chicken is also tasty. I had some left over grilled chicken that I turned into Sunday breakfast.

2 Tablespoons butter

2 cups left over chicken diced

2 cups left over cooked potatoes, I used halved fingerlings

1/4 cup diced onion, red onion adds color

1/4 cup diced celery

1 red pepper, roasted and diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

Salt, pepper, and smoked paprika to taste

4 eggs

Melt the butter, and add the vegetables. Sautee everything for 10 to 15 minutes until they are soft and begin to caramelize and brown.

Add the chicken to heat through and season with the salt, pepper, and paprika.

Push the hash to the perimeter of the sautee pan, leaving the bottom of the pan completely exposed. Add a bit more butter or oil to prevent the eggs from sticking.

Gently break the eggs into the center of the hash, cover the saute pan and steam-fry the eggs until set, but leaving the yolks soft, dust the tops with additional smoked paprika.

Roasted Tomato Soup

We've made this soup a couple of ways lately. First using the hard hot house Roma tomatoes we have on hand for the ubitiquous salad and also canned San Marzano tomatoes. Roasting the tomatoes, onion, and garlic really helps intensify their flavors, and makes bland winter tomatoes as well as the canned ones more palatable. We garnished the top of the soup with a couple swishes of reduced Balsamic and Creme Fraiche. If using fresh tomatoes, I reccomend pureeing the soup with a food mill to extract the skins. If you use already peeled canned tomatoes you can use the blender, we used an immersion blender and left the soup a bit chunky.

Ten tomatoes, cut in half

1 large yellow onion, quartered

1 large red pepper

4 or 5 cloves of garlic

Freshly ground pepper

Fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1/4 cup olive oil

Vegetable or chicken stock

Toss all of the ingredients, except the stock with the olive oil and roast in a preheated 400 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes-until the vegetables soften and begin to caramelize and char at the edges.

Place the roasted vegetables in a soup pot and cover with the stock.

Simmer for at least 15 minutes and puree-add salt if necessary, and serve with some reduced Balsamic and creme fraiche.

Orange Roughy Baked in Parchment

This was one of the weekend specials last weekend. We sold fifty orders of it, it was so easy and tasty, I don't know why I don't feature it more often. And it produces such delicious results.

Start with a large dice mirepoix of shallot, carrot, and celery.

Several Roma tomato slices

Several lemon slices

Capers

Sprinklings of salt, pepper, and thyme

Buerre Blanc

Lay out a sheet of parchemnt paper and in the center , place some of the mirepoix, about 1/3 cup, season it, and top with a fillet of fish (salmon, sole, or sea bass etc.all work well).

Season the fish and layer alternating slices of tomato and lemon across the fish. Sprinkle some capers on top and spoon some buerre blanc over it.

Fold the parchment over the fish and begin rolling and crimping the edges together to form a seal so that the fish and vegetables steam together.

Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. The waiters ripped open the bags at the table when they served them.

Inaugural Seafood Stew

Tradition has our new president's first meal served at the Statuary Hall in the Capitol. The menu was puiblished in the Times last week. It is based on the foods favored by Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln favored scalloped oysters, so the inauguration committee chose a shellfish stew. The second course is duck and pheasant with wild rice and sweet potatoes whipped with molasses, and apple cake for dessert. All paired with California wines-a Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc with the stew, Goldeneye Pinot Noir with the duck and pheasant, and Korbel California "Champagne" with dessert. I think it's a faux pas to serve California "Champagne"-since I believe Chanpagne only comes from Champagne in France. Read the article here.

I didn't feel ambitious enough to complete the entire menu, but the stew was marvelous. Also the Apple cake sounds to me more like Apple Charlotte.

I started with lobster stock from the freezer. I poached all the ingredients separately, so nothing would be overcooked and rubbery.

2 lobster tails

12 shrimp

1/2 pound bay scallops

1/4 cup diced celery

1/4 cup minced leek

1/4 cup diced carrot

1/4 cup diced potato

Salt and white pepper to taste

Poach all ingredients seperately. When all the items are poached, add 1 cup dry white wine to the poaching liquid and reduce by half, add 2 cups heavy cream and continue to reduce until it's sauce consistency and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Add the shellfish and vegetables to the cream sauce, add some salt and white pepper if you like, and ladle into oven proof crocks.

Top each crock of soup with puff pastry and seal. Eggwash and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is puffed and browned.

Pan Fried Gnocci with Shrimp and Lemon Gremoulata

I have to admit I used a packaged gnocci for this-but it was so good I thought I would post it anyway. Next week I'll make my own gnocci, I promise. Pan frying the dumplings result with crispy edges with a fluffy potatoey interior, just perfect to pair with some sauteed vegetables and shrimp flavored with garlic and lemon.

For the Gremoulata:

Zest of one lemon

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tablespoons of minced fresh parsley

Finely mince these ingredients together and sprinkle sparingly over pastas and braised meats (used in the Italian dish Osso Bucco to top the veal shanks).

For the Gnocci:

2 Tablespoons of butter

1 Tablespoon of olive oil

1 pound of gnocci (enough for two)

1 Tablespoon of red pepper flakes (or to taste-depending on how spicy you like it)

1/4 cup sliced celery

1/4 cup carrot, sliced into coins

2 Tablespoons of minced green onion

1 Tablespoon of minced garlic

2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup white wine

Salt to taste

Heat the butter and olive oil together add the red pepper flakes.

Add the gnocci, carrots, and celery to the hot oil, and saute over medium heat for several minutes until the edges are browned and crispy and the vegetables are tender.

Add the shrimp and toss to coat the shrimp with the flavors and oil. Add the lemon juice and wine and simmer one minute just until shrimp are done, add a little salt if you like.

Serve in pasta bowls topped with a sprinkling of gremoulata.

Christmas Party

After providing celebratory feasts and parties for their clients, many chefs, like the shoe maker's children who have no shoes, neglect their own family and friends, not so at my house. So it was the Sunday after New Year's Eve I hosted a final holiday party in my home. It was one of the first Sundays I had off since Thanksgiving. I served some hors de ouevres, marinated vegetbles, Prime Rib with mashed potatoes, a whole pumpkin roasted with yams, parsnips, and turnips, and a glorious Pineapple-Raspberry Charlotte Russe for dessert.

I set up a small bar on my computer desk and served champagne sangria and non-alchaholic grape juice sangrias with chilled shrimp and candied bacon. I usually set the food up on my kitchen table and work table buffet style and then everyone can find a seat ot the dining table.

New Year's Eve at Gallagher's

We featured a prix fixe menu, live music, and a stand-up comedian. We limited the reservations, and only turned a few very early tables. We closed reservations a week ago, and we could have literally sold a couple of hundred more seats. Everyone had a great time. The food was very well received, the band played some exciting soul grooves, and the comedian was hysterical. Most of the "heavy lifting" was done by our wonderful staff, both front and back of the house.

Here are some behind the scenes pictures and a recipe for a new appetizer I did-Shrimp Pepperonata-it was my favorite dish of the evening.

Shrimp Pepperonata

1 pound shrimp, deveined with the tail on I used a 25 count sized shrimp.

Brush the shrimp with a bit of oil (to prevent sticking) and grill over medium heat

Grill the shrimp quickly-do not overcook them or they will be tough, brush with more oil to prevent drying out. Serve at room temperature with Pepperonata.

1 red pepper, cut into large dice

1 yellow pepper, cut into large dice

1 green pepper, cut into large dice

2 cloves if garlic, minced

1/4 cup capers

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons of sugar

1/4 cup chopped fresh Basil

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

Saute the peppers, onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes in the olive oil over low until they are slightly carmelized, about 20-25 minutes.

Add the vinegar and sugar and cook one more minute to incorporate.

Off the heat add the herbs and taste for seasoning.

Weisswurst

The GW Bavarian Sausage Co. is located about a mile from my back door. It is a marvelous old time German Meat market. It is a tiny store located on a hard to reach street behind a lot of car dealerships. They do a brisk business. It usually takes 1/2 hour to 45 minutes to get in and out-especially on peak days like Saturday. In addition to all kinds of sausages-including some Italian and Polish as well, they have real Black Forest Ham and all sorts of wursts. I chose this weisswurst for breakfast this Sunday. White and delicate, supposed to be veal and pork flavored with cardamom and parsley. It is an already cooked sausage-not smoked. To heat you steep the sausage in hot water-do not boil or you will burst the casing, when the sausage is hot peel the casing off and serve with a sweet mustard. Since it was breakfast, I had to add grits and some sauteed peppers-not an especially traditional German accompaniment-I think they eat them with pretzels.

Complimentary beers are always available while shopping at GW's, so I suggest making it a sort of happy hour shopping excursion-enjoy a beer while checking out all the intriguing meat products they make.

Christmas Duck with Apple and Dried Plum Stuffing

I have a conflict with the word prune. It simply has no sex appeal what so ever. Not that I demand an endless parade of sensuous and constantly tantalizing dishes, but I just can't say "I'm eating duck with prunes for Christmas!"-and be happy with that bland, dreary description. It lands with an unlovely clunk on my ears. But if I change prunes to dried plums, it has instant charisma, it sounds more chic and turns that clunker into a sexy jazz chord. In other words, "a plum is a plum is not a prune"-with apologies to Gertrude Stein. All semantics aside this really is a tasty and classic dish (usually done with goose rather than duck). This stuffing recipe is based on a recipe that my friend Richard Perry makes every year at Thanksgiving for turkey. I've added some apples and a duck. Thanks Richard!

3 cups dried bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced celery
1 apple, diced
1/2 cup dried plums, soaked over night in cognac and coarsely diced
1 Tablespoon fresh sage, minced
1Teaspoon fresh thyme
Salt and pepper

Chicken stock-as needed

Saute the vegetables, fruits, and seasonings in the butter over low heat for about 10 minutes until they are sweated and translucent-do not brown.

Add the bread cubes and toss gently, add some chicken stock to moisten the stuffing and stir gently.

This stuffed the duck nicely, but the recipe would probably have to be increased for a larger fowl.

I wanted to use my Geaorge Foreman counter top rotisserie, so I stuffed the duck and sewed up the duck really well and trussed it pretty tightly before putting it on the spit. I roasted it for about 2 hours, and it turned out beautifully, I had to empty the drip pan a couple of times, reserving all that delicious duck fat of course.

Christmas Eve Warm Tea Smoked Lobster Salad with Gold and Red Beets

The combination of lobster, lightly smoked over burning brown sugar and tea leaves (my adaptation of the ancient technique of Chinese tea smoking), and roasted beets may seem odd, but I promise you they are delicious together. The Lobster is smoked ahead of time and just barely warmed before serving. The beets are best roasted the day before serving and left to sit in a dressing of fresh lemon juice and olive oil overnight to fully develop their sweet nutty flavor.

Just before serving, I put the beets and lobster in a 325 degree oven for 15 minutes to warm. To serve, arrange the beets on a platter with the lobster on top and bathe the entire salad in tarragon buerre blanc.

To Roast the beets:
2 medium sized golden beets
2 medium sized red beets
1/4 Tablespoon of olive oil
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash the beets and trim the top and root, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil.
Roast in a preheated 350 degree oven until they are easily pierced with a knife, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When the beets are cool enough to handle simply slip off the skin with your fingers, or pare them with a knife. Slice the beets and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Drizzle a little bit of fresh lemon juice and EVO over them, season and chill-best if made a day ahead.

To Smoke the Lobster:
2 Lobsters
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons fragrant black tea-I used Jasmine

Perform the "Coup de Grace" by severing the lobsters heads between the eyes. Steam the lobsters for 8 minutes, crack the shells slightly so that the smoke can more easily penetrate the lobster flesh. I use a small electic smoker. Place a disposable aluminum cake pan in the bottom of the smoker, and spread out the brown sugar, sprinkle the tea leaves over the sugar and turn on the smoker. Place the lobsters on a rack over the sugar and tea and cover. The brown sugar disolves and burns the tea, creating a delicious smoke. When the smoke is evident, turn off the smoker and let the lobster sit in the smoky environment for 10 minutes. No longer than 10 min utes because you do not want to overwhelm the delicate lobster with too much smoke. Let the lobsters cool and then pick the meat from the shells and cut into bite sized chunks. Can be made ahead and refrigerated until needed.

Tarragon Buerre Blanc:
2 Tablespoons minced shallot
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into small pieces
Salt to taste and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 Tablespoons of minced fresh Tarragon

Combine the shallot, wine and vinegar in a non-aluminum saute pan and reduce until the mixture is a syrupy glaze. Turn off the heat and add the butter, bit by bit and shake the pan to incorporate it-resist the temptation to stir or whisk as you get a fuller volume sauce by shaking the pan. Season the sauce with the salt, pepper, and Tarragon. This sauce does not hold well and should be made close to serving time.

To Assemble the Salad:
Gently reheat the lobster and beets in a preheated 325 degree oven, just to warm them slightly-do not let them get too hot. Arrange the beets on a serving platter and top with the lobster, drizzle the Buerre Blanc over the beets and lobster.

Rye Bread and Short Ribs Braised in Borscht

I think bread and a hearty soup make one of the best winter meals I know. Last night-Temperature 8 degrees-after a stressful afternoon at The Galleria doing gift buying, I came home to this soup and bread. In the morning, first thing I prepped the soup and placed it in a 250 degree oven right before I left for shopping. Second thing I mixed up the bread dough for a long first rise. When I returned home, I punched down the bread dough and made loaves, letting it rise again for a bout 1 hour. I took the soup outside to quick chill. When the bread went into the oven, I retrieved the soup to de-fat the top and slowly reheat. It was a really satisfying supper, especially considering my alternative of eating at the dreaded food court.

Rye Bread (makes two loaves)

3 1/2 cup bread flour

3 1/2 cup rye flour

1/4 cup cocoa

1 Tablespoon salt

2 Tablespoons of wheat gluten

2 cups milk

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup molasses

2 Tablespoons of butter

1/4 cup golden raisins

4 Tableespoons dry yeast

Mix the flours, cocoa, salt, and gluten in a mixing bowl.

Heat the milk, honey, molasses, butter, and raisins, stir until the honey, molasses, and butter are melted. Let the mixture cool to body temperature (stick your finger in the mixture, and it should feel neither cold nor hot)

Add the yeast to the milk mixture and let proof for 5 to 10 minutes, if the yeast is good it should be bubbly and foamy.

Stir the milk-yeast mixture into the flour mixture and knead for 8 to 10 minutes. I use my kitchen aid mixer with the dough attachment. Let the dough rise in a warm place for a couple of hours. Rye flour doughs rise more slowly than wheat flour doughs.

After the dough has doubled in bulk, punch down and knead again slightly, before forming into two loaves, let rise again-the dough should be warm from the first rise and will rise more quickly on the second go around.

Bake in a 325 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until the loaves are browned and sound hollow when thumped.

Short Ribs Braised in Borsht

I used to eat a soup like this when I lived in Chicago at a restaurant called Mel Markon's located somewhere North of the Gold Coast, but South of Diversey and East of Clark-it may have been in the old Beldon-Stratford Hotel, but I'm nor sure. It's really good when it's cold outside.

4 cups of sliced cabbage

4 cups of tomato juice

1 small onion, sliced

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper

2 pounds of beef short ribs

1/4 cup flour, salt,and pepper

2 Tablespoon of vegetable oil

In a dutch oven, combine the cabbage, tomato juice, onion, lemon, sugar, and season with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer over gentle heat.

Dust the short ribs with the flour seasoned with salt and pepper.

Get the oil hot in a saute pan and brown the ribs.

Place the ribs on top of the borsht, cover with the lid and braise in a very slow oven (250 degree oven for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Chill the soup and defat before reheating and serving the soup.

Best served with crusty brown bread.

Arroz con Pollo

This comforting Spanish dish probably has as many variations as there are Hispanic countries. Spaniards, of course make it, but they also make it in Cuba, Peru, Puerto Rico, and on and on. Some recipes call for bell pepper, some for olives, all sorts of add ins. I didn't add bell pepper or olives, but I did add peas and a few threads of saffron. Usually I add some Chorizo, but I didn't have any on hand for this one. I usually use chicken thighs because they are so flavorful, but all parts of the chicken are welcome.

6 chicken thighs

2 cups of rice (short grains like arborio are best, but I used long grain)

1/4 cup each of diced carrot, celery, and onion

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon of smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Pinch of Saffron threads

1 to 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock, as needed

Salt and pepper

1 cup frozen peas

In a Dutch Oven or 12 " iron skillet, brown the chicken, skin side down, over high heat until the skin is browned and some schmaltz has accumulated.

Remove the chicken from the skillet and hold on a platter. Lower the heat to medium low and add the rice and stir to coat with the schmaltz and cook slightly until the rice becomes opaque, as for risotto.

Add the vegetables and seasonings to the rice and stir to combine. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Place the thighs, browned skin up on top of the rice, and add any accumulated juices.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1/2 hour, add extra stock, if the rice becomes too dry.

5 minutes before serving, stir in the peas and return to the oven.

Mozzarella and Proscuitto Stuffed Veal Chop with Pepperonata

For the chops:

4 eight ounce veal loin chops

4 thin slices of mozzarella cheese

4 thin slices of proscuitto

olive oil for brushing the chops

Salt and pepper

Cut a slit into the side of the loin portion of the chop.

Wrap a slice of the mozzarella with a slice of the proscuitto, and stuff into the slit in the side of the chop.

Brush the chop on bothe sides with the oil and season.

Grill to desired doneness, about 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium rare.

Serve with some Pepperonata spooned across the top.

For the Pepperonata:

2 red peppers, cut into large dice

1 medium onion, cut into large dice

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup capers

1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoon of minced parsley

Salt and pepper

Saute the peppers, onion, garlic, and pepper flakes in the olive oil over low heat until they are slightly caramelised, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Add the vinegar and sugar and cook one more minute to incorporate.

Off the heat add the herbs, salt and pepper, and taste.

Delicious served warm or cold

Quince

"They dined on mince, and slices of quince,

Which they ate with a runcible spoon;"

One of my favorite stanzas from "The Owl and The Pussycat" that nonsensical and delightrful poem.

Quirky shaped, but with an intoxicating fragrance, quinces are a real challenge to work with, they are all but impossible peel and core. A little roasting time helps to bring the little stinkers into submission.

2 pounds of quince about 8)

1 cup golden raisins

1 medium onion, sliced

1 large clove of gfarlic, minced

1/4 cup minced frsh ginger

2 Tablespoons of mustard seed

1 Tablespoon of coriander seeds

1 Tablespoon of cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1 cup of rice wine vinegar

1 cup sugar

Roast the quince in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour, let them slightly before continuing.

Quarter the quinces and cut the core out.

Add the quince and the rest of the ingredients in a heavy bottomed kettle and cook until soft and syrupy, 1/2 hour to 45 minutes.

Really good with roasted fowl such as duck and goose. I plan to use it with rack of lamb for a holiday dinner.

Brussel Sprouts

I took this idea for Brussel Sprouts from Open Source Food. I couldn't find the original post on that site, so this is an approximation, I know the original recipe also included peas, which I deleted. I found it to be a delicious winter vegetable dish.

1 pound brussel sprouts, trimmed and blanched

2 Tablespoons of butter

1/4 cup diced ham

1/2 cup sliced carrots

1/4 cup sliced shallot

salt and pepper

Saute the ham, carrot slices, and shallot over medium heat until the vegetables are browned and caramelised, about 5 minutes.

Add the brussel sprouts and lower the heat, continue cooking until the brussel sprouts are tender.

Season, taste and serve.

Open Source Food is group of food bloggers that I belong to, and if you love beautiful food you must visit it. A truly international group of bloggers. There are lots of Asians, with stunning photographs and recipes. Many Spanish, Eastern Europeans, and Americans are also represented.

Family Dinner-Italian Beef

Staff meal in many restaurants is often called called "family dinner". And if you've ever worked in a small business you know how the personal dynamics of the employees can be more like a family than a business or corporation. There are of course both good and bad aspects of this situation, but one of the good ones at Gallagher's is Mrs."s Gallaghers Sunday dinner. On Sundays Susie Gallagher, the owner and my boss, makes dinner for her family as well as the restaurant staff, various cousins, friends or other gypsies that end up at the back door of the restaurant.

This is one of my personal favorites, Italian beef. Of course Chicago is famous for their Italian beef sandwiches, and I think this is a variation that has traveled South.

1 rump roast (about 5 pounds)

1 package Italian salad dressing mix

1 jar pepperoncini

1 bottle of beer

Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker or crock pot and cook until the meat easily shreds. Serve with soft rolls and provel cheese.