Simon and Garfunkel Sang About It So You Know It’s Good

Some of my recipes were published previously on another blog called World Wide Webers, which is authored primarily by my brilliant father-in-law. In the interest of keeping all of my recipes in one place, I have decided to crosspost my old stuff with this new blog. Click on the title of this post to take you to the original.

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. The Fantastic Four of the herb garden. Today, we pay homage to rosemary, which looks like prickly pine needles but tastes oh so good.

Here’s an herb rub that you can slap on a piece of meat right before cooking so you can enjoy a low fuss dinner that doesn’t involve a lot of planning. You can also use this rub as a seasoning to enliven a ho-hum recipe that needs a flash of brilliance. Rosemary, the superstar of this herb rub, is an excellent flavoring for beef and lamb, not mention chicken and turkey. Its woody fragrance pairs especially well with the succulence of a juicy steak or lamb chop.

Rosemary also has a reputation for improving memory. Shakespeare buffs might remember Ophelia’s line from Hamlet: “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance.” So toss aside the ginkgo biloba pills and instead bite into a big, fat steak seasoned with this rub. Even if your brain doesn’t respond, your taste buds will.

ROSEMARY RUB

4 tablespoons dried rosemary
3 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

Gently crush the rosemary with a mortar and pestle. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, crush the rosemary against the side of a bowl using the back of a heavy spoon.

Thoroughly mix together the rosemary and the remaining herbs and spices.

Put the rosemary rub into a container with an air tight lid. Store in a cool, dark place up to one year.

Makes almost 2/3 cup of rub, enough for several uses.

IDEAS ON HOW TO USE:

1. MEAT: Massage a spoonful onto both sides of a steak or lamb chop before cooking. If you have time, let the meat rest in the fridge for an hour or two before cooking to allow the oils of the herbs to penetrate the meat.
2. GRAVY: Stir a big spoonful into your favorite homemade gravy recipe. Or, buy a can of plain gravy and spiff it up with this rub.
3. MEATBALL SANDWICH: Add 2 teaspoons to an 8 ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Heat over medium heat and serve with good quality frozen meatballs, prepared according to the package, on crusty buns.
4. QUICK FOCACCIA: Use your favorite prepared pizza dough (look for it in the dairy aisle or in the freezer section of the supermarket) to make a quick snack or appetizer. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Press out the dough into the desired shape until it is one inch thick. Score the top and brush generously with olive oil. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of Rosemary Rub and 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese across the surface. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.
5. EASY ROAST CHICKEN: Drizzle a whole chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the chicken. Stuff the lemon halves into the chicken’s cavity. Rub 1 tablespoon of rosemary rub into the skin. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, eighteen to twenty minutes per pound.

Happy Hour with The Lovely Girlfriend

Kudos to Karen for becoming the second person to join The A List and earn herself a celebratory cocktail. I am always impressed by her compassion, great taste in music and her fluency in Russian as a second language. I have it on pretty good authority that 10 out of 10 people agree that Karen is a very awesome lady, especially her boyfriend. (He also happens to be awesome. Check out his site at http://www.thecultureofme.com.) Said boyfriend has the most wonderful term of endearment for his sweetie- The Lovely Girlfriend. His website makes frequent references to The Lovely Girlfriend. And now Revel & Feast does too. But in Russian.

милые подруги (The Lovely Girlfriend)

3 juicy blackberries
1 small mint leaf
1 shot of light rum
1 cup of ginger ale

In a tall glass, muddle together the blackberries and mint until the blackberries release some of their juice and the mint is fragrant. Pour in the rum and top off with the ginger ale. Serves one Lovely Girlfriend.

Pumpkin Ravioli with Pancetta & Walnuts

My darling daughter wanted to bake pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving so we had a large can of pumpkin puree leftover. For the past few months, I’ve been seeing pumpkin ravioli in various forms just about everywhere I go so I decided to experiment with creating my own pumpkin ravioli recipe. The results were homey but sophisticated. This beautiful dish looks difficult to prepare but it’s not even though there are multiple steps. You can impress your dinner guests without breaking a sweat if you follow the recipe one step at a time. The trick is to allow yourself plenty of time to put it all together, maybe even preparing the ravioli beforehand and freezing them. I made a large batch of ravioli and froze some of it in single layers separated by wax paper. They cooked up like a dream and retained the freshness that comes from making your own pasta by hand.

PUMPKIN RAVIOLI WITH PANCETTA & WALNUTS

For the ravioli filling:

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (this is not the same as pumpkin pie filling, which is already seasoned)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

For the fresh pasta:

3/4 cup unbleached flour
3/4 cup semolina flour, plus 1/4 cup semolina for dusting the work surface
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons tomato paste

For the sauce:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, minced
4 ounces of pancetta, shredded
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 cup toasted and chopped walnuts

To prepare the filling: In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix together all of the ingredients for the ravioli filling. Refrigerate until you’re ready to fill the ravioli.

To prepare the pasta:

1. On a cutting board or other flat surface, make a mound with the flour and 3/4 of a cup of the semolina. Create a small well in the center.

2. In small bowl, beat together the eggs, salt, water, olive oil and tomato paste.

3. Pour the eggs into the center of the well.

4. Use a large fork to slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the eggs, pushing a little from the inside wall of well into the eggs and stirring slowly in a circular motion until all of the ingredients are mixed together.

5. You should have a soft, somewhat crumbly dough. If it’s too crumbly to hold together with pressure, knead in an extra egg white.

6. Dust the work surface with some of the reserved semolina. Knead the pasta dough for ten minutes, until pliable and smooth.

7. Fashion the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

8. Divide the dough into six equal pieces. If you’re lucky enough to have a pasta machine, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for rolling the dough to create sheets for ravioli. If you’re like me and have no machine, you are about to have a really fun time rolling that dough by hand.

9. To roll by hand, dust the work surface with semolina and rub a little on a rolling pin. Use your hands to pat a portion of the dough into a flat oval or rectangle. Using the rolling pin, roll with firm pressure to create a thin, almost translucent sheet of pasta, about 12 inches by 14 inches.

10. Use a wine glass or round cookie cutter to cut out circles in the dough. Gently remove the excess dough and save to roll out again.

11. To make the individual ravioli pieces, place one rounded teaspoon of filling in the middle of one circle. Using your finger or a small pastry brush, brush water on the exposed dough around the filling. Use another circle to make the top, gently stretching the dough to cover the filling and firmly sealing the edges with your fingers. You can be fancy and crimp the edges with a fork or use a fluter to trim the edges. Or leave them plain. Whatever you want.

12. Place finished ravioli on a piece of wax paper or a clean, moist dishtowel until ready to cook.

13. Repeat steps 9 through 12 until all of the filling and dough is gone.

14. If freezing for later use, line a container with wax paper and place ravioli in single layers, each separated by a layer of wax paper. This will stay fresh in the freezer for a couple of months.

15. To cook fresh or frozen ravioli, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in the ravioli one by one. Lower heat and allow water to simmer. Stir ravioli gently to prevent them from sticking together. Fresh ravioli cooks in five to six minutes. Frozen ravioli cooks in about 12 minutes.

16. Remove cooked ravioli with a slotted spoon to a deep platter.

To prepare the sauce:

1. While the ravioli is cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet over high heat.

2. When the butter is melted and beginning to brown, add the shallots. Cook until the shallots begin to turn golden.

3. Add the pancetta and saute until the pancetta become crisp.

4. Add the sage and cook for another minute or two to incorporate the flavors.

5. Pour the sauce over the ravioli.

6. Sprinkle walnuts over the ravioli and serve immediately.

Should make 40 ravioli, if you roll out the dough thin enough. Serves 4.

PS: Vegetarians can leave out the pancetta to create a meat free dish. Try adding an extra shallot or a little garlic instead.

My Very First RSVP to Revel & Feast!!

Congrats to my best girl Lauren on becoming the first follower of Revel & Feast. She now gets a cocktail named in her honor. What’s that you say? You want a cocktail named after you too? Join The A List and I’ll make it happen.

Lauren is not only a very pretty lady, she also has a very sexy brain that she uses to defend your consumer rights in the courtroom. Thus, I present to you:

THE SEXY LAWYER

3/4 cup white sugar
5 cups very cold water
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (please do not cheat by using bottled juice)
1 inch knob of ginger, thinly sliced
1 cup amaretto
1/3 cup vodka

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, one cup of water and the ginger slices. Make a simple syrup by completely dissolving the sugar in the water over low heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Discard ginger slices.

Pour the lemon juice into a pitcher and then pour in the simple syrup. Stir thoroughly.

Add the remaining water, amaretto and vodka. Stir thoroughly.

Pour over ice into a tall glass. Sit back and enjoy.

Makes enough for you and your five best friends.

Caraway Crusted Pork Roast with Spaetzle

I love pork. It’s so good in so many different ways. Pork is widely heralded as the world’s most popular meat and it’s easy to see why. When cooked properly, pork is succulent yet lean, tender but substantial, and truly delicious. Back in the day, you had to torture pork until it was cooked to ridiculously high temperatures to avoid trichinosis, which meant that old school pork was as yummy as shoe leather. Fortunately, due to advances in raising pigs, trichinosis is not a concern anymore so clocking in at 160 degrees will keep you safe and keep your pork moist. At 160 degrees, a pork roast will still have a slight rosiness to its center so don’t freak out if you see a bit of pink.

This dish showcases the classic German combination of pork and caraway. Spaetzle is side dish of tiny noodle-like dumplings that traditionally accompanies meat dishes in Germany and Austria. Spaetzle is also a very fun word to say and would make a great name for a pet. Here, the nutmeg flavoring the spaetzle provides a fine balance to the pork’s caraway crust and full-bodied tomato gravy. Serve with a simple green salad to round out the meal.

CARAWAY CRUSTED PORK ROAST WITH SPAETZLE

For the pork roast:

3 1/2 pound boneless pork roast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced into rings
1 cup low sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Using a mortar and pestle, gently crush together the caraway seeds and mustard seeds. Mix in the remaining herbs and spices.

Cover the bottom of a small roasting pan with the sliced onions.

Place roast, non-fat side up, on the onions and massage with half of the olive oil. Rub half of the caraway seed mixture into the top of the roast, taking care to press the seeds firmly into the meat.

Turn roast over and repeat with remaining olive oil and caraway seed mixture.

Place roast in the oven for 10 minutes then lower heat to 350 degrees. Cook for approximately 20 minutes per pound.

Remove roast from oven when internal temperature reaches 155 degrees. Place roast on serving platter, tent loosely with tin foil and allow to rest for ten minutes. Internal temperature will reach 160 degrees while the roast rests.

Place roasting pan containing onions over stove burner on medium high heat. Add beef broth and bring to a quick boil. Scrape up any brown bits that appear in the bottom of the pan. Stir in tomato paste until fully incorporated. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes to thicken the gravy.

Thinly slice pork roast and arrange on serving platter. Spoon over the tomato gravy, including the onions.

For the spaetzle:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon of dried parsley or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
few grinds of black pepper

Combine together the flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt and the nutmeg.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1/2 cup of milk.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk until smooth. The mixtures should be like thick pancake batter. If too thick, add in one extra tablespoon of milk at a time and whisk until the proper consistency is achieved.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Position a large holed colander (not a sieve!) over the boiling water and slowly pour in the batter one cup at a time. Swirl the colander to allow the batter to run through the holes and into the water. The spaetzle are fully cooked when they float to the surface. Used a slotted spoon to transfer cooked spaetzle into a bowl. You will need to cook the spaetlze in a few batches.

Place the butter, parsley, remaining salt and pepper in a small bowl and microwave until the butter is melted. Gently toss the spaetzle with the melted butter.

Serves 6.

Coriander Steak Tips with Broccoli

You’re probably familiar with coriander in its leafy form as cilantro, an herb commonly tasted in Mexican and some Asian cuisines. Coriander, as a spice, comes in seed form or ground to a powder. It carries a completely different flavor profile compared to cilantro, even though they come from the same plant. Ground or seed coriander has a clean, subtle citrusy taste whereas cilantro has a bolder, more astringent taste. Coriander in all its forms is popular at my house so you will see it popping up in many different kinds of recipes because it marries well with so many other herbs and spices. In this particular dish, the coriander really makes the broccoli sing and nicely underscores the beefy goodness of the steak tips.

CORIANDER STEAKS TIPS WITH BROCCOLI

1 1/4 pounds steaks tips, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 cups broccoli florets
2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly

1/2 tablespoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
1 1/2 teaspoons cold water

Crush spices together with a mortar and pestle. Rub into steak tips.

Heat oil in large saute pan with high sides over medium heat.

Brown beef well on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove beef from pan onto a plate. Set aside.

Add onions and broccoli to pan. Saute until vegetables begin to soften and brown on the edges, about 5 – 7 minutes.

Add garlic and 1/2 cup of beef broth. Cover and steam/simmer until broccoli is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

Add beef and any accumulated juices to the pan.

Add remaining one cup of beef broth. Bring to a boil

Mix together the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Quickly stir mixture into pan.

Lower heat to low and simmer uncovered for another five minutes.

Pair with hot jasmine rice or noodles.

Serves 4.

Substitution: Swap broccoli with 2 cups of chopped red and yellow peppers.

A New Blog for a New Year

The first day of the year … a time to make resolutions, try unfamiliar things and breathe in the optimism that comes with new beginnings. Because I usually break any resolution in record time, this year I will keep it simple by just trying something new. Hence, this blog. Those of you already acquainted with me know how much I enjoy cooking, friends and parties. This blog will chronicle the new recipes I create, new foods and new places I encounter, interesting people I meet along the way, and whatever else strikes my fancy.