I need a salad like you wouldn't believe. Or some nice sliced fruit. And perhaps a lengthy Master Cleanse regimen. Such are the repercussions of spending 10 days in New Orleans, a city that's apparently never met a vegetable it didn't deep-fry or flavor with fatty swine.
While the Big Easy is slowly, steadily recovering, there's one sector that's stronger than before the storm: the restaurant industry, with more than 1,000 eateries open today -- the most at any time in the city's history. So with an iron stomach and a fistful of Tums, I dove into New Orleans' eats and drinks. In no particular order, here are my 10 favorite watering holes and restaurants.
There's one very good reason to visit this dark, smoky dive bar -- the drink prices. Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, Ms. Mae's serves seriously strong cocktails for a buck. A double? Two dollars. On sunny days, I recommend bringing a whiskey on the rocks outside and sitting on the green bus bench.
2. Merlin's Place A thigh-pumping bike ride -- and critic Brett Anderson's suggestion -- led me to Merlin's Place, announced by a 3-D black bovine. Cow is a must-eat at Merlin's, namely the house-cooked roast beef: It's sliced thin and layered on a toasted length of bread, then dressed with shredded lettuce, pickles, tomatoes. It's juicy, crunchy genius. The beefy, well-spiced tamales are tops, too.
One of the demos I had the pleasure of watching over the weekend at the Food Network's South Beach Wine and Food Festival was lead by Iron Chef Michael Symon. The Cleveland native, who recommends only eating "food that your grandparents and great grandparents can recognize," made fresh pasta with a scrumptious-smelling simple tomato sauce. While cooking, Symon expressed a lot of his strong opinions and spoke at length about garlic. To find out what he has to say about this everyday ingredient, read more.
Throw away your garlic press. Symon thinks it's the most useless kitchen tool. He suggests pressing the garlic with the side of a knife for the same crushed effect.
Never use processed or jarred garlic. Its bitter quality will not enhance the flavor of a dish.
If you prefer to use prechopped garlic because it saves time, Symon says to make your own. Take a head of garlic, chop the entire thing, put in a jar, and cover with olive oil. Place in the fridge and use whenever you want.
Do you have a garlic tip? Please share with us below!
The farro soup section has five or six recipes and I thought, a wintery soup along these lines would be something everyone would like - particularly if each bowl had a nice dusting of grated Parmesan, and threads of olive oil on top.
Update: I made another pot of this last night for a friend, we had it drizzled with harissa/olive oil and a good amount of feta cheese. Highly recommended for those of you sitting on fresh harissa supplies from last week ;). Just do about 1/3 harissa paste to 2/3 olive oil - whisk well.
From the recipe archive, originally posted November, 2003.
Turkey ready to go in the oven
My mom's turkey is unlike others. The breast meat isn't dried out, requiring cupfuls of gravy to taste good, but moist and flavorful. I've been watching her make our family turkey for years. Finally a few years ago she let me make it, giving instructions the entire time. Here I am, ready to put it in the oven. Mom's method is to buy the best quality turkey available (organic, free-range, etc.) and cook it breast-side down. She also cooks the turkey stuffing separately, not in the cavity, which makes it easier to cook the turkey more evenly.
This weekend, I made homemade chicken noodle soup for Mr. Yum, who's been sick with a monster cough. I served myself some in a mug, because it's more compact and easier to carry around than a soup bowl - but I gave him a bowl because he can't stand eating soup in a mug. Do you enjoy soup in mugs?
Workweek off to a harried start? The best remedy is a rustic supper that'll remind you to slow down. Tonight, keep it simple with a Greek chicken dish that makes use of leftover chicken and calls for a short list of easy-to-obtain ingredients.
Roast chicken and vegetables with seasonings, aromatics, and oil, and you've got a meal to savor only 45 minutes later. For an added touch, serve with a bowl of avgolemono. See the recipe, after the jump.
We sat directly at the counter and therefore had the privilege of continuously being able to get wine recommendations from the staff.
And you'd probably need some recommendations since their wine list is packed with interesting wines and mouth watering descriptions. The focus is set on natural wines from France and in particular with a wide selction from the not so common regions.
We started with a half of the Breton's Vouvray "La dilettante" (around 20 GBP for 500 ml). A White wine whose remaining sweetness is perfectly balanced by a nice acidity (in the same way it sometimes happens for Saar Rieslings - but with slightly different taste of course). it is an energy loaded white wine that reveals itself a bit more with each sip! Exotic nose and vibrant body! Not the usual white wine, but which reader of this kind of blogs loves generic wines anyway?
The charcuterie platter is delicious. In particular the pork and pistachio terrine is a nice achievement. Of course this all goes very well with the wine and is priced fairly at 12 GBP considering the good quality.
I couldn't resist trying another wine and so we picked a bottle of 2007 "Le Cousin" Grolleau vielles vignes by Domaines Olivier Cousin from the Loire region. Grolleau is the name of a red variety which is rather rare - at least I never heard of it before. The stinky nose instantly unmasks the genuine biodynamic character of the wine. But it also offers many fruit and earth notes. A truly gouleyant wine that is the opposite from generic and boring!
Now an old French Antilles Rum to finish? No that would be too much indeed after all this wine for lunch.
We left the bar with a feeling of happiness and the conviction that this place con be recommended on to any wine lover in the world. At least I wished there wa a wine bar with such a selection of charismatic wines in my hometown.
Terroirs Wine Bar
5 William IV Street
London
Phone: 0207 036 0660
Tube: charing Cross
An interesting mix of old, industrial and modern characterizes some parts of the city The typical Irish breakfast can leave a bad impression if it's as greasy as I had it Molly's Chocolate stout is a little less dry than Guinness - served at O'Neils Bar Temple bar MarketOyster Stand - always on saturday
Their Gigas Rock Oystersare the best oysters I had in a long time. The rye bread was awesome Shucked by the producer himself - he makes sure you only get the best! Some fluorescent carrots ;P A trip to Dublin cannot be complete without a visit of the Guinness museum Just enough for a week A Pint is included in the visit The cultural input is limited but you get quite some explanations on beer brewing and a view into industrial architecture... ...as well as a nice panorama of Dublin from the rooftop bar Interesting how real life and virtual life sometimes overlap!
Wayne and I regularly frequent a place called Kasa. It takes just about ten minutes to get there on foot. It's casual, fast, and I know exactly what I like - kati roll, paneer, unda-style with side of daal. The other day I was chatting with Anamika, one of the owners, and she mentioned that she was teaching a cooking class as part of a fund-raiser.
I have to admit that I'm always checking the Kasa blog with the hope that Anamika will post some of her recipes. So when she mentioned she was going to be teaching palak daal - spinach and lentils, and then offered to email me her recipe, I was pretty excited. I'd take a cooking class with Anamika any day, and in the meantime, this was the next best thing.
So, I'm excited to share my attempt at Anamika's daal - it's rich, filling, and nutritious. The fragrant spices filling the house were welcome (on yet another) rainy day. Thank you for sharing the recipe Anamika, big congratulations on your new location, and if you ever teach another class I hope to be first in line!
If you've been harboring dreams of chucking it all for the restaurant life, the upcoming book Culinary Careersby Rick Smilow, the president and chief executive of the Institute of Culinary Education, may bring you back to earth. Full of practical information and advice on how to "get your dream job in food," the book lists actual salaries for everyone from line cooks to star chefs. Some of them are making the money we wish we made; some of them are...not.
For example, Katie Button, a former line cook at Bazaar by Jose Andres in Beverly Hills, says someone like her can enjoy a range of "free to $15.50 an hour" -- not exactly mouthwatering. Meanwhile, executive chefs handling research and development for food chains might be in the $200,000 neighborhood. With salary disparities as wide as they are, perhaps it goes without saying that one goes into the food biz for the passion, not the paycheck. Either way, the sneak peek at life in the kitchen (not to mention inside chefs' wallets) is a mild voyeuristic thrill. The book is being released from Clarkson Potter in May.
One of my favorite ways to eat oysters (especially those strongly flavored big ones) is grilled. Guest author Jaden shares a personal lesson from the Shuckmeister on how to do it. Enjoy! ~Elise
Even though I live all the way on the other side of the country, I think I see Elise more often than I see some of my neighbors. Just this year alone, we've been to Seattle, Chicago, Bahamas and twice to San Francisco! Since I talk in my sleep and Elise sings in her sleep, we make excellent traveling companions. I just feel sorry for any hotel guests who share adjoining walls with us!
On our last trip to San Francisco, we participated in the Foodbuzz Festival. The first night was sort of like a street food party, where the best of the best San Francisco street food carts came and camped out right in front of the Ferry Building. About 200 hungry hungry hippos (i.e. food bloggers) came to enjoy the pulled pork sandwiches, thin-crusted pizzas, local beers and oysters. Oh oysters galore! Hog Island Oyster Company brought hundreds of Kumamoto Oysters and Small Sweetwater Oysters! Their "shuckmeister" shucked and served...Elise and I slurped and swooned.
"Journey's End Estate is a stunning boutique winery and vineyard located in the Stellenbosch region of South Africa. In 1995 the Gabb family (originally from Shropshire - Roger Gabb was previously the founder and MD of Western Wines) purchased this picturesque farm and the surrounding 20ha of vines. Their aim is to create top-quality single-vineyard, hand-crafted wines that are true to the terroir of the vineyards, whilst ensuring the local environment and nature are protected and preserved. The estate benefits from south-facing slopes and cool coastal breezes."
The Journey's End wine range is available from the various merchants as listed but are also available direct from Journeys-End-Wine.co.uk.
Wine Tasting Note: Journey's End Merlot, 2006, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Price: £12.99 Stockists: Bibendum, Swig, Wimbledon Wine Cellars, Planet of the Grapes, Whole Foods Market, D.Byrne & Co, sawinesonline.
[More on Adegga / Snooth]Give plenty of breathing time for this to open up fully, you need the full experience of the aroma - a generous and rather gorgeous cedery-edged black fruit medley. The palate, with its tightly grained tannins and a tense acidity core is lightly sweet; a toffee edge, a chocolate tinge, an earthy dimension all combining into a nicely complex whole. Long lasting finish. 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% alcohol.
This was served with a couple of slices of warm Cheddar and Walnut and Sausage Rolls and a spoonful of macerated grapes. A nice little match although go easy with the grapes as the sweetness is a little overpowering. The sausage meat - from Porkinson Suffolk Ale and Herb Bangers - helped that earthy edge to become more expressive and forceful; nice indeed. The Sausage Roll recipe, by Tristan Welch of London's Launceston Place restaurant, is in the February 2010 issue of Delicious.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]
Wine Tasting Note: Journey's End Shiraz , 2005, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Price: £12.99 Stockists: Bibendum, Unwined Ltd,
Wholefoods Ltd, www.sawinesonline.co.uk. [More on Adegga / Snooth]A delicacy here that is quite beguiling. Add a little whiff of squished up blueberries, a punnet of raspberries and a sprinkling of mixed spice to enliven the palate and it all melds together nicely. There's a firm, meaty finish that supplies a savoury complexity to the finish. Alcohol 14%, 100% Shiraz.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]
Wine Tasting Note: Journey's End Cabernet Sauvignon , 2005, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Price: £12.99 Stockists: Bibendum, www.wineandwhisky.com; Wimbledon Wine Cellars; Planet of the Grapes; Whole Foods Market; www.sawinesonline.co.uk. [More on Adegga / Snooth] Some age to the Cab here; evident in a beautifully developed, complex aroma. A strong, muscular lad is this, a firm tannic structure only slightly mellowed by age, holding, like Atlas, a world of herb and liquorice edged black fruit compote, all encased in a dusty-brick whole. A tight, food-hungry, belt of acidity and a decently long length complete the statuesque whole. Alcohol 14.5%. Comprises 92% Cabernet Sauvignon plus 8% Merlot.
The powerful, ripe black fruit in this wine is lush and fleshy on both the nose and palate, with lots of cassis backed by dark chocolate. Eucalyptus, green pepper, herbal spice and underlying mintyness come through on the palate backed by sweet almonds. This is a voluptuously rich wine but it is not over jammy and the mid-acidity brightens the fruit and gives length to the wine. It has lots of ageing potential.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]
The Journey's End range continues with a Chardonnay (£12.99), another Chard labelled "Haystack" (£9.99) (neither of which, to be honest, I took to) and a 'yet-to-be-broached' Cape Doctor Shiraz 2005 that comes with a £16.99 price tag.
"Journey's End Estate is a stunning boutique winery and vineyard located in the Stellenbosch region of South Africa. In 1995 the Gabb family (originally from Shropshire - Roger Gabb was previously the founder and MD of Western Wines) purchased this picturesque farm and the surrounding 20ha of vines. Their aim is to create top-quality single-vineyard, hand-crafted wines that are true to the terroir of the vineyards, whilst ensuring the local environment and nature are protected and preserved. The estate benefits from south-facing slopes and cool coastal breezes."
The Journey's End wine range is available from the various merchants as listed but are also available direct from Journeys-End-Wine.co.uk.
Wine Tasting Note: Journey's End Merlot, 2006, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Price: £12.99 Stockists: Bibendum, Swig, Wimbledon Wine Cellars, Planet of the Grapes, Whole Foods Market, D.Byrne & Co, sawinesonline.
[More on Adegga / Snooth]Give plenty of breathing time for this to open up fully, you need the full experience of the aroma - a generous and rather gorgeous cedery-edged black fruit medley. The palate, with its tightly grained tannins and a tense acidity core is lightly sweet; a toffee edge, a chocolate tinge, an earthy dimension all combining into a nicely complex whole. Long lasting finish. 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% alcohol.
This was served with a couple of slices of warm Cheddar and Walnut and Sausage Rolls and a spoonful of macerated grapes. A nice little match although go easy with the grapes as the sweetness is a little overpowering. The sausage meat - from Porkinson Suffolk Ale and Herb Bangers - helped that earthy edge to become more expressive and forceful; nice indeed. The Sausage Roll recipe, by Tristan Welch of London's Launceston Place restaurant, is in the February 2010 issue of Delicious.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]
Wine Tasting Note: Journey's End Shiraz , 2005, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Price: £12.99 Stockists: Bibendum, Unwined Ltd,
Wholefoods Ltd, www.sawinesonline.co.uk. [More on Adegga / Snooth]A delicacy here that is quite beguiling. Add a little whiff of squished up blueberries, a punnet of raspberries and a sprinkling of mixed spice to enliven the palate and it all melds together nicely. There's a firm, meaty finish that supplies a savoury complexity to the finish. Alcohol 14%, 100% Shiraz.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]
Wine Tasting Note: Journey's End Cabernet Sauvignon , 2005, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Price: £12.99 Stockists: Bibendum, www.wineandwhisky.com; Wimbledon Wine Cellars; Planet of the Grapes; Whole Foods Market; www.sawinesonline.co.uk. [More on Adegga / Snooth] Some age to the Cab here; evident in a beautifully developed, complex aroma. A strong, muscular lad is this, a firm tannic structure only slightly mellowed by age, holding, like Atlas, a world of herb and liquorice edged black fruit compote, all encased in a dusty-brick whole. A tight, food-hungry, belt of acidity and a decently long length complete the statuesque whole. Alcohol 14.5%. Comprises 92% Cabernet Sauvignon plus 8% Merlot.
The powerful, ripe black fruit in this wine is lush and fleshy on both the nose and palate, with lots of cassis backed by dark chocolate. Eucalyptus, green pepper, herbal spice and underlying mintyness come through on the palate backed by sweet almonds. This is a voluptuously rich wine but it is not over jammy and the mid-acidity brightens the fruit and gives length to the wine. It has lots of ageing potential.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]
The Journey's End range continues with a Chardonnay (£12.99), another Chard labelled "Haystack" (£9.99) (neither of which, to be honest, I took to) and a 'yet-to-be-broached' Cape Doctor Shiraz 2005 that comes with a £16.99 price tag.
After a fairly indulgent Christmas/New year period and start of a new year, I usually think it’s time for a couple of weeks of detox. Well not detox really, just a couple of weeks to a month of not drinking. Given I’ve got almost a month of eating and drinking in Spain coming up in a couple of weeks, it seems like the wise thing to do. So it will continue to be fairly quiet here at Tinto y Blanco for a couple of weeks…
This time in Spain I’m having a bit more of a holiday and I’m focusing more on food than a full on wine adventure: lazy days with long lunches, lots of jamon and roasted lamb, and of course a bit of wine here and there. Of course I can’t help but have a couple of appointments in and around Bierzo, plus a couple more in Rioja to get the low down on the 2009 vintage. I’ll post up some notes as we going along…Oh and another thing. If you haven’t checked out the new (or not so new) Movida book “Movida Rustica”, do check it out. From the brief look I’ve had so far it looks like its full of ‘real’ Spanish food.
Anyway on to the wine. Love the label and the 2008 is much better than the 2007 that was around for a little while mid last year. Fresh raspberry and earth is the first thing on the nose, it opens out to show some cherry and a little herb. Easy to drink, but still kind of serious and savoury at the same time. Meaty with soft tannins, its a little light in the acid department. Very likeable with a nice hunk of goat. 88 Pts.
Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $27 Closure: Conventional Cork
I’ve been off-line for the past couple of days, which has been kinda nice. There has been plenty to write about and take photos of tho. When I was planning this trip, I was having a chat to Dougie from The Spanish Acquisition about his last trip to Spain, his highlight was a day or so in Bierzo. I had planned to go to Rueda and Toro on the way to Ribera del Duero, but Dougie was raving about this little town called Villafranca del Bierzo, ‘It’s a must do’ he said. Sign me up, I thought. And he was right, it is now another in the long list of my favourite places in Spain.
The day started off slightly off track when we got to the hire car joint, they didn’t have the car we requested, but in the end we scored an upgrade to a 3-series BMW (thanks to the very nice staff Sixt at Madrid Airport!). With that all sorted we started out on a quick 400km drive up the Autopisa to Villafranca del Bierzo with a quick stop in Medina del Campo and Rueda for tapas and a quick poke around. The prices for tapas are a bit of a shock after Paris. 2 jamon croquetas, a wedge of tortilla and two glasses of a very tasty crianza from Ribera del Duero comes to the grand total of 5.40 Euros.
The thing about driving on big highways like the A6, complete with its massive bridges over the deep, thrusting river valleys of northern Castilla y Leon, is that I never know what to expect when you take that off ramp. It’s always a bit of a surprise, in this case a very good one. I started to notice small plots of stubby old vines in little backyard veggie garden sized plots in random places on the side of the hills. Must be getting close. Over the old stone bridge, now we are in the right place. Villafranca has that great contrast that you find all over Spain: our hotel is a lovingly restored old house, complete with elevator and modern convinces. The roof of the place next door has fallen in, grass and moss thriving on the old stone walls. The town is a jumble of falling down old buildings, grand cathedrals, large houses either well kept or restored to the former glory plus the Camino hostels,obligatory for this part of Spain. All of this set around the joining of two fast flowing rivers and the very necessary three bridges.
Just two winery visits here, at opposite ends of the spectrum: Martin Codax, who are essentially a very large co-op of growers, and Decendentes de D.J. Palacios, at the forefront of quality, top end wine from the region. More on these two soon, but in summary this region has fantastic potential that is already being tapped by some producers. However, it is a complex setting where a careful balance between modernising wine production for profit and the tradtional farming practices need to find a happy mid-point.
So now we are on in our home away from home in Abalos in La Rioja, with just a thought that we should have stayed a little longer and explored a lot more in El Bierzo. Oh well, there is always next time for Bierzo and Rioja is a wonderful place just to be.
PS The internet here is a bit slow, more photos soon.
If you're a fish and seafood lover and happen to visit Dublin, than a quick ride to Howth is a must! It only takes a few minute by train to reach this small fishermen's town and the harbour with its restaurant is just next to the station: thus, no real effort is needed to get there! ;)
Following a recommendation of Food Snob's global gourmet intelligence network we chose Ivan's Oyster bar for our lunch and weren't disappointed. The atmosphere is relaxed and one feels instantly welcomed and at ease in this modern, yet warm architecture.
And if you like fish and seafood you won't be disappointed. Here's our lunch.
Delicious rye bread and white bread with raisins
Ivan's chowder. Hearty with big delicious bits of fish, but also quite heavy loaded with cream.
Crabcakes were nicely packed with meat, but also with a quite greasy crust after being deep-fried
Irish mussels in white wine
Our wine - an intense Chardonnay with quite some personality - not a fruit bomb. Their Wine list offers quite some interesting choices.
Finally some Rock Oysters
They were good, but I still believe the ones at the Temple Bar Food Market were better!
Modern, yet welcoming and comfy! It was an enjoyable meal with fair pricing and definitely a nice recommendation!
The exaggerated consumption of rye bread with butter cried for a walk around the area.
Howth Harbour West Pier
I guess they re for sale...
Several trail options take you around the howth peninsula.
It's definitely worth to take the walk ...
... although it wasn't as comfy outside as it was inside Ivan's ;)
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<p>Lime juice, chili powder and pepitas give this salmon Mexican flair.</p>
One of my favorite recipes on this site, perfect for the season, from the archives. First posted 2005. ~Elise
Recently I had the pleasure of attending a fabulous class, taught by and in the home of local cooking maestra Evie Lieb. In the class we covered many dishes, but my favorite was the Roasted Parsnips with Horseradish-Herb Butter. I love these parsnips! Note to those who run from horseradish - try it anyway. I can't distinguish the horseradish from the flavors of the parsnips and butter, and neither could my parents until I told them what was in it. The flavors of the ingredients are a perfect complement to each other.
Do you have a favorite parsnip recipe? Please let us know about it in the comments. ~Elise
For those of you out there who cannot fathom even the idea of beets, fine. Truly, I'm a-okay with it. That only means there is more of this beet hummus for me. I ate this entire batch, save one teaspoon that my mother caught just in time, before it was all finished off. (In this family, you snooze, you lose.) Seriously, if you like beets, and you like hummus, you'll love this beet hummus. The ingredients are beets, tahini, garlic, lemon, cumin, and salt and pepper. Use as a pretty topping for cucumber rounds, scoop some up with pita triangles or celery ribs, or just dive in, like oink-oink here, with a spoon, and eat it up before anyone knows what they're missing. Many thanks to neighbor, pastry chef, and friend Evie Lieb, for sharing this terrific recipe with us.
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<p>A creamy spread full of Parmesan and fresh basil cozies up to turkey and summer-ripe tomato slices for a savory hot sandwich that will quickly become a go-to mealtime solution.</p>
<p><strong>To round out your 500-calorie meal, serve with 1 medium sized tangerine.</strong></p>
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<p>Cooking crumbled firm tofu in a skillet approximates the fluffy texture of scrambled eggs in this vegetable-studded, vegetarian main dish. Enjoy it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.</p>
<p><strong>To round out your 500-calorie meal, serve with ½ cup of black beans with 1 Tbsp. reduced-fat sour cream.</strong></p>
Bittersweet chocolate and Dutch-process cocoa meld with a shot of fresh brewed coffee to give an ultra-rich flavor to this creamy French silk pie. A frothy meringue is the secret to lightening the brown sugar-sweetened filling.
This recipe follows the Spanish and Portuguese tradition of pairing mild white fish with full-flavored cured sausage—just a bit gives the whole dish a rich, smoky flavor. Make it a meal: Enjoy with steamed green beans and roasted potatoes tossed with thyme and coarse salt.
Owner Jim Hoben confirms, telling us that the second coming of El Pelon is set to open in mid-March at 2197 Commonwealth. "Right now, we have about three weeks of construction left and then some final permitting. Everything will be exactly the same: same menu, same prices, same vendors, same employees, we even managed to save some of the decor from the wreckage."
The official El Pelon site has not yet confirmed. But believe it. There is an El Guapo burrito in my future.
The latest Nielsen numbers show that South African wine sales have outpaced French wine in the UK for the first time ever, due to South African wine sales growing 20% while French wine sales dropped by 12%. South Africa is now ranked fourth for selling wine in the UK market.
South Africa has been producing wine for centuries but only in the last 15-20 years have exports really begun to grow. This news shows that UK (and world?) shoppers have made a significant shift and no longer ‘default’ to European brands. Jo Mason, UK market manager, Wines of South Africa, was quoted as saying “This is a momentous occasion for the South African wine industry.”
And a bad one for the French.
South Africa is clearly excited and looks for their wine to experience even more success as tourists flock to their country for the FIFA World Cup this year.
I’m working on the sushi post from the weekend, as well as a contest that will go along with it. But since it’s Monday, I wanted to share this quick and very, very easy pasta dish. It’s so delicious—how could bacon and mushrooms be wrong?—and can be adapted in so many wonderful ways. And it’s perfect by itself or alongside a big, juicy steak or pork chops.
I’ll let you decide which way to go.
Here’s what you need. You can use different varieties of mushrooms, wine instead of chicken broth, and any combination of fresh herbs you might have on hand. This is a flexible recipe!
You’ll want to use thin bacon for this recipe; cut it into 1/2-inch pieces.
Then heat some olive oil in a large skillet.
Throw the bacon into the pan…
And saute it until it’s just starting to turn golden brown.
Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside.
Now slice up the mushrooms…
(And yes, rinse them first. I rinse the heck out of mushrooms and I don’t care who knows it.)
Then mince up a few cloves of garlic.
Throw the mushrooms and the garlic into the pan. Increase the heat to high.
Toss/stir them around over high heat for three or four minutes. The point here is not only to start the cooking process, but also to try to get the mushrooms nice and golden brown. Toss them enough to keep them from sticking, but let them sit in the hot pan long enough to turn golden.
Next, pour in the chicken broth. You can use white wine instead, or a combination of the two.
Stir it all around, scraping the bottom of the pan. Allow this to bubble and cook for a good four to five minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half.
Mmm. Look at the golden brown color. Perfect!
Reduce the heat to medium-low, then pour in the half and half and the cream.
Note that you can use all half and half here, or more cream if you’d like, depending on how jiggly you want your bottom to be. Just play!
Stir it around and allow it to cook for a few minutes. The sauce will get thicker and thicker.
Sprinkle in the sliced green onions…
And the bacon…
A nice helping of Parmesan…
And some minced Parsley.
Then toss it all together, adding a little salt and pepper. Taste and adjust whatever you need.
For what it’s worth, I always add more cheese.
To serve, throw cooked pasta (I used thin spaghetti, but angel hair is even better) into a large bowl.
Pour half of the sauce over the top…
And toss together with tongs.
If it appears to be too gunky and thick, just scoop out a cup or so of hot pasta water and drizzle it in. It’ll get the sauce/pasta to the consistency you want without compromising the flavor.
To serve, place a mound of tossed pasta in the middle of a large bowl or plate…
Then top with more sauce from the pan.
Scrumptious!
I smell bacon.
Sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley…
And go for it, baby.
This can definitely be a main course pasta, served with salad and crusty French bread.
But it’s also great as a side dish, served in a smaller bowl next to a big steak.
1 package (10 Ounce) White Button Mushrooms, Sliced Thin
1 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth (OR Dry White Wine)
1 cup Half-and-half
¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
3 whole Green Onions, White And Light Green Parts Sliced
¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
½ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
1 pound Thin Spaghetti Or Angel Hair Pasta
Extra Parmesan, For Sprinkling
Preparation Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bacon pieces and cook until light brown but not crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Do not clean pan.
Add mushrooms and garlic to pan. Toss/stir around and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes; increase heat to high if needed to help mushrooms begin to turn golden brown.
Pour in chicken broth. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits. Cook over medium-high heat for several minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half.
Reduce heat and pour in half and half and cream. Stir and allow to bubble and thicken for a couple of minutes. Add sliced green onions and parsley, then cook for one more minute. Finally, add Parmesan and stir, allowing cheese to melt and incorporate into the sauce. Turn off heat.
Add cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add half the sauce from the pan. Toss with tongs. ***Add 1/2 cup hot pasta water at this point if the pasta mixture is too thick and gunky. Toss and add more water until it reaches the consistency you need.***
Serve pasta in individual bowls, topping each helping with the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with extra parsley and extra Parmesan.
Okay, so that’s an unofficial designation, but people—I want you to embrace the pot roast. I had to, after all. I moved to the country after having seven glorious years of sushi, Thai food, Gelson’s, and every grocery item I could ever hope for. Then, as I’ve pointed out ad nauseum on both this site and my other one, I married a beautiful, strong, brave cowboy whom I love more than life itself but who doesn’t eat anything fun. And then I had four children who don’t eat diddly either. So I’ve had to learn. I’ve had to learn to embrace the pot roast. And if I can do it…you can, too.
I had to kiss a lot of frogs before I found my prince, Marlboro Man. And I had to make a lot of really bad pot roasts to finally figure the whole dadgum thing out…and figure it out I did, thank the Lord above. And the verdict? Pot roast, when made according to a few fundamental rules, can be a totally delicious addition to your repertoire. There are lots of different, equally delicious ways to make pot roast. Today’s version is the first of many I’ll be profiling here.
The meat you use is important. My favorite roast is the chuck roast; it has wonderful marbling throughout the meat, and when given an ample amount of time to cook, chuck roast winds up being tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. To understand the importance of adequate cooking time, you must understand that these tougher pieces of meat have lots of tough connective tissue that will only soften when cooked at a lower temperature for a long period of time. You can’t rush a pot roast; you’ll be disappointed with the result if you try. But if you reach deep down into your soul and find your patience—at least, the patience that was given to you by your Maker to relate to beef-related circumstances in your life—you won’t be disappointed.
Let’s just jump right in and embrace the pot roast together, okay?
The Cast of Characters: Chuck Roast, onions, carrots, salt, pepper, beef stock, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary (if you have it; if not, dried is fine). Optional ingredients: red wine, garlic, button mushrooms.
Behold the chuck roast, my friends. See what I mean about the beautiful striations of fat throughout the meat? Mmmmm…it’s a really good thing. Just remember: Marbling equals tenderness AND flavor.
I love to use the word “striation” at least once a week. It throws people off and makes them wonder why they don’t know what that word means, and it makes me feel smart. Even though I really don’t know what it means either.
Okay, first: grab your olive oil. It really doesn’t have to be extra virgin, and if you’re feeling particularly naughty, you can add a couple of pats of butter. But my bottom feels big right now, so I’m giving up butter for thirteen hours.
I’m sure it will help.
First, heat a large pot/dutch oven over medium high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil. (Or combo of butter and oil, unless your bottom feels big, then abstain for thirteen hours like me.)
Now generously salt your chuck roast. (Mine was 2.5 pounds, which is a bit small for me. 4 to 5 pounds is much better.) I like to use kosher salt because it’s flat and flaky and adheres to the meat better than regular salt. But plain salt is fine, too.
But whatever salt you use, don’t hold back—salt away, baby.
Now add a bunch of black pepper. I finally bought myself a new peppermill after my boys commandeered and destroyed my wooden one. And I think it’s made of titanium or something, which means it’s punk proof.
Unless they find Marlboro Man’s blow torch, which is always a possibility.
In any event, pepper the meat generously. You’re seasoning a lot of meat here.
Now take a couple of onions…
And cut them in half from root to tip.
Then cut off the tops, cut off the bottoms, and peel off the outer layer. If you’re an onion addict/freak, feel free to use more.
When the oil in the pot is very hot but not quite smoking (and heck, if it smokes, it’s no big deal)…
Add in the onions.
And brown them on one side, about a minute. (The oil should really sizzle, like Marlboro Man.)
Now flip ‘em over and do the same to the other side…
Then remove the onions to a plate.
Now thoroughly wash (but do not peel) 6 to 8 carrots, then cut them roughly into 2-inch slices. I like not peeling them because it maintains a rustic quality, and I’m, like, soooo rustic. As you well know.
Throw them into the same (very hot) pan and toss them around until slightly brown, about a minute or so. Remember, the point here is to get a nice color started on the outside of the vegetables—not to cook them.
Now remove the carrots to a plate, and get the pot really hot again. If necessary, add in another tablespoon of oil. See all that nice brown stuff? That stuff is good. That stuff is real, real, good.
We’re going to put the meat right on top of that stuff. Make sure it’s adequately seasoned, then set it into the hot pan and sear it on one side, about a minute.
When that side is nice and brown (the browner the better), flip it over to the other side.
I like to even hold it up and sear the sides, too. When you’ve browned it all over the place, remove to roast to a plate. Oh, and see that brown stuff in the pan? That’s good. That’s real, real good.
Now, with the burner on high, we’re going to deglaze the pan. In layman’s terms, we’re going to incorporate the use of a liquid to precipitously loosen the diminutive bits of culinary goodness from the bottom of the alloy pan. In real people’s terms, we’re gonna scrape the heck out of the pan and git all that gooooood stuuuuuuff off the bottom. Amen. Usually, I like to start with a splash of red wine, then fill in with beef broth. But if you’re averse to wine, OR if you live in a state, ahem, that prohibits liquor stores from being open for business on Sundays, ahem, cough cough, and you don’t have any red wine in the house, cough cough…you can just use beef broth like I did here and it’ll taste just fine. Deli
cious, even!
After you add about 1 cup or so of liquid, stop and use your whisk to stir and scrape the bottom of the pan.
Now add the browned meat to the pan and add in enough liquid to cover the meat halfway. I’d say 2 to 3 cups of liquid is fine.
Now add the onions back in…
And do the same with the carrots.
Hey! It’s starting to look like pot roast, isn’t it? What a coincidence! Here, I’m splashing a little more broth into the pan because I’m a middle child and I think everything needs a little tweaking, even if it doesn’t.
Now I don’t mean to be a traitor or anything, but I have really found through the years that fresh herbs—specifically, rosemary and thyme—can transform a regular roast into something extraordinary. This is a spring of rosemary, and I like to add about 3 or 4 sprigs. Just leave it all intact and throw it in. (And rosemary is a very easy plant to grow in a container. Try it! It’s such an aromatic, versatile little herb.)
But if you only have dried rosemary in your spice cabinet, who cares? Use it!
Oh. And when you do add in the fresh sprigs, be sure to submerge them in the liquid so they’ll really be able to work their magic.
This is a sprig of fresh thyme, which I love and adore. Soon I’ll be posting a recipe for my fresh thyme bread, which rocks my existence, but for now just throw some into the roast. I use about 3 sprigs.
Mmmmm. Now we’re talkin’. Time to put it in the oven. Put the lid on, then roast in a 275-degree oven for 3 hours, for a 3 pound roast. For a 4 to 5 pound roast, plan on 4 hours. And don’t peek and fiddle and frig with it, either. Just find a hobby that will occupy your thoughts and actions for the time it takes for your roast to cook. Needlepointing, scrapbooking, birdwatching, and spelunking are just a few of the many options available.
And here’s what it will look like.
Now remove the meat to a cutting board and test it with a fork. See how easily it splits apart? You can literally see the melted connective tissue between the meat. When it easily “falls apart,” it’s definitely ready.
To serve, you can either slice it with a knife…
Or you can just shred all the meat with two forks. It’s matter of preference. If you cooked the roast correctly, it won’t matter much how you slice it—the meat will all fall apart anyway.
Now’s a good time to have my mashed potatoes handy. Which reminds me, I never addressed The Potato Issue at the beginning of this post. I do NOT like to put potatoes into the pot with the meat. While it’s a handy, convenient way to cook the spuds, I think the potatoes turn out kind of mealy and dumb. Instead, I think mashed potatoes really make a pot roast special, though that’s just my silly little opinion. Don’t listen to me. Heck, you can used baked potatoes, twice baked potatoes…even cooked egg noodles! (Wait a minute. That sounds pretty good…)
Whatever you use, just place the meat on top/to the side of it.
Then spoon some vegetables onto the plate. Mmm…I just love cooked carrots, especially when they’re infused with the flavor of roast.
And mmmm…you’ve gotta love these onions.
But don’t stop there!
Because you’d never want to miss out on all that flavor, be sure to spoon some of the pan juice over the meat…
And the carrots…
And the potatoes. And because you’re very nice and considerate of others, be sure to serve some extra juice at the table so everyone can drown their roast at will.
What I love about roast is, you can eat everything at once.
Don’t be afraid to get a forkful!
I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself. And mmmm…*burp*…it was SO delicious. I really tasted the rosemary, and the meat was so tender it really did melt in my mouth.
In the future, I’ll continue to offer up different variations of pot roast, as there really are many delicious ways to approach it. But try this one this week. Serve it to your family, or your girlfriend, or your grandma or your uncle or your pal or yourself. Then pat yourself on the back, because you’ve embraced one of the most basic dishes there is.
1 cup Red Wine (optional, You Can Use Beef Broth Instead)
2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock
3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste
Preparation Instructions
First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).
Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate. Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.
If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate. With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up. When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.
Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.
It seems like everyone wants to learn how to be more efficient when it comes to home cooking. Here are some easy, smart ways to use up odds and ends from the fridge shelves to the back of the pantry.
Cold Coffee
Fill an empty ice tray with leftover cold coffee for smoothies with pick-me-up or homemade iced-coffee drinks. You can even make your own iced mocha by blending low-fat chocolate milk with iced coffee cubes.
Lone Carrot
Carrots are delicious with chocolate. Make your favorite chocolate baked good "grate," by grating a carrot finely and stirring it into your store-bought brownie mix, favorite chocolate cake or muffin recipes.
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The money raised by this raffle will be paid directly into Concern Worldwide's account by Justgiving and will be used exclusively for the Haiti relief effort.
Tickets cost just £6.50 each and the list of over 30 prizes includes £200 worth of Virgin vouchers, an iPod shuffle, original artworks, many signed cookbooks by authors such as Skye Gingell, David Lebovitz and Simon Majumdar.
Dynamic/Internet savvy retailer Naked Wines has released details of a £5 million investment fund for talented winemakers looking to set up in business.
"We're looking to commission experienced, proven winemakers, who are looking to go it alone, to create stunning new wines for UK wine drinkers. And through the overwhelming support of our key investors, our community of Angel customers, we've been able to pledge a significant sum to launch the project.
We will cover production costs, pay a salary, guarantee an order, market the wines, pay a profit per bottle sold... In other words, provide all the tools an independent winemaker needs to create their own wine, under their own label, without the risks usually associated with being self-employed in the wine world.
All that remains is to raise awareness and get recruiting."
A little late in highlighting the discussion over on Guardian Food after my other friend (I'm sure I had more than two last time I looked...) Oliver Thring posted a thought provoking article on wine and the role of the critic - Wine Critics's Advice is Unchallenged Bunk. The follow-on reader comments, particularly those on food-wine matching are well worth reading. I've long attempted to explain the that wine education is worthy of pursuing; best summed up I feel by this comment by Fiona Beckett
"Most people in my experience do appreciate a steer towards a food and wine combination that works just as if they're cooking something for the first time it helps to follow a recipe. No-one gets riled if you say that mozzarella goes with basil and tomatoes. Why get worked up if you suggest that oysters might go with Muscadet?"
Basically, if you are happy to be guided by recipes or combining certain ingredients why the hostility towards a critics guidance on certain wine and food combinations?
"Of course we need wine critics. And restaurant critics. And movie critics. And critics of the critics! Complex, provocative topics (like wine) will naturally inspire debate... around the dinner table, in the pub, on the internet, wherever. Whether I agree or disagree that a particular wine smells like "freshly cut tomato vines" doesn't matter. What's important is that there is open discussion and dialogue. The value is in the sharing of information. The listener/reader decides for themselves what's useful and what's not."
A rich chocolate dessert is required. What I should have done is pick up a selection of top quality chocolate from the deli, plucked a half dozen free-range eggs from Highlands Farm and replenished the tin with local flour for the pastry. But I couldn't be arsed.
Instead a Seriously Chocolatey Waitrose Tarte au Chocolat landed in the hand-held basket. A sad sign of living alone but at least I can eat half the tarte in one sitting without being tutted at. And another slice the following morning as the sausages are frying!
Via twitter (another refuge for the company-craving single?) dark chocolate was recommended as an accompaniment to this new Liefmans Fruit Beer. The combination of rich chocolate tarte and the sweet, deeply fruit beer worked nicely. Not quite a perfect match as the complexity of the beer was slightly nullified by the food and the layers of fruit flavours - cherry, raspberry, strawberry - diminished into one sweet, juicy whole. Its a highly drinkable little brew coming in with 4.2% alcohol. The fizz adding to the freshness.
Sweeter than I was expecting, initiating thoughts of a grown-up alcopop, and not at all beery (malty/hoppy). Liefmans Fruit Beer is matured for 18 months on cherries then flavoured with cherry, raspberry, bilberry, elderberry and strawberry according to the rear label although the website lists juniper rather than elderberry). Sugar and Sweetener are also added but it comes in at just 99 calories in the 25cl bottle.
About to be filmed for another series of Come Dine With Me? A Chocolate Tart served with a little bottle of Liefmans Fruit Beer would make a fine dessert. Not that I watch Come Dine With Me at all you understand; that is reserved for the truly sad and lonely...
Liefmans Fruit will be available from all Waitrose stores from March 1st at £1.60 per 25cl bottle.
Liefmans' Fruit is a new introduction to the Liefmans range. It is based on older brother Liefmans Cuvée Brut (formerly Liefmans Kriek), a famous brown beer brewed just once a year and left to mature for 18 months on fresh, whole cherries. The new beer is then blended with fresh, natural fruit juices of strawberry, raspberry, cherry, elderberry and bilberry, before being crown-capped. The result is Liefmans Fruit, a highly refreshing fruit beer that is delightfully sweet, with the sparkle of Champagne and the freshness of a nicely chilled glass of wine.
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