BOOK/A TABLE - White Bolognese

Reading Amor Towles’s dazzling novel Rules of Civility felt like being plunged into a tub of Champagne—at once perilous, heady, and delicious. There’s a definite nod to The Great Gatsby, I think, as we follow Katey Kontent (Kontent) and her witty chums (particularly the seductive, mysterious Tinker Grey) around a glorious, fizzy Manhattan in 1938.

Here Katey mulls over her neighbor’s Bolognese in a brilliant evocation of city life:

“When I got back to my apartment building, you could tell it was Wednesday because the blushing bride in 3B was running roughshod over her mother’s Bolognese. When she had transcribed the recipe, she must have written two heads of garlic instead of two cloves, because we’d all be wearing her home cooking for the rest of the week.”

It seems Katey is talking about a traditional Bolognese with a garlicky red sauce, but I was reminded of Amanda Hesser’s heavenly White Bolognese (without any garlic!), courtesy of the New York Times. 

My own rules of civility dictate that I tell you to try using fresh hand-cut egg noodles instead of rigatoni—they unfurl so wonderfully and make a tremendously satisfying, gorgeous plate of pasta. A few further suggestions from me are in italics below.

Rigatoni with White Bolognese
By Amanda Hesser
Serves 4

Ingredients
Extra Virgin oil
1/2 sweet onion, peeled and finely chopped we used a regular Spanish onion as sweet onions can simply be too sweet, the carrots add enough sweetness
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb mild Italian pork sausage meat, removed from casings
1 lb ground beef (not lean)
1 1/2 cups dry Italian white wine
1 cube beef bouillon dissolved in 2 cups simmering water we used porcini mushroom bouillon that we brought back from Italy, but it's also available stateside and well worth hunting down
1 1/2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms rehydrated in 3 cups lukewarm water 
1/3 cup heavy cream probably a little more, I like to see the creamy whiteness in the sauce
1 lb rigatoni
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese we used Romano cheese that we had, though it hardly needs any enhancement anyhow--but we did add freshly grated nutmeg that we think is an essential addition to any hearty sauce!

Preparation
1. Add enough oil to a large, deep saute pan to coat the base and place over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion, carrots and celery and saute until glassy and just tender, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the sausage and beef to the pan, breaking it into walnut-size pieces, and brown well.

2. Pour in the wine and keep at a rapid simmer until the pan is almost dry. Then pour in 1 1/2 cups beef bouillon and lower the heat to medium. Simmer gently, uncovered, until the bouillon is nearly gone, stirring now and then. Meanwhile, chop the rehydrated porcini into small pieces, reserving the liquid.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add mushroom liquid to the sauce to cover the meat halfway(about 1 cup) along with the porcini and continue simmering until the sauce is loose but not soupy, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, it should be highly seasoned. When the consistency is right, fold the cream in. Remove from the heat and cover.

4. When the pasta water is at a full boil, add the rigatoni and cook until still firm, but not hard, in the center. When the pasta is almost done, scoop out 1 cup of pasta water and reserve. Drain the pasta and then return it to the pot. Pour the pasta sauce on top and fold in with a wooden spoon. The pasta should not be dry. Add a little pasta water or mushroom liquid to loosen it. (It will continue to soak up sauce on the way to the table.) Serve in one large bowl or individual bowls, passing the cheese at the table.

Belgian Beer Braised Beef

I first made this recipe for Belgian Beer Braised Beef when the millennium was new, pulled off of MarthaStewart.com. I can no longer find it online, but I still have the faded, food-splattered print-out to share with you, dutifully copied below. Having recently made this luscious dish again, I’m happy to report it’s as good as it ever was.

Beef is lovingly braised in ale (I recommend Duvel Belgian Ale) for a few hours to break down the tough cut of meat. The slow simmering process yields a velvety rich beef full of flavor. I’m sure you’ll find very comforting on these cold winter days—and it sure makes the kitchen smell good!

Belgian Beer Braised Beef
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients
1/4 pound slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 pounds beef chuck, or round, cut into 1/2-inch slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons canola oil
2 large onions (about 1 1/2 pounds), thinly sliced
2 bottles ale (12 ounces each), about 3 cups
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 dried bay leaves

Method
1. Adjust rack to bottom third of oven and heat to 325°. In a medium- large Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-low heat until crisp, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet; set aside.

2. Seasoned beef with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pot, and raise heat to medium-high. Working in batches, brown meat, one to two minutes per side. As each batch is browned, transfer to a medium bowl; set aside.

3. If necessary, add remaining tablespoon oil. Lower heat to medium. Add onions and deglaze with about two tablespoons of the ale, scraping any browned bits from bottom pan with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until soft, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle flour over onions and cook, stirring, one minute more. Add remaining ale, and bring to a boil, scraping any remaining browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon.

4. Tie thyme, parsley, and bay leaves in a bundle with a piece of kitchen twine. Add to onions. Return bacon and beef to pan, pushing beef down into liquid. (The liquid will not completely cover beef.) Add 1 teaspoon salt period to bring to a boil. Cover, and transfer to oven. Cook until beef is fork tender, about two hours. Remove herb bundle, and discard. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Serve with small boiled new potatoes.

BOOK/A TABLE - Let There Be Quiche!

Before the frittata frenzy of the brunching 90’s, there was the quiche craze in the early 80’s and with it, the phenomenon of Bruce Feirstein’s satirical guidebook Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche.

Quiche was certainly a food item full of mystery and the topic of much discussion back then. So many questions! Do real men eschew quiche? Why or why not, and based on what? What is quiche in the first place? Is it eaten for lunch, brunch, or dinner? 

 
Perhaps quiche is largely forgotten now, relegated to a shadowy corner of today’s café counters. I have always loved quiche, ever since we were taught how to make it in my junior high Home Economics class. Just whisk a bunch of eggs and stuff together, pour it over a pie crust and bake! It’s ideal for a no-fuss dinner party—make it prior to your guests’ arrival, simply reheat and serve with some crusty bread and a bowl of salad.

I had a few quiche questions of my own when I came across this recipe for a quiche baked in a hash brown crust. The main question was, why have I never made quiche with a hash brown crust before? So delicious.

Some suggestions:
*I didn’t have any broccoli, but I fried up some chopped bacon and sautéed a sliced onion in the bacon grease and used instead.
*Squeeze the water out of the potatoes before measuring. You want the thawed hash browns to equal the amount of 1 1/2 to 2 cups after the water is squeezed out.

*Don’t only bake the potatoes until “starting to brown.” Definitely let the potatoes brown for a crispy crust.

Crispy Hash Brown Quiche
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 1/2 to 2 cups frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 (16-oz) bag frozen chopped broccoli
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 9” pie plate with cooking spray. Squeeze as much liquid out of thawed potatoes as possible. To a medium bowl, add squeezed potatoes, oil and 1/4 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Firmly press potato mixture into prepared pie plate. Bake until potatoes are starting to brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.

Meanwhile, microwave broccoli according to package directions and drain very well. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk and mustard. Whisk together until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Add broccoli and 3/4 cup cheese to crust. Slowly add custard over filling. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese over the quiche. Bake until filling is just set, 35 to 45 minutes. Let quiche cool 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Hannaford fresh Magazine, October November 2024

 

Slow Cooker Cassoulet

I experienced a glitch that might have resulted in the premature publication of a post! Sincere apologies. 

So, let’s talk cassoulet! My first dalliance with the classic, hearty French dish can be found here but my favorite version is here. However, you just may fall in love with this heartwarming recipe as well—French Country Stew, a.k.a. cassoulet made in a slow cooker. Instead of using pork, you might want to try skinless, bone-in chicken thighs.

Prepare ahead of time, let it simmer while you occupy yourself otherwise...and serve to your loved one on Valentine’s Day!

Slow Cooker Cassoulet
Serves 8

Ingredients
1 lb. boneless pork shoulder
1 (16-oz.) package chicken Sausage
1 (16-oz.) package small dried white beans, like navy, cannellini or great northern
2 (10-oz.) packages mirepoix (diced onions, celery, carrots)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5-oz.) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
5 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

Method

Cut pork into 1” pieces. To a 6-qt. slow cooker, add pork, chicken sausage, beans, mirepoix, garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves and chicken broth. Add thyme and rosemary to slow cooker. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Cook over high until beans and meats are tender, 6 to 8 hours. Remove and discard bay leaves, thyme and rosemary from pot. If there is too much liquid, use a slotted spoon to remove beans and meat from slow cooker.
Just before serving, in a 10” nonstick skillet over medium, melt butter. Add bread crumbs and cook until lightly golden brown, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix chopped parsley into bread crumbs. If desired, cut sausages into 1” pieces before serving. Divide cassoulet among bowls and top with toasted bread crumbs to serve.

BOOK/A TABLE - Duck à l’Orange

                                                                         

While my father was building our cottage in Friendship, Maine back in the summer of ’79, my mother and I joined him every weekend. (I was eleven years old and being left to my own devices at home wasn’t an option). We all ate from a decently-stocked cooler, perhaps had a small grill, and slept in tents on the bare foundation before the walls went up. We were ‘roughing it’ but I didn’t mind, for the most part. I had Muscongus Bay to float around in, woods to explore, and I had my books.

However, the minute our neighbors suggested to my mother that I might rather spend a night in their guest room, I leapt at the chance. A cozy bed! Running water! 

I slept that evening in a tidy, wood-paneled room and when I woke up the next morning, the earth might as well have fallen quite away. I didn’t know the time or where anybody was—I didn’t hear a sound. I opened my copy of Sidney Sheldon’s page-turner Bloodline and got lost in a jet-set world of international intrigue, reading for several out-of-pocket, undisturbed hours until I finished. I didn’t have to use the bathroom, I wasn’t hungry, I required nothing: I was of myself, solely—and impossibly young. It was one of the most perfect mornings I’ve ever had.

“They flew to Paris in a private jet, and had a superb dinner. It began with a paté de foie gras with truffles, lobster bisque, crisp duck à l’orange and Maxim’s special salad, and ended up with champagne and a birthday cake. Rhys drove Elizabeth down the Champs-Élysées afterward, and they returned to Switzerland late that night.”

I didn’t actually experience duck à l’orange for myself until my father took me to New York several years later, where we had dinner at the Oak Room in the Algonquin hotel. We started with escargots, finished with cheesecake. All of these things have have remained tucked in my heart ever since.

So without further ado, here’s a recipe for excellent duck à l’orange. It’s Julia Child’s version, with a few well-considered tweaks from Hank Shaw at honest-food.net. I hope it creates some delicious memories for you, too.

                                                           

Duck à l’Orange 
Servings: 4 people
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients
2 fat ducks, like mallards or pintail
Salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups duck stock or beef stock
4 sweet oranges
1 tablespoon arrowroot or corn starch
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
1/4 teaspoon orange bitters (optional)
2 tablespoons room temperature butter

Instructions
Use a needle or sharp knife point to pierce the skin of the fat ducks all over, taking care to not pierce the meat itself; go in at an angle. This helps the fat render out of the bird. Salt the ducks well and preheat the oven to 325°F.

Put the ducks in an ovenproof pan. I rest them on celery leaves to prop them above the level of the pan; this helps them crisp better. If you want, surround the duck with some root vegetables. Roast for 90 minutes.

Take the pan out and increase the heat to 425°F. When it hits this temperature, put the birds back in the oven and roast until the skin is crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the vinegar and sugar in a small pot until it turns brown. Pour in the stock little by little, stirring all the while. Set aside.

Shave the peel off the oranges, grating some fine and keeping the peel of 2 oranges in large pieces. Juice 2 oranges. Cut segments from the other 2 oranges. Here is a tutorial on how to do that.

When the ducks are ready, remove them from the oven and let them rest on a cutting board.

Finish the sauce. Bring it to a simmer, then add about 1/2 cup of orange juice and the large bits of peel. Simmer 5 minutes. Whisk together a little of the sauce with the starch, and, when it's mixed well, stir it into the saucepot to thicken. Add the Grand Marnier and enough salt and orange bitters to taste. Swirl in the butter one tablespoon at a time.

To serve, carve the duck and arrange on plates. Give everyone some orange supremes and pour over the sauce. Garnish with the grated zest, and serve with good bread, mashed potatoes or celery root, or polenta.

BOOK/A TABLE - Beef Stroganoff

Over 20 years ago, my cousin and I started an ongoing tradition of making dinner together during my holiday visits to New Hampshire. At first, we were just cooking for her husband and three children, but word of our feasts started getting around and soon neighbors and friends also began showing up to see what we were making...such as lavender-roasted quail, venison steaks, classic Vietnamese dumplings, Thai noodles, beef Stroganoff, and chicken pot pie in pumpkins. 

The adults would mingle, but her children (practically babies at the time) would watch us goggle-eyed from the kitchen counter as we whisked, simmered, and chopped, preparing elaborate dishes that often wouldn’t be ready until late in the evening, bedtime be damned! 

It still staggers me that her children now have babies of their own. Somewhere, there is a picture of my cousin peering over my crib to get a look at me. 

When she and I were kids in the 70s, oh how we loved watching Charlie’s Angels on television. In case you don’t know, the cop drama was about three gorgeous gals who did investigative work for a mysterious man named Charlie Townsend. It was the one show I was allowed to stay up past my bedtime to watch.

I recently found my copy of one of the books based on the series, and was wildly amused to read this:

Charlie chuckled. “Jill, how’s the painting coming?”
The blonde Jill said, “I bought one of those cooking encyclopedias.”
Charlie chuckled again. “It’s hard to keep up with you.”
“I’ve gotten as far as B.” Her tone became inviting. “My beef Stroganoff isn’t bad, Charlie.”
“Let me know when you get to zucchini.”

Beef Stroganoff (named for the Russian Stroganov family) was one of the first dishes my cousin and I made together. There are many different versions, but this one should dispel any lurid memories of the glop perhaps served in your school’s cafeteria, or what you may have suffered through at home, made with Campbell’s mushroom soup.    

I think you can skip the fussy work of making matchstick potatoes. Hot buttered noodles will do just fine!

Beef Stroganoff
Adapted from Saveur magazine
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp dry mustard
1 cup beef stock
1⁄4 cup sour cream
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 1⁄2 lb beef tenderloin, cut into 3” x 1” x 1/8” slices
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Canola oil, for frying
4 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8” matchsticks
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Instructions
Step 1
Heat 2 tbsp. butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and dry mustard, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually add stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil; cook until thick, about 2 minutes. Stir in sour cream, remove from heat, and set aside.

Step 2
Heat remaining butter in a 12” skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook until soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to high, add meat, and cook until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add reserved sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.

Step 3
Meanwhile, pour oil to a depth of 1 1⁄2” in a 4-qt. saucepan, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 365°. Working in batches, fry potatoes until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels; season to taste with salt while still warm.

Step 4
Spoon stroganoff onto a serving platter, and cover with a mound of jumbled straw potatoes. Garnish with parsley.

 

Thanks NYT Cooking for the pic!

Moody's Diner Whoopie Pies

When I got wind that Dunkin’ had created a whoopie pie donut (available only through the end of this month!), I rushed out to get mine. Certainly it was a clever enough version the treat, piping their glazed chocolate donut full of sugary frosting as they did. And yes, it went down well with a cup of Dunkin’ coffee, but I thought you might enjoy making the real deal yourself—with creamy homemade frosting sandwiched between two fresh-out-of-the-oven mini chocolate cakes (not donuts). And where better to start than with a whoop-inducing recipe from Moody’s Diner in Waldoboro, Maine?

My parents used to have a cottage in Friendship, Maine, and Moody’s was en route—basically a counter and a few booths when I first started going in the 70’s. The slice of banana cream pie or whoopie pie I used to squirrel away as a kid would last me the better part of a week.

Moody’s has since added to the enterprise (I love when they pop up in magazines or on those diner and dive kinds of shows) and they continue to lay claim as purveyors of the best whoopie pies in the state of Maine. Several websites purport to give the recipe from Moody’s, but I pulled this one from my copy of their actual cookbook. Do enjoy! 

Moody’s Diner Whoopie Pies 

Adapted from What’s Cooking at Moody’s Diner 

Whoopie Pie Ingredients:
¾ cup oleo (margarine)
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla
1½ cups milk
3 cups flour
¾ cup cocoa
¾ tsp baking powder
2 ¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

Method:
In large bowl, cream oleo, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add milk slowly and mix well. Combined dry ingredients and stir into batter. Drop batter with small scoop onto greased cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes at 350° degrees. Cool, then fill with whoopie pie filling.

Whoopie Pie Filling Ingredients:
1 cup milk
6 tbsp flour
½ cup shortening
½ cup oleo (margarine)
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Method:
Cook milk and flour in saucepan until thickened. Cool, and beat in remaining ingredients. Beat until filling is light and fluffy.