Roasting Veggies, 101

This past November, The New York Times published an article by Julia Moskin on roasting vegetables. I don't know about most of the US population (though I have a sinking suspicion most revert to steaming vegetables...blah...), but roasted veggies have always caught my eye (and stomach...). The tender veggies, with a concentration of flavor and caramelization on the edges. Delicious.


I know a good roasted vegetable when I encounter one (Eli Zabar's Vinegar Factory salad bar; The Dressing Room's Brussels Sprouts side dish, Market Table's Roasted Broccoli), but between you and me, I didn't really know how to make a roasted vegetable side dish at home til now. Usually, when I throw some broccoli or brussels sprouts in the oven to roast, they brown so quickly on the edges without the insides getting tender enough. I usually don't have problems roasting squash, due to its high moisture content, but potatoes sometimes give me trouble, too.

Julia's solution? A little steam moisture to keep the veg from drying out, thanks to a tip from Ilene Rosen of City Bakery, who sells the most deliciously tender, yet intensely flavored and caramelized, roasted vegetables at the New York City cafe. She says:

“I never go above 375 degrees in a home oven,” counseled chef Ilene Rosen of City Bakery, in the Flatiron district, where the roasted vegetables are consistently golden and tender. She said high temperatures dry out and brown the food too fast. “Vegetables only release that secret buttery sweetness when they turn golden and then brown,” she said. A dish of hot water placed in the bottom of the oven when you turn it on produces the steamy heat that keeps the vegetables succulent. Using her method and the convection function on my oven, I achieved roasted vegetable Nirvana over and over again."

So, this weekend, I was presented with two bags of brussels sprouts in the fridge. They had to be cooked, but what to do with them? What do you think I did? Roasted them!

Though Julia suggests roasting the veggies at 375 in a convection oven, I wanted to go the traditional route to see if I could achieve similar results without a convection oven. I first preheated the oven to 425. Meanwhile, I sliced my brussels sprouts in quarters (if large) or half (if 6/8" in diameter). I tossed the chopped sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper prior to roasting (the salt will help draw out some of the moisture). I then popped the pan of veggies in the oven and another pan on the lower shelf, and poured hot water into that one. The hot water is the trick here -- the heat of the oven will cook the veggies, while the steam of the water will help thoroughly cook the vegetables through and keep them moist.


Honestly, I am not sure how long I had the pan in there - from 30 to 45 minutes. But, when I took the veggies out of the oven, I was incredibly surprised. They were tender all the way through, but with a hint of golden crustiness on the edges. I finished with another pinch of salt, tossed them, and immediately devoured a ramekin-full. Mmm... Now, for the next test, broccoli in the oven at 375...stay tuned!

A Better Beet

There is this restaurant in upstate New York, complete with its own spacious farm (from apples to beets to carrots, ducks and pigs...to watermelons, X (??), yellow squash, and so much more). The ever talented Dan Barber is the chef...Blue Hill at Stone Barns is its name. And EVERY time I go, I am in culinary heaven.

From the incredible space (think lofty, meticulously restored barns, proper yet subtle lighting, captivating floral arrangements, yet simple layout and clean design), to the impeccable service (there are MANY waitstaff around, and most are supremely attentive, yet they are never in your way), and the absolutely divine food (farm fresh that day, the menu is...well, it's not really a menu. It's whatever preparation the chef is thinking and feeling that day, influenced by what is freshly picked and likely what the day presents).

I've been to Blue Hill at Stone Barns a couple of times now, and though they have pushed aside their turkey tail rolls (never was a big bread eater when dining out until Stone Barns...thank you for converting me, Dan...but my waist thanks you for taking these off the "menu"...), their "mini Beet Burgers" have been presented as an amuse every single time I can remember. That is DEFINITELY a good thing, as these little morsels are the perfect combination of flavors, colors, and as far as I'm concerned, food groups!

The beet burger, to my understanding (Dan, if you or another Blue Hill staffer is out there reading this and I'm incorrect, please let me know), begins with a not-too-sweet almond financier type of "bun." It's definitely almond-y, and there is a hint of sweetness, but not like a cookie. This bun is sliced in half, like a proper burger bun, and on the bottom half lies a dollop on beet puree. Literally, cooked beets finely chopped in your food processor. Add to that another dollop of fresh goat cheese, and a sprig of mache -- or as I prefer, a de-stemmed piece of baby arugula. Cap it off with the top of the financier/burger bun and voila!

I've been thinking about these little morsels often recently, partly because next week I have to create a canape to serve at L'Ecole. They are so elementally simple, but the flavors, when put together, truly sing I think. So, when my pastry chef was presented with a rather large bucket of almond financier batter Friday afternoon (ironically, I had already told her I wanted to learn to make a not-too-sweet financier batter that morning), I immediately had visions of beet burgers as my weekend project. 

Fast forward to Saturday afternoon, quart container of almond financier batter in hand. Add a little creativity, and some artistic license. And here, I present to you my version of Blue Hill's Beet Burger Sliders.

Almond financier batter (I wil get this recipe from the pastry students at FCI to share with you)

Beets (I had three rather large ones)

Plain goat cheese (I like Laura Chenel's, but any soft and fresh goat cheese will suffice)

Baby arugula or mache

Salt to taste

Financiers: I preheated my convection oven to 325 degrees F and lightly buttered a kind of non-stick mini muffin tin (if I had a real nonstick I would NOT have greased it as the batter has lots of butter/fat in it). I baked them about 15-20 minutes, until they puffed nicely and a tester came out clean. I then cooled them in the tin.

Beets: After taking off the greens, I placed the beets submerged in cold water and brought it to a boil in a covered pot over high heat. I then lowered the heat to a simmer and cooked the beets about 45 minutes until easily pierceable with a knife. Cool them in an ice bath and then peel. Place the beets in a food processor and process until nearly a paste. Put aside.

Goat cheese: I took some cheese out of the package and warmed it up a bit so that it was easily spreadable.

Greens: I used arugula and took the stems off some larger leaves -- I like the peppery bite this green offers in contrast to the creamy cheese and sweet beet.

Assembly: Slice a financier bun in half (or really 2/3 up from the bottom, as the top is larger than the base). Place a dollop of beet paste on the bottom, then a dollop of goat cheese. Lay an arugula leaf on top, and cap with the top of the financier. Then, stand back to marvel at your morsel of delicious-ness...and then eat it!!

Enjoy!

A Carrot for Your Sweetheart?

So, Valentine's Day is a week away. What are you getting your sweetheart this year?

Roses are predictable, but a bouquet of unexpected fragrant blossoms of all kinds is special (especially if someone reads into each blooms "hidden meaning"). In a perfect world, a roaring fire and fragrant flowers, candlelight, cheese fondue and cubes of a fresh, crusty loaf of bread (mmm Wave Hill Pain de Campagne...or Bouchon's baguette), and a nice bottle of Napa Cabernet or a Bordeaux would make me a blissfully happy person.

But. what if you want to send your sweetheart some sweets? I personally love chocolate, but it's just so...expected (plus, good chocolate can be hard to find when you don't live in a big city). Plus, when you are trying to stay away from sugar 'cause it just makes you so cranky and tired, something a bit less sweet is much preferred. For those who seek some sweetness with their "healthy" meal, why not settle on something in between? At L'Ecole Friday, we challenged ourselves with this exact dilemma. When we already have a Chocolate Souffle, A Trio of Pot de Cremes, a Caramelized Pineapple and Lemon Tart, and a Pumpkin-Chocolate Cake, what is an appealing special addition for our pre-Valentine's diners? Carrot cake!

I am a huge fan of carrot cake. I love its versatility: bake it in muffin tins for a breakfast treat; in a loaf pan for tea time; in cake pans for standard round layer cakes, or spread it super thin on half-sheet pans for mini layer cakes. Plus, the hearty carrot, raisin, coconut, walnut studded batter lends some "substance" to the batter, tempering the roller coaster the sugar, butter/oil, and white flour sends your blood sugar on. Slathered with a cream cheese frosting (you can vary the sweetness or cheesiness of the spread, depending on your liking -- or when you want to eat your treat!), it is a beautiful combination of sweet and tart, creamy and cakey, sweet, fruity and nutty.

For this dessert, I used Dorie Greenspan's recipe from her BAKING: From My Home to Yours cookbook, and was quite delighted with how it came out. The cake before baking is very much loaded with the carrot/raisin/coconut/walnut addition, but as it bakes, the baking soda and powder help the batter rise right above, resulting in a very moist and flavorful and airy cake. I probably added a little more carrot than she did, and baked the batter in two half-sheet pans (supremely thin!) for about 10-15 minutes in a convection oven at 300 degrees. I also subbed out the lemon in the frosting for vanilla extract. Next time, I would tweak a couple of things - add some more raisins, and cut down on the butter (or increase the cream cheese) in the frosting and DEFINITELY cut down on the amount of confectioners sugar, as this frosting was WAY too sweet for my liking.

Bill's Big Carrot Cake

Yields 1 9" layer cake - 10 servings

Ingredients:

For the cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
3 cups grated carrots (about 9 medium carrots - I got away with 7 large - you can grate them in food processor fitted w/ a shredding a blade or use a box grater)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup shredded coconut (I used sweetened)
½ cup moist, plump raisins (I like dark!)
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs

For the frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick ( 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pound or 3 and ¾ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract
½ cup shredded coconut (optional)
Finely chopped toasted nuts and/or toasted shredded coconut (optional)

Getting ready:
Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter three 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, or two 18" x 13" half sheet pans, flour the insides, and tap out the excess. 

Cake:
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut, and raisins. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil together on a medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Gently mix the chunky ingredients. Divide the batter among the baking pans. Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until a thin knife inserted into the centers comes out clean. The cakes will have just started to come away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes and unmold them. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. The cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.

Frosting:
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. 

Assembly:
Put one layer top side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Frost the first layer generously. Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake stop side down, and frost with the remainder of the coconut frosting or plain frosting. Top with the last layer, right side up, and frost the top- and the sides- of the cake. Finish the top with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle them on now while the frosting is soft. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, just to set the frosting before serving.

Serving:
This cake can be served as soon as the frosting is set. It can also wait, at room temperature and covered with a cake keeper overnight. The cake is best served in thick slices at room temperature. It can also be kept at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can also be frozen. Freeze it uncovered, then when it’s firm, wrap airtight and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost, still wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator.

A Harvest Feast

As promised, I am finally posting the recipes from the most delicious feast I cooked for my friends!

Here is a link to the original posting, with images

1^st Course:

Seared Nantucket Bay Scallops

atop a Butternut Squash Puree and an Apple Cider-Maple Reduction (serves 8)

Wine Pairing: Triennes Sainte Fleur Viognier

Recipe:

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

60 Bay Scallops (approx 7 bay scallops per plate)

Salt and pepper

Butternut Squash Puree (below)

Maple – Apple Cider Reduction (below)

Chives for garnish

Heat sauté pan to hot. Reduce heat to medium-high and add butter and oil. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Cook scallops on one end until nicely browned on bottom, approximately a minute or so. Flip on sear on other end. Remove from pan and keep warm.

For plating, place a dollop of warm puree in the center of a plate. Stack scallops, 4 on bottom layer, on puree, and place another scallop atop these. Drizzle reduction on top of scallops and around plate (5 drips). Scatter chives on top and serve.

Apple Cider-Maple Reduction

2 cups apple cider

1/4 c maple syrup

Bring cider and syrup to boil in a small saucepan. Cook until reduced to a syrup. Keep warm for serving.

Butternut Squash Puree

1 large butternut squash (yields approx. 5-6 c puree)

1 1/2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp maple syrup

Salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice butternut squash in half vertically and place on foil lined baking sheet, cut side down. Roast in oven until fork tender.

While still warm, scoop out filling into a saucepan. Add butter and maple syrup and stir to combine while heating. Puree with immersion blender and season to taste. Keep warm for serving.

2^nd Course:

Creamy Chestnut Soup with Crème Fraiche and Candied Walnuts (serves 8)

inspired by Rachael Ray

4 tbsp butter

3 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg

2 14.1 oz cans chestnuts in water

3/4 c carrots, emincer

3/4 c small stalks celery, emincer

3/4 small onion, ciseler

1/4 c port

1 15.3 oz can chestnut puree

32oz plus 2 cups chicken stock

Salt to taste

Crème fraiche

Parsley, hacher

Candied Walnuts (recipe below)

Heat butter in a sauté pan. When melted, add sugar, salt, and nutmeg and stir to combine. Add chestnuts and their liquid. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until liquid reduced and the chestnuts are beginning to caramelize.

While the chestnuts cook, heat remaining 2 tbsp butter in a stockpot. Add the carrot, celery, and onion and sweat until translucent. Add chestnut mixture to stockpot. Deglaze sauté pan with port and add to stockpot. Add chestnut puree and stock to stockpot. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer on medium-low. Cook for 30 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Test seasoning.

Serve soup in a bowl with a dollop of crème fraiche, topped with a couple of candied walnuts, and a sprinkle of parsley.

Candied Walnuts

from Rachael Ray, Rachael Ray Magazine, December 2009[3]

1 tbsp melted butter

1/4 c sugar

1 egg white

Pinch salt

2 c walnut halves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix melted butter, sugar, egg white, and salt together in bowl. Add walnuts and stir to combine. Pour onto foil lined baking sheet and bake until golden. Let cool part way and crumble. Cool completely

3^rd Course:

Roasted Rack of Rhode Island Lamb

with a Fresh Corn Cake and Sautéed Garden Swiss Chard with Cranberries (serves 8)

Wine Pairing - Bordeaux - Chateau Tour Prignac 2005

Rack of Lamb

From Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Parties!

3 tbsp salt

4 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves

6 cloves garlic

1 c Dijon mustard

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

4 racks of lamb, frenched (2 portions of 3 chops per rack)

In a food processor, process salt, rosemary, and garlic until they are as finely minced as possible. Add the mustard and vinegar and process for a minute.

Place the lamb in a roasting pan or baking sheet with the ribs curving down. Coat the tops of the meat with the mustard. Let stand for 1 hour at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Roast the lamb for about 20 minutes for rare, 25 minutes for medium rare. Remove from oven and tent with foil while meat rests for approximately 15 minutes (keep in warm area, such as atop the stove). Cut into individual ribs.

Fresh Corn Cake, made with Walker’s Corn and Gray’s Cornmeal

Inspired from “Polenta Corn Cakes with Wild Mushroom Pan Roast “21” Club,” from Gourmet

2 1/2 c skim milk

1 1/2 c heavy cream

2 c Gray’s Cornmeal

4 ears of fresh corn, blanched and cut off cobs

4 tbsp butter

Water, if needed

4 oz semi-hard cheese, like Gruyere or Ewephoria

Salt, to taste

Butter a 9x13” baking pan. In a large heavy saucepan, stir together milk, cream, and cornmeal over medium heat. Add fresh corn and butter. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer, cooking for 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly so that it doesn’t stick or burn, until the polenta is thick and the corn and cornmeal are cooked. If the polenta gets too thick, you may add water, a tablespoon at a time. Stir in cheese until incorporated and season to taste. Pour into prepared pan and chill until cold, 2-3 hours.

To serve, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut 4” rounds of polenta and place on a silpat lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Once warmed through, remove from oven and turn on broiler. Broil 4” away from element for 2-3 minutes, or until just golden.

To plate, place corn cake in center of plate. Top with some cranberry chard. Arrange three lamb chops just forward of corn cake, with ribs curving over corn cake and chard.

Sautéed Garden Swiss Chard with Cranberries

3 large bunches Swiss chard, rinsed

3 tbsp olive oil

3/4 c dried cranberries

Salt, to taste.

Roll still-wet rinsed leaves of Swiss chard together and cut into 1/2” ribbons. Heat large sauté pan and add oil. When shimmering, add wet chard. Cook until just wilted. Add dried cranberries and season to taste. Continue cooking until chard is tender and cranberries are warmed through, and water has evaporated.

4^th Course:

Soft Gingerbread with a Local Apple Compote and Salted Caramel Sauce (serves 8)

Soft Gingerbread

From Marion Cunningham’s The Breakfast Book

1 c sugar

1 c dark molasses

1 c vegetable oil

3 eggs

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

2 c flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 c boiling water

Local Apple Compote (below)

Salted Caramel Sauce (below)

Crème Chantilly (below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour a 8x8” baking pan. Put the sugar, molasses, oil, and eggs in a mixing bowl and cream until smooth. In another bowl, combine the salt, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, flour, and baking soda and stir to combine thoroughly with a fork. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Add the boiling water and beat well to combine and batter is smooth (it will be thin!). Pour into prepared baking pans and bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Slice slightly warm gingerbread into 2” squares. Serve on a pool of salted caramel sauce with warm apple compote on the side, and a drizzle of caramel and a dollop of crème chantilly on top.

Apple Compote

adapted from Martha Stewart Living, October 2005

3 lbs apples, peeled, cored and diced

1/4 c brown sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 c water

Place cut apples, sugar, lemon juice, and water in a saucepan and cover. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce to low heat and cook covered until apples are tender. Remove top and simmer while stirring until juices evaporate and compote looks like a chunky applesauce. Keep warm for plating dessert.

Salted Caramel Sauce

from Christine Muhlke’s “The Way We Eat: Salt With a Deadly Weapon,” from The New York Times Magazine

2 1/4 cups white sugar

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup cream

3 tbsp butter

1/2 c milk

Salt to taste (I used about 3 tsp)

Combine sugar and water in a large (tall sides) saucepan. Do not stir. Cook over medium-high heat to a dark caramel, swirling once the edges begin to brown (this may take 5-10 minutes). Reduce the heat to low when the caramel turns a dark brown shade and you can smell the dark caramel scent. Deglaze with cream (watch out, it will bubble). Add butter and milk. Stir well. Season to taste. Keep warm for serving.

Crème Chantilly

1 c heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp confectioners’ sugar

In a cold bowl, whip together all ingredients to stiff peaks.

A New Twist on a Vegetarian Mainstay

I admit. Not a veggie burger fan at all. I actually cringe when I hear "Boca Burger," or "GardenBurger." Those sad thin patties just look unappetizing. The only time I've remotely expressed interest in a veggie burger is at Houston's (or I guess Hillstone now). It is a grain-based burger with a sweet glaze of sorts. Surprisingly tasty, but I prefer a bit more protein in my burger. Now that I'm playing with focusing more on plants in my diet and less on animal meat, I'm looking for delicious and satiating vegetarian options. This may be my new favorite.

A week ago or so, The New York Times published a series of recipes for vegetarian burgers. One immediately caught my attention: white bean burgers. The creaminess of white beans with some herbs. Between two slices of hearty nutty wheat bread? And hot pepper jelly? Yum! I planned on making this for another vegetarian special at school, only to learn we had no canned white beans and I needed these beans stat...I couldn't wait for the beans to soak and cook overnight. Problem quickly solved: I would swap out white beans for black beans, up the garlic and herbs, and then add a jalapeno-lime-cilantro creme to the mix. Though the recipe makes a very, very moist burger (I used brioche crumbs - fresh - so it didn't soak up much moisture, but the slight sweetness perfectly complimented the herbs and garlic), it can be quickly remedied with panko or normal dry bread crumbs.

Here is my recipe:

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
salt to taste
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 c finely grated carrot (or more)
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 c (or more) finely chopped parsley
2 tsp minced fresh sage or thyme
1/2 c breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
Nutty, hearty whole wheat bread
Hot pepper jelly
Lime-jalapeno-cilantro crema (below)

Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a medium skillet and add the onion. Cook until translucent. Add a pinch of salt, garlic, and grated carrot. Cook for a minute or two, until fragrant, and the carrot has softened slightly.  Remove from heat.

In a food processor, puree the beans with the lemon juice. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the onion mixture. Add the herbs, bread, and egg. Season to taste. Form into patties, 1/2" to 3/4" in thickness. Set on parchment lined sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for 2 hours.

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet (nonstick is nice). Brown patties, about 4 minutes per side (they should release). Be very careful when you turn them over as they are moist patties. Finish in the oven (350 degrees) for 3-5 minutes. Serve hot on toast with condiments above, or of your choice.

For the lime-jalapeno-cilantro crema, we simply combined jalapenos finely chopped, with chopped cilantro, in a combination of mascarpone and sour cream. I liked the more mascarpone to sour cream ratio (not too sour), and when cut with lime juice and salt and pepper it tasted magical. Smeared on the warm burger, with pepper jelly. Yum.

At a loss for what to make for dinner?

Try this delicious mushroom ragout recipe! It's perfect in a pinch, and even better if you have some delicious fresh wild mushrooms. I used a mixture of cremini, shiitakes, and oyster mushrooms. Pour a glass of a big chardonnay, and curl up by the fire.

I found - and made - this dish as a vegetarian special at school. It was quite easy to make and a treat to eat! It is based on a recipe from Giada deLaurentiis. I tweaked it, making the ragout in advance and cooking it til quite dry. For service, we heated the fettuccine and then separately heated the ragout with some cream. Once both were warm, I added the pasta to the sauce and tossed it with some extra pasta water. I then plated the mixture, and topped it with a hearty amount of fresh parmesan and chopped basil and parsley. Next time I make this, I might even try gruyere and swiss!

Enjoy!

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound mixed mushrooms, chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 marsala
2 c chicken broth
1/3 c heavy cream
5 fresh basil leaves
1/4 c flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 c grated parmesan

Heat the oil in a large skillet. When hot, add the onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until the onions are very translucent (8 min or so). Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat and saute until the mushrooms are tender. Add the marsala to pan with it off the heat. Bring the heat back to the fire and cook til wine has evaporated. Add the chicken stock and simmer for a 1/2 hour until the sauce is reduced by half. Add the heavy cream and mix well. Season to taste and add the fresh parmesan and herbs.

Serve hot with pappardelle, tagliatelle or fettuccine

A New Year and A Fresh Start!

Happy New Year!

It's been a while since I posted (oops - holiday madness. New Year's resolution to post more regularly? Hmm..), but I've been busy!

Here is a sneak (yummy) peak as to what I've been up to. Stay tuned for more information (and recipes)!

To start: Seared Bay Scallops with Butternut Squash Puree and an Apple Cider-Maple Reduction

And then: A Chestnut Soup with Creme Fraiche, Candied Walnuts, and Parsley

Followed by a Rack of Lamb with a Fresh Corn Cake and Sauteed Swiss Chard with Cranberries

And to finish: Soft Gingerbread with Apple Compote and Salted Caramel Sauce

Enjoy!