What's the best thing you've made lately?

[Jenise]

I haven't been cooking for the two of us much the past week since I'm cooking for the big neighborhood Xmas wine dinner this Saturday, so I have to go back to last weekend and the miroton I made out of a couple of prime beef rib eyes that had been in the freezer for almost-too-long. In fact, I made two, and will be serving the second one at lunch today to friends who are coming over to learn how to debone poultry.

What's been good at your house?

Not much time for me to cook recently, but my last pizza was pretty edible. Cynthia made an apple/cranberry crisp last night that was to die for.

A rather basic beef stew, but after browing the beef and onions I deglazed the pan with a generous splash of ESJ Los Robles Viejos. After adding potatos and carrots and the usual spices I added some nutmeg. I let it all simmer until nearly dry, added more water, stirred and let it simmer some more. One of my tastier stews. Of course, drinking the rest of the ESJ with it helped.

Probably the lentil soup or the hangar steak I posted on. Or the Chipotle meatballs. Someone at dinner last night raved about it.

It's cookie season. I made Mexican wedding cookies yesterday. They're almost as good as Gravenstein apple pie.

John, wishing for a long long long long Gravenstein season (but knowing better, dang it)

a nice batch of goulash and spaeztle for a cold weekend night.


-mike

Tonight Stuart made a porcini and pea risotto that just rocked my world.

OK, now a vegetarian dish like that I could enjoy, but if anyone, ever, ever tries to serve me lentil loaf again I'll make the headline news.

That's the kind of thing that makes me embarrassed to be a vegetarian.

The risotto did not suck. We managed to leave our bowls molecularly clean.

Tonight Stuart made a porcini and pea risotto that just rocked my world.

Are you willing to post the recipe?

Tonight Stuart made a porcini and pea risotto that just rocked my world.

All it needs is a pork chop on the side.

There's really not much to it, it's more technique than recipe. I chopped a few big fat shallots, started sauteeing them in an excess of butter. When they got transparent, I added some minced garlic and a cup of carnaroli rice. Stirred them around until the rice was translucent, added some chopped porcini, stirred/sauteed for a minute, then added half a cup of white wine. When that reduced, I started adding some boiling vegetable broth (I cheated and used Swanson's with the porcini soaking liquid, a cheese rind, a bay leaf, and some chopped thyme). Did the usual risotto thing (slow additions of broth, five or six cups in all to one cup rice, and a lot of stirring), then as it got near the end, tossed in chopped parsley, peas, and grated Parmesan. Finished with a tablespoon of butter, then served.

And don't forget that you also used a small amount of the yummy onion soup that was left.

I made Jenise's Pineapple Muffins the other day. Yum!

It has been a little crazy at our house lately so dinners have been easy, and prep work minimal. This dinner was very nice.
A jar of good sauerkraut and juice mixed with apple, caraway seeds, garlic and apple placed on the bottom of the Crockpot. Place two pounds of pork tenderloins, on top (I sprinkled the meat with a little coarse salt and pepper, and Penzy's garlic powder) put lid on and cook for 9 hours on low or high for 5 hours. Near the end, I sprinkled a little brown sugar over the contents, replaced lid and let the sugar melt. It was even better the next day.

Arroz con Pollo, using some of that hot pimenton I got from Frank. Had a half link of linguica in the freezer, so I added that. Used some chopped frozen hericot verts to replace the frozen peas (which I don't like). Yummy!

Dammit, Stuart, if you're getting fresh porcini's in Butte in December then I'm pissed.


As for me, the recent "bests" would be a creamed spinach that I made for Thanksgiving dinner in Wisconsin and a risotto with duck confit and chard that we had tonight.

Dried. You may now feel better.

It's been a long week at work. Tonight's dinner was a couple of cheeses, some of Armandino's salumi, some crackers, and vino.

Dried. You may now feel better.

Whew.

Not me, but Pete's Provence-style Apricot and Nectarine jam has been amaaazing. Fresh fruits, mixed spice, glace ginger and Kirsh...

Pizza last night at our place. Created by my personal chef, of course.

Pizza last night at our place. Created by my personal chef, of course.

Aaahh...I miss Stuart coming over and cooking his pea/porcini risotto and pizzas with Traci...looks terrific.

A reliable vendor at our Farmers Market has branched out by raising Goats and Sheep. I bought some cheaper cuts of each Saturday - lamb shank (cut into pieces) and goat breast. I followed standard operating procedure. Seasoned and browned the meat in EVOO, removed. Added onion, leek, celery, carrot, garlic, bay, thyme, rosemarry to pan, sauteed a while, added white wine to deglaze, some chopped tomatoes, parsley, red pepper flakes and oil cured black olives. Returned the meat to pan, added just enough water, covered and put in oven. Turned meat about every 30 minutes for 2 hours. Magnificent, falling off the bone tender, rich concentrated flavor and each meat tasted of itself. The Goat was great!

Drank 1995 Il Podere dell' Olivos Refosco. Really a terrific wine at a silly price - under $8 at the last ABC open house.