Échinée Bordelaise

Pork is not my favorite meat--it can be tough or fatty or both. But this recipe gave me tender, delicate meat--Sami at first thought it was veal. It was delicious served with spaetzle (will post that recipe as well).

In the original recipe from Je Sais Cuisiner (I know how to cook), the meat was supposed to be one piece that was rolled and tied. However, my butcher insisted that I'd want chunks. It certainly took less time, so once again, he was right.

Échinée Bordelaise

2 lbs. pork shoulder (Boston butt)

salt, pepper

3 T. (50 g.) butter

1 c. (25 cl) chicken broth

2 c. (50 cl) dry white wine

1 bay leaf

2 branches thyme

2 cloves

1 onion, peeled and halved

You can leave the shoulder whole or cut it into 2-inch chunks, depending on how much time you have. Salt and pepper the meat. Heat the butter in a large frying pan with a cover or a dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown the meat. Add the broth, wine, bay leaves, thyme, and onion halves stuck with the cloves. Bring to a boil and simmer 1 hour (for chunks) to 2-1/2 hours (whole piece). Remove the meat and other solids from the liquid and bring it to a boil over high heat. Let it boil down to a thickish sauce. Serve with lentils or spaetzle and the rest of the bottle of wine.

Mushroom Lasagne

I was just looking up whether it's lasagne or lasagna (Facebook spellcheck prefers the latter; the former is more correct in Italian) and found this from the Splendid Table website:

"Lasagne was not everyday food. In Emilia-Romagna it marked the birth of a girl. In Puglia's city of Bari, lasagne rounded out Christmas reveling, appearing on December 26, the feast of San Stefano. Special company and weddings brought lasagne to the table in Marche. An old saying is, "swimming in lasagne" is to be in the money."

So there's your trivia for today. But as you may have noticed, I like to make lasagne on a fairly regular basis and to mess around with the recipe. This one is based VERY loosely on a lasagne recipe from a little community cookbook from my Aunt Fran's school. I mostly have this cookbook to refer to Aunt Fran's potato salad recipe, but often find other gems. I even contributed a recipe for chocolate ice cream!

Anyway, back to lasagne. Here's the recipe I came up with:

Mushroom Lasagne

2 T. olive oil

2 onions, chopped

1-1/2 lbs. mushrooms, finely chopped (I used the Cuisinart for this)

1 large clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

1 t. sugar

1 bay leaf

1/2 c. red wine

1 large can tomato paste

(Parmesan rind, if you have one lying around)

9 lasagne noodles (I like the no-cook kind)

8 oz. (about a cup) ricotta

12 oz. (about 3 c. ) mozzarella, grated

2 oz. (about 1/2 c.) Parmesan, grated

8 oz. frozen thawed spinach (I used about a cup of leftover cooked spinach)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions until translucent. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they've cooked down a bit and have started to give off liquid. Add the garlic, salt and pepper to taste, sugar, bay leaf, and wine, and cook down to almost nothing. Add the tomato paste and 1-2 cans of water (use more liquid if you're using no-cook noodles; less if you're boiling your noodles); throw in the Parmesan rind if you're using it. Bring to a boil and then simmer as long as you can get away with--I probably gave mine about 30-45 minutes. Fish out the bay leaf and Parmesan rind.

Heat the oven to 375 and oil a deep 9-inch square pan. (Cook the noodles if you need to.) Put a big scoop of sauce at the bottom of the pan and spread around. Layer on 3 noodles and spread about a third of the sauce over them. Dollop on half the ricotta, spread on half the spinach, and sprinkle on a third of the mozzarella and Parmesan (you can mix the cheeses). Repeat: noodles, sauce, ricotta, spinach, cheeses, noodles, sauce, cheeses.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly. Let rest while you make a salad, and then devour. This will easily serve 6.

Lamb Curry with Tomato

One of the things I love about being here is being able to buy my food from people who know what they're doing. I need lamb for curry, so I go see my butcher. I tell him what I'm making and how many people I'm serving (although he has an exaggerated notion of what a serving is), and he fixes it up for me. In this case, he went to the big fridge in the back, pulled out a giant piece of meat, and proceeded to sharpen his knife and cut and trim and give me a beautiful package of lamb stew meat.

And so I made this curry. It's very easy, and besides the lamb, you probably have all the ingredients sitting around your kitchen. And for Julia, I set aside some sauce and cooked it with potatoes and peas and she said it was yummy.

This recipe comes from the Joy of Cooking, and it's really worth making.

Lamb Curry with Tomato

2-3 T. vegetable oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 t. salt

1 large clove garlic, minced

1-1/2 t. grated fresh ginger

2 t. cumin

2 t. coriander

1 t. turmeric

1/2 t. cayenne

1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes

1-1/2 lb. lamb stew meat, in 1-inch chunks

1 c. frozen peas

2 T. chopped cilantro

In a large covered skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion and salt until it starts to turn brown. Add the garlic, ginger, and spices and stir for a minute, or until fragrant. Add half the tomatoes and the meat, stir, and let cook down for just a bit. Then add the rest of the tomatoes, bring to a boil, then cover and turn down the heat. Simmer for about 2 hours. If you think the sauce is not thick enough, uncover the curry during the last half hour or so. About 5 minutes before you want to serve the curry, add the peas. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with rice and/or naan and maybe some chutney.

Clam Chowder

For the first time ever, I made clam chowder with actual clams. It was quite the adventure. I found the clams easily enough at the fish store, and while the guy was packing them up, I asked him how to prepare them. "Uh, you just open them and eat them raw!" I explained that I wanted to cook them: did I need to soak them? wash them? He looked very confused--why would I want to cook these? So he asked the manager, who took one look at me and declared, "Ah, you must want to make that American clam soup!" Busted.

So I took my clams home and washed them and steamed them in water and white wine, hoping to use the broth instead of clam juice. But the broth, for whatever chemical reason, turned a horrifying shade of blue. I really didn't think my family wanted to eat blue soup. So that was discarded.

Despite all this adventure, I made some really delicious clam chowder. I still kind of wish I could buy canned clams in France, though...

This recipe, with some modifications, comes from the September 1999 issue of Bon Appétit.

Littleneck Clam Chowder

2-3 lbs. littleneck clams (I have no idea what kind of clams I used. In French they were called "clams")

3 T. butter

1 onion, diced

1/4 c. flour

1/2 c. white wine

1-1/2 c. clam juice (I used water and a bit of "fish stock powder")

1-1/2 c. milk

3 medium white potatoes, peeled and diced

In a large pot or covered skillet, put the clams and a bit of water over medium-high heat. Steam, watching closely, about 8 minutes. Take the clams out with tongs as they open. Scoop the cooked clams out and set aside. Don't use any clams that haven't opened. Make sure to keep the juice inside the clams as well as the cooking water, assuming it's not blue. You'll probably want to strain it through a fine sieve or even a coffee filter.

Now get out another large pot and melt the butter in it over medium heat. Add the onion and a bit of salt and sauté until translucent. Sprinkle the flour over and let cook for about a minute. Then gradually add the white wine, clam juice, and milk, stirring constantly and carefully to avoid lumps. Add the potatoes, cover, and cook at medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, or until they are tender.

With scissors or a knife, coarsely chop the clams and add them and any reserved juices to the soup. Cook the soup just until hot and serve with bread and a salad. This makes 4 good-sized bowls.

Vegetable Couscous

I asked my German host family what they'd like to eat for dinner--was there anything typically French they'd like to have? They had no particular wishes, so Sami suggested couscous, which is what his parents like to serve guests. We all agreed that was a good idea. Since they don't eat much meat, I made up a vegetarian version, and it came out great.

I used raz al-hanout, a North African spice mix, in my couscous, but if you don't have it, I would use a bit more cumin, some coriander, and maybe some curry powder.

Vegetable Couscous

2 T. olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

Salt and pepper

1 red pepper, diced

4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 T. cumin

1 T. raz al-hanout

1/4 t. red pepper flakes (increase if you want this spicy)

1 large can crushed tomatoes

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 bag baby spinach

Couscous--about 1/3 cup per person

Butter

In a large pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion along with some salt and pepper, and sauté until translucent. Add the pepper and carrots and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes or so. Add the garlic and spices and sauté another minute. Your kitchen should smell really good. Add the tomatoes and about half a can of water, stir that well, and then add the potato chunks. Cover and turn down the heat to medium low; cook for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are just about tender. Add the zucchini and chickpeas and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for another 5 minutes. Check the seasoning.

Cook the couscous according to package directions. When it's cooked, add a bit of butter and fluff with a fork or with your fingers. Serve the vegetable stew over the couscous--with harissa on the side, of course.

Vegetable Lasagne

I actually started with the recipe from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, but this ended up being more like the vegetarian lasagne Mom made from the Pleasures of Cooking. Except that recipe had at least 3 pounds of cheese in it. I went for more vegetables than cheese, and I think it worked out well. Feel free to play around with the vegetables.

Vegetable Lasagne

1 T. olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced

1 lb. carrots, shredded

Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning or your favorite dried herbs

1/2 c. red wine

1 large can tomato purée

8 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed

9 lasagne noodles (I used the no-cook kind)

8 oz. mozzarella, grated

2 oz. Parmesan, grated

8 oz. ricotta

1/4 c. chopped basil

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion until translucent. Add the carrots and mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms have started to give off liquid. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Pour in the wine, scrape up the bottom, and let cook down for a few minutes. Add the tomato puree (and about a cup of water if you're using the no-cook noodles) and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, heat the oven to 400. Cook your lasagne noodles if you're using the regular kind. Mix together the mozzarella and Parmesan; mix the ricotta and basil and season with some salt and pepper. Grease a deep 9-inch square pan.

Layer up the lasagne: one-fourth of the tomato sauce, three noodles, one-third of the mozzarella mixture, one-half of the ricotta mixture, noodles, tomato sauce, cheese, remaining ricotta, noodles, tomato sauce, last of the mozzarella. Put in the oven (it's not a bad idea to put it on a foil-lined baking sheet first to catch drips) and bake for 30 minutes, until bubbling. Let rest a few minutes, then cut and serve. Feel virtuous about how healthy your lasagne is.

Tarte aux Carottes

This is translated from a French food blog I follow, Canelle et Cacao. I would never have thought of putting grated root vegetables in a tart/quiche, but it works--it's substantial and light at the same time because of the high veggie/custard ratio. My change to the recipe was to add some cheese, and I'm glad I did. I used up some various bits of cheese hiding in the fridge, and I recommend you do the same.

Tarte aux Carottes

1-1/4 c. whole wheat flour

2/3 c. rolled oats

1 T. poppy or sesame seeds

1/2 t. salt

1/4 c. olive oil

2-4 T. water

Get out your food processor--you're going to want it for the carrots anyway. Put in the steel blade and then put in the flour, oatmeal, seeds, and salt; process for a few seconds. Add the oil and pulse a few times until you seem to have some crumbs forming. Add the water about a tablespoonful a time until the dough holds together. Shape the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic or wax paper; refrigerate at least an hour.

1 lb. carrots or mixed root vegetables (I used carrots, parsnips, and golden turnips)

1 T. olive oil

4 oz. cheese of your choice (really, anything in your fridge that's not Velveeta)

Minced fresh herbs of your choice (recipe calls for chervil; I used chives and parsley)

2 eggs

1/2 c. cream, milk, or half-and-half

Salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 350. Peel the carrots and shred them in the food processor. In a large skillet with a cover, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the carrots for a bit (season them with a bit of salt and pepper), then put the cover on and let steam for about 10 minutes; stir them occasionally so they don't stick and burn. They should be getting limp.

In the meantime, grate the cheese and beat together the eggs, cream, herbs, and about 1/2 t. salt and some pepper. Also, roll out the dough and line a 9-inch pie pan with it. Sprinkle half the cheese over the crust. When the carrots are done, put them on top of the cheese and then top with the egg custard. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over that and put the tart in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until it is golden on top and underneath. Enjoy eating your vegetables.

Thai-ish Pocket Bread Sandwiches

I remember exactly where I got this recipe, even though it was probably 15 years or so ago. It was from a "Beef: it's What's For Dinner" ad that I tore out of a magazine. And typed up. And finally made.

There is nothing authentic about this recipe, but it's still really good. I added a couple small sliced onions to the peppers, and since I had lemongrass in the fridge, I minced up about half a stalk of that and threw it in. If you don't eat meat, I imagine you could put some chickpeas or kidney beans in there. And even if you do eat meat, I would think that half a pound of ground beef is plenty--I felt like there was too much. But maybe that's just me. Anyway, make this. It will take you all of 25-30 minutes.

Thai Pocket Bread Sandwiches

1 lb. lean ground beef 2 T. soy sauce

2 small red peppers 2 T. lime juice

2 T. minced fresh ginger 1 t. sesame oil

4 cloves garlic, minced 3-4 pocket breads

1/2 t. crushed red pepper 1 tomato

1/2 c. chopped cilantro 6-8 lettuce leaves

3 T. chunky peanut butter

In a large frying pan, brown beef; drain off fat. Thinly slice peppers; add to pan along with ginger, garlic, and chilies; stir often until peppers are limp, 3-5 minutes . Stir together peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, and sesame oil; add to pan along with cilantro. Cut bread in half crosswise; core and slice tomato . Tuck equally into each half-round the tomato, lettuce, and meat mixture. Makes 6-8 pieces.

Roasted Red Pepper and Corn Tart

This comes from a back issue of the San Francisco Chronicle. I made a few changes, as always: I made my own pie crust, but I used canned corn because I live in the Land of Canned Corn. And I added cheese: a bit of grated Gruyère on the bottom to keep the crust from getting soggy (ha!) and a few dollops of chèvre on top for good measure. Those were the cheeses I had in my fridge: consider getting creative (Cheddar? Pepper Jack?) with what you have in yours. The recipe says it serves 6-8, which is a complete lie. Claire had the last piece this morning for breakfast.

Roasted Red Pepper and Corn Tart

* 1 ready-to-use pie crust

* 1 red bell pepper

* 1 tablespoon butter

* 2 tablespoons minced shallots

* 1 ear corn, shucked and kernels cut off the cob

* 2 eggs

* 1 cup whole milk

* 1 teaspoon kosher salt

* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or marjoram leaves

Instructions: Preheat oven to 400°.

Place the pie pastry in a 9- or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Line the pastry with a sheet of aluminum foil and add pie weights, rice or dried beans. Place in the oven and bake until the edges are firm, about 10 minutes. Remove the foil and the weights and bake until the bottom is opaque, about 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.

Over an open flame or on a grill, roast the pepper until it is charred. Place it in a plastic bag for 10 minutes, then peel and remove the seeds and the fleshy ribs. Dice the pepper and set aside.

Reduce the oven to 375°.

In a frying pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. When it has melted, add the shallots and the corn and sauté just until the shallots are translucent, about 1-2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, salt and pepper and beat with a whisk to blend. Add the oregano or marjoram and the reserved corn and shallot mixture. Squeeze the peppers to remove any excess liquid and add to the bowl.

Pour the mixture into the tart pan and place in the oven.

Bake until slightly puffed and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Remove to a rack and let cool 15-20 minutes before serving.

To serve, gently slide a knife around the edges to release any pastry that might be sticking, then remove the bottom and place the tart on a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Roasted Halibut in Curry Sauce

This has a lot of component parts but is not difficult to put together. And it's healthy and tastes good. I've adapted it from the October 2004 Bon Appétit. I'm putting the original ingredients as well as the substitutions I made so that you can make your own adaptations according to what you can find...I served this with roasted potatoes (the oven was on, after all), but it would also be good with rice.

Roasted Halibut in Thai Curry Sauce

1 can coconut milk (light is probably fine)

1/2 c. chicken broth (or water)

1 T. yellow curry paste (I used red)

1 T. curry powder

4 halibut fillets (I used cod--use whatever is firm, white, and not overfished)

1 T. vegetable oil

1/2 t. salt

2 T. butter or coconut oil

1-1/2 lbs. shiitake mushrooms (I used less than a pound of brown mushrooms)

1 lb. baby bok choy, leaves separated from the core (I used baby Swiss chard, sliced)

Lemon wedges

Heat the oven to 450. In a small saucepan, mix the coconut milk, broth, curry paste, and curry powder. Bring to a boil and let simmer to reduce while you make the rest of the meal.

In a baking dish big enough to fit the fish in, make a small pool of oil and sprinkle in the salt. Use your hands to rub this mixture over the fish. Roast for about 10 minutes or until it's done to your liking.

As soon as the fish goes in the oven, heat the butter or coconut oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. When it is melted and hot, throw in the mushrooms (and the Swiss chard stems) and stir-fry until the mushroom liquid has cooked off a bit. Add the bok choy/chard leaves and stir-fry until they've wilted.

To plate this, put a spoonful of sauce on a plate and top with a fish fillet. Top that with a big scoop of veggies and then another generous spoonful of sauce. Enjoy!

Indian Rice Salad

This is very loosely adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. Very loosely--but the book is all about improvisation, after all. It makes a ton, which is good, because rice salad makes an easy lunch that you can take along without worry about refrigeration or heating.

Indian Rice Salad

1 small head cauliflower, cut or broken into florets

1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch squares

2 T. olive oil (or whatever oil you like)

1 t. salt

1 t. cumin seed

1/2 c. lentils

1-1/2 c. rice (basmati is nice; brown basmati might be even better)

1 c. frozen peas

a 1-inch piece fresh ginger

3 T. rice vinegar

1/2 t. salt

1 T. curry powder

1/2 t. turmeric

1/2 c. coconut milk

2 green onions, sliced thin

Heat the oven to 425. Toss the cauliflower and potatoes with olive oil, salt, and cumin seed on a large (foil-lined) baking sheet. Roast for about 15-20 minutes, or until fully cooked and tinged with brown. Let cool. In the meantime, heat a large pot of well-salted water. When it comes to a boil, add the lentils and cook for 10 minutes. Add the rice and cook another 10 minutes. Add the peas and cook for another 3-5 minutes. At this point, almost all the water might be absorbed--make sure you stir occasionally. Drain and let cool.

In a blender put the ginger, vinegar, salt, curry, turmeric, and coconut milk; blend for about a minute until the ginger is minced and an emulsion of sorts is formed. Get out a large bowl and put into it the green onion, the rice mixture, the cauliflower mixture, and the coconut milk mixture. Toss together well and taste. I needed to add more vinegar and more salt. Serve right away or whenever you're ready. You can make this well in advance.

Light and Fluffy Pancakes

Saturday breakfast before hitting the road! I adapted this from a recipe in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian based on the fact that I had three rather than four eggs and I had buttermilk in the fridge. Delicious--they vanished quickly.

Light and Fluffy Pancakes

1-1/2 c. flour (1/2 c. can be whole wheat)

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 T. sugar

3 eggs, separated

1/2 t. vanilla

1-1/2 c. buttermilk

Heat up your griddle before you start mixing--grease it if necessary. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl, preferably one with a spout. Beat the egg whites until they hold a stiff peak. Add the egg yolks, vanilla, and buttermilk to the dry ingredients and mix until fairly well incorporated--lumps are OK. Fold in the egg whites. Spoon or pour out the batter onto the hot griddle. This should make about 20 pancakes.

Tangerine Beef

This is kind of an Asian fusion recipe--according to the Bon Appetit I got it from, they made this at the Ritz in Shanghai. Perfect. We (the meat eaters among us) really enjoyed it--there's not a lot of tangerine flavor, which is kind of a shame, but it's still very much worth eating.

Tangerine Beef

Juice and grated zest of 2 large or 3 small tangerines

1 clove garlic, sliced

2 T. soy sauce

4 steaks of your choice (I used flank steak; the recipe called for tenderloin. Let your budget be your guide)

2 c. beef broth

1/3 c. ruby Port

1 star anise

2 T. olive oil

1-1/2 t. Szechuan (or regular) peppercorns (note: Szechuan peppercorns are legal again, but they still make your tongue numb!)

2 T. butter

8 oz. shiitake or regular mushrooms, sliced

2 large or 3 small shallots, diced

Mix together the tangerine juice/zest, garlic, and soy sauce in a large Zip-loc (or other container suitable for marinating). Add the steaks and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

Remove steaks from the marinade and pour the marinade into a medium saucepan. Add the broth, Port, and star anise and boil to reduce down to about 3/4 c. This will take about 10 minutes. Take out the star anise and get ready to cook the steaks.

Heat the oven to 350. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Coat the steaks with the peppercorns and then sear the steaks on both sides. Transfer them to a baking dish and let finish in the oven (if you like your steaks really rare, just have the oven on to about 225 to keep the steaks warm). Add the butter to the pan; when it has melted, add the mushrooms and shallots and sauté until the mushrooms start giving off juices. Add the reduced sauce, scraping up the browned bits in the pan, and let cook and reduce another 5 minutes or so. Season the sauce to taste.

Slice the steak thinly, especially if it's a flank steak or other less expensive cut, and serve with the sauce.

"Detox" split pea soup

I have a subscription to Elle magazine: I find it's a great way to learn French and keep up on trends in society. And it has pretty pictures :-). Julia and Claire also look at it, and Julia found this "detox diet" that she wanted to try. The thing about this diet is that it involves food that you'd actually want to eat (if you like fruits and veggies). So this soup is one of the diet recipes she tried out. She made a really yummy stew of winter vegetables, prunes, and orange juice (no, don't gag--it was really good!) for lunch today. I feel healthier already...

So here's the soup recipe, loosely translated from Elle.

Split Pea Soup

2 branches celery, diced

1 onion, diced

1 T. olive oil

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 T. soy sauce

Pepper

7 oz. split peas, rinsed

2 bouillon cubes (or about 2 c. chicken or vegetable broth--French people use a lot of bouillon cubes)

Juice of one lemon

In a medium saucepan, sauté the celery and onion in the olive oil over medium heat. Add the thyme, soy sauce, and pepper and stir that around another minute. Add the peas and bouillon cubes and enough water to completely cover the peas. Bring to a boil; turn down the heat and let simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the peas are mushy. Add more water/broth if it looks dry. Remove the thyme and use an immersion blender or other tool to purée the soup. Squeeze in the lemon juice and serve. Feel virtuous. The diet suggests you serve this with steamed fennel as a starter and a pear for dessert. Just saying.

"Mole" chili

I have some Mexican friends who would have a heart attack if they saw this called mole. But it does have a nice complex flavor. I cut down on the cocoa a bit because Sami objects to tasting chocolate in a savory dish. Whatever. This recipe is from an old issue of Sunset, I'm pretty sure, and I've adapted it to (hopefully) avoid the toughness issue I had.

Lobo Chile Mole

2 lbs. beef chuck, in cubes 2 28-oz. cans tomatoes

3 large onions, chopped 2-1/2 c. beef broth

4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 can tomato paste

1 T. cumin seed 3 T. cocoa powder

2 t. oregano 3 T. chili powder

1 t. allspice 2 T. olive oil

In a 5-6 quart heavy pot with lid over medium-high heat, heat oil. Brown the meat on all sides; remove to a plate or bowl. Turn down the heat to medium and sauté the onions until they are translucent (probably about 10 minutes), being sure to scrape up any browned meat bits. Add a little water if those bits seem to be getting too brown. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, allspice, chili powder, about 1 t. salt, and cocoa powder, and sauté another minute. Pour in the broth, then add the meat and any juices that have accumulated. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn down the heat to low. Simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is becoming tender but not yet falling apart. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer for another half hour. Taste for seasoning--I needed to add some more chili to bump up the heat a bit.

Serve this over rice or with cornbread and with the accompaniments you like best--this is not an especially hot chili, so you may not need the whole cheese/sour cream thing. Maybe just some avocado and chopped tomato.

Italian Pot Roast

This recipe comes from my mother's tattered, grease-stained copy, "Fifth Printing, 1971," of Sunset's Favorite Recipes. It's precious to me because it includes my mom's notes on recipes, as well as my own, and even Alicia's. To wit: Mom's handwriting on the "Forgotten Short Ribs": "The whole family enjoyed this." Alicia's handwriting (looks like she might be 10 or so), "Minus one". A vegetarian in training.

Oh, yeah, it also has some good recipes. This one did not have Mom's writing on it, but it was definitely worth making. I made a few minor changes.

This is easy but cooks for a long time: plan ahead.

Italian Pot Roast

2 T. olive oil

3-4 lb. chuck roast (my butcher gave me beef shank--at least I think he did, since he pointed to his forearm)

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/4 t. ground ginger

2 large onions, sliced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 c. white or red wine

1 oz. dried mushrooms (I used porcini, but a mix would be nice as well)

1 c. hot water

1 can tomato sauce

1 c. pitted olives (whatever kind you like)

Preheat the oven to 325. In a large oven-proof lidded skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the roast with the salt, pepper, and ginger and brown it well on all sides in the oil. Remove the meat, turn down the heat a bit, and sauté the onions until they are starting to turn golden. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Add the wine, scrape up the bottom, and let cook down just a bit. Put the roast in the pot, put some of the onions on top, and cover. Put in the oven and bake for 90 minutes.

While the roast is cooking, soak the mushrooms in the water. When the 90 minutes are about up, scoop the mushrooms out of the water (save that mushroom liquid!), squeeze them out a bit, and chop them roughly. Turn the roast over and add the mushrooms to the pot. Strain the mushroom liquid into the pot as well. Cover and put back in the oven for an hour. Add the tomato sauce and olives and cook yet another hour. Enjoy the way your kitchen smells. Take the meat from the sauce and slice it; check the seasoning of the sauce, and serve with pasta or potatoes or polenta. This probably serves at least 6.