Red Wine Braised Beef and Sunchoke Creamed Spinach

why, helloooo sexy

When Steven and I went to the local outlet mall, I never expected to come home with a 13 pound addition to the kitchen. I didn’t even want to go inside the Le Creuset store because it’s just filled with gorgeous things I can't afford. *siiigh* Why bother? But Steven convinced me to take a peek and I’m sure glad he did because there happened to be a sale, a damn good one! The 5 1/2 quart Dutch oven was on sale for $150! Holy crap, what a freakin' steal! You bet I'm gonna get one. There was some inner turmoil about whether to get the original Flame or the sexy Cherry Red. It couldn't have been more perfect timing because the enamel on my Chefmate Dutch oven started chipping off. $40 for a pot that only lasted me 2 years or $150 for a lifetime warranty?



The original plan was to get some lamb shanks or beef short ribs (inspired by Jen’s beautiful recipe) to christen the shiny new pot but neither of them were on sale. Instead, I got a chuck 7 bone roast, which is still pretty tasty. Our last CSA box had a bunch of good stuff, asparagus, sunchokes, and spinach. I roasted the asparagus in the toaster oven and made sunchoke creamed spinach after being inspired by Harold Dieterele’s recipe on Top Chef.

I'll have to try this recipe again with the lamb shanks like I originally planned.

Red Wine Braised Beef

1 oz. dried porcinis
4 large sprigs of parsley including stems
2 - 3 large thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 pounds chuck roast or short ribs
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, diced
1 rib celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 C dry red wine
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Water as needed

Pour a cup of hot water over the dried porcinis to rehydrate them. When they are soft, use a fork to fish them out of the liquid, saving the liquid, wash them to get rid of excess dirt and grit, and mince. Wet a coffee filter or paper towel and line a fine mesh sieve. Strain the porcini water to get rid of excess dirt. The wet filter will prevent it from absorbing the flavorful porcini liquid.

Tie the herbs in a bundle with some twine so they’re easy to pick out later.

Season the beef with salt and freshly ground black pepper on all sides. In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Brown the chuck roast (or short ribs, or shanks) until it is browned on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium and add the vegetables, some salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Cook until the vegetables are softened and translucent and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the porcinis, garlic, and tomato paste and cook until the tomato paste has started to caramelize slightly. Add the porcini water, red wine, and return the beef and any accumulated juices back into the pot. Lower the heat to a bare simmer, cover and let it braise for 2 – 3 hours or until the meat is fall off the bone tender. Add some water if there's not enough liquid in the pot.

When the beef is done braising, remove from the pan and turn the heat up to medium and reduce the sauce by half.

Sunchoke Creamed Spinach
8 oz. sunchokes, washed and peeled, and cut into ½ inch chunks
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 C heavy cream + 1/2 C water
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice
2 large bunches of spinach, rinsed of all grit and dirt
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute the sunchokes until they are light brown on the edges. Add half cup of heavy cream and half cup of water and simmer on very low heat until the sunchokes are tender, about 15 – 20 minutes. Puree the sunchokes in a blender or food processor, add some of the cream they were cooked in to thin the mixture.

In skillet heat 2 tsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the spinach until it is wilted. Pour out until accumulated juices in the pan and use a spatula and press out as much liquid from the spinach as you can. Fold in the sunchoke puree, lemon zest, juice and season with salt and pepper.

Beef and Sausage Meatloaf with Roasted Bell Peppers

So many recipes end up in the blog post graveyard because I couldn’t remember how I made it. I never write anything down because I always think I’ll remember everything but two weeks later, I'm racking my brains trying to figure out if it was 1 or 2 teaspoons of x, y, and z. I’ve had this meatloaf sandwich photo in my photostream for over two months because I neglected to write down the recipe the last time I made it. I finally got around to making it again and this time I was extra meticulous in measuring and weighing ingredients. Steven volunteered to be the kitchen scribe so this recipe finally made it down on paper. The roasted bell pepper makes it extra special but I understand if you don’t want to go through the trouble. The best part is the crisp bacon wrapping, that’s something you absolutely can’t skip. I will use any excuse to add bacon to something, preferably copious amounts of bacon. This recipe has one loooong ingredients list but it’s so worth it!

The leftovers are just as good, especially in sandwiches. I prefer hot meatloaf sandwiches, I could never get behind cold meatloaf. I cut the meatloaf into thick slices and sear them in a skillet and sauté some mushrooms and onions. Then all of that gets piled on two slices of thick sourdough with shredded pepper jack or white cheddar, ketchup and mustard, and slowly toasted in a skillet with lots of butter until the cheese is melty and bread is golden. Good times.

I also recently started using Twitter because it seems like the cool thing to do. Actually, I registered my username a few weeks ago but never got around to setting it up. Mysteriously, I started getting followers of my empty Twitter, which pressured/prompted me to try to make things more interesting for all 4 followers. :) Anyway, so if you want to hear me tweet about classes, exams, and food aka my life in three words (more like bitch about the first two and go on incessantly about the third) you can follow me at @nookandpantry. I'm still a total noob at this twitter business so bear with me.

Beef and Sausage Meatloaf with Roasted Bell
Pepper
1 large red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, and diced
8 oz. extra lean ground beef
8 oz. Italian sausage
1/2 large diced onion chopped, roughly 3/4 C cup chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C chopped Italian/flat leaf parsley
1/3 C old-fashioned or quick oatmeal
1 large egg
1/4 C sour cream
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
Tabasco a few shakes to taste
6 - 8 slices of bacon, preferably thick cut

Roast the bell pepper on the stovetop or under the broiler, cut the bell pepper so it lays flat on a baking tray and broil on the top rack until the skin blisters and blackens. Let it sit until it is cool enough to handle before peeling off the skin then dice the roasted pepper. Set aside to cool.

Heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and a big pinch of salt and cook until the onions are translucent and soft. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Mix all of the ingredients – beef, sausage, cooked vegetables, fillers, and flavorings in a large bowl. Turn the meat mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and shape it into a loaf form. Wrap the loaf with bacon, tucking the ends under the loaf. Bake at 375 degrees until the internal temperature is 165 degrees and the bacon is crisp, about an hour. Let it rest for 15 minutes before cutting.

Serve with ketchup because you can't have meatloaf without ketchup.

Mac and Cheese

I’m a sucker for interesting pasta shapes. Even though the pantry is currently overflowing with pasta, I couldn’t pass the Barilla sale display without picking up a box of this cool pasta shape. Fusilli bucati corti are spring shaped noodles with a hollow center - way more interesting than rotini or regular fusilli. Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever used elbow macaroni for mac and cheese. It's just too boring.

I like making mac and cheese on the stovetop because I can control how cooked pasta is and keep the sauce from curdling. I've had sauce curdle on me in the past, which was so not tasty, and it's something I've been paranoid about ever since. I do miss seeing the mac and cheese come out all bubbly and browned from the oven with the toasty bread crumbs on top but it's a sacrifice I've come to terms with. Plus, we don't have a dishwasher and it's one less dish to wash. I just toast some bread crumbs with a little butter and some herbs either in a skillet or in the toaster oven; it's not the same but it's good enough.

The most important thing about mac and cheese is the cheese. Duh. Always use freshly grated cheese because the preshredded stuff is coated in questionable "non-clumping" agents that makes the sauce grainy. Today I used a combination of extra sharp white cheddar and some Parmesan but in the past I've used combination of Cheddar, Monterey, and/or Gruyere. I finished it off with a little splash of white wine, something I borrowed from cheese fondue recipes. Feel free to be creative with the extras. I recently picked up a bag of cooked and shelled langoustines from my local TJ's, which I'm guessing are like mini lobsters or crawfish? I threw some of those in but they are totally optional. You can use kielbasa, ham, Dungeness crab, or leave it plain. I tried to convince Steven to let me put some peas in but that endeavor was immediately shot down.

Mac and Cheese
serves 2 - 3 as entree, 3- 4 as appetizer

8 oz. pasta of your choice
3 slices regular or 2 slices thick cut bacon, cut into thin strips
1 shallot, minced
2 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 C milk, preferably whole
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
4 oz cooked langoustines or whatever extras you feel like adding
Freshly ground black pepper
A little grating of nutmeg (optional)
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
2 C shredded extra sharp Cheddar
1/2 C shredded Parmesan or Gruyere
Salt

Cook the pasta according to your tastes for mac and cheese, al dente or soft, up to you.

While the pasta is cooking, start the sauce. If the pasta finishes cooking before the cheese sauce, drain the pasta and set it aside.

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until most of the fat has rendered and it is beginning to crisp. Add the minced shallot and some salt and cook until the shallots have softened.

Add the flour and cook the flour until it is golden brown. Slowly drizzle in the milk while whisking. Make sure to whisk out all the clumps of flour.

Add the langoustines, Dijon, black pepper, nutmeg and cayenne if using, and whisk the bechamel until it has thickened and is bubbling. Stir in the white wine and turn off the heat.

Wait until the bechamel is no longer bubbling to add the cheese. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and then salt to taste. Stir in the pasta and serve.

Chow Down at Baby Blues BBQ

I've been trying to actually use my Cozmo cards, so when I had to go to LAX I decided to try out Baby Blues BBQ in Venice.The place was crowded and loud - typical small BBQ joint. I was excited that they had sweet tea!!! It's hard enough for me to find ppl in LA who even KNEW what sweet tea is.

We decided to share the Blue Devil plate which gives you 4 meats (although Texas and baby back will cost you extra :/), corn bread, and 2 sides. We got the Texas beef ribs, Memphis ribs, baby back ribs, and shrimps - with sweet potato and corn on the cob for the sides.

The corn on the cob was sweet and moist.
I initially enjoyed the blue cheese they put on the corn, but after a while it was too much for me and I really just wanted to taste the sweetness of the corn itself.

The ribs were all great. Pretty tender with beef < memphis < baby back in tenderness.

Now, to show you the differences between the ribs, here are the bones, from top to bottom, of the Texas style beef ribs, then the baby back ribs, followed by the Memphis style long bone ribs.
See the size differences? And the curved bone of the baby back!

In an attempt to hit $50 so we can use our cozmo card, we ordered two desserts: the banana pudding and pumpkin-sweet potato pie.
I think there's too much starch in this pudding and I didn't really like the texture - too sticky.

The pumpkin sweet potato pie was good, although very rich.

This was a good BBQ place (next time I will probably get the baby back ribs, although they were all good), although it was relatively expensive (I want to go back before the end of the year to use my other cozmo card :D). Still, overall a much better experience than that LA BBQ Fest ....
The ribs here are tender and had great flavor, and the ambiance was pretty cool.

Baby Blues BBQ
444 Lincoln Bl.
Venice CA 90291
310-396-7675
www.babybluesvenice.com

Neighborhood Nook

Nook was quite hard to find. Not only is it in an ordinary looking strip mall, it is also in the back corner of said mall. And while the website boasts a red arrow, the actual place is marked by a big blue arrow (that does not say Nook). After walking round and round I finally found the place.

The restaurant was not too crowded or loud - it is a good place to have a nice dinner and actually have conversation! Plus free parking.

Instead of bread or amuse bouche, Nook does something different: boiled peanuts. Not very friendly to the peanut-allergy folks out there, but this reminds me of my childhood when I used to buy boiled peanuts at the zoo (you're supposed to buy them and feed the elephants but I thought I deserved them more than the elephants!).

I ordered some "New Orleans style gumbo" and a portion of the proceed goes to the hurricane relief fund - good cause!
As far as the gumbo goes, though, I thought it was just okay. Good but I've had much better gumbo. Well, let me put it this way: It was a good soup - but if you ask me, it ain't gumbo! Can't compare to the one I had at Luke in NOLA.

Crispy Fried Calamari ($10)
Tossed with citrus-soy vinaigrette and wasabi dipping sauce.
This was a good calamari - not too greasy as it sometimes tends to be. The wasabi dipping sauce is interesting and is a delicious twist - it helps cut the grease of the fried calamari.

Shiitake and Gruyere Bread Pudding ($7)
Quite a flavorful and aromatic bread pudding! Liked this dish a lot (although it could use more shiitake for better texture) - it was better the next day when the bread has soaked up all the flavors :P

New Zealand green lip mussel pan roast ($12)
with linguisa sausage, oven-dried tomato, garlic, herbs and white wine saffron brot
Really loved the broth for this dish. The mussels are also big, plump and juicy. Probably my favorite dish of the night, and not bad for $12 (there were more mussels, this was half eaten)

Sauteed Brown Rice Bowl ($12)
With tofu, carrots, broccoli, and egg white this is a very healthy dish. And tastes kinda healthy too :P It is much better the day after as a leftover, just like fried rice is much better when made with day-old rice. Pretty basic dish, nothing special.

For dessert we got the chocolate pot de creme, as it was recommended to us ($7)
It's a pretty small pot but definitely a delicious dessert. The current menu online lists chocolate pot de creme with fresh strawberries, but I believe the one we had were blueberries.

The prices are Nook Bistro were pretty reasonable and the food is delicious (even if they can't do gumbo, IMHO) with good quality ingredients. An excellent neighborhood bistro and a pretty casual dining place. Nothing mindblowing but definitely good comfort food. I'll definitely be back.

Nook Bistro
11628 Santa Monica Blvd #9
Los Angeles, CA 90025
T 310.207.5160
http://www.nookbistro.com

Beach's Comfort Food

I've been making quite a few runs to LAX, and Venice area is always a nice place to stop for dinner, so I've been trying different places. This is a backpost from a few weeks ago, when I hit James' Beach for the first time.

The place was pretty hopping outside on the patio, where you first come in, but is pretty quiet inside the dimly-lit main dining room. We sat inside on a booth. James' Beach offers a consistent special entree every day and on Tuesdays it was chicken pot pie. I actually wanted to try the Monday's Special (Short Ribs), but I guess not this time a round.

We ordered a smoked duck salad (from the specials menu) as appetizer:The smoked duck was good, but we thought they didn't give quite enough. The peaches added a really nice flavor and goes well with the blue cheese. There was too much blue cheese for us, but since you can easily pick those out it wasn't a problem. Overall a light refreshing salad.

I ordered the pot roasted briskets:
The briskets were a bit fatty and the sauce a bit salty. It's definitely "comfort food" and hit the spot, but wasn't anything special.

My friend ordered the Sand Dabs and it was actually really delicious!
I liked it better than my brisket. It was light yet flavorful and the spinach, and especially the golden raisins played really well together.

Now, I didn't know what sand dabs were prior to this, so I looked it up and according to www.ochef.com:

"Alan Davidson, author of The Oxford Companion to Food and one of the world's foremost authorities on seafood, refers to the sand dab as a European fish, found in the North Atlantic. It is a flatfish, with a brown back, and can reach 16 inches in length, although is often closer to 10. He says it is "a good fish, with a pleasing flavour, well suited to being fried.

It's so great when you find out about some new food and liking it :)


The Summer Peach Crisp from their Specials' menu was pretty good - noticeably fresh peaches that are still crisp upon biting.



But, the one that takes the cake (or pie) for me was their Cherry Pie:



It wasn't too sweet, the whole cherries they have in there were awesome and it also had a nice crust. As far as cherry desserts go, this was one of my favorites. I would definitely get this again next time around (if they're still serving it)!

The service at James' Beach is kind of slow and the noise level depends on whether you're sitting inside or outside (way quieter inside), but it has solid food. I'll probably be coming here again when I have to make a run to LAX.

James' Beach
60 North Venice Boulevard
Venice, California 90291
310-823-5396
http://www.jamesbeach.com