Monsieur Bocuse, Bringing Me Back To The Kitchen

Guess who's back? Me! You might not even have noticed, but over the holidays I took an extended break from writing, and cooking. Many of you can relate, but the holiday season is often just TOO crazy for me to manage everything in our schedules and this year was no different. That's all in the rear view mirror now and it's time to get back at it. A number of things have come up since taking a break. I received an invitation to attend the 2018 Iowa Pork Taste of Elegance competition again. Restaurants have open and closed here in Des Moines. New chef friends have come into my life. One of the culinary world's great Master Chefs has passed away. I've added to my collection of Mouli food shredder/slicers. I've become obsessed with china tea sets. Numerous cookbooks have been added to my collection. Lots to talk about, and lots to cook. 

One of the most impactful events for me is the passing of Chef Paul Bocuse on January 20, 2018. I was so saddened to hear this news. Originally from Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, France, Chef Bocuse is widely known as the creator of nouvelle cuisine, and helped shape generations of new chefs, through his incredible Michelin star restaurants. Many of his students have gone on to earn Michelin stars of their own. Many organizations created awards in Chef Bocuse's honor, including the prestigious Bocuse d'Or, a biennial chef competition held in Lyon and is probably the most prestigious competition in the world. Bocuse received a number of honors and awards of his own over the years including the medal as Commander of the Legion d'honneur. 

His most regarded restaurant is L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges near Lyon in France. Bocuse's accomplishments and culinary triumphs are numerous indeed, and include preparing the meals for the maiden flight of the Concorde in 1969 and the world famous soupe aux truffles he served at a Presidential Dinner at the Elysee Palace in 1975. This soup, known as Soup VGE, remains a mainstay in his restaurant today. 

Once I'd heard Chef Bocuse had passed away I immediately hit the cookbook shelves, pulled out some classics, and began reading. I knew this was the kick in the pants I needed to get back to cooking and hit the laptop to share. The vast majority of my cookbooks are newer with contemporary chefs but I do have a few gems in the collection, especially vintage cookbooks and European chefs. This is where the real influence lies for me. Not the current television cooking personality, but in the old time chefs who didn't have time for celebrity instead focusing on classic preparations, the Mother sauces, the roots of cooking. I can lose myself for days in these kinds of cookbooks, almost like textbooks to me.

As soon as the cool weather in October hit, I became obsessed with autumn cooking, and got my heart set on osso buco, so Found myself again looking for this classic recipe in those old books. Authentic osso buco is made with veal shanks. I set off on my quest to track down some veal shanks locally. That's when the whole plan went awry. No luck. So the search went to online sources. What a kick in the reality check- the best price I could find for two, yes only two, pieces of the veal shank was $59.99. Now we love food, we love GOOD food and we will pay the money for something truly exceptional when we want it, but I really had trouble plunking down $30.00 each for a couple pieces of veal shank, so I started to research alternative cuts. The results were interesting. Other chefs were using everything from pork shanks, to venison cuts to pieces of beef chuck roast. Right away I knew I wasn't going to go with pork. That just didn't have the right flavor or consistency of tender veal. Venison? We love venison but for this dish, I had to pass. Beef chuck, however, is easy to come by and much much less expensive, so chuck it is. Once I had all my ingredients purchased, I set about making this slow-braised dish that fills the house with delicious aromas and is perfect for a cold and blustery autumn day. I chose a Cabernet Sauvignon for my red wine. You want a dry red that you would also drink, so don't go with a super cheap wine or "cooking wine"- might as well throw your money away.

Osso Buco

2-4 sections veal shank*

salt and pepper

2 carrots, chopped into 1/4 inch dice

1 large onion, chopped fine

1 stalks celery, chopped into 1/4 inch dice

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bottle dry red wine

4 cups beef broth

olive oil

* Unable to locate veal shanks locally, I used similar sized pieces of beef chuck roast.

Season the meat all over liberally with the salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat and add a couple swirls of olive oil. Sear the meat on both sides. Remove and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the pot and add the carrot and celery. Cook, occasionally until starting to caramelize. Add the onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and saute a minute or two. Add the tomato paste, stirring to coat the vegetables.

Add the wine and broth to the pot. Bring to boil stirring to loosen any browned bits from the pot. Add the meat back to the pot, reduce the heat and simmer for one hour. Watch and add a little water if necessary. You want the sauce to cook to a rich and thick consistency.

While the osso buco is cooking, prepare the polenta for four servings. Mix Parmesan cheese to taste into the polenta. Serve the polenta in shallow bowls with the meat and sauce on top.

Roasted Meatballs and Polenta

I love going through piles of old photos. Seeing pics of the family over the years is hilarious. The fashions, the hairstyles, the eye glasses. So many laughs. Of all the pictures in the box, baby pictures have to be the best. I don't mean just the pretty posed Olan Mills photo package snaps, I mean the photos of my kids in their daily lives. Playing in the yard. Running on the beach. Sitting on someones lap. Opening presents on their birthday or Christmas. Digging in the sand and dirt. Fighting. Laughing. Crying.

Eating.

Who doesn't love a pic of a little kiddo who hasn't quite mastered the art of self-feeding struggling with a spoon filled with something bright and colorful, guaranteed to stain everything it comes in contact with? Everyone has them. We take a ton of pics of our kids on their first birthday as they are digging into that first birthday cake, stuffing cake in their mouth, packing frosting up their nose and creating amazing new hairstyles with the sticky combination or cake, ice cream and frosting. So. Much. Fun. I have loads of those fun pics. One of my very favorites is a pic of my son Nick sitting on a neighbors lap manhandling a chicken wing drummette that's been grilled and is coated in sticky barbeque sauce. He was such a teeny tiny guy, the chicken drummy looks like a big chicken leg in his tiny hand.

Pupcake, aka Patryk, before and after spaghetti

Dig through your own photos. I'm willing to bet you have a pic or two or twelve of your own kids indulging in one of the favorite foods of young kids all over the country- spaghetti. You're experiencing mental time travel as we speak aren't you? Remember the first time you placed a bowl of carefully cut up spaghetti noodles and red sauce, cooled down to lukewarm, with or without a spoon, on your child's highchair tray for them to eat? Never mind the mess or the stains or the scrubbing you had to do afterwards to return the kitchen, the highchair and your child to their pre-dinner state, I'd be willing to bet my paycheck you grabbed a camera at least once and snapped a pic or two. I know I did!

My kiddos really loved spaghetti. They loved meat sauce and meat balls and even sauce with no meat at all. They loved to twirl the long noodles with a spoon and fork, and of course they would slurp up the long wiggly sauce-coated noodles with as much sloppy noise as possible and giggle insanely after. They loved spaghetti with the traditional marinara sauce and they also loved spaghetti when I made with a brown gravy instead. That was a big favorite around our house back then, and it still is with me today, even though the kiddos are long grown and on their own.

Meatloaf is one of my favorite comfort foods. I have such wonderful memories of my mom's meatloaf and the gooey sticky ketchup baked on top. It would get a little burned and caramelized on the edges, just so so insanely good. I often crave that comfort after a crummy day in the office but who has time to waste on something that needs to bake for an hour or more? Not most busy families. The answer is easy- meatballs! Meatballs go from raw burger to plate in a snap, just mix it up, roll into balls, bake and bam-done. No waiting for an hour or two for the meat to cook through, it's done in 30 minutes. All you have to worry about is getting your sauce together and how you want to serve them. We have shared meatball recipes here before. It's not that complicated really, any meatloaf recipe works just as well in meatball size. Sauce or not, make meatball subs, cut up and use for pizza topping or drizzle with barbeque sauce and serve as a football snack, meatballs are easy and awesome.

Tonight we are roasting the meatballs in the oven, like I always do. No more turning meatballs in a skillet for me- that's too messy and labor intensive. Roll and roast. Easy peasy. After roasting they will get a short simmer in a quick brown gravy made with beef broth and thickened. You can add mushrooms if you like, I didn't have any on hand so we went without. I made a pot of pasta for the Chef and a pot of polenta for myself. I love the combination of hearty polenta and sharp cheddar cheese and a rich brown gravy. I had plenty of leftovers too which was great for workday lunches.

Roasted Meatballs with Polenta

2 lbs ground beef

2 eggs

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, minced

1 teaspoon Sinful Food Signature Seasoning, plus more

small handful parsley, chopped, plus more for serving

2 cups rich beef broth

cornstarch slurry for thickening

2 cups cold water

1/2 cup cornmeal

2 tbs butter

3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Set oven to 350 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Crumble the ground beef into a large bowl. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over and the seasoning. 

Add the minced garlic, onion, chopped parsley and the egg. Mix everything together using your hands to make it easier. Roll into ping pong ball sized meatballs and place on parchment lined pan. Sprinkle with additional Signature Seasoning.

Bake at 350 degrees until completely cooked. This takes about 30 minutes. 

In a Dutch oven or braiser, heat the broth. Add enough cornstarch slurry to thicken to a thin gravy. Add the meatballs and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

While meatballs are simmering, place the cold water in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the corn meal and a half teaspoon of Signature Seasoning. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and cornmeal is cooked, usually about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter and the cheese.

Serve the meatballs and gravy over the polenta. Sprinkle with additional chopped fresh parsley.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free as part of a random drawing. There was no requirement of using the products and then providing written promotion. This post is entirely of my own writing. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Not My Gramma's Cornmeal Mush

Today was another Cooking Saturday with my friend Katie. Cheese stuffed meatballs were on the agenda, and they turned out delicious. Like we often do, we grocery shopped before cooking so we'd have everything we need for the project. Once again I find myself leisurely strolling the aisles at one of the great big grocery stores in the city. So much inspiration all around me. The produce section was full of fun things today. Carambola, big beautiful red bell peppers and baby bananas ended up in my cart, along with blackberries, cucumber, carrots, onions, and some beautiful asparagus. I was proud of myself for not blowing the entire grocery budget right then and there- the oyster mushrooms, dragon fruit, papayas, mangoes and all kinds of different varieties of apples were calling my name.

In the bakery they were having a buy one get one free specials and I succumbed to the temptation to stock up on baguettes. Some made it to the freezer and one is waiting for me to break it open and slather on some butter. The olive bar is a frequent trap and it caught me again today. Peppadews and a mixture of lovely green and black olives made a great snack while we were cooking meatballs. Katie had never tried peppadews and I do believe she is a new fan. 

As I walked up and down the aisles I made a mental list of recipes I was wanting to try and ingredients I would need but don't have, like fish sauce and oyster sauce, so when I reached those shelves I added a small bottle of each to my selections. Baby clams for the Chef (he is a big lover of red clam sauce) and more cookie sprinkles for my collection added to the eclectic assortment of groceries in my cart. I also grabbed a couple of the ingredients we needed for our meatballs and finished up my shopping and headed back to Katie's to cook and relax. 

Our Saturday ritual is a godsend for both of us. Being able to connect with a woman who shares so many commonalities with me- first and foremost being a night shift Chef wife- we identify with each other's struggles like no friend I have ever had before. The restaurant industry can be very hard on families and being able to talk to someone who has the same frustrations that I have makes it so much easier to deal with the "bad" things- like the weekend nights that he works and I don't, and holidays like Valentine's Day- guess who will be working and guess who will not be going out for a romantic dinner. It's funny to talk about the eccentricities of our partners and how similar the guys are, even though they have not yet met each other, they appear to be cut from the same cloth.

Since I will not be going out for a romantic dinner on Valentine's Day I decided to cook something really lush for dinner. Braising beef with vegetables and a rich stock and tomato based sauce were the perfect way to warm up on this cold and snowy Valentine's Day. It was also a chance for me to play a little with polenta instead of the typical potatoes. Since I also snagged a bottle of my favorite Riesling at the store, it was a pretty nice dinner for one. Polenta is one of those easy to make dishes that's often overlooked as fussy and difficult to master- which is so not true. You also don't need to buy anything special. It's cornmeal. That's it. Just like the old fashioned cornmeal mush your grandparents probably made for breakfast but this version is made creamy with whole milk, butter, and cheddar cheese. It's so perfect with a rich brown gravy and hearty braised beef cubes. Let's make some!

Cheesy Polenta

1 cup water

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup cornmeal

salt. pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tb butter

In a saucepan  over medium high heat bring the milk and water to a boil. Slowly add the cornmeal, whisking the entire time to prevent lumps. 

Reduce heat to low and cook about 15-20 minutes until creamy and tender. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper and stir in cheese and butter.

What to serve with polenta? something rich and beefy with dark gravy

Braised Beef Tips with Mushrooms

2 lb boneless beef roast or steak

salt and pepper

4 oz fresh mushrooms

4 slices bacon

1 medium onion, cut into chunks

5 cloves fresh garlic, minced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons tomato paste*

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon rosemary, crushed

flour

3 cups beef stock (or a mix of stock with wine or beer if you prefer)

cornstarch

cooking oil

*As an option to using tomato paste you can use chopped sun dried tomatoes as well. They add the same depth of flavor.

Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Trim the ends off the stem and halve the mushrooms. Set aside.

Cut the beef into large cubes, trimming off fat. Season meat with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour. Cut the bacon into 1/2 ich pieces. In a Dutch oven or braiser, cook the bacon until crisp and browned. Remove to a paper towel to drain and set aside. Leave the bacon fat in the pot. Begin searing the beef cubes being careful not to crowd in the pan. Remove beef cubes to a plate as they brown and add more to the pot. 

After the beef is browned add another tablespoon of oil to the pot. Add the onion and carrots, cook and stir for a couple minutes, then add the garlic and herbs. Cook and stir for a minute. Add the tomato paste and stir well. Add the beef broth and bring to boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the beef to the pot along with the mushrooms and bacon. Cover and reduce heat to low, cook 2-3 hours, until meat is tender.

Remove meat and vegetables from the cooking liquid using a slotted spoon. Make a small amount of cornstarch slurry to thicken the gravy. Return the meat and veg to the sauce. Serve over the polenta.

Guest Chef- Jenny B's Polenta Bites with Mushroom Ragu

Way back when my kids were still young seems like we always had a house full of other peoples' kids. Teenage girls with a flurry of clothes and makeup, teenage guys in the driveway showing off their cars and stereos. Jenny was one of my daughter's ever-present teenage friends that was always at our house, or the girls always at her house, yes always. They were pretty much inseparable. Goofy girls fussing over their hair, changing their outfits a million times, and worrying about those boys and cars. I had no idea this little smidge of a girl I had called Mini Jenny for so many years would become a cooking heavy hitter. 

As is life, the girls grew up, graduated from school and began their careers. I remember Jenny coming to my house as a brand new sales rep for Cutco and introducing me to what would become a huge obsession of mine- kitchen knives. Jenny moved on from selling Cutco, but the knives I acquired have become mainstays in my collection.

Jenny's submission to Perkin's Restaurant's contest- Open
Faced Steak Sandwich with Sauteed Spinach, Fried Egg and
Gorgonzola Sauce (photo by Jenny)

Jenny's heritage is Asian. If there is one thing I learned from my Asian friends it's that they are amazing cooks. Every occasion is a feast with tables laden with incredible ethnic dishes from meats to vegetables, noodles, rice and eggrolls. I tasted foods I never knew existed, and learned to overcome my hatred for cilantro as it was a huge part of so many of those Asian dishes. Of course Jenny grew up immersed in this culture and learned a few things along the way. Her style of cooking is eclectic and modern. A lot of fusion in her dishes. Techniques you'd never expect from such a young lady. And....... style. She just has so much style.

Beautiful Pancetta Wrapped Asparagus (photo by Jenny)

Thanks to the internet I have been able to watch Jenny's cooking blossom and grow. Her food always looks flawless. Her plating is inventive and beautiful. She just knows which plate to serve which food on and nothing ever seems mismatched. To top it all off, she has a keen eye with the camera and takes fantastic pictures of her culinary creations.  I have been wanting to do a feature with Jenny for some time but recently when she shared a pic of a fantastic appetizer on Instagram I knew this was the one I wanted to share (and make!!).

That fish is as big as Jenny!

It's no secret I am a sucker for delicious cocktail foods. I love making just a few appetizer type dishes, opening a bottle of wine, and having a nice quiet cocktail party for two. This recipe is perfect for that. It is insanely decadent with the polenta and Parmesan cheese, and those tender wine-braised mushrooms. Jenny used shiitake mushrooms for hers. I like to use a mix, so I used cremini, oyster, chanterelles and shiitakes. The chanterelles were dried and rehydrated before cooking. 

Polenta sounds like a very gourmet food, but it's actually quite simple. It's a fancy word for cornmeal mush. That's it! Super simple and easy. You don't need to splash out tons of cash for a package marked "polenta"- just buy yellow cornmeal. You want to cook it until the grains are soft and tender, so test often. I season with salt and pepper at the end of cooking and I go easy on the salt if I'm using Parmesan cheese, as it's quite salty on its own.

These days you can find Jenny cooking at The Des Moines Golf and Country Club in West Des Moines. 

Polenta Bites with Mushroom Ragu

1 cup yellow cornmeal

4 cups chicken broth

Parmesan cheese

salt 

ground white pepper

cooking spray

8 ounces fresh mushrooms*

1/2 red onion

2 garlic cloves

olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

salt and pepper

1/2 cup Marsala wine

1 cup dry red wine

2 tablespoons butter

1 leek

cornstarch

oil for frying

*Jenny uses shiitake mushrooms. You can use whatever mushrooms you like. Shoot for about 2 cups of chopped mushrooms.

Spray a rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium saucepan bring the chicken broth to boil over medium high heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta, and continue whisking until thickened. Reduce heat to low. Cook until the polenta grains are tender, anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes. Stir every five minutes or so, to prevent sticking. Taste for salt- in case the chicken broth is fairly salty. Season with salt, if needed, and white pepper. Add Parmesan cheese to taste- I'm estimating about half a cup for my liking.

Remove from heat and pour into rimmed baking sheet. Spread out with an offset spatula so it's even in the pan, and about half an inch thick. Set aside and allow to cool at room temperature.

To make the mushroom ragu, clean and trim the mushrooms. Discard the stems of shiitake mushrooms. If using dehydrated mushrooms you will want to soak them in warm water for about 30 minutes to soften. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Chop the mushrooms into small dice. Chop the onion and garlic.

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms, onions and garlic, and cook over medium heat until the mushrooms are browning and the onion is soft and translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the thyme.

Add the wines to the skillet and allow to cook until reduced and glossy. Stir in the butter. If you need to thicken the sauce, use a small amount of roux or cornstarch slurry.

To make the fried leeks, slice the leek into quarter inch slices. Separate into rings into a bowl and sprinkle a little cornstarch over. In a small pan, heat a small amount of oil and fry the leek rings until browned and crispy. Watch closely- they brown quickly! Remove to a paper towel to drain.

To serve, cut the polenta into bite sized squares, or shapes using canape cutters if you really want fancy. I prefer the clean and contemporary look of the neat squares. Place on a serving platter and top with a bit of the ragu and a couple fried leek rings. Serve immediately. 

This is such a lovely cocktail party nibble. The wines in the ragu add a savory complexity to the mushrooms' earthiness and the butter brings it all together with such a creamy texture. The polenta- oh my gosh, so so good. So modern. So Italian. Everything here can be made ahead and refrigerated. Just let the polenta return to room temperature and reheat the mushroom ragu a little before assembling.