Sauces and Chili.

Well, I feel really industrious today, Tuesday. I have just made Marinara sauce for the freezer, Cheese sauce for a Cauliflower
cheese, the remains of which will also go in the freezer. A large pot of Chili con Carne which also will end in the freezer. My back is killing me. My stool didn't really work I'm afraid. In the first place one has to move around too much. I thought I had everything close, but I didn't, then I found one leg was hurting whilst the other was on the step stool. Bit different if you are a prep chef. All you do is stand and chop, dice or slice.  The cheese sauce shows a whisk

which is something I never use when making sauces. Presumably to whisk out lumps, but I make mine carefully in order to avoid lumps in the first place. I have "gone on about" making such sauces properly before. I forgot, naturally, to take pix of the sauces before I froze them. Same with the chili. Making it I realised I didn't have any pinto beans so decided to use black beans instead. Looks OK tastes OK too. Had a little lamb left so chopped it up fine and threw it in. Don't tell Matt he had enough roast lamb last week he said. I haven't made chili in  years - I really don't know why not. Have a friend in NC who submits chili to the local chili fest tournament every year. I once asked him for a recipe and he sent me his second best, the first is a secret. I have no clue what happened to that recipe.

We have cooked a similar recipe to this a number of times. Ours was a Jacques Pépin recipe, similar and always very popular with our guests. I would choose heavy cream for this dessert.

Poached Pears in Red Wine

Neal Brothers Cookbook 

From Kristina McMillan, director, NorWest Co-op Community Food Centre, Winnipeg Poached pears in red wine is pure heaven. This is a traditional Italian recipe made with simple ingredients. Chef Anna Paganelli of De Luca’s in Winnipeg shared the preparation with me. I had the pleasure of working alongside Anna for a few years, and she taught me that if you use quality ingredients in your recipes, the flavours will absolutely sing.

6                   ripe Bosc pears, unpeeled, cored and halved
1                   lemon, sliced

1                   cinnamon stick

2 cups       dry red wine

½ cup       granulated sugar
Vanilla ice cream or gelato

Place pears in large saucepan, skin side up, and cover with water. Add lemon and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until pears are cooked but still firm.

Drain pears, reserving cinnamon stick. Return pears to pan, skin side up, along with reserved cinnamon stick. Pour in wine and sugar. Simmer over medium heat, uncovered, until liquid has reduced slightly and thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Divide pears among serving plates. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the centre of each pear. Drizzle with wine syrup.

Serves 6 to 12

Have a great day
 

France and Italy

Twice on Saturday I was reminded of French butter which to me is one of the most wonderful foods. It has a taste which is uniquely its own. When we were on our cruise, after the ship had re-supplied at Martinique, we were getting French butter for our meals, it was wonderful. Midday meals in France with tureens of delightful French soups, lots of crusty bread and French butter which we always had to ask for as - in those days - the French would not butter their bread for soup. Oh the memories. Maybe that is where I learned my passion for making soup as I did love their 'potages'. I have friends in France and I am so envious of their access to wonderful food and great cuisine. Of course French cuisine wasn't that marvellous until Catherine de Medici married the French king and introduced Italian cooks into the court of France.

I get very upset that so many people think Italian cuisine is all about pizza and pasta. I have already posted a recipe for Vitello Tonato, not a piece of pasta in sight. Artichokes Ricca was another. Plus I find that pizzas over here carry too many things on them which makes it difficult to know what ingredients you are actually tasting. A lot of the great foods of Europe, particularly in France and Italy, are simple foods with simple flavours so you can enjoy what you are eating. Food should be something savoured, not stuffed in the mouth in order to get on with the next item of the day. I have met several people who shovelled food into their mouths so fast, I wonder why they bothered to eat anything more than bean cake which is nutritious but hasn't much flavour. To me one of the most delightful ways of spending an evening is at table with good friends and excellent food, savouring each mouthful. While I am on food peeves, I get so annoyed when people refer to Parmesan cheese as Parmigiano even when its spelled Parmesan. Are you speaking Italian? Well do so. If not say it in English. Its just a form of showing off.

I have a new link on my page today, Finding and Lo(o)sing, do check it out. Hrugaar is an author and has had three books published.

Hope all you dads had a good Father's Day yesterday, Matt spent a lot of it either on Skype with one daughter, or on the phone with the other.

The following recipe for Steak Pizzaiola, one of my favourites, includes Marinara sauce. Please don't buy it pre-prepared. Its easy to make. In fact I make a batch and freeze it in small quantities so I have some whenever I need it. If you click on the link below it will take you to a marinara recipe which will taste so much better if its home made.

Steak Pizzaiola

The Italian Chef's Recipes

For all of you steak lovers out there, here is an excellent alternative to a plaingrilled or broiled steak. If you do not wish to add the mushrooms and peppers, it is delicious just with the marinara sauce alone. Serves 4 4 boneless Shell Steaks 1/4 cup olive oil 1 large green pepper and 1 large red pepper sliced and seeds removed 1 pound of mushrooms sliced 4 cups Marinara Sauce 1 cup of chicken or beef stock salt & pepper to taste
1.		Either on grill or in broiler, cook steaks until rare.
2.		While steaks are cooking heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
3.		Add peppers, and mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
4.		Drain oil and place steaks in pan season with salt and pepper.
5.		Add marinara sauce and stock and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
6.		Remove steaks to serving plates, cook sauce for 2 more minutes to reduce then pour sauce over steaks and serve.

Have a great day.