It is such a little bit of magic when something truly easy is also masterfully elegant.  And that is the case with this simple pasta dish.  So few ingredients, only a little fiddling around and you end up with bubbling deliciousness.  Maybe because the ingredients are just a little out of the norm or because it basically makes its own sauce in the oven.  Serve this up to your family or friends and they are bound to be impressed at your skill in the kitchen. 

Gnocchi are readily available in the pasta section of any big grocery – look for the vacuum packed varieties that are still soft.  I pick mine up at a local handmade pasta shop so I know they are fresh and pillowy.  And real gorgonzola is key here, the sharp, tangy taste is the dominant flavor.  A big green salad makes this a hearty meal. And yes, sometimes I reduce the recipe and make it just for myself.

Baked Gnocchi with Gorgonzola and Sage Cream

Individual, shallow gratin dishes work best for this, but a single shallow baking dish will work.

2 (1-pound) packages gnocchi

¼ cup butter

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup fresh sage leaves

4 ounces gorgonzola cheese

½ cup heavy whipping cream

Salt and pepper

Preheat the broiler to high.

Cook the gnocchi according to the package instructions in plenty of salted water.  Drain the gnocchi and set aside.

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat.  Toss in the sage leaves and garlic and swirl around, cooking until the leaves begin to crisp and the garlic browns slightly.  Remove from the heat and strain the butter into a measuring jug.  Divide the butter between the 4 dishes, leaving a bit left for drizzling.

Divide the gnocchi between the gratin dishes. Crumble the gorgonzola and tuck the pieces into the gnocchi in the dishes.  Pour the heavy cream evenly over the gnocchi in each dish, season well with salt and pepper, and drizzle any remaining sage butter over the top.  Place the dishes on a baking sheet and slide under the broiler.  Cook until the gnocchi are warmed through, the cream is bubbling and the cheese is melty.  Watch carefully so they don’t burn.

Serve immediately, with a little of the cooked, crumbled sage leaves sprinkled over the top.

Serves 4

I am a newcomer to Corned Beef and Cabbage.  I have generally enjoyed my corned beef deli sliced on a sandwich and my cabbage in slaw.  My father is a big fan of corned beef and cabbage, but somehow it hadn’t trickled down to me.  I had certainly thought about developing a recipe for St. Patrick’s Day, but hadn’t gotten around to it.  Then, this winter, I was invited to a friend’s house for dinner, one of those fun nights when everyone contributes an element to the meal. One guest brought the appetizer – thinly sliced corned beef, perfectly cooked, served with dark bread and a variety of mustards.  It was gone as quick as it was put out.  And of course, I begged her corned beef cooking secrets.  She laid out the boiling and steaming method laid out here, and I knew I had to give it a try.  Okay, I did veer of her path a little by adding beer and some spices, but this method creates a tender corned beef proclaimed by my dad “a triumph.”

While making my second test round of the dish, I happened to be reading the book 97 Orchard about immigrant families in New York bringing the traditions of their home countries to their adopted home.  As the corned beef boiled, I read the section on Irish cooking, and learned that, counter to the popular tale that corned beef and cabbage is a purely American creation, it is in fact an old Irish tradition, and that Irish corned beef was packed for long voyages across the Atlantic in the days of the Pilgrims.  I’ve added my own culinary heritage with the bacon-braised cabbage of the South, and the final product is a real treat. 

Corned Beef and Cabbage Cooked in Beer

1 3 – pound thin cut corned beef brisket

1 (12-ounce) bottle pale ale or beer

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

1 medium head green cabbage

3 strips bacon, or 2 Tablespoons bacon grease

Discard any seasoning packet that comes with the corned beef. Rinse the corned beef and place in a large Dutch oven.  Pour in the beer and add enough water to cover the meat.  Drop in the bay leaves, peppercorns and mustard seeds.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, skimming off any scum that rises to the top.  Lower the heat to medium low, cover the pot and cook at a low boil for 3 hours, adding more water to cover the meat as needed.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  When the meat has boiled, remove it from the pan to the rack of a roasting try. I use the one that came with my oven, which has a nice deep try and a slotted top rack.  Reserve all the cooking liquid.  Fill the bottom tray with as much of the cooking liquid as will fit without touching the meat.  Cover the whole very tightly with foil, sealing well.  The meat is meant to steam, so you don’t want the steam to escape. Cook for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, pour the remaining cooking liquid into a bowl or large measuring jug and put in the fridge.  Rinse out the Dutch oven.

When the corned beef has steamed for two hours, remove it from the oven and leave it covered until ready to carve. 

About 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve, cook the cabbage.  Skim any fat off the top of the reserved cooking liquid from them meat. Cook the bacon strips in the Dutch oven until crispy, or simply melt the bacon fat over medium-high heat. When the bacon is cooked, remove it to paper towels to save for another use and discard all but about 2 Tablespoons of fat.  Prepare the cabbage by removing the dark, outer leaves from the cabbage.  Then cut the head in half and remove the core.  Quarter the cabbage and cut each quarter into strips about ¼ inch wide.  Drop the cabbage strips into the hot bacon fat, riffling it to separate the leaves.  Quickly stir the cabbage to coat it in the bacon grease, cover the pot, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring halfway.  Pour in 1 – 1 ½ cups of the reserved cooking liquid, stir well, cover the pot and cook for about 10 minutes.  Feel free to cook the cabbage for more or less time, depending on how you like your cabbage – a little but crisp, or completely wilted.  Salt to taste.

When ready to serve, unwrap the meat, remove to a carving board.  Carefully cut off any fat from the top of the corned beef, then slice into thin slices.  Some of the meat may crumble off.  No worries, eat that as is or stir it into the cabbage.

Serves 6 -8, with some leftovers for sandwiches

Keep the St. Patrick’s Day spirit going with some Champ: Irish Mashed Potatoes with Green Onions or some Kiss Me, I’m Irish Cookies!

For most of my life, a taco was ground meat, a package of seasoning and hard shells from the box, with lots of cheese and maybe a little lettuce on top.  And I will tell you, I have nothing against that version.  But in the last few years, there has been a proliferation of Mexican restaurants in Memphis that serve what is considered more authentic Mexican food.  And I haven’t looked at a taco the same way again.  Real tacos, with homemade tortillas, complexly seasoned shredded meat, and a variety of fresh and unique toppings are a real revelation.

I said above that these restaurants serve what we are told is more authentic Mexican food, and I had no reason to doubt that, but no real proof either.  I visited Mexico with my family as a teenager and it was an amazing trip – Mexico City, Taxco and Cuernavaca.  I remember the food, particularly some very subtle and unique dishes, but I was not as adventurous then.  We ate mostly at restaurants – I wouldn’t have considered a taco at a roadside stand.  As far as I remember, I never tasted a real Mexican taco on that trip. 

But last year, I had the great good fortune to attend Food Blogger Camp in Ixtapa, Mexico.  And clearly, in the company of all those food bloggers, eating was our primary activity.  The resort offered a generous buffet at every meal, and I invariably made my way to the Mexican section and sampled some amazing food.  Tacos were a feature, with a lovely woman hand rolling and cooking tortillas, and a variety of meat fillings simmering away – from beef to pork to tongue to seafood – and an array of toppings to make your head spin.  One day, we ventured into the town of Zihautenjo for a market tour, and just to be sure, I sampled several tacos at market stalls.  I can hardly call myself an expert now, but I do know that the new breed of restaurants in Memphis do offer authentic Mexican tacos, and boy am I glad of it.

When I got home from camp, I set out to replicate a taco filling worthy of what I’d sampled in Mexico.  I started with some relatively complex procedures – roasting a variety of peppers, rehydrating dried ones, charring tomatoes, marinating meats, layering complex sauces with a multitude of ingredients, many of which required a trip to specialty Latin markets.  I had some great results, but in the end, realized these dishes where not something I’d put in regular rotation because of the time and effort.  And though I am glad I figured it out, what I was really after was an amazing dish for a casual, anytime taco night. So this is where I ended up.  Good meet, simmered in a smoky sauce quickly made from ingredients readily available. Saucy and smoky with warmth, not heat, this taco filling is a canvas for creativity in toppings.  I’ve made a list of suggestions, but it is up to you and your imagination.   I do make a special stop for fresh tortillas, and heat them quickly over the open burner on the stove.

Smoky Beef Tacos

4 pounds eye of round roast, excess fat removed (this may be 2 pieces of roast)

2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce

1 (3.5-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo, including the sauce

Juice of two limes

1 ½  teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican

Handful of cilantro leaves

5 cloves garlic

Fresh corn tortillas

Suggested toppings:

Crumbled cotija or queso fresco cheese

Finely chopped cilantro

Sour cream or Mexican crema

Diced avocado

Diced fresh pineapple

Diced red onion

Chopped green onion

Fresh salsa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place all the sauce ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.  Pour enough sauce in the bottom of a 5 quart Dutch oven to cover the bottom.  Place the roast in the pan and season with salt and pepper.  Pour over the remaining sauce.  Cover and place in the oven and cook for 3 hours, until the meat will shred easily with fork. 

Remove the meat to a bowl and shred using two forks.  Return the meat to the sauce in the pot and stir to coat.  Keep warm.

Heat the tortillas.  I think the best way to do this is to hold them over the open flame on the burner for a few seconds until they puff and go golden in spot, but you can also wrap them in a damp towel and heat them in a low oven.

 Serve the meat with the tortillas and a variety of toppings.

Will serve 8 hungry folks, with some extra meat leftover

Recipe ideas come to me everywhere, at any time and take me in odd directions.  I was reading a magazine during an interminable wait at a doctor’s office once and saw a recipe called “German Meatballs.”  My mind immediately went to bratwurst, beer and mustard so I was intrigued and kept reading.  But that magazine recipe involved frozen meatballs, French onion soup mix and ketchup.  That did not appeal at all, and I cannot imagine what qualifies as German about it.  But that first thought that popped into my head stayed there.

I rather doubt this version is anywhere near traditional German cuisine either, but it involves all the flavors I associate with German food, my knowledge of which is admittedly limited.  In fact, this is a take on my Swedish meatball recipe, made a bit richer with dark rye bread crumbs, tangy with sweet hot mustard and a sauce livened up with beer.  Use a good, pale lager – too dark or rich a beer overpowers the meatballs.  You can leave out the beer if you prefer, and replace it with an equal amount of additional beef broth.  And here’s an idea: pick up some pastrami while you’re at the store – leftover dark rye and sweet-hot mustard make and excellent sandwich.

Let me also share a few little meatball making tips.  These freeze really well, so consider making a double batch.  Once you get your hands in there and get on a roll, you might as well keep going.  And if you are making any type of meatball and want to check for seasoning, make one little meatball and sauté it in a little oil.  Taste the cooked portion and adjust accordingly.

German Meatballs

For the Meatballs:

4 slices dark rye bread (to make 2 cups crumbs)

2 pounds bratwurst, casings removed

2 eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup milk

1 Tablespoon sweet hot mustard

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

For the Sauce:

3 Tablespoons butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 cup lager beer

2 teaspoons sweet hot mustard

1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar

Salt to taste

For the meatballs:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with non-stick foil or foil sprayed lightly with cooking spray.

Tear the dark rye slices into chunks and drop in a food processor.  Process to small, rough crumbs.  You should end up with 2 cups of crumbs.

Place the bratwurst, bread crumbs and remaining meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Using your clean hands, squish everything together to mix well, making sure the meat is evenly distributed.  I find it easier to do this if the meat has been out of the fridge for about 15 minutes to take the chill off.  Roll the meat mixture into balls about the size of a ping pong ball.  A good, heaping tablespoon of mixture is about right.  Place the balls on the prepared sheets.  You should end up with about 30  – 35 meat balls.  Bake in the oven for 12 – 15 minutes until cooked through and browned.  Rotate the pans halfway during the cooking (top pan to bottom shelf).

Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Melt the butter in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven (the meatballs need to fit in) over medium high heat.  Sprinkle over the flour and stir until smooth, about 1 minute. Do not let the mixture darken. Gradually add the milk, the broth and the beer, whisking constantly. Whisk in the mustard and brown sugar and bring the sauce to a boil whisking frequently.  Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce until it thickens, about five minutes. Salt to taste. Remove from heat.

When the meatballs are done, remove them from the baking sheets to the sauce with a slotted spoon.  Stir to coat all the meatballs with the sauce. 

Serve immediately, or leave the meatballs and sauce to cool, stirring occasionally to coat the meatballs with sauce.  When cool, scoop into ziptop bags and seal. The meatballs and sauce can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for up to three months.

When ready to serve, scoop the meatballs and sauce into a saucepan.  Put ¼ cup of water in the ziptop bag, seal and shake to clean out any clinging sauce.  Pour the water into the pan with the meatballs and reheat slowly over medium heat stirring frequently. 

Serve over curly egg noodles and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.

Makes about 30 meatballs

January is National Soup Month and I have been celebrating in style, and passing my favorite recipes along to you.  And what could be better with a bowl of soup than a grilled cheese sandwich of some sort.  Now, I will readily admit to being a fan of the individually wrapped cheese slice on white bread version, but it is occasionally nice to step out of the ordinary.  So here’s an Italian version of the grilled cheese. Mozzarella in Carrozza, which literally means “cheese in a carriage,” the carriage being the crispy carapace of egg around the sandwich. It’s rich, gooey on the inside and crispy on the outside – everything a grilled cheese should be. It may be a little bit more involved to make, but the pay-off is well worth it. Try it with a bowl of Roasted Vegetable Stracciatella for a true Italian feel.

This has to be made with fresh mozzarella cheese, which is so readily available now, not the pre-grated “pizza cheese.” I’ve tried lots of versions of this, but eventually realized that grating the cheese gives you a better melt than slices, which is the traditional method.  And the mozzarella needs lots of salt and good grinding of pepper to bring out the flavor.

Mozzarella in Carrozza

Half a sandwich with a bowl of soup can be enough for one person, but feel free to increase the recipe as you like.

1 8-ounce ball fresh mozzarella cheese

4 slices firm white sandwich bread

Salt and freshly ground pepper

½ cup milk

4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 egg

Grate the cheese on the wide holes of a box grater.  At some point this process really becomes just pushing the cheese through the holes as the cheese comes apart, but do your best.  Remove the crusts from the sandwich bread and place the cheese over two slices.  Leave a small margin around the edge of the bread.  Generously season the cheese with salt and pepper.  Place the top slices of bread over the sandwiches, the press the edges together to seal.

Place a wide bowl and two small flat plates on the counter.  Pour the milk in the bowl, beat the egg in one plate, and place the flour in the second.  Coat the bottom of a frying pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat.

Dip the first sandwich in the milk, turning to coat both sides and the edges, then dip the sandwich into the flour to coat both sides.  Shake the sandwich to loosen any excess flour, then dip in the egg, turning to coat both sides.  Fry the sandwich in the hot oil until crispy and brown and melty, turning to cook both sides. Repeat with the remaining sandwich.  Let the cooked sandwiches sit for about a minute, then slice into halves and serve.

Serves 2 – 4

Italian egg-drop soup.  That’s how I have heard versions of this soup described.  And there appear to be many versions, with light chicken broth, or added spinach or chicken. In fact, the first time I concocted this soup, I didn’t know stracciatella was an actual thing.  It was pure kitchen happenstance, and one little discovery I am glad to have made.

My version of stracciatella is made with roasted vegetable broth that is insanely flavorful and rich.  In fact, the broth is so rich, I originally wanted only the lightest of add-ins, and decided the delicate egg ribbons would give a bit of body without diluting the flavor.  And I hit that nail on the head. Only later did I see a recipe for stracciatella using fresh chicken stock did it occur to me that I had stumbled upon something classic, and could consider my humble little accident a gourmet discovery. The origins of this broth itself were kind of a misstep, a side alley I went down in an attempt at creating a thick vegetable soup.  But this method of roasting the vegetables, then simmering in water with herbs creates a broth so packed with flavor any initial doubts about ”plain old vegetable broth” will disappear.  Besides, the enchanting fragrance of roasting, then simmering, vegetables fills your house with the smell of love and comfort.

I love this broth on its own, sipped out of a mug, particular when feeling a little puny.  It feels fortifying.  Add the delicate threads of egg, and it has an added protein boost and a bit more body.  But this broth is versatile.  Stir in some cooked small pasta like ditalini, acini di pepe, or orzo and it takes on a whole new dimension.

Roasted Vegetable Stracciatella

3 medium onions

5 carrots

5 celery stalks

5 leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned, with a few green leaves reserved

5 medium tomatoes

6 cloves garlic

2 bay leaves

A few sprigs of thyme

A few sprigs rosemary

A handful of celery leaves

8 cups water

4 egg yolks

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the onions into eighths and place in a large rimmed baking sheet.  You may need to use two.  Cut the carrots, celery, leeks into chunks and add to the baking sheet.  Quarter the tomatoes and tuck them into the vegetables, all in one layer.  Place the peeled garlic cloves on top of the vegetables (don’t let the garlic touch the bottom of the tray – it will burn) and drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil over everything. Roast the vegetables until soft and slightly browned, about 45 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, make a bouquet garni with the herbs.  Lay out one or two sections of green leek leaves on the counter, then place the bay leaves, rosemary, thyme and celery leaves on top of the leaves and roll into a tight little cigar.  Tie it up with kitchen twine.

Remove the vegetables from the oven and scrape everything into a large Dutch oven.  Heat the tray on the stove, and deglaze the pan with a little water, scraping up any browned bits or stuck pieces.  Pour this and add it to the soup pot.  Add the bouquet garni. Pour in 8 cups of water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes.

Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and carefully spoon the soup into the strainer.  Press on the solids to extract as much broth as possible.  You will probably have to do this in a couple of batches.  Discard the pressed vegetable pulp.  Rinse out the stock pot. Rinse out the strainer, then line it with two layers of cheesecloth.  Pour the broth through the strainer into the stockpot.  Bring the stock back to a boil.  Season to taste with salt.

Thoroughly whisk the egg yolks in measuring jug with a pouring spout.  When the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and stir it well to get it moving in a circle with a little vortex.  Slowly drizzle the eggs into the swirling broth, running your spoon through the stream to cut little ribbons.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4

French Onion Soup is such a classic.  It’s what you eat on your first trip to France, and even if you eat it at the restaurant down the street at home all the time, it is still special and memorable.  Soupe à L’oignon Gratinée. The rich onion-y broth, the crispy bread soaking up the flavor, the gooey melted cheese dripping off your spoon.  It’s delicious to savor and fun to eat.

There are a million recipes, methods and family secrets for French Onion Soup, and I in no way would presume to replace your time-honored tradition.  But this is how I make it, rich with layers of flavor and every French twist I could come up with.  I have studied many recipes, eaten more bowls than I care to remember and worked for years to perfect it – for me.  It may not pass muster with fine French chefs or traditional French grandmothers, but it is deep and rich and lovely and infinitely comforting.  It retains its onion essence, with the complexity of beef broth and the crisp, sweet apple cider that pairs with the onions beautifully.  A touch of Calvados, the French apple brandy, a splash of vermouth  and a healthy dash of Dijon mustard meld to create a subtly, but decidedly Gallic flavor.

Now, as much as I love a good onion soup, bad onion soup is often just salty broth with stringy onions in a mass at the bottom covered with rubbery cheese.  To avoid that onion lump, I prefer to puree the soup base to get an onion flavor throughout the soup.  You can skip this if you want, but I really think you’ll be impressed with the results.

There is a French bistro here that serves a lovely French Onion Soup, topped as it should be with molten bubbling cheese, the bowl having been placed under the restaurant broiler – known as a salamander – to melt and brown.  I ordered it on a date several years ago, and it arrived so unbelievably hot, that I seared the inside of my mouth when took my very lady-like first spoonful.  It is a testament to my fortitude and fine upbringing that I did not scream and spit the soup on my date.  Sitting through the rest of the meal, trying to delicately chew my salad, was agony, and the soup was not cool enough to finish until dessert came.  This has altered my usual preparation.  I often toast the bread slices lightly on one side, turn them over, sprinkle with grated cheese and melt these cheesy toasts under the broiler, then float them on the soup.  I give the traditional directions below, but you might consider the less fraught method  And I chose fontina as the best melty cheese with a flavor that doesn’t overpower the soup.

Almost –Too-French Onion Soup

Using yellow and red onions adds an extra layer of flavor, but all yellow onions could be used.  I prepare the onions by using the grating blade in the food processor. Placing the paper on the onions helps them to soften and brown and retain their rich flavor.  Brandy can be used in place of the Calvados, but the Calvados adds a special touch. 

5 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cups diced red onion

2 cups diced yellow onion

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 Tablespoon Calvados

2 Tablespoons white vermouth

4 Tablespoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 1/2 cups apple cider

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

7 cups low-sodium beef broth

sliced white bread or baguette

1 cup grated fontina cheese

Cut a piece of waxed paper to fit inside your Dutch oven and press it down in the pan to create the shape of a tight-fitting lid and set aside.  You’ll press this over the onions to help them caramelize. By the way, this is called a cartouche.

Melt butter with olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat.  When the butter has just melted, add the onions and sauté until translucent and just starting to brown.  Add the Calvados and vermouth and stir to deglaze the pan.  Add the brown sugar, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper and 1/2 cup cider.  Press the prepared round of waxed directly over the onions.  Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the onions are soft and sweet and brown, about 20 minutes. 

Remove the paper round, stir in mustard and cook 5 more minutes.  Add the remaining one cup cider and 3 cups beef broth.  Bring to a simmer.  Puree with an immersion blender, or puree in a blender in batches (be very careful as hot liquids will pop the top off the blender, so hold it tight with a tea towel).  Return to pan.  Add the remaining broth and bring to a low boil. Simmer for ten minutes and check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.  Remove from heat and dish into oven proof bowls placed on a baking sheet.  Top with bread and grated cheese.  Place under the broiler in the oven until the cheese melts and begins to brown. Be careful when serving as the bowls will be very hot.

The soup, without the bread and cheese, will keep for 1 to 2 days covered in the refrigerator. Slowly reheat over medium heat. The soup also freezes beautifully.

Serves 6

I am tempted to say that this is an old family recipe, but my family has no connection with French Canadians whatsoever.  But it is a recipe my family has been making for years.  The story goes like this: my grandparents had tourtière on a trip to Canada, and enjoyed it so much, that my aunt wrote to Gourmet magazine to ask for a recipe.  Gourmet did not print her request in the magazine, but did send her a recipe.  It has been a family standard ever since.  It is actually a meal my brother and I would request – equally and with no ugly arguments.

After I was well and truly gone from her house, I would occasionally request that my mom make tourtière, but eventually she refused and handed the treasured recipe card over to me.  I have tinkered with it over the years, but it is essentially the same.  And it is amazing that so few simple ingredients produce such a richly flavored and delicious dish. Believe me, my photographic skills don’t do this pie justice, though it is all about flavor and not about looks. I have made this for friends, but no one else had ever heard of tourtière.  But I have come across the recipe since my early days making it, and read somewhere along the way that this is a traditional meal for French Canadians on Christmas Eve.  And I can totally see that.  It is easily made ahead, simple fare but richly flavored.  It is the kind of meal to eat with friends and family, in front of a fire, cozy and together.

There is a real added benefit to this recipe – it makes two pies.  One pie serves six, and trust me, everyone will want a generous slice, so you can feed twelve people out of the preparation time.  But even better, it freezes beautifully, so you can make it well ahead, or eat one pie and freeze one for later.  That’s what my mom did.  She always had one in the freezer in case we behaved especially well and were deserving of a treat.  On the original recipe card, my aunt even makes the notation – “many Canadians think it is best cooked, cooled, frozen and reheated.” 

And a note about pie crust.  Sometimes I am in the mood and make my own, but I have no problem with the bought, ready-rolled crusts available today, and it does make things easier and quicker.  If you plan to freeze the pie, consider making it in a foil pan, or make it in a tart pan with a removable bottom. Refrigerate until cold then slide it gently out of the tart pan onto the plastic wrap and foil and carefully wrap.

Tourtière

French Canadian Meat Pie

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pound ground pork

2 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion

2 celery stalks

2 carrots

3 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 bay leaf

1 cup hot water

salt

pepper

pastry for 2 double crust pies (your favorite recipe, or bought, ready-rolled)

1 egg

Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery (I do this in the food processor).  Melt the butter with the oil in a Dutch oven or large pot.  Add the vegetables and cook until soft and wilted, but not browned, about 7 minutes.  Add meats and cook until browned through and no longer pink, breaking up the meat.  Drain the fat thoroughly from the meat and return to the heat. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to coat.  The meat will start to stick together and no oil will be left in the pan.  Stir in the cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaf, crumbled very finely.  Add the hot water and stir well.  Lower the heat and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.  The meat should be fragrant and cooked through with just a bare hint of sauce clinging to it.  If there is more fat rendered, add a bit more flour and stir and cook through.  Season generously to taste.  Cool completely, then chill in the refrigerator until cold.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line two greased tart pans with removable bottoms or pie plates with pastry.  Fill each pastry with half the meat filling, spreading it to the edges. Top with a second pie crust, sealing the edges.  Cut slits in the top of the crust.  Mix the egg with a little water and brush over the pastry top.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, lower the temperature to 350 degrees and cook an additional 35 – 40 minutes.  You want the pastry golden, but if it starts to get too brown, cover with foil.

To freeze, cool the pies completely.  Wrap them in plastic wrap tightly, then in foil.  The pies will keep for two days in the fridge or up to three months in the freezer. Unwrap the pie completely and place the pie plate on a baking sheet.  Bake until cooked through, about 25 minutes.  Let sit for a few minutes, slice and serve.  If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight before re-heating.

Each pie serves 6

The first time I ever heard about ajo blanco, or white gazpacho, was on a family vacation to southern Spain. We were having lunch at the lovely parador San Francisco on the grounds of the famous Alhambra in Granada. When I saw the menu description of creamy garlic and almond soup with grapes, I had to try it and I have been glad I did ever since. I only knew about classic gazpacho – the cold tomato and vegetable soup – and at the time I was not much of a fan, as I think I had only had a version using V-8 juice and celery salt (don’t worry, I have since learned my lesson). I was intrigued by a creamy, non-tomato version and it was delicious.

As I so often do, I asked the hostess in the dining room how the ajo blanco was made. She laughed and told me she had absolutely no idea how it was made in the restaurant, but outlined her recipe for making it at home. I took notes and brought them home with me. I tinkered, but never quite got the recipe right. Over the years, I read other recipes for the soup, all basically what she had explained, and finally managed to hit the mark. I think I had forgotten to write down the sherry vinegar.

Traditionally, and in the first serving I had in Spain, this soup is served with whole or halved chilled green grapes. The sweet grapes cut the tanginess of the garlic and add an interesting and unusual note. But I have to say, it’s not my favorite way to eat it. I have had it with finely diced cucumber piled in the middle of the bowl, which is very refreshing, but this Spanish-style picada of almonds, parsley and lemon zest is my preferred addition.

Like all cold soups, this is a perfect hot weather lunch, but is great as a starter for a dinner party since it can be prepared ahead. You can even pour it into the bowls and leave them in the fridge until ready to be sprinkled with picada and served. If you are of a mind to, this is the perfect soup to pass around as shooters at a cocktail party.

Ajo Blanco
White Gazpacho with Parsley Picada

For the Gazpacho:

1 ½ cups firm white bread cubes (no crusts), day old or left to dry on the counter for several hours
6 ounces slivered almonds
2 large garlic cloves
½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 ¾ cups chilled water
1 Tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the Picada:
3 Tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
3 Tablespoons slivered almonds
1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest

Place the bread cubes in a bowl and cover with cold water, about 2 ½ cups. Leave to soak for 5 – 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the almonds and garlic cloves in a blender and grind to a fine paste. Drizzle in a little of the chilled water to keep things going if needed. Drain the bread cubes and squeeze out any excess water with your hands (discard the soaking water). Crumble the soaked bread in the blender, add the chilled water, salt and sherry vinegar and blend until smooth and creamy. Really let that blender work. When it is nice and smooth, drizzle the olive oil in while the motor is running, until nice and thick and creamy. Stop and start the blender if needed to get all the oil down in the vortex.

Pour the gazpacho into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until completely chilled or overnight. Taste and whisk in salt as needed. You can whisk in a little more chilled water if you like.

For the Picada:

Place the parsley, almonds and lemon zest in a small food processor and pulse until finely chopped. You can also do this by hand with a heavy knife.

When ready to serve, ladle the Ajo Blanco into individual bowls and sprinkle a little picada in the center of each bowl. You may choose not to use all of the picada, but any extra can be brought to the table.

Serves 6

This year, for the first time, I noticed vendors at the local farmers market selling garlic scapes. Garlic scapes are the greens that shoot off the top of a variety of garlic.  They have a milder, garlicky flavor.  They are long, green, and have a bulbous head at the top.  I had heard of scapes, but never used them and as I am intrigued by anything garlic related, I bought a bunch.  With my first purchase, I made a pesto – just puréed scapes with olive oil, lemon juice and parmesan cheese (I just Googled a recipe).  I used it on pasta, on a pizza and on some toasted bread with a fried egg on top and it was delicious.  I picked up the next round intending to do the same thing, put holding those scapes, feeling the woody ends and craving Asian food, I figured maybe I could whip up something special and unique.  And I must say I was inordinately pleased with myself.

Garlic Scape Beef Satay Skewers

You could easily use chicken with these skewers, but the cooking time will obviously be shorter.

1 bunch garlic scapes (about 6 scapes)

½ inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled

Juice of one lime

Handful of cilantro leaves

About 10 mint leaves

A few Thai basil leaves (optional)

¼ cup soy sauce

3 Tablespoons sesame oil

1 pound beef round, cut into equal-sized chunks

Make scape skewers by cutting the woody ends off of six scapes.  Cut the ends into sharp points. Set aside.

Cut three of the scape top pieces (about 8 inches) and the ginger into small pieces and drop in a blender. Add the lime juice, cilantro, mint and basil leaves and the soy sauce.  Blend until a paste forms – the scapes are woody, so this takes a little work and scraping down of the sides of the blender.  With the blender running, drizzle in the sesame oil and blend until smooth.  Pour the marinade into a ziptop bag and add the beef cubes.  Seal the bag and shake everything around to coat the beef.  Refrigerate for several hours, turning once or twice.

When ready to cook, heat the grill or a grill pan to high heat.  Thread the beef onto the scape skewers.  If needed, you can cut a small slit in each beef chunk to slide the skewer through.  Grill the skewers until the beef is cooked through, about 10 minutes

Garlic Scape Satay Sauce

3  (8-inch pieces) of garlic scape

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup coconut milk

3 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cut the scapes into small pieces and add to the blender with all the ingredients.  Blend until smooth.  Serve with Garlic Scape Beef Satay Skewers.

 Makes 6 skewers