Short Rib Bolognese

I am less than thrilled to report that I have caught one of the nasty bugs that's floating around town. Yup, I currently have a 102 degree fever (which is not the kind of hot I like to be) and a very cranky attitude (which is not kind of bitchy I like to be.) And, while I am much more lucky than most and have the freedom in my schedule to indulge my immune system with 48 hours of couch ridden movie watching, I am still very mad. Sick and tired and mad... or as Rich would say, "Somebody please help me." 

Right now, there are two very big problems that I am having with being sick. Firstly, at this very moment in my fridge, there is a fresh black truffle from Burgundy, France. I know... I am one lucky ginger... (or "zhan-zhay" as I say when I'm being fancy.) You see, this truffle was bought to be shaved over uova da raviolo tonight at a dinner that I have been really been looking forward to hosting. A dinner that has been scheduled for nearly six weeks. A dinner that due to my germ-ridden-self, now has to be rescheduled. 

Secondly, also calling my refrigerator home is a very large tupperware container filled with homemade pasta tossed with a decadent short rib bolognese. Why is this a problem? Because my sick ass is eating chicken soup instead. Ok, maybe I'm being slightly dramatic, but I had to tie my "poor me, I am sick" pity party to my bolognese recipe somehow, right? But, let's focus on what's important, shall we?

Short rib bolognese. I know, I had never thought of it either... and neither had the sweet boy helping me at our butcher shop. His mind was blown when I told him why I had requested 2 pounds of short rib to be ground up for me. You see, Richard are I were at McCalls Meat & Fish Co. last weekend and brought home short rib and gruyere sausages, which was one of the most delicious things that I have ever put in my mouth. And then these sausages got me thinking... why don't people use short ribs for everything!? Ok, maybe not everything, it would probably make a terrible face cream, plus it's pretty fatty and Pilates can only do so much... but, every once in a while, a little indulgence is good for you! And that, my friends, is how this recipe came into play. 

Unless you are much fancier than I am and have a meat grinder at home (hint hint, dear husband,) you will need a butcher to grind the meat for you but, trust me when I say that, this is one of the tastiest, most decadent bolognese sauces that I have ever had... let alone made! 

You can, of course, substitute the ground short rib for a more traditional blend of ground beef, veal, and pork, but then you may as well make split pea soup with turkey bacon. And that, for me, is a fate worse than this immobilizing infection.

Homemade Fettuccine & Short Rib Bolognese

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped 
2 carrots, peeled, finely chopped
2 pounds ground short rib
1 cup dry red wine
3 cups (isn) beef stock or chicken stock, divided
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup whole milk

Homemade fettuccine... find my recipe HERE!

(if you must use store bought pasta, look for a fresh egg pasta!)
Finely grated Parmesan 

Method:

• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté until soft, 8-10 minutes.  Add the ground short rib and sauté, breaking up with the back of a spoon, until browned, about 15 minutes. Make sure that you brown the meat all the way, that is where a lot of the flavor comes from! Add wine and reduce 2-3 minutes, stirring often and scraping up browned bits. Add tomato paste and then the stock, stirring to blend. Reduce heat to very low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally. As the liquid reduces, continue to add more stock. Cook for about 2-3 hours.
• Bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan and then gradually add it to the meat sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk is absorbed, about 45 minutes. 
  
  
  Serve over pasta and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese. 
  Makes about 8 servings. 

Rigatoni with Buratta, Summer Squash, and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

I have been on a serious carb fest lately. (That is a thing, by the way. See: I only want to eat carbs all day.) This makes sense with our Palm Springs vacation coming up in only a few short weeks. You see, I really love to be healthy and in shape UNLESS I have to be in a bikini for 4 days. As soon as it's time for me to start perusing for a new bathing suit, it's also time to start my carb only diet. (Is butter a carb?) The only thing that could make my life easier would be if there were a bikini shop next door to Terroni.

Speaking of Terroni....I really love it there. Have you been? If not, you should go. In this humble Ginger's opinion, you won't find better Italian food anywhere in Los Angeles than at Terroni. This is a pretty big statement seeing as I have only had one dish there. I have been at least a dozen times, but the first time I went I ordered the homemade rigatoni with burrata and zucchini. Now, if you know me, this will come as no surprise because if there is ever ANYTHING on a menu that has burrata in it, I will order it with out question. Burrata and I are in love. Hard. (Don't tell Rich, he thinks we're just friends. He's so naive.) No matter how many times I go, I just have to order this pasta. It is perfection.

So, after our pizza grilling party the other night (yup, it was a party) I started thinking about my next meal immediately (I am such a fat kid) and I could not get this pasta out of my mind. I even dreamt about myself taking one cheesy bite at a time in slow motion. I used to have dreams about my wedding and nice romantic things like that... now I have them about pasta. Maybe it's because Rich is still on the couch being all old and injured (his back... STILL! Ugh, poor handsome boy. I guess while you're incapacitated, I'll leave it to cheese to please me). But with Rich stuck on the couch, I couldn't bear to leave him and take myself on a pasta binge date.... so I decided to make it at home.

Just a note: I am watching The Today Show right now, as the Mr. and I do every morning because we are old and married (well, he is old and I am married) and Al is at the Iowa state fair (why on earth!!! I know....) and they just did a segment on a bunch of kids in a pie eating contest and I thought to myself "Sarah Keith, you could totally kick those 8 years olds asses in a pie eating contest..." This statement is F'd for many reasons, but mostly because it is 9:36am and now all I want is a pie....to myself. Ok. Back to Pasta.....

This pasta. 

Ingredients:
1/2 pound of rigatoni pasta, cooked to al dente, of course
2 pints of cherry tomatoes (or about 2 pints....)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp basil, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 Yellow squash, sliced (Zucchini would also be great!)
Burrata cheese
Kosher salt

Burrata is my soulmate. Don't tell my husband.

Method:
In a baking dish, combine cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, olive oil, and basil. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, giving the tomatoes a stir every now and then.

Cook the rigatoni to al dente. While the rigatoni is cooking, sauté the squash or zucchini until just browned.

Combine the rigatoni, roasted cherry tomatoes with their juices, and squash. Top the pasta with burrata cheese, season with kosher salt, and top with fresh basil if you so please... which I always do.

Enjoy, because.... how could you not?!

Penelope approved.

Fresh Pasta Sauce & First Kisses

So in case you've been wondering, I had my first kiss in Kindergarden. It was with a boy named Sage (awesome foreshadowing for a young chef; I bet if I was into ladies, her name would have been Rosemary). I was 5 at the time and was attending kindergarten at Sacred Hearts Catholic School in Toronto, Canada. I haven't talked to Sage since, maybe because my family moved to another country, maybe because he was intimidated by my charming ways, maybe because we were five and he went on to marry a lovely woman named Lavender... I guess we will never know.

I'm not sure when Richard had his first kiss.... if I had to guess, he was probably 4 because he always has to beat me and he's always been a bit slutty. Either way, I know for sure it was not with his friend Caitlin, who he went to elementary school with at St. Patrick's Catholic School in Charlotte, North Carolina. How do I know this you ask? Because tonight she and her husband came over for dinner and I asked her. It wasn't awkward at all.

I know. My mind is blown, too... the ONE GILR EVER that Rich hasn't kissed!!!

In case you are wondering, Richard and Caitlin hadn't seen each other since elementary school, so when we found out she and her husband, Tommy, were moving to Los Angeles it was quite an exciting surprise. And you know what happens when this ginger gets excited... DINNER PARTY!

Reunited and it feels so good!

With it being peak tomato season and our garden producing quite an abundance of San Marzano tomatoes, a pasta night was absolutely necessary... and when we throw around the term PASTA NIGHT  in this house, we are not effing around. I'm wearing the engagement ring of Rich's dead Italian grandma so I have a pretty high bar to live up to, lest I find my self resting eternally next to her. So when we say "pasta" we're talking homemade pasta and homemade marinara.... with all the ingredients from our garden!

Fresh Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
3 pounds of ripe San Marzano tomatoes, blanched and peeled (Roma will work great, too)
1/2 an onion, grated
1 stalk celery, minced
1 carrot, grated
3 cloves of garlic, minced
A splash of red wine
Lots of fresh basil
Lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
& lots of  FRESH PASTA (recipe here)

Method:
Begin by blanching the tomatoes. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Score the bottom of each tomato with a small "X" and then drop them into the boiling water for about 30 seconds and then put them into an ice bath to stop the cooking and let them cool. You will then be able to peel the skin off of them very easily. Do this with all of the tomatoes and then set them aside.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the grated onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté until starting to caramelize. Add the minced garlic and cook just a minute until fragrant. Add a splash of red wine. I do this because I think it tastes delicious.... and lord knows I am rarely in the kitchen without a glass of it already in hand. Once the wine is reduced, add the tomatoes and bring everything to a simmer. Turn the heat to LOW and let cook for at least an hour.

The longer you cook tomato sauce, the more caramelized and delicious it gets! Your tomatoes should pretty much break down from cooking, but if they are a little chunkier than you like, you can use an immersion blender to get your sauce smooth right before serving it. Season with salt and pepper, top with tons of fresh basil and parmesan cheese and serve!

One bowl, four hours of love, several hundred noodles of perfection

 Madness:

The dinner was amazing and tipsy. We even kept warm by a fire in our very own fire pit. Needless to say, we are so thrilled to have Caitlin and Tommy living in Los Angeles there will be many more amazing dinners to come! Cheers!!

Tommy: "Where's Caitlin!?"

Three Dog Night

Napa, I love you.... and BBQ sauce, too.

I know, I know. It's been a while.
I will start with excuses...again.

The Mr. and I just got back from yet another lovely trip to Napa. We had a wonderful weekend filled with friends, wine, amazing food, and me lusting over farmhouses and the dream of owning a horse and chickens. I love Napa.

Cue photos.....

We stayed in an amazing B&B in downtown Napa (courtesy of my wonderful parents) called The Inn on First. The food was wonderful. Really, really wonderful. Not to mention it was as charming as one would ever hope an early 1900's mansion turned romantic inn could be. The owners were so kind and helpful and made our stay seriously flawless. If my farm fantasy doesn't pan out, I will just live there. 

We were also joined by our wonderful friends, Caroline and Ben, from D.C. which was the absolute most fun! And what's my favorite rule in Napa? The more people in your group.... the more wine tastings you must squeeze into each day. That's a rule right?

We stopped at many of our favorite wineries including Stags' Leap, Cliff Lede, Opus One, Heitz Cellars, Marimar Estate, Etude, and Saintsbury (to name a FEW.) We also were introduced to a new favorite......

Scribe Winery.

All in all, as usual, Napa was dreamy. And also as usual.... I probably gained 67 pounds. 

Let's get to the good stuff....

Quack and Cheese from Carpe Diem in Downtown Napa. 

Creamy mac & cheese (a personal fave.) But oh no, it didn't stop there. Top it with caramelized onions and duck confit and you have a dish that will haunt your tastebuds for weeks. So delicious. 

We also ate at Bounty Hunter, which I have to say is one of my new faves in Napa. Please, any restaurant that serves rare wines with a heaping side of pulled pork, ribs, and coleslaw has my vote. Seriously worth the wait (they don't take reservations) and the shame of walking back to your B&B with your jeans unbuttoned. Don't judge. While I loved the BBQ there, my snobby southern hubby turns up his nose to almost all BBQ that doesn't come from a hole in the wall joint off of the interstate in the middle of nowhere. This was no different. In his opinion, the sauce was not up to par.... so, I will leave you with two absolutely to die for barbecue sauce recipes from my sweetie.

South Carolina Mustard Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups yellow mustard
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons chicken bouillon

2/3 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon celery seed
3 teaspoons mustard powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Method:

Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer over low/medium heat. 

Tennessee Whiskey Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients:
2 cups Jack Daniel's Black Label or Bourbon
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons malt vinegar
4 tablespoons dark molasses
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)

Method:
Combine ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce by 1/3.

Slather onto some smoked ribs and eat your heart out. 

Smoked Mozzarella Stuffed Italian Meatloaf

Meatloaf is one of those foods that is a little wishy washy for me. 

I absolutely love it.... but for some reason I am always a little embarrassed to admit it.

This is for one of two reasons:
1. Brussel sprout syndrom. 
You know they made you cringe until you went to some cool bistro last year and had them cooked in bacon fat until they were all crispy and dreamy. Your mom steamed them and made the house smell like your worst nightmare and you THOUGHT that you hated them.... until you knew what on earth you were talking about. There's a lot of reallllly really bad meatloaf recipes out there.... bringing us to reason #2.......

2. Housewife meatloaf.
You know the kind..... ketchup on top, served with mashed potatoes and always a little too dry... or very dry. 

But let me tell you something...... this is a new kind of housewife meatloaf. This is the kind you make for your hubby after your Amex bill comes and you've "accidentally" spent $300 at Nordstroms on "gym clothes" the week before. Orrrr if you are a good wife like me, the kind that you make because you loveeeee your new husband and this is the most delicious meatloaf ever. 

Man-food at it's absolute best. 

Ingredients: 

Meatloaf:

2/3 lb ground pork
1 3/4 lb ground beef (I always buy grass-fed)
1 c marinara*** (plus more for finishing) 
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 eggs
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons each fresh basil, oregano
1/2 cup onion, diced

Filling:
1/3 lb smoked mozzarella, grated
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1/3 cups parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup fresh spinach, cleaned and stems removed
1 roasted red pepper, diced

***I always ALWAYS use Rao's Marinara for everything. It is my absolute favorite. The best store bought sauce ever. 

Method:

Combine filling well and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine meat mixture well. Working on a sheet of parchment paper, use your hands to press the meat mixture into a rectangular, 1/4” thick sheet (use a sheet pan as a guide). Evenly spread filling mixture across meat, leaving a 1” border on long edges. Tightly roll meat, in jelly roll-style, carefully peeling back the paper as you go. Bake on a sheet pan, or in a loaf pan (wrapped in paper) for 45-60 min until 165° internal temp is reached. Let rest 10 min before slicing, topping with warm marinara, herbs and more Parmesan, as desired.

*Tip: To keep roll tight, bake in loaf pan.

Luna de Miel.... Part Dos.

This is part DOS of our LUNA DE MIEL.... that means "two" and "honeymoon" for those of you who can only speak one language.

Yes, that was a shining example of how quickly I became skilled in the spanish language while in Mexico.

If you have been following along as my best readers do.... you will first be impressed that this is my second time blogging in 48 hours. Eat (read) your heart out... and you are welcome.

You will also remember that my last delicious recipe and rambling was for ceviche, which I learned how to make while in Mexico last week.

Well, get ready because that was just the appetizer.....

Whole Grilled Red Snapper a la Talla Style Topped with Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:
1 2 pound (or so) whole red snapper (see note below)
1 dried guajillo chili pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/2 white onion
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 whole clove
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 pound tomatoes
1 lemon
1 serrano chili pepper
1 ounce soy sauce
1 tablespoon mayonnaise (yes, you read right.... mayo)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
6 tablespoons olive oil
salt

**If I were you, I would buy my snapper from Whole Foods (or your local fresh fish market) and have them clean the fish and remove all of the bones for you. I hate doing this and the nice men working at the fish counter usually don't have a problem doing it for me. You can also replace the whole fish and use steaks of snapper (or mahi mahi)  instead.... it just won't look as cool. 

this is how I debone a fish... I watch.

Method:
Once fish is cleaned and deboned- season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice and set aside.

In a large cast iron skillet, place the chili,  both cloves of garlic, Serrano pepper, tomatoes, and onion. No oil or anythin gis necessary. Lightly blacken all sides of everything making sure not to burn. Remove from heat. Set veggies aside. Place guajillo pepper in boiling water and boil for 15-20 minutes to soften. Once the dried pepper is soft, place the pepper, one clove of garlic, blackened veggies and olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour through a strainer to make sure you have a nice smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper and put aside.

In a mortar, put the remaining clove of garlic, cumin seeds, pepper, coriander, clove, oregano, and salt and grind together until completely smooth. Add the mayo, mustard, and soy sauce and mix well.

Pour mayonnaise based sauce over fish to marinate.
Next, spoon the roasted guajillo pepper sauce over the fish as well making sure to cover all sides.

This is when I hand it over to my grill master husband (ah- love that word!)
Place snapper on an oiled grill (or you can broil it)
It should cook in about 3 minutes per side- very quickly!

men at work.

Once the fish is cooked, top it with pico de gallo (recipe below)
Serve with grilled veggies.

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:
3 tomatoes, seeds removed and chopped
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
2 serrano chili pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt

Method:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix. You can add more or less Serrano peppers depending on how hot you like your salsa.

And because this photo is awesome:

This is where our red snapper came from. A man with a boat.

Roasted Vegetable and Ricotta Pizza.... That's Amore.

Remember that time a couple of months ago when I blamed my lack of blogging to the tragedy resulting in my lost iPhone + all of my food pictures? Well..... once again I would like to blame my absence on the misfortune of losing all of my iPhone pics (yes, again) . You can't post a blog without any food porn to stare at.... after all, what are you reading this for? The articles?

However, don't worry, Ricard came home last Friday night with a new iPhone 4S for me (which I now have nightmares about losing)  so I will do my best to not deprive you of amazing recipes ever again.... plus, if I lose my phone again I will probably lose my fiancé also.

Speaking of which..... our wedding is 460 days away.... giving me hardly any time to convince myself to get to a gym so that the tag inside of my wedding dress is not in the triple digits.

Ugh. The gym.

My plan? More veggies less ice cream, pasta, and pie.... or at least maybe limit them.... just like once a day...... orrrrrr find a healthy way to make things I actually want to eat so that I don't turn into a bridge jumping, suicide note writing, bridezilla.

Roasted Vegetable and Ricotta Pizza. 

Ingredients:

Fresh refrigerated pizza dough (I used whole wheat.....because I am SO healthy now)

Sliced crimini mushrooms

Sliced zucchini

Sliced multicolored bell peppers

Sliced red onion

Artichoke hearts

1 tbsp cornmeal

1/3 cup pizza sauce 

Cracked black pepper

Sea salt

Olive oil

2/3 cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup part skim ricotta cheese

Fresh sliced basil leaves

Method:

Remove dough from refrigerator and let it stand covered for 30 minutes. You could make your own dough, but I hate making pizza dough, so I don't.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees and place pizza stone (yes, use a pizza stone.... so much better) on the lowest rack. 

Combine all veggies in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange vegetables in a baking dish and bake at 500 for 20 minutes. 

Punch dough down and roll into a 15 inch circle and place on a lightly floured, hot pizza stone sprinkled with cornmeal. Brush the pizza dough with olive oil, spread sauce over dough leaving a 1 inch border. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella over the sauce and then top with the roasted vegetables.  Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the vegetables and then top with dollops of ricotta cheese.

Bake pizza at 500 degrees for 12 minutes or until crust is golden. Sprinkle with basil..... and try to not make your kitchen look like this......

oops.