Workers of the World, Unite!

Here in the good ol' US of A, we just celebrated the symbolic end of summer with the long Labor Day weekend, a federal holiday hastily enacted in 1894 by a president and congress fearful of labor union unrest after the military and US Marshals killed several railway strikers in Pullman, Illinois. Like all American holidays, this one has been watered down to make it palatable to BBQ aficionados and football fans (the NFL and college seasons begin this weekend). These days, most folks couldn't identify the President (Grover Cleveland), who signed the act, if he fell on top of them, let alone point to Pullman on a map. So, patriotic Americans that the Lone Ranger and I are, we invited friends over for pot roast and apple crumb cake!

Peyton's Labor Day Dinner Menu

Strawberry salad with poppy seed vinaigrette Pot roast Mashed potatoes with pan gravy Poached asparagus Apple crumb cake

Any cook worth her salt should know how to make a pot roast. If not, get on the telephone to your mothers right now and get a recipe. The Lone Ranger plugs his beef with garlic cloves before searing in his own sainted mother's cast iron Dutch oven. Once the meat is browned on all sides, add vegetables - traditionally onions, carrots and celery - some good stock and red wine, return the beef to the pot and place in a 350°F oven for three hours. I usually go a little lower on the temp, 275° or so and cook for longer, but, with company expected at 5:00, we were pressed for time. Remove the roast from the pot, loosely tent with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, strain the juices from the Dutch oven, whisk in a slurry of flour & water, herbs and seasonings, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and allow the pan gravy to thicken and reduce. Slice your roast thinly against the bias and serve.

The Lone Ranger taught me a chef's secret about perfect, creamy mashed potatoes: whip the spuds BEFORE adding any liquid or butter. Failure to comply will result in a lumpy side and dinner guests who mock you openly.

Well, the Lone Ranger went all out with the table setting. Grandma's silver, best China and crystal. The Queen herself (or two, for that matter) would have felt right at home. The highlight for me though? The salad!

Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

2 Tbsp sesame seeds 1 Tbsp poppy seeds ¼ cup sugar ½ cup olive oil ¼ cup white vinegar ¼ tsp paprika ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp minced onion 2 cups baby spinach 1 qt fresh strawberries, cored and sliced ¼ cup sliced almonds

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a sealable jar and shake viorously to combine. If making ahead of time, refrigerate until ready to serve with the salad. Arrange spinach on salad plates and top with sliced strawberries. Sprinkle almonds around the salad, then drizzle with poppy seed dressing. We served ours before the main course. D-lish!

Did someone say dessert? Well, there were two, actually. The LR made his apple crumb cake, but one of our guests brought home-made Key lime pie. Recipes to follow, but just look at that money shot!

Friends arrived early and stayed late. I love that. Between dinner and the sweet stuff, it was cool enough on the patio for a fire in the Mexican chiminea. Neighbors caught sight of the light and shadow play and joined us for pie. We sat out there until late in the night savoring our made-up American birthright. I'll pass up any stadium tailgating party every time for a night like this, and I defy you to challenge me.

Thanks for taking the time - Blog O. Food

Blog O. Food and the Blustery Day!

Wow, what a weekend. New England and the mid-Atlantic got pummeled by a Nor'easter Friday and Saturday that effectively shut down huge swaths of road and rail. Great sections of the tri-state area were without power and National Guardsmen were issuing hip waders to local residents. I was ready with flashlights, candles and a half-cord of firewood, but my little slice of the Hamptons maintained electricity through the night. Damage to the grounds, however, was impressive. Upon awaking Sunday, I was greeted by big gaps in fences around the house and along the street, felled branches as thick as my arm, and litter everywhere. I spent a good part of the morning hefting waterlogged lumber into stacks and dragging tree limbs into a pile by the side of the house. A far cry from my usual house plant watering chores, but it had to be done, and ought to earn me extra credit with my benevolent landlord!

This was gonna be a weekend of exploring South Fork wineries and pairing my discoveries at Channing Daughters and Wölffer Estates with local produce and conscientiously raised Long Island chickens. But excursions were now limited to town. Instead, I splurged on a forty-five dollar Man Treat: two and a half pounds of hormone & antibiotic free, grass-fed, tucked-in-at-night-and-sung-to-sleep porterhouse steak. Three words: Worth. Every. Penny.

You buy a cut of meat this expensive, and the theme for the evening is already pre-determined: Don't F*ck It Up! So what did I do? I quartered some Yukon potatoes, a red onion, and one really big carrot, tossed them with some salt & pepper in a little olive oil and set them to roasting for an hour in a 375° oven. I also brushed the porterhouse with some olive oil and let it come up to room temperature. After an hour of roasting the vegetables, I maxed out the oven temp and set up a broiling rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Once the rack was red hot, the porterhouse went on, about 4 inches from the coils. I broiled it for seven minutes on each side and got beautiful sear marks on the outside, and a perfect medium-rare interior. I tented the porterhouse with aluminum foil and let it rest. And here's where things got interesting.

In this house, Man Treats are topped with mushrooms... in cream, damn it. I had already shelled out close to fifty bucks on a steak, did you think I was gonna settle for common button fungi? Guess again. Shitake mushrooms, shallots, garlic, a little beef stock, some crème fraîche that Alice Waters taught me how to make, and to prove just what kind of man I really am, a couple fingers of Armagnac.

Start by browning sliced mushrooms in one tablespoon each of olive oil and butter, about 5 minutes or until all their liquid has evaporated . Add coarsely chopped shallots and minced garlic and sweat for 2 minutes, or until translucent. Pull the sauté pan from the heat and add a ¼-cup of brandy. Return to the heat and reduce the liquid for a minute or two. Add a ¼-cup of beef stock and cook to thicken, another two minutes or so. Stir in 3 tablespoons of crème fraîche*, season to taste with salt & pepper, and remove from heat.

De-bone the porterhouse and slice on a bias against the grain. Fan out on a serving platter and top with creamy shitake mushrooms and roasted vegetables on the side. Try to ignore the howling wind outside (but don't sit too near any plate glass just in case), and tuck in.

You'll think I'm a fool, but I really could taste the difference in the beef. It was heavenly. Nutty, flavorful even after chewing, and oh so tender. I also managed to get two more meals out of the steak the next day, so it really wasn't much of an extravagance after all; it just felt that way. So here's to crummy weather and convenient excuses for guilty pleasures.

Thanks for taking the time - Blog O. Food

Crème fraîche - a recipe by Alice Waters

1 cup heavy cream 1 Tbsp cultured buttermilk

Pour cream into a clean glass jar. Add buttermilk and stir well. Cover the jar loosely and let the cream sit at room temperature for 24 hours or so, or until cream thickens. When thickened, cover jar tightly and store in the refrigerator. Crème fraîche will keep up to 10 days chilled.

Boeuf à la Bourguignonne

Sheesh! Writing this post has proved just as daunting as preparing the actual dish. It  has been the most time consuming, step-filled undertaking I've assumed on this here blog thingy. The sheer number of photographs alone was enough to shy me away from tackling the job for weeks. I knew going into this that it was gonna be a monumental project. Just shopping for ingredients burned up an entire morning. The only way I was going to get through it was with total concentration. I sent Miss Muffy and Miss Thang off to the movies so that I could work undistracted. I built a timeline - counting backwards from serving to initial prep - created an iTunes playlist aptly labeled Hardcore, opened a bottle of wine and strapped on an apron.

People go to unheard of lengths for loved ones. I can't imagine doing this for a stranger or even a casual friend, unless it was their last meal or something. Hell, Christ himself probably wouldn't have bothered. But then, I'm a crazy person, and I was making this dish just as much for myself as anyone else. I needed to prove that I could do it, and do it well.

I'll let you be the judge.

Boeuf à la Bourguignonne - Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck

6 oz piece of pancetta 2 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 2" cubes 1 carrot, sliced 1 onion, sliced Salt & pepper 2 Tbsp flour 3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône or Burgundy) 2½ - 3½ cups beef stock 1 Tbsp tomato paste 2 cloves mashed garlic ½ tsp thyme 1 crumbled bay leaf 18 - 24 pearl onions 3½ Tbsp butter Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, ½ bay leaf, 2 thyme sprigs, tied in cheesecloth) 1 lb mushrooms, fresh and quartered

Cut pancetta (rind removed) into lardons (sticks ¼" thick and 1½" long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1½ quarts water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450° F. Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a Dutch oven over moderate heat for 2 - 3 minutes to brown lightly. With a slotted spoon, remove to a side dish.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in Dutch oven until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Remove browned meat, adding it to the lardons.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat. Return the beef and pancetta to the casserole and toss with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Then sprinkle with the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole, uncovered, in the middle position of the preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat again and return to the oven for 4 more minutes (this browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust). Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325°. Stir in wine and 2 - 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Cover Dutch oven and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 - 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the pearl onions and mushrooms. Heat 1½ tablespoons butter with 1½ tablespoons olive oil until bubbling in a skillet. Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly. Add ½ cup beef stock, salt & pepper to taste and the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 - 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.

Wipe out the skillet and heat remaining olive oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake pan for 4 - 5 minutes. As soon as the mushrooms have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the Dutch oven through a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top. Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming additional fat that rises to the surface. You should have about 2½ cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, reduce it rapidly over high heat. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of beef stock. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 - 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Arrange stew on a platter surrounded by noodles and decorated with chopped parsley.

I've never been so happy to get a meal to the table. I was spent. Exhausted. D.U.N., done. Even with Miss Muffy's help during the latter stages of preparation, I still felt like I'd gone twelve rounds in the boxing ring. But in the end, I had my arm raised overhead victorious. Oh, the flavor! The bloody French had done it again. Every component took center stage for an aria. Together, the chorus they created was operatic. (No mixed metaphors here, thank you very much!) There was a rich, authentic beef flavor, and the meat practically melted in the mouth. The complexity of the wine made the dish sing. The pearl onions and mushrooms added texture, shape and earthy substance. Julia's Beef Bourgogne makes my beef stew look like an old fishwife. Well, my stew is pretty damn good actually, but this, this was very nearly celestial. We savored every bite.

Boeuf à la Bourguignonne is not a dish one is gonna prepare at a moment's notice. In fact, it will probably be something you are only willing to attempt on the most special of occasions. But just because something is arduous or complicated is not a very good reason not to give it a try, at least not in my book anyway. But why listen to me, the second most stubborn person on the planet?

Bon apetit - Blog O. Food

Not a fajita. Not a burrito...

...it's a farrito!

There are three markets within easy walking distance of my front door. All three reflect the different ethnic enclaves of the surrounding blocks. There's some overlap in all of them, but you get a good sense of who their customers might be by sleuthing through the produce and meat departments. Coming back from Manhattan last weekend, I ducked into Villa Juana (yeah, sometimes the name is a dead giveaway) at the Fordham Metro-North station looking for something for dinner. Villa Juana has a whole aisle dedicated to nothing but Mexican foods. It's always like a homecoming browsing through the Goya canned goods, dried beans and chilies. But I digress.

I found some fresh cut beef tenderloin strips and started thinking about a good marinade to flavor and tenderize the inexpensive cut. Food alchemists know the science behind a good marinade, the real trick is combining spices, oils and acids to create something flavorful and complimentary to the dish. The unimaginative will reach for the A-1 or Heinz 57. Their ilk should not be allowed in kitchens in my opinion.

Mexican Marinade - A Blog O. Food creation

¼ cup beer 2 Tbsp cider vinegar 4 Tbsp chili powder 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder ¼ tsp cayenne pepper Salt & freshly ground black pepper ½ cup olive oil 3 bay leaves

Add the first eight ingredients to a blender, cover and pulse to combine. With feed cap removed and the blender on a low speed, slowly pour in the olive oil, making an emulsion. Completely submerge beef in the marinade, making sure to reach all surface areas of the strips. Top with bay leaves, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour (I went for four).

Heat a cast iron grill over medium high heat. Once cooking surface comes to temperature, spray with cooking oil. Remove beef from marinade, discarding the excess sauce. Place strips on hot grill leaving some space between pieces. Cook 3-4 minutes on one side, turn and cook an additional two minutes or so. Remove beef to a warm platter, add a little more cooking spray to the still hot grill and sear whole green onions and soften flour tortillas. Serve with grated sharp cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Just look at the beautiful sear marks on the beef, onions and tortillas. One really does feast with the eyes, and that's a pretty picture right there.

Quick, painless, delicious. I used garlic and onion powder for a smooth marinade that would be fully infused with their flavors. Cumin is a Mexican staple, very subtle, but a dish wouldn't be the same without it. The marinade really saturated the beef. The finished meat had hints of spice and just enough heat to keep things interesting. Sour cream and grilled beef, well that's just a classic combo. Beer is the only acceptable accompaniment to Mexican-style dishes. In this case Presidente, a Dominican Republic brew, but close enough!

Thanks for taking the time - Blog O. Food