This Charming Kitchen

This weekend I made Steak au Poivre for The Boy.  And I have to tell y'all it was pretty damn good.

It's a Barefoot Contessa recipe and it was really easy and amazingly good.  Please, make it for your friends and boyfriends.

Immediately!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

• 6 filet mignon, cut 1 1/4 inches thick
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped shallots (3 to 4 shallots)
• 1 cup canned beef broth
• 1/2 cup good Cognac or brandy

Directions

Place the filets on a board and pat them dry with paper towels. 

Sprinkle the filets with salt and then press the black pepper evenly on both sides. Allow to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. 

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter and the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until the butter almost smokes.

Place the steaks in the pan and lower the heat to medium. Saute the steaks for 4 minutes on 1 side and then for 3 minutes on the other side, for medium rare. Remove the steaks to a serving platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Meanwhile, pour all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the saute pan. Add the shallots and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the beef broth and cook over high heat for 4 to 6 minutes, until reduced by half, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the Cognac and cook for 2 more minutes. Off the heat, swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Serve the steaks hot with the sauce poured on top.

We only made two steaks, although we may have eaten all six if we had made them.

A couple of little notes:

First, I didn't let the steaks come to room temperature before I cooked them and I think it added to the cooking time.  I'll definitely remember to do that next time.  

Second, use freshly cracked pepper.  I usually don't but did this time I think it really made a WORLD of difference.  And The Boy made himself useful by grinding all the little peppercorns up in the mortar and pestle - which made him happy.

Third, use low sodium beef broth.  The sauce was really well seasoned but it definitely would have been too salty if I hadn't used the low sodium beef broth.

And finally, use good Cognac.  The Boy could taste the Cognac and really liked it. 

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This is my new favorite thing.  

Remember my New Year's Resolution to try new things?  

Well, I tried this here bourbon.  

And I liked it - a lot.

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The book club ladies came over this week.

We had The Barefoot Contessa's Grown Up Mac & Cheese!

Here's the deal:

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil
• Kosher salt
• 1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi (see Note)
• 1 quart milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (4 cups)
• 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, grated (2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

• Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well. (I don't do this.  There are 2 schools of thought concerning oil in pasta and I completely disagree with Ina on this one. FYI.)

• Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

• Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Note: To make ahead, put the macaroni and cheese in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Put the tomatoes and bread crumbs on top and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes.

This was really easy to make and I assembled it the night before so all I had to do was bake it before the ladies arrived.  And they ate it all up!

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This is the Barefoot Contessa's Country French Omelet Recipe!

You should make it.  As soon as possible....

Ingredients

1 tablespoon good olive oil

3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, 1-inch-diced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 extra large eggs

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

Cooking Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch ovenproof omelet pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 3 to 5 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned but not crisp.

Take the bacon out of the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.

Place the potatoes in the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue to cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until very tender and browned, tossing occasionally to brown evenly. Remove with a slotted spoon to the same plate with the bacon.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together with a fork. After the potatoes are removed, pour the fat out of the pan and discard. Add the butter, lower the heat to low, and pour the eggs into the hot pan. Sprinkle the bacon, potatoes, and chives evenly over the top and place the pan in the oven for about 8 minutes, just until the eggs are set. Slide onto a plate, divide in half, and serve hot.

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I bought a new colander at Ikea this weekend. 

I know, calm down, it's too much excitement to take on a Wednesday afternoon.  You'll all have to take pills. 

But -

I'm excited about it.  I have one that dates 'pre-divorce' and I bought it at the Teeter and really, the only reason I took it with me was because I think he wanted it.....  And I wasn't above a little bitterness at the time.  I figure if the only thing I took out of spite was a cheap colander, he made out pretty well.

Anywho.....

Last weekend when I made the bolognaise, as I was draining the pasta in my too small and too shallow colander - I thought "You need to ask for a nice colander for Christmas".

And then on Sunday I went to Ikea and I found this one. 

Huge, deep, heavy, well made - $14.95. 

That, my friends, is a blessing when you least expect one. 

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This weekend I made the Barefoot Contessa's Bolognese sauce and I was not disappointed!

Y'all - this is the recipe I've been looking for.

I don't know if I've mentioned this before but my ex, The Love Maker, was Sicilian.  So I developed a kind of paranoia about sauce.  He had me convinced that since I was of Non-Mediterranean descent I would never understand or be able to prepare proper sauce.

Yes.  He was that kind of asshole but we're over it - but then there it is.

Anywho.....

For years I've been looking for a simple, easy, flavorful sauce but all the 'official' Italian recipes were cook all day affairs - and that has it's place but sometimes you just want some sauce already.

This just blew me out of the water.  It comes together in 45 minutes or so and I could not have been happier with the way it turned out.  And, you know, Ina is just as non-Mediterranean as I am so I felt safe with her.

Here's the recipe:

2 TB good olive oil, plus extra to cook pasta
1 pound lean ground sirloin
4 tsp minced garlic (4 cloves)
1 TB dried oregano
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 ¼ cups dry red wine, divided
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
2 TB tomato paste
Kosher salt & black pepper
¾ pound dried pasta, such as orecchiette or (small shells)
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12 inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, crumbling the meat until the meat is no longer pink and has started to brown. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Pour 1 cup of the wine into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 ½ teaspoons pepper, stirring until combined. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.

Finish the sauce while the pasta cooks. Add the nutmeg, basil, cream, and the remaining ¼ cup wine to the sauce and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and ½ cup Parmesan and toss well. Serve hot with Parmesan on the side.

(Recipe from How Easy is That? by Ina Garten)

I made it exactly to the recipe.  I was able to find the San Marzano tomatoes at the Teeter and I used a nice Cabernet Sauvinon in the sauce.   Also, I added the 1/2 cup of Parmesan to the sauce at the same time I added the nutmeg, basil, cream and remaining wine.  I did find it just a *tad* salty so I think the next time I make it I may just go with 1/2 tablespoon of salt in the sauce.  But other than that it was wonderful.

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I've been feeling rather Southern lately - whatever the hell that means - so I picked up a couple of Southern cookbooks on Amazon. 

I got Katie Lee's cookbook - The Comfort Table - because she's from West Virginia and on my charming reader O.K.'s recommendation.

And I also picked up Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen because Sara's from North Carolina and because I read a very good review of it.

And it's got a chapter on Grits, a chapter on Pigs and a chapter on Cornbread and biscuits... so it sounds promising....

They just came in the mail so I haven't had an opportunity to try anything out yet.  But I'm hoping soon.

Stay tuned for recipe reviews in the future.

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Do you ever say to yourselves:

"Gee, I need a quick, easy, fool proof and incredibly impressive main dish for my dinner party!"

Well, darling readers - today's the lucky day!

This is my recipe for 'impressive pork chops'.  Really, I got it from Ellie Krieger but I've been taking all the credit for years now.  AND since I can't find a version of this recipe on line directly from her - the lawyer in me is going to say she abandoned this recipe and I took it over.

This explains to you why it isn't more professionally written - but here goes:

Ingredients:

For Chops:

4 pork loin chops (although you can easily make this with one) anywhere from 3/4 to 1 inch thick
4 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons of freshly ground black peppercorns
2 tablespoons olive oil

For sauce:

1 cup red wine
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons melted salt free butter
2 tablespoons flour


Directions:

Lightly salt the chops and then coat all sides of the chops in good dijon mustard.  On top of that, thickly coat the mustard in freshly ground black pepper.

Next, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot.  You're going to make gravy in this pan, so I recommend using a deep sided stainless steel skillet.

Place the chops in the hot oil and leave them alone - as in don't move them or mess with them.  Let them alone.  Let them cook for 5 to 6 minutes (depending on the thickness of your chops - a 1 inch chop needs about 6 minutes).  Then, flip them over and cook for an equal amount of time on the other side.  Again, you only need one flip here. 

Remove the chops to a plate and cover with foil and let them rest for 10 - 20 minutes.

Then, in your pan, add one cup of red wine and one cup of chicken stock.  Stir up all the brown bits from the bottom of our pan.  Reduce the heat to get a gentle simmer and reduce the sauce for 10 minutes or so.  Then you can serve the sauce as is - however, I make a little roux by using 2 tablespoons of melted butter and 2 tablespoons of flour.  After the sauce is reduced, add the roux and whisk until you have a smooth, thick, rich gravy.  Salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

I usually serve this with roasted potatoes and carrots (cut up about a pound of carrots and a pound of new potatoes and place them on a sheet pan.  Add a few tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper.  Toss it all together and roast at 450 degrees for 35 minutes or so).

The best thing about this is that if you put your vegetables in the oven at the same time you start your chops - it will all come out done at about the same time!

I also serve this with good rolls which I buy ready made at the Teeter and warm up in the same oven with the veggies.   It ends up being a very good, pretty low cal dinner in 45 minutes or less.

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This is a recipe that's been in my book for many years.  It's to be served at room temperature, it's light and it's perfect for a summer supper. 

You should give it a shot.

Roast Pork Calypso Style

Ingredients

Roast Pork

3 shallots, chopped
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 3/4-pound pork tenderloins

Sauce

1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 bay leaves
3/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Fresh spinach leaves
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, sliced crosswise
Minced fresh parsley

Black Bean, Heart of Palm, and Corn Salad

1 16-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained
1 10-ounce package frozen corn, thawed, drained
1 7 1/2-ounce can hearts of palm, drained, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
2 large tomatoes, seeded, diced
1/2 red onion, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon ground coriander

Preparation

For Roast Pork:

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Combine shallots, bay leaves, salt, allspice and ginger in small bowl.
Add generous amount of pepper. Rub mixture into pork.
Set on rack in roasting pan, Roast pork until thermometer inserted into centers registers 150°F., about 25-30 minutes. Cool slightly.

(Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Bring pork to room temperature before serving.)

For Sauce:

Combine first 6 ingredients in heavy small saucepan. Season with pepper. Simmer until slightly syrupy, about 10 minutes.
(Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For Salad:

Mix all ingredients in medium bowl. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper. (Salad can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Line platter with spinach. Mound black bean salad in center. Slice pork. Alternate pork and avocado slices around salad. Discard bay leaves from sauce and drizzle sauce over pork and avocado. Sprinkle with parsley.

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This past weekend, I made Beef Bourguignon for the girls at book club - using Ina Garten's recipe.

It was a lot of fun!

I even flamed it and didn't burn my house down!  In fact, it was sort of a non-event.

Here's a picture of the flaming pot:

It's actually on fire here. 

Anyway.....

Here's Ina's recipe, in case you want to try.  I found it fairly easy to make:

Beef Bourguignon

Copyright Ina Garten, All rights reserved

Prep Time:  30 min.

Cook Time:  1 hr 15 min

Level:  Intermediate

Serves:  6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
• 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
• 2 yellow onions, sliced
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
• 1/2 cup Cognac
• 1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
• 1 can (2 cups) beef broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 pound frozen whole onions
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For serving:

• Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.


Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.


Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.


Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol.

Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.


Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.


To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley

And this is what it looks like in captivity:

We gobbled it all down and went back for seconds!

Bon Appetit!

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So - in keeping with my New Year's resolutions, I have been really, really trying to eat better.  And not just eat more healthfully but also to eat more creatively.

One thing that I've decided to do is to try to go mostly vegetarian at home and on the weekends.  I do this anyway at home but I end up eating the same couple of things (pasta, beans and rice) all the time. The challenge is to try to incorporate new and different dishes and lots of different fruits and vegetables going forward.  Come March, I'm going to get VERY acquainted with the farmer's market.

Having made this decision, I've been keeping an eye out for recipes that are quick, healthy and vegetarian! 

I found this recipe over at Orangette (whom I love and wish posted more but I think she's got a life so I won't complain tooooo much).

This is her French host mother's recipe for Skillet Carrots with Onions and Thyme.  I made it the other night and it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be - but I blame myself.  Her recipe calls for yellow onions and I used a white one because that's what I had.  I also used dried thyme and I think fresh would definitely be better - and my pitiful little bottle of red wine vinegar is so old - well it's just pitiful.  You can't have a good outcome if your ingredients aren't the best.   I am undaunted, though and am determined to make this a 'go to' dish from now on.  Carrots are great for you and I always have them around so I'm going to start doing these a lot.

Here's Molly's recipe (in her own words):

Skillet Carrots with Onions and Thyme

My host mother used regular orange carrots, but I like to use purple and yellow ones, too, when I can find them. They keep their color when cooked, so they make the dish especially handsome. Whatever carrots you use, make sure that they taste sweet in their raw state: a dull, bitter carrot cannot be fixed. I don’t bother to peel my carrots, but I do wash them well.

Also, for this recipe, I like to slice my onions from stem end to root end, like this, so that they keep their shape and integrity as they cook. When you slice onions the other way – across their equators, you could say – they tend to fall apart during cooking.

Olive oil
1 yellow onion, halved and sliced from root to stem, like this
Salt
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 lb. carrots, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds
4 to 5 fresh thyme sprigs
½ tsp. red wine vinegar, or to taste

Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add a good amount of olive oil, enough to film the bottom of the pan. Add the onions – they should sizzle – stir to coat with oil. Salt lightly. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened but not browned. Add the garlic, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for a few more minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the carrots, thyme, and a couple of generous pinches of salt, and stir to mix. If the carrots look dry, add a little more oil to lightly coat them; this dish needs more oil than you might think. Cover the pan and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender and the onions are very soft. (I never seem to pay attention to how long this takes, but I would guess that it takes somewhere between 10 and 20 minutes.) Remove the pan from the heat, and discard the thyme sprigs. Sprinkle the vinegar over the carrots. Stir gently to incorporate: the vinegar should subtly brighten the flavor of the carrots without being discernible itself. Add more vinegar, if needed, and salt to taste.

Serve hot.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

If anyone else makes them, please let me in on your outcome!
Image:  Carrots by Allsopp Imagery.

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This is a wonderful recipe for orange chocolate chunk cake from the Barefoot Contessa.

It takes a while - but so totally worth it! And I think it's great for the holidays.

Ingredients

For the cake:

1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1/4 cup grated orange zest (4 large oranges)
3 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups good semisweet chocolate chunks


For the Syrup:

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

For the Ganache:

8 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.

2. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the orange zest.

3. Sift together 3 cups flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the orange juice, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately in thirds to the creamed butter, beginning and ending with the flour. Toss the chocolate chunks with 2 tablespoons flour and add to the batter. Pour into the pan, smooth the top, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the syrup. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, cook the sugar with the orange juice until the sugar dissolves. Remove the cake from the pan, set it on a rack over a tray, and spoon the orange syrup over the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely.

5. For the ganache, melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

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This week's recipe is for Sweet Potato and Zucchini Bread - originally from Bon Appetit.

This is the thing that I make for my office that they now specifically request.  I mean, they'll eat anything, but this stuff really gets gone in a hurry.

Here's how it goes:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar (original recipe calls for 2 cups - I find it to be too much)
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil (original recipe calls for 3/4 cup of vegetable oil - again I found it to be too much)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (I use my food processor with the shredding blade but I have also used my hand grater.  It takes longer and your vegetables are mushier.)
• 1 1/2 cups grated peeled sweet potato
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Preparation:

• preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Butter and flour 9x5x3-inch loaf pan
• sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl
• Beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla to blend in large bowl (I used my stand mixer)
• Mix in zucchini and sweet potato
• Add dry ingredients and walnuts and stir well (this makes a fairly wet batter)
• Transfer batter to prepared pan
• Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 20 minutes
• Cool bread in pan on rack for 15 minutes.  Cut around bread to loosen.  Turn out onto rack and cool completely.

Makes 1 loaf.

Enjoy!

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I thought a lot about what I wanted to make for Thanksgiving this year and the answer, my friends, was wild mushroom risotto. 

I used to have this recipe for it that I loved but said recipe was contained in a cookbook that technically belonged to my ex and in the heat of my grief at our breakup, I did not have the presence of mind to steal it....

*heavy sigh*

Over the years, I've searched for another one and now I have found it.  This is originally from Bon Appetit, but if anybody ever asks me from here on out, I am swearing that I made it up.

Ingredients:

• 9 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (although I only used about 5 1/2 tablespoons)
• 1 1/2 lbs fresh wild mushrooms (such as porcini, hen of the woods, chanterelle, or stemmed shiitake) (I used shiitake and portobello).  I cut mine into manageable pieces.
• 7 cups (about) low-salt chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped leek (white and pale green parts only)
• 1 1/4 cups arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup white vermouth (I skipped the vermouth and used 1/2 cup of the white - but you can live your bliss)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese plus a little extra on top [optional]

Directions:

• melt 2 tablespoons of butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat - although I only used about 1 tablespoons of butter here.  Add 1/4 of mushrooms and sprinkle with salt.  Saute mushrooms until tender and beginning to brown, 3-4 minutes.  Transfer mushrooms to medium bowl  Working in 3 more batches, repeat, adding more butter until all mushrooms are cooked.  And do this, OK?  Don't just lump them all in there and cook them at the same time.  You want one layer at a time.  Otherwise, they'll steam and get mushy instead of saute and cook the way you want them to.
• In the meantime, bring 7 cups chicken broth to simmer in large medium saucepan; keep warm
• Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat (I use my dutch oven for this)
• Add leak to butter and olive oil and saute until tender
• Add rice and increase heat to medium.  Stir until edges of rice begin to look translucent, about 3-4 minutes
• Add wine/vermouth and stir until liquid is absorbed
• Add broth by ladle-full and stir until almost all broth is absorbed.  
• Continue adding broth by ladle, waiting until almost all broth is absorbed before adding more
• When rice is halfway cooked, about 10 minutes, stir in sauteed mushrooms
• Continue adding broth by ladle, stirring until broth is absorbed before adding more until rice is tender but still firm to bite and risotto is creamy, about 10 more minutes
• Stir in 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.

The key to good risotto is to be patient and not try to skip ahead and also to stir it constantly.  You also must serve it immediately!  It will not keep!  It's like a morning glory - you must enjoy it immediately and fully because it will not survive the day.

This makes a very warm and hearty meal with good crusty bread.  Be like the French and have your salad afterward. 
Image and recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit.

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In honor of Thanksgiving, I'm posting 'my' recipe for Pumpkin Walnut bread. 

And when I say 'my' I mean it's originally from Bon Appetit.....  But I make it every year so I'm claiming some amount of ownership here. 

In any event, here it is:

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour (I use White Lily)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (leave it out overnight for best results)
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature (again, leave them out overnight)
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Preparation:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325 degrees Farenheit
•  Butter 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan
• Sift first 7 ingredients into medium bowl
• Using electric or stand mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light
• Gradually beat in 3/4 cup sugar.
• Beat in eggs one at a time
• Beat in pumpkin, lemon peel and vanilla
• Whisk sour cream and milk in small bowl
• Beat flour mixture and sour cream mixtures alternately into batter in 2 additions each
• Fold in nuts
• Transfer batter to pan; smooth top
• Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar

Bake bread until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes.  Cool in pan 10 minutes.  Turn out onto rack and cool.

And now I'm gonna sound a little bit like Ina Garten but this is really important:  Buy good stuff (as in don't use old spices and baking powder) and make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature.  It makes an enormous difference!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

xo - Tonya

This Charming Kitchen

That's right, Charming readers -  it's cornbread time!

This is my grandmother's recipe for cornbread, which has served me well.  I make it in her cast iron skillet, which she probably inherited from somebody else and is well over 100 years old.  I suppose you can make corn bread in another type of pan, but I don't know how to do that.  If you are really committed to good corn bread, though, you need to lay your hands on a cast iron skillet.  They are great to have anyway and I use mine for all kinds of stuff, including oven baked french fries and broiled salmon... but I digress.

Back to the cornbread.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow corn meal
• 1 cup all purpose flour  (I recommend White Lily if you can get your hands on it)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups butter milk
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or Crisco
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn (optional)

Directions:

•  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Grease the skillet with the vegetable oil and/or Crisco.  Now, I think this next step is key.  Put the skillet in the oven while it preheats.  You need the oil to get hot. 
• in a bowl, mix dry ingredients.
• in a separate bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk and butter
• add buttermilk mixture and cornmeal mixture together and stir until batter is just combined.  If you are using the frozen corn, mix that in.
• when oven has finished preheating, remove skillet and hot oil and add the batter.  If you've done this right, it should sizzle up and create the beginning of the crust that you are looking for.  If the oil is not hot enough, it will just absorb into the batter and make greasy cornbread.  
• Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until top is golden brown and sides pull away from the pan. 

This is best served warm, but you can store in an airtight container for a couple of days.  In the south, you can mix your day old cornbread with milk or buttermilk and have it for dessert the next day.

Just sayin.

This Charming Kitchen

Hi, guys!

Today I'm sharing my recipe for spicy shrimp salsa. 

This is a recipe that I've had for years and which never fails to please a crowd.  I have always been very selective about who I share it with, but now, after many requests, I am going to put it out there.  I think it's particularly good in the summer and if you don't want to share it with others you can just make it for yourselves and have it for dinner.  You can easily double it, for larger parties and whatnot, but if you do, pay particular attention to your measurements.  There is a tendency to want to add more shrimp to it, but from what I've heard from others who have tried it, the salsa suffers if you do.

The recipe is originally from Colin Cowie, but I've tweaked it a little bit, for clarity and expediency...

Ingredients

• 1 pound medium shrimp; peeled, deveined and cooked.  (I buy pre-cooked shrimp from the seafood section of the Teeter)
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 bunch of chopped scallions (white and pale green parts only)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 1/2 serrano chile, seeded and minced OR 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I use the red pepper. It's easier, faster and the salsa is spicier.  If, however, you are a pepper purist, go ahead and chop up the serrano chile and live your bliss)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper (I use and little less than 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper)

Instructions

1. Remove the tails and chop the shrimp and place them in a medium bowl. Add the tomatoes, onion, scallion, mango, cilantro, and chile, and mix to combine. Add the lime juice and oil and toss to mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Chill until serving time (at least 15 or 20 minutes in order to give flavors time to combine) and serve with tortilla chips and beer.

This Charming Kitchen

I don't think I've ever shared a non-alcohol-related recipe before, but this one is great and it is, after all, summer.

And what says 'summer' like macaroni salad?  Nothing.  Macaroni Salad is what you need.

This is from Mr. Rass Spears, renaissance man extraordinaire and is an old-fashioned, little old church lady recipe.  There is nothing fancy about it.  It's just good.

What you'll need:

• 1 lb box of pasta, cooked according to package directions.  I use medium shells, but you can use whatever you like.  Do not over cook it.
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 ripe tomato, chopped
• 1 bunch of green onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups of real mayonnaise - I use Duke's - and don't be messing around with that 'lite' shit.  Now is not the time.
• 2/3 cup of sour cream - I do think 'lite' sour cream is acceptable if you're just dying to make this a little healthier.
• 1/2 cup of grated cheese.  I use parmigiano-reggiano, but you can use whatever you like.  The three cheese blend from Pasta & Provisions is also very nice.
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

First, boil the water for your pasta:

Then, assemble what you will need.

Chop your veggies -

I like to mix the wet ingredients and the spices together into a sort of dressing.  You might also add a little white wine to this to thin it up a little bit and give a little more 'oomph' to the macaroni salad.  However, since this is a little old lady church recipe, wine was not included.  We cannot have that kind of thing in the parsonage....

Make sure that you are carefully supervised by a food expert.  Just in case.....

After the pasta is done, drain it and let it cool off for a while.  I like to add the dressing while the pasta is warm because I think it absorbs better.

And this is what you get.  A big bowl of crowd pleasing macaroni salad.

Yum!