veal and wild mushroom ragu

This is based very closely on Marcella Hazan's recipe in Marcella Says...

I don't think the exact proportions of the different varieties of mushrooms are essential; however, you do want both dried and fresh, as the dried provide an earthy richness that makes the dish much more interesting.

1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms
2-4 oz sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped
8 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms
8-12 oz fresh cremini mushrooms
8-12 oz fresh white button mushrooms
olive oil
1 c finely chopped shallots
4 T butter
1 c finely chopped onion
1-1 1/2 lbs ground veal
1 c dry white wine
1/4 c dry vermouth
6-10 fresh ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

The day before, put the dried porcini and shiitake mushrooms in a heat safe container (I use a 3-cup glass measuring pitcher) and pour very hot or boiling water over them. Let soak overnight. Do the same for the tomatoes if they are very dehydrated. If not, maybe soak for an hour or two before preparing.

When ready to prepare, remove and discard the fresh shiitake stems. Brush mushrooms with a damp cloth as needed to clean them, then slice very thin.

Strain dried mushrooms, pouring liquid into a bowl to set aside. Wash the soaked mushrooms, and cut any oversized pieces into bite-sized ones. Pour the soaking liquid through a coffee filter or paper towel to remove grit and dirt.

Heat the olive oil over medium high in a 12" saute pan, and add the shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until colored a deep gold. Add the soaked mushrooms, cook for a minute or two, then add the soaking liquid and cook until liquid has evaporated.

Once liquid is gone, add as many of the fresh mushrooms as will fit, and sprinkle with salt. Turn them over once or twice to coat well, then turn the heat down to medium/medium-low. When the mushrooms have released some liquid and shrunk in bulk, add the remaining mushrooms. Cook, turning over occasionally, until they are very soft and all liquid has evaporated; this will probably take about 90 minutes. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, when mushrooms are cooking, put the butter and the chopped onion in a second saute pan. Cook the onion, stirring from time to time, until it begins to brown. Add the ground veal, crumbling it with your fingers or a fork, and turn to coat well. When the meat has browned lightly and uniformly, pour the wine and vermouth into the pan, and add salt/pepper to taste.

Once the wine has bubbled away completely, add the sundried tomatoes and fresh tomatoes, and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible (on your smallest burner). Cook uncovered for about 45 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Once both meat and mushrooms are finished, empty contents of both pants into a large bowl, and stir gently but thoroughly to combine.

Wipe both pans clean. Divide the meat-mushroom mixture between both pans, and cook on medium low for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. If not using the sauce the same day, empty the contents of both pans into the bowl, cover and refrigerate. Reheat gently but thoroughly before using.

You can refrigerate the finished sauce in a tightly sealed container for 5 days, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Bring to room temp before reheating.

tomato feta pasta

all quantities are rough estimates. this dish is an art, not a science.

1 yellow onion, or 4 shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed, or finely minced
decent olive oil
red pepper flakes (optional)
4 medium tomatoes, chopped into small chunks
8 oz good feta, preferably packed in brine, crumbled**
freshly ground black pepper
fresh basil chiffonade

If serving with pasta, start the water before you do any prep work. By the time you're done chopping, the water should be hot enough to add the pasta. The sauce doesn't take long to make but it does require frequent attention. We like thin spaghetti or angel hair with this sauce, but smaller pasta like penne works too.

Heat olive oil in a good sized skillet over medium high heat until shimmering, then add onion, stir for a minute, turn down heat to medium, and add garlic. Stir frequently so garlic does not turn brown. Throw in red pepper flakes to taste.

When onion and garlic are soft, add tomatoes including any juices they produced when chopped. cook for another few minutes until tomatoes begin to soften. Turn heat to low, add feta, stir gently. Cook at least long enough to warm the feta through, but keep an eye on it as the feta chunks will break down quickly.

Remove from heat, add black pepper to taste. Serve over pasta, sprinkling basil on top.

**Good feta makes or breaks this sauce. I have been fond of a certain goat-sheep's milk imported blend from the DeKalb Farmers Market, but they don't seem to have it anymore. The Pastures of Eden feta from Trader Joe's is a very good alternative. It's not cheap, but has the right blend of creamy, tangy, and salty; and we consistently prefer it to other more expensive feta from Whole Foods.

quick italian breaad

from recipeland.com

makes 1 loaf

2 1/4 t yeast, active dry
7/8 c warm water
2 1/2 c bread flour
1 1/2 t sugar, divided
1 1/2 t salt
cornmeal

Proof yeast and 1 t sugar in 7/8 c warm water for 10 minutes in a warm place. In food processor fitted with dough blade, mix flour, remaining 1/2 t sugar and the salt for 20 seconds. With processor running, pour in the yeast mixture in a continuous stream. Dough should combine and pull away from the sides of the bowl within a few seconds. Add more warm water by the teaspoon if necessary. After dough combines, let processor run for 30-40 seconds to knead.

Remove dough and roll it with your hands to about 18 inches long. Place on baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal to prevent dough from sticking. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 minutes. Remove plastic and diagonally slash loaf with sharp knife at about three-inch intervals. Put in middle of the oven. Spray loaf with water and bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

bleu cheese risotto

from Garrison’s Broiler and Tap, published in the AJC 08/03/05

6 c low-sodium chicken stock

4 slices bacon, diced

1 T butter

1/4 c diced yellow onion

1 c arborio rice

1/4 c white wine

4 oz crumbled bleu cheese

white pepper to taste

Pour chicken stock into a saucepan and heat over low. Do not boil. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the bacon until gently browned. Remove bacon and set aside.

Add butter and onion to bacon drippings in pan and cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 1 minute. Add rice and continue cooking and stirring for 2 more minutes. Add white wine to deglaze pan. Add enough warm chicken stock to cover rice completely. Cook, stirring constantly, until most of liquid is absorbed.

Repeat this process, adding just enough liquid each time to cover the rice, until it is creamy and tender but still has just a hint of resistance when you bite into it — about 30 minutes. You will use most or all of the chicken stock.

Remove from heat. Stir in reserved bacon and the blue cheese until cheese is melted. Season with white pepper.

Allow risotto to sit 10 minutes before serving. It will thicken as it cools.

4 servings, 463 calories, 18 grams fat, 30 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrates

crescia al formaggio (easter cheese bread)

from The Baker's Catalogue newsletter, April 2006

Crescia al Formaggio, Italian Easter cheese bread, is still mostly unknown in this country, and that's a pity. This light-textured, golden egg bread, loaded with Parmesan and Romano cheese, perfumes the kitchen with its wonderful savory aroma as it bakes. A nice change from the usual Easter sweet breads, it goes wonderfully well with the Easter ham-both at dinner, and later, when you're making those yummy ham and cheese sandwiches (plain, or even better, grilled).

Note: The dough for this bread is very soft and sticky, and it's best made using a mixer or bread machine.

Dough
2 1/2 c (10.5 oz) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose flour
1 1/4 t instant yeast
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, white reserved
1/4 c water
1/4 c (2 oz) butter
1 t salt
1 t ground pepper, black or white
1 1/2 c (6 oz) freshly grated Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago cheese, or a combination

Glaze
reserved egg white (from above)
2 t water

To make the dough in an electric mixer: Combine all of the dough ingredients except the cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer, and beat on medium speed for 10 minutes, until the dough becomes shiny and satiny. Add the cheese and beat until blended. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and set it aside to rise for 1 hour. Gently deflate the dough, turn it over, return it to the bowl, and allow it to rise for an additional hour, or until it's nearly doubled in size.

To make the dough in a bread machine: Place all of the dough ingredients into the pan of your machine, program the machine for manual or dough, and press Start. Check the dough about 10 minutes before the end of the final kneading cycle, and adjust its consistency as necessary with additional flour or water; it should be shiny and elastic. Allow the machine to complete its cycle.

To shape the dough: Oil or flour your hands. To make one large loaf, form the dough into a ball, andplace it in a greased pandoro (star) or panettone pan, large souffle dish, or other round, deep pan; the pan should be about 6" to 7" wide and 3" to 4" deep. To make two medium loaves, divide the dough in half, shape it into two logs, and place it in two greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pans. Cover the loaf or loaves lightly, and allow them to rise for 2 hours (or longer, depending on the warmth of your kitchen); the bread should have beecome noticeably puffy, though it may not have doubled in size.

To bake the bread: Put your oven rack in a lower position, just below the middle, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk the reserved egg white with the water and brush the top of the loaf/loaves. Place the bread in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, tent the bread lightly with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional 25 minutes, until it's a deep, golden brown, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 190 degrees F.

Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Use a knife to loosen the edges, if necessary and turn the loaf/loaves out onto a rack to cool completely before slicing.

Gramma's Angel Wings

2 1/2 c flour
1/4 t salt
5 jumbo eggs, yolks only
3 T granulated sugar
1/4 t lemon rind
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
5 T sour cream

Roll very thin, cut into strips, and make a loose knot; deep fry in Wesson oil. Should be pale.