Steak Salad

The wife wanted lighter fare, a steak salad, the other night so I accepted the challenge.
(serves 2)

In a bowl:
2 large handfuls of washed lettuce. With the availability of fancy mixed greens at every supermarket there is no excuse for plain iceberg or romaine.
1/2 red onion, sliced really thin
1/4 C. sliced pepperoncini peppers
1/4 C. sliced green olives
1/2 seedless cucumber, sliced thin on bias
2 really ripe tomatoes, whatever kind is in season at the moment, cut into wedges.
2 carrots, sliced really thin on bias
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Vinaigrette:
All mixed together:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbl. honey
1 tsp. cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbl. oregano
1 Tbl. liquid from pepperoncini peppers
2 Tbl. red wine vinegar
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil (buy the good stuff: from Greece or Italy)

Steak:
1 ribeye steak seasoned heavily with salt and an over-the-counter "steak rub".
Preheat a heavy pan, cast iron preferred, and sear the steak on both sides. Do not put oil in the pan. You want the steaks to be almost blackened. Take out of the pan when cooked to your preferred doneness. If you like steak cooked medium or more (ruined, in my opinion), finish it in the oven. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes.

Toss the greens with the vinaigrette and plate. Slice the steak and pile on top of the salad.

Barley Risotto

photo compliments of www.freephoto.com

This is an alternative to the everyday basic grain sides and an easy way to get some protein and whole grains into your kid’s diet.

½ onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
4 ribs celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ½ C pearly barley, NOT quick cooking
1/2 C. white wine, optional
3 Tbl fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbl fresh oregano, chopped
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
¼ C fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 Qt chicken stock, maybe a little more

In a heavy pot, sweat the onions, carrots, and celery. Add the garlic and barley and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the garlic has softened.

If using wine, add it now, and stir constantly until it has been absorbed.

Start adding chicken stock, just enough to cover, and stir constantly, or very, very frequently. When the stock has been absorbed, add more, just to cover, and repeat the stirring process. Check for doneness of the barley after each absorption.

It is ready when the barley is tender and there isn’t much liquid remaining. The finished product should be nice and creamy. Add the herbs, cheese, and seasonings. If the cheese thickens it too much just add a little more stock.

Options:

• Add blackened, and then diced, andouille sausage with the garlic and barley
• Add crawfish tails at the same time as the herbs. Frozen crawfish tails are fully cooked and only need to be heated
• Top with braise beef (oxtails or cheeks)
• Serve alongside braised lamb shanks or rack of lamb.

Biscotti

The translation of “Biscotti” is twice baked, which is exactly what these cookies are. This is a great recipe to make with the kids because it’s easy, has few ingredients, and the options are endless. Ask your kids what they want in them, or how to “finish” them, and have fun. They go great with morning coffee or a glass of milk.

1 stick butter
¼ C sugar
(Cream the sugar and butter with a mixer until it is light and fluffy)

2 eggs
1 tsp. pure almond extract
(Add to the butter and sugar mixture and beat until smooth)

2 ¼ C all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
(Mix the above three together in a bowl then add to the rest half at a time)

1 Tbl. Anise seeds, toasted and cooled to room temperature
¾ C. sliced almonds, toasted and cooled to room temperature
¼ C. dried cranberries
(Add to everything else and slowly mix just until combined)

On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, using your hands, press the dough into a rectangular shape about 4” wide and 1” thick. It will be about 12” long.

Sprinkle the top with course sugar or “sugar in the raw” and gently press into the top of the dough.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, rotating the pan once.
Remove pan from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes.
Using a serrated knife, slice the “bar” into ½” long pieces.
Arrange the slices in the same parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes.
Flip each slice over and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Let them cool on the cookie sheet, they will harden as they cool.

Options: Mix and match; you can’t go wrong

• Use vanilla extract instead of almond extract and substitute toasted and chopped filberts or macadamias. Whole pistachios or whole toasted pine nuts.
• Add 1 Tbl. finely chopped zest of an orange or lemon.
• Substitute dried cherries or chopped bittersweet chocolate for the cranberries.
• Omit the coarse sugar and dust the finished, and cool, biscotti with confectioner’s sugar.
• Dip half of the finished cookie into tempered chocolate.
  

Oxtail Barley Soup

Nothing is as satisfying as a bowl of rich and hearty oxtail and barley soup. For maximum flavor and texture development it takes a little patience, but is well worth it.

Step 1: The Braise

• About 10-15 pieces of oxtails seasoned with salt and pepper


• 1 can whole plum tomatoes, crushed with your hands


• 3 carrots, diced


• 3 ribs celery, diced


• 1 large Vidalia onion, diced


• 4 cloves garlic, crushed


• 1 bay leaf


• 1 cup red wine


• Beef broth to cover

Preheat a heavy pot (enameled cast iron with a lid preferred). Add a little olive oil. Sear the oxtails on all sides to a dark mahogany brown. Set aside. Add the tomatoes, carrot, onion, and celery and cook until they start to caramelize. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Deglaze the pan with the red wine being sure to work loose the brown bits (fond) stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add the bay leaf and the seared oxtails. Add enough beef stock to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a very low simmer for about an hour. Using a ladle, skim and discard the fat on the surface. The oxtails are done when the meat is falling off the bone.

Remove the oxtails with tongs or a slotted spoon. Set them aside to cool.

Step 2: The Soup

• 2 large Portobello mushrooms, diced


• 4 cloves garlic, crushed


• 1 Tbl oregano


• 2 Tbl parsley


• 1 C barley

Add the soup ingredients to the pot. Return to a boil, Cover and simmer until the barley is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes.

Step 3: Finish

When the oxtails are cool, use your fingers to pull the meat off the bone. Try to avoid leaving large amounts of fat on the meat. I prefer leaving the meat in large chunks. Add to the soup. Check the seasoning for salt and pepper and skim any remaining fat from the surface.

Adjust the consistency with more beef stock to your liking.

Finish with ¼ cup of sherry and enjoy with a lot of crusty bread.

Quick Breakfast for the Week

With the typical morning rush I is often difficult to make the kids a good breakfast. To get around this I stock my freezer with pancakes, waffles, and French toast. All of these can be store bought in any grocer’s freezer section, but none of them taste particularly good and are full of preservatives and empty calories.

If you do not have a counter-top electric griddle buy one, they are cheap. With this you can crank out several pancakes or French toast at a time with uniform cooking. Plus, some manufactures include changeable plates for grilling. Mine is Cuisinart brand. It can open flat so you can cook on both side in the griddle setup, or you can use the grill plates and push the top onto the food for grilling or making paninis.

Little kids need fat and cholesterol for brain development, so buttermilk and melted butter in the batter are good options. If you are not cooking for kids you can use 2% milk, or fat free milk mixed with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and vegetable oil instead of the butter.

The key to success is to let the pancakes (or waffles or French toast) cool to room temperature on a cookie sheet, and then to place a small square of parchment paper in-between each pancake before sealing in a plastic freezer bag. 40 seconds in the microwave and you have a homemade, filling, and nutritious breakfast.

Mix in one bowl:

• 1 diced granny smith apple (or blueberries, or peaches, or nectarines)
• 1 ½ C. all purpose flour
• ¼ C. whole wheat flour
• 1 ½ C. rolled oats (not quick cook)
• ¼ C. dark brown sugar
• 1 Tbl. Baking powder
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt

Mix in another bowl:

• 2 eggs
• 2 C. buttermilk
• 3 Tbl. Melted butter

Pour the wet ingredients onto the dry ingredients and stir just until they are combined. Some lumps are ok.

If using a griddle, set the temperature to 350. Lightly grease the surface with butter. Ladle in the batter to the size pancake you want. Once the edges start to firm and there are bubbles on the surface flip them over until the other side is golden brown. Serve now, or cool and freezer for later in the week.

French Onion Soup

• 5 large onions, white or yellow


• 5 cloves garlic, chopper


• 1 cardamon pod


• ½ tsp toasted caraway seeds


• 8 juniper berries


• ¼ C balsamic vinegar


• 2 quarts beef stock


• 2 Tbl Kosher Salt


• Fresh ground black pepper


• Crusty bread slices that have been toasted (stale bread is ideal)


• "Good” stinky gruyere or fontina cheese

Caramelization is the key to flavor! The trick to making a good French onion soup is to slowly caramelize the onions until they are a deep mahogany brown.

Toast the caraway seeds in a dry sauté pan just until they release their oils and become fragrant. Cool to room temperature. Grind the caraway seeds with the cardamom pod and juniper berries. Use an electric grinder or mortar and pestle (as I do). Set aside.

Peel each onion, cut off the tops and bottoms, and cut in half. Slice each half onion into 1/8 inch slices. In a pre-heated heavy bottom pot, preferably cast iron enameled, on high heat add the sliced onions with a little olive oil. Keep stirring the onions with a wooden spoon. They will not start to brown until all of their liquid has been released and evaporated. Once they start to brown keep stirring more frequently and work loose the brown bits that thick to the bottom (the French call the brown bits “fond”). After some color has started on all of the onions deglaze the pot with the vinegar and about ½ cup of the stock. Really scrape the bottom of the pot to dissolve the “fond”. After the stock has evaporated add a touch more oil and repeat the caramelize/deglaze process until the onions are a rich deep brown. This process could take up to an hour but the results are worth the wait.

Add the garlic and spice mixture and stir for another minute. Add the remaining beef stock, and few twists of pepper and salt to taste. Simmer for about 45 minutes.

To finish and serve, ladle the soup into an oven proof bowl. Add a slice of the toasted bread and top with the cheese. Stick in the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Enjoy.

The Best Italian Beef

Everyone in Chicago loves an Italian Beef sandwich, but hardly anyone has ever had a good one, let alone a great one. Even the most highly recommended places are hit or miss and sometimes the meat can be grainy because it was cooked too quickly. The best Italian Beef is quick, easy, and made at home.

Ingredients

• 3 lb beef roast, top round preferred


• Kosher salt


• Black pepper, freshly ground fine


• Dried oregano


• Garlic powder or about 6 cloves fresh *


• Red pepper flakes (optional)


• 2-3 cups beef broth


• 2 Tbl. sliced Pepperoncini peppers with additional 2 oz of liquid from the jar


• 4 bell peppers (all red, all green, colored mix – it doesn’t matter), seeded and sliced into 8 strips each.


• Freshly baked French bread

* A note on the garlic: If you are going to use fresh garlic take each clove, slice it in half lengthwise, and then slice each half into 4 long slices. You will have to cut a narrow slit into the beef about each inch and slip a piece of garlic in. It’s a pain and time consuming, but well worth the effort.

Prep The Meat:
If using fresh garlic, prepare as above now. Sprinkle all sides of the meat liberally with Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder (if not using fresh), and dried oregano.

Cook It:
On the stove top, preheat a large roasting pan (make sure it can be used on a stovetop). When hot, all a little olive oil and sear the meat on all side. Really get good caramelization on all sides; this is the key to flavor! When all side are well browned remove the meat to a tray.

Turn the heat to low and deglaze the roasting pan with 2 cups of beef broth. Using a spoon scrape up all of the brown bits that stuck to the bottom. Add the red pepper flakes, if desired, the pepperoncini peppers, and the pepperoncini liquid (top secret ingredient!).

Add the meat back into the pan and cover the roasting pan with a lid or foil.

Roast at 300 degrees for about 1 hour or so. Check with a meat thermometer and pull out of the over and pan at 140 degrees (medium rare). Once the meat is out, let it cool down to room temperature. Most recipes will tell you to cook at a higher temperature, but that is because they do not sear the meat first. The slow cooking after searing will develop a much deeper flavor. Keeping the foil tightly sealed around the pan will keep the meat tender and moist.

Slicing:
Not many homes have a meat slicer; if you do slice it thin. If you are going to slice in by hand, as I do, use a very thin and very sharp slicing knife. Mine is about a 1” thick blade, about 12” long, with “scallops” cut into the slides of the blade. You do not want a short blade that is going to require a lot of sawing, and do not want to use a serrated edge that will shred the meat.

Usually the roast will be made of several different muscles. Try to remove each muscle and slice individually. This will make it easier to handle and will give you an easier time figuring out “the grain” pattern. Always slice against the grain. If you don’t, even the thinnest slices will be tough to chew.

Finishing:
Throw the sliced beef into the roasting pan with the liquid and peppers. Throw in any juices that came out of the beef as it was resting. Turn the heat back on and bring to a simmer. Make each sandwich with a couple spoonfuls of the liquid on the bread, then pile on the beef, peppers, and pepperoncini.

Peanut Butter Nutty Cookies

Here is a simple and quick cookie recipe that the kids love making and eating.

Ingredients:

2 C. All purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
1-1/4 C. sugar
1-1/4 C. dark brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1 C. chunky peanut butter
½ C. chocolate chips
½ C. peanut butter chips
½ C. toasted and chopped pecans
½ C. toasted and chopped walnuts

How to:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees



• In a bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  Using a “Kitchen-Aid” or hand-held mixer cream the sugars and butter until it is really smooth.



• Add the peanut butter, eggs, and extracts. Mix until smooth while scraping down the sides of the bowl.



• Add the flour mixture all at once and mix on low until almost combined.



• Add the nuts and chips and mix until just combined. Don’t over mix.The dough will be really loose!



• Spoon a line of the dough about 1-1/2 inches in diameter on the length of a sheet of parchment paper. Roll the paper around the dough to form a long cylinder. Pull the dough tight in the paper to form a compact uniform shape. Twist the ends of the paper to further compact the dough. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes until the dough hardens a little.



• When the dough is chilled, slice the cylinder into ½ inch thick pucks. Place on an ungreased baking sheet about 1-1/2 inches apart. Bake for about 20 minutes turning the pan once. Cook just until the ends start to turn golden. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Braised Cornish Game Hen

The Rock Cornish Game Hen is believed to be, a cross breed between the White Rock hen and Cornish hen, to produce a mostly white meat single serving "chicken". These are available year round in the grocer’s freezer section. Tyson makes a delicious “all natural” version with no hormones or antibiotics added.

Ingredients:

• 1 game hen per adult serving
• Garlic powder
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed from the stem
• 1 small lemon slices, about ¼” thick each
• Bay leaf
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock
• Salt and pepper

Prep:
On a cutting board using a “Chef’s” knife, cut through the breast bone and collar bones to “butterfly the bird, but do not cut through the back. Sprinkle each side with salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder, and fresh rosemary.

Cook:
Preheat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil. Add the game hen, breast side down, and let it sear to a golden brown. Flip it over using tongs and sear the backside. If cooking more than one bird, transfer the seared bird to an oven-proof baking dish or shallow roasting pan. Continue searing other birds. Arrange two lemon slices on each bird. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock and bay leaf making sure to work loose the “brown bits” stuck to the bottom. Pour over the hens, cover tightly with foil, and place into a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

A Peasant’s Dish – Ratatouille

My daughter has a small staple of favorite movies to watch: 101 Dalmatians, Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, Sleeping Beauty, and Ratatouille. If you enjoy food watch Ratatouille, it’s a great movie with a great story (about a rat that has visions of a dead chef that drives him to cook), absolutely amazing animation, and a true to life cast of characters in the kitchen.

The food critic Anton Ego has written off the restaurant, but there is a new buzz about it so he gives it another shot. Remy, the rat, decides to serve him ratatouille. Everyone is shocked since it is a “peasant’s dish” and not something that you would likely find in a 3 or 4 star restaurant. The beauty and genius of the scene is that it is a dish that can trigger buried emotions of long gone. At the first bite Mr. Ego becomes slack-jawed, drops his pen, and is transported back to his roots as a young boy in his mom’s kitchen eating ratatouille.

After watching the movie several dozens of times my daughter asked if I could make her ratatouille. I have made it countless times before at home and in restaurants. Ratatouille is a simple, wholesome dish that can be made with basic skills and no fancy ingredients. I never made it the way “Remy did” but decided to. Thomas Keller, my favorite Chef, consulted on the movie in many ways; from the kitchen layout to the food. His take on the classic dish, set to animation, was visually stunning as is all of his food.

I “winged” making the dish based on my experiences in making ratatouille, but was going for the visual appearance of the movie version. Since making the dish I found Chef Keller’s recipe and was pretty close. If I had found his recipe before my adventure I would have stuck with his version out of respect (http://www1.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/105-02202008-1490804.html). In the movie the dish is made in a shallow oval shaped copper pan. Luckily I have an identical pan.

If you have access to a Japanese mandolin use it, otherwise cut the vegetables into very thin rounds, about 1/16” thick.

Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini sliced into rounds


• 1 thin yellow squash, sliced into rounds


• 4 ripe plum tomatoes, sliced into rounds


• 3 shallots, sliced paper thin


• 1 Japanese eggplant, sliced into rounds


• A little fresh thyme, chopped


• Course sea salt (Maldon brand if you can find it: http://www.maldonsalt.co.uk/)


• Fresh ground black pepper


• Extra virgin olive oil


• ½ cup tomato sauce, simmered with 4 cloves of garlic, roasted and pureed
  

Using separate bowls for each, toss the zucchini, squash, tomatoes, shallots, and eggplant with fresh thyme, a little extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.

Apply a thin layer of the roasted garlic tomato sauce on the bottom of a shallow baking dish or casserole.

Alternately “shingle” the vegetables (slice of zucchini, slice of eggplant, slice of shallot, slice of squash, slice of tomato) starting in the center of the dish and working in a spiral until the dish is filled. Keep the layers tight with only about 1/8” to 1/4” gap between the tops of each slice.

Top the vegetables with a few thin pats of butter, cover with parchment paper, then srap the whole dish with foil. Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 and ½ hours. Use a pallet knife, of narrow rounded frosting spatula to serve a stack of ratatouille.

Not All Tomatoes Are Equal: Pomodoro Sauce

Store bought tomato sauce is great to have in the pantry. If there isn’t a lot of time to whip-up a dinner completely from scratch there are some justifiable shortcuts. This is one of them. However, tomato sauce is easily made at home, freezes very well, and tastes much better than any commercial brand (and I’ve tried them all).

This is my version of pomodoro sauce, basic tomato sauce, and is a staple in the freezer. This is not marinara sauce. Marinara, the word itself, is derived from “mar”, meaning from the sea. Authentic marinara sauce contains anchovies, garlic, and usually red pepper flakes if it’s any good. Tomato sauce, or pomodoro sauce, is one of the “5 mother sauces” in traditional French cooking and can easily be modified to other sauces…such as marinara.

There are a few key concepts to making a great pomodoro sauce and the first one is the most important. Tomatoes. Not all canned tomatoes are equal. Buy a few small cans, open them, and taste each one. Taste the liquid and taste a small bite of the tomato. You will see my point. Some are very acidic, some are “flat”, some are too mushy, and some contain too many large seeds. It is well worth doing a taste test of your own, but you can take my word on this: Dell’ Alpe brand is hands down the best. The plum tomatoes are firm, rich, very sweet, and the seeds are small. Much like wine, the tomato gets its character from the soil it is grown in. Dell’ Alpe brand is imported from Italy, from the Naples region, where the minerals from the Mount Vesuvius volcano form the character.

Here is another rule, or concept. Never add baking soda or sugar. Some shoemakers add baking soda to cut down the acidity, but the same can be accomplished by cooking it slowly for a longer period of time. In my opinion, baking soda also adds a nasty flavor. Sugar is too often added because someone didn’t listen to me, or didn’t do a tasting of canned tomatoes, and used an acidic tomato. This sauce is about the tomato. Other flavorings can be added later.

I cook by taste, sight, and smell, and therefore it is difficult to document an exact recipe, but following this will give you success the first time. I make a large batch and freeze one quart portions in the Ziploc containers with the screw on tops. Remember, make sure the sauce is cold, not hot, warm, or cool, before putting a lid on it. You want your pomodoro sauce to be memorable for the texture and flavor and not because you sent your family to the bathroom for a few hours.

Step 1: The pot
This is a large recipe and it is going to be cooked for a long time. Never use an aluminum pot because the acidity of the tomatoes will react with the aluminum giving an awful metal flavor. I use a large cast iron pot, a 4.5 quart Le Creuset Round French/Dutch Oven to be exact. This pot will set you back about $225, but it will last a lifetime and can be handed down to your kids.

Step 2: The tomatoes
For this recipe I use two (2) #10 cans of peeled, whole, Dell’ Alpe brand tomatoes. You can easily half this recipe. A #10 can is the big one, the really big on, about 6 to 7 pounds each. If you can’t find the #10 can buy smaller cans to equal 12 to 15 pounds (total). Open the can the drain the tomatoes RESERVING THE LIQUID. If you have a food processor pulse the tomatoes in batches to chop them. Don’t puree them! You want chunks of tomatoes in the final product for body. If you don’t have a food processor use your hands. Get the kids to help – they’ll love making a mess. Don’t buy the diced or crushed tomatoes. With such a long cooking time they break down too far and finished sauce will not have enough body.

Step 3: The Rest of the ingredients
If you have a food processor, puree 1-1/2 onions: Spanish or yellow, not sweet or Vidalias. Otherwise finely mince them. You will also need about a quart or 3 cups of whole milk or half and half, a handful of fresh basil, and about 3 tablespoons of chicken base*. Chicken base is another justifiable shortcut. In the restaurant we made white demi, or chicken gold. This is a chicken stock made from chicken stock (instead of water) and reduced by about 75 percent until it was a Jell-o like consistency. It takes a lot of time and money (hence chicken gold (AU)), but the flavor and body is amazing. At home I use a few tablespoons of chicken base and call it a day.

Step 4: Cook it already!

Get the pot warmed up, not too hot. Add about a ½ cup of olive oil and “sweat” the onions. You want the onions to turn clear but not browned. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon.

When the onions are clear add everything else, except the basil, all together at once: chopped tomatoes, reserved tomato liquid, milk, and chicken base. You can add fresh ground pepper if you want. I use about 1 or 2 tablespoons of freshly ground pepper. If you don’t have a pepper mill get one. Like brands of canned tomatoes the difference is night and day between fresh ground pepper and the stuff in a shaker jar. Stir this until it is uniformly mixed. The milk should change the color to a slightly creamy pink color. If yours is still “tomato red” add a little more milk.

Bring this to a boil and then turn it down to a low simmer. Watch the pot for a bit as the temperature drops. You want occasional bubbles to rise to the surface but you don’t want it simmer so hard that it is splashing out of the pot.

Once you have the temperature correct you can let it go and move onto something else, but you’ll need to stir this about every 15 or 20 minutes. As it cooks and thickens (as the flavors are concentrated as the water evaporates) it will stick to the bottom and burn. When you stir it use a wooden spoon to really scrape the bottom of the pot. If you feel it sticking a little just work it loose with the spoon.

Step 5: Are we done yet?
Only you will be able to tell when it’s done. Your pot, the amount of liquid from the tomatoes, the amount of milk used, your stove, the temperature of you simmer will be different than mine. To give you and idea I usually cook mine for between 7 and 10 hours. This is a long-term commitment love affair and the main reason why I make a large batch. It’s done when it’s a little thicker than any commercial sauce you’ve bought. When done add the chopped basil. Adding the basil at the end will keep its “fresh” flavor.

Step 6: Cool it
When done I place the entire pot in the sink. I empty the ice maker into the sink and fill it with cold water being careful not to get water into the pot. Stir it! It will cool quicker if you stir it often. When it’s cold (not cool) I freeze it. It’s that simple.

Step 7 - Optional: Build onto what you made
You’ve got the basic sauce done and you agree it is wonder of the world. Now it’s time to take it to the next step and make a secondary sauce or two. After making a batch of pomodoro I usually turn 1 quart into marinara and another quart into pizza sauce.

Pizza Sauce: The makes less than a half cup but should be enough for a quart of pizza sauce. I freeze pizza sauce in 1 cup portions, about enough for one pizza each. Mix the following into a quart of pomodoro sauce:

• 2 tsp dried oregano or marjoram


• 1 Tbl dried basil


• 1/2 Tbl onion powder


• 1/2 Tbl garlic powder


• 1/2 Tbl dried thyme leaves (not ground thyme)


• 1 Tbl fennel seeds (toasted and ground) *


• 1/2 Tbl paprika


• 1/2 Tbl fresh ground black pepper
  
  * I keep an electric coffee mill just for spices or use a mortar and pestle

Marinara Sauce: This is great for dipping garlic bread or calamari, or as a pasta sauce on its own.

• 4 shallots, minced


• 15 whole anchovy fillets with their oil


• 8 or 10 large cloves of garlic, diced (not too small as it gets bitter)


• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  
  Sweat the shallots, anchovy, and garlic in a little olive oil. Don’t let it burn. Use a low heat, take your time, and keep stirring. Use a wooden spoon to “mash” the anchovies. You don’t want to make anchovy puree, larger pieces are a good thing! The shallots will release their water content at a low heat. Keep cooking until the water has evaporated and the shallots are clear. Add the red pepper flakes and stir for another minute. This step is done when you sniff the vapor coming out of the pot and the pepper oils have been released and your throat closes! Add the pomodoro sauce and bring to a boil. It’s done as soon as it boils. Use immediately or cool and freeze.

Octopus...the other white meat.

Just as important as teaching about food and cooking to my daughters is reading. It doesn't matter what as long as something can be learned from it. We have always read to our kids. It started with the basics of colors and letters, and then progressed into animals and words.

One of my daughters favorite books is a large picture book of animals. Each page of animals is grouped by a trait: "Creepy Crawlies", "Speedy Animals", "Armored Animals", etc. After learning the names we talk about what they do and eat and if we eat them.

You would think that some kids would be freaked out to see a cute deer in the forest and then be told that it tastes so good. But, since we started early this is just life.

On the "Swimmers" page of this book is an octopus. One day I was at an Italian market that has amazing fresh fresh and bought a pair of octopi. When I got home we played the guessing game of "What's for dinner?" I gave my daughter clues like "it's really smart" (when not dead and in a bag of crushed ice) and "it has lots of arms". She couldn't guess so I told her. At first it was disbelief but then curiosity set in.

Perched sitting on the counter in her "work station" we spent a few minutes looking at the cephalopods and talking about the ink, the suckers, and the beak. After the shock wore off she was quite eager to touch in and examine it closely. Priceless!

Usually to cook an octopus you have to either cook it slowly for a long time to tenderize the tough meat, or as my maternal grandfather did, get a clothes dryer without gas hooked up to it and tumble it until it's tender. Italian innovation. Cooking dinner for a hungry toddler (she was not even 2 at the time) doesn't allow that kind of time.

To make a quick dinner we skinned the octopus, which is quite easy, then separated the head from the body. We cut the head off right above the eyes, which gave her something to play with (the ink), but I had to teach her that we could save the ink for pasta, but that was for another day. The head was sliced into thin rounds. Smaller cuts will cook quickly and will be more tender than larger pieces. The arms were sliced into thin "juliennes". A quick scan of the fridge and pantry lead us to a Provencal/Sicilian hybrid inspired dish with capers, sliced Sicilian green olives, roasted red peppers, fresh basil, good extra virgin olive oil and a 25 year old balsamic vinegar drizzled on the finished plate.

The whole dish took about 10 minutes to prep, from skinning to slicing, and less than 5 minutes to saute and plate. Homemade at its best.

What is this blog about?

It seems to me that back in the 50's everyone cooked at home unless it was a special occasion. Blue-collar guys packed a lunch every workday and returned at night to a home cooked meal. The 1960's brought "TV Dinners" and an explosion of fast food chains. McDonalds became a publicly traded company in 1965. Don't get me wrong, I love McDonalds. A Big N Tasty with a side of fries is to die for (literally perhaps).

All of this brings me to the purpose of having a blog. I was raised on home cooking. My mother and her sister, born and raised in Chicago, took the "El" every Saturday to the Marshall Fields on State Street for 14 years to attend cooking classes. One of their instructors was Antoinette Pope. If you can find a copy of the The Pope Cookbook grab it, and be prepared to lay out some serious money. Just about every recipe calls for MSG, but all of that can be omitted. The point is the recipes are simple and good. The Chili Con Carne on page 74 is amazing! Through 14 years of attending cooking classes my mom and aunt learned that with a few basics items in the kitchen, and basic skills, anyone can prepare a wholesome meal.

My mom went on to teach cooking at a trade school for a bit, but never made a career out of it. She instilled that no matter what profession you choose be happy doing it. I started as a metallurgical and materials engineering major. I had peaked in my ability to comprehend physics, calculus 3, and statics. I hated it. I decided to follow my mom's advice and switched to a formal cooking school. I took double class loads and absorbed all I could. I loved it!

After graduating I worked in every type of food establishment imaginable. Hotels, fine dining, family, banquets, and even a kosher candy and chocolate company. I am fortunate enough to have learned and worked with some very talented, respected, and well known chefs. For many reasons I am no longer in the hospitality industry. I miss it dearly. The stories to tell are enough to have a separate blog, but not working 90+ hours a week has granted me a normal life and a family.

Food is important in our home, especially homemade from quality ingredients. I now have two daughters (1 and 3-1/2) and have always included them in what goes on in the kitchen. I want my daughters to be able to fend for themselves and not have to patronize restaurants as their sole means of nourishment.

I want this blog to document what goes on in our house and how we learn, cook, and eat as a family at home.