What’s Cooking?

2nd June, 2010: Posted by G.L. Pease in What's On the Table?

Tonight, it’s an elk chili, made with the Chili Canario recipe and a couple pounds of beautiful elk chuck that’s been in the freezer since last season. The house smells wonderful!

With it, some garlic braised chard, finished with an orange/balsamico reduction, roasted asparagus (which I’d thought to be the last bunch of the season, but the farm delivered another one today!), and gorgonzola polenta. A bottle of Archetype’s 2005 Cabernet/Shiraz blend is breathing. Dinner in 20 minutes!

Let us know! What’s on your table, tonight?

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Take Two

17th February, 2010: Posted by G.L. Pease in What's On the Table?

Manicotti ai Crema di Zucca! This is a quick snap of what it looks like before it goes into the oven. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll remember that I wrote about a not quite successful version of this dish in a previous column, It Doesn’t Always Work Out. Since then, I’ve been working away at various approaches to the sauce, to the filling, to the overall presentation, and think I’ve finally nailed it down, at least for now. Recipes are never cast in iron around here, which is a source of joy to me, but of endless frustration to those who ask me to make something again, or give them the recipe. “Well, um, I’ve changed things a little since the last time you ate that.” Read more…»

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Sunday Supper

15th February, 2010: Posted by G.L. Pease in What's On the Table?

The latest jar of preserved lemons has reached maturity, having been put up in August. And, just in time too, since I’d used the last of the previous jar for the sugo alla puttanesca described in a previous column. When I popped the lid of this one, I was treated to a visual feast of the lemons’ beautifully yellow, gelatinous goodness, and the aromas were incredible, almost floral, with intense citrus character. These aren’t called citron confit for no reason. Of course, I had to taste them. Fabulous!

I love these things. Every batch is just a little different from the last, but they’re always fantastic and, if you don’t have some jars going, you really should. Buy a bag of lemons, a box of kosher salt, a few jars and go to town. It doesn’t take much time to get them going, and in a few weeks time, you’ll reap the rewards, and they just get better with time.

I had to do something with them, so I decided to whip up a batch of Marrakesh Chicken. I served it over some lovely Israeli cous cous, topped with a little fresh cilantro. Using both Kalamata and stuffed green olives was a nice variant – normally I use all Kalamatas.

We pulled the cork on a simple Côtes du Rhône, and tucked in for the evening. Quick, delicious, satisfying. A great Sunday supper!

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