| Earlier this month I featured ten of my favorite recipes (that, of course, I had not mentioned earlier). As I was preparing that blog I realized there were many more candidate recipes than I could reasonably handle in one blog – or that you, dear reader, should be expected to ponder in one sitting. The result, rather obviously, is this second installment – of what could be an interminable series – of more of my favorite recipes. I have been collecting recipes for many years and have been recording them in digital form from the very beginning. Consequently, making them available to you now via this website is very easy. | FEATURED RECIPES Baby Carrots with Mint Gremolata Blueberry Scones Boar Ragu Boeuf Bourguignon French Onion Soup Glazed Carrots Waffles |
You may have noticed that the ten recipes featured earlier had virtually nothing in common. Anxious to set a trend here, I am featuring another seven recipes which also have virtually nothing in common – other than I think they are great recipes. They are tested recipes which do not require special skills or equipment and reliably produce end results that will please all the folks at your dinner table. Here they are – in alphabetical order.
Carrots are a particularly interesting vegetable because of their great taste and brilliant color. My recipe for Baby Carrots with Mint Gremolata creates a great taste experience and an equally great visual experience.
I enjoyed my first scone in Manchester, England many years ago. Baking them successfully at home has been somewhat problematic, however, until I learned of a wonderful technique created by the clever folks who publish Cook’s Illustrated magazine. This recipe is specifically for Blueberry Scones, but cherries and cranberries are acceptable substitutes. You will love it as I do if you try it.
This one, I know, is a stretch, but it is also very good. Italians love wild boar; some Italians actually hunt boar as we hunt deer. Whether they catch it or buy it, they frequently use this delectable meat to create a delicious Boar Ragu. In the U.S., most “wild” boar is farm raised in Texas, but it is no less delicious. As you might expect, it is difficult to find. It is available online, but often only in large quantities. You can find boar in the frozen foods department of many Italian grocers – particularly in large metropolitan areas like Chicago and Detroit. If you do find it, consider serving the ragu over pappardelle pasta.
As you know, Boeuf Bourguignon is considered a fine dining option almost everywhere. It actually originated, however, in the Burgundy region of France as a peasant dish. Julia Child is often given (well deserved) credit for this transformation. Once her book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, became a best seller, everyone seemed to be interested it trying it. My version is a combination of the best of her version with the best of another version by chef and author Anthony Bourdain.
Simply put, I love French Onion Soup, but it was always one of those special treats best enjoyed in a French restaurant, not something to be attempted at home. Then, my January 2008 issue of Cook’s Illustrated arrived and everything I once believed about French Onion Soup changed. This is their recipe, but much more important, this is their technique for preparing it. If you are an Onion Soup aficionado, you absolutely must find the time to try this one. It is admittedly a bit complicated, but it is (once again) well worth the extra effort.
I like chef Alton Brown's recipe for Glazed Carrots because it includes ginger ale. What more can I say?
Last, but definitely not least, I offer you my favorite recipe for Waffles. Once again though, it is actually not my recipe. It is the property of Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker who co-authored The Joy of Cooking. Their recipe appears on page 241 of my 1975 edition of their amazing book. You will be equally amazed if you like waffles – for breakfast, lunch or dinner! My favorite is Blueberry Waffles. My grandchildren prefer Cinnamon.
As I hinted earlier, there will be more "Favorite Recipes" forthcoming, but this will do for now.
Buon appetito.
Carrots are a particularly interesting vegetable because of their great taste and brilliant color. My recipe for Baby Carrots with Mint Gremolata creates a great taste experience and an equally great visual experience.
I enjoyed my first scone in Manchester, England many years ago. Baking them successfully at home has been somewhat problematic, however, until I learned of a wonderful technique created by the clever folks who publish Cook’s Illustrated magazine. This recipe is specifically for Blueberry Scones, but cherries and cranberries are acceptable substitutes. You will love it as I do if you try it.
This one, I know, is a stretch, but it is also very good. Italians love wild boar; some Italians actually hunt boar as we hunt deer. Whether they catch it or buy it, they frequently use this delectable meat to create a delicious Boar Ragu. In the U.S., most “wild” boar is farm raised in Texas, but it is no less delicious. As you might expect, it is difficult to find. It is available online, but often only in large quantities. You can find boar in the frozen foods department of many Italian grocers – particularly in large metropolitan areas like Chicago and Detroit. If you do find it, consider serving the ragu over pappardelle pasta.
As you know, Boeuf Bourguignon is considered a fine dining option almost everywhere. It actually originated, however, in the Burgundy region of France as a peasant dish. Julia Child is often given (well deserved) credit for this transformation. Once her book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, became a best seller, everyone seemed to be interested it trying it. My version is a combination of the best of her version with the best of another version by chef and author Anthony Bourdain.
Simply put, I love French Onion Soup, but it was always one of those special treats best enjoyed in a French restaurant, not something to be attempted at home. Then, my January 2008 issue of Cook’s Illustrated arrived and everything I once believed about French Onion Soup changed. This is their recipe, but much more important, this is their technique for preparing it. If you are an Onion Soup aficionado, you absolutely must find the time to try this one. It is admittedly a bit complicated, but it is (once again) well worth the extra effort.
I like chef Alton Brown's recipe for Glazed Carrots because it includes ginger ale. What more can I say?
Last, but definitely not least, I offer you my favorite recipe for Waffles. Once again though, it is actually not my recipe. It is the property of Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker who co-authored The Joy of Cooking. Their recipe appears on page 241 of my 1975 edition of their amazing book. You will be equally amazed if you like waffles – for breakfast, lunch or dinner! My favorite is Blueberry Waffles. My grandchildren prefer Cinnamon.
As I hinted earlier, there will be more "Favorite Recipes" forthcoming, but this will do for now.
Buon appetito.
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