Lamb Stew with Artichokes, Olives & Mint

| posted by | 1 Comment

Spring Lamb Stew with ArtichokesOne of the joys of writing a blog is having an online record of how often I contradict myself.  Last week, I stood up here on my soapbox and declared myself officially stewed out.  And then, naturally, 2 days later, I hauled out the old Dutch oven and made a lamb stew.

What can I say–coming up with dinner this time of year can be tricky.  Your heart aches for spring produce, but your chilled bones still crave heartier dishes.   Even though emotionally you might be ready to trade beets and squash for peas and asparagus, hefty meat-based mains for light fish dishes and salads, physically you’re still battling cold weather and want to eat something warm and satisfying.  

Thankfully, this stew gives you the best of both worlds.  It’s a hearty, but not heavy, celebration of in-between seasons eating.  Chunks of lamb shoulder are braised until fork-tender in a bath of white wine and tomatoes.  Artichoke halves and green olives share the spotlight with the lamb, keeping it from being nap-inducingly heavy and a handful of mint scattered over the top keeps it fresh and lively.

[Read more…]

Tuna & Asparagus Salade Niçoise

| posted by | 3 Comments

Tuna & Asparagus Niçoise Salad

This month marks 15 years for me in the restaurant biz.  I doubt when I donned my apron and punched my time card for the first time my 14-year-old self would have ever imagined what the future would hold: all of the customers that would make me want to scream, all of the co-workers that would make me want to tear my hair out, all of the late nights, all of the dirty fingernails, and all the dang Niçoise salads.

15 years split between working for a Frenchman and some serious Francophiles, I’ve served more Niçoise salads than I dare estimate.  You’d think I’d be sick of the very sight them, but, shockingly, I’m not. There’s something so satisfying about looking at such a beautiful and abundant plate that when I came into a couple of beautiful tuna steaks over the weekend, I immediately knew I would use them to make the Rolls Royce of Niçoise salads.

[Read more…]

Braised Pork Shoulder with Fennel, Oranges & Olives

| posted by | 6 Comments

Orange, Olive & Fennel Braised Pork Shoulder

Sometimes, in life and on blog, I feel a little self-conscious about what I eat.  I get embarrassed over bringing my grocery basket to the register, wondering what the cashiers must think of me: the girl who grocery shops daily and almost always ends up with a bulb of fennel, citrus fruit, and a little something from the olive bar.  I worry that you all might be getting sick of recipes that call for lemon slices, orange zest, shaved fennel, and olives.  My cooking crutches are no secret.

This time around, I’m resisting the temptation to turn my crutch ingredients into a salad and instead I’m incorporating them into a braise.  We’re going to add pork shoulder to the grocery list and treat it to a long, slow simmer with my favorite ingredients.  The richness of the pork will be countered with the slight bitterness of orange peel, briny olives balanced with sweet fennel.  Hope you’re hungry; this is a good one.

[Read more…]

Endive, Olive & Potato Tiella

| posted by | 1 Comment

Endive, Olive & Potato Tiella - Version 2

Oh, how I wish I could entertain you with some charmingly romantic story about my first encounter with tiella.  I’d love to say I was hiking between hillside villages in the Italian countryside and I stumbled upon the most wonderful, humble, little osteria.  A wrinkled old woman, cheeks dusted with flour, wearing a checkered kerchief, beckoned me in to try a piece of her legendary tiella.

Nope.  My first encounter was less exotic, far less romantic.

It was less fairytale and way more suburban mall food court.

It occurred to me as I was slicing into my homemade, wilted greens and garlic-filled tiella that it looked an awful lot like the spinach-stuffed pizza from sbarro that I’d splurge on with my hard-earned baby-sitting cash during my teeny-bopper mall-cruising days.

My more “authentic” experiences with tiella are hardly more exotic or romantic.  In fact, the last time I had it in Italy, it was from a gas station, eaten from my lap, as we frantically drove to our next destination, while I complained bitterly about Matt’s driving style and my extreme nausea.

That’s okay, though.  I don’t think tiella is supposed to be put on a pedestal.  All it is, really, is a double crusted pizza pie, filled with whatever tasty ingredients you fancy.  And while my old lady-osteria fantasy might exist somewhere, even in Italy you are way more likely to find yourself a piece of tiella at a convenience store or bar or take-away joint.

[Read more…]

Chicken & Olive Meatballs in Consommé

| posted by | 2 Comments

I’ve been accused of only posting decadent diet-busting recipes on my site.  Harsh…I know cream cheese streusel coffee cakes, pork-on-pork roasts, and nutella cream filling aren’t for everyday eating.  They’re treats.  Believe me, I’m eating plenty of really boring healthy meals between those posts.

Here’s a recipe that proves I’m not a total glutton and that simple, healthy foods can be blog-worthy.  It is a chicken consommé with baked chicken-olive meatballs and strands of Swiss chard.  Perfect; I’m calling it consommé so it sounds all French and elegant, it’ll be healthy because there’s a bunch of barely wilted chard in it, satisfying enough for dinner because there will be half a dozen meatballs bobbing around in each bowl.

[Read more…]