It's All About the Garnish!

Upcoming Cookery: Valentine's Day!

I love, love, LOVE Valentine's Day! Even after ten years of wedded bliss, it gives The Husband and I an excuse to hang out with each other, remind each other how much the other is loved...and have an awesome dinner.

We used to go out to restaurants, but as our tastes evolved, we realized that Valentine's Day was strictly amateur hour on that night. Prix fixe dinners aren't really specially designed with the diner in mind, they're a way for the kitchen to get away with cooking only seven dishes the whole night, like slopping the hogs. So, I began cooking Valentine's dinner at home. 

I've done the whole steak-and-lobster thing enough. This year, with a three-day weekend, I have time to really stretch myself. I've decided on five courses, mainly because there are five things I want to make. But I abhor the idea of stuffing ourselves and not being able to enjoy every morsel, so I'm going to only serve one course at a time, with wine pairings. I'll begin at 5:30, with dessert ending up somewhere around 9:30 or 10. Perfect!

I know I'll make an appetizer, vegetable, starch, protein and dessert, but I'm not going to spill the details just yet as The Husband reads my little blog. So, stay tuned for the whole rundown, with recipes, after the Big Day!
 

Christmas Eve 2009: Sticky Toffee Pudding

Planning my Christmas Eve dinner was almost an afterthought compared to what happened when trying to come up with dessert. My criteria:  not too sweet, not too big and not too elaborate. And even though I can't bake to save my life (I have a problem measuring and following directions) I didn't want to turn to a box of mix. I really don't like cake or pie, so those options were out. Cookies? Not fancy enough for a major holiday. Hmmm...

Once again I turned to the interwebs for help. One of my favorite cooking sites, Chow.com, had the answer, right on the landing page:  Sticky Toffee Pudding

Now, this isn't a pudding in the way we Americans think of it (Bill Cosby, snack packs, etc.). This is a British way of saying dessert. Looking at the recipe, I saw that it had everything I wanted:  small servings, dates instead of chocolate and a short ingredient list. I followed the recipe to the letter, cursing at the measuring spoons and scorning the nancy-pancy procedure. But, it came out perfectly in the end, and is one of the best desserts I've had in years. Triumph!

(My camera batteries died before I could take a photo, here's what it looked like on Chow.com)

Christmas Eve 2009: The Standing Rib Roast

The centerpiece of the Christmas Eve dinner was of course going to be a standing rib roast. When pulled out of the oven, it proudly stands on its rack as if to say, "Yes, I am grand." When lovingly sliced and plated, the steaks dominate and cast a long shadow over anything nearby. And it's delicous.

This year, I chose a four-rib roast...enough for our small table but more than enough to yield leftovers. I set it out on the counter about three hours before I planned to actually cook it, so it could come to room temperature. With an hour to go before cooking, I slathered it in a mixture of:  bacon fat, stone-ground mustard, crushed garlic, pepper and minced rosemary. No, I didn't use any salt, as that would have pulled moisture out of the meat. Ready to roast, I jacked the oven temperature up to 550 degrees, poked an oven thermometer into the center (the kind with the wire running up to a digital readout display) and popped it in. After 15 minutes, I lowered the temperature, grabbed a glass of wine, and waited. Two hours later, when the internal temperature hit 118 degrees, I took out the roast, covered it with foil and told the husband to sharpen his carving knife. (I also popped the potatoes in the oven and fired the burner under the green beans)

Behold:

It was perfectly medium rare and delicious, served with horseradish-sour cream. Yum. 

Christmas Eve 2009: Goat Cheese and Sage Potatoes Gratin

I had sort of a game plan for my Christmas Eve dinner...I was doing Standing Rib Roast and Rosemary Garlic Green Beans with Pancetta, but I was still lacking a starch. Garlic bread wasn't fancy enough, pasta would be too much, rice bores me and mashed potatoes are sort of a cliche. I turned to my trusty source, Epicurious, and used its advanced search option to whittle down my needs. I decided on potatoes, but removed the word 'mashed' and added that I wanted it to be baked. I knew the roast was going to take up my entire oven (I have a tiny antique O'Keefe & Merritt), so I needed something that could be made ahead of time, then warmed back up before serving, while the roast was resting and then being carved. One of the most popular dishes that turned up in my search results was Potato Gratin with Goat Cheese and Garlic. The reviews were great, but suggested that I use more goat cheese and garlic than specified. Also, never being one to follow directions to the letter, I wondered about the nutmeg called for in the recipe. I thought sage would be a better choice and lend itself to the earthiness of the dish. I also briefly toyed with the idea of adding mushrooms as well, but didn't feel like going to the grocery store on Christmas Eve. So, below is my version of the recipe, and it was FABULOUS!

Goat Cheese and Sage Potatoes Gratin

8-10 Red potatoes, sliced thinly using a mandoline

8 cloves of garlic, crushed

11 ounces of chevre goat cheese, crumbled

1 tablespoon of dried sage (or 1 teaspoon fresh)

1 1/2 pints of heavy whipping cream

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9x7 or 8x8 glass baking dish. Mix all of the ingredients except for the potatoes together in a bowl. Place a layer of potato slices on the bottom, slightly overlapping each other. Top with 1/3 of the mixture. Put down another layer of slightly overlapping potatoes. Top with another third of the mixture. One more layer of potatoes, then the rest of the mixture. Bake for an hour. Cover with foil and bake another 15 minutes. You can either serve it immediately, or let it hang out on the counter until 15 minutes before dinner, then warm it back up and serve.

(My camera batteries died before I could take a photo, so here's how it looks on Epicurious.com)

Christmas Eve 2009: Rosemary Garlic Green Beans with Pancetta

 
Because my Christmas Eve dinner was going to be heavy on the meat and potatoes, I needed a veggie side dish that would be light, yet savory at the same time. Salads were out because I didn't want to fool with last-minute dressing/tossing. Also out was anything that could get mushy if the husband took too long to carve the roast. And, I didn't want to put anything on the table that would be icky if it got cold while we devoured the meat. And, that's when I had my 'aha' moment...my sister-in-law's green beans. Over Thanksgiving, I saw that she was able to let put everything in one pan and let it hang out just before serving the meal. And, when they finally got to my end of the table, it didn't matter that they weren't steaming hot.

So, I present to you, Sarah's Rosemary Garlic Green Beans with Pancetta:

Throw all of this into a medium skillet:

* A couple ounces of chopped pancetta

* A bit of extra virgin olive oil

* A couple sprigs of rosemary

* A few handfuls of green beans (blanched -boiled for a few minutes, drained, hosed down with cold water)

* A few cloves of crushed garlic

* A couple shakes of salt and pepper

Cook on medium-high heat for about seven to ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve.

Chocolate Covered Bacon

I'd been seeing it online and hearing about it from fellow foodies, and this was the day I had the perfect storm of reasons to make chocolate-covered bacon. 1) I was going to my friends' house for a Memorial Day barbecue and the host loves meat more than anything else. 2) My Dad was thinking of entering it in the Pork category for the Napa County Fair Barbecue Contest and was wondering about methodology and toppings. 3) I had the itch to make something weird.

So, I first baked a bunch of bacon. I used both applewood smoked Niman Ranch fancy bacon and Jimmy Dean whatever bacon. I baked them in a broiler pan on a rack so the fat would drip off, as you really want your bacon as crunchy and dry as possible. (Make sure you save that bacon grease for future use!)

There was going to be about 50 people at the party, so I cooked up three packages (minus the slices the husband and I had for breakfast).

I then put the bacon in the fridge to cool down a bit more while I dealt with the chocolate. It's simple:  empty two bags of good quality chocolate chips into a double boiler with a tablespoon of canola oil. Melt. Dunk the bacon slices (which I halved) into the chocolate and place on waxed paper. If you're going to put toppings on any of them, this is the time to do it, so they'll stick. I left most of the slices plain, but put chopped candied pecans on some and 'crazy dust' on a few more. The crazy dust was a combination of equal parts cinnamon, chili powder and Kosher salt. When you're done making them, they're still not very attractive, so make sure you arrange them nicely, like this:

The verdict? When I passed the plate around at the party the guests' reaction was easily broken down into three types:  revulsion, curiosity and enthusiasm. Obviously, those repulsed by the concept didn't even try them, but of those who did, most really enjoyed it. The ones topped with the candied pecans were the biggest hit, and a British guy really like the crazy dust (not sure what to make of that...).

These aren't a snack for everyone. If you're going to make these, make sure most of your guests have adventurous palates. Don't serve these to people who like Lunchables, hot dogs or garden salads with ranch dressing.

I wonder if peanut butter or caramel sauce would work with these?

Thanksgiving Standing Rib Roast

Finally! I have pried my fingers from their death-grip on the wineglass and posted about our amazing Thanksgiving Roast. Recipe to follow below, but first a word about why we cooked a Standing Rib Roast for Thanksgiving instead of a turkey.

I believe there's one reason and one reason only why gravy was invented: to give flavor and moisture to turkey. I hate turkey. I do think it's The Devil's Bird. It smells funky, has no discernible taste unless you lard the heck out of it, and is a dry wasteland of culinary defeat. So, I bucked tradition and made a Standing Rib Roast. It was easy, delicious, and I share it with you here:

Jamie's Standing Rib Roast

1 cup bacon fat
1/2 cup freshly crushed garlic
2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
1 whole standing rib roast
* You can of course make a smaller one for a party less than 12 adults, just adjust accordingly.

Take the roast out of the fridge at least an hour before you plan to put it in the oven. This will allow it to cook evenly. Unless you're weird and like it black on the outside and red in the center.

Preheat the oven to 550, or as hot as you can get it. Place your roast, rib side down, fat side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Mix the bacon fat and garlic and give your hunk of meat a good massage with it, making sure to coat every inch, even the ends. Sprinkle with the seasonings.

Put it in the oven at high heat (noted above) for 15 minutes. This will give it a nice crust and sear the flavor in. After 15 minutes, lower the heat to 300 degrees, and cook it about 10 minutes for every pound. When you think it's close to being ready, stab it through the center (not touching bone!) with a meat thermometer. Take it out at 118 and cover it with foil. Let it rest while you have your first course (about 15 minutes), and have at it.

Here's my most manly husband giving it a good carving: