Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

Short Rib Ragu

I cooked up a huge pot of short ribs last week which were incredible. Funny thing is though that as much as I liked the results, I didn't want to eat it day in and day out. Don't get me wrong .  . . it wasn't the ribs - I just don't like leftovers over and over again. I blame my upbringing - we were poor and food lasted until mom had wrung every possible dish possible out of it. ICK

Generally when I have more of something than we can possibly eat we just place it in a container and freeze it for later use. I can't do this these days because the freezers are being emptied out  to make room for other stuff. Yes, I was on the horns of a dilemma.

Of course it wasn't a significant dilemma that will impact the world but it sure made us think here. Frankly if this is the extent of the dillemmas that I have to face I am a happy guy. Others can deal with the weighty issues of the world - I need a break from solving problems for a spell.

Anyway, I digress (if only I had a dollar for every time I have said THAT!)

I found this recipe for a ragu made out of leftover short ribs. I've had something like this at my favourite Toronto Italian restaurant - Tutti Matti and liked it so much that I was convinced to give it a try. We didn't have any pappardelle but I have packages of other types of pasta so rather than buy something new I just used some of that up.

This was incredible! The pasta had a rich taste and the subtle layers of flavour that is so characteristic of true Italian cooking. If you find yourself with some leftover short ribs you want to give this a try!

Short Rib Ragu

2 large braised short ribs, shredded (I think that this was about 2 cups of shredded meat)
1 1/2 - 2 cups sauce from braised short ribs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 sprigs thyme
1 teaspoon oregano (i used dried)
1 bay leaf
1 - 28oz. can crushed san marzano tomatoes
1/2 cup cream (or milk)
salt & pepper
8 oz. pappardelle pasta
shaved parmesan & chopped flat leaf parsley, for garnish

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot and celery, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables become tender, approx 6-8 min. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano and bay leaf and sauté for another minute. Add the shredded short ribs, short rib sauce and tomatoes. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 20-30 min., covered. Add the cream and simmer for another couple minutes. Remove the thyme stems and bay leaf.

Season to taste.

Cook the pappardelle pasta according to the package. Serve w/ shaved parmesan and freshly chopped flat leaf parsley.

Braised Short Ribs (Courtesy of the Pioneer Woman)

Have you heard about the food blogger known as the Pioneer Woman? her blog is wildly popular - so much so that it spawned a cookbook and one feels that a movie can't be far behind.

Visiting The Pioneer Woman can feel like a trip to Disney World where, on the surface, everything is nearly perfect, life is grrrrrreat!, everyone is happy and doin’ their thang, there are plenty of rides (both 4-legged and 4-wheeling) — and, if you visit regularly, you’ll be rewarded with a generous flow of give-aways and prizes. You’ll see many photos of a working cattle ranch, including calves being castrated, tagged, and branded, and cows with a vet’s arm up their nether regions being “preg-tested,” and you’ll see lots of gorgeous open plains.

Frankly I'm not sure I like her or her clan very much. They are just too perfect. I get sick about hearing hoe beautiful, smart, and perfect her kids. I couldn't care a less about her husband who she describes as "my strong, burly, masculine rancher-husband". Really . . . the entire tale of urban woman with career who moves to the country and lives the life of a rancher's bride is rather 1920s.

Having said all of that. Ree can cook. She also takes gorgeous pictures which keeps me coming back to her site.

Last week I was looking on the 'net for a recipe for braised short ribs. I had 5 pounds of them in the freezer and I wanted to make room for other things. . . like the turkey I want to pick up tomorrow at 29 cents a pound! Wouldn't you know it - google delivered me to the Pioneer Woman who posted a recipe on November 16th. The recipe looked good so I gave it a shot.

Braising is the best way to prepare tough cuts of meat - and few cuts are as tough as short ribs! This slow method of cooking breaks down the connective tissues and fat making otherwise tough cuts of meat tender, juicy, and very flavorful.  I almost feel bad for people who have no idea how wonderful cheap cuts can be.  Short ribs have so much beef flavor, they are tender . . . almost buttery if prepared properly, and they are always a crowd pleaser.

This recipe hit all of the right notes and pleased the heck out of us!

Braised Short Ribs

8 whole Beef Short Ribs
Kosher Salt & Pepper To Taste
¼ cups All-purpose Flour
6 pieces Pancetta, Diced
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
3 whole Carrots, Diced
2 whole Shallots, Peeled And Finely Minced
2 cups Red Or White Wine
2 cups Beef Or Chicken Broth (enough To Almost Cover Ribs)
2 sprigs Thyme
2 sprigs Rosemary

Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.

In a large dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove pancetta and set aside. Do not discard grease.

Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.

Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.

Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid.

Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top - we did this.)

Serve 2 ribs on bed of creamy polenta, spooning a little juice over the top.

Sunday Small Bites - Cranberries

The cooks on the slowtravel community forums have been working on a new cooking challenge - instead of each of us preparing the same recipe each week, we are preparing our own appetizer - or Small Bite - that uses a specific main ingredient. So far we have tackled shrimp, crab, sun-dried tomatoes, avocado, goat cheese, smoked salmon, pecans, pumpkin, olives, mushrooms, and ginger. This week Jan selected our ingredient and went with cranberries . . . just in time for American Thanksgiving!

Of course we went a wee bit overboard with our 'small bites'. We ended up with a selection of cranberry appetizers and a cranberry martini. As we sipped the martinis we enjoyed cheese and crackers, a cranberry pistachio pate, cranberry brie tartlets, and cranberry pear and blue cheese quesadillas. I started the pate before I headed off to Ottawa because it needed time to sit in the fridge before you sliced into it, the rest came together VERY quickly in less than an hour.

The pate is a recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens site. I noticed it a few years back and bookmarked it as something to make in the future but never did. With Jan selecting cranberries as the ingredient for the week I looked it up again and decided to finally try it out.

I am glad ended up making the pate because it was easy and the results were wonderful. No, this isn't a smooth pate like the ones that you buy that are full of chicken livers. It is however, a fascinating combinations of flavours. And did I say that it was easy to make? Easy + tasty = a perfect recipe in my books!

I was concerned that the texture would be coarse like a meatloaf and not very 'pate-like' but I was happy to discover that the process of storing it in the refrigerator under weights caused it to compact into a relatively smooth consistency. I did store it in the refrigerator under weights for three days unlike the one day suggested in the recipe.

The recipe suggests serving it with stone ground mustard. I tried it without and it was fine but the mustard sure added yet another layer of flavour when I sampled it with the pate. Even Paul - who is a strange fellow and hates mustard in all its many magnificient forms - enjoyed the mustard with the pate. Go figure . . .

Now to head off and see what the other slow travelers have made for 'Cranberry Week'.

Cranberry Pistachio Pate

Nonstick cooking spray
1 egg
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped shallots or onion
1/2 cup shelled, chopped pistachio nuts
1/3 cup port wine or cranberry juice (I used the port - in case there was any doubt :-) )
1/4 cup half-and-half or light cream
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons dried sage leaves, crushed, or 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound lean ground pork
Stone ground mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Lightly spray a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

Beat egg in a large mixing bowl. Add cranberries, shallot or onion, pistachio nuts, port wine or cranberry juice, cream, bread crumbs, sage, salt, pepper, and garlic; mix well. Add ground beef and pork. Mix well. Press mixture into prepared pan. Cover tightly with foil. Bakes 1-1/2 hours.

Remove pan from oven. Cool slightly. Uncover; carefully pour off drippings, leaving pate in pan. Cover pate loosely with foil. Place several heavy cans of food in another 9x5x3-inch loaf pan to serve as weights. Place pan on top of the covered pate. Chill overnight.

Remove weighted pan and foil. Loosen sides if necessary. Invert pate onto a serving platter or wrap in plastic wrap and chill for up to 2 days. Cut pate in half lengthwise and then into thin slices. Serve pate with stone ground mustard.

Beef Stifado

It is stew weather here .  . . cold, dark, and wet. I guess I shall be making stews for the next five months. ARGH

Oh well, the grill had a fine run and now it is time to start using the dutch oven more.

We had some great stews while we were in Greece so I looked to my Greek cookbooks first for inspiration. We decided to make a stifado (also spelled stifatho). These stews are characterized by pearl onions ... lots of onions ... often equal by weight to the main ingredient. And they're winter favorites.

Stifado dishes have been made and loved in Greece at least since the Middle Ages, when it is believed the word was first coined. They can be made with meat, poultry, seafood, game, or another vegetable as the central ingredient. The onions, wine or vinegar, tomato, and a selection of herbs and spices (often including cinnamon) create a flavorful base. Generally made on the stove top, there are a few stifado variations that can be made in the oven.

This beef stifado is one of the classics, and one of the easiest to make. This is one of those recipes where you dump everything into a pot and let it cook to create its own perfection. The recipe calls for beef, onions, garlic, wine, bay leaves, orange, tomato, and spices, and the result is delicious!

Beef Stifado

2 pounds of lean beef, cubed 
1 pound of pearl onions, peeled 
2 tablespoons  olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, peeled, halved
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 bottle full-bodied red wine
grated rind and juice of 1 orange
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
chopped flat leaf parsley to garnish 

Heat the oil in a dutch oven. Add the pearl onions and garlic, cook until they are soft (about 5 minutes). Add the beef to the dutch oven and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned on all sides. NOTE: if the meat is crowded i.e. individual pieces touching one another - it will steam and not brown. In this case cook the meat in two or three batches to ensure appropriate browning.

Stir in the cinnamon, cloves, cumin, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Pour in the wine, stirring any glazed bits from the bottom. Add in the grated orange rind, juice, and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then cover.

Cook in a preheated oven at 325 for about 1 1/4 hour. Remove the lid and cook for a further one hour. Stir the stew once or twice during this time.

Serve with boiled of mashed potatoes. Garnish with chopped flat leaf parsley.

Serves 6

Cheddar BLT Burgers with Tarragon Russian Dressing

It was Paul's turn to cook on Sunday and he determined that he was going to make a treat for my mom. I don't know why she was deserving of a treat nor can I recall the last time he whipped up a culinary treat for me, however I shall be the bigger person (for once) and move on.

A few weeks ago mom was over and happened to see a Food and Wine magazine laying about - she took one look at the cover and declared that the burger depicted there looked amazing! Paul overheard her lusting after the cover recipe and decided that that was the treat he was going to make for her.

Now lest you shake your head and suspect that I have lost it - burgers can be special and anyone of you who has eaten a burger that wasn't wrapped in waxed paper from McDonald's, Burger king, Wendy's or Harvey's (for my good Canadian readers) knows this. These burgers are relatively simple - the patties are just meat, salt, and pepper. No additives here.

This is where the simple burger stuff ends . . . the patties are soaked in ice water for 30 seconds (yes, soaked in ice water - not unlike a fine beer at the lake) and then grilled. While they grill you brush them with melted butter (in case the fat content of the meal wasn't already sufficient for you).

Once grilled they are served with homemade tarragon russian dressing (which was so darn good mom refused to believe that Paul had made it), melted cheddar, and crisp bacon. Oh wow! Park your diet at the door  . . . remember that the odd indulgence isn't evil.

Superb!

Soaking the meat in the cold water and basting with the butter while grilling ensured that the burgers remained incredibly moist. The butter also helped to enhance the flavor of the meat. The sauce was very easy to prepare and the flavors perfectly complimented the beef and the bacon.  The only negative I have is the burgers tasted so good I over indulged in my eating them.

Make these burgers with a twist for good friends and I can guarantee that they will be visiting you again . . . soon!

Enjoy

Cheddar BLT Burgers with Tarragon Russian Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
12 ounces thickly sliced bacon
1 1/3 pounds ground beef chuck
1 1/3 pounds ground beef sirloin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 6 slices
6 hamburger buns, split and toasted
6 iceberg lettuce leaves
6 slices of tomato
6 slices of red onion

In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the ketchup, red wine vinegar, onion, parsley, tarragon and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and refrigerate.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat, turning once, until crisp, about 6 minutes. Drain and cut the bacon into large pieces.

Light a grill and fill a large bowl with ice water. Gently mix the ground chuck with the ground sirloin, salt and pepper. Form the meat into six 4-inch patties, about 1 1/4 inches thick. Submerge the patties in the cold water and let soak for 30 seconds. Immediately transfer the burgers to the grill and brush with some of the melted butter. Grill over high heat for 9 minutes for medium-rare meat, turning once or twice and brushing occasionally with butter. Top the burgers with the cheese during the last minute of grilling and let melt.

Spread the Russian dressing on the buns. Set the lettuce leaves and tomato slices on the bottom halves and top with the burgers, red onion and bacon. Close the burgers, cut in half and serve right away.

Yam Neua - Thai Beef Salad

Here we are at week 14 of our salad exploration. Maria transported us to Thailand with this amazing recipe. I've had beef salads at many different Thai restaurants so it is great to have a recipe under my belt to use. This version was given to Maria by her niece Isabel who for many years assisted her Thai mom in Atlanta-area restaurants.

All I can say is that I LOVE Isabel for sharing and if she wishes to share any more of her recipes I'd be happy to have a go of them.

I grilled the sirloin between thunderstorms on Friday and this salad made a great addition to our Thai feast. We also had fresh spring rolls and the Spicy Ground Chicken and Rice Noodles that I clogged about on Friday. MMMMMM I do believe that Thai food is my favourite 'international' cuisine. For years it was Italian but I've moved on to the fresh taste and delicious taste contrasts of thai (although don't get me wrong - if someone places a well-made Italian Italian dish in front of me purring will still occur).

I followed Maria's recipe as printed with a few modifications - I added 1/2 cup of thai basil leaves because the basil in our garden is out of control right now. I also added some mint for the same reason. I added some thinly sliced carrots for presentation (and additional 'crunch'). You'll notice, as well, that my steak is NOT grilled medium to well - I don't think that my grill has that setting on it *smile*.

Maria reminded us to check the seasonings: there should be a balance of hot, sour, and salt. To adjust seasonings in Thai food follow these rough guidelines . . . if it is too sweet add more fish sauce . . . too salty add more sugar . . . not tangy enough - add more lime juice . . . not hot enough - add more chili.

Guess what I forgot? I should have added more chillies!

Of well, it was an amazing salad nonetheless.

Thanks for the treat Maria!

Enjoy, y'all.

Yam Neua - Thai Beef Salad

1 lb tender beef steak, such as top sirloin.
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
1 tomato, cut into wedges
1 cucumber, peeled, cut lengthwise in half and thinly sliced
1-2 Thai bird’s-eye chilies or according to taste (I use 1-2 serrano chilies)
1/4 cup Thai fish sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
2 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2  cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1/4  cup chopped scallions

Grill beef until medium to well-done. Slice thinly on the bias and set aside. Combine all the salad ingredients and add the sliced beef. Make the sauce by mixing together all the ingredients and toss with the salad.
 
Serve over a bed of green lettuce (e.g. Romaine) whole or chopped, or place individual servings over a large lettuce leaf.
 
Variations -  Mint and sliced shallots can be added to the salad. Grilled shrimp or calamari may be substituted for the beef. Instead of lettuce, the salad may be served with a wedge of fresh cabbage. Palm sugar (or any other sugar) may be added for a slight touch of sweetness.

Sunday Slow Soupers #21: Gulaschsuppe

Wow - here we are at week 21 of our explortion of soups. This week Kaydee transported us to Barvaria with this amazing goulash soup.

This recipe is from The New German Cookbook by Jean Anderson and Hedy Wurz.

I followed the recipe with two exceptions . . . one planned, the other not. I added some green pepper (planned).

Then I had a wee problem with the paprika. I had a container that mom brought home for us from her trip to Hungary. It had two packages in it, not being able to read Hungarian I couldn't tell which was the hot paprika and which was the sweet . . . they both tasted fairly similar. I discovered that they most definitely were not! . . . apparently I added two tablespoons of the HOT stuff!

 Gulaschsuppe

2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into bite-sized cubes (a little more doesn't hurt)
3 tablespooons butter
2 medium-size yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet rose paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups cold water
2 cups rich beef broth (homemade or canned)
2 medium-size potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Variations: You could add small strips of green pepper and/or a can of tomatoes. To make it spicier, add some red pepper flakes.

This recipe makes 6-8 servings. It is really better made the day before and reheated. (Skim the fat off the top before re-heating.)

Brown the beef in two tablespoons of the butter in a large heavy kettle over high heat. Transfer the beef to a bowl using a slotted spoon.

Add the rest of the butter to the kettle, then the onions (and green pepper if added), and saute for about five minutes. Add the garlic near the end.

Return the beef to the kettle, add the paprika and thyme, and cook together over moderate heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.

Add the water and broth, bring to a boil, adjust the heat to simmer, cover and cook 45 minutes.

Add the potatoes. Re-cover and simmer 45 minutes longer, until beef and potatoes are tender. Stir in the tomato paste, salt and pepper, heat through, and adjust the seasonings if neeeded.

WHB - Sirlion Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

This post is my contribution for Weekend Herb Blogging - one of the longest running food blog 'events' on the web. This week it is being hosted by Ivy from Kopiaste. Started by Kalyn and now organized by Haalo, WHB is now in its 4th successful year of showcasing every week delicions (and unusal) foods prepared using herbs, fruits and vegetables by bloggers around the world.

---

Funny thing . . . I would call Paul and I adventurous cooks. We have a pantry that is chock full of ingredients many have never heard of. We enjoy experimenting with new things and rarely make the some thing twice. Given that it is odd that until Sunday night we had never tried Chimichurri sauce.

Sure, I had read about this classic Argentina sauce. Chimichurri is a classic Argentinian sauce, predominantly made with aji molido, a mild red chili. It’s wonderful on grilled meats, but also makes a lovely dipping sauce for bread. With garlic, olive oil, vinegar and freshly chopped parsley, this sauce is quick to make yet it adds a wonderful depth to grilled meats.

Paul decided to try this recipe because it would assist us in using the excess of cilantro that we 'happened' to have in the house. Note to self - do not purchase herbs in a rush. Does anyone else think cilantro looks a wee bit like parsley? ARGH

You'll be pleased with this recipe, it's so easy and so incredibly flavorful. I love the flavor of fresh herbs, and chimichurri is basically just fresh herbs blended in a food processor. This chimichurri was made with cilantro and parsley (there are as many recipes out there for chimichurri sauce out there are there are folks claiming to have invented the internet), and I think it's a great combination. It has a little bite to it, but then gives way to fresh, bold and wonderful flavors. The food processor makes this a breeze to put together. It took Paul longer to wash the herbs than it did to make the chimichurri. The steak was flavorful and tender, and the chimichurri really took it to the next level.

Even though we don't normally make recipes over and over again, we will definitely be making this again soon!

Sirloin Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

1 1/2 pounds trimmed sirloin steak
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large garlic clove
1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro
1 1/2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Preheat grill.

Pat steak dry. Stir together 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, coriander, and pepper in a small bowl and rub mixture onto both sides of steak. Grill steak on the heated grill until cooked to your liking.. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, with motor running, add garlic to a food processor and finely chop. Add cilantro, parsley, vinegar, oil, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, then pulse until herbs are finely chopped.

Holding a knife at a 45-degree angle, thinly slice steak. Serve with sauce.

Spicy Orange Beef

It must have been the Thai cooking class a week ago that inspired us to go on a rampage of Asian-inspired cooking. We seem to go in cycles once we get started. I think Paul started us on a brief Italian run last night . . . I don't have a clue where we're going next! *smile*

This recipe was featured on the Cooking Light website in a collection entitled 'Twenty Beef Dishes, Ready in 20 Minutes or Less'. We had had lots of chicken and fish lately but I couldn't remember the last time I had enjoyed some beef. This, coupled with the promise that supper would be on the table in 20 minutes or less, had me sold.

Sweet, sour, and fiery hot, this Chinese dish beats takeout by a mile. The cornstarch-thickened sauce soaks into the rice beneath the beef, giving it great flavor as well. We added some orange segments to the dish and served it with a side salad.

It made a great, quick dinner.

Of course, the best part was that there were under 300 calories in the dish.

Enjoy!

Spicy Orange Beef

1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag brown rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound boneless sirloin steak, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
3/4 cup (1-inch) slices green onions

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Combine rice and salt, tossing well.

Combine garlic, pepper, and beef, tossing well.

Combine rind, juice, cornstarch, and soy sauce, stirring with a whisk.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef mixture and onions; sauté 2 minutes. Add juice mixture; cook 2 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring frequently. Serve beef mixture over rice.

Italian Beef Stew with Rosemary

Have you voted in the photo contest? Only 2 days to go!

Four of our trip pictures have been entered in a photo contest run by the good folks at easycar.com. Oh happy day - all four photos are currently in the top 10 out of 371 photos. You can vote for each by clicking here, (remember 10 is a good vote! *smile*)  here, here, and here.

Yes, you CAN vote for all four photos.

You can only vote once from any given IP address - this means you can vote once for EACH pic from both at home and at work! If you have two computers networked at home, you can only vote on one of them, however. If you have a Blackberry though, that is a third vote. If you send these links to friends, relatives, or people who bug you with unwanted e-mails - just think of the of votes! It boggles the mind.

Heck, do what I do - vote at every hotel, conference centre, and friend's house in which you find a PC attached to the internet. Don't be shy at all. :-)

---

Once winter took its bitter hold around here and the cats started to curl up in front of the fireplace I started to crave what I call 'winter food': hot and hearty stews and soups. This, coupled with the fact that I had a new le Creuset pot that was crying out to be used, had me searching for a suitable recipe.

This recipe, for a thick and hearty Italian beef stew in a rich tomato sauce seemed to be just the ticket. The only thing I didn't do was to put the tomato and vegetable mixture through a foodmill; I like things nice and chunky in a stew . . . not mushy.

This stew delivered on all fronts! It was just the thing to keep winter at bay for another day or so!

Enjoy!

 Italian Beef Stew with Rosemary

1 1/2 lbs. lean beef
3 c. fresh or canned peeled tomatoes with basil
3/4 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. chopped parsley, preferably Italian, loosely packed
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves
8 thin slices French or Italian bread
1 whole clove garlic, peeled

Trim meat, cut it into one inch cubes.

In a saucepan, combine the tomatoes, celery, parsley, oregano, thyme, oil and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bring to boil. Simmer about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Put the sauce through a food mill and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup butter in a wide flameproof casserole. Add the beef and cook, stirring, until the meat loses its red color. Add the chopped garlic and stir. Transfer the meat to another dish.

Add the wine to the casserole and cook over high heat until it is reduced by half. Add the meat, the rosemary, and the tomato sauce and, if necessary, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, spread the bread with butter and toast on both sides under the broiler. Rub on both sides with the garlic clove, place 2 slices in 4 hot soup bowls, and spoon the meat and sauce over all. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings.