Broke Ass Stew: Beef Bourgondaniel

The idea of peasant food is having a great resurgence in our current food climate. This represents a trend towards less refined, seemingly heartier meals. The North American nomenclature dictates it "comfort food" and it's a huge buzzword from restaurants to magazine recipes. The roots of dining are essentially based on two historic systems: what the rich ate,what the poor ate. The nature of each cuisine evolved culturally throughout history. Certain dishes remiain eternal and show up in many different cultures and societies. Things like stews, soups, and breads remain eternal. Stylings are often based on regional nuance such as altitude, climate, availability of water and other natural resources.

France is a prime example about how differences within a small country can afford a huge spectrum of cuisine. In Northern France you have rich, hearty dishes that reflect cooler temperatures and greater diversity of things like root vegetables. As you move south thinks get lighter, fresher, and decidedly more mediterranean. Fish and shellfish are represented a lot more as well as fresher soft herbs and lots of acidity. Wines as well will follow similar progressions, with more full bodied varietals representing themselves in cooler regions, fruitier, more zesty wines in warmer regions closer to water.

This all lends itself to obvious evolutionary truths about what satisfies our needs. Thus far those at dedicated have been stoked on summer. As we find our regions climate transitioning into the autumnal equinox the innate desire for that comforting, heartier food to warm our cockles is impossible to deny.

From the 17th century and prior hearty food was described as too coarse for a wealthy stomach, and that more refined and lighter dishes were all that the rich should consume. The irony of course is that the food of the peasant was the most delicious and is what now dominates our food landscape.

A prime example of region and social status affecting a dish is with beef bourguignon. A classic dish that originated in the burgundy region, the complex acids in wine were used as a tenderizer for cheap, less regarded cuts of beef. The richness and depth of burgundy perfectly compliment the savoury earthy flavours of slow cooked beef. Although this would typically highlight a large cut of meat cooked whole, it has been modified to provide a quicker execution.

Now then, down to the business of some tasty ass shit.

When I want some tasty ass stew, I fully look to incorporate lot's of super meaty (manly) and intensely savorily flavours. Bacon, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, garlic, beef, red wine and stock. Thats the essential components of delicious bourgonion.

To assemble this masterpiece I bought a few chicken carcasses for 99 cents a pound at my local butcher ( http://tinyurl.com/2ckncko )as well as 2 lbs of cubed chuck. I simmered the chickens for about 3 hours with a rasher of delicious dry-cured bacon and a few small onions. Next I gave the chuck a pat dry, a good whack of seasoning and a hard roast.

The meat should be paid careful attention to when roasted. Not over crowding the pan allows you to maintain a high heat. Caramelization is guaranteed and as caramelization is equal to deliciousness it is definitely worth being patient as your meat parties (it's also good to open your windows cause it may get smoky. Also don't worry about the grease splattering, thats what Vim is for.) Once your meat is good and roasted toss in about 3 tbsp of flour and let it cook for another five minutes. This will thicken your peasant stew later on. Pour off the excess fat and deglaze with a good strong red (ideally a Burgundy but substitute anything red that isn't fucking zinfindel). Let it bubble away until the wine is half reduced. Transfer to a decent sized pot and dump in your quick chicken stock (quicken stock) and a bit of fresh thyme. Allow to cook lid on for 2 hours on a low heat. Good things are happening so chill. Watch The Big Lebowski or go for a bike ride. Check it every now and then, have a taste and enjoy the proper smells. Low boil and fragrant steam mean your killing it old-world style.

After about an 1 1/2 - 2 hours things will be looking up. More so if your safe with the stove knobs. Tender is the goal. In the meantime fire up another pan and chop about a 1/2 lb of bacon into eating size chunks. Chop a medium white onion or man up and peel a bag of pearl onions by first soaking them in warm water. Saute your onion off in a touch of butter on a low heat until they get golden, then dump in your bacon. Let it rock until all the liquid cooks off and the bacon crisps up. Pull everything out but leave the fat, chuck the mushrooms in and let them soak up so much goodness in that devilish little pan.

Once the mushrooms are roasted this fine (I threw in some sliced garlic once the shrooms had colour because mushrooms and garlic are so right) then set them with the onions and bacon. Peek at the stew. What's it like? Pull a bit of meat out and let it cool a touch. Is it nice? No? Fuck. Put it back in and let it go a bit longer, but with the lid off. The stew will reduce and concentrate the flavours. Add a bit of salt and a lot of pepper. Freshly ground black pepper in large quantities has an undeniably savoury flavour that will elevate this broke ass stew quick. Once the meat is almost tender drop in your potatoes, and a few minutes later drop in the rest of the garnish. Let it cook until its all soft, quadruple check the taste for salt (or maybe acid, a bit of lemon juice or vinegar?). At this point you should be fucking hungry. Serve this proper stew with some roased veg, or mashed potatoes, or nothing, or scallions chopped up and soaked in olive oil with some pickled pepper brine. I love the spicy-zesty contrast from the onions.

Suck it bitter cold wind.

One love, daniel

Get Sauced

As promised, I made a little magic in the kitchen last night with those fresh local tomatoes I previously posted about. The end of August and the beginning of September boasts the amazingness of tomato season. The tomato is a very versatile commodity and can be utilized in the kitchen in thousands of ways, but in an effort to keep things brief and concise, I will cut the shit and get straight to the point. This whole blog is based around the premise that delicious does not have to be complicated. In fact, it can be simple as fuck. This here recipe/guideline IS simple as fuck, and everyone should try it/remember this. It can be whipped up really quick, or can be simmered for hours. It is extremely versatile, and although very simple, it can also be very impressive. With the addition of whatever you might need to use up in your fridge, it can become a completely different beast. I speak of tomato sauce, marinara sauce, red sauce, gravy. Call it what you will, its fucking delicious and easy.

I started with a basket for fresh tomatoes, but you can easily substitute them with whole or diced canned tomatoes if you're in a rush/too lazy/it's no longer tomato season.

You will need:

- about a dozen fresh tomatoes (roma/plum or something that isn't too big and seedy)

- 1 onion chopped

- 3-4 garlic cloves chopped

- 1 shallot chopped (optional)

- red chili pepper flakes (optional)

- fresh basil leaves

- parmigiano-reggiano cheese (or something similar)

- olive oil

First, get some water boiling in a pot, and slice an X in the bottom of your tomatoes. Fill a bowl with cold water and ice and situate in close proximity to the pot of boiling water. Once that water is a boil, dunk about three tomatoes at a time in the hot water for 60 seconds, and transfer to the cold water for another 60 seconds using a slotted spoon. 

Once you have dunked all your tomatoes, you can pretty easily peel off all the skins. Using a sharp knife, cut out the stems of the tomatoes, those will make for bad texture in your sauce. Over a bowl, maybe the one you used for the cold water, give the tomatoes a good squeeze and try to get as much of the seeds to squirt out as possible. Don't stress about this too much, but it's a good thing to do. Roughly chop the tomatoes into chunks.

In a large enough sauce pan, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add your onions and cook, stirring frequently until they start to turn translucent. Now add the shallots and garlic, and chili peppers if you please, and continue to cook until everything in your world begins to smell fucking amazing and the onions and garlic start to turn a golden hue. Go ahead, add your tomatoes now. Stir around, throw a lid on that bitch, and reduce heat and allow that shit to simmer for a while. 

You should stir this every few minutes and taste as you go. As your sauce simmers away, season with some sea salt and ground pepper, and you'll probably want to throw in a dash or two of sugar (just a bit, you're not making jam) to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. I let my sauce simmer for about 30 minutes with the lid on, then about 10 minutes with the lid off. By cooking with the lid on, it keeps the natural liquids in the sauce and helps breakdown the big chunks of tomato. Then with the lid off, the sauce thickens up a little bit as the water evaporates. You could easily skip the lid and break down the tomatoes with an immersion blender if you're in a rush or a lazy fuck, but the sauce tastes better if you let that shit sim-sim-simmer.

As you rock the sauce with the lid off and it starts to thicken up, throw a pot of salted water on the stove, bring it to a boil and get some noodles cooking if this is how you intend to use your sauce. I cooked up some spaghetti, as I find the long, thin noodles the perfect vessel for this velvety, red sauce. As the noodles cook, grab some of that fresh basil, roll it up into a little basil blunt, and slice it. Also, grate the parmigiano cheese with a fine grater. Throw a bunch of the basil and cheese into the sauce and stir it around, but make sure to reserve a bit of each for garnishing.

Once your noodles are all cooked up, add a few tablespoons of noodle water to the sauce. Drain the noodles and divide amongst bowls or plates, sauce it up, garnish and serve.

Enjoy the deliciousness of simplicity. Sorry for cursing.

What The Falafel?

For those of you who do not know what falafel is, wikipedia will enlighten you:

Regardless of where it was created, and whatever country claims it to be their national snack, it can be concluded that falafel is internationally delicious and everyone should enjoy it. I've been trying to eat relatively healthy lately as I came back from the islands with a few extra pounds, but frankly, dieting is bullshit and I can't deal with eating like a bird. Birds can't be trusted, unless they're roasted and on a plate. So in the effort of healthy yet satisfying eating, I whipped up some falafel last night, but I baked them as opposed to frying them. I served them up with some homemade tzatziki (not very traditional, but delicious) and some tahini-based sauce, on top of a salad with some whole-wheat pita on the side. Despite the air of complexity that this dish gives off, it's pretty simple and has a lot of room to get creative. I highly recommend giving this recipe a try, but do not recommend it for a first to third date. Lots of garlic.

You will need for Falafel:
1 can of chick peas
1 small onion diced up small
3 garlic cloves chopped up real small
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Dried red pepper flakes to your liking
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt and pepper to taste


These are approximate measurements, taste as you go.


You will need for Tzatziki:
Greek-style yogurt (thicker than regular yogurt)
2 garlic cloves chopped real fine
Handful of cucumber, finely diced or grated


You will need for Tahini based sauce:
Tahini paste
Water
Lemon Juice
1 garlic clove chopped real fine
Fresh parsley, chopped

To get this party started preheat your oven to 375, then drain and rinse the chick peas, throw them in a medium sized mixing bowl, and smash them up real good with a fork, or preferably a potato masher. If you possess the technology you could use a food processor, but do you think they had those in the desert? I think not. Once the chick peas are sufficiently mashed up (!) throw everything else in the bowl and continue to mash about until everything is evenly mixed. Wipe a baking sheet with some olive oil or use some cooking spray to get it nice and greased, then using a spoon, scoop out balls of the mixture, compress into tighter balls with your hand and the spoon, then arrange on the baking sheet. Once you have used all the mix, pop the tray in the oven, bake for 15 minutes, flip when they're a nice golden brown, and bake for another 10 minutes. 

While the falafel gets baked, you should consider it yourself. Also, take the time to whip the accompanying sauces up. Super simple and quick to do. In bowl, mix together the greek-style yogurt, chopped garlic, and cucumber, season with a bit of salt and pepper. Tzatziki sauce done. The let this mellow in the fridge for a bit and the flavours will really come out. For the other tahini-based sauce, mix equal parts tahini paste and water, add a little lemon juice, the chopped garlic and parsley, and some olive oil if its too thick still. Season with salt and pep, and you're done. Super simple and both are super flavourful.

Once you and your falafel are sufficiently baked and golden brown, and you're all sauced up, you now must decide how to serve them. Frequently falafel is stuffed in a pita with lettuce, cucumber, tomato, pickled vegetables, etc. I served mine on a bed of arugula with the accompanying toppings and some pita on the side. Goes well with a traditional hooka session, too.

Enjoy.

Some Really Really Good Pasta*

This post is solely dedicated to Ben Temple. Happy birthday Ben! I could have just named this post "Happy Birthday Ben!", but I didn't... Not because Ben isn't deserving of it, but just because I happened to name it something else first. For real though, it's Ben Temple's birthday today, and part of the reason I put an effort into this blog is because of Ben Temple. I used to live with Ben in university and I know first hand he enjoyed deliciousness. In fact, I had seen him try his hand at impressing his lovely lady friend with some of his home cooking skills, and later had heard her wishes for, "[him] to just be able to make some really really good pasta".

I agree. A very ambiguous request if I do say so myself. What is "some really really good pasta?" How does one go about defining this? Well, to each is his own, but after a hard day of consuming at a bar that is on a pirate ship, one might define it as the following, and I for Goddamn-sure know Anna just might agree with me on this one. So, Happy Birthday Benjamin Temple and I hope upon the William Thorton bar that you use this recipe in your favour at least twice, as it is that good. Aaaand it is so simple that you can do it after a hard afternoon of drinking, just as I successfully have. Not too sure if the pictures do any justice, but hopefully you get the jist of all this. Party on my friend and I hope you get what you deserve on this 23rd birthday of yours.

You will need:
- 3-4 Italian Sausage Links
- 2 Large Handfuls of your favourite mushrooms (button, mini bellos, shitaki, oyster, magic, portobello, whatever you like...)
- 2-3 cloves of Garlic (chopped up like)
- 3-4 Green Onions chopped into 1 inch sections
- Grainy Mustard
- Cream (half and half, whole, heavy, or whatever your heart can handle)
- Whole wheat Penne pasta (enough for 2-3 servings)
- Fresh basil leaves
- Delicious delicious

In my opinion, pasta should never be a very complicated thing to make. So, to start this off get your sausage in a frying pan or skillet, over medium high heat. I recommend removing the meaty sausage goodness from the casing by simply making a slit down the side of the sausage, with a sharp knife, and squeezing it right into the pan. Break it up with your spoon or spatula and get it moving around until it is just cooked. Remove the sausage and set aside.

While you play with your sausage, you should take your shrooms, and cut them in half for slicing ease. After cutting them in half, simply continue to slice them into thin pieces. Take your green onions and chop into one inch sections, discard the white bits though. At this point, you should chop your garlic cloves if you haven't done so already. Meanwhile, get a pot of salted water boiling for your pasta. Now, throw your mushrooms in the frying pan after you have removed the sausage and get them moving around. Once the shrooms start to soften, add your garlic and continue to toss around the pan: do not let the garlic burn! Now that the garlic is getting all fragrant and soft, toss the green onions in the pan. Continue to move these around until they are softening, as well. As the shrooms, garlic and onions get all sexy smelling, you should reintroduce the sausage back into the pan, as well as a good dollop or two of the grainy mustard. Turn the heat down to medium low as you stir everything around and start to add cream to the equation. You want to add cream to cover about half to three-quarters of the sausage/garlic/onion/shroom mixture. I won't give an exact measurement as you can eyeball this and make as much sauce as you like. Crack some black pepper over top, stir to combine with the mustard and cream and simmer until sauce begins to thicken.

Hopefully at this point your pasta water has already begun to boil. Add your desired measurement of pasta to the water and continue to boil until it is "al dente" (tender but has a bit of bite to it still), or until it is cooked to your liking. Drain the water from the pasta, but reserve a few small spoonfuls of the pasta water. Add the pasta, and the reserved pasta water into the cream sauce and mix around until everything is coated with sauce. Divide all the goodness amongst your serving vessel of choice (bowl or plate) and garnish with some chopped fresh basil leaves. I find this part to be crucial as it really livens up the whole dish with the greenness and fresh taste of the basil. There isn't a flavour in the world that gets me as excited as fresh basil. After the basil, grate some of that Parmesan cheese on top and give it a good sprinkle of some olive oil. Now you may serve and enjoy what has been coming to you since you put that garlic in the pan and didn't burn it! 

Atta boy. Happy Birthday.  

*This dish is so easy, it can even be made after a long day of partying on a pirate-ship bar. True story.