Clotted cream, or Devonshire Cream, is an all time favorite in this household. Forget a simple scone (and tea time for that matter), we’ll smear it onto cinnamon raisin toast, a hearty whole wheat soda bread, and just about any cracker-like formation at any time of the day. The biggest problem I have finding it, even in New York City, is that the good stuff (ie that imported from Devon, England) is hard to come by and fairly expensive for a mere 1-6 ounces. While high quality heavy cream isn’t that much cheaper, the taste of this homemade version is world’s better than any clotted cream I have been able to get my hands on State-side.

Clotted cream is similar to butter in that the fat content of the cream clots (hence clotted cream), but varies in that it is heated low and slow for several hours to bring the clots to the surface, rather than butter, which is agitated to form clots. The result is a slightly sweet and luxuriously smooth butter-like cream substance, or simply, clotted cream. It remains creamy when cold, though will still melt when smeared onto warm toast.
This super rich version is made with heavy cream from jersey cows (the cow breed, not the state). Many believe the higher the fat content of the cream you start with, the better your results. Do not attempt to make this with low-fat or ultra-pasteurized creams (remember: you need fat for this product!). Although a good quality organic full fat heavy cream (or whipping cream) will do, pasture-fed cows will produce the best quality clotted cream with a taste that will change with the seasons.

Brits will tell you clotted cream is best on scones at high tea, but I recommend you try it whenever the mood fits.

NOTE: Don’t let the long cook time throw you from making this recipe. It’s all undisturbed low-heat cooking followed by a night in the fridge.

Clotted Cream
Makes about 1.5 cups. Active time= about 10 minutes. Inactive time= 10 hours plus overnight.
2 cups heavy cream (raw cream or a good quality full-fat organic)

1) Preheat oven to 180 F. (This might just be a setting called “warm.”)
2) Place heavy cream in a heavy bottom ceramic, cast iron or enamel pot, about 8 inches by 13 inches. (You want to keep the cream shallow, but not so shallow it burns, 1-3 inches up the side is good.) Cover the pot and place in the center rack of the oven. Leave undisturbed 8-10 hours, until a dark yellow crust has formed on top of the cream.
3) Uncover and allow the cream to cool. Recover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
4) Using a spatula, pull the clotted cream from the dish and transfer to a storage container. Use leftover cream in baking applications. Use clotted cream in 4-5 days.

A little less talking and a little more cooking, eh?

Feast your eyes on the image above. Very fresh looking, right? This meal was so good I could stare at this photo to remember it all year. I won’t bore you with nothing while I drool, so let us continue.

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A few weeks back I ordered a slab of pork belly from one of the farmers associated with my Community Supported Agriculture program. The pork these folks raise is tremendous. D and I always stuck with the pork chops, frankly because they are fast and easy. Truly, I cannot remember when I have had such delicious pork. Always juicy and full of flavor, it is what pork should be. So I finally ventured into the realm of belly.

D and I had the opportunity to visit this farm over the summer. It was fabulous to see not only our pigs, but also our cattle (they also raise grass-fed beef) in action, knowing what we purchase is actually what we are told. (Rather than “free-range”– what does that really mean?!) It is also an amazing opportunity to not only speak to the person who raises your food, but see their practices. Admittedly, to see these animals and think, “I’m going to eat you next month!” is sort of twisted in our modern detachment of food systems. (Going to our CSA’s vegetable farm and noting all the vegetables soon to enter my belly was much more hilarious.)

Our gracious host had us safely in her car as we careened around the 400 plus acreage, showing off vista points, watering holes and different grasses the cattle eat. Next stop was the pig field for feeding time. As we opened the second floor to the barn we saw the pigs in the distance, racing as a seemingly wild pack out of the distant trees for their feed. “They eat a lot of grub and whatever they find in the woods,” N explained, “but we give them a little more protein and grain as supplement.”

With that, she dropped a bucket of grain from the second floor, crashing on and around the pigs, who well, went hog wild pigging out. Piglets were shoved to the outer circle picking at scraps while the more assertive animals took center stage. Once feeding had subsided the pigs headed off to a small pond to retreat in the cooling waters, “Miami Beach,” N noted.

Back to the belly of the matter…

Pork belly comes from the same cut as bacon, though bacon has been smoked or cured. Pork belly is fresh, uncured meat, just as fatty good as bacon. (Mmmm, bacon.) The cut is ideal for braising. The technique leaves the skin crisp, fat oozing and the flesh velvety soft. If you can manage all three in one bite, try not to fall out of your chair as you swoon.

For this cut I adapted a spice rub I found online and braised it about 4 hours. The pork was served as an appetizer at a dinner party that was picked at throughout the night. I was lucky enough to stash away a few pieces for lunch the next day, bulked up as you see it, with rice, pickled daikon radish, fresh carrots, scallions and cilantro. The result? Really, a picture says a thousand words. I’ll just say one more: divine.

I made the daikon radish a day prior to the dinner party. The pickled radish played the perfect part to accent the pork’s flavor and cut through the fat. The only problem? Pickled daikon radish has a horrendous smell. Think men’s used gym socks. But, like many other things that can produce a horrific funk (think some wines), once you overcome your initial fear you’ll be glad you took the plunge.

Do not be daunted by these recipes. They are simple to make and most of the involvement is inactive time. It is a fabulous dish to make on a weekend lounging around the home.

Pickled Daikon Radish
Adapted from epicurious
Serving Size= About 1 radish per 3 persons. Active time= 8 minutes. Inactive time= 24 hours.
daikon radish
equal parts plain white vinegar and sugar
1/4 part salt

1) Julienne the daikon radish (cut into matchstick thin slices) and place in a non-reactive container.
2) Add equal parts white vinegar and sugar until just covered, add 1/4 the amount of salt (to the vinegar quantity).
3) Mix, cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.

Braised Pork Belly
Adapted from Dan Barber
Serving Size= 6 persons. Active time= 10 minutes. Inactive time= 8 hours.
1 -3 pound pork belly
4 cups chicken stock or water
2 cups cure mix:
1/4 cup fennel seeds
1/4 cup cumin seeds
1/4 cup ground coriander
1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 cup salt
2/3 cup sugar

1) Make cure mix, using fresh whole seeds and grinding, if possible.
2) Rub mix all over pork belly, cover and refrigerate 4 hours.
3) Preheat oven to 250F. Remove pork belly, rinse the cure mix off lightly, place pork in pan and pour in chicken stock, without fully covering the pork. Cook for 4-5 hours.
4) Remove from braising pan, drain, slice and serve.

To Finish the Dish as Above
Serving size= 2 persons. Active time= 10 minutes. Inactive time=30 minutes plus pork belly
1/2 cup uncooked rice, white or brown (I used Basmati)
1 carrot, sliced into matchstick slices
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 scallion, thinly sliced
pickled daikon radish
red chili flakes
pork belly

1) In the last half hour of cooking, make rice and prepare vegetables.
2) Assemble rice on plates, add sliced pork belly over top, a scoop of pickled daikon radish. Divide carrots, scallions and cilantro sprinkled over top. Finish with a pinch of red chili flakes.

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My good friend N from Chicago emailed me this morning for help. Her new bf’s favorite food is paella and she wanted a simplified version of the last paella recipe made here at Just Braise to impress him.

First, let us congratulate N for picking such a winner! I can’t think of anyone I know who would say their favorite food is paella if asked. Maybe my Spanish friend, J, but I think she’s more inclined to Iberian ham. So brava!

N’s concern was the lengthy steps (who has fish stock on hand?!) and that she had never cooked seafood beyond a simple pan-seared fillet.

I applaud her for taking the next step in trying not only new seafood, but a possibly daunting recipe. I also assured her seafood is incredibly simple to make. Just find a good quality source and you’re set. Before I know it she’ll be throwing fancy-sounding (but simple) dishes like linguine in clam sauce together– That’s right, I think linguine sounds fancy. It’s Italian and once you use foreign words in cooking you’re fancy. (So I guess paella is pretty fancy too.)

For anyone wary of paella, whether you are trying to impress a new beau or stock pile your fridge for the week, I implore you to give this recipe a try. I have even included a simplified version with alternatives below the real recipe for the novice. You don’t even need an authentic paella pan– Any large pan (15 inches or more) with high sides (2 inches or more) will work.

The skeleton of this recipe is taken from the same cookbook as the previous paella recipe, The Cuisines of Spain. Paella is definitely not a dish you make once and master so be aware it might not be perfect your first time through. Keep trying. Don’t be scared away by the recipe list either. Most of it is pretty basic. Or, try my simplified version below.

Arroz Con Cebolla Confitada (Rice with Caramelized Onion)
Serving size 6. Active time= about 1 hour. Inactive time=12 minutes.
1/2 pound littleneck clams
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 boneless skinless chicken, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced (or grated)
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup sweet vermouth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 cups fish stock (see previous paella for recipe)
2 tomatoes, halved and grated on large holes, skins discarded
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Pinch of saffron threads
1 pound calamari rings
2 cups Spanish (short grained) rice
1 pound shrimp, in shells
1/2 bag frozen peas

1) Scrub clams and place them in a bowl of water with the coarse salt. Let them sit for about 30 min or more while you prepare the other ingredients (you do not need these until the end). This gets the clams to release the sand trapped in their shells.
2) In a large (15 inch +) skillet or paella pan, warm the olive oil on medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3) Add onions, red pepper, garlic, vermouth, salt, pepper and sugar to pan. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until the liquid evaporates and the onions caramelize, 15-20 minutes.
4) Preheat oven to 500F. In a sauce pot, bring stock to a boil.
5) Turn heat on onions to high and cook 5 minutes more. Add the grated tomatoes, paprika and saffron. Mix to incorporate. Add the squid and mix again.
6) Turn heat to high. Return chicken to pan, add rice and stir to incorporate. Add the boiling stock and let sit for 5 minutes without touching.
7) Remove clams from salted water and place around the top of the dish. Do not bury them in the liquid. Add the shrimp to the top of the dish as well.
8) Bake for 12-15 minutes, uncovered. Clams should open and shrimp should turn pink. Remove from oven once done and set on stove, covered with tin foil for 5 minutes. Tap any clams that have not opened with a fork. If they still do not pop open discard them.
9) Add frozen peas and stir to incorporate. (Heat from the dish will thaw the peas.) Serve with lemon wedges and chopped parsley as a garnish.

A beginner’s paella. This is essentially what I provided to N earlier today. Make it even shorter by removing one of the fish and upping a quantity of another.

Basic Paella
Serving size 6. Active time= about 1 hour. Inactive time=12 minutes.
1/2 pound littleneck clams
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 boneless skinless chicken, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups boxed fish stock. Alt.: use half clam juice half boxed chicken stock or all chicken stock
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Pinch of saffron threads
1 pound calamari rings
2 cups Spanish (short grained) rice
1 pound shrimp, in shells
1/2 bag frozen peas (optional)
lemons and parsley for garnish

1) Scrub clams and place them in a bowl of water with the coarse salt. Let sit for about 30 min or more while you prepare the other ingredients (you do not need these until the end). This gets the clams to release the sand trapped in their shells.
2) In a large (15 inch +) skillet with 2 inch sides (or taller) or paella pan, warm the olive oil on medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3) Add onions, red pepper and garlic to pan. Allow onions to sweat, stir occasionally 8-10 minutes. Preheat oven to 500F. In a separate sauce pot, bring stock to a boil.
4) Add paprika, saffron and rice to onions and pepper. Mix to incorporate. Add the squid and mix again.
5) Turn heat to high and return chicken to pan. Add the boiling stock and let sit for 5 minutes without touching.
6) Remove clams from the salted water and place around the top of the dish. Do not bury them in the liquid. Add the shrimp to the top of the dish as well.
7) Bake for 12-15 minutes, uncovered. Clams should open, shrimp should turn pink and liquid should be evaporated. Remove from oven once done and set on stove, covered with tin foil for 5 minutes. Tap any clams that have not opened with a fork. If they still do not pop open, discard them.
8) Add frozen peas and stir to incorporate. (Heat from the dish will thaw the peas.) Serve with lemon wedges and chopped parsley as a garnish.

I love Mexican food. For the simplicity and freshness in a quesadilla to the complexity of a 27 ingredient mole (pronounced mo-lay), I love it all. Every dish is layered, be it with cheese or with aromas and spices that can be difficult to place but beg to be sopped up with rice.

For eight years my good friend, B, managed a Mexican restaurant in NYC. The nights I spent there were some of the best in my life. We would close the place down with pitchers of margaritas and chips with guacamole in the backyard on humid summer days, or perch ourselves near the front bar talking about books and horror movies. It was more than a destination for our little crew– and ending the night with a $10 check didn’t hurt matters.

It was here that I introduced D to mole and it would become an obsession of his. I ordered it one night when he was on his way in and told him, “no worries, the mole is on the way.” He had no idea what I was talking about and I attempted to calm his nerves with another, “don’t worry, it’s a chocolate-based sauce, really good, you’ll like it.” D must have been thinking fondue, but when the dish finally arrived, he was hooked, ordering it every visit, licking the plate clean with every serving.

My friend has now left and the restaurant is just not the same.

I now get my Mexican fix locally, in Queens. First, with the taco truck down my street. At 7 PM each and every night that silver truck with red and green letters and lights pulls in front of the drug store. The man, he won’t tell me his name, but he’s from outside Guadalajara, makes a mean street taco with choice of eight fillings. D has moved on and is now on a torta kick. They are thick and fresh and overflow with lettuce and cheese and leave your hands dripping from sauces. I stick with a taco in a fresh corn tortilla, change up the filling.

The man is so good that even after a recent epic multi-course dining experience a friend just had to get one taco. The only words he could say upon completion: “oh yeeeeah.”

I’ve asked the man what kind of hot sauce he prefers, hoping to mimic his flavors at home. He laughs and just nods towards the bottles of green and red sauces, “all homemade!” I say he should bottle them and sell them to us gringos. He just smiles and hands over my taco, “extra sauce please.”

About a block away on the opposite side of the street is a small Mexican bodega. My belief is that it’s a restaurant disguised as a bodega that doesn’t want to deal with the permits of serving food. I only see people eating there. Even the cans of soda are for show (though the wall of chiles did help us with this recipe). The food counter overflows and families and workers will come in and sit at one of the two makeshift plastic tables over a plate overflowing with chicken, rice and beans.

The weekends are the real treat. For $1 you can purchase the homemade tamales, steaming and wrapped in corn husks. This weekend, D and I whetted our appetites with mole (chicken mole) and rolla (jalapeno and cheese). They make the experience of walking to the corner vegetable stalls much more pleasant.

This past January, I returned to Chicago just before my birthday. A trip to Rick Bayless reignited my love for Mexican restaurants (though I really wasn’t too thrilled with the guacamole). Needless to say, I swooned over the pyramids of black rice, the specialty margaritas, especially the spicy one, and dove head first into my plate of duck mole. Divine. So I bought the cookbook and had Rick (that’s right, first name basis) sign it.

Since the return from Chicago (nearly 6 months ago) D has poured over the pages of said cookbook envisioning dishes of every shape and flavor. He’s promised and promised to make one. Finally, he found one.

Before I mention what the dish entailed, beyond the above picture and title, let me say that the cookbook I purchased was Bayless’ Authentic Mexican. It’s a cookbook that has received rave reviews on its recipes, but smashed for its inaccessibility to the average person. There are no pictures, recipes can last for pages filled with tips and time lines on the side. It is very daunting. And when I went to the cookbook area to purchase any cookbook I asked my waiter, “what do you recommend.” I received a general, “this one is authentic, this one is simpler.” Who wouldn’t go with the authentic despite its inaccessibility?

So D poured over the pages and finally found his recipe of choice: Dark and Spicy Mole. For weeks he promised me a batch of mole. He was going to make it by himself– all 6 hours of it. So I stepped back and awaited the finale. It was slow coming.

Bayless recommends breaking the recipe down into 4 days. As I would expect with any 6 hour preparation, I became sous chef to D and we sped the process up to 2 days– how can you wait so long for mole?! Day 1 we prepped the ingredients: 4 different kinds of chiles, the Mexican chocolate, tomato, onion. Day 2 we did the rest: cleaning the chiles, reconstituting them, toasting spices, frying onions, raisins and almonds and pureeing batches. We did this for 6 hours (yes there were some breaks) until we were left with one bowl of pureed spices and chocolate and one bowl of pureed chiles.

We cooked sauce one down until thick, added sauce 2, cooked down until thick again, added 5 quarts of homemade chicken broth and then let it simmer for 45 minutes. After that we arranged two chickens onto the roasting pan, coated them with sauce (freezing 6 cups for later use) and baked it all for 1 hour.

That’s it. I dread our electric/ gas bill in the next month, but the mole was fantastic. Was it worth 6 hours? I don’t know. But I can’t fly to Chicago so easily all the time. It was complex and layered with some amazing flavor combinations– the spice-chocolate mixture tasted like peanuts and the chiles were so flavorful and sweet they tasted like chocolate. Together it was rich and well, beguiling, and changed over the week we had it.

In the end it doesn’t look like much. Sure, we could have dolled it up with some avocado, cilantro, maybe some sour cream. I could have created rice pyramids with a moat of mole, but the flavors were so intense we left it simple: some scallions, fresh tomatoes and wild rice. Plus, after 6 hours of cooking, do you really want to spend even another minute adding a twig of baby greens for the perfect picture? Sorry, you just want to dive in and devour.

The recipe is a few pages long (one page is all ingredients) so if you want it, let me know. It’s not for the faint of heart.

It was an event we had not planned for. We toyed with a grand feast but soon rejected the notion, it would be too much work, our friends work in the restuarant industry and would be occupied, it was too difficult to organize. We dropped it.

But we live in a neighborhood of many Greeks. Many religious folk, both Greek and non- alike. When Easter comes around, there is no stopping the call of lambs… Especially when two Easters fall on the same day.

We had heard stories: walking out the door on Greek Easter, following a trail of red to find it end in a slaughtered lamb being hoisted to the spit. We had seen the evidence: families roasting meats into the night for a celebration of Spring and birth, we could smell it all day in years past.

We retold these events Friday night to some friends, R and T, transplants from New Orleans. They wanted in and with a burst of emotion D invited them over for a feast. We didn’t realize what we had gotten ourselves into.

We pushed our way through the crowd gathered at the butcher to take our ticket and left to shop. We returned one hour later only to wait an additional hour for our number to arrive.

You could see people drooling for the blood: What number are you?

57.

Oh, I’m 80.

No, I’m I-57, see, you’re J-80. You have a long way to go.

He was defeated. But our ticket came up and somehow, we were fooled. We kept saying, just one lamb leg, just a leg. Only two people were confirmed, any more meat would have been too much. Yet somehow we left with half a lamb. A whole half, the right half– we let another customer take the head.

Was it the shopping carts of full carcasses, ready for the spit and our jealousy in their setup that got us buying more than we needed? Was it the utter craziness of people willing to wait hours for a piece of meat? Was it the recent viewing of the film Killer of Sheep? Was it the sly upsell to half a lamb when we saw half a leg and thought it looked a little meager?

We dragged our meat home and examined our bags– what had we done?

I planned the menu while D examined his different cuts and attempted to reassemble the animal. I think that’s a spine, oh look, marrow! These parts in the freezer for soup, random bits for kebabs, separating the chops. The main event was the lamb and the rest of the menu would follow a Greek-inspired theme as well as some leftovers we were looking to get rid of.

We started with a simple and savory appetizer platter. Figs in a Blanket (pictured above) were the highlight. Taken from a Martha Stewart appetizer cookbook my mother sent me. D exclaimed that this was definitely the best recipe in the book (he has never opened the book). These were a huge hit that D added would be our appetizer of choice here on out. We served our kebabs, marinated in a spice mixture and lemon juice and olive oil. A selection of cheeses R and T brought accompanied all this. When R and T entered the cheese shop and told the man behind the counter they were looking for cheese that would pair with wine braised figs wrapped in bacon the reply was, “niiiiiiccccce,” with half-closed eyes and a dreamy look. It was all very nice indeed.

The next course was a “palate cleanser.” Salt and peppered lamb chops quick seared accompanied some freshened up leftovers. I know, that whole “leftover” thing doesn’t sound that great, but it was rich and decadent: D and I bought a duck the other week (pictures to come) and part two of the duck was braised duck legs in red wine. We added potatoes and parsnips to the braise and had plenty leftover. We mashed the wine-infused potatoes and parsnips up, added a good heap of butter and some milk, fresh scallions and voila. A totally decadent side that had traces of duck fat and wine.

The next part of “The Grand Tasting Menu,” as the event was soon called was the lamb legs (plural). Half a lamb gives us 2 legs, both butterflied by the butcher. These were marinated a few good hours in a spice mixture I made heavy in garlic and fresh ground coriander. D seared them on our largest Le Creuset and threw them in the oven for about 1 hour. Served with a simple Greek salad.

We were bursting when the meal ended. Luckily, for all members of the party this was the only meal of the day. Still, when a meal reaches past the 4 hour mark, Gluttony may be knocking at the door.

We took a needed walk where R decided he needed a taco from our beloved man that sells out of a truck down the street. We returned for dessert.

I knew this meal would be heavy and chose a light angel food cake for dessert, baking them in cupcakes and stuffing each one with a fresh strawberry (pre-cooking) for individual servings. While we were on the walk, we decided ice cream would pair nicely with the light cake and picked up a quart. Somewhere along the way, the dessert also jumped the shark (although you could really say the meal jumped the shark with the purchase of the lamb). The leftover syrup from the braised figs was kept on reserve and rum was added with strawberries around the appetizer section of the meal and left to soak. Angel food cupcakes stuffed with strawberries, a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream and a heavy dose of strawberries soaked in a balsamic-wine reduction with rum.

I would say the meal on whole was a long, dreamy, eyes closed halfway nnniiiiiiccccce. We wish we could have shared it with more– although there is a good amount of lamb leftover if you want to bring the wine.

Recipes to follow shortly.

Happy Daylight Savings Day if you live in the US in one of those cities that enjoy torturing inhabitants’ internal clocks with bi-yearly time changes. I am embracing bags under the eyes today to push through the pain. Remember to go to your computer maker’s homepage and download the necessary plug in to update your operating system.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the last giveaway. As more suppliers come to me offering samples I will attempt to make them available to you so keep posted! Another offer coming up shortly…

Some of you may have noticed that JustBraise.com appears different than the current Blogspot site you are reading. I am working with a brilliant designer now to modernize, slim down and in general make clear what I can offer you. I am not fully aware of the final vision, but please be patient in the future if either site experiences loading problems or content is missing. I promise it will not last too long.

All that being said… brunch!

Here in NYC, yesterday blessed us with a hint of Spring. I took a short walk outside to enjoy the mild weather and even went so far as to open a window to let a refreshing breeze pass through (read: to cool the kitchen). Spring weather in NYC reminds me of brunch. Seemingly every New Yorkers’ favorite weekend pastime when the weather finally reaches mild temperatures, outdoor seating emerges to take the place. Sidewalks are no longer crowded with bushy jackets but chairs overflowing with revelers of their leisurely 2pm brunching hour.

In the suburbs and many other cities, I seem to recall brunch falling around 10 or 11 am. For whatever reason, in New York City, the later you are able to make it to brunch the more it says “I don’t care, I am spending today drinking bloody marys.” For whatever reason, if your time is being spent brunching, your waste of a day is perfectly justified (it also says, “that’s right, I was at the secret after hours location until 6am, pssshhhh.”). One will often find brunch menus extend well past 4pm, overlapping with those early bird dinner specials.

In honor of brunch, my slightly early awakening this morning and the change of the season, I present this decadent dish. Soon it will be too warm to enjoy such a luxury— When a hot breakfast is about as appealing as that industrial air conditioner’s exhaust hitting your face on a 90 degree day in what seems to be 100% humidity and the soles of your shoes are melting and the buildings around you create a fabulously effective canyon for retaining heat and you become increasingly bitter at those who were smart enough (or simply have the means and schedule) to flee the City for the duration of the summer and bask in the cool waves of the ocean. No bitterness, I have my bucket garden to tend to.

On the other hand, this recipe may allow you to forget the beach and the heat of the summer and bask in the rich joys of winter.

BRUNCH BRAISED EGGS
Serving Size= 2. Active time= about 8 minutes. Cook time= about 10 minutes.
* 1-2 tablespoons butter
* 1 bunch spinach, washed well and drained
* ½ cup heavy cream or milk
* 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
* 1 tablespoon parmesan
* 2 tablespoons cognac or brandy
* salt/ pepper
* 2 eggs

1) Preheat oven to 400F. In a large sauce pan on medium high heat, melt the butter. Once bubbling, add the spinach, cover and allow to wilt, about 3 minutes. Stir to bring wilted leaves to the top and complete wilting.
2) Add cream, ricotta, parmesan, salt and pepper. Bring just to a simmer, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add cognac and return to simmer. Taste the broth and add more salt/ pepper if needed.
3) Divide the spinach and cream mixture between two oven safe bowls, reserving about 2 tablespoons of the cream-cognac mixture. Crack an egg over the top and add the remaining cream-cognac sauce.
4) Place the bowls on a cookie sheet for easy removal. Bake for 10 minutes, or until whites just set for runny yolks, longer for firmer yolks.
5) Serve warm with buttery toasted bread.

I know it’s a little vague to use the term “Asian Inspired” when describing this, or any, dish. Possibly Asian fusion works better, or simply, fusion braise (to go along with all the fusion restaurants we have these days).

For a few weeks now, D has been eyeing the 4-inch thick cuts of beef chuck at the butcher. They called out meat-protein overload to him, so when I finally okayed the purchase he was in heaven. As we headed next door to the vegetable stand and D picked out a few potatoes for the braise, he eyed me warily as I bagged up chestnuts and shiitake mushrooms. More than once I was told not to “ruin” his beef.

Last summer I was in China finishing up a Masters degree. Between tastings of dehydrated “rope” pork, emperor banquets of delicately crafted dim sum, ogling beetles and snakes on a stick and falling in love with the velvety sweet pulp of mangosteens, I became enthralled by the vibrant offerings of vegetables. Each dish was a still life: Broccoli was reshaped into flowering blossoms, mushrooms became lotus roots and lotus roots became dragon scales. I was constantly amazed by the care that was put into presentation, regardless of the establishment.

It was in these dishes that I came to re-appreciate the texture and versatility of the shiitake mushroom, amazed how it holds up in cooking. And it was here that I learned to love the chestnut– popping up to add a rich flavor and thick creaminess to dishes I hadn’t known before. Used sparingly, mostly as a holiday embellishment (accordingly with their season), I don’t think the chestnut receives its fair exposure.

This dish is in some ways a remembrance of China, but more so, a way to incorporate the ingredients I came to appreciate in a succulent braise. We ate the braise bare at first and on the second and third day cracked an egg on top and enjoyed it baked. The egg adds another wonderful depth of texture and fabulous richness once the yolk is broken. And those little potatoes D gathered for the braise? Perfect for sopping all the juices up.

ASIAN INSPIRED BEEF BRAISE
Serves 6 persons. Active time= 20 minutes. Inactive time= 3-½ hours (depending on thickness of meat).
* 1 pound chestnuts, roasted and shelled
*5-6 pound cut of beef chuck (or other inexpensive cut)
* ½ pound shiitake mushrooms, cut into quarters
* 1 medium onion, sliced (or 2 bunches scallions)
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon sesame oil
* 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
* ½ bottle red wine
* water
* ¾-1 pound (small) new potatoes, red or white, left whole

1) Roast the chestnuts before beginning. I apparently did not slice into the shells deep enough and a few exploded in the oven. Preheat oven to 350F. Carefully slice an “x” into the bottom flat nub of the chestnut. Place on a pan and roast for 30 minutes, until shells begin to peel away (or blow up in my case). Allow to cool and remove shells. Place meat aside in a bowl (okay if meat breaks apart).
2) Warm a dutch oven over medium high heat with a 1 tablespoon butter-1 tablespoon olive oil combination. Once warm, rinse off beef and pat dry. Salt and pepper both sides of the beef. Once pot of hot, add beef and brown on all sides, about 4-5 minutes each side. Remove meat from pot, set aside.
3) Add mushrooms, chestnuts and onion to pot. Sauté until onions turn translucent, mushrooms brown and chestnuts break down slightly; about 8 minutes.
4) Add soy sauce, chili flakes and sesame oil, stir to incorporate.
5) Push contents of pot to the sides and replace meat in the pot. Add red wine and enough water to come just below the top edge of the beef (depending on how thick your meat is, you might not need any).
6) Place potatoes around the top, but not in the liquid. Cover tightly, turn heat to low and allow to braise (slow cook) for 3-½-4 hours. Check on the pot once an hour. Turn heat down if liquid is boiling. Add more water if all liquid evaporates out. The dish is done when meat easily falls apart and sauce has thickened.
7) Enjoy warm as is or with a baked egg on top (see below).
8) With baked egg: Preheat oven to 350F. Dish up a portion in an oven safe bowl. Create a small divot and crack egg into the space. Place dish on cookie sheet for easy transport and place on middle rack in oven. For a runny yolk, bake for about 10 minutes, until yolk just begins to form a white covering.

Tags: beef braise, braise, beef, Chinese cooking, baked eggs, comfort food, chestnuts.

There are few things that compliment pork chops as well as apples. Pork chops with applesauce is standard fare. And after years of this mundane preparation, I had essentially sworn off pork chops. It was not until I met D, with his penchant for pork that I began to eat “the other white meat” and truly appreciate it.

Over the years we have worked on our now standard pork chop recipe. Believe it or not, I clamor for it more often that D does these days. No sauce is used, but fresh apples– All the better while they are in season and abundant. This fall, the recipe has truly reached perfection, braised in cider and rum, the result is sweet, moist meat with a sauce that deserves sopping.

Pork chops are easy to ruin. Overcooking creates dry, gristly meat and is all too common. To braise a pork chop then, is to eradicate the fear of overcooking while providing a savory sauce to accompany your meat.

This is a recipe I discussed previously. When D first made these chops, they were devoured in seconds. Again, D was in charge of the meat and I was happy sous chef to the operation. And again, I dare you not to devour these in seconds.

I think to truly make this dish perfect would be to serve it on top a bed of polenta. This way, all juices can be appreciated and none lost. This dish is a fabulous seasonal dish, so make it post haste.

BRAISED PORK CHOPS W/ APPLES
Serving Size= 2. Active time= about 10 minutes. Braise time= 15 minutes.
* ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
* olive oil
* 2 thick cut pork chops on the bone
* ½ teaspoon cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon cumin powder
* 1 teaspoon coriander powder
* salt/ pepper
* 2 good cooking apples (Granny Smith, Empire, Rome, Courtland), sliced into 16 wedges
* ¾ cup dark rum
* ¼ cup spiced apple cider

1) Preheat oven to 350F.
2) In a deep oven-safe pan (or dutch oven) over high heat, warm butter and olive oil (to barely coat bottom of pan).
3) While pan is warming, prepare the pork chops: Wash and fully dry the meat. Coat evenly on both sides with cinnamon, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Carefully place meat in pan and sear both sides until thoroughly browned; about 4 minutes each side. This seals in the pork chop juices and allows you to properly continue the braising. Do not be afraid to really brown the chops in this step.
4) Remove the pork chops from pan and reduce heat to medium. Deglaze by adding rum and scraping bits that have stuck to the pan up and into the rum. Add cider and apples. Braise the apple wedges in the juices until they are limp and have absorbed some juice; about 4 minutes.
5) Return pork chops to pan and move apples around the meat to cover sides and top (some may remain under the chops).
6) Cover pan and place in oven for 10-15 minutes until pork chops are juicy and succulent and liquid has reduced and holds a sweet, thick aroma. Serve with the apples crowing the meat and the sauce all around. Delicious.

Head on over to Sweetnick’s for Tuesday’s ARF round up!

Check out other Fall Feast-ival items over at WellFed’s FitFare!

Tags: pork chops, pork, apples, comfort food, braise, ARF.

Summer brings a new culture onto the streets of New York City. It lives and breathes the pavement and it waits out the humid days for the cooling nights, begging for a release with rain. People move from their cramped apartments onto stoops, lawn chairs, handball courts, public pools, beaches, parks— even an air conditioned store to roam aimlessly for a cool down.

I walked home the other day and witnessed my neighborhood in a new light. Every winter we tightly latch ourselves into our undersized apartments, bundled under blankets and layers of clothing. I begin to forget the people that live in my neighborhood– that I pass everyday on the streets– that I ride the train with into Manhattan while we forget where we are and where we are going. As summer’s heat finally hits hard, the close quarters are too much and private life blends into public.

My neighborhood is a multicultural whirlwind of ethnicities and personalities. A perfect microcosm of New York City, I can walk two blocks in one direction to restock my sheesha; two blocks in the other for the best gyro in the City (or the best frappe according to the New York Times). I can go to the Mexican bodega for $1 tamales on the weekends, the Bangladesh deli for a fresh mango smoothie, or the Indian bakery for fresh gulab jaman. The list continues into the night.

But what emerges in the summer holds more than the variety of stores I relish. It is a look into the lives of others. Purple-haired women drink orange soda as their granddaughters regale their waning days of the school year. A group of kids playing soccer in the streets knock their ball too close to a passerby. A mother sits on the stoop as her son practices handball against their brick building. Young girls seek out the icy man for fresh coconut ices. Neighbors rehash old ties, friendly waves cross intersections, the weight of clothing is reduced, it is summertime and the people are happy.

The heat draws people out of their home physically and mentally. Each day I pass the local bargain shop and spy the cheap charcoal grills, waiting for the perfect time to purchase the one-season specialties. Spending time in the kitchen is cut short as the heat of the oven is viewed as sin. Hamburgers, quick chickens, easy seafood and of course, ribs, are easy on the mind because they lend us the notion of lazy-weekend-outdoor-eating with friends and loved ones.

With that said, I justify yet another round of ribs (pork this time)—perfect for a 4th of July BBQ. This one is dripping tangy citrus flavors off the chin with every bite. It is a thick and chunky sauce, loaded with freshness that screams homemade. It is something to impress friends with and all too easy to make. D believes the sauce recipe is too heavy on tomatoes, but I think it sits perfectly on the ribs— with that said, do what you will with the quantity.

CHORIZO-LIME BBQ RIBS
Serving size= 4 people. Active time= 35 minutes. Inactive time= 1 hour 20 minutes
CHORIZO-LIME BBQ RIBS
* 5 pounds pork ribs, have the butcher crack the bone but do not separate the ribs
* Chorizo-Lime BBQ sauce (recipe below)

1) Preheat oven to 400F. While oven is warming, begin to prep sauce ingredients below. Place rack of ribs on a large oven-proof baking sheet with a rim, cover with tinfoil. When oven is ready, place ribs on center rack for 15 minutes.
2) As ribs are baking, finish up the sauce on the stovetop. The sauce should be ready around the same time as the ribs in the first part of the baking process.
3) Remove the sauce from the heat and the ribs from the oven (once the 15 minutes are up). Lower oven temperature to 350F. Remove tinfoil and generously coat the ribs with the sauce. Cover with tinfoil and return to the oven for 1 hour.

CHORIZO-LIME BBQ SAUCE
Serving size= 4 people. Active time= 30 minutes.
* 7 ounces, about 4 chorizo links, diced small
* ½ bunch cilantro, chopped
* 2- 6 ounce cans tomato paste, no salt added
* juice of 3 limes
* 1 cup cider vinegar
* 2 Tbl molasses
* 2 Tbl spicy mustard
* 1 Tbl favorite hot sauce
* ¼ cup water
salt/ pepper to taste

1) In a sauce pan on medium heat, warm the chorizo and cilantro until the cilantro wilts and aromas escape, about 3 minutes.
2) Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then remove from heat. Coat ribs and bake or enjoy as extra dipping sauce on the side.

Head on over to Kalyn’s Kitchen to catch this week’s WHB roundup!

D and I are gearing up for what we are dubbing The Epic Voyage. We leave next week and my mother is a doll to fly in from Chicago (okay, she was already coming for a short visit), but will be extending her stay to care for the cats, my plants and my little City Garden (I don’t think she actually knows the extent of her duties!). As D and I begin to get our trip in order, tie up loose ends, put in extra hours at work, finish open projects—don’t even mention packing—we are trying to clear out some perishables my mother will probably not use, e.g. the dregs of a cola bottle.

While D and I do some last minute scrimping, we figured a good cheap braise was in order. It would clear out our refrigerator and last us through the beginning of next week. So when I told D to just grab “whatever” in the fridge, he pulled out the soda: “Coke?” I thought for a few seconds before, “of course, soda can go in BBQ, marinades, and you can put juices in a braise, so why not soda? Dump it.” D splashed the remains into the pot and took the last swig for himself.

When I was younger, all sodas– or colas, depending on where you are from, I referred to as, “coke”. My family would go to a restaurant and I would ask: “What kind of cokes do you have?” I received one of two stares: “idiot,” or “smartass.” In the Chicagoland area, “coke” came in diet and regular. I was supposed to ask for soda.

It was not until later that I found out that “coke” as a term for all carbonated beverages really is common. It is mostly used in the south, especially Georgia, where the Coca-Cola Company has their main headquarters. Still later, I found out that in my home state’s almost-neighbor, Ohio, cola was the proper term when discussing carbonated drinks, but they also say crick, begel and ruff (instead of creek, bagel and roof), so I don’t know if it is optimal to use their “cola” term.

Phraseology varies all over this country—don’t even start on the world. It is interesting, whether through travel, or everyday encounters, to find these idiosyncrasies. So as we creep ever closer to Memorial Day and the official start of summer travels, keep an ear out for these cultural flare-ups.

Oh, and the braise was pretty darn good. The sauce was not too sweet with an overall robustness that was quite delicious when paired with the meat. The carrots and celery especially took on the soda very well, turning into sticks of caramelized goodness. The new potatoes were perfect—a last minute decision to purchase these instead of using up some russets we had. Because the new potatoes were left in-tact, they held together nicely, took on the broth and were even better when dipped in a dab of sour cream.

SODA-BRAISED BEEF
Makes 6 servings. Active Time= 20 minutes. Cook Time= 3 hours.
* 6 pounds of beef, left whole (or in 2-3 pieces to fit in pot)
* 3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
* 2 stalks of celery, cut 1-2 inches in length
* 2 carrots, cut 1-2 inches in length
* 10 white button mushrooms, cut in half
* 10 pearl onions, left whole (or 1 medium onion, sliced into 1 inch cubes)
* 15 new potatoes, washed well and left whole
* 2 cups beef broth (or water and bouillon)
* 2 cups Coca-Cola (Pepsi, Tab, Dr. Pepper or other dark soda)
* salt/ pepper to taste
* 2 bay leaves
* fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, tarragon, parsley work well)
* 3 Tbl butter or oil

1) In a dutch oven, or other pot with tight fitting lid, warm the butter on medium-high heat. Rinse the beef and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add to pot and brown on all sides. Add garlic.
2) Once meat is thoroughly browned, remove from pot and set aside. Add celery, carrots, mushroom, onions and potatoes. Sauté about 8 minutes, until onions are translucent.
3) Return beef to pot, add beef broth, soda, bay leaves and fresh herbs. Cover and bring to a boil. Remember: this is not a stew, it is a braise. Liquids should come just under the top of the beef.
4) Turn heat down to medium-low, leave covered and cook for 2½ - 3 hours, until meat falls apart.
Note: Served with fresh crisp bread or a good salty cheese this makes a great dish.

For all the herb lovers out there Kalyn’s Kitchen hosts WHB. My herbs this week: rosemary, parsley and thyme in this braise.

In non-food related activities we have WCB over at Eat Stuff. I really attempt to capture Kitty BoJangles in action. It is not that it is so rare, but it is true, she is often asleep. Her fun time is what I call her “night crazies.” Just after dinner when she bolts the length of the apartment a few dozen times. There is no use getting a shot of her then, because frankly, if you get in her way it is damaging. Instead, I took a picture of her on a box post-night crazies. Shortly after this picture was taken, the box was thrown away. She had grown quite attached because she stared at me viciously as I removed her cooling pad.

And then there is the usual tormentor, Whiskey. He looks very innocent here, be warned, it is all a cute cover.