Easy Peasy - Pork Ragu

I am digging this dish - it's so easy to make, and if you're like me, with no real sense of portion control, you can make a vat of it, freeze some and have a handy dish on hand easily - you know in case someone comes by for a visit.  To be clear it will seem time consuming and labor intensive to make this, but it's actually pretty easy and so worth it!

As always the recipe is open to interpretation, you'll need to rely on yourself to adjust the flavors the way you like them.  I'll just give you a few basic steps to get you going down the right path.

Things you'll need;

• 3 quart stock pot 
• Slow cooker - this is a personal preference, you could fully slow cook on the stove top or in the oven, but the slow cooker or Crock Pot allows you to walk away and the sauce will practically cook itself.
• Pork shoulder - also called pork butt, 3-4 lbs depending on how large your pots are
• One large onion - I prefer sweet varieties like Vidalia but most any kind would suffice
• One or two peeled smashed garlic cloves
• Salt and Pepper
• Dried herbs - my favorite blend is Herbs De Provance, but use whatever you like - typically something with oregano, basil and fennel work well with tomato sauces
• A cup or so of Parmesan cheese grated/flaked
• Olive Oil
• Beef stock/broth
• Marrow/soup bones if you can get them
• Strained tomatoes/Tomato sauce  - the one in my local market comes in a 26oz box which works well, and I look specifically for brands that don't have any additives like sugar or salt, just 100% pure strained tomatoes.  If you want to be hardcore you could also stew whole tomatoes and puree them yourself but personally I like the convenience of a nice box of strained tomatoes.
• One small can tomato paste - the tomato paste adds a significant tang to the final sauce with little effort

Roughly chop the onion, into 1-2 inch cubes - use it to line the bottom of a slow cooker crock.

Drop in one to two cloves of garlic 

Add pork shoulder and marrow bones, loosely packed.

Pour beef stock over the contents leaving space at the top - at least an inch from the rim of the slow cooker. (the pork fat will render, if you fill it to the brim you could get some significant overflow.)

Cook at medium to high heat for 4 to 6 hours minimum until the pork falls apart with little effort using a fork

Separate the pork from the cooking liquid and set aside, don't throw away the cooking liquid, that will be part of your sauce base.  Don't worry about getting all the bits, this step is really just to make handling the whole lot a little easier.

In a 3 quart pot, mix the cooking liquid along with the strained tomatoes and tomato paste.  I don't bother to strain off the fat - it adds flavor, and once the sauce is refrigerated, it will float to the top and congeal so if I'm feeling the need to pretend to be healthy I can simply lift the cold layer of fat off and toss it.  Although I advise against it :)

Once the tomatoes are fully incorporated, add the pork back to the mix.  Add spices, salt and pepper to taste (tasting as you go along is key) and mix well.  Take it easy on the salt right now, you're going to add Parmesan which is quite salty in it's own right. Turn the heat on to medium and let the sauce simmer for a bit - you want the dried herbs and spices to impart their flavor the sauce.

Let the sauce simmer for about 20 or 30 min, and give it a taste - add the Parmesan and stir it in - give the sauce a little taste again to determine if you really need salt - remember it's easier to add salt than it is to eat a dish that tastes too salty.  

Serve the pork ragu over fat slices of crusty toast, or a home made pasta or top slices of grilled eggplant with the mix for a carb-conscious treat!

Enjoy!

Crispy Roasted Kale Chips

A couple of years ago, my brother Steve and his then girlfriend (now wife) Masumi took (read: kicking and screaming - me, not Mom) Mom and I to a macrobiotic cafe in the East Bay.  I realize it's supposed to be healthy and good for your body but when confronted (that's right confronted) with a plate full of the parts of plants I typically cut off and toss, I was convinced I was either being punk'ed or punished.

Among the foliage they were trying to pass off as my lunch was a ginormous heap of Kale.  I was NOT on board for this.  While my family giggled and I contemplated life as an orphan/only child, we tucked in to graze.  Mentally I was trying to recall where the closest drive thru McDonald's was located - I had every intention of getting even.

Fast forward a couple of decades and I still hadn't even considered allowing kale to have a place in my shopping cart.  Then I read about kale chips.  I come from a culture that eats seaweed, I felt like I should reconsider my position on this offending vegetable - what better way than to make it into chips?  An epiphany was happening!

Kale chips are crisp, delicate and can be seasoned a number of ways - I'm going to break down the garlic and salt version, but scroll to the end for additional ideas.  Also you'll find there are a number of varieties of kale, they basically cook the same, so try any one or grab a couple of different varieties and mix it up!  If your kids are adverse to kale (like I was) getting them engaged to help could be a good way to introduce this vegetable to them!

Stuff you'll need:

• Kale - one bunch shrinks down to what looks like a single serving to me so you might want to consider several bunches if you're going to share.  
• Sea salt 
• Olive oil
• Garlic - finely minced
• Baking pan
• Silpat or parchment (not absolutely necessary but makes clean up a breeze)

Preheat your oven to 350

The hardest part of this treat is cleaning the kale - the woody stems of the leaves needs to be cut off - they don't crisp up, and personally I find the contrast of crispy leaves with not crispy stems to be off putting.  Then again, I DID admit being new to this kale appreciation thing...

You don't need to fuss about and cut the whole stem out, but I'd get rid of the widest parts - the easy way is to fold the leaf in half the way it naturally folds with the stem on one side as the fold.  Use a sharp knife (be careful!) and slice along the edge of the stem, taking the whole thing off in one chop.  You can tear the leaves into pieces about the size of a business card at this point if you like - just keep in mind they shrink when they cook so no need to make them bite size.

Wash the kale, and make sure it's as dry as possible (I use a salad spinner) - water on the leaves will lead to steamed kale rather than crisp kale.
Toss with olive oil and salt to lightly coat, and lay out in a single layer on baking pan.
Sprinkle with minced garlic and pop the entire tray in the oven.

Cooking times vary depending on who you ask - anywhere from 8 min to 15 min, your oven and the way it performs will be the greatest variable.  Keep your eye on the kale, you're looking for a rich dark green color, and for the leaves to flatten out a bit and become crisp.  My chips took about 12 minutes, eating them took about 4.

For a little variety, substitute various oils and/or add dry seasonings.  Some suggestions:

• Sesame oil soy sauce and a touch of wasabi powder for one Asian variation
• Sesame oil and 5 spice powder for another Asian variation
• Crushed chili flakes for a spicy kick
• Sprinkle dry salad dressing mix 
• Sprinkle finished chips with Parmesan before transferring to a plate to serve
• Get creative!  

Enjoy!

Bacon Bread

UPDATE:  This post was originally for white bread - delicious, simple, vegan white bread.

Then Bacon entered the picture, double smoked slab Bacon specifically, caused a ruckus and well, I had to update the post.  The instructions haven't changed that much, just note the part where you lace the dough with Bacon.  Veggie and vegan friends - my apologies, just ignore the meat.  I was weak and heeded the siren call of...BACON!

I used to be intimidated by bread.  Never mind my attempt to avoid carbs - the very thought of baking bread made me think I'd rather walk through a blizzard to buy a slice than try to bake a loaf at home.   So over the last couple of weeks I've spent time talking myself into getting over it and trying to bake a loaf.

As a kid I used to go to Deb's house where her mom Susan would make these loafs of bread and we kids would tear into them before they'd even cooled, slathering them with butter and enjoying all the yeasty warm goodness!  I'll forever associate the smell of bread baking with Susan Alan!

But I thought there was no way I could pull it off...what the hell was I afraid of????  Determined to conquer my fear I set off.  So to speak.

I did  some research, and looked at about a dozen different recipes trying to learn what the major tips and tricks were and to find a recipe I could deal with, and I cobbled together the bits.  Things like make sure the room is warm when the bread is rising, make it rise twice, use cooking spray instead of flour to keep the dough from sticking when you knead it, stuff like that.  Plus I had to find a way to make a loaf of bread without the much coveted Kitchen aid stand mixer.  I live in NY, I have a NY kitchen, I don't have anywhere to put one of those no matter how bad I want one.  And I DO want one.

So I had to work this out manually - and it was so much easier than I thought!  The result is a loaf of bread that's dense and chewy but still fluffy with a slight salty sweetness and a heady yeast aroma... hard not to eat the whole loaf at once...Oh and now there's Bacon.

Stuff you need (in two parts, makes two loaves):

Part 1:

• 1 packet of active dry yeast (1.5 tablespoons)
• 1/4 cup of white sugar
• 2 1/2 cups of bread flour
• 3 cups of very warm water (I used hot water from the tap)

Part 2:

• 1/2 cup All Purpose flour (I actually used a quarter cup, plus a quarter cup of wheat flour just because I had it around the house.  And it made me feel like I was somehow making this bread healthier.  Dumb, I know.)
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt (skip the teaspoon if you're making the bacon version)
• 5 additional cups of bread flour (possibly 4, but have 5 ready)
• Half a cup of bacon, cooked and diced - I use Schaller and Weber double smoked because that's what's available to me but there are some spectacular shops out there that turn out heavenly bacon...

• Non-stick cooking spray (like Pam)

In a big bowl, combine the yeast, white sugar, 2.5 cups of flour and three cups of warm water and whisk vigorously until smooth - like pancake batter -  about two minutes.

Now add the half cup of AP flour, the canola oil, and the salt.  Whisk again, till fully incorporated.

Now you're going to start to add the bread flour - I've made this bread several times, and it was 5 cups each time.  Add the flour one cup at a time making sure to incorporate it completely before adding another.

I switched to a spatula at this point to make mixing easier, then after about the third cup of flour, I just dove in with my hands as the dough starts to form and is easier to manipulate by hand.  Somewhere between the fourth and fifth cup of flour, you'll find the dough starts to form a ball and pull away from the bowl entirely.  Keep going mixing and kneading until the dough forms a smooth ball.

Once you've got all the flour incorporated, keep kneading for a couple of minutes (like 5 to 10 min) until you've got a slightly tacky but not sticky ball of dough.

Put this dough into a well greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth.  The dough will rise better if it's in a warm spot with no drafts.  My apartment was freezing this morning so I turned the stove on and put the bowl on the stove top near the vents with great results!  Now let it rise to about double it's size - it should take anywhere from 45 to 90 min depending on the temp of the room, and the humidity.  You'll know it's risen as far as it's going to go by poking it - when it's completely risen the place you poke will remain indented.

Cook the bacon while you're waiting for the dough to rise if you haven't already, drain on paper towels and set aside.

 When the dough has risen, you need to punch it down once and prepare it for a second rise.  Just stick your hand in the middle (weirdest sensation), and push the dough down.

Turn it out onto a surface sprayed with non stick spray  (counterless Chi, used a greased cookie sheet) and  divide the dough into two equal parts (my halves are nearly always off) and prepare two loaf pans by spraying with non stick spray.  Starting with one half of the dough, roll it out to about half an inch thick, cut that sheet into three parts and braid it together for an interesting finish on the bread.

If you're adding bacon, take one of the three parts of the braid, and flatten it a bit more - lay the bacon in the center of the strip, and pinch it closed.  Braid the bacon filled rope with the other two sections.

Place each batch into your loaf pans and cover with a damp cloth for a second rise - about 30 min  - until the bread reaches just the edge of the pan.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 - 375 and bake on the center rack until the top is golden brown (usually between 28 and 35 min, ovens vary).  Remove from the oven and pop loaves out onto a cooling rack.

Cut off a slice and see if you can resist eating the whole loaf...

Top with tomato and avocado and a smear of home made mayo (I didn't have lettuce) for a B.A.T. featuring built in Bacon!

Or slice and slather with a batch of home made butter!!

If your bread lasts a day or more, cut thick slices dip them in a batter of milk, eggs and sugar and make them into salty sweet French toast!

There's really no going wrong with this...There, de-mystified bread! Bacon'ed up - even better!

Enjoy!

Five min. Fudge

The nice thing about chocolate is it's delicious no matter how it's served.  Or is it just me? And to think I really prefer savory/salty things over sweet any day - so why fudge do you ask?  I'll tell you why!

If you're on Facebook with me, you know I've been obsessed with Marshmallows  lately - the most recent incarnation being a 'red velvet' version, designed to mimic red velvet cake with it's slight cocoa flavor, bright red color and white outer coat.

Combine a fat fluffy marshmallow with hot cocoa and you get yourself a warm melty treat that makes a winter blizzard (we've had three this year so far) look like a sparkly day!

But instant cocoa, while not bad, could be improved upon, and after a little poking around online, I found a couple examples of hot chocolate on a stick!  I had to try making a batch!

Things you'll need;

A batch of marshmallows - whatever flavor you want Marshmallows ;

For the fudge (based on the recipe from Nigella Lawson) ;

• 14oz of semi sweet chocolate broken up into small pieces (or chips)- I actually use half semi sweet, half unsweetened for the hot-cocoa-on-a-stick, as the marshmallows are mostly sugar, and there's no one readily available to peel me off of the ceiling.
• 14 oz (one can) sweetened condensed milk 
• 2tbsp Butter
• scant 1/4 cup heavy cream (by scant, I mean don't feel compelled to fill the cup to brimming, it can be a bit under quarter cup.  Skip this if you intend to eat rather than drink the chocolate, it's here to make it easier to melt when making hot cocoa.)

In a heavy bottom pot over medium low heat, dump everything in the pot.  Now stir;

It's going to look messy.  Keep going;

The whole mess will suddenly become a glossy fudge paste - you might find it difficult to keep your fingers out of it.  (wouldn't recommend it, you're on the stove, it's going to be hot.  Just saying.)
Turn off the heat - all the bits may not be entirely melted but that's OK you're going to keep stirring until it's all smooth and all the chunks are melted.  Leaving the heat on here is a bad idea as you'll find the chocolate burns rather easily and becomes grainy.  Not pretty.

Dump the whole mass into a pan that you've sprayed with non stick cooking spray - you'll thank me for this later.  If you want to shape the fudge you'll want to let it cool to room temperature, cut it into even portions and dip in cocoa powder then shape;

The cocoa powder makes them easier to handle and keeps them from sticking to one another.  Alternately you can cut the fudge into squares and skip the dusting of powder.

For the hot chocolate on a stick, use a lollipop stick or popsicle stick to skewer one large marshmallow along with one piece of fudge.  Heat milk (not water) until it's steaming - do not boil.  Add the fudge and stir until melted, then top with a marshmallow!

These make great gifts;

Enjoy!!

Pizza for grown ups

I love pizza - and as a kid there was nothing I enjoyed more than a pizza party with my friends.  And when I say kid, I mean well into my adulthood...

However at one point or another you might find yourself in a situation where it's not appropriate to have boxes from the local delivery joint piled up in the kitchen (it'll likely be just about the time when you realized you need to pour that beer into a GLASS on this particular occasion...)

So I came up with a grown up version of my favorite treat that's easy to pull together for any occasion.

Oven to 405 degrees.

Stuff you'll need (in no particular quantity or order):
1 container of pre-made pizza dough - I used Pillsbury - one can of dough makes two pizzas for me as I cut the dough in half the long way to make two long skinny slabs
Everything else is optional and entirely up to your taste here are a couple recommendations

BLT pizza;

• Double smoked bacon - I buy slabs to keep around for just such an occasion - diced and browned
• cherry tomatoes halved
• Fresh arugula (I add mine after baking for color and taste)
• Shredded mozzarella cheese

Fig and Goat Cheese

• Fresh black figs if you can - dried figs soaked in wine if you can't
• Goat cheese (or Gorgonzola)
• Pine nuts

Caramelized onion and mushroom with Gorgonzola

• Caramelized onions (check the link on how to do this)
• Mushrooms - sauteed with dried herbs
• Gorgonzola crumbles (or goat cheese, Brie, Parmesan etc.)

Ham and Cheese

• Diced ham
• Grated Cheddar 
• Grated Jack (or pepper jack) cheese
• Red onion (raw) rings
• (add pineapple for Hawaiian pizza!)

Sausage and mushroom

• Chicken apple sausage
• Diced sauteed mushrooms
• Caramelized onion
• Mozzarella cheese

Open the pizza dough, and turn it out onto a floured surface.  Stretch the dough out to make an even sized rectangle pinching any holes in the dough together while you go.  Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough in half the long way.

Top with whatever mix of toppings you like -one of the suggestions above perhaps? Or pepperoni and cheese?  It's up to you!  I recommend pre-cooked toppings as this will make this dish so much easier on you...

Place the pizza on a baking sheet (I use a silpat under mine to prevent sticking, parchment is another option) and place in the oven for about 12 min or until the cheese melts and the crust begins to brown.

Slice into finger food portions and serve warm - presto! Instant appetizers!

Enjoy!

Coconut Macaroons by the Gentile

Masha needs her macaroons NOW and I don't know if you've ever tried to get between her and her macaroons but it's just unwise so here it is.  Yep. I said it.

Stuff you'll need;

• One package shredded coconut (about 3 cups) (I suggest the unsweetened if you can get it otherwise they get too sugary)
• One can sweetened condensed milk
• Two egg whites - beaten stiff
• 1 tsp cream of tartar (to beat the egg whites)
• 1tsp almond extract (or vanilla - that's good too)

Oven to 350

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.  In a separate bowl, combine coconut, condensed milk and extract, forming a thick putty or paste.   Fold the egg white mix into the coconut mix gently (don't want to destroy the egg whites.)

Drop heaping spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet (or use a silpat - my favorite tool) with enough space in between for a little bit of spread, bake for 8 to 12 min until the edges become golden brown.

If you really want to be schmancy, you can melt down some chocolate and carefully dip the macaroons into them for a little twist!

The gentile girl brings dessert....Enjoy!!

Simmered Daikon

My mom used to make this dish - but at the time I wasn't a fan of daikon so I really didn't eat it.  Naturally mom knew best and now I find myself making this dish - although it's really mostly out of curiosity about technique and the amazing flavor of the broth, more so than sudden love for the flavor of this particular vegetable.

Bonus - it's easy to make this dish vegan if need be, by substituting a soy broth for the dashi broth (dashi involves steeping dried fish in the soup base, so it's really just a matter of how strict you need to be.)

Stuff you'll need:

• Dashi stock - enough to cover the daikon slices (I used about 4-5 cups, click the link for the recipe)
• Soy sauce to taste - a couple of table spoons for the non-vegan version, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup for the vegan version
• Mirin - 2 - 3 table spoons
• Dried Shitake - again use dried here the fresh ones don't have the flavor or aroma
• Daikon - Japanese radish, looks like a massive white carrot on steroids

Peel the thin outer skin from the daikon, and slice into fat slices - I find just under an inch works for me.  Using a pair of chopsticks for a guide, slice part way thru the slice creating an 'X' on the surface.  This is both decorative and practical as it helps the simmering sauce penetrate the daikon slices.

Put the daikon and the dried mushrooms in a pot with the dashi stock add soy sauce and mirin to taste (I prefer to go light on the soy sauce as it results in more delicate flavors in the end) cover the pot, and bring to a boil, move the lid aside a bit to let steam escape, turn the heat down and simmer until the daikon are tender and start to become ever so slightly translucent.

The vegan substitute for dashi stock would be more soy sauce, and mirin - also adding a piece of thick konbu to the pot - the flavor will be similar to what you would get if you use dashi, but without the fish stock flavor.

Enjoy!!

Munchy Corn Fritters

There's a restaurant in San Francisco, called E and O trading company, it's on Sutter street, between Stockton and Grant, and they make corn fritters.  Or should I say the BEST corn fritters ever?!!??  This is my humble attempt (second try) to replicate them.  Turned out pretty damn good if I do say so myself!

The first batch was oddly doughy and fluffy in a way that distracted from the corn.  Like state fair food.  This batch highlighted the flavor of the corn and the scallions with a crispy crunch from the light batter... delish!!

Stuff you'll need:

• One bag of corn (I used a 16 oz bag)
• 6 or 8 scallions roughly chopped
• pinch of salt
• several grinds of black pepper (coarse)
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 egg whites - whipped to stiff peaks
• 3+ tablespoons flour

Whip egg whites until soft peaks form (then whip a tiny little bit more) and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine corn, scallions, salt, pepper and 2 of the egg yolks stir until well mixed.  Sprinkle in your flour - adding a little at a time to avoid clumping.

Fold egg whites into corn mix 1/3 at a time - you may not need to use all the egg whites so fully incorporate the mix before adding more.

When finished, your fritter mix should look something like this

The idea is you want just enough batter for the kernels to bind but not so much that it's all batter no veg.

On your stove (unless you happen to have a deep fry machine in which case - we might not be able to be friends or you need to invite me over to use YOUR kitchen...)  heat a pan of flavor neutral oil - I like canola oil.  You'll need about an two inches of oil at the bottom of the pan, enough for the fritter to float.

Carefully scoop batter into the hot oil - about a quarter cup at a time for a large fritter.  As the batter heats it'll spread a little - if you find they come apart like confetti, add a little flour to the mix.

Let it fry for about a min and a half then flip and fry for another 1 1/2 min to two min until they turn golden brown.  Lift out of the oil and place on a paper towel to drain, and repeat until all the batter is used.

Serve with your fav. dipping sauce, here's one version;

• 1/2 cup of dark soy sauce or bottled tempura sauce
• 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
• splash of mirin

Mix ingredients together and place in a small dish to serve.

I'm a fan of an even simpler version using soy sauce mixed with a little dashi myself.  

Enjoy!!

Five-spice Short Ribs with smashed garlic

Photo by Amy Fletcher for information go to http://www.aefletcher.com/

I love short ribs.  The tender fatty bits of slow braised meat that fall apart in their buttery goodness - what's not to love???  I've also discovered, I have a fondness for 5 spice powder and garlic and my slow cooker and red wine.  So I decided to experiment last night, and the results are what you see above (good thing there's a photo because I don't remember chewing....)

Beef short ribs go well with a few other flavors - onions, garlic and red wine if you're doing a western style preparation, 5 spice powder, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic and mirin if you're doing an Asian style preparation.  I decided to combine the two and see how it came out - delicious that's how!!  I think this would only have been improved if I'd done a stove top or oven braising but I have DVR programming I wanted to catch up on so crock pot it was.

You're going to need;

• Short ribs - I've used boneless as well as slabs with bone - either works (short ribs shrink like crazy so eye ball two portions size raw for one portion cooked.)
• Onion - mine were regular yellow onions, but I bet one of the sweeter varieties would have been good.  I used half - you can use the whole thing if you're a big fan of onions
• Garlic - I tend to use too much, like 8 cloves, I suggest somewhere around 4
• Soy sauce - half a cup or so
• Sesame oil - 1 - TBSp
• Beef Broth 2 to 3 cups
• Splash of rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• Mirin - about 3 table spoons (more or less to taste)
• Red wine - I used an inexpensive Cabernet 
• 5 spice powder - about 3 TBSP. 

I discovered that 5 spice powder varies from one place to another - mine personally has 6 spices in it for crying out loud!  However, most of the time you'll find it's a combination of cinnamon, clove, anise, licorice root and ginger in varying portions.  Mine happens to have fennel in it as well.  It's a wonderfully aromatic blend so I wouldn't spend too much time worried about it.

Dice the onions into substantial chunks - no need for a super fine dice here, one inch chunks ought to do - set aside.  Smash the garlic using the side of a chef's knife or cleaver - smashing the cloves make it easy to pull the papery skin off.  Cut the short ribs into uniform pieces (figure one or two chunks per serving).

In the slow cooker/crock pot, combine 5 spice powder, beef broth, soy sauce, red wine, mirin, vinegar, and sesame oil.  I find that pouring the oil in last makes it easier to incorporate the 5 spice powder which tends to stubbornly float on top.  Stir to mix, and give it a little taste - it might seem a little on the salty side which is fine, but you want to make sure the cooking liquid tastes good from here - I found I added a bit of red wine to make the flavor a bit more robust here.  Add the onions and smashed garlic, and the rib meat.

Turn on the cooker and walk away - my slow cooker has three settings, low high and warm - I set it on high for about 3 hours (it's called a slow cooker for a reason).  At about two hours take a peek - you want to make sure the onions are taking on a translucent look to them - give everything a good stir and - if you're like me - now's a good time to poke it.  The rib meat needs to fall apart with a fork alone before it's ready.

Once the meat is falling apart soft, you're ready to serve - I found mine took about 3 and a half hours total, times will vary based on your cooker.

I'd suggest topping it with something green - thinly sliced scallions or chives - cilantro would also probably be good although not sure on that one as I'm one of those people that thinks it tastes a bit like soap.  This would be great served on top of a steaming hot bowl of ramen soup as well for those not carb conscious!!

As a treat thick slices of daikon added in the last hour would also be delicious, as would chunks of carrots or potatos (though less so for the last two in my opinion).

If you don't have a slow cooker, don't despair, you can make this on a stove top or in the oven;

I suggest you use a large pot like a cast iron dutch oven.  Doesn't have to be cast iron, but I like the way those pots disperse heat.  Make sure you have a lid for the pot and if you're putting the pot in the oven, make sure it's oven proof (no plastic handles etc.).

In Oven directions:
Set your oven to about 350, and for added flavor, pour a splash of oil in the pot first, drop in the garlic and do a quick sear of the short ribs in the pot before you add the braising liquid.  Pour in enough liquid to cover the ribs half way (not all the way), cover and pop the whole thing into the oven and let it cook checking periodically to see if you need to add liquid as it cooks off. You want to let it cook until the meat is falling away from the bone.

Stove top directions;
Pour a splash of oil in the pot first, drop in the garlic and do a quick sear of the short ribs in the pot before you add the braising liquid.  Add enough liquid to cover the ribs half way, and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down to the low end of medium and let it simmer slow and low till the meat is fall off the bone tender.
(if you're using a gas oven eye ball it, it's more accurate than the dials, if you're using electric you'll need to pay a little more attention and possibly adjust the heat to get a simmer)


Enjoy!

Dashi to die for

The weather is getting cooler (finally!) which in my mind, makes it soup season.  All kinds of soup!  I'm starting this season off with soups based on the ingredients my mom had around the house when I was a kid - Japanese influences, tasty bits.  Lots of things like tofu and miso, petals of chicken and fish.

The bases of many Japanese soups and broths is dashi - the seasoned fish and kelp stock that is the corner stone of many kinds of soup.  Without good dashi, you don't get good soup - the nice thing is, the definition of good dashi is entirely up to the person who's holding the spoon.  That is to say, my mom might say I'm doing this wrong, but it's been damn tasty.  For example, I use shiitake and I like to make the flavors a little stronger in my batches, as I find it lends well to freezing and reheating.

So, with that in mind, I'll lay out the basic instructions for simple dashi - feel free to change the recipe to your taste.  For example David Chang of Momofuku fame makes a bacon variety that I'm dying to try making!  I'll let you know when I get around to it.  In the meantime I've made a couple dozen batches using the guidelines below and find it gets better every time.

The ingredients:

• Konbu - or Kelp - you can pick this up in most Asian food markets.  It looks something like this

• Bonito flakes - dried bonito (or Sarda, a type of mackerel), shaved down into flakes, sometimes mixed with dried shaved sardine flakes as well

• Mirin (Japanese cooking wine) - mine looks like this but I haven't found much difference between brands

• Dried shiitake mushrooms - re-hydrated in water with a splash of soy sauce and a splash of mirin - dried shiitake have a richer flavor than fresh, this would be one instance where I would say don't bother with the fresh version.  I should mention - shiitake mushrooms have a spectacularly earthy rich smell and flavor to them.  If you're one of those people that doesn't like things like truffles and mushrooms, skip this.  Otherwise let them soak for a couple of hours until they're soft, and save the soaking liquid.

• Soy Sauce - I'm going to take this opportunity to get on a little soap box about soy sauce.  There are a ton of brands out there that aren't real soy sauce - they taste like soy sauce but they involve things like caramel color, even sugar sometimes but no soy beans.  Read. The. Label.  While real soy sauce comes in several varieties every variety should start with soy beans.  If it doesn't say soy beans put it back on the shelf.  Good ingredients make good food so I think it's worth paying attenuation.  

• Water is the last thing - I like to make a big batch and freeze the dashi so I can use it over the next couple of days, so I'd start with around 6 cups of water. 

Put the water into pot large - I use a three quart pot.  You want to make sure there's enough space so the broth won't boil over.  Slip one sheet of konbu into the water - don't worry about washing it or anything, just straight out of the package, into the water.  Bring the water to a simmer and let the konbu steep until it's tender enough to cut into with a fingernail or edge of a spoon.  Then turn the water off, and let it sit for another 15 min or so.  The water should have developed a briny-kelp fragrance and a slight olive tinge.  Many recipes call for taking the konbu out much earlier but I rather like the flavor so I let it steep.

Next add the fish flakes - and be generous with them!  I use 1 or 2 generous handfuls, or roughly two cups lightly packed.  The water should be hot but not necessarily boiling - if need be, turn the heat on medium to low and bring the liquid to a simmer again.  Put a lid on the pot and let it steep as well, the flakes will sink to the bottom which is your signal to move on to the next step.

Strain the flakes out, using a sieve or cheesecloth.  I use a conical strainer sometimes called a chinois (although I'm not certain mine is actually a chinois as it's not mesh)  Season the resulting broth with splashes of mirin and soy sauce to taste - I tend to leave my dashi a little on the less-seasoned side, to accommodate the various flavors that come from adding it to different recipes like miso soup.

The next step is optional, I love the taste of shiitake mushrooms so I think of it as part of the base I pour the soaking liquid from the mushrooms into the broth, then slice up the shiitake and drop them in as well.  That gives me a head start the next time I want to use the broth, but it also means I have shiitake in anything I make with the broth. That makes me happy :)

I pour the dashi into one cup lidded containers to freeze them for later use (there were actually two more, but I couldn't help myself...they never had a chance.)

Now you have dashi!  Dashi can be used as a base for noodle soup, or hearty but delicate soups.  Dashi is also the key ingredient in miso soup - without it miso paste just makes salty water, or as the base for the sauce for tempura and age dashi tofu.

And sometimes, I like to just have a mug of it by itself to warm up on a chilly day.

Enjoy!