A storm is headed our way tomorrow. We could be stuck indoors for a few days so I drove into town and stocked up on sweets from Raymer’s Chocolates (this included homemade peanut brittle). When I came home I started cooking. This recipe comes from Giada’s Everyday Pasta cookbook. I made dishes we could go to throughout the weekend so that my snow removal duties were not interrupted.

2 New York strip steaks, about 8 ounces each
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tsp. herbs de Provence
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 cups chopped arugula

Season the steak with salt and pepper, herbs de Provence, and the minced garlic. In a skillet, heat 3 Tbsp. of the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the steaks for about 7 minutes per side. Remove the meat to a cutting board and let rest while you cook the pasta.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.
In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/2 Tsp. salt, 1/2 Tsp. pepper, the basil, parsley, and 3/4 cup olive oil. In a large bowl, toss the pasta with half of the salad dressing and the reserved water. Set aside.
Slice the steaks thin and add to the pasta with the arugula. Add more dressing and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Wine served: 2009 Louis Latour Marsannay

Today’s lunch, at least the pork chops in cream, comes from my favorite cookbook, The Silver Spoon. More times than not, when I’m looking for something to cook or just looking to be inspired, this is my “go to” book. I served the chops with stacked polenta and fresh, steamed carrots.

Pork Chops In Cream
serves 4

4 pork rib chops (I used 3/4″ boneless loin chops)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup port
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tsp. all purpose flour
Salt and pepper

Lightly pound the chops. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet, add the chops, and cook, turning occasionally, for 6 minutes on each side. Season, then remove from the skillet, drain, and keep warm. Pour the port into the skillet and cook over low heat, scraping up any sediment from the bottom of the skillet, until the liquid has reduced by half. Combine the cream and flour in a bowl, stir into the skillet, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, then pour the sauce over the chops (and polenta stacks) and serve.

Wine served: 2004 Domaine Joseph Voillot, Pommard

This Thanksgiving Sandy made an unbelievably delicious selection of side veggies to have with our turkey. She gave each one of them a distinctive flavor, yet managed to have them compliment each other. As you can see, she also paid close attention to color both in the vegetables themselves and the dish in which they were served. Well done! (that extra goodie is homemade cranberry mold which can be found on the blog)

Glazed Carrots

1 Lb. carrots
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. lime (or lemon)
Salt and pepper
Parsley

Boil carrots in salted water until tender. Drain and put back in pan with butter, honey, and lime juice. Cook until glaze coats carrots. Season with salt and pepper and parsley.

Roasted Beets

Approx. 1 Lb. fresh beets
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. good balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 Tsp. fresh thyme leaves

Cut beets into 1 1/2″ chunks. Place beets in roasting pan with olive oil, fresh thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Roast beets for 35-40 minutes at 400 degrees, turning two times, until beets are tender. Remove from oven and toss with vinegar and orange juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Brussel Sprouts

6 slices bacon, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 Lb. Brussel sprouts
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper

Brown bacon, remove from skillet and drain on paper towel. Add shallot to skillet and sauté 1-2 minutes. Add sprouts and coat in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes until sprouts begin to soften. Add broth, bring to a boil then lower to a simmer, cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Top with bacon bits.

Wine served: 2005 Blagny, 1er Cru Burgundy

This recipe comes from Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, brought to my attention by the Wine Spectator magazine. I chose it because the seasonings are ones that I don’t often use. In the end the flavors are so deep and complicated I became an instant fan. I believe Wine Spectator suggested a reisling for this dish, but I decided to try another wine. The charbono I chose was beautifully matched, bringing forward the clove and pepper notes. Enjoy!

Serves 4

3 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. water
2 1/2 Tbsp. barberries (or currants)
4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced (2 cups in total)
2 1/4 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, or 1 whole chicken, quartered
Salt and freshly ground pepper
10 cardamom pods
1/4 Tsp. whole cloves
2 long cinnamon sticks, broken in two
1 2/3 cups basmati rice
2 1/4 cups boiling water
1 1/2 Tbsp. parsley leaves, chopped
1/2 cup dill leaves, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/3 cup Greek yogurt, mixed with 2 Tbsp. olive oil (optional)

1. Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, add the barberries, and set aside to soak. (If using currants, you do not need to soak them in this way.)
2. Meanwhile, heat half the olive oil in a large sauté pan, for which you have a lid, over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have turned a deep golden brown. Transfer the onions to a small bowl and wipe the pan clean.
3. Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl and season with 1 1/2 Tsp. each of salt and pepper. Add the remaining olive oil, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, and use your hands to mix everything together. Heat the sauté pan again and place the chicken and spices in it. Sear for 5 minutes on each side and remove from the pan. (This is important, as it partially cooks the chicken.) The spices can stay in the pan, but don’t worry if they stick to the chicken. Remove most of the remaining oil as well, leaving just a thin film at the bottom. Add the rice, caramelized onions, 1 Tsp. salt, and plenty of black pepper to the pan. Drain the barberries and add them as well. Stir thoroughly and return the seared chicken to the pan, pushing it into the rice. Pour the boiling water over the rice and chicken, cover the pan, and cook over very low heat for 30 minutes.
4. Take the pan off the heat, remove the lid, quickly place a clean tea towel over the pan, and seal again with the lid. Leave the dish undisturbed for another 10 minutes. Finally, add the herbs and use a fork to stir them in and fluff up the rice. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot or warm, with the yogurt and oil mixture if desired.

Wine served: 2007, Shypoke, Charbono, Napa Valley