Beef Brisket Chili

When I received my October 2008 issue of Bon Appetit, I immediately wanted to make the brisket on the cover, it looked so good. Of coarse, I ended up making a different version, but pretty much followed their recipe. I left out the autumn squash and used different chiles, spices and added beans, but the concept was close and it turned out great. I have a similar recipe for a steak and black bean chili that i will post when I come across it again.

Beef Brisket Chili

6 dried New Mexico chiles, stemmed, seeded and coarsely torn

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 1/4 lb. onion, chopped

1 4lb. flat cut beef brisket, cut into 2 to 3 inch cubes

Coarse kosher salt

6 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tsp. chipotle chili powder

2 tsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 (12 oz) bottle Mexican beer

2 (4 oz) can diced fire-roasted green chiles

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro stems

2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed

Place chiles in medium bowl. Cover with boiling water. Soak, covered with plastic wrap, for 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

preheat oven to 350. Heat olive oil in large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add onion. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle salt over beef and add to pot; stir to coat. Set aside.

Drain chiles, reserving soaking liquid. Place chiles in food processor. Add 1 cup of liquid, garlic, chili powder, cumin seeds, oregano, coriander and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Puree, adding more liquid if too thick. Pour over beef in pot. Add tomatoes with juices, beer, green chiles and cilantro stems. Stir to coat evenly.

Bring to a simmer. Cover and place in oven. Cook 2 hours. Uncover and cook another hour. Add beans and cook another 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Tilt pot and spoon off any excess fat.

Garnish with chopped cilantro, sour cream or grated cheese.

French Baguette

I had a request for a good French baguette recipe and since I've never made one I looked on the Martha Stewart website for one. I have put the link here. I have not personally made this recipe, but it looks like a good one to me.
http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=4cb1d187432a6110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&rsc=header_1&autonomy_kw=french+baguette

Peas and Prosciutto

This easy and delicious recipe comes from Giada DeLaurentiis's book Everyday Italian. I prepared it for some friends this past weekend and it was a big hit. Since I keep all these ingredients on hand all the time, this will become a standard in my house. The next time I prepare it, I might add a little chopped fresh mint to the dish. One of the notes in Giada's book about the recipe was adding leftovers to scrambled eggs in the morning. We tried that the following morning and it was a great suggestion!

Peas and Prosciutto

2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (1-lb) bag frozen peas
4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

In a large heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-low flame. Add shallots and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add peas and saute until heated through, about 5 minutes. remove from heat and add prosciutto, parsley, salt and pepper. Serve.

Tortellini and Italian Sausage Soup

I was watching Tyler's Ultimate on Food TV the other day and he made an incredible looking chicken noodle soup using cheese tortellini and chicken-apple sausage. I decided to make something similar last night and it turned out great. I still want to get Tyler's recipe, but in the meantime, this one is very good.

Tortellini and Italian Sausage Soup

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

48 oz. low-sodium chicken broth

2 Tbsp. flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped

salt and pepper

1 lb. Italian sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup white wine

20 oz. bag frozen cheese tortellini

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat and add oil. Add garlic, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves and thyme. Saute for 5 to 8 minutes. Add broth, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

Brown sausage in batches in a large skillet, add to soup pot. When finished, add white wine to pan and scrape up any brown bits, add to soup. Add frozen tortellini to soup and cook until they float. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Three-Cheese Bread

A few weeks back, I decided I wanted fresh baked bread with my dinner. I always love the process of baking bread, it just never seems to work out the way that I would like for it too. This recipe comes from The Panera Bread Cookbook and was simple to make. The loaf turned out beautifully and I was excited to try it out. When I sliced into the loaf it seemed a little dense and has a cake like crumb. The flavor was good, but the consistency was nothing to write home about. I guess I will continue my search for the best recipe. This recipe makes 2 loaves.

Three-Cheese Bread

Starter:
1 cup warm water (95-105 F)
2 tsp. fresh yeast
1 cup all-purpose flour
Dough:
3/4 cup warm water (95-105 F)
3 Tbsp. honey
4 tsp. fresh yeast
1/4 cup + 1 tsp. vegetable shortening
4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 cup 1/2-inch cubes Romano cheese
1/2 cup 1/2-inch cubes Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup 1/2-inch cubes Asiago cheese

For the starter, combine water and yeast in medium bowl. Stir to dissolve yeast. Add flour and stir until completely incorporated. Cover with a cloth and and set in warm place for 30 minutes.
For the dough, combine water, honey and yeast in bowl of a stand mixer. Stir to dissolve yeast. Add shortening, flour, salt, cheeses and starter. Mix on low until dough is fully developed. Remove from mixing bowl.
Divide into 2 pieces. Roll each piece of dough int smooth ball. Place on counter and cover with a warm, damp cloth and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Form the dough into loaves, cover with warm, damp cloth and proof at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Score the loaves with a sharp knife, spray with water and bake for 30 minutes. until crusts are golden brown.
Remove from oven and place on cooling rack for 30 minutes.

Pistachio Heaven

My Mom makes this great pistachio pudding dessert that is so addictive and has become one of my favorites. I finally got the recipe from her and prepared it for dinner with friends. Needless too say, it was a huge hit and is so very easy to make. I guess you could use any pudding flavor in this recipe, but I love the flavor of the pistachio and Heath bars together.

Pistachio Heaven

1 pre-baked angel food cake
2 (3.4 oz.) boxes instant pistachio flavored pudding
1 (12 oz.) container Cool-Whip, thawed ( I used lite)
4 Heath Bars, crushed

Cut or tear the angel food cake into bite size pieces and place in bottom of 9x13 cake pan. Make pudding according to box directions and pour over cake. Cover and place in refrigerator until pudding is set. Spread with Cool-Whip and sprinkle with crushed candy bars. Serve.

Tarantino's New Location

If you didn't already know, Tarantiono's has a new location. They are located at 13th and Locust, the address is 417A East 13th. They are still serving up the best calzones, pizzas and eggplant around. Joe and Trish are working harder than ever, keeping up with their big new lunch business. They should have their liquor license by the end of this week, so be ready to enjoy a nice, cold Peroni with your favorite calzone. The space is much larger than the old place, but Joe and Trish have all the charm as before. Joe has such a passion for cooking and food and Trish makes you feel as though you are spending the evening with family. If you haven't checked them out before, make sure to add this to your list. They have their own parking lot behind the building, plus there is plenty of street parking. You can call for carry out and delivery at 816-421-0043. They are open Monday through Saturday from 10 to 10.