Stewed Veal with Chard, Zucchini and Potato Gratin

A RECIPE OR TWO

Whenever I found out anything remarkable, 

I have thought it my duty to put down my discovery on paper, 

so that all ingenious people might be informed thereof. 

- Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 

I simply wanted to share these recipes with you. No fanfare, no trumpets, no stories as I gather you together round me in front of a roaring fire. No tales told in the dead of night to the watery glow of a flashlight as we sit shivering in a tent too small to hold us all comfortably. No comedy to have you doubled up in laughter, no dramatic tragedies, you hanging on my every word with bated breath, as I recount some death-defying adventure. My stories will have to wait, but these recipes will not.

I am in the middle of so many projects: articles and submissions to be written, compiled and sent; next year’s workshops and events to organize, proposals to be put together and my series on Writing to work on so this week is dedicated to these. And as I work, husband cooks, only calling me into the kitchen so as to make my béchamel for his gratin. Happy am I to have a man who not only loves to cook, but is so good at it.

This was lunch, rather frugal, very seasonal and much too delicious and satisfying not to share. As neither son was around to dine with us, we enjoyed Veal and Gratin three meals in a row, the second and third even better than the first, if that is at all possible.

Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act 

that should not be indulged in lightly. 

– M.F.K. Fisher 

I will mention the wine. We have been on a voyage of discovery these last several years, discovering and learning about the wines of our region. We visit local wine fairs and tastings, we drive out into Muscadet, Anjou and Saumur to visit domaines, taste, learn and buy. As I get to know the winemakers in my region, I also connect with them on Facebook so as to get to know the people behind the wines a little better, thus understanding the dynamic between the vigneron and the terroir which produces these wines. A few months ago, husband and son went out to walk Marty in the vineyards outside of Nantes and decided to visit le Fay d'Homme near Monnières. They returned home with a case of “La Part du Colibri” Côt, a wine we were served at that first memorable meal at one of our favorite local restaurants Lulu Rouget. A wine, a grape that for a long time was a table wine reserved for the winemakers themselves, considered (somewhat like Muscadet, in fact) not good enough to sell or serve to clients. Caillé decided that the fruity wine, rich and spicy with cherry, plums, hints of pepper and anise would be appreciated by those who love wine and decided to commercialize it as Côt.

Vincent Caillé, a fifth generation wine grower, is one of the few of this region to produce organic Muscadet and is stoutly committed to tradition in his farming and his winemaking, both of which are completely natural. He is an active member of Les Vignes de Nantes, an association whose aim is to familiarize the nantais with the fabulous wines coming from their own region through events, tastings and fairs as well as bringing their wines into the local restaurants, wine bars and wine shops that for much too long were ignoring what treasures were being produced in their own region.

One bottle of Côt from the selection La Part du Calibri from le Fay d'Homme domaine was hidden in the back of a cupboard and when JP found it realized how perfect it would be with his meal.

The veal is cooked blanquette style yet without the final step of stirring in cream and egg, the cooking liquid from the vegetables adding and heightening the flavor, leaving the veal fork tender and delicious. Paired with the creamy vegetables, this is the perfect seasonal meal. It may not look fancy, but it is definitely worth the effort, comforting, rich and flavorful.

CHARD, ZUCCHINI AND POTATO GRATIN with STEWED VEAL

The veal and the gratin are so perfect together and balance each other out so well that I have given instructions for both together in steps as JP prepared the entire meal. The veal, once pre-boiled and drained, is then placed in the vegetable liquid that the chard and zucchini were cooked in which infuses the meat with wonderful flavor. If you only want to make the gratin, read through the recipe carefully and eliminate anything to do with preparing the veal.

1 lb (500 g) small or fingerling potatoes – or any firm potato, cleaned, peeled and cubed into bite-sized chunks
4 small zucchini, trimmed, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
One bunch Swiss chard, white stems only, trimmed, cleaned and cut into more or less 1-inch pieces
1 small yellow onion, trimmed, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, trimmed, peeled and chopped
water + 1 vegetable bouillon cube or vegetable broth to cover
Béchamel (recipe follows)
2 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese

Butter a large (9 x 13-inch approximately) baking dish.

Prepare the vegetables:

Place the cubes of potatoes in a large pot with a large pinch salt and cover with water. Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes or as needed. Drain.

Sautée the onion in a large frying or sautée pan in about 2 tablespoons olive oil until tender and just beginning to turn golden around the edges. Add the chopped garlic and continue cooking for about two minutes until the garlic is tender. Add the small cubes of zucchini and the small pieces of white chard stems and cook, stirring for a few minutes until starting to soften. Barely cover with broth or water (adding a small bouillon cube to the water) and simmer until the stems and the zucchini are very tender, almost melting in the mouth. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked cubes of potatoes.

Using a slotted spoon, scoop the zucchini, chard stems and potatoes into the baking dish, leaving the vegetable liquid broth in the pan for the veal.

Prepare the veal:

28 oz (800 g) veal shoulder or about 21 oz (600 g) + 7 oz (200 g) veal tendron or tendon with the bone in, cut into large chunks (2 – 3-inch chunks)
1 small onion with 1 or 2 cloves stuck in it
1 glass dry white wine, optional
Fresh chives

The veal will be cooked like a classic blanquette before the usual addition of cream and egg to the sauce. Prepare the vegetables above and then make the veal once the cooked vegetables are in the baking dish awaiting the béchamel.

Place the chunks of veal in a large pot and just cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and drain. Scrape or rinse off any scum or impurities.

Place the pre-boiled veal in the pot with the vegetable liquid, add the small onion with the cloves then just cover with water. Salt and pepper. Add the glass of wine if using. Bring to the boil then lower to a simmer and cover. Simmer for one hour until the veal is very tender, skimming the surface of foamy scum or impurities as needed. At the very last minute, the water should boil away leaving just a thick jus or sauce. Remove and discard the onion and cloves.

While the veal is simmering:

Prepare the Béchamel:

Prepare the béchamel once the veal is on its way.

3 Tbs (45 g) butter
3 Tbs flour
3 cups (700 ml) whole milk (you can use lowfat but it will not thicken as much)
¼ tsp or more adobo chili powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Large pinch nutmeg

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until bubbly. Add the flour all at once and stir or whisk until the flour is well blended into the butter. Cook, stirring or whisking briskly, for 2 to 3 minutes.

Begin adding the milk, a little at a time, whisking constantly, and allow the milk to thicken after each addition. As it thickens, add more milk and repeat until all the milk has been added and the sauce is fairly thick (it should at least coat a spoon). Add the chili, salt and pepper generously and allow to simmer very gently, stirring continuously, for about 10 - 15 minutes. Stir in a pinch of nutmeg. Taste and adjust the seasonings. 

Pour the hot béchamel over the prepared chard, zucchini and potatoes in the baking dish and gently stir until the sauce is evenly distributed. Sprinkle generously with the Parmesan all the way to the edge of the dish.

Bake in the hot oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is golden and browned as you like.

Time the two dishes so the gratin and the veal are finished at the same time. Serve immediately topped with chopped fresh chives and enjoy! Both are great even reheated the next day.

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JP’S LASAGNA two ways

WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN

When you love someone, all your saved-up wishes start coming out.
~ by Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973)

Stunning jewelry, expensive shoes, evenings tête-à-tête in quiet, elegant restaurants or a stroll through a bustling, noisy, laughter-filled fairground. Romantic getaways in some out-of-the-way, secluded spot or a picnic in the breeze of a warm summer day. Snuggled up together as the lights are dimmed and the movie splashes across the screen, box of hot, buttery popcorn perched between my knees or jetting off to some exotic, exciting far away dream location. Armfuls of roses or peonies, boxes of chocolate or a hot, greasy kabob with fries. Charming, often sophisticated gifts wrapped up in a dash of mystery, a jot of quirkiness bordering on the corny, smothered in some enchanted evening and definitely the way to capture a girl’s heart. With each token of love that he places in my hands, each sign of affection that he graciously and generously offers me, with each excited schoolboy grin that melts my heart as he impatiently, nervously watches for my reaction, I understand and appreciate how much he does love me.


Yet. Yet. I would be a fool to refuse these lovely gifts, I mean, what woman would? Yet I really don’t need those expensive toys and luxurious gewgaws to make me truly happy. There is something that means ever so much more to me; something that captures my heart and makes me realize just how lucky I am to have him. Yes, anyone who reads my blog and who knows me as a friend understands that the one thing that I find the sexiest, the most alluring and heart melting, is a man who cooks.

And mine does indeed love to cook. He adores going to the market, basket in hand, and perusing stall after stall in his quest for the freshest, most seasonal and local products from the land, the sea and dug up from the dirt. And like a magician finding pleasure and satisfaction in delighting his audience, JP finds such joy in performing that magic, concocting something amazing with his finds and enchanting his audience of one. I have already told the tale of how he became such a great cook, teaching himself while still a child. And his talent and passion have only grown over the years. Needless to say, on holidays, weekends and summer vacations, when free from the stranglehold of work and a time-consuming job, my man takes over the kitchen. And as one who would prefer to spend any and all kitchen time baking pastries, cakes, pies and breads and who knocks her head against the wall in any effort to decide on an actual meal, I would certainly never stand in between him and the stove!


Now that he is home fulltime, our days intertwine gently, serenely and happily. We still, after all these years, enjoy being together all the time. And in between the writing, the long walks, the genealogy, housework, bills and whatever daily tasks keep us busy and apart, we still get together to shop and cook. And while I have somehow grown lazy and complacent, his energy is abuzz and that has been taking him into the kitchen much more often. He channels his creativity and lets his imagination fly.

And how he adores the process: pots and pans clatter, flour poofs all around him in a haze of white, tomato sauce and olive oil splatter across the stovetop, dishes, utensils, pots and pans pile up willy-nilly in the sink and in tumultuous confusion on every available work surface. He chops and slices, blends and stirs, tastes and tastes again. A twist of the peppermill here, a dash or two (or three) of fleur de sel there, a squeeze of this tube, a blob or a glug or a plop of this flavoring or that condiment, a largish pinch of one or the other spice and, like a great inventor, he slowly creates a dish worthy of every minute, every movement, every frustrated curse word and each moan of pleasure as he tastes. Yes, sometimes these preparations are fraught with displeasure – a failed dish, missing ingredients, cooking disasters - or even danger - sliced fingers, trips to the emergency room – but all in all, he loves cooking as much as I love having him cook.


Now how to put down on paper what he creates by feel and sense? Au pif the French call it: cooking by intuition (pif being slang for nose). His recipes are never the same twice, he rarely measures; his method involves non-stop changing, adapting and adding as he goes. As this is in direct contrast to the way I cook or bake, I am more often than not banned from the kitchen whenever he takes over (to avoid my meddling, my interfering, my moans of frustration, the groans and eye rolls and unwanted suggestions) so even writing down the step-by-step becomes problematic if not downright impossible. When he cooks, my role is simply to make sure that the table is set for when he is ready to serve the meal, to make ooooohing, ahhhhhing and mmmmmming sounds while I savor and enjoy his masterpiece and to wash up when the meal is done – a Herculean task if ever there was one.

Veal Lasagna

Smoked Salmon Lasagna

So, I take a deep breath and will attempt to organize my thoughts and his every gesture, although I give very rough guestimates. You must learn to cook as he does, au pif, and create your own…


JP’S FABULOUS LASAGNA
Whether made with sautéed, aromatic veal or luxurious smoke salmon, his lasagna is fabulous! Add more or less of each vegetable or use your favorites. Layer some mozzarella or fontina or a mixture of ricotta and Parmesan in with the layers of béchamel for a cheesier lasagna. Use more tomato sauce with a meat lasagna than in a delicate smoked salmon lasagna. Don’t forget that everything added to this is precooked so the time in the oven is simply to heat through, melt the cheese and meld the flavors.


For a glass or Pyrex baking dish approximately 12 x 8 x 2 inches (30 x 20 x 5 cm), greased with either butter or margarine

10 or 12 sheets (each sheet approximately 7 x 3 ½ inches (17 x 9 cm) egg lasagna

Béchamel:
3 Tbs (50 g) unsalted butter
3 Tbs (50 g) flour
2 – 2 ½ cups (500 to 650 ml) milk, preferably warm or room temperature
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Large pinch nutmeg
Optional: 1 small onion, minced

Tomato Sauce
(see recipes here or here)

3 medium to large peppers, yellow, red and green, rinsed

1 – 2 medium-sized zucchini, trimmed and rinsed

2 pounds (1 kg) fresh spinach, trimmed and rinsed

1 cup or so freshly grated Parmesan cheese

EITHER:
1 pound (500 g) ground veal
1 onion, diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
seasonings of choice

OR:
About 8 slices smoked salmon, more or less to your taste

Prepare the Béchamel:

Melt the butter over a medium-low flame. Add the flour all at once and whisk to form a thick, smooth paste. (If adding the onion, simply add the onion to the melted butter and sautée until lightly golden and tender, about 3 or 4 minutes, then add the flour) Cook, whisking, over medium-low heat, for just a minute or two. Pour in the milk just a little at a time, whisking constantly, adding more milk as the sauce thickens. Once all the milk has been added, salt and pepper the béchamel, add a dash of nutmeg and continue to stir or whisk until the sauce is thick and very smooth, about 10 minutes or so. Set aside.

Prepare the vegetables:

Place the cleaned spinach leaves in a large casserole with just the water clinging to the leaves once washed. Cover and steam over medium heat until wilted. Drain well then, once cool enough to handle easily, squeeze out all the excess water. Separate between your fingers or chop.

Roast the peppers either over a flame on your stovetop or under the oven grill until very soft and the skin is charred and bubbles up. If doing this in the oven, do it over a baking sheet or piece of aluminum foil to catch any dripped juice. Place the peppers in a plastic sandwich bag for a minute or two: the condensation will lift the skin up away from the flesh and removing it will be easier. Being careful not to burn yourself on the hot peppers, slide a sharp, pointed knife blade between the skin and the flesh and lift away. Once all the skin has been removed and discarded, cut out the stem and scrape away and discard all seeds. Slice or chop the flesh of the roasted peppers as you like.

Rinse and pat dry 2 medium zucchinis, trim and discard the two ends of each. Cut each zucchini in half widthwise. Slice each half lengthwise into thin slices and line up on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Lightly brush each slice with olive oil then grill until tender and beginning to color.

If using ground veal, simply brown in olive oil in a large skillet as you would for any dish: sautée an onion or two until golden or even caramelized, sautée the veal until browned: salt, pepper and spice as you please (chopped fresh or dried parsley, basil, oregano). Add some chopped, roasted cherry tomatoes or chopped olives if you like.

Prepare the Lasagna:

Start with a light layer of béchamel in the bottom of the baking dish;
Place one layer of lasagna noodles.
Simply add layers of vegetables, veal or smoke salmon, tomato sauce, béchamel and lasagna noodles. You should have about 3 layers of each, ending with a layer of noodles, then béchamel topped generously with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for about 20 minutes until bubbly and very hot all the way through. The top should be browned. You can also just place it under the grill for a minute or two to brown the top if you like.


Serve hot with a glass of wine.

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SWEET & SOUR OSSOBUCO AND RICOTTA TART

GO ITALIAN!


Our very first From Plate to Page workshop is approaching like a speeding train coming at us head on and we are tied to the tracks (though no Damsels in Distress, we four!)! I have been neck deep in conversation and preparation with Ilva, Meeta and Jeanne, tying up loose ends, planning the menus, dealing (happily) with our fabulous sponsors and finalizing details for our own writing workshop sessions with Jeanne so I have had very little time to devote to my own blog and my own dear readers. Bear with me for just a little while longer then hopefully I will be back with you a little more often.

Today I want to share a tale of two girlfriends who met across oceans and cyberspace, meeting somewhere in the middle. At first we tiptoed around each other, curious but hesitant, nervous yet intrigued, feeling the tug of compassion and interest yet not sure how fast to move forward. But we had too much in common and found that friendship grew in spite of our timidity. We were just two nice Jewish girls who had married Europeans, lovely, creative, talented men each. We share a peculiar subtle, intellectual yet wickedly sly sense of humor. We are both somewhat innocently naïve about people and the world at large and I can only hope and pray that I am half as generous and kindhearted as she. We each harbor a passion for travel and culture, a love of great food and feeding others and a joy of family. We are both passionate writers, loving the magic of the word, the beauty of black on white and the potential power contained in each word, phrase, story. And we both love Italy. Yes, of course, these two women are Lael and myself.


But I must backpedal a bit first. Lael was far from the first of her family whose notice was brought to my attention. It was actually in Italy about 15 years ago that I first learned of the illustrious name of Hazan. Living in the center of Milan, there was never a doubt that such a reader as I would not rapidly discover the tiny, dark English bookstore barely off the beaten track, slightly askew from the main stretch of road that rambled and bustled through my part of the city. I would spend hours in that warm, homey space, heaven for the book passionate, my fingers skimming softly along rows of book spines, murmuring titles softly under my breath. Occasionally, one would call to me, luring me into the pages between an intriguing cover or arousing my curiosity with a catchy title. I would carefully pull it from amongst the others, slide my hand down the cover as against a lover’s bare skin, hold it up to my nose and, eyes closed, breathe in the luxurious bouquet like a fine wine, the new book aroma making me dizzy with thoughts of quiet childhood moments nestled in an armchair or in the branches of a favorite tree, hidden from the world, losing myself in an adventure. Or I, already fascinated by food and cooking and the magic of a great cookbook, would wander over to the cookbook shelves and scan the meager offerings. And there it was, Marcella Hazan, the name veritably jumped out into my waiting hands, book after beautiful book on, yes, Italian cuisine. But as new a cook as I was, it was all too overwhelming for me and, losing all confidence, I always came to the conclusion that I simply could not live up to her recipes, my novice to her master, and sadly I would walk away, back out into the harsh Italian sunlight and find my way back home with yet one more Charles Dickens carefully tucked under my arm.

Many, many years later, traveling through space and time and happily ensconced in my new life, somewhat more confident in my cooking abilities, albeit much more secure in my talent as a writer than ever a cook I could be, I published my first articles on The Huffington Post. And lo and behold, the appearance of the second illustrious Hazan in my life: Giuliano left a warm, exuberant comment on one of those pieces I had written. And contact was made, Facebook and Twitter, such a charming, friendly man. And this connection followed quickly by an introduction to his wife, Lael. Oh we found each other without his help but the excuse was there to meet. And meet we did and slowly but surely a friendship bloomed across the miles, flying over that wide expanse of ocean. And finally, finally I bought a cookbook by a Hazan, Giuliano.

Far from Italy now, much too far for my own good, flipping through Every Night Italian brought all the sights and sounds, odors and flavors of my fabulous years in that marvelous country, a country where I truly learned the value of good food, ingredients straight from the dirt, simple cooking that turned those basic ingredients into something delectable, homey yet luxurious all at once. Arrosto, spezzatino, carciofi, budino and crostata, words that jump out at me from the page, are words heavy with memories for me, the first language of food for my baby boys, words infused with our seven years in Italy. My courage now stronger after years of experimenting and learning, I decided that it was time to delve into this book and….cook. And cook I did.


I began with Ossobuco in Agrodolce, Sweet and Sour Braised Veal Shanks, a twist on the traditional Ossobuco that I love so well, a favorite family meal. Normally I would serve this with a traditional Risotto alla Milanese, yellow saffron risotto, but selected instead Giuliano’s Risotto ai Pepperoni e Pomodoro Fresco, Red and Yellow Pepper Risotto, just to try two of his recipes at once. The meal was such an incredible success that several days later I made Pollo alle Olive Verdi, Chicken with Green Olives which, he explains, was actually first published in Marcella’s Italian Kitchen!

Well, friend or no friend, I warned Lael that I would be brutally honest – as friends should be – in my review of this book and the recipes. Well, to be totally upfront, I have to say that the food was stunning, amazing and simply fabulous! Each of the recipes was so simple to put together, even for the frazzled and less-than-confident such as me! And JP and I couldn’t get enough! The Ossobuco with the exotic flavors of a sweet and sour dish was probably one of the best meals we have eaten, although I will admit a simpler risotto would highlight the complex flavors of the Ossobuco much better. The Chicken with Green Olives was fabulous and maybe JP preferred this one of the two, yet I knew that both of these dishes were so heavenly, so flavorful and, yes, delicious, that each would become a part of my repertoire of family meals. All I know is that I had fallen in love with a cookbook and I will be making many, many meals out of it.


And an exchange of birthday gifts between Lael and me, who happen to both have birthdays in January, and I became the thrilled owner of How to Cook Italian, Giuliano’s third cookbook. Well, the book quickly filled up with tiny yellow stick-its bookmarking so many must-make recipes that it was truly hard to choose. But I settled on one filled with memories, a family favorite from Italy, Torta di Ricotta, a simple but far-from-humble Ricotta Tart, a special treat ordered after so many meals in so many Italian restaurants during those heady Italian years in Milan. And how was it? I must admit here that I had trouble with his pie crust, possibly because I had no food processor and it didn’t quite come together by hand (I felt it needed more butter), so I fell back on my own Sweet Pastry Crust. But the filling was a snap to put together, baked up beautifully, and created a simple yet luxurious, light yet creamy and just perfectly, tenderly sweetened ricotta tart and one that I most definitely will be making over and over again. JP swooned in delight and satisfaction with each mouthful, a sure sign of a great recipe in my home!


I already have so many recipes bookmarked that I will most definitely be making: the Torta della Nonna, Grandmother’s Custard Tart, Fettuccine or Risotto with Artichokes and of course Lael has heartily suggested that I make Giuliano’s Tiramisu and compare it to my son’s, all recipes from How to Cook Italian and his stunning Crostata all’Arancia, a Sicilian Orange Tart, and an incredible-sounding Semifreddo al Caffé from Every Night Italian. Do I have your attention yet?

Now, don’t think that I am going to give you every recipe from his wonderful books. No, no, you must go and find at least one of Giuliano’s Italian cookbooks very soon and make it your own to caress, ogle, stroke, read in the privacy of your own home. And cook. And cook. And cook. He offers us Italy in between the covers, simple, clean, flavorful dishes redolent of tradition and home.


Here is one recipe from each book, just enough for you to try and be tempted once you discover how easy and how fabulous they are. And if you are hungry for more delightful, delectable, thoroughly Italian recipes, visit Lael and Giuliano’s own blog The Educated Palate where you can also savor and enjoy Lael’s wonderful writing, her tales of family life and family cooking with some travel stories and fascinating facts and information thrown in. Thanks and a hug to Lael for being such a wonderful friend and to Giuliano for bringing me back to Italy in my own kitchen.

OSSOBUCO IN AGRODOLCE (Sweet and Sour Ossobuco)
From Every Night Italian by Giuliano Hazan

As Giuliano writes, this is a “different approach to the usual ossobuco… It is cooked with vinegar and raisins, whose sweet and sour flavors…complement the richness of veal shanks splendidly.” I say this is a stunning dish whose complex flavors and succulent, fall-off–the-bone-tender veal are my version of heaven.


¼ cup golden raisins
2 cups yellow onion, very thinly sliced crosswise
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
2 to 3 Tbs vegetable oil
About ½ cup flour, or enough to coat the veal
Four 1 ½-inch-thick pieces veal shank or veal for ossobuco
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small beef bouillon cube (I use chicken)
1 Tbs shredded fresh basil leaves
½ tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp grated lemon zest

Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with warm water.

Put the onion slices and the olive oil in a heavy braising pan large enough to hold all the veal in a single layer (I used my large Le Creuset Dutch oven). Place it over medium heat and sprinkle the onion lightly with salt. Cook until the onion turns a light caramel color. It may be necessary to raise the heat at the end to get the onion to color.

While the onion is cooking, put enough vegetable oil in a large skillet to come about ¼ inch up the sides and place it over high heat. Place the flour on a plate, roll the veal shanks in it and shake off the excess. When the oil is hot, carefully slip in the meat and brown it on both sides. Transfer to a platter and season with salt and pepper.

Once the onion is colored, raise the heat to medium-high. Add the vinegar and let it bubble for about 30 seconds. Put in the browned veal shanks. Add enough water to come halfway up the shanks and add the bouillon cube. Add the basil, thyme and lemon zest. Lift the raisins out of the water, squeeze out the excess water and add them to the pan. Cover and cook at a moderate but steady simmer until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours, turning the veal occasionally. Add more water if the water evaporates before the veal is done; you want to end up with a thick sauce. If the sauce is too watery at the end, remove the meat, raise the heat and reduce the sauce until thick enough to coat a spoon. Serve hot with Saffron Risotto.

This is one of those long-simmered dishes that gets better over time, improving as the flavors meld and the meat tenderizes in the sauce over a day or two. Simply reheat the veal in the sauce, adding a bit of water if necessary, over moderate heat.

TORTA DI RICOTTA (Ricotta Tart)
From How to Cook Italian by Giuliano Hazan

Lusciously creamy yet light and almost mousse-like, Giuliano adds chopped candied citron or lemon to the filling which I left out. Instead, inspired by my love of chopped chocolate bits in the rich ricotta filling of my Cannoli, I simply drizzled the top of the chilled tart with melted chocolate which solidifies as it hits the top of the cold ricotta filling and adds that fabulous crunch and a hint of slightly bitter chocolate flavor to the tart’s creaminess as you are eating it.


1 pre-baked Sweet Pastry Crust

1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup flour
3 Tbs confectioner’s or powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups whole milk
2 cups (1 lb/500 g) whole-milk ricotta
2 Tbs chopped candied citron, optional

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly but thoroughly butter a deep dish 9-inch pie pan, pie dish or springform pan.

Prepare the Sweet Pastry Pie Crust following my directions found here then line the prepared pie dish. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the dough fitted and crimped into the dish and weigh down with pastry weights or dried beans. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Very carefully pull the pie plate out of the oven and lift out the parchment and beans then return the pie crust to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until very lightly browned and completely set. If using a glass pie plate, you’ll be able to see that the underside of the crust is uniformly golden brown. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack or hotplate.

After the crust is done, raise the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C).

Prepare the ricotta filling while the Sweet Pastry Pie Crust is baking:

Whip the egg, the yolk and the granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture is smooth, thick and creamy and pale yellow. Add the flour, confectioner’s/powdered sugar and the vanilla and mix just until homogenous. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking on medium-low speed. Add the ricotta and blend thoroughly. If adding candied citron, stir it in now.

Pour the ricotta filling into the pie crust and bake until the filling is firm and begins to brown on top, 1 to 1 ¼ hours. Test by jiggling the pan gently. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight before serving. Serve chilled, drizzled with a bit of melted chocolate, if desired.


The pie will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.

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AUTUMN VEAL STEW

LET IT RAIN, LET IT RAIN, LET IT RAIN!

Many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head, and knows not that it brings abundance to drive away the hunger.
~Saint Basil

The rain has begun. It has washed away the golden glow of autumn, the brilliantly blue skies have melted into unpolished pewter, the gentle cool breeze has yielded to the cruel, chill wind and icy patter of rain. Rain, incessant rain, has taken over our world and wrapped us in her gloomy blanket of gray. The dampness seeps into our bones and we huddle together for warmth. And we dream of stew. Soup is fine and dandy for some, but nothing warms you to the marrow like a thick, rich, hearty stew. Chunks of meltingly tender meat long-simmered in a rich broth infused with the earthiness of thick slices of carrots, onions, mushrooms heightened by the gentle tang of white wine all blended together into a perfect mellow sensation. Served over rice or homemade pasta to be slurped up with the last of the sauce as you push back your chair from the table, satisfied.

The first days of autumn, the bright sun adding a gentle warmth to the mellowing temperatures, the crackle of gold and red leaves underfoot, bring a joy to my heart and a spring to my step. It is absolutely my favorite season. Weekends are spent walking the dog through the vineyards outside of Nantes or taking strolls through the city. The summer fruits are making way for the burnt orange of pumpkins and sweet potatoes, the deep violets of figs and plums, the tumble of grapes and the pyramids of pale green pears and apples snuggled up next to the warm woodsy browns of the walnuts and chestnuts. But then all is suddenly washed away as the rains sweep in, calling our attention to the change of seasons like a slap in the face.

Don't threaten me with love, baby. Let's just go walking in the rain.
~ Billie Holiday

I love the rain. I love being snuggled up inside as the water drizzles down the windowpanes and spatters on the cobblestones outside. It is the ultimate in cozy: sipping coffee, nestled in one’s favorite armchair, book in hand listening to the rhythmic patter of raindrops on the roof. Even the flash of lightening and the distant groan of thunder are exciting when warm and snug inside. But when the rain and the cold let themselves in and bring with them an unexpected dampness, forgotten sometime through the heat of the summer, and sitting still for even a few minutes has us grabbing for a thick, down-filled comforter and slipping on a second pair of socks, then all I want to do is migrate towards the kitchen, push baking sheets of dough into the oven as the heat and the smell of cinnamon wash over me and I simply begin to chop vegetables.

Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.
~Roger Miller

This Autumn Veal Stew is simple, pure, uncluttered pleasure made with the most basic of ingredients: tender, slow-simmered meat, I chose veal today, the richness of tomato paste adding depth to the meaty sauce, a splash of wine and the hint of garlic bringing life and zing to the dish. The added texture and deeper, earthier flavor of a selection of mushrooms complements the usual, lowly carrot and onion and together they bring a luxuriousness to an otherwise simple stew.

The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I was extremely excited to have my Fouace Nantaise featured on Saveur.com as The Daily Fare and Life's a Feast added to their Sites We Love club. I was proud and honored.

AUTUMN VEAL STEW

28 oz (800 g) veal for stew *
1 cup (125 g) flour seasoned with salt, pepper & smoky paprika for dredging veal
2 Tbs (30 g) butter or margarine + 2 Tbs olive oil
1 large yellow onion, trimmed, peeled and slice into 8 - 10 wedges (depending on size of onion)
1 or 2 carrots, trimmed, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch (½ cm) thick coins
2 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled, cloves crushed
2 Tbs or 1 small can tomato paste (concentrate)
1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine
1 cup (250 ml) water
Bouquet garni or 1 large bay leaf, 1 branch rosemary & a few branches fresh or dried thyme
½ - 1 tsp smoky paprika, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs (30 g) butter or margarine
10 oz (300 g) fresh mushrooms of choice

* I used both ossobuco and veal shoulder. I found the ossobuco came out much more tender and I’ll use only this cut for future stews. You can also make this with chunks of lamb shoulder.


Heat the butter or margarine with the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Rinse and pat dry the pieces of veal then dredge each piece in the seasoned flour, making sure all sides are floured and shaking off the excess. Brown both sides of the veal.

When the veal is browned on all sides, add the onion wedges, the carrot coins and the crushed garlic. Tossing often, cook the vegetables with the meat until the vegetables are beginning to color and are slightly tender.

Add the tomato paste, wine, water, herbs or bouquet garni, the salt, pepper and paprika. Stir to combine and then bring just up to the boil. Turn the heat to low, cover almost completely (I always leave the lid slightly ajar to allow steam to escape so the sauce thickens) and allow to simmer for 1 hour.

About 15 minutes before the end of cooking, clean and trim the mushrooms and cut into large chunks. Sauté the mushroom chunks in butter or margarine until softened and beginning to brown around the edges. Salt and pepper. Feel free to add a squeeze of lemon if you like. Add the cooked mushrooms to the stew for the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking.

Check the meat and allow to cook a bit more if not yet ideally tender. Top up the sauce with a bit more water if it evaporates or thickens too quickly. Taste and adjust seasonings towards the end of cooking.

Serve over rice or pasta.

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VEAL SCALLOPINI - Remembering Childhood

GUEST POST FOR LOVEFEAST TABLE

As each and every one of my gentle readers knows, writing is my passion and the writing for my blog is fueled by my life stories, memories, travels and the food that I have eaten – and cooked and baked – along the way. When my wonderful friends of LoveFeast Table, Kristin and Chris Ann, very kindly asked if I would write up a food-related memory for a guest post on their blog, I was both thrilled and honored. Honored that they enjoyed my blog and my writing enough to offer me this special place on their own blog, and thrilled because I love their blog and I think they are both wonderful, fun and generous people, two women that I do consider friends, and I was so happy to share their Table with them. And this story immediately popped right into my head. I didn’t really have to dig very deeply for a food-related childhood memory, and what a story!

Now food memories, one would think, especially written for a food blog, should be happy memories full of delicious meals, culinary discoveries and joyous, festive times. But, as I know so well, this is not always the case. Good food can make a good memory even better, but bad food can very well accentuate a bad experience, keeping it buried deep in the mind, the two ever related, coming back to haunt again and again.

Here is that story, that very special food-related memory. But don’t worry, it all ends well. Very well, I must say, with one fabulous recipe of my mom’s: her wonderful Veal Scallopini. Definitely a recipe to try!

Thank you, Kristen and Chris Ann for inviting me to your LoveFeast Table!

VEAL SCALLOPINI – Remembering Childhood

It was just 3 or 4 days shy of my ninth birthday. I had dreamed of owning a “big bike”, moving from a kid’s small bicycle to an adult-sized beauty, just like the big kids, and here it was! My new bicycle, a beautiful deep blue, standing tall and proud in the garage just waiting for my birthday, a siren’s call to climb aboard and ride off into the sunset. Well, at least ride off in the sunshine to school.

But it was still a couple of days or so until my birthday and my mom said that as it was my birthday present I would just have to be patient and wait! No! Unfair! How could I possibly ride to school even one more day on my “kid’s” bike when this grown-up one was here, standing right in front of me, tempting me, practically mocking me? Well, I simply would not put up with it! Action was called for! So, the next day I got up, ate breakfast, got dressed and grabbed my books and went to my mom and proclaimed “I am taking my new bike to school!” Well, she put her foot down and said “No!” Well, no way was I riding the other bike to school so I simply refused to go. Period. Now, I had always been the “good girl”, the one who never missed a day of school, never cheated, never lied, never went against the rules. But here I was, faced with a dilemma, having to take what was practically a political, ideological stance and there was no way I was going to back down. I just would not go to school. But mom, ever pragmatic, stood her ground and told me, “You can make your own decision about school, but as far as I am concerned, you have gone to school, so outside you go. Where you spend your day is up to you but it won’t be in this house. And there is a perfectly good lunch waiting for you in the school cafeteria, so don’t think that you’ll be allowed in the house at noon for lunch!”

Mom

Hop on over to LoveFeast Table for the rest of this riveting story and a fantastic recipe…

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OVEN-BAKED PARMESAN BREADED VEAL CHOPS WITH APPLES

H2OPE FOR HAITI - A BLOGGERAID FUNDRAISER

"Although each person's donation may be small, even single drops of water will eventually fill a swimming pool"

- BloggerAid

"It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it."
- Albert Einstein

Romance, humor and story-telling are put aside for one day in order to talk about BloggerAid.

"We love baking, but we need to take a break and think of others today!"

Food Bloggers know that we are a both an unusual and a lucky group of people. We feed our blog with toothsome food, and plenty of it. We aren’t like other bloggers who fill up their pages with political opinion or tales of the everyday, pages fed with ideas and thoughts costing little more than brain cells, elbow grease and passion. Oh no, our blog posts are all about the food, our words are wrapped up in puff pastry and dipped in chocolate, our ideology cooked up around luscious meals eaten at elegant restaurants or on splendid vacations, our stories served as side dishes alongside meals whipped up in well-appointed kitchens or on backyard barbecues. We may count our pennies as we decide between cuts of meat or brands of chocolate, but we understand that without the ingredients that only money can buy, vegetables and herbs from our own private gardens or just plain good luck to be where we are our blogs would just not exist. We know how lucky we are.

And Food Bloggers are a generous lot. They spend their days cooking and baking for family and friends, passing around plates of cookies at the office, are the first to sign up platters of goodies for school bake sales and church pot luck dinners, they are thrilled to be asked to create scrumptious treats for a friend’s wedding brunch or a neighbor’s child’s birthday party. Food Bloggers love to share, their hearts are warmed by the smiles on satisfied faces as hands reach out for seconds. Food Bloggers are generous because we know how lucky we are.

An old fashioned Charity Drive.

And Food Bloggers know when it is time to give back and help those less fortunate than ourselves. First came The Blogger Aid Cookbook, a collaborative effort by food bloggers the world over under the loving hearts and guiding hands of Val of More Than Burnt Toast and Giz of Equal Opportunity Kitchen, all proceeds of the sale of this incredible cookbook going to the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP).

And now there is H2Ope for Haiti, the brainchild of my wonderful friend and truly talented and caring person Jeanne of Cook Sister!, an on-line raffle to raise funds for Concern Worldwide’s Relief Effort in Haiti (providing clean drinking water and purification tablets to the victims of the recent earthquake). From Sunday, February 21 - Sunday, February 28th, BloggerAid Changing the face of Famine (BA-CFF) is running H2Ope for Haiti is raffling off some truly wonderful prizes (donated by a generous group of Food Bloggers) – prizes ranging from personally autographed cookbooks to parcels of baking goodies to original artwork and each prize, unless otherwise stated, is available for worldwide shipping (see the list of prizes here). Now, how can you purchase raffle tickets perchance to win one of these fabulous prizes AND donate money to this important cause? First, choose the prize or prizes you wish to buy tickets for, each ticket is priced at £6.50 – about $10, carefully note down the prize codes (very important!) then just click through to the Just Giving donations page where you will find complete instructions on how to purchase your raffle tickets and specify your chosen prizes.

Buy your raffle tickets now!

You will find the list of prizes here.

And now it is my turn to give back as well. I have donated one prize to the Auction, a prize that truly reflects my personal philosophy at Life’s a Feast :

A Luxury Gift Package Chock Full of French Baking Ingredients (Prize Code HFH27)


including:

Strawberry Mint Sugar (Quai Sud)
Blueberry Hibiscus Sugar (Quai Sud)
(Unrefined/Brown) Sugar with Penja Pepper (Terre Exotique)
Sweetened Vanilla Chestnut Cream (Clément Faugier)
Chocolate Balsamic Glaze (Balsamusse)
Sweetened Cocoa Powder with Orange (Quai Sud)
Spiced Dark Chocolate with Tonka Beans (Zaabär)
3 bars of chocolate by Confiseur Mazet:
Dark Chocolate with Orange & Cloves
Dark Chocolate with Ginger
Dark Chocolate with Grapefruit
Nestlé Milk Chocolate with Caramel Baking Chocolate
Local Sea Salt from Noirmoutier in a Lighthouse Shaker

And if you act quickly and hop over to buy your raffle tickets for this great prize, I will add one or two extra surprises for the lucky winner. Soon you will be on your way to creating a bounty of tantalizing, exotic, spectacular desserts!

PRIZE CODE : HFH27

Don’t forget, you have until Midnight on Sunday February 28 to purchase your raffle tickets! Happy bidding!

Let's hope that your lucky number is drawn!

Now, to wet your appetite, I am serving up dinner for two, just you and me, gorgeous, crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside Oven-Baked Breaded Veal Chops with sautéed Caramelized Apples. Enjoy!


OVEN-BAKED BREADED VEAL CHOPS with APPLES

2 medium-thick veal chops
½ cup (45 g) bread crumbs, preferably homemade
2 tsps freshly grated lemon zest
¼ cup (20 g) or more freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup (15 – 20 g) flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 apple per person (use any good pie apple)
Margarine or butter
A dash of maple syrup or brown sugar


This recipe can easily be doubled for 4 people.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Peel, core and slice the apples and set aside while you prepare the veal chops.

Season the flour with a bit of salt and a healthy grinding of black pepper and place on a plate or in a wide soup bowl.

Lightly beat the egg and place in a wide soup bowl.

Blend the bread crumbs, lemon zest and the Parmesan until well combined in yet another wide soup bowl or dish.

Rinse and pat dry the veal chops. Dip each chop first in the flour, coating both sides well then shaking off any excess flour. Then dip each floured chop in the beaten egg then into the breadcrumb/lemon/Parmesan mixture making sure both sides are well breaded.


Place the breaded veal chops on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake until the breading is golden and crispy and the veal chops are cooked through, as pink or as white as you like): this could take anywhere from 10 – 15 minutes depending on your oven and the thickness of your chops.

While the chops are baking, melt a tablespoon or so of margarine or butter in a frying pan, sauté pan or skillet. When the butter is sizzling, toss in the apples until they are all coated in the butter and cook until tender. Drizzle with a bit of maple syrup or sprinkle with a bit of brown sugar and add a grinding of black pepper and continue tossing the apple slices and cooking until golden and lightly caramelized.


Serve the breaded veal chops with the caramelized apples and eat as you peruse the H2Ope for Haiti raffle prizes then, once you have finished your delightful meal, click through to the Justgiving Donations page and purchase your raffle tickets.

* Thanks to Deeba and Jeanne for some of the words I used in today's post. I love you both!

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