It’s that time of year, and the tomatoes have started popping up in our CSA share. I always look forward to these additions to our weekly boxes. For most of the year I’m not much of a tomato fan, mainly due to the fact that most supermarket tomatoes (those wrongly named vine-ripened included) are tasteless and have the texture of cardboard and water. But come the end of July and the beginning of August that all changes as local, truly vine ripened tomatoes start showing up at the farmer’s markets, roadside stands, and, especially in our CSA boxes.

The Caprese salad, that mixture of fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil, has become a cliche in recent years, but it comes by that title honestly. Sure the combination seems rather tired nowadays, but let’s face it, it’s popular because it works. Those items seem made for each other. Now slap those ingredients between 2 slices of bread, grill it off, and you have the ultimate in summertime grilled cheeses.

I’m usually happy with that, but today I was in the mood to add another dimension. I often like to drizzle my Caprese salads with balsamic syrup, a mixture of balsamic vinegar and sugar reduced to a syrup consistency, but that wasn’t taking it far enough for me today. So I starting thinking what else works with those components and I came up with strawberries. Now, at first this might sound rather odd, but think about it a bit. Strawberries drizzled with balsamic has become a classic light dessert, and basil and strawberries go together well, so now it was just a matter of how to add them to the mix. Slicing and placing them on the sandwich just didn’t seem right so I decided to make a quick balsamic strawberry jelly. This worked perfectly, adding a bit of sweetness and a hint of acidity to the sandwich and perfuming it with the most subtle of strawberry aromas. It also left me with a good bit of leftover jelly to experiment with further.

Quick Balsamic Strawberry Jelly
makes 3/4 cup

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup stawberry jelly, preferably homemade (I used the freezer jam my wife made earlier this summer)

Combine both ingredients in a nonreactive sauce pan and cook until reduced by 1/2. Stir on a regular basis as this mixture has a tendency to stick and burn. Once reduced remove from heat and chill until it sets up. Will keep for 2-3 months in the fridge.

Caprese Panini
makes 1 sandwich

1 small tomato, as fresh and as ripe as possible
fresh basil leaves
fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4″ thick
ciabatta bread or any crusty rustic white loaf, cut to this size you want
about 1 tablespoon of the Balsamic Strawberry Jelly

Pre heat a panini press. If you don’t have a panini press heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Core and slice the tomato in 1/4″ slices. Slice open the ciabatta and spread both cut sides with the jelly. On the bottom half layer the tomato, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves. Cover with the top slice of ciabatta and grill on the panini press until heated through and the cheese is just starting to melt. This sandwich is best if the cheese and tomato are not overly heated. You just want them heated through with the cheese just on the verge of melting into a stringy mess. If using a skillet press the sandwich, with a spatula, while the sandwich is cooking, flipping it halfway through the cooking process (after approximately 4-5 minutes).

Sponsored by Chef Talk

I met Jim Berman years ago on Chef Talk. The website was still relatively small and obscure, and populated by, mainly, by very passionate chefs and a few serious homecooks. Even then, Jim’s passion for food was clearly evident and made him standout. Years later, as I’ve watched friends and collegues burnout and lose their passion for this business, Jim still seems to be going strong. I can’t help but feel that this partially due to his choice to educate and inspire a new generation of chefs.

Originally from Pittsburgh, Pa, Jim Berman received his formal culinary training through the American Culinary Federation’s Chefs’ apprenticeship program at the Community College of Santa Fe, New Mexico. He eventually settled in Old New Castle, Delaware where he has lived for the past sixteen years. As a former Executive Chef for Brandywine River Museum and DuPont Experimental Station, Jim left the corporate dining world behind to become the Chef Instructor at Delcastle Technical High School, where he has been since 2003. Jim is the founder and faculty advisor of the Cooks and Bakers competition/service team. He, along with his team, the Cooks and Bakers, has twice been honored with the Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service and the President’s Award for Youth Service. An advocate of utilizing fair-trade and locally-sourced products, Jim, his teaching partner and culinary class finished at the top of this year’s “The Farmer and the Chef” following up to last year’s third place finish. To underscore Jim’s belief in using seasonal, local goods, he and his students travelled to Italy this past summer to explore the practical kitchen applications of Italian cuisine’s approach to local produce. In his spare time Jim also regularly contributes articles for Cheftalk.com as well as helps administer the forum boards there.

Anyone who knows Jim would agree that his students are very lucky to have someone like Jim teaching them. His passion and love of food are pervade all he does, as evidenced by the numerous awards and acolades both he, his program, and his students receive.

What made you decide to leave the restaurant world?
I suppose the predictable answer would be that I had burned out on the day-to-day grind, the hours, the physical demand. The more accurate answer would be that I had just turned 30 and felt that I really wasn’t doing anything meaningful with my life. I was surrounded by people that were solely in their jobs for the money and I was serving people that simply did not give a damn about me, my plight or the amount of work that went into making their food. I had three kids that I scarcely knew and, more importantly, I was starting to not know myself. I know… deeply philosophical and all, but it was true. My life had succumbed to the kitchen; free time was spent in some aspect of work, whether worrying about work, planning for work or attending to some detail for work, what was once fun, or at least engaging, had lost its appeal. I was writing a food column for a local newspaper in my ‘free’ time and reading about food in the little pockets that were left of non-kitchen time. Way too much tunnel vision!

What do you miss most about the restaurant world?
There is no mistaking the camaraderie is addictive. The rush, again another predictable answer, is a real adrenaline kick, as well. I know a lot of people go into cooking so that others can appreciate the creativity that has been born. I have never thought myself creative, so I simply miss having something ‘come out’ as intended. Cooking is still a part of my everyday, but the combination of fuel, food and the frantic pace is the greatest absence.

What do you find to be the most rewarding part of teaching the next generation of cooks and chefs?
That’s a tough question! I think seeing students use what they have learned and applying it. We just got done working with shellfish. A few students took apart some Dungeness crabs and decided to make ravioli. They put their background knowledge to work to get the pasta made, filled and cooked. They seasoned the filling using what they had learned earlier in the year when we got into tasting food and how our mouths’ react to different tastes. I stood back and watched. The kitchen was quiet sans some banter about the size or shape of the filled pastas. That’s a good moment! Then there is the personal stuff. When a student comes back after a few years of being in industry or at school, that just burns bright throughout the day. There is certainly no mistaking the personal connections with some students and even their parents. Many students have moved away, but we remain in touch and I get to be a part of their kitchen experiences as newer members of the industry. I get to live vicariously through them! I get to hear about and see pictures of some amazing food and the frenetic kitchen life. And, while many students leave the field before even really getting started, their energy is contagious and their youth has kept me young.

If there is one thing that you want your students to take away from your courses what would that be?
I have resorted to quotes, cliches and the occasional sermon from the kitchen pulpit. Take your pick. From my stage I preach that there is simply no mistaking hard work. Reward is directly proportional to the amount of energy invested. Practice is part of routine and routine is part of becoming better. “Train the way you fight, fight the way you train.” There are personal facets that I want my crew to take with them, from understanding differences (in ability, in opinion, in goals, etc) to valuing responsibility (and even defining responsibility) to appreciating autonomy, excitement, risk-taking and organization. Yeah, I know you asked for one piece. Each day is made up of a series of teachable moments, little victories and some salty tears. So, there are many adventures throughout the course of the day that pop out to benefit the students.

If you could do it all over again would you follow the same career path?
Yes. No. I don’t know. I started my working career heading in the direction of investment banking. More accurately, my parents started my working career heading in the direction of investment banking. Cooking was a part time gig that I got by lying about my experience. And I never left. Do I still love to cook? Yes. I like to be around food; I like to eat; I like to read about it. And I certainly enjoy watching others cook. But, you know, it has been a hard climb. Not to say that the challenge was unwelcome. Adversity reveals character. Pragmatically speaking, money is tough as a cook and, as a teacher, well, no complaints but credit card companies aren’t exactly knocking on my door to offer me Platinum cards. No, it isn’t about the money. As I have gone on in age, though, I see a daughter on the brink of college with two more to follow. Am I fascinated and happy by what I do? Yes. I think I would have liked to have been in the armed services and maybe been a carpenter so I could build my own cabinets… for my kitchen.

Jim has kindly offered up his recipe for Potato Gnocchi. Gnocchi has, once again, become a somewhat trendy food, partially due to its popularity among the chefs of Top Chef, and because its rustic nature makes it fall into that category of “comfort food” that Americans seem to crave so much. Either way, potato gnocchi is a fantastic dish; easy to make and impressive to serve. Following Jim’s recipe will help to ensure your gnocchi is light and fluffy, not the heavy, sodden nuggets that are the hallmark of poorly made gnocchi.

Potato Gnocchi

2 lb Potatoes, russet*
1 Egg, large
10 oz Cake Flour, plus additional for dusting
Salt
Pepper
Corn meal for dusting trays

Simmer the potatoes until a knife easily passes to the center. Remove the cooked potatoes from the water. Peel the potatoes while still warm. Pass potatoes through a ricer into a bowl.

Add egg and flour into bowl with potatoes. Add salt and pepper. Lightly knead the dough to reach a pliable consistency. Sprinkle rolling surface with flour; slice dough into 6 balls. Roll one ball into a length that is about ½” thick.

Use a bench knife to cut off ¾” pieces.

Repeat until all the dough is cut. Place gnocchi on a tray lined with corn meal. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the gnocchi. When the gnocchi float on the surface of the water, remove and serve with choice of sauce and garnish.

*Stick with Russet potatoes and stay away from starchy potatoes like Baby Reds or Yukon Golds. Their moist, waxy interior will make leaden gnocchi, not light ones.

My last post was on making Italian sausage, so I figured I should follow it up with, at least, one post offering up a suggestion for using it. I have to admit, my favorite way of eating Italian sausages is to grill them until about half way done, finish them in a thick tomato sauce bursting with onions and peppers and then stuff them into a chewy sub roll and eat the whole thing accompanied by a root beer. But that is something that most people do anyway so I wanted to come up with something a little different. I remembered coming across a recipe for Portuguese Sausage and Kale Soup, not long ago and with “Italian” food on my mind thought a mash up between Portuguese Sausage and Kale Soup and Italian Wedding Soup would work perfectly. Since one of the main ingredients in Italian Wedding Soup is greens (usually spinach or escarole) I figured changing it over to kale wouldn’t be a big deal. And since Italian Wedding Soup also contains meatballs, usually beef or a mix of beef and pork, I figured I could make the meatballs out of sausage. Sure Portuguese Sausage and Kale Soup is usually made with Linguica or Chorizo, but I figured I could take a little artistic license.

Kale is an often underutilized green in this country. I’m as guilty as everyone else, but making this soup reminded me of how good kale can be, and the best part is that it is quite a bit cheaper than fresh spinach or many other fresh greens.

For most dishes that I make, that include meat, I usually brown the meat. It provides color and added flavor to the dish, but this time I decided to forgo that set. First off, in most Italian Wedding Soups that I have seen, the meatballs have been pale. Secondly, I like the light simplicity of this soup as is, and think that browning the meatballs would just muddle up the flavors a bit. Of course, if you prefer to brown the meatballs then go ahead. The soup will still turn out great, though different.

Other than making up the meatballs, this soup is pretty simple to make and pays off with a lot of flavor. While great eaten the day it is made, like most soups this one is even better the next day or the next. Luckily it makes enough that you are guarenteed leftovers, unless you are feeding an army.

Italian Meatball & Kale Soup

Meatball
1 pound Italian sausage (either hot or sweet)
1 large egg
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Soup
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. olive oil
12 cups chicken stock
1 pound kale, stems & thick center vein removed and chopped
2 pounds, waxy potatoes peeled and diced 1/4-1/2″ (I used Yukon Golds)
salt
pepper
Parmesan cheese, grated

For the meatballs: combine all the ingredients and mix well. Form into small meatballs, about the size of marbles, and set aside. You should end up with about 60 meatballs.

For the soup: in a large stock pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, without browning until onions become translucent. Add the stock and bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add the kale and cook for 10 minutes then add the diced potatoes.

Cook 5 minutes longer then gently add in the raw meatballs. Cover and cook for 20 minutes more, or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. Season with salt and pepper. Ladel into bowls and top with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.

This past September my wife and I bought 1/2 a hog and I had promised to write about some of the things I did with the meat. Well, as usual for me, I did a few things, like make bacon, which you can read about here, but then didn’t write much about it after that. It’s not that we haven’t used any of the pork we got, it’s more the fact that I was too lazy to write about it, or didn’t think that the simple roasts we did were worth writing about. This past week I was determined to change that so Sunday was “Sausage Making Day” at the Martin household. With just under 10 pounds of pork trim, I figured that I would make 2 of my favorite fresh sausages, Spicy Italian and Mexican Chorizo. Someday I would like to do some dry cured sausage and salami, but in our current house that probably won’t happen unless I can convince my wife of the need for another refrigerator; one that holds beer in the summer and curing sausages in fall. I’m not going to hold my breath though.

I’ll give you the recipe for the Chorizo in an upcoming post, so that leaves the Italian sausage for today. Sausage making is not difficult, although people seem to think that it is. The only hard part is stuffing the casings, but that is always optional. You can easily make sausage and leave as bulk pack, ready to be turned into sausage patties, meat balls, pizza topping, or crumbled up and used loose. At its most basic, sausage is nothing more than seasoned meat, most often pork although just about any meat can be turned into sausage, that has been run through a meat grinder, or finely chopped. That’s it…nothing more.

Of course, we can refine that a bit to get a better end product. Sausage relies heavily on its fat content. This not only brings moisture and and flavor to the sausage, but also helps to bind the sausage and adds to its mouth feel. Most sausages work on a ratio of 2 parts meat to 1 part fat. This is a rough estimation and your sausage won’t suffer if this ratio is not dead on, as long as it is in the ball park. Now you could get really anal about this and weigh out your lean meat and fat, making sure you have the exact right proportions or you can do it the easy way and just buy an untrimmed pork butt. This cut of meat naturally comes with just about the right proportions.

At one time sausage making was a way to preserve meat for a longer period of time, before the advent of refrigeration. Hogs were butchered in the fall not only because they were at their fattest then, but because the cool weather helped keep the meat longer. Salting and curing meats also helped stave off decay, allowing for longer storage. Today’s fresh sausages don’t really require so much salt as modern refrigeration takes over the role of preservation, but as with bacon, we have come to enjoy the saltiness of a good sausage so salt still plays a major role in flavoring. Beyond salt, flavoring options are virtually endless. Almost all herbs and spices are used in sausage making somewhere in the world, although garlic seems to play a prominent role in the vast majority of them.

One final word about sausage making. If you plan on stuffing sausages, please buy real casings. Some people might cringe at the thought of working with natural casings, but they really do provide the best texture and mouth feel. They are a little less forgiving than artifical casings but, in the end they aren’t that hard to work with.

Spicy Italian Sausage
makes approximately 16 4oz links

4 pounds Pork butt (or pork trim if you are doing your own butchering or cutting) about 70% lean and 30% fat
4 cloves garlic
4 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbs. black pepper, coarse ground
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbs. fennel seed
1 cup red wine

Lightly crack the fennel seeds, using either a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Don’t grind it into a powder, but just slightly crack the fennel. Combine the fennel with the sugar, red pepper flakes, black pepper and salt. Set aside. Cut the pork into 1 inch pieces, removing any heavy connective tissue or silverskin. Also as you are cutting through the large veins of fat look for, and remove, any glands. You can tell its a gland because it will be a dark tan color surrounded by the white of the fat. It also will have a slightly gelatinous look and texture to it. Remove any that you find as they can lend an off flavor to your sausage. Finely mince the garlic then mash it into a coarse paste with the side of your knife blade. Place pork in a large, nonreactive bowl then add the spices and the red wine. Mix well to evenly distribute the seasonings.

Cover with plastic wrap and all to marinate for, at least 2 hours, or overnight. About 1 hour before you are ready to grind your sausage, place all your grinding attachments into the freezer to chill. At this time you will also want to soak about 12-15 feet of natural casings. They usually come salt cured so we need to remove the salt and rehydrate them. Rinse the casings in fresh cold water for about 5 minutes then allow to sit, in fresh cold water, for about 30 minutes. Finally, just before using, open up one end of the casings, place over the faucet and run cold water through them. They are now ready to use. Set up your grinder using the coarse die. Oftentimes sausage is ground twice, once through a coarse die and then again through a smaller die. For this sausage which I like a little more rustic I only grind it once through the coarse die. Working with a handful of pork at a time, push the meat through the grinder, letting it fall into a bowl below.

Once the sausage has been ground gently mix it by hand to ensure that everything is evenly distributed. The sausage is now done and can be used as is, or you can continue on to stuffing.

Set up your stuffer, per the manufacturer’s directions. While I would love to have a stand alone stuffer, that’s not going to happen anytime soon so I use my Kitchenaid and the sausage stuffer attachments. Lightly oil the stuffer tube then slip the casing over the tube, feeding it on until only about 2 inches are hanging off. Many recipes will then tell you to tie a knot in the end, but I find I get a large air bubble so I leave it open for now. With one hand, feed the sausage into the hopper. With the other hand gently guide the sausage as it is being extruded into the casing.

This process can be a little tricky so it may help to have a second person; one to feed the hopper and the other to guide the casing. Eventually, it becomes easier and I usually do it by myself. As the sausage is extruded and starts fill the casings, you want to guide the casing off of the stuffer. The sausage should fill out the casing, but not tightly. If you stuff the sausage too tightly you won’t have room to twist the links and the casings will explode. You also want to avoid any large air bubbles. Continue stuffing the casings until you have used up all of the sausage. Once that it done, tie a knot in one end of the casing, tight against the meat. Measure out about 5 inches of sausage then gently pinch and twist, making 2 rotations towards you. Measure another 4-5 inches and repeat, this time twisting away from you. Continue doing this, alternating between twisting towards and away from you. Once you get to the end, tie another knot again tight against the meat. Don’t worry, if you rupture the casing as you are making your links. Just remove some meat, cut the casing and tie it off at the point, starting again where you left off. I have made a good amount of sausage and still, rupture a casing now and then.

Put the sausage into the fridge, uncovered for about 2-3 hours to dry out the casings slightly, then package and either freeze for future use or use up in the next 4-5 days.

This has been a great summer, here in Wisconsin,for a lot of farmers. We have had a relatively mild summer, with plenty of rain. It’s been years since I’ve seen corn and soy bean fields look as lush and green in the middle of August, and the corn is taller than I remember seeing it in ages. This has also been proven by the the shear abundance of produce at our local farmer’s market. Not only is there more of it, but everything is looking absolutely beautiful, from the large, sweet muskmelons, to the beautifully fragrant herbs, to the ripe, juicy peaches, it’s hard to beat the local produce this year!

It’s August and that means tomato season up here. We’ve harvested a few off of the couple of plants we put out this year, and have already received our first batch from my brother, with plenty more to be had at the farmer’s market. I can’t understand why anyone would even consider buying a grocery store tomato this time of year. Sorry, but there is no comparison between a grocery store tomato, that travelled hundreds of miles and a beautifully vine ripened local tomato.

When you’ve got such great local produce simple is often the way to go. Why mask produce, picked at the peak of ripeness, in lots of layers and heavy flavors. Let the food speak for itself, besides, in the heat of summer who wants to slave over a stove for hours. Keep it fast and simple, is often my motto this time of year, as opposed to my favored long braises that I enjoy in fall and winter.

This simple pasta meets all these requirements. It’s fast. It’s simple. And it takes full advantage of the ripest, most flavorful local and homegrown produce. This pasta, is by no means innovative, but sometimes falling back on the tried and true is the way to go, besides, who can resist that classic combination of tomato, basil and garlic!!!

Classic Tomato Basil Pasta
serves 4

1 pound pasta (linguine or fettuccine)
2 large tomatoes (the freshest, ripest ones you can get your hands on)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, hand torn into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water. Cook to al dente. Do not overcook! Meanwhile core and dice the tomatoes into 1/4-1/2″ cubes. In a large saute pan, add the olive oil, garlic and black pepper. Gently heat until the garlic just starts to cook. Once the pasta is cooked quickly drain and toss into the saute pan. Turn off the heat underneath the saute pan and add the tomatoes and basil. Toss until everything is well combined and the tomatoes and basil have been warmed through. Season with salt, tossing again to mix then divide among 4 plates. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese and more freshly grated black pepper.

Meatloaf just doesn’t get any respect. It has never been able to rise above the ranks of “home cooked meal.” While other comfort foods such as mashed potatoes and mac and cheese have found their ways onto all but the most snobbish of menus, meatloaf hasn’t made many inroads. Sure, it has seen brief moments of popularity, and there are a few chefs out there that regularly menu meatloaf, but on a whole it has never caught on beyond home cooking.

That’s too bad, because meatloaf is one of those infinitely variable dishes. It can be made “old school” like Mom used to, with “ketchup glaze” and Lipton’s French Onion Soup mix or it can be flavored with any variety of herbs and spices, recalling the flavors of a world of cuisines, from Mexican to Indian to German.

Meatloaf is also great for busy families. It can easily be put together in the morning and left in the fridge all day long, while people are at work, then when someone arrives home, all that needs to be done is to toss it in the oven to bake. You can’t get much more simple than that.

I have to admit though, as much of a fan as I am of the humble meatloaf, I definitely prefer it the day after. It makes the perfect sandwich and it is one of the few leftovers that never spoil when I am around. This recipe makes exceptionally good sandwiches and my wife didn’t get much of a chance to eat this, beyond the first night.

Italian Meatloaf

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 eggs
3/4 cup bread crumbs
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 oz. sundried tomatoes, rehydrated and chopped
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Saute the mushrooms in a bit of olive oil until they release all their juices. Add garlic and continue to saute until dry. Cool to room temperature. Combine with all remaining ingredients and form into a free form loaf approximately 5-6″ wide and about 12-14″ long.

Place in a preheated oven and bake, at 350°F, for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a thermometer, inserted into the center, reads 155°F. Remove from oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Sometimes, I’m not so smart. This is sometimes true even when I haven’t been drinking. Take this post, for example. I was planning on posting this recipe last night, but in my excitement I made up my sandwich and ate it before I remembered to shoot a picture of it. Luckily I had plenty of beef leftover so tonight I “forced” myself to eat another one, just so I could take a picture of it to share with you, my readers.

Okay, so it really wasn’t much of a sacrifice since I absolutely love Italian beef sandwiches. While you can find them in most major cities nowadays, Chicago is where it was created and it is in Chicago where this sandwich reaches its apex.

For the uninitiated, a Chicago style Italian beef sandwich is made up of thinly sliced, highly seasoned roast beef that has been warmed in jus, stuffed into a long roll, drizzled with more of the jus, and topped with either fried sweet peppers or giardiniera-a mixture of sliced hot peppers and vegetables. It rivals the Muffuletta (the famous New Orleans sandwich) for its shear messiness, and kicks the Philly Cheesesteak’s ass flavor wise, in my opinion (I’m willing to hear a rebuttal on this, but good luck changing my mind!).

While the sandwich, itself, is not complicated to make, finding a couple of the ingredients may be slightly difficult. First off trying to find the proper giardiniera can be difficult. Any slightly spicy mix of pickled vegetables might be called giardiniera, but not all really work with this sandwich. You want to find a brand that contains mostly sliced hot peppers with just a few other vegetables thrown in, mainly carrots, celery, bell peppers,etc. There are many brands out there that are mostly cauliflower and carrot. Stay away from those, as they don’t provide the right flavor. Scala’s is the brand most recognized in Chicago and I believe you can buy their giardiniera online. The other difficult item to find is the bread. In Chicago there are numerous bakeries that specialize in making loaves for Italian beefs. It can be difficult to find a bread the right size with the right crust and crumb consistencies. Most baguettes are too hard, most “Italian” breads are too large and too soft. Outside of Chicago I have found the best bet is the cheap, grocery store baked “French” bread. I usually stay far away from these loaves that tend to make a mockery out of the French baguette but in this case they work perfectly. The crust is just tough enough to hold all the jus for just about the length of time it takes to eat a sandwich (don’t delay in eating too long or the bread will dissolve into nothing) while the soft interior is perfect for soaking up all that just.

One final word about this recipe. I often try to stay far away from those little beef bouillion cubes, but they are virtually essential to making a jus of the proper flavor so I make an exception in this case.

It is best to roast the beef at least 1 day in advance to cool it down completely. This will help with slicing, especially if you don’t have an electric slicer.

Italian Beef Sandwich

3 pounds beef, sirloin roast (or other less fatty roast)
1/2 Tbsp. oregano, dried
1/2 Tbsp. basil, dried
1/2 Tbsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. black pepper
salt
4 cubes beef bouillon
5 cups hot water
1 loaf french bread
1 jar giardiniera

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly season roast with salt. Mix the spices and dried herbs together along with the peppers. Generously sprinkle over the roast, coating it well on all sides. Place the roast on a rack over a 9×13 pan. In the pan place the beef bouillon and the hot water. Add any remaining season. Roast to an internal temperature of 140°F.

When meat and jus has cooled add meat to jus and refrigerate overnight. The following day slice the beef as thin as you can. This takes a little patience if you don’t have an electric slicer, but try to cut as thinly as possible. Your efforts will be rewarded in the long run. In a pot, heat the jus to a low simmer or just below. You don’t want it boiling or you will overcook your beef. Cut the bread into 6 inch sections and slice open but leave a thick hinge. Taking about 6 oz. of beef, dip it into the hot just and allow it to warm for about 45 seconds, give or take, depending on how out the jus is. What you don’t want to happen is for the beef to start to curl. This means you have overcooked it and it will be dry and tough. When the meat is warmed just through, use tongs to transfer to the bread. Don’t shake off the excess jus. Try to transfer the meat leaving it as wet as possible. Drizzle a little more jus over the top then top the sandwich with as much giardiniera as your mouth can handle, drizzling a little of the oil, the vegetable are packed in, over the top of everything. At this point you want to eat this thing pretty quickly or you find your bread disintegrating before your eyes

It’s been cold up here in Wisconsin the last week or so. I thought I was ready for winter, but this cold snap has taken me by surprise and I’ve found myself taking more time than usual to acclimate to the weather. I hate to think that it is because I am getting older-I turn 40 in just under a month! Whatever the reason, I find myself lying in bed, in the morning, not wanting to get up. Not because I don’t want to go to work, I don’t mind that, but because I am not looking forward to getting into my icy cold car and waiting for it to warm up as I drive to work. I’ve tried to convince the wife to go out and warm up my car for me, but she is being awfully selfish, in my opinion, and not complying with my requests.

When the weather gets like this I search hearty, soul-warming dishes to dine on. There’s just something warming about a big pot of stew, soup or ragu sitting on the stove top, simmering away. I love the way the whole house fills with the aromas of a slow cooked dish, and the way all the windows, in the kitchen, steam up as the heavy, moisture laden air meets the coolness of the glass panes. The weather can rage outside, but while I’m cooking I feel safe and warm.

The other day, I picked up some Italian sausage thinking that I would sear them off and simmer in red sauce to put over pasta. Today, as I looked at them, the whole concept seemed bland, uninspired, and not what I was craving. I was craving something a little more homey and comforting and pasta just didn’t seem to fit the bill tonight, but I had this Italian sausage so my mind kept reeling around that theme, when it dawned on me that I hadn’t made polenta in quite some time.

For those of you not familiar with it, polenta is a cornmeal mush served all over Northern Italy. Don’t worry, it tastes a whole lot better than it sounds. I like it because it is heartier and more earthy than pasta, just the perfect thing for a cold winter’s night. It is a wonderfully versatile product that when served soft can be topped in about as many ways as you can top pasta. It can also be chilled, cut into shapes and baked, grilled or fried and then topped with a variety of sauces and garnishes.

If you come across polenta in American supermarkets (at least in areas without a large American-Italian neighborhood) chances are it will be either the precooked stuff that comes in tubes or the Instant variety. Stay way from both of these products. I have yet to taste either type that I can say anything good about. Instead look for cornmeal, in the baking section. If you can, purchase a coarse ground cornmeal or better yet a stone ground cornmeal, but if all they have is the standard fine ground stuff, still use that instead of the instant polenta. Your taste buds will thank you.

Polenta is a time consuming process, taking usually about 45 minutes to cook, sometimes longer. If you all you have is the fine ground cornmeal it will probably be done in about 30 minutes. Don’t rush the process. If you do, you’ll end up with a gritty texture instead of a smooth and creamy texture.

We’ll start with the ragu recipe as it simmers quite a while, and the polenta can then be made while the ragu is cooking. The key to this ragu is a long slow cooking process. That will develop it’s deep, rich flavor.

Sausage Ragu

2 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 each Carrots, peeled, small dice
1 rib Celery, small dice
2 medium Onion, small dice
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 pound Italian sausage, bulk, or with casings removed (hot or mild-your choice)
1 can (6oz) Tomato paste
1 1/2 cups Red wine
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Half and Half

Heat pot over medium high heat. Add the oil and allow to heat up. Add the carrots, celery and onion, lower heat to medium and cook, slowly until a golden brown (about 20 minutes). Add the garlic and cook 3 minutes longer. Add the sausage and break up, but still leave in bite sized chunks. You don’t want this looking like ground beef. Cook until well browned then add the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly so that the tomato paste doesn’t burn. Add the wine and water. Bring to a hard simmer, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, adding more water if necessary to keep it like a thick sauce. In the last 1/2 hour of cooking add the half and half. When done check seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper. Keep warm

Creamy Sage Polenta

4 cups Water
1 1/3 cups Corn meal, medium or coarse grind if possible
2 Tbsp. Sage, fresh, chopped
1/2 cup Mascarpone
Salt
Pepper

In a sauce pot, bring water, seasoned with salt and pepper, to a boil. Add cornmeal in a slow, steady stream, whisking the whole while so that the cornmeal doesn’t clump together. Once the polenta has thickened switch to a wooden spoon for stirring. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 40-45 minutes or until done. You don’t need to stir constantly, but you do need to stir it every few minutes to that it doesn’t burn on the bottom. Polenta is done when it starts to pull away from the sides of the pot when you stir it. With about 5 minutes left, add the sage. When done, stir in the mascarpone and remove from heat.

To serve, place a mound of polenta in the middle of a plate and top with Sausage Ragu. Serves 4

I will never be mistaken for one of the more prolific bloggers around, but this month, so far, has seen less than usual activity from me. I apologize, work and family has kept me pretty busy the last few weeks, and I haven’t had a chance to do much serious cooking, let alone writing. But I’m back now, though I never completely left, and hopefully I’ll have a chance to blog on a more regular basis.

In the last few weeks, we’ve been ordering in pizza quite a bit, eating leftovers and reheating homemade soup. I felt it was time I make a special dinner for my wife. She tends to eat a lot of pasta and noodles so I wanted to stay away from those, but I was craving carbs so I figured I do a rich, creamy risotto, and since my wife loves shrimp I would make a shrimp risotto.

This version of risotto is not for the weak of heart. It’s got plenty of butter, cheese and cream to stop a horse, but as long as you aren’t eating like this regularly, then this is worth splurging for. This recipe serves 2-3 people. Don’t be alarmed. The portions aren’t huge, but because this dish is so rich the servings are plenty big!

Shrimp Risotto

1/4 cup Olive Oil
3 large cloves Garlic, minced
1 each Shallot, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice
5 cups Stock (shrimp* or chicken) or water
1/2 cup White Wine
3/4 cup Peas
12 each 16/20 Shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into thirds
1/2 cup Cream
4 Tbsp. Butter
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 each Tomato, pulp removed and flesh diced
1/4 cup Green Onions, minced
Salt
Pepper

Bring stock or water to a simmer. Meanwhile in a large pot heat oil over medium high heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook until starting to turn translucent. Add the Arborio rice and cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Add wine and cook until fully absorbed. Start adding broth or water, about 1/2 cup at a time, and stirring until almost fully absorbed before adding more liquid. Continue this process until rice is al dente. This should take about 18 minutes. You might not use all the stock or water or you might need a bit more. The rice should be cooked but still firm, not soft, and it should be creamy but not loose or soupy. When the rice is about 3/4 of the way done add the peas. 2 minutes later add the shrimp. When the rice is done add the butter cheese and cream. Cook 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and stir in the diced tomato. Divide among plates and garnish with the green onions.

*To make a simple shrimp stock. Reserve the shrimp shells from the shrimp you peeled to make this dish. Place them in a pot with 1/2 onion, diced and 1 rib of celery, diced. Fill with enough water to cover, bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 30 minutes. Drain off the stock, pressing on the solids to release as much liquid as possible.

This past Saturday my brother and his wife came up to spend the weekend. The plan was for them to arrive in time for dinner on Saturday and then they and I would head out and hit one of the local haunted houses for a good scare. The wife opted to stay home and take care of our daughter. She may love a good scary movie, but haunted houses, with all the loud noises and people jumping out, at her, just isn’t her idea of a fun time. The weather was cool, bordering on cold and just a little rainy so I was looking to make something that was warming, soul satisfying, but not overly heavy. I wasn’t in the mood for soup or chili and stew seemed a little too heavy when I remembered that it had been awhile since I had made risotto. Served with pan roasted chicken breast, it would be the perfect dish for the night; warm and comforting, yet it wouldn’t weigh us down as we ducked ghouls and ghosts and ran from bloodthirsty serial killers. Since it is Autumn, I decided to garnish the risotto with mushrooms and fresh sage, which also made a wonderful compliment to the simply pan roasted chicken breasts.

Mushroom Risotto
6 ounces Mushrooms (use a few varieties. I used white, shiitake and portobello mushrooms)
1 each Shallot, minced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 1/4 cups Arborio rice (or other Italian rice normally used for risotto such as Carnaroli)
1/4 cup White Wine
4 cups Chicken Stock
2 tsp. Fresh Sage, minced
2 Tbsp. Fresh Chives, minced
4 Tbsp. Butter
1/4-1/3 cup Parmesan, grated
Salt
Pepper

Bring chicken broth to a boil, reduce heat and allow to stay at a simmer. Meanwhile heat a large pot over high heat and add 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and saute until golden brown. Add shallots and garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add remaining olive oil, then the rice. Stir until the rice is coated with oil then add the wine. Stir the rice and cook until the wine is full absorbed. Turn heat down to medium high. Add about 1/2 cup of the stock and cook until absorbed, stirring the entire time. Add another 1/2 cup of stock, stirring and cooking until absorbed. Don’t stop stirring the risotto. The stirring is the key to a good, creamy risotto. Continue this process until the rice is al dente. Don’t over cook the rice or it will be too mushy. It may not take quite all the stock or it might take just a little more than the 4 cups depending on the rice and will take about 18 minutes to cook. Add the sage about 1/2 way through the cooking process. When done remove from heat and stir in the butter and Parmesan cheese.   Check the seasoning and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.  Have everything else, that you are serving, ready as risotto does not like to sit around and will continue to cook and get mushy if not served right away. When serving garnish with the fresh chives. This makes enough risotto for 4 generous side dishes.