Extra Schmaltz!

I never would have expected that one of the best meals I ever made would be a sandwich. Of course, the roast beef could be served as-is or with a sauce, but combined with the aioli (garlic and olive oil mayonnaise) and served on a roll with some roasted red peppers it's outstanding. This is a case when 'slow food' really pays off. The white bits on top are real provolone, which doesn't slice well, but tastes great. Roast Beef 3 lb. rump roast, rolled with butcher's twine ~1.5 quarts of warm water 3 Tbsp. wine 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 c. Kosher salt 1/4 c. brown sugar 2 cloves garlic, smashed 2 bay leaves 5 allspice berries 10 black peppercorns, lightly crushed 1/4 tsp. celery salt Dissolve the salt and sugar in the warm water, wine, and Worcestershire sauce to make 2 gallons of brine. Add the spices. Place the rump roast and brine in a one-gallon ziploc and refrigerate overnight. Preheat the oven to 325°. Pat the roast dry and then coat ...

Is this the true alfredo sauce? I have no idea, as I have not been to Italy. (Answer is: No, a true alfredo is just butter and parm. I wanted to make something with reduced cream, though.) This is, however, amazingly decadent and delicious and is made with simple ingredients. It also kicks the pants off of any pre-made alfredo sauce. A meal that could possibly make vegetarianism bearable (hah!). 3/4 lb. fettuccine noodles* 1 pint heavy cream 3/4 stick butter 1/3 c. grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano 1/3 c. grated Pecorino Romano Salt for noodle water Lots of freshly ground black pepper Place the cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer until it reduces by half (about 25 minutes). Whisk in 4-5 tablespoons cold butter, alternating with the cheese. Boil the the noodles in well-salted water until firm al dente (10 minutes). Reserve one cup of the cooking water and drain the noodles. In the pan that you used to cook the noodles, heat the remaining table...

This recipe is actually a melding of two previous recipes: Hmong Chicken Salad and Fresh Spring Rolls . It would be hard to find something that isn't delicious in a spring roll, but this is a particularly tasty combination with a zingy, juicy flavor. I am also including the recipe for hoisin peanut sauce. This batch makes about 8 spring rolls--increase as necessary. Chicken Salad Spring Rolls 8 banh trang spring roll wrappers 4 oz. rice vermicelli noodles 2 c. Hmong Chicken Salad 4 large lettuce leaves, sliced very thin across the midrib 1 carrot, thinly julienned 3" slice of daikon, julienned Place the rice noodles in a bowl and submerge in boiling water. Let sit for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Cut the pile of noodles a few times with kitchen scissors. Fill a pie platter with warm water. Briefly wet a wrapper in the warm water and place it on a moistened plate. Place a rectangular pile of lettuce in the center of the wrapper, then put a small amoun...

I've had asparagus cut this way, but it's not as fun to eat when you don't get to bite into the shoot. I think that green beans are a better application for this technique. They're a bit of a pain to cut like this, but boy they're yummy. 8-16 oz. green beans 1 red bell pepper 3 shallots olive oil dash of red pepper flakes splash of white wine ground black pepper salt Boil some well salted water for blanching the green beans. Cut the green beans on a fine, thin bias. Blanch for 3 minutes or until they are just tender. Shock in cold water and drain. Cut the red pepper into a very fine dice, and slice the shallots thinly. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan and add the shallots and red pepper flakes. Saute for 2 minutes and then add the diced red pepper and saute until they start to brown on the edges. Add the green beans and black pepper and stir for 2 minutes. Add the wine and salt and simmer until the liquid evaporates.

If you want a delicious and comforting curry that will keep you full for hours or perhaps even days, this is the one for you. It uses ingredients that are easy to keep on hand, so it's good in a pinch. It's more sweet than spicy, so it's good for the spice-averse. There are many ways to make it, but this is how I learned. You can make it with chicken or beef, though if you use beef you may want to simmer the meat in the liquid a lot longer. 1 lb. boneless chicken, cut into 1" pieces 14 oz. can of coconut milk 4 oz. can of massaman curry paste 1 large onion, cut into 1" pieces 1 1/2 c. potato or white sweet potato in 1" pieces 1/2 c. carrots, in chunks (optional) 14 oz. water or chicken broth 1/2 c. raw peanuts or cashews 3 Tbsp. palm sugar or brown sugar 3 Tbsp. tamarind sauce (can be substituted with 1 tsp. lime juice) 2 Tbsp. fish sauce Salt to taste Begin by cooking the potato in a separate pan until almost fully cooked. In a deep saute pa...