I had a really nice piece of beef sitting in the fridge and wanted to do something a little different with it. Nothing really jumped out at me from the cookbooks I was looking in but I did see a sauce idea for a rather simple version of Bordelaise sauce. So I thought ok, that’ll work but it still doesn’t help me with the beef. Rummaging through the pantry I moved a bag of coffee…and well…there’s where the idea for a coffee rub came from. Sometimes it just hits you. (more…)
Sunday Dinner
40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken With Tarragon Mustard Sauce
I don’t think I had cooked any chicken since before Thanksgiving so this was a refreshing change of pace for us from all of the Christmas/New Year’s overindulging. Now that I think about it, I am pretty sure the last time we had a chicken dinner here at home I made 40 cloves of garlic chicken. It was the first time I tried my hand at it and Cheryl said ‘this would be a good blog post.’ As is often the case, she was correct. (more…)
Duck and Farro Stew to Chase the Cold Away
Last weekend was cold and rainy. Typical spring Chicago weather, 80s in the week then down to the 50s as rain and a cold front moved through. I had just turned the thermostat over to AC so go ahead and blame me for jinxing it. Sunday dinner required something hot and warming to chase away the chill. Duck stew fit right in. (more…)
Pork Cheek Ragu with Mushrooms
While rummaging through the freezer last week for some fatback to make sausages, I discovered a package of pork cheeks tucked away in a corner. Needless to say, this excited me greatly, and I had an idea what to make with them: pork cheek ragu. A spin on one of my all-time favorite dishes from a long-since-closed restaurant in my old city of Washington DC. (more…)
Choucroute Garnie
One benefit of all my charcuterie experimenting is we usually have some sausages and cured meat tucked away somewhere, just in case. At the moment we’ve got quite a variety with some speck, coppa, sausages, and bacon, so there occurred a great opportunity to cook up a pot of cured meat deliciousness: choucroute garnie. (more…)
Macaroni and Cheese (with Duck Confit)
If last week’s post was all about pure decadence, this week’s post is all about simple comfort food with one of the most beloved side dishes of all time: macaroni and cheese. Ok, so I added some duck confit to it for just a teensy touch of decadence. But if you’ve been following this blog long enough you know I rarely just do the regular stuff. (more…)
Braised Beef Tenderloin Prince Albert (not in a can)
Last week’s post was a minimalist, economical, extremely simple soup recipe. This week is the exact opposite: maximalist, decadent, and technical cooking. Last weekend was the first Sunday in over a month where we weren’t sick or traveling so Cheryl challenged me to whip up something extra special for Sunday dinner. Since I was on a bit of a French cuisine run I turned to Julia Child and found this recipe for Filet de Boeuf Braise Prince Albert. Beef, foie gras, truffles, and a delicious sauce. How much more decadent can it get? I’m not sure who this particular Prince Albert was but he was a very lucky guy if he was able to have this whenever he wanted. (more…)
