Recipe of the Week

For each person that is learning how to cook,
there comes that time in the process where
you really start to enjoy the things that you are making.
The dishes don't feel like they are missing something,
and you want to keep eating your food.

I've been feeling that way lately, and it's just happened
in the past few months. I've really been enjoying what I've
been making-especially this weeks featured recipe.
I found it in the latest edition of Living (naturally)
and it is one of the most satisfying things that I have ever made.

Bonus: it only calls for a cup of wine, which leaves you
with some to drink while you patiently
wait through the 2.5 hours of cooking time.

Boeuf Bourguignon Soup

-4 Bone-in short ribs (2lbs total)
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
-2 teaspoons cornstarch
-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
(I used grapeseed oil because it is better with high heat)
-8 oz white button mushrooms, quartered
(I used cremini mushrooms)
-3 carrots, 2 finely chopped and 1 cut into 3/4" cubes
(I just used 2 carrots, one chopped and one cubed)
-3 shallots, minced
-2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
-2 strips of bacon, thinly sliced crosswise
-1 tbsp tomato paste
-2 thyme sprigs
-1 dried bay leaf
-1 cup dry red wine, such as burgundy
-8 cups homemade or store bought low sodium
beef stock
-2 cups water

1.Season the ribs with 1/2 tsp salt and some pepper.
Coat with cornstarch. Heat oil in a large heavy pot
over medium high heat. Lightly brown ribs on all sides
-about 6 mins, transfer to a plate.

2. Add mushrooms to the pot. Cook until browned-
about 4 mins. transfer to a bowl with the cubed carrots.

3.Add shallots, bacon, celery, and chopped carrots to
the pot. Cook until caramelized-about 6 mins.
Stir in tomato paste

4. Return ribs, with plate juices, to pot. Add thyme and bay
leaf. Raise heat to high. Add wine. Cook, scraping up brown bits
with a wooden spoon, until slightly reduced-about 2 minutes.
Add stock and water. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer partially covered until beef is tender
-about 2, 2 1.2 hours.

5.Remove ribs. Separate meat from bones;discard.
Cut meat into bite size pieces; return to pot. Add
reserved carrot and mushroom mixture.
Bring to a simmer; cook until the cubed carrots are tender.
Season with salt if necessary.

Serve over top of herbed egg noodles.
(egg noodles combined with fresh cut
flat leaf parsley) and with a side of
Horseradish Chive Bread.

Preheat oven to 375F
Mash 1 stick of room temperature unsalted butter
with 2 tbsp horseradish and 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
until smooth. Season with coarse salt. Slice 1 large french bread loaf
without cutting all the way through. Generously spread butter mixture
evenly onto each piece and wrap loaf in foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve warm.


(The bread is great for dipping, and it can be made
on a smaller scale too. I just used 3 slices, didn't wrap it in foil,
and made a small batch of the butter mixture. It was delicious)