Osso Buco with Sun Dried Tomato and Carmelized Onion Risotto

This Saturday I was feeling a bit like the Toronto Maple Leafs ... in desperate need of a win.  After a series of unabashed kitchen failures I decided to turn to a meal creation process that usually pays off for me: pick an element that I know well and base everything else on that.  It's a bit like playing improv jazz (something I did quite a bit when I was younger); you pick a key, a riff and then expand on that theme so that everything you play sounds like a constructed song, even though you're making it up as you go along.  In this case, I chose the key of Italian and the riff was sun dried tomato.

We started with sun dried tomato risotto because it's FANTASTIC and I've been making risotto for over 20 years so I knew I could make that work.  Osso buco seemed like an ideal pairing because the creamy marrow and delicate meat would echo the creamy risotto.  It also had the benefit of being braised for only slightly over an hour so we could make the risotto while it cooked. The citrus punch from the gremolata topping goes well with the sun dried tomatoes in the risotto.

Most osso buco recipes call for braising in white or red wine, aromatic veggies and whole or diced tomatoes.  I decided to substitute sun dried tomatoes for the fresh or canned ones as I wanted to match the flavour from the risotto.  We then strained and reduced the sauce which allowed us to concentrate the sun dried tomato flavor even more and meant that we wouldn't drown the risotto in a lot of liquid.  The resulting dish isn't as colourful as the traditional version but I think it tastes more intense.

Osso buco:
4 osso buco (slices of veal shank)
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, chopped
4 sun dried tomatoes, whole
3 cups white wine
2 cups veal or beef stock
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary

Gremolata:
Zest of one lemon
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 tbsp parsley, diced
1 tsp olive oil

Risotto:
3 onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 cups arborio rice (accept no substitutes)
1 cup sun dried tomatoes, diced
2 cups stock + 2 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup grated parmesan

Preheat the oven to 350F.
I like to start caramelizing the onions first because I cook them in the oven, which takes longer but saves labour (you can do them on the stove in a frying pan if you prefer). In a large pot, toss the onions in oil. Cover and place in the oven for about 30-45 minutes. If you're out of time and there is still liquid in the pot or if they are not fully caramelized, remove from oven and transfer to the stove on medium heat to finish. Remove the lid and let cook until any remaining liquid has cooked off and the onions are the colour of caramel. While the onions are in the oven, make the gremolata so that it can spend some time ... gremolating.  Simply combine the ingredients in a small bowl or ramekin, cover and refrigerate.

Turn the oven up to 400F. Dust the shanks in flour and brown them on all sides over high heat in a high sided oven-proof pan that's large enough to hold them.  Remove them to a plate and saute the carrots and celery in the same pan.  When they begin to soften and become fragrant (2-3 minutes), add the onions, garlic, herbs and saute 2-3 minutes more.  Add the meat, stock and 2 cups of wine.  Bring to a boil, cover and place in the oven for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325F for ~45 minutes. 

While the osso buco is cooking make the risotto.  Combine the water and stock in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low to keep the stock warm.  In a large pot, saute the garlic on medium high heat until fragrant, add the rice and stir to coat.  When the rice is coated in the oil, start to ladle in the warm stock while stirring.  As the stock is absorbed, ladle more in while stirring so the risotto is always wet but not drowning in stock (stirring is the key to creamy risotto and the reason why Italian grandmothers will always beat you at arm wrestling).  As it cooks, the starch starts to come out of the rice and the risotto takes on a creamy texture.  Stop when the rice still has some bite and is a little al dente, before it turns mushy.  Ideally the stock/water runs out when the dish is done but you may need slightly more or less depending on how the risotto gods feel that day.  Once cooked, thoroughly stir in the diced sun dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, and Parmesan and remove from heat.

If all goes well, the osso buco should finish around the time the risotto is done.  Remove the meat to a plate and cover.  Add the last cup of wine, bring to a boil then strain and discard the vegetables, reserving the tomatoes.  Reduce liquid and tomatoes until the sauce thickens.  You can add some butter but I found it was smooth enough on its own.

Layer a spoonful of risotto on a plate, top with meat and one of the tomatoes from the sauce.  Drizzle with sauce, sprinkle with gremolata and serve.  This pairs really well with Italian red wine like San Giovese or Chianti (we chose Chianti) as the wine won't overpower the food.

Creamy Mushroom Soup in Bread Bowls

For most of my life, my relationship with mushrooms has fluctuated between blind hatred and cool indifference. As a child, I would pick them out of stirfry, eat around them in salads, and recoil in horror if a rebellious mushroom somehow made it on to my pizza. In high school, I was voted "least likely to ever post a mushroom recipe on a food blog". Yet, here I am, defying expectations and embracing my former enemy with open arms. How did this happen? Clearly I have a great capacity for personal growth. My mushroom-loving boyfriend may have also had something to do with it. However, the tipping point came about a year ago when we were on vacation in Lake Placid. Adam ordered a mushroom soup that came served in a bread bowl. Initially I was indifferent, perhaps even slightly disappointed that he didn't order something delicious that I could sample. Then...the aroma wafted across the table and I became curious. How could something so vile, so greige, smell so appetizing? One spoonful turned to several spoonfuls (to Adam's dismay) and before I knew it, I was a mushroom fan. A mushroom soup fan, at least. This recipe is my attempt to recreate that game-changing meal.

My biggest beef with mushrooms ("mmm, beef with mushrooms" - Adam) has always been their texture. Unfortunately this precluded me from every appreciating their delicious woodsy flavour. This soup is blended until it's smooth and creamy, which means I can enjoy the Umami experience without issue.

Serves 4

drizzle of grapeseed oil
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
3 shallots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
5-6 cups chopped mushrooms (I use oyster, shitake, and cremini)
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
dash of Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cups heavy cream
salt and pepper
truffle salt to garnish (optional)
4 crusty buns

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the celery and shallots and stir. Let cook for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and thyme. Saute for 2-3 minutes longer until softened. Add the chopped mushrooms and stir to combine. Saute for 5 minutes until the mushrooms have released their liquid and have softened (you'll know you're getting close when the mushrooms stop squeaking). Add the stock and Worcestershire and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and let cook for 10 minutes.

While the soup cooks, you can prepare the bread bowls. Cut around the edge of the bun and remove the top portion. Scoop out some of the bread inside to make a bowl (this is my cook's treat but you can also save it for bread crumbs).

Remove the soup from the heat. Using a stick blender (or in bathes in a regular blender), blend the soup until smooth. Add the cream and stir until incorporated. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed, it almost always needs a generous pinch of salt at this point. Give it one final stir to incorporate everything. Scoop into bread bowls, garnish with a sprinkle of truffle salt, and serve.  

Squash, Blue Cheese, and Arugula Pizza with Figs

I love this pizza. I love everything about it - the sweetness of the figs, the tangy blue cheese, the crust that is crisp on the outside and tender inside. I love nutritious and tasty addition of squash and arugula that allows me to pretend that, even though it's pizza, it's really not that bad for me (silence, carb haters!). I love the way it makes just enough for a weeknight meal for two with leftovers for lunch the next day. I love the way it tastes fresh from the oven. I love the way it tastes when eaten cold, straight from the office fridge. I love how it brightens my day, even as I eat it hunched over my desk at work while trying, frantically, to meet a deadline. I love how it embodies everything I would have hated to eat as a child (moldy blue cheese, mushy squash, green stuff!) but now love because I've matured into a worldly, food-blogging sophisticate. My only issue with this pizza is that it's difficult to eat it while patting myself on the back for being a worldly, food-blogging sophisticate, it's really a two-hand or knife and fork pizza.

Makes 1 large pizza (about 6-8 slices)

Pizza Dough

1 cup warm water

1 package active yeast (about 2 1/2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon sugar or honey

2 1/2 cups flour (plus extra for dusting work surface)
1/2 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Pizza Toppings

1/2 butternut squash (about 1 lb)
1 teaspoon crushed chili flakes
olive oil

6 dried figs, roughly chopped (you can also use fresh if available)

2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese (goat cheese is also great)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 1/2 cups arugula

salt and pepper

Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water in a bowl or large Pyrex measuring cup. Let stand for about 10 minutes until the mixture is frothy. Combine the flour, salt, yeast mixture, and olive oil in a large mixing blow and mix together until well combined. Using your hands, form the dough into a smooth ball, adding more flour as needed. Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 30-40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400F. Peel the butternut squash and remove all the seeds. Slice the squash cross-wise into 1/4" thick pieces (the shape isn't important as long as they are evenly and thinly sliced). Arrange the squash on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Roast until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Turn the oven up to 425F.

Punch down the pizza dough and transfer to a floured work surface. Gently spread the dough into whatever shape you like. I bake this on an oiled rectangular baking tray but you could also use a pizza stone.  Bake for 3-5 minutes, until the dough has stiffened and is slightly puffed up but not browned. Remove from the oven and drizzle with olive oil. Arrange the squash slices, figs, and cheeses on the pizza dough and return to the oven for another 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and dough is golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with arugula and freshly ground pepper. I like to let the arugula wilt for a minute or two before slicing and serving.

Mini Pavlova with Balsamic Strawberries and Cream

Remember when you were a kid and you thought that clouds were soft, cottony, pillows that you could float on, if only you could somehow reach them? Perhaps there was a castle there and a room full of toys. No? Just me? Well, I used to dream that I could go there in my sleep and I'd never have to do chores, like sweeping, ever again. It was glorious. Then I lost my Les Miserables soundtrack and forgot all about it.

Now, of course, I understand that clouds are nothing more than water droplets suspended in the atmosphere. Here on earth, we have meringue. My favourite thing about this recipe is watching simple egg whites transform into velvety, billowing, meringue clouds. When baked, the meringue becomes slightly crisp on the outside and soft like a marshmallow on the inside. Top them with a fluffy dollop of whipped cream and just about any fruit you like, then serve one to your boyfriend in exchange for sweeping the floors. You'll be in heaven.

Makes about 16 Pavlova

For the meringue:
8 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
2 tsp corn starch
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp white wine vinegar

For the topping:
2 cups chopped strawberries
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup strawberry coulis (see recipe)
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine the strawberries, balsamic, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Set aside while you make the meringues (you can also do this step ahead of time and keep the berries in the fridge until you're ready to serve).

Preheat oven to 300F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Trace circles onto the parchment paper using a drinking glass that is about 10 cm in diameter. You should be able to fit 6-8 circles onto each parchment, depending on the size or your baking trays.

Combine the sugar and corn starch in a bowl. In a separate bowl or stand-up mixer, beat the egg whites on high (it's important to use a clean, dry bowl). While beating, gradually add the sugar/cornstarch one spoonful at a time. Continue to beat until the mixture is glossy and forms stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and vinegar and whip briefly to incorporate.

With a spoon or your fingertip, place a small dot of meringue under each corner of the parchment paper. This will help it stick to the baking tray and make it easier to sculpt the meringues. Spoon about 3/4 cup of meringue onto each circle. Using the back of a spoon, make a small indentation in each meringue to make room for the filling. Place the baking trays on the centre rack in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and let sit in the oven for another 30 minutes until the meringues are golden. Remove and transfer to a rack to cool.

Whip the cream with the remaining two tablespoons of sugar and vanilla. To serve, top each meringue with the whipped cream, a spoonful of strawberries, and drizzle of strawberry coulis. 

Puppy Chow

I lived in Florida for a brief period of time and when working there I had the chance to meet a lot of great people from all over the US and eat a lot of new and 'different' foods that I had never tried before, such as deep fried pickles, sausage gravy (thinking it was a vat of oatmeal at breakfast one day I sprinkled it with brown sugar...mhmm) and puppy chow.  Puppy chow is a sweet treat that is simple to make and a sure crowd-pleaser.  It  is also great mixed with popcorn and pretzels or served on ice cream.

Makes 4 cups of chow!

4 cup Chex or Crispix cereal

1/4 cup natural peanut butter

1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup icing sugar

*large resealable plastic bag

In a large bowl combine peanut butter, chocolate and butter.  Microwave in 30 second increments stirring after each heating, until mixture is melted and smooth.  Alternatively you could melt this mixture over a double boiler.  Add vanilla and stir to combine.  Add cereal to PB and chocolate mix and gently stir to coat cereal well.  Once cereal is well coated place cereal into large resealable bag with icing sugar.  Seal bag and shake until cereal is well coated in sugar.  Serve!

Mediterranean Braised Chicken

This is one of my boyfriend's signature dishes.  He loves anything with rich, meaty flavour or that is saucy. Think Indian food, Bolognese and braised meats.  This dish falls into the braised meats category, where chicken thighs are slowly simmered with flavours from the Mediterranean to create a tangy, velvety sauce.  We always used to eat this served with broad flat noodles or rice, however, just recently discovered soft polenta which I think is the perfect side dish.  I can't wait to taste what he cooks up next!

Serves 4

1/4 cup all purpose flour

salt and pepper

8-10 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless

4 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 sprig rosemary

1 sweet onion, large slices
3 cloves garlic, sliced
4 Roma tomatoes, quartered and seeded
1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
1 1/2 cups white wine


Combine flour, salt and pepper on a large plate.  Dredge chicken thighs in flour and shake off the excess.  In a large skillet with a lid, heat oil over medium high heat.  In two batches, sear chicken thighs about 3 minutes per side or until just browned.  Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.  Return the pan to medium heat and add rosemary and onions.  Cook for about 7-8 minutes then add garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes and olives and return chicken to pan, once tomatoes have softened slightly (about 3 minutes) add wine to skillet and bring to a boil, once boiling turn heat to low and simmer chicken for about 20-30 minutes. Serve.

Gnocchi success at last!

 Gnocchi are a fabulous pasta.  When done right they're like delicious little down pillows.  When done wrong they're a bit like eating chunks of old gum.  I was always told that the key was not to add too much flour and not to work them too much.  In practice I found this a bit like taking advice from Wayne Gretzsky "Just go to where to puck is going to be!", great in theory but practically impossible.  

Gnocchi are our white whale ... or at least they used to be.  Some of our greatest kitchen disasters and best concrete substitutes have come from failed gnocchi attempts.  It actually got to the point where T-Moo wouldn't even try any more and the mere mention of gnocchi would cause her to lie on the floor and scream like a tired 3 year old in a grocery store.  So I was ecstatic when I took a cooking class on a recent business trip to London and finally learned how to make Gnocchi in a reliable way.  It turns out the key, like a fine cigar, is hand rolling!

Quantities are all per person:

1 baked russet potato

1 egg yolk, beaten

~1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

Scoop the inside of the potatoes into a bowl and mash with a fork until it's no longer chunky or use a potato ricer if you have one (I have two ... for some reason).  Add the eggs and mix thoroughly, slowly adding flour until it starts to form a dough ball.  It will start like a bowl of wall paper paste but should start to come together after adding a couple of tablespoons of flour per potato (the amount will depend on the size of the eggs and potatoes).


When the dough starts to come away from the side of the bowl pick up a chunk about the size of a baseball with your hands and roll it around in the flour to dust it all over (your hands will get very dirty).  Once dusted, pick up the dough ball and roll it around in your hands until it becomes wet again (the egg will seep through as you roll) and then re-dust and repeat rolling.  Repeat this rolling and dusting process until the egg stops seeping through the flour dust (usually 3-5 times).  The dough won't firm up much because there isn't any gluten in the potatoes and so you have to treat it gently.

Flour an area of your counter or cutting board to work the dough. Take the dough balls and roll them into long snakes about 2cm thick much like you used to do with PlayDough when you were a kid (you used to do that too right?).  You can now use a fork to gently press grooves into the snakes or leave them as is.  Cut the snakes into pieces about 2-3cm long.  The dough will still be very tacky inside and quite soft so the best way to do this is to chop down quickly and then flick the pieces to the side with your knife to prevent them from sticking to each other and to the knife.

Add the gnocchi to a large pot of boiling salted water.  They're done when they float.  Avoid over cooking them as they'll just disintegrate into the pasta water.