Bolognese Sauce & My Purse

I had to go the grocery store this morning to buy a few items for a Bolognese Sauce I want to make today. Just a few things, like tomatoes, a fresh hunk of parmesan cheese. All the other ingredients I already have, including some lovely Pappardelle Pasta. 

I have this trick I do with my purse when I go grocery shopping and I'll tell you about it, but first you have to know some things about my purse. Number one thing is it's big. It's a big leather brown shoulder purse that I paid way too much for about 5 years ago. I keep alot of things in my purse, so it's not only big, it's heavy. Ask anyone who has ever had to hold my purse (as in here, could you hold this a minute?) or hand me my purse (as in, could you hand me my purse?). My purse is so heavy that I don't like to carry it for long. When I go grocery shopping I put it in the baby seat of the cart. Now I know that's not safe, because everyone knows thieves hang out in grocery stores just waiting to snatch women's purses from baby seats while the unwitting women are squeezing the tomatoes - that's where my trick comes in. 

This morning my purse felt exceptionally heavy. Heavier than most days. After a quick inventory of its contents, I discovered why. Here's a quick list of my purses contents, I'm reasonably sure that I could survive (along with my family of five) for at least a year on the contents of my purse:

1. Wallet containing credit and debit cards, coupons, 47 cents, pictures k through 12 of all 4 children, pictures of both granddaughters, engagement picture of son and daughter-in-law, insurance cards, drivers license, PADI C-card (in case I need to go scuba diving at a moment's notice), at least 8 "store" cards - like PetSmart, Drug Fair, Macy's, etc.) prescription slips, mac receipts never given to my husband, dog's rabies vaccination tag, current dog license, dog license from deceased dog, health insurance card, cell phone cheat sheet, various receipts from clothing stores, life-time weight watcher membership from 1990, weight watcher pound counter from 1990.
   
2. Pens
   
3. Notepad
4. dog treats
5. gum
6. nutrigrain bar
7. breath mints
8. cell phone
9. cell phone charger
10. blue tooth ear thing that I never figured out how to work
11. makeup
12. comb
13. hairbrush
14. band aids
15. prescriptions (1 week supply for everyone in the house)
16. tampons
17. pads with wings (my daughter likes the ones with wings)
18. tissues
19. bottle opener (hey, you never know)
20. cork screw (ditto)
21. keys to every house I ever lived in
22. car keys
23. toothpicks
24. chapstick
25. matches
26. mirror
27. thing that cuts your seatbelt and breaks your window if you drive into a lake
28. small flashlight
29. reading glasses that I bought at the drug store for $5.00
30. tylenol
31. pepcid ac
32. motrin
33. vitamins
34. lactaid (husband is lactose intolerant and you never know when you are going to eat cheese)
35. business cards (mine and others of people I don't know or can't remember)
36. Clie (pda)
37. Old dog collar (again, you never know)
38. Cold medicine (sniff)
39. perfume
40. hand cream

At least that's what is at the top of my purse. I'm a little frightened about reaching into the depths of it. I think the extra weight is from the recently added puppy biscuits. Anyway, when I put my heavy purse in the baby seat compartment of the grocery cart, to thwart any attempt by thieves with a hand cart or fork lift trying to steal my purse while I'm squeezing a melon, I hook the little baby restraint straps through the straps of my purse and click. Viola! Instant purse lock. Clever right? or maybe I should just clean out my purse - but what would we do in the event of an emergency??

BOLOGNESE SAUCE: serves 6

One stalk celery, diced

One medium spanish onion, diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons unsalted butter 

This makes up your soffritto or in french, your mire pore. The basis of all stocks and sauces. Think flavor, flavor, flavor. 

1 pound ground beef

1 teaspoon flour

3 teaspoons tomato paste

1/2 cup beef stock

1/2 cup red wine

14 ounces canned (or fresh) chopped tomatoes with juices

nutmeg, salt and pepper

1 pound pasta of choice

fresh Parmesan for top.

Saute your soffrito ingredients over low heat until nice and soft. Add the garlic last to keep from burning. When the soffritto is soft and fragrant, add: 1 pound ground beef

Cook until beef is cooked through, then sprinkle flour over beef. Add the tomato paste, beef stock, wine and tomatoes and bring to simmer. Grate a good 8 gratings of nutmeg over top. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Partially cover and simmer for 1 hour - stirring every 15 minutes or so to insure sauce is not sticking to bottom of pot. 

Adjust your seasonings. 

Make your pasta.

Serve with italian bread and pass the parmesan.

Now eat, you'll need your strength in case I ask you to hold my purse. 

Tuna Steaks with Roasted Cipolline Onions

I keep getting fooled by Mother Nature. This morning it was snow flurrying on Holly Bear and I at the dog park. Brr... Everyday I look out my kitchen window promising the grill we will get reacquainted only to be foiled by nature. 

Tonight I think I'll fight back with a little comfort food (for my spring cold) and a little bit of spring by grilling indoors. I adapted this recipe from an original by Giada De Laurentiis. (who I secretly hate because she weighs 1 1/2 pounds fully dressed).

Roasted Cipolline Onions:(chip-o-lean-ee)

1 pound cipolline onions- skins removed. (to easily remove skins, drop in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes. cool. The skins will slip right off)

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Whisk it all together, coat onions, put in a small oven proof casserole and roast at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes(uncovered). You will know they are done when they are soft and the balsamic vinegar has reduced to a syrup stage. Salt & Pepper to taste.

Tuna Steaks: (enough for 4 people)

2 tuna steaks (about 1/2 pound each)

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 T lemon juice (don't make me say it... FRESH SQUEEZED.. throw that bottle out)

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt, few grinds fresh black pepper. 

Whisk everything together, place tuna steaks in marinade, turning to coat and let rest for about 5 minutes per side.

Now the comfort food part:

Polenta with wilted arugula (you could also use spinach or blanched asparagus tips)

2 cups chicken broth (low salt)

2 cups water

3/4 cup polenta (quick cooking)

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream (I told you this was comfort food)

2 cups fresh arugula - rough chopped

Heat the broth and water to simmering. Slowing whisk in the polenta (your Italian grandmother will tell you that you have to stir in only one direction). Continue to cook until thick and smooth - about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic. Stir. Add the cheese. Stir. Add the butter and cream and stir until butter is melted. Stir in the arugula. Season to taste with salt and pepper (easy on the salt - remember to taste because the cheese will add salt).

Back to the tuna:

Preheat your grill pan to medium high. Remove tuna steaks from marinade and grill about 3 minutes per side for medium. Cut the steaks in half. Plate - spoon the onions and balsamic sauce over. Pass the polenta. 

Take that Mother Nature. 

Rainy Day Monday Roast Chicken

It's a rainy day here in the Northeast. The kind of day that promises spring is just around the corner. Gentle misty kind of rain, overcast. I've got laundry to fold and other household chores but first I want to begin the first step of making my family's favorite comfort food. Crisp skin and succulent meat - hint of winter and the lemony scent of spring. 

Nothing warms and brightens my kitchen more than the scent and sound of a lemony, herb infused chicken roasting away in my oven. I'm going to start first by taking my thawed 4 pound roaster, drying it thoroughly (very important) and rubbing it inside and out with a combination of:

Kosher Salt

Zest of one Lemon (save the zested lemon, we'll use later)

Fresh Chopped Rosemary

I'm even going to tuck some of this under the skin, between the breast meat and skin.

That's it for now. I place my little bird on a cookie sheet and put it in the downstairs refrigerator UNCOVERED. 

more later...