Clams With Linguine--A birthday treat.....

My husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I responded, “nothing…just make me a nice dinner”. He mumbled, rubbed his head and looked as if he was 1. Sorry he asked the question 2. On the verge of a breakdown [and I enjoyed every minute of it..]  

A day before my birthday, I drafted up this recipe for clams with linguine, using several recipes I had collected and forwarded it to him via email….[and made a mental note to eat a small dinner before going home on my big day…just incase]. I chose this recipe because it requires only few ingredients, preparation is effortless and clams cook in 5-8 minutes!

I also bought all the ingredients because I had an intuition that it would take him a week minimum to purchase all 8 ingredients and I would probably have to answer a barrage of questions. A voice in my head shouted, “Save yourself, Ria!” He definitely would have been stomped by the words “New Zealand Cockles” which the recipe called for…and knowing him, he would have ordered it directly from New Zealand.

To give the man (the dear hubbie) credit, he makes wonderful fried bakes using my recipe and instructions on this site. The very first thing he learned to cook.

Clams with linguine is a truly elegant, surprisingly simple, light and satisfying meal for a special occasion----like my birthday! Serve with garlic bread…and a glass of wine....

 

CWR's Clam With Linguine

8 oz linguine--Cooked

2 lbs clams (scrubbed, cleaned, and rinsed)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
6 cloves garlic (about 2 tbsp, finely chopped)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup minced parsley (7-8 sprigs), plus more for garnish
1 cup white wine
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

CWR's notes:

Use New Zealand cockles or Manila clams...

How to prepare clams: First, scrub the outside of the clams thoroughly with a stiff brush. Since clams naturally burrow in the sand, they need to be purged of grit...Sand should be removed before cooking by covering the clams with salt water (1/3 cup salt to 1 gallon of water) and let sit for several hours. Adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cornmeal to the soaking water helps expel the dark matter and sand from the stomachs and also whitens the meat (About.com).

Cook pasta, al dente, according to instructions, salting water adequately...Start clams 5 minutes before pasta finishes. Drizzle pasta with olive oil, toss and keep covered if cooking ahead.

 [Do not try this at home! I will not post the other incriminating pics because I should try to be nice to the person who cooked for me...but Somebody please call 911! Thankfully and "shockingly" no fingers were hurt in the making of this meal...]

 

ok, just one more...because I personally have  never seen "technique" like this before...how did he do that? This comes after I warned him to be careful above.... [lmao...at least now I can laugh about it, wasn't so funny at the time...]...from this point on I will be nice...promise..

Parsley and garlic were minced using the food processor...Because 1. I really wanted to eat dinner (and before midnight) on my birthday and 2. Was too tired to rush anyone to the emergency room....if you know what I mean....

 In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil and butter.

Add garlic and sauté until fragrant and golden, about 30 seconds.

Add tomatoes and parsley, cook 3-5 minutes. Add wine and pepper flakes and let it simmer for 1 minute. 

["Somebody" went into a state of panic after the tomatoes cooked for longer than stated in the recipe...because yours truly couldn't get the pic right...and then I had to remind him calmly that everything is gonna be alright.."I am still the head chef of the house and if I say it's ok, then it's really ok! Calm down and just add the wine!"]

Add clams, cover; reduce heat to medium.

 

Cook until clams open, about 5-8 minutes. Discard any that don't open.
Taste for salt and pepper and adjust.[I didn't need to add salt to this dish]

 Add cooked linguine to pan, simmer, tossing occasionally, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, garnish with more parsley (and freshly grated parmesan cheese-optional) and serve (wife) immediately.

.......and so ends the most wonderful, pampered day of the year for me....thanks for an amazing meal dear husband...let's do this again soon...;-)

 
Happy Birthday to me,
Definitely not cooking on my birthday
....from this day onward,
So help me God,
With love,
Ria

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CWR's Roasted Pork Shoulder



Roasted pork shoulder is not something I cook every day, maybe once a year, if so much. However, my uncle Seg is a big fan of roasted pork.  Every time he visits my house he rants and raves (and jokes-I hope) about how good my mom’s roast pork is, how crispy she gets the skin, how great a cook she is and maybe he should go to her house for some good food. Blah, blah, blah. I’ve been reassured that this is his way of expressing his appreciation and affection for his favorite niece [no threatening emails from his other nieces please]. My family has a weird sense of humor.

With his Thanksgiving visit fresh in my mind, I attacked a pork shoulder with a vengeance over the Christmas holidays and was determined to get the skin as crispy as I could. Before I came up with this recipe, I had a lot of questions that needed answers. What temperature, skin side up or down, liquid or no liquid, to cover or not to cover, use Trinidad Green seasoning or Oregano, cider or no cider? After a while, I just decided on the following...and the Roasted pork shoulder turned out delicious, so I decided to share it with you. ..and boy was the pork skin crispy!!…Chicharrones/cueritos, as the Latin American countries refer to it, in its true form.

I couldn’t have been more proud of myself and I can’t wait to make it for my Uncle the next time he visits. I want to be there when he takes the first bite. I also want to hit him on "de head" with the pork shoulder(to test the crispiness of the skin of course), but I won’t waste such good food. Hopefully, I will never have to hear that long, drawn out story anymore.  Wish me luck.

Use this recipe and make it your own adapting it to your family’s preferences. I cooked the pork shoulder for about four hours but if you want fall apart tender, leave it for a longer time.

CWR'S Roasted Pork Shoulder
Serves 6-8

1 pork shoulder, 4 to 7 pounds
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large onion, quartered
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves or 1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil, as needed
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
habanero or scotch bonnet pepper, to taste
Lemon or vinegar for washing meat

CWR’s notes—Oregano can be replaced with a minced scallion, 1 sprig thyme or a bunch of cilantro or culantro. 

1. Wash meat with lemon or vinegar. Rinse, drain and pat dry. Score meat's skin with a sharp knife, making a cross-hatch pattern. Pulse garlic, onion, oregano, cumin, habanero or scotch bonnet, salt and pepper together in a food processor, adding oil in a drizzle and scraping down sides as necessary, until mixture is pasty. Blend in the vinegar.

2. Rub this mixture well into pork. You may also make deep slits in the meat to place seasoning. Marinate overnight or several days(cover with plastic wrap).

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove pork from refrigerator and bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Put pork in a roasting pan skin side down and fill bottom with 2 cups water. Roast pork uncovered (at 400°)  for one hour. After one hour, lower heat to 300° turning roast skin side up and adding more water as necessary, until meat is very tender about 3-4 hours [on my 7.5 lb. roast, the outside of the roast was very tender but the inside could have cooked longer for a "falling apart texture"] .

 

4. At the end of cooking, place under the broiler for 5 minutes to crisp skin(or cook for an additional 15 minutes at 400 degrees F). Let meat rest for 20 minutes before cutting. Serve with rice and beans..or in a sandwich...

Thanks for stopping by,

Cooking with love-for my uncle Seg,

Ria

p.s. I apologize for the lack of pictures in this post, I was in a hurry to get it into the oven for it to be done in time for dinner!!

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Brown Braised Pearl Onions

These braised pearl onions were required as part of the recipe for Julia Child's beef bourguignon which I posted earlier. Delicious, tender, sweet and full of flavor, I thought they deserved their own post.

This side dish will also perfectly compliment a delicious grilled steak...or stew...but I can also clearly envision it on a juicy burger!

Ingredients

18 -24 white pearl onions, peeled
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup beef stock
fresh ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
2 sprigs parsley

 

For the onion, if using frozen, make sure they are defrosted and drained. If not, peel onions.....

[these were a struggle to peel as I couldn't tell where the skin ended and the onion began, so I threw the rest in a pot of water to blanch them..see below]

 .......or blanch the onions in boiling water for one minute. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop cooking. Slice off the ends; slip off the skins. [Confession: I did not slice off the ends...and I did not die..I only learned that slicing of the ends is a very useful step a few minutes ago...we live and learn, right...? ]

Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions to the skillet.

Saute over medium heat for about ten minutes.

Roll the onions about so they brown as evenly as possible, without breaking apart.

[As you can see, my patience was on "E"- as in empty, "L" as in low...and did not allow them to brown evenly]

Pour in the stock, season to taste..[who said the word taste??!!!...I wanted to eat them all at this point]

Add the herbs, and cover.

Simmer over low heat for about 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated.

 

Remove the herbs and set the onions aside...and try not to eat them all before dinner...!!



Adapted from "Julia Child's--Mastering the Art of French Cooking".

Cooking with love..and little cute onions,

..and trying something new,

Ria

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Attempting Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon

 

"As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good boeuf bourguinon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavored, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concoted by man, and can well be the main course for a buffet dinner."

In my opinion, no food blog is complete without an attempt at Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon, made famous in the movie Julie and Julia. I can relate to Julie Powell, I blog..and often wonder if anyone's really reading my posts. Hello? Is anyone out there?

I received Julia Child's Cookbook collection as a Christmas present from my husband the same year the movie came out. I know he was hoping that the cookbooks would guarantee that he would be eating many fine French meals in the imminent future. Unfortunately for him, that didn't happen. This Christmas season, out of pure guilt for not having used the gift from him..coupled with my love for blogging...I took on the challenge. I figured that if I can get through this dish, I can handle any recipe in the future.

This dish requires patience, time, love, discipline and self control; patience and time to complete the almost 45 steps, love for cooking and love also for the recipient/s of the meal, self control to not devour the ingredients at the various stages of cooking-this you will understand soon.

Honestly, this is a perfect date meal to "seal the deal". This means that if you think you have found your "superman" and you want him to fall madly in love with you, this is probably the meal to make. [I wish I had thought of this earlier in my life]....Even if he dislikes the taste, which I doubt would happen(contains red wine), he will be "utterly dumbfounded" that you spent 4-6 hours preparing a meal for him, he'll probably love you forever. Oh, one little thing...please don't listen to my advice on dating, I haven't been on a real date since I was 20. Over the years my hubbie and I have had "dinner and a movie" dates..I make a fabulous dinner while he watches a movie. Welcome to the world of being "married with children..."

My mom always says that a way to a man's heart is through his stomach..and ladies, I never studied anatomy or physiology, but from experience with the hubbie I can also attest that it is also the way to his wallet. Just saying. ;-)

For the Stew
6 ounces bacon, solid chunk
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups red wine (a full bodied wine like Bordeaux or Burgundy or Chianti)
2 -3 cups brown beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, mashed (I added 5)
1 sprig thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 crumbled bay leaf, preferably fresh

For the braised onions - recipe here..
18 -24 white pearl onions , peeled
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup beef stock
salt & fresh ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
2 sprigs parsley

For the Sauteed Mushrooms
1 lb mushroom, quartered (I used 1/2 pound)
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

First prepare the bacon: cut off the rind and reserve. Cut the bacon into lardons about 1/4" thick and 1 1/2" long. Simmer the rind and the lardons for ten minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry the lardons and rind and reserve. [I apologize, I do not know what rind and lardons are and didn't feel like consulting google, I used nitrite and preservative free bacon]

Put the tablespoon of olive oil in a large (9" - 10" wide, 3" deep) fireproof casserole and warm over moderate heat. Saute the lardons[bacon] for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. [It was impossible to not have some bacon!! My first course.]



Pre-heat the oven to 450°F.

Brown Beef: Dry off the pieces of beef and saute them, a few at a time in the hot oil/bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides.

Once browned, remove to the side plate with the bacon.[reserve one or two pieces for your self, I ate my SECOND course right here....]

Cook carrot and onion: In the same oil/fat, saute the onion and the carrot until softened. Pour off the fat and return the lardons and the beef to the casserole with the carrots and onion.[I had no fat to pour off, I didn't drink it, I promise.]

Toss the contents of the casserole with the salt and pepper and sprinkle with the flour.

Set the uncovered casserole in the oven for four minutes.

Toss the contents of the casserole again and return to the hot oven for 4 more minutes.


Now, lower the heat to 325°F and remove the casserole from the oven. Add the wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic and herbs and the bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on the top of the stove.

 

[Have leftover wine to wash down the half a pound of beef you tested earlier]

Cover and place in the oven, adjusting the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly for three to four hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the meat is cooking, Prepare the onions and mushrooms and set them aside till needed. [Test onions-my second course]

Prepare Mushrooms:

For the mushrooms, heat the butter and oil over high heat in a large skillet. As soon as the foam begins to subside add the mushrooms and toss and shake the pan for about five minutes. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.[THIRD course---how about I just eat all these delicious mushrooms, they were buttery and scrumptious, I wanted to lick the pan, dog style..bad..bad me...I wonder if this behavior had anything to do with the wine I had before? hmmmm...did I mention that I am so sensitive to wine, I get drunk with a sip...oh well.....]

To Finish the Stew: When the meat is tender, remove the casserole from the oven and empty its contents into a sieve set over a saucepan.Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it (discarding the bits of carrot and onion and herbs which remain in the sieve). Distribute the mushrooms and onions over the meat.

Skim the fat off the sauce and simmer it for a minute or two, skimming off any additional fat which rises to the surface. You should be left with about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock.If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to the right consistency.Taste for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. If you are serving immediately, place the covered casserole over medium low heat and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.[I also drank half of the sauce before pouring, it was so delicious....I also tested the parsley-butter potatoes and egg noodles I made to go with the beef bourguignon, FOURTH/FIFTH/SIXTH course]

Serve in the casserole or on a warm platter surrounded by noodles, potatoes or rice and garnished with fresh parsley. If serving later or the next day, allow the casserole to cool and place cold, covered casserole in the refrigerator 20 minutes prior to serving, place over medium low heat and simmer very slowly for ten minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

 

......and then I sat down with my family for dinner....Course no.SEVEN....

We all deserve the occasional seven course meal. Bon appetit!!!

"Cooking is not a particularly difficult art, and the more you cook and learn about cooking, the more sense it makes. But like any art it requires practice and experience. The most important ingredient you can bring to it is love of cooking for its own sake." -Julia Child

Thank you for not giving up on me after this post,

Cooking for fun,
With love,

Ria

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