Beer and Chocolate Braised Short Ribs

I went to the farmers’ market on Saturday with a specific purpose: fresh, raw cream. Unfortunately, my love of leisurely weekend mornings got the better of me… again. La Boucherie was sold out by 10am. Damn! Next weekend calls for an alarm.

So I walked around for a bit, determined to go home with something delicious. And that’s when the sign from The Beef Shop caught my eye: grass-fed beef short ribs. This was semi-new to me; dare I splurge on such uncharted territory? If I remember correctly, I once made some slow-cooked BBQ pork ribs for a dinner party and they were delicious. I guess anything that simmers for hours in a tasty sauce has favorable chances. So I bought a few pounds and headed home to figure out what to do with them.

After consulting some reliable sources, I landed upon a this recipe by Dave Lebovitz, which was adapted from one by Dave Lieberman. Not only did it call for ginger, garlic, beer and hoisin sauce, he kicked it up a notch with chocolate and chili powder. This was clearly worth a try.

After the 4-hour process of seasoning, searing, simmering and baking (all while my stomach growled), I can confidently say that it was worth the wait. The sauce was ultra indulgent – chocolaty and rich - and the ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that the tiniest pinch of orange zest would help cut through the richness and cause a true flavor explosion. Next time. For sure.

Garlic Scape Omelet

When I saw the first bunches of garlic scapes this year, I quickly thought of all the wonderful things I couldn't wait to make. I knew the season was short so I'd have to act fast. But life got really busy and time whizzed by. I was crestfallen when I realized that the window had closed and I'd have to wait another year for those garlicky shoots with that asparagus crunch.

Or so I thought. There was a farmer at the Saturday University District farmers' market selling the last of his scape crop. I expressed my relief as I quickly paid for a bunch. When he asked how I planned to prepare them, I didn't hesitate: omelets.

I first became familiar with cooking garlic scapes in the Basque Country of Spain, where they often eat them with eggs. What a perfect combination: creamy, velvety eggs wrapped around crunchy, savory stalks. So delicious. But I thought that the addition of soft goat cheese would hit it out of the ballpark... and I was right.

Garlic Scape Omelet
Just a few simple ingredients are needed for this fulfilling dish. This recipe yields a large, two-to-three-person omelet.

1 tablespoon lard or butter
1 bunch garlic scapes (3-4 stalks), washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
6 eggs
Splash cold water (about 2 tablespoons)
Pinch Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Soft goat cheese
Fresh herbs (parsley or chives work best), chopped

In a large cast iron skillet, melt lard/butter over medium heat. Add scapes and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove to paper towels and set aside.

In a small bowl, whip eggs, cold water, salt, pepper and some chopped herbs with a fork until well mixed. Heat the same skillet over medium heat, adding a bit more lard/butter if necessary. Pour egg mixture into skillet and let cook until the bottom layer firms. Sprinkle cooked scapes evenly over the eggs along with small dollops of goat cheese. Cover briefly until most of the eggs have cooked, about 4 minutes. Using a wide spatula, loosen omelet edges and fold one half over the other. Remove from pan and serve sprinkled with freshly chopped herbs.

The First Taste of Spring

Tristan and I went to the University District farmers market on Saturday with the simple intentions of getting breakfast (buckwheat crepes) and buying a dozen free range eggs. Good thing I brought two bags because we filled them both. Not only did we get three types of lettuce and two parsley starters for our urban garden window boxes, we filled the kitchen counters with curly fiddle heads, butter potatoes, rhubarb, freshly picked spinach, our beloved eggs and, the surest sign of spring, asparagus.

The first of our treasures to be gobbled up were the leafy greens. And what a breakfast it was! I quick boiled the spinach, sprinkled it with a bit of apple cider vinegar, topped it with fried eggs and served the whole shebang with buttered, sprouted grain toast. There's nothing quite like bright, yellowy-orange yolk running into fresh greens. Truly and utterly satisfying.

We decided to have the asparagus for dinner. When I lived in Europe I collected all sorts of recipes and one in particular came to mind. It was from the Swiss magazine Kochen and called for tender white asparagus to be pan fried in a light, crunchy almond coating. The picture alone makes my mouth water every time and I couldn't wait to try it. However, I had green asparagus and something told me it wouldn't quite translate. Back to the bookshelf it went.

My inspiration finally came in the form of Gourmet's May 2009 issue: Lemony Risotto with Asparagus and Shrimp. Bingo! I've always loved the hypnotic process of stirring hot broth into Arborio rice until it gives up its starch and asks for more liquid. I tend to get lost in the creamy swirls. I am happy to say that after 30 minutes, we had a dish that welcomed Spring as if it were royalty.


Lemony Asparagus and Shrimp Risotto
A wonderful way to use the first asparagus of the season. Adapted from Gourmet, May 2009.

4 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 glass dry white wine
3/4 lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
Freshly chopped parsley

In a medium saucepan, bring broth and water to a simmer. Add asparagus and simmer, uncovered, until just tender and bright green, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer asparagus to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside. Keep broth at a bare simmer.

In a 4-quart pan over medium heat, cook shallot in 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil until softened, about 4 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Add 1/2 cup broth mixture and briskly simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is creamy and tender but still al dente, about 20 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and cook until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir in the asparagus, lemon zest, remaining tablespoon butter, parmesan, parsely and salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Roasted Roots

It's April in Seattle. This means a few tantalizing, sunny days sandwiched between 25 days of umbrellas and rain boots. This year, just for kicks, Mother Nature decided to play a cruel joke on us sun-starved Seattleites: she let it snow on April 1st. Ha ha, good one. Now I get April Fool's.

As long as this chilly, damp weather remains, I'll continue craving me some stick-to-your-ribs comfort food. Luckily yesterday, I had a beautiful assortment of farmers market root vegetables to play with: tiny potatoes, yellow baby carrots, celery root, turnips and garlic. A few minutes of peeling and chopping, a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and pepper and a nice roast in the hot oven is all it took to turn that crunchy produce into sweet, caramelized heaven.

Simple dishes like this warm my soul and make me hopeful of what's to come.

Go ahead Mother Nature, bring it.

Roasted Roots
Simple oven roasting imparts an intensified, concentrated sweetness to root vegetables. Roast with a few sprigs of sturdy herbs (like rosemary) or toss with soft, leafy herbs (like parsley) after vegetables are cooked.

2 lbs root vegetables of choice, washed, peeled (if desired) and chopped
Whole garlic cloves, skin on
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a shallow, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place vegetables on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly. Spread to a single layer and roast in oven 40-50 minutes or until vegetables are tender, golden brown and beginning to caramelize. Be sure to stir once or twice during roasting.

*Serving ideas: roasted roots taste scrumptious alone, on pizza, in soups, as a sandwich filling with goat cheese or tossed with pasta.