Tag Archives: red wine

I have never made sangria – apparently this changes tonight

Today is my mother’s birthday. In a bit, Bill and I will head to her house and have a good old time with our family. My sister, her husband and their kids will be there. My dad will be there.

And, apparently, sangria will be there. This is a bit of a surprise to me.

That said, I’m looking forward to it. I’ve never made sangria before, but it doesn’t look too hard. The biggest challenge will be figuring out what to do with the extra brandy we’ll have to pick up. I think. I’ve never made sangria (maybe I mentioned that), so I’m just going off recipes online. Looks like we should have made it last night, but whatever. We’re making it tonight and it will be FINE.… Continue reading →

[122] 2011 Christmas Dinner Bone-In Prime Rib Roast

How to Cook Everything, Revised Edition by Mark Bittman

Last year, Bill and I accidentally started a tradition. At least, it felt that way to me earlier this month, when I was thinking about what to cook for dinner.

Apparently, I felt that way last year too. Even though I made some mistakes last year.

This year was also good, but not as good. I didn’t like the wine as much (a Washington State Malbec vs a Chilean (I think) Pinot Noir). This was a bone-in roast, and also had substantially more fat on it. The rancher (same as last year) had also had the bones cut off the meat, then tied back on. I do not know why, but it prevented carving the way Mr. Bittman suggested.

Anyway, I thought you guys might want a quick look at what we had.… Continue reading →

[97] Boneless Prime Rib for a Small Crowd

How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman

Bill and I have two farms we tend to buy meat from at “Green City Market.”:http://www.greencitymarket.org/index.asp One I’ve mentioned in passing several times, is “Meadow Haven Farm.”:http://www.meadowhavenfarm.com/ While they have beef, we tend to purchase from them mostly poultry and pork. In fact, I think we’ve never purchased beef from Meadow Haven.

The farm we get our beef from, generally, is “Heartland Meats.”:http://www.heartlandmeats.com/ Now, we don’t buy it explicitly because it tastes better. We have, in fact, not tried most of the other vendors’ beef. We end up buying it from Heartland because it is pretty darn good, and because we managed to form a relationship with them, albeit “just” buyer and seller, long before we connected with any of the other farmers.… Continue reading →

[55] Stuffed Shitake Mushrooms (Actually Portabellas)

Cover of Simply Organic, by Jesse Ziff Cool

As you are all aware at this point, Bill had a birthday recently. This was one of the many (okay, four) recipes concocted that day, and one of only two I’d planned to make earlier than the day before.

Actually, it’s kind of funny. I’ve mentioned a couple of times on this blog that try to plan out our menu about a week in advance, coinciding with our CSA delivery, and trying to take advantage of what I’ve seen at the farmers’ markets and expect to still be able to get my hands on. This meal plan started as just a day to have these mushrooms and the onions. Then we had to move it a couple of times.

Then I forgot it was Bill’s birthday.… Continue reading →

[40] Beef Daube

How to Cook Everything, Revised Edition by Mark Bittman

HOLY COW! Another big, round number! Fabulous.

So, Thursday night I made this stew. We were having our friend Jessie over for dinner, and it was a gross, wet day outside. I’d planned to make this one Monday night, but we switched the menu around in honor of those two things. (Jessie doesn’t like chicken thighs, which are now on the menu for Monday night.) Luckily, we HAD gone grocery shopping by the time we decided to switch things up, so it was easy to go to a different choice on the menu.

I love it when things just work out.

I had put it on the menu because my friend Nancy had recently made it, and highly recommended it. Frankly, that’s all it took.… Continue reading →