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By mlb, on March 10th, 2013%
Over the next couple of days I’m going to be posting two ideas for St. Patrick’s Day meals and this first one uses two very Irish ingredients — Guinness stout and lamb. It does take awhile to cook but the reward is worth it.
Of course, there’s also the challenge of finding a pot big enough to fit the lamb shanks in (usually my downfall), which is definitely tricky, but again, very much worth it in the end. If you have leftover braising sauce (and you probably will), it’s great used in lentil soup. Just thin with a little more chicken broth and cook your lentils in it. Mmmmm….lamb-y.
On the side — Polenta & Cabbage: This is sort of a colcannon-type dish but with polenta instead of potatoes. Just cook up a batch of polenta like usual (one part polenta whisked into four parts boiling liquid), and when it’s almost done, saute some sliced cabbage in separate pan, using about a tablespoon of butter. Add salt and pepper and let it get a little golden in places. Add the cooked cabbage and butter to the polenta and stir in . . . → Read More: Guinness Braised Lamb Shanks for St. Patrick’s Day
By mlb, on February 5th, 2013%
Update: Voting will start on February 14th and run through February 28th. You can vote for me here at Lamb Lover’s Month!
Recently, I was asked to participate in the American Lamb Board’s Dinner for Two Recipe & Photo Contest, which is a absolute treat because I really do love lamb. Even more awesome, is that they sent me some lamb to use in developing a recipe for this contest. Seriously like Christmas. Delicious, lamb-filled Christmas. Or, Valentine’s Day, actually, since the theme of this contest is Dinner for Two.
The idea here is that you and the companion of your choice can make this meal for a lambtastic and romantic (or completely platonic) meal. And honestly, this would make a great Valentine’s Day meal — and I’m not just saying that because I want to win. No, really…
There are a lot of components here, but it’s all pretty manageable even for a week night. After getting home from work, just start with getting the tomatoes ready to go in the oven and you can roast those whenever. Rub the lamb with the smoked paprika. Start . . . → Read More: Lamb Lovers Month: Smoked Paprika Lamb Chops, Green Olive-Goat Cheese Risotto and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
By mlb, on January 2nd, 2013%
This New Year’s Eve was celebrated with an extravagant, beautiful meal at Castagna. Now, we visit the informal, cafe side with a fair amount of frequency, but this is only our fourth visit to the fancy-pants restaurant side — and our second visit since Justin Woodward took over the kitchen.
Castagna
1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, Oregon 97214
Normally, I’ll be the first to admit that I am probably more fond of a hearty bowl of rustic pasta and some bread than a multi-course, artfully-prepared meal. But sometimes the arty, multi-course, modernist meal is really fun and amazing! Plus, thanks to this meal, I now have a new favorite after dinner beverage.
The service (as expected) was great. Each course was explained and described to us and generally, I really enjoyed everything I was presented with. That’s another bonus to meals like this, you get to try a lot of different items and presentations. Things you would probably never otherwise try. You may not love them all but it’s fun to sample the variety.
My favorites of the night were the rye cracker-sprouts-pate amuse bouche, the roasted beet dish (which is crazy since I generally . . . → Read More: Last Dinner of the Year: Castagna in SE Portland
By mlb, on December 31st, 2012%
What better way to end 2012 than by posting photos from our Thanksgiving trip to Fargo, North Dakota. My mom recently moved back there (where she’s from) after 40 some-odd years of living in Chicago. I remember going to Fargo somewhat regularly while growing up, but I had not been back there for probably 20 years. It was an adventure.
We stayed at the Hotel Donaldson (from now on, referred to as the HoDo), which if you are going to Fargo, is where you need to stay. You will look at the prices and you will think to yourself, “Really?” But my advice to you is to move past that and just do it (especially if you can swing the non-refundable, advanced purchase rate). There are tall ceilings, fluffy beds, exposed brick walls and a lot of art in the walls. A very modern vibe in an historic building charm. And here’s one of my most favorite things — the bathroom towels were super plush and steel grey in color. Non-white hotel towels. That is so unexpectedly awesome. Towel win!
The hotel also has North Dakota’s only AAA 4 diamond restaurant and a pretty nice lounge-bar-type eatery. . . . → Read More: End of 2012 Photos, Part 2: Fargo, ND
By mlb, on December 27th, 2012%
Okay, so this will be a fairly quick French Fridays with Dorie, as I’m currently traveling and in the wilds of northern California (Ferndale, to be exact). Back home in pdx tomorrow, hooray!
Celery Root Puree. So. Yeah. I actually kind of liked this but I wasn’t a huge fan. As in, I’m glad I tried it but I’m not sure I’ll be making it again. We had this with our pre-Christmas dinner before a week of traveling.
Okay, a link to everyone’s posts and photos. And happy New Year!
Celery Root is kind of ugly, non?
After peeling. A little better but still kind of aesthetically-challenged.
Simmering in the milk and what-not. I think I added garlic too.
Pureed and ready to go! I actually made it the day before and then reheated.
Our pre-Christmas dinner: roasted game hens stuffed with millet, rosemary & lemon zest, roasted root vegetables (acorn squash, carrots, parsnips, fennel & garlic), celery root puree, and salad. And wine.
![]() . . . → Read More: FFwD: Go-with-everything Celery Root Puree
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