Cannelloni al Forno

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound ground veal

1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated, plus more for garnishing pasta

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup milk

Salt and pepper

Pinch nutmeg

1 egg, beaten

Cannelloni pasta tubes (dried)

2 cup basic tomato sauce, recipe follows

2 cup besciamella, recipe follows

In a large skillet, heat the butter over high heat until it foams and subsides. Add the ground pork and veal and cook over high heat until it begins to brown in its own fat.

Drain excess fat and add the Parmigiano, the flour and the milk and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, then remove from heat and allow to cool. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir in the egg. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Take 16 or so cannelloni pasta tubes and blanch until tender in boiling water. Remove and put in an ice water bath. Fill the tubes with the meat filling by holding them and spooning in the filling.

In an 8 or 9-inch square, oven-proof casserole, spoon half the tomato sauce across the bottom in an even layer. Carefully lay each pasta package in the casserole so that they are in a single layer. Top with the remaining tomato sauce, then the bechamel. Finish with the freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and bake in the oven 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauces and cheese are bubbling and the edges of the pasta are crispy and browned. Serve immediately from the cooking dish.

Basic Tomato Sauce

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Spanish onion, chopped in ¼ inch dice

3 tbs chopped fresh thyme

½ medium carrot, finely shredded

2 – 28 oz cans whole plumb tomatoes, crushed by hand

Salt to taste

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often.

Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Use hand blender or food processor to pulse a few times to break down the large tomato chunks. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer. Yield: 4 cups

Beciamela (Bechamel Sauce)

5 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

3 cups milk

2 teaspoons salt

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, heat butter until melted. Add flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until light golden brown, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat milk in separate pan until just about to boil. Add milk to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth and bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes and remove from heat. Season with salt and nutmeg and set aside.

Steak au Poivre

1 Tbs whole black peppercorns

2tsp chopped fresh thyme

Kosher salt

Two 1 ½ inch boneless tenderloin or New York steaks

1 Tbs canola or grapeseed oil

2 Tbs unsalted butter

¼ cup finely diced shallot

1/3 cup plus 1 tsp Cognac

½ cup heavy cream

1 Tbs chopped fresh tarragon.

Crack the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, or with a bottom of a small heavy skillet.

Sprinkle 1 tsp of the thyme and 1 tsp salt evenly on both sides of the steaks and then pat peppercorns on both sides. Let steaks sit at room temperature for 30 min.

Heat oven to 425F.

Turn on stoves exhaust fan and heat a heavy 10 inch ovenproof skillet over medium high heat for 2 min, until hot.

Add oil and when hot, add steaks and cook 2-3 min each until browned and they release from the pan.

Transfer skillet to oven and cook for 4-78 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 125f for rare, 130 for medium rare and 135 for medium. Transfer steaks to a plate and tent with foil.

Pour off any fat in the pan. Melt butter in the skillet over medium heat, and add the shallot. Cook for 2 min until softened. Remove the pan from the heat and add 1/3 cup Cognac. Return the pan to the heat and cook until cognac reduces to a glaze, about 2 min.

Add cream, tarragon, 1 tsp thyme and any accumulated juices from the resting steaks.

Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook stirring frequently until reduced, about 2- 3 minutes more.

Stir in the remaining 1 tsp of Cognac and season to taste.

Spoon sauce over the steaks and serve.

Grilled Breaded Chicken Thighs

12 garlic cloves crushed
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 oil packed anchovy fillets
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf Italian prsley
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
12 skinless, boneless chicken thighs


Combine garlic, 1/2 cup olive oil, anchovies, parsley and bread crumbs in a food processor and process until smooth. Put chicken thighs in large bowl and pour on bread mixture, turning to coat well.

Place on single layer on platter and refrigerate for 20 min.

Prepare grill for indirect heat.

Place chicken thighs on cooler part of grill and cook about 15-20 per side only turning once.

Serve.

Potato Gratin

2 garlic cloves halved
2 large eggs
2 lbs potatoes sliced very thin
2 tbsp flour
1 ½ cups grated Gruyere cheese
Nutmeg
Salt/pepper
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp butter

Heat oven to 300 degrees,
Rub garlic in baking (7x9) dish
Place aluminum foil in bottom of oven
Beat eggs and add to mixing bowl
Add potatoes
Sprinkle flour
Add 1 cup cheese
Season with salt/pepper and a pinch of fresh nutmeg
Transfer to dish for oven
Scatter remaining cheese on top and dot with butter
Poor stock from side

Bake 1 hour or until golden brown

Let sit for 10 min before serving

The best simple Mushroom soup

This is sooooo easy and can be done during the week....

5 tbsp butter
1 medium onion chopped
16 oz mushrooms (fresh white, or shiitake or mixed) sliced
4 cups chicken stock
salt/pepper
2 oz sherry
2/3 cup of milk (optional)

In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tbsp butter and cook onions over medium heat until soft.
Add the remaining butter and the mushrooms and stir and sweat mushrooms for 8-10 min.
Don't let the onions brown.
Stir in chicken stock and salt/pepper, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let cook 1 hour.
After an hour, let soup cool for a couple of minutes and put in two batches in blender (careful to pulse in short blasts so as not to burn yourself.)
Return soup to pot, add sherry and thin out with a little milk.
Bring up the heat and remove just before boiling. Adjust seasoning.

For extra enhancement, add a small pile of chopped chives to garnish and 5 drops of truffle oil.

Enjoy!