Deryl’s Caesar Salad

½ cup olive oil
¼ tsp dry mustard
1 lemon (juice)
10 splashes Worcestershire sauce
2 egg yokes
¾ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp salt
2 garlic cloves
Romaine lettuce
2 anchovies

Break romaine leaves, wash and dry with towels and individually layer on plate with paper towels in between and place in fridge no longer than 1 hour to crisp up.

In a wooden bowl,

Sprinkle salt and pepper

Add garlic cloves and mash until a paste (use the back of a spoon)

Add anchovies and continue to mash into a paste

Add dry mustard and Worcestershire and continue to mash

Add egg yokes, mix well

Add olive oil, a little at a time to emulsify and blend creamy

Add in Parmesan cheese and blend well. Add lemon juice

Pour over ripped romaine leaves and mix well with hands or tongs.

Dressing does not keep long.

Asiago and Sage Scalloped Potatoes

2 tbsp butter
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 ½ tsp finely chopped garlic
2 bay leaves
¼ tsp nutmeg
Salt/pepper
1 ¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup milk
1 cup grated Asiago cheese
1 c dry fine bread crumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tbsp finely shredded fresh sage leaves
1 ½ lbs Idaho potatoes peeled and sliced lengthwise 1/8 inch thick

Preheat oven to 400F. Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan. Add the onions and cook over high heat, stirring, until dark golden brown, about 8-10min.
Addgarlic, bay leaves, nutmeg, 1 tbsp kosher salt, ¾ tsp pepper, and cook for 30 seconds. Add the heavy cream and milk and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 5 min.
In a medium bowl, toss the cheese with the breadcrumbs, olive oil, ½ tbsp sage, ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper.
Remove the bay leaves from the onion mixture and stir in the remaining 2 tbsp sage. Put the sliced potatoes in a large bowl, add the onion mixture, and toss gently. Spread half of the potatoes and liquid in a 2-quart non-reactive baking dish and sprinkle 2/3 cup of the cheese mixture over the top. Cover with the remaining potatoes and pack down firmly. Spoon the remaining liquid over the potatoes and cover with the remaining crumbs.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender and the top is dark golden brown. If they brown too quickly, loosely cover with foil.

Weber's Art of the Grill Salmon

Salmon with Brown Sugar and Mustard Glaze

1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp honey
2 tsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 whole salmon fillet, skin on, about 21/2 lbs and ¾ to 1 inch thick

In a small sauté pan, over medium heat, melt the brown sugar with the honey and butter

Remove from heat and whisk in the mustard, soy, olive oil and ginger, allow to cool

Place salmon, skin side down, on a large sheet of aluminum foil

Coat the salmon with the mixture

Grill the salmon indirectly over medium heat until the edges begin to brown (25-30 min)

Internal temperature should be 125

Serve.

Balthazar Braised Short Ribs

This is truly one of the best comfort foods in the world. You can serve this with a hearty round of garlic-mashed potatoes (in the French style). Take the time to make this and you will not be disappointed. I have made this several times and have adjusted the book recipe slightly to enhance the taste. This recipe will take you a good 5 hours to make and take the time.

I use 8 good sized beef short ribs that would weigh about 7 lbs. Do not use the Korean cut. Use the hearty “North American” cut. Also, you will need a heavy Dutch over…. maybe by Le Creuset (http://www.lecreuset.com/) or something as sturdy.

Ingredients (use only the best and the freshest-which means REAL):

8 beef short ribs
2 sprigs of rosemary
6 sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
1 celery stalk, halved
3 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp fresh ground pepper
4 tbsp vegetable oil
3 medium carrots in 1 inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
6 large shallots, peeled and sleiced
6 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
5 tbsp tomato paste
¼ cup all purpose flour
4 cups full-bodied red wine
½ cup port
6 cups of beef stock

Bind each celery rib with kitchen twine and place rosemary, thyme and bay leaf between the two celery halves.

Bind each short rib with kitchen twine to hold together while cooking.

Season short ribs with salt and pepper

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over high heat. In batches, brown the short ribs on both sides (very brown) and remove when done.

Lower heat to medium and add carrots, onion, shallots and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes until soft and light brown.

Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes, add flour and combine well.

Add port, red wine and the celery-herb bundle and raise heat to high for 20 minutes to reduce the liquid by 1/3.

Return ribs to pot and add stock and season with salt. Make sure the stock covers the ribs by about an inch or so. Bring all to a simmer on the stove, cover and place in a preheated over (350) for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Transfer ribs to a large platter and remove strings. Skim fat from surface of sauce and strain through sieve and discard solids.

Over medium heat, reduce the liquid to about 4 cups (one hour).

Return ribs to pot and simmer for 10 minutes to reheat.

Serve with lots of French bread and garlic mashed potatoes.

This is a recent picture of me and my awsome 10 year old daughter.