NOT-SO-HUMBLE PIE

Wolfgang Puck contributed a shepherd's pie recipe to the casserole article in Country Living's March issue. He combined lamb with carrots, leeks, Swiss chard, peas and beef gravy and gave the mashed potato topping a good zing with fresh horseradish. I couldn't get ground lamb at Gristede's (their selection of meat and fresh vegetables is truly pathetic), so I went with 85% lean beef. They didn't have Swiss chard, so I went with kale. I wouldn't recognize fresh horseradish if it neighed at me, so I went with Gold's in the bottle. Even so, it was delicious!

Yummmm....Better!

Sliced against the grain and nestled with the chunky sauce, the brisket sits for a day and then will be baked at 350 degrees F for 35-45 minutes. Humble food with a magnificent flavor. Thank you, Aunt Gladys, wherever you are!

Christmas Presents, Better and...

Here's the brisket in my new Dutch oven, smothered in sauerkraut, tomatoes, and onions. We're using "Aunt Gladys's Recipe," only one of the incredible array Stephanie Pierson collected for the first-ever cookbook dedicated to this homely cut of meat.

Christmas Presents

This year for Christmas, Leigh Goehring gave me a copy of Stephanie Pierson's THE BRISKET BOOK and Chuck gave me a 5-quart Dutch oven (wait...that wasn't all. The Mikimoto pearl necklace put a lot of sparkle in Christmas morning). Tonight, we put them both to good use. Here's the 4.5-lb. brisket from Ottomanelli's after Chuck browned it with brute force.

Frohe Weihnachten und Guten Apetit!

Christmas in America owes a lot to the Germans: the tree, the music, the food. So Chuck and I called upon his heritage for a Christmas Day feast: a goose, succulent and crispy; his grandmother's sausage stuffing; red cabbage; pea soup; pearl onions. It was delicious and bountiful. A very merry Christmas was had by all.

In Case You Misunderstood...

I could see how someone might wonder about Paige's golden retriever Seamus sitting under the headline, "Roasting More Than the Turkey." Not intentional!

Roasting more than the turkey

Our Thanksgiving is pretty much written in stone: great-Grandmutter Schmerling's sausage stuffing in turkey; Brussels sprouts; creamed onions; mashed potatoes and gravy; cranberry sauce; pear pie. A "new" starter of a delicious lima bean puree with cheddar-sage muffins was introduced years ago.

Yesterday, my cousin Paige changed it up a bit with a delicious appetizer of roasted figs with goat cheese. They're small, savory, and just right with pre-dinner drinks.
Thanks, Paige, for busting us out of our rut! xx00

Roasted Figs with Goat Cheese Serves 4
Time: 10 mins

8 ripe figs
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup soft goat cheese
1/3 cup honey
4 pinches finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (this is very forgiving; if you're already cooking turkey, say, at 325 degrees, just allow more time for the figs to warm)

2. Using a knife, carefully trim any tough portion of the stems from each fig. Rub each fig all over with extra-virgin olive oil, then slice down through the stem about 3/4 inch. Make a second cut perpendicular to the first cut, so that you have an x-shaped cut in the top of each fig.

3. Gently pry the edges apart and stuff each fig with about 1 teaspoon of the goat cheese. Place the figs upright on a baking sheet and bake until the figs are plump but have not burst, about 10 mins.

4. Drizzle the honey onto the serving plate and place the roasted figs on top of the honey. Sprinkle with a pinch of the chopped rosemary; drizzle more honey on top if desired. Serve immediately.