September 27, 2004
New Category!
I've 
decided to add a new category for food-related entries, since my sister and I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen. Last weekend, I tried out a recipe from the NYTimes dining section, and a dessert recipe from Martha Stewart.
The menu
Starter: Baby Spinach with Toasted Almonds, Feta Cheese and Peaches (my own recipe)
Main: Pasta with Braised Lamb Shank Ragu from the NYTimes
Dessert: Peach Cobbler from Martha Stewart
The sweetness of the peaches provided a counterpoint to the salty feta cheese, and the toasted almonds also added some fragrance. I just tossed the lot with some olive oil, vinegar, sea salt and pepper.
As for the pasta, I thought it was pretty yummy but it took a bit too much effort. I started cooking at 1630 and we only sat down to eat at 1930, so that was 3 hours of work. The lamb first had to be braised for 2.5 hours and then after that it had to simmer in the sauce for another hour. I guess there's quite a bit of downtime so you can prepare other dishes in between but my other dishes didn't need a ton of preparation so while the lamb was braising I didn't really have much else to do. Also the lamb taste is really very strong so you'll probably need to add more things to mask the taste. My sister added beef stock and some more herbs into the mix. The recipe suggests using spaghetti or penne pasta but I used shell pasta instead because I wanted something the thick sauce and meat chunks could cling to.
The cobbler was quite yummy, but I think a lot depends on the fruit you use. Cold Storage had peaches on offer last weekend, and the peaches were really really sweet. I'd also suggest spreading the topping out more rather than in 12 large balls of dough as Martha Stewart suggested.
Recipes are included below. Icon courtesy of my sister, who seems to have access to an amazing array of food-related pictures!
Recipes:
Baby Spinach with Toasted Almonds, Feta Cheese and Peaches
Time: 15 minutes
400 g baby spinach
50 g sliced almonds, toasted
100g feta cheese, crumbled
1-2 peaches, cut into chunks
Olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste
Toss the spinach, cheese and peaches together, add seasoning ingredients. Scatter on almond flakes.
You can change the proportions as you like - these are just estimates.
Pasta With Braised Lamb Shank Ragú - serves 4-6 (taken from NYTimes)
Time: 2 1/2 hours cooking time plus 45 minutes preparation
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces diced pancetta (can subst. with bacon bits or unsliced bacon)
2 lamb shanks, about 2 1/4 pounds
2 medium onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 branches fresh rosemary
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped
Red pepper flakes to taste
1 pound spaghetti alla chitarra or penne
Freshly grated pecorino cheese (can subst. with parmesan)
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees (175 C). Heat oil in 4-quart ovenproof casserole. Add pancetta, lightly brown and remove. Add lamb shanks, brown on all sides and remove. Lower heat; add onions, garlic and rosemary. Sauté until soft. Add white wine. Scrape pan, return pancetta and lamb to casserole, season with salt and pepper, then cover and bake 90 minutes, turning lamb once.
2. Remove lamb from casserole. Cut meat from bones, trimming off fat and gristle. Finely dice meat and add to casserole. Add tomatoes and red pepper. Simmer on top of stove one hour. Check seasoning.
3. Boil pasta until al dente, drain, toss with sauce, and serve with pecorino for dusting.
Peach Cobbler - serves 8 (taken from Martha Stewart)
Time: 45 minutes cooking time plus 20 minutes preparation
10 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced (2 quarts or 8 cups)
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (90g)
1 large egg
2/3 cup heavy cream
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving
1. Preheat oven to 375° (190 C). Place peaches, cornstarch, dark-brown sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Toss until well combined. Pour mixture into an 8 1/2-by-11 1/2-inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the baking powder, and salt. Using a fork, two knives, or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Whisk together egg and cream in a liquid-measuring cup. Slowly add this mixture to dry ingredients; mix with a fork until dough just comes together. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board, and roughly shape into a 12-inch log. Using a bench scraper, cut log into twelve equal portions.
4. Place rough balls of dough on top of peach mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer pan to a rack, and let cool slightly. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
I suggest spreading out the dough more - just break off chunks of it and toss it over the peaches. Also, be careful when adding the egg-cream mixture to the flour; you may not need to use all of it.