Traditional Bolognese Sauce

 
Winter has finally arrived, and here in Southern California, that's cause to celebrate.  It's been raining for days and local news stations are reporting that we are officially no longer in a drought.  Woohoo!  That is truly exciting news.

This past weekend was damp and cold, but we took advantage of a short break between rainstorms to host our annual backyard Christmas tree burn.
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It's become a friends and family tradition to get together after the holidays for a big Italian dinner, then share a special bottle of dessert wine around a roaring fire.

















On this night the special wine was Wilson Creek's Decadencia, made from century-old "Old Vine" Zinfandel with a touch of natural chocolate that makes it even more delectable.

There is something indescribably endearing about gathering around a bonfire.  Something that touches the deepest recesses of our hearts and strengthens our human bond.

With silvery moonlight falling through bare winter branches and wisps of pine-scented smoke drifting above, the best of memories are made.

This year's burn was a little more colorful than others thanks to Mystical Fire.  Gotta love those Groupon deals!







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Thanks to the wintry weather of late, I've spent quite a bit of time indoors lately, and when cooped up on a rainy day, my first thought is always, let's make a pot of sauce.

How many recipes can sit on the stove for hours, perfuming the house with a mouthwatering aroma, and just get better and better the longer it cooks?  This Bolognese is one of my favorite recipes.  It's fantastic on its own over any number of pastas or as an accompaniment to stuffed shells, manicotti, ravioli, lasagna...

I use three different meats in mine because that's how my Grandma Marinesi did it, but you can you use whatever meat you prefer.

In recent years grocery stores have really stepped up their game when it comes to imported foods.  Items I could only find at Italian stores are now regular stock on the International aisle of my local market.  And - in my opinion they are worth seeking out.  Using San Marzano tomatoes does make a difference.

I always start with my usual blend of mushrooms, onions, carrots, celery and garlic, but I have been known to add a little red bell pepper if I have one lying around.  It just adds extra sweetness.

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The key to this recipe is to take your time in between steps.  Don't rush it. The longer this simmers on the stove, the richer and silkier it becomes.

Let each liquid cook down and reduce for a good half hour before adding the next ingredient.  Layers of flavor take time to develop.


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A garnish of fresh basil is the perfect bright, spicy compliment to the richness of the sauce.

Traditional Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients

1 lb ground veal
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
2 t kosher salt
black pepper
1 t sugar
1/4 t nutmeg
1 t red pepper flakes
1 t dried thyme
1 T oregano
3 carrots
3 celery stalks
1 lb mushrooms
1 onion
10 garlic cloves
2 T basil olive oil
2 T butter
2 C heavy cream or milk
2 C white wine
1 C sherry
1 t tomato paste
2 - 28 oz cans crushed San Marzano tomatoes
2 - 28 oz cans diced San Marzano tomatoes with basil

Directions

Heat 2 T basil olive oil in a large pot on medium high.  Add meat, red pepper flakes thyme and a few grinds of black pepper, and brown, breaking into small pieces.  Once meat is almost done, remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon.  Discard fat from pot.

Melt 2 T butter in the same pot with 1 t tomato paste.  Add finely chopped vegetables and saute over medium high heat until soft.  Add meat, oregano, sugar, nutmeg and salt, blending well with a wooden spoon.

Add cream or milk and increase heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat slightly to gently boil for 30 - 40 minutes.

Add wine and sherry.  Again increase heat to a boil, then reduce slightly to a gentle boil for 30 - 40 minutes, cooking down the liquids to intensify the flavors.

Add the canned tomatoes and once again, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and that's it. Let this sauce simmer on the stove all day long - at least 4 - 5 hours, stirring occasionally.  If the sauce ends up thicker than you like, add a splash of chicken broth and simmer again.

This a big batch so be sure to freeze some.

This sauce is fantastic over any pasta, ravioli and even to make lasagna with.

Top with Parmesan, Romano, basil, parsley...

Shepherd's Pie

Can you believe Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I am still without my oven?  The long awaited igniter arrived last Friday and it was the wrong one!  I'm beginning to think that holidays, ovens and I, do not mix.  

Last Christmas, as a houseful of family and friends milled around nibbling on appetizers, I happened to mention to Ian that the turkey seemed to be taking too long to cook.

You already know that my husband is a self-proclaimed McGyver.  What you don't know is that his brother is not far behind.  No sooner had the words slipped out of my mouth than those two were in the kitchen, poking and prodding at my aging oven, trying to determine the cause.

Was the temperature gauge malfunctioning?  Was the door gasket not sealing properly?  How about this lever - what does this do?  And, with that, my brother-in-law locked down the oven door with the self-cleaning lever, trapping my turkey inside as the temperature skyrocketed up to 600+ degrees.

As you can imagine, pandemonium then ensued - the three of us panicking as we tried every which way to unlock the oven - to no avail.  Finally the Einstein of the group wrestled the oven away from the wall and unplugged it.  It took the better part of an hour to cool down enough for the self-cleaning lock to release and - Voila!  Problem solved.  The turkey was done, albeit a little extra crispy.

The temperatures were supposed to cool this past weekend, so I'd bought everything necessary to make my husband's favorite traditional dish, shepherd's Pie.  The plan was to light the season's first fire and settle in for a movie with one of the oldest comfort foods known to man.  

Oven or not, I decided to forge ahead and make this Shepherd's Pie.  A barbecue should suffice, right?  We shall see...

As I previously mentioned, Ian is from Scotland, and anyone who knows a Scotsman well knows that they are set in their ways.  God forbid he walks by the kitchen and sees me chopping celery, mushrooms or garlic for the Shepherd's Pie.

"Meat, carrots and peas - nothing else is in Shepherd's Pie!" he'll declare, then later, as he's scarfing it down, he'll grudgingly admit, "It's pretty good."

Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made with lamb, but a 50/50 blend of turkey and beef works just as well.

 Adding tomato paste, Worcestershire and beef base give it a rich, depth of flavor.

 So into the barbecue this Shepherd's Pie went, and who knew?  It worked perfectly.

Shepherd's Pie is a hearty dish that pairs well with a rich, dark Zinfandel, in this case, Tobin James Silver Reserve.  Its robust, full bodied fruity notes compliment a meaty dish perfectly.

 

 Enjoy!

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground turkey or pork
1 onion or 3 shallots
2 carrots
2 celery

1 C mushrooms
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 C peas
Sage infused olive oil
1 T Rosemary
1 TSage
1 T Thyme
2 T flour
3/4 C Red wine
1/4 C Sherry
1/4 C Beef broth
2 T Tomato paste
1 T Beef base
2 T Worcestershire
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

 

Over medium high heat, brown meat in sage infused oil, breaking into small pieces.  Drain fat.  Add chopped onions, carrots, celery, mushroom and garlic.  Saute until starting to soften.  Sprinkle with flour and cook several minutes.  De glaze with red wine and sherry and cook until mostly evaporated.  Add tomato paste, Worcestershire, herbs and beef base.  Stir until combined.  Add peas last.  Cook until nice and thick.

Pour into casserole dish, top with mashed potatoes, spreading potatoes to edges of casserole to seal in the meat mixture.  Sprinkle top with cheese and paprika if desired.  Bake in a 350 degree oven until hot and edges are bubbling.  Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Mashed Potatoes

 

Ingredients

3 potatoes
3 T butter
1/2 C grated Guyere cheese
1/2 C Greek Yogurt
Rosemary sprig
Scallions
Milk
Salt and Pepper

Directions

 

Cut peeled potatoes into 1" cubes.  Place in a pot of salted water with a sprig of rosemary and bring to a gentle boil.  Boil until potatoes are fork tender.  Remove rosemary sprig and drain potatoes.  Return to pot, adding butter and cheese.  Mash with Greek yogurt and milk to achieve desired consistency.  Add scallions and salt and pepper to taste.