Ina’s Beef Short Ribs

February 25, 2013 by

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Let’s discuss cooking meat. It’s kind of tricky, no? I would say I didn’t really get a little good at cooking meat until the last few years. I’m still not great at knowing when a steak is cooked to perfection, and don’t even get me started on fish. A little different than meat, but still, really daunting for me to cook. But the one method I always come back to because I find it not quite as scary when it comes to cooking to protein, is roasting.  I have nailed my roast chicken techniques, and I have to say I’m pretty good when it comes to short ribs.

If you’ve never made beef short ribs before, Ina’s recipe is a great place to start. There’s quite a bit of chopping involved, but the overall process is really straight forward and approachable. The other kind of amazing thing about short ribs is that they can be made a day ahead- and they’re actually kind of better that way. Prep them the day before and just reheat slowly over the stove 30 minutes or so before you’re ready to serve dinner. Whip up a big batch of buttermilk mashed potatoes or creamy polenta to go with and you have the ultimate comfort meal.

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Beef Short Ribs slightly adapted from Ina Garten

  • 3 lbs beef short ribs
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • 2 leeks, cleaned and large-diced, white part only
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (2 onions)
  • 4 cups large-diced celery (6 large stalks)
  • 2 carrots, peeled and large-diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 (750-ml) bottle Cotes du Rhone or other dry red wine
  • Fresh rosemary sprigs
  • Fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 6 cups beef stock

Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the short ribs on a sheet pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven and add the leek, onion, celery and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and wine, bring to a boil and cook over high heat until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Tie the rosemary and thyme together with kitchen twine and add to the pot.

Place the roasted ribs on top of the vegetables in the Dutch oven and add the brown sugar and beef stock. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.

Carefully remove the short ribs from the pot and set aside. Discard the herbs and skim the excess fat. Cook the vegetables and sauce over medium heat for 20 minutes, until reduced. Put the ribs back into the pot and heat through. Serve with the vegetables and sauce.

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Roasted Pear and Stilton Salad

February 18, 2013 by

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I’ve had the ultimate treat yourself weekend. It began with a spa pedicure on Friday, then a facial on Saturday morning (booked because I caved while at the spa on Friday), and finished with a much needed haircut on Sunday. My bangs no longer look like a mop (!), and I’m feeling fresh and rejuvenated all around. Life is slowly starting to get back to normal and I always find getting back into old routines to be such a help. Sitting down with my cookbooks Saturday evening and choosing this week’s recipe felt so good. I was immediately drawn to this simple pear salad. It’s so easy to bring together but has such wow factor.

I’m also really excited  about some stuff we’ve got in the works on the blog front. Lauren’s first post will be up tomorrow, so if you didn’t get a chance to meet her yet- check out her little interview here! And we’ve got another contributor that you all will get to meet in the coming weeks. Throw in a bunch of exciting new content and I tell you, this is gonna be such a knock out year for CC.

Here’s to a great week!

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Roasted Pear Salad slightly adapted from Ina Garten’s Back to Basics
Makes 6 servings

  • 3 ripe but firm Anjou pears (I used Bosq)
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
  • 3 ounces coarsely crumbled sharp blue cheese such as Stilton
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • 3 tablespoons port
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • 6 ounces baby arugula
  • Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Peel the pears and slice them lengthwise into halves. With a small sharp paring knife and a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling. Trim a small slice away from the rounded sides of each pear half so that they will sit in the baking dish without wobbling. Toss the pears with some lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snugly.

Gently toss the crumbled blue cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentation.

In the same small bowl, combine the apple cider, port, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture over and around the pears. Bake the pears, basting occasionally with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside until warm or at room temperature. Note: If you use Bosq pears, they need to bake for 35-40 minutes.

Just before serving, whisk together the olive oil, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the basting liquid in a large bowl. Divide the arugula among 6 plates and top each with a pear half. Drizzle each pear with some of the basting liquid, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.

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Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

January 21, 2013 by

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Up until this recipe, I kind of only enjoyed broccoli in two forms- either slathered in sugary sauce form Chinese takeout, or when prepared by a friend of mine down in DC. She’d host dinner parties and often make broccoli. I have no idea what she did, but it was always so good (hmm sorry I can’t be of more help there). But then. But then came this recipe. One of those why have I waited this long to make this recipe kind of recipes. It’s easy and delicious- the level of delicious where I want to eat an entire pan of roasted broccoli myself. I’m pretty sure it’s the lemon juice and zest which seals the deal here, and the way the broccoli and its leaves gets slightly charred- completely irresistable. You want a nice al denté bite to the broccoli, so when it gets around the 20 minute mark of roasting, test it by pushing a knife or fork into one of the stalks- it should resist a bit. Also, if you’re using tiny broccoli florets, the cooking timing will likely be much less- I recommend checking after 15 minutes or so of roasting.

I know it’s Monday and I just showed you broccoli, but I assure you it is that good. Promise. Now let’s get to it!

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Parmesan Roasted Broccoli from Ina Garten’s Back to Basics
Makes 6 servings

  • 4 to 5 pounds broccoli
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • Good olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves) (I made it once with basil and one without- I’d say it’s optional)

Preheat oven to 425°.

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned. While the broccoli cooks, place the pine nuts in a small frying pan and cook over medium heat, stirring until lightly browned. Set aside.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.

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Have A Warm & Cozy Holiday

December 21, 2012 by

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Oh Friday. Thank goodness you’re here. I woke up last Sunday with a terrible sore throat and have continued to rock a cold and mild flu all week long. I think this is my body’s way of telling me that it’s 100% necessary for me to take the next week to sleep, spend lots of time on Netflix and Hulu, and drink hot cocoa like it’s my job. So excuse me while I go do just that.

Sarah and I will be back later next week sharing our best reads of 2012. I read some amazing books this year so I’m really excited to dish on that topic- but I’m just as excited to hear from you guys and get lots of reading recommendations for 2013! So be sure to drop in for that. Beyond that, here are a few thing for you to cook, do, listen to, and read over the holiday:

  • Entertaining? You really totally need to host this holiday bagel brunch.
  • Did you know CC has it’s very own holiday playlist? Get it here. Mariah and Frank Sinatra all the way.
  • This particular Biz Notes post was one of my favorites. It’s a really good read- wherever you are in your life.
  • Ina Garten tasted and loved (!) these ginger cookies- I think that’s good enough reason for you to make them.
  • Lessons in blogging- here are my big ones from 2012.
  • Still shopping for gifts- we made three awesome gift guides for you this year. Get 1, 2, and 3!
  • Enough with the cookies and candy canes- you totally need this holiday kale salad in your life.
  • I’ll be making a gingerbread house this weekend! Got any tips or tricks?

However you’re celebrating, I hope your holiday is filled with great food, family, and friends. Thanks so much for all your support this year and making my little corner of the web part of your daily life. It means more to me than you can imagine!

xo Clara

Image Credit (photo via Breakfast at Toast)

8 Comments

A Month In Review

November 30, 2012 by

I’d like to keep today short and sweet since earlier posts this week were bordering on novel like length! Once again I just want to thank you all for your tremendous support on the Ina feature, welcome all you new wonderful readers, and give a shout out to all of you who have been with me since the beginning and keep coming back to read and comment. I love you guys!

Now- the pics above. Remember back in November when I overhauled my entire closet? Well, inspired by all the clothing I rediscovered, I decided to a do a little “November outfit challenge,” to motivate myself to implement those beloved pieces into my wardrobe and not constantly revert to black leggings and an oversized sweatshirt. Oh and I was going to take photos everyday. Weeelll everyday was a stretch, but I did snap some pics and it definitely impacted my outfit choices. So I’m gonna keep going with it- might not be everyday, but I’ll definitely keep at it for you guys! And if you want to join in too just leave your instagram name in the comments. You can follow along with me here.

Oh and one more thing! You guys actually have the opportunity to hang with Ina, too! Ladies’ Home Journal and All Recipes are running a virtual cookie swap on Pinterest and if you win you get a trip to NYC and lunch with Ina Garten. OMG. Learn more here.

Ok that’s enough out of me. Have a wonderful weekend! xx

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Behind the Scenes with the Barefoot Contessa

November 28, 2012 by

Thank you all SO much for all your warm support yesterday! And hello to all you newbies that just found CC through the feature- I’m thrilled to have you!

As promised, today I want to take you guys behind the scenes of the cookie swap with Ina. In between shots with the photographer (the esteemed Quentin Bacon), we were pretty much given free rein of the barn space. The space is stunning and feels like you’re living within a Restoration Hardware catalogue, but about a million times better. I went to town snapping shots of her kitchen and pantry!

The kitchen space is her own test kitchen- not just a set. The pantry is filled with actual items and equipment she uses everyday. The fridge has all her homemade stocks and ingredients she actually cooks with. It’s all real! I totally snooped.

The kitchen itself is amazing. She’s got the most beautiful gas range I’ve ever scene, and each side of the stove is flanked with matching refridgerators, Cuisinarts, and Kitchen Aid Mixers. A dream! The ceilings are quite high and with an entire wall of floor to ceiling windows, the entire space is bathed in light.

We also got to explore her beautifully manicured gardens. I couldn’t get over the amount of lavender! From here we caught a glimpse of her actual house and more of the rolling landscape. It’s crazy to think back to all those afternoons growing up, sitting on the couch doing my homework, and staring at this house in the credits of her show. And to now be viewing face to face- what!?!?

The day was best summed up when Joy kept repeating, “Yep this is real. This is happening. No big deal- typical Thursday.” I really did have to keep pinching myself throughout the whole thing to remind myself this was actually happening. Then there was the point at which I used her bathroom- that made things feel pretty darn real.

Lastly, here is the recipe for the ginger cookies (you can get all the cookie recipes online here). This is a great dough to make ahead and then freeze into logs during the holidays. Then when you’re ready to bake the cookies, just pull the dough out 10 or so minutes early to let it soften before slicing and baking.

Apple Cider Ginger Cookies
Makes about 30 cookies

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup apple butter
  • 1 large egg
  • red sanding sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and dried ginger. Set aside.

Place butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg, vanilla extract and apple butter, and beat on medium speed until just combined.

Add the dry ingredients, to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat on low speed until the dough begins to come together and the flour disappears. Stop the mixer and finish incorporating the ingredients with a spatula. Once all the flour is thoroughly mixed in, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to overnight).

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough into your hand, roll into a ball, then roll the ball around in granulated sugar to coat. If you like thicker cookies, place the ball of dough directly on the baking sheet. If you like thinner, but still chewy, cookies, flatten the balls into a small disc in your hand. Bake cookies for 8-9 minutes, just until lightly browned around the edges. Cool on the pan for 7 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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A Cookie Swap with the Barefoot Contessa

November 27, 2012 by

Well… something (clearly!) amazing happened this summer! Two things in fact- I met the Barefoot Contessa, and participated in a cookie swap in her home!! Let’s back up, shall we?

Back in June, the lovely ladies at Ladies Home Journal asked me to participate in a cookie swap with a “famous chef” in the NYC area. I immediately said yes and began pondering what restaurant chefs or bakers they’d have participate in a blogger cookie swap. Minutes after saying yes, I received an email back saying that the cookie swap would be with INA GARTEN at her house in Hamptons! First I about fell out of my chair, then I screamed, and then I called my mom and we screamed together. I couldn’t believe it! The rest of that day is just a blur.

The shoot took place in July. One Thursday morning I left my apartment at the crack of dawn and headed to midtown to meet Deb, Joy, Zoe, Lisa, and Julie and hop on a motor home to East Hampton (let’s be clear- I was just as excited to meet these amazing ladies, too!). The day of schedule was as follows: first breakfast with Ina at the 1770 House, and then a cookie swap at her house. The swap took place in her recently built “barn,” the incredible kitchen space where she now does all her recipe testing and films all her television segments. After getting all dolled up we spent the afternoon chatting, sipping sparkling wine, and nibbling on cookies around her gorgeous rustic dining table.

For the swap, each blogger had to provide an original cookie recipe. I came up with a super chewy ginger cookie flavored with apple butter and rolled in red sugar – a twist on your traditional holiday ginger cookie. Other cookies included Ina’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Globs, Joy’s Black & White Red Velvet Cookies, and Zoe’s Chocolate Caramel Matzo. You can get all the recipes in this month’s issue of LHJ.

All of us were pretty intimidated to meet Ina, but she immediately put everyone at ease. She’s truly one of the most genuine and down to earth people that I’ve ever met- and I assure you, I’m not just saying that. Really. Yes, I love her recipes, but the source of my admiration really comes back to her poise and business sense. She also has an incredible sense of humor and can be pretty witty and sassy! That was cool to experience.

At the end of the day she kept thanking us all for coming. I wanted to be like “Are you kidding? I would have walked here!” Sadly my solo photo with her will probably go down as the most awkward picture of me in history, but oh well! It was such an incredible day and I’m still reeling from the experience.

A HUGE thank you to Ladies Home Journal for making the whole experience possible, and including me. Be sure to check out all the other ladies’ sites this week to see their pics, recaps, and recipes. I’ll share my cookie recipe with you guys tomorrow along with some behind the scenes pics and other little tid bits about the day. I have been dying to tell you all about this for the last four months- I’m so thrilled the day is finally here!

All photos by Quentin Bacon

35 Comments

Weeknight Simplicity:Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

November 26, 2012 by

It’s been ages since I’ve done a “Weeknight Simplicity” recipe. But with the holidays and December gearing up to be one crazy month, I am very much in need of simple meals. Diced tomatoes and chicken broth are items I always like to have in my pantry as they make pulling together weeknight meals, like this soup, so much easier (learn more about my pantry staples). The recipe for this soup comes from Ina’s latest cookbook, Foolproof. The ingredient list is wonderfully short, and the saffron gives the soup a really deep flavor, despite the fact that it only simmers for 30 minutes. The recipe calls for heavy cream, but you could easily swap that out for Greek yogurt. I’ve been doing that a lot in soups lately and it works beautifully. Hope your week is off to a great start!

Ps: Other grilled cheese sandwiches:

Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons adapted from Ina Garten’s Foolproof
Serves 4-6

  • 2 T olive oil
  • 4 cups chicken broth (could use vegetable)
  • 28 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1 large or 2 medium onions, diced
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground pepper
  • large pinch real saffron
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream (or 1 cup Greek yogurt)

Set a large heavy bottomed pot to medium heat. Add in the olive and onion and sautée for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes until fragrant.

Add in the broth, tomatoes, salt, saffron, and pepper. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 30 minutes until thickened. Turn off heat, purée soup with an immersion blender, and add in cream or yogurt. Taste for seasonings (may need more salt), and serve.

Get my tips for making the perfect grilled cheese here!   After making the grilled cheeses, let the sandwiches rest for a minute or two before cutting into squares to make the croutons.

6 Comments

Fleur de Sel Caramels

October 26, 2012 by

For Halloween last year, I made homemade peanut butter cups, which are as delicious as they sound- and an extremely dangerous item to have about 50 of in your freezer at one time. This year I contemplated making homemade Snickers or Almond Joy Bars- all good choices, but I was craving something more classic. Enter fleur de sel caramels. I am a caramel fiend, people. I really fear for my teeth when this stuff is around, which is why I decided to make them right before I had family come into town so I don’t find myself eating the entire batch! You could wrap these guys in wax paper or serve them on a platter. The flaked sea salt against the glossy caramel makes for a pretty killer presentation, so I went that route.

Are you making homemade candy this year? Any recipes I have to try? Send ‘em my way, and have a lovely weekend! xx

Fleur de Sel Caramels adapted very slightly from Ina Garten
  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon fine fleur de sel, plus extra for sprinkling
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing it to drape over 2 sides, then brush the paper lightly with oil.

In a deep saucepan (6 inches wide and 4 1/2 inches deep), combine 1/4 cup water, the sugar and corn syrup and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown. Don’t stir — just swirl the pan.

In the meantime, in a small pot, bring the cream, butter and 1/2 teaspoon of fleur de sel to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat and set aside.

When the sugar mixture is done, turn off the heat and slowly add the cream mixture to the sugar mixture. Be careful — it will bubble up violently. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 248 degrees F (firm ball) on a candy thermometer. Very carefully pour the caramel into the prepared pan and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm.

When the caramel is cold, pry the sheet from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut the square in half. Starting with a long side, roll the caramel up tightly into an 8-inch-long log. Sprinkle the log with fleur de sel, trim the ends and cut into 8 pieces. (Start by cutting the log in half, then continue cutting each piece in half until you have 8 equal pieces.) It’s easier to cut the caramels if you brush the knife with flavorless oil like corn oil. Cut glassine or parchment paper into 4-by-5-inch pieces and wrap each caramel individually, twisting the ends. Store in the refrigerator and serve the caramels chilled.

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The Perfect Roast Chicken for Fall

September 17, 2012 by

I think a really good roast chicken is one of the more under appreciated dishes when one thinks of fall comfort foods. To me, there’s nothing better than a juicy bird,  creamy mashed potatoes, and simple salad of mixed greens. Everyone should have a solid roast chicken recipe up their sleeve, and this one I’m sharing today has come to be my favorite. Naturally, it’s from Ina.  The roasting method is pretty standard, but it’s the simple sauce she creates from the pan juices, wine, and chicken stock right after the bird comes out of the oven that makes her recipe so insanely good. Your dinner guests will be blown away- promise!

Ps: Creamy mashed potatoes with my go to secret ingredient to go with.

Jeffrey’s Roast Chicken from Barefoot Contessa “How Easy is that?”

Serves 4

  • 1 (4-5 pound) roasting chicken
  • 2 lemons, cut into quarts
  • 1 whole head of garlic cut in half crosswise
  • 2 spanish onions, peeled and thickly sliced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • salt
  • pepper
  • olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425°.

Remove and discard the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken and pat dry- make sure it’s completely dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Place the garlic and 2 lemon quarters inside the chicken.  At this point you can either truss the chicken (I follow this video), or you can just tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under the bird. If you don’t have kitchen twine, you can also use thread or floss. It’s also not a disaster if you can’t do this- you can cook the bird as is.

Place the chicken in a small roasting pan (I use a 9×13″ Pyrex dish). Brush the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. The bird should look speckled! In a medium size bowl, toss together the onions and lemons with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Place the onion and lemon mixture around the bird.

Roast the chicken for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thy.  Move the chicken to a platter, leaving the lemon and onions in the pan (some of them may be a bit charred- that’s ok). Cover the chicken with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes while you make the sauce.

Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over medium heat. Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits. Add the stock and sprinkle on the flour, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the sauce has deceased by roughly half.

Carve the chicken. Sprinkle with salt and spoon sauce over. Serve immediately.

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