It’s about that time people--the tail end of winter and the worst time of the year. Well, with the exception of my birthday (February 7th-- I like bath salts and candles...). There are no big holidays coming up where you get time off from work, the weather- if you’re not in LA- is dreary and sad, and if you don’t know how to cook with winter vegetables properly, it can put you into quite a food rut. (Insert shameless plug here...) Come to one of our Farmer’s Market Cooking Classes to learn!
Winter- we’re over you. The only thing to cure such Winter blues is to make up your own holiday, and get the hell out of town. Ideally, we’d all like to escape to a tropical island, but there is just not enough time to do such extravagant things. Luckily for all of us, we live in California, and there are endless opportunities for staycations-- vacations where you don’t have to even leave the state. While my fabulous birthday trip to Napa has been temporarily postponed, another adventure is never too hard to find.
A friend of mine is hosting a “Writing Pad Mountain Retreat” weekend from March 9-11 in the breathtaking mountain town of Idyllwild-- just two hours away from LA! The retreat is hosted by novelist Jessica Brody (who has 9 book deals at only 32), successful memoirist and journalist Heather Havrilesky, and poetess and memoirist, Marilyn Friedman. You can spend the weekend learning from the pros and working on that screenplay or novel you’ve been putting off for years, all while sitting next to a warm crackling fire with gorgeous mountain views outside your window. This lovely weekend escape is being catered by yours truly, and we are going to be whipping up some of our favorites! As if learning from the best with mountain views wasn’t enough to convince you to go, we are making our slow-cooked short ribs, which- to be honest- are making my mouth water just writing about them. Relaxing in a hot tub eating short-ribs and working on the cookbook I’ve been putting off with mountain views? Yes, please!
It promises to be just the getaway that you need in the tail end of these winter months. If you’re not able to make it, you’re missing out, but we’ll let you have our recipe for the ribs so you can have a staycation at home and eat those short ribs in privacy and without shame. ‘Cause trust us-- you’re gonna want to get all up in them.
Braised Short Ribs (braising technique)
serves 6
Braising is definitely my favorite way to cook meat, but it’s by no means the most difficult. I think I loved braised meats so much not only because of the tender juicy texture, but because it’s transforming a tough cut of meat and making it a super star.
Ingredients:
3 lbs. short ribs
1 (750 mL) bottle red wine
2 onions, large dice
3 carrots, large dice
6 ribs celery, large dice
5 sprigs thyme
5 sprigs parsley
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Liberally season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet on high. When pan is hot enough add the vegetable oil and brown meat on all sides. Transfer to a casserole dish and set aside. Saute mire poix (the French word for the classic combination of 50% onions, 30% celery, 20% carrots) in the remaining fat until lightly browned. Deglaze pan with some of red wine (just enough to remove the fat bits from the pan) and add the mixture to the meat in the casserole dish. Cover the dish with a tight lid or aluminum foil. Braise in oven for about 6 hours or until fork tender, but still attached to the bone. Discard all aromatics and vegetables. I love to feed my dog the carrots! Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. Braised meats love to be served over purees.
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