redrum! redrum!

or maybe red sauce?

either way it’s tasty and easy too. it just takes a few hours (of simmering)

i don't make my own ravioli. i should, but i don't.

marinara sauce (makes about 7 cups)

1/2 large yellow onion, diced

1/3 carrot, diced

extra virgin olive oil

1/3 large garlic bulb, cloves peeled and minced, save 1 whole cloves for later.

2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

1 6 oz can tomato paste

freshly ground black pepper

kosher salt

red pepper flakes

dried basil

dried oregano

dried thyme

“italian” seasoning

1 bunch fresh basil, chopped

several sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed

heat olive oil in large stock pot and add the onion and carrot. saute until the onion is just barley carmelized. reduce the heat and add the garlic. cook for 1 to 2 minutes. add the tomato products. mix thoroughly. add dried herbs (about 1/4-1/2 tsp of each) and pepper to taste. chop about 1/4 cup basil.  add basil and about 6 sprigs worth of thyme leaves to the sauce.

now i know what you are thinking, “but dorian, the tv chefs tell me fresh herbs are for finishing a sauce. they can’t be used this early.” you know what? this is my recipe, and it’s fucking good. and if you have been lucky enough to taste it, then you know that my approach works. and i’m not done yet, so just sit back down and listen. or read. or whatever.

simmer for about 3 hours partially covered. before serving, add the two saved cloves of garlic. i don’t even dice them, i just smash and toss them in. add in another 1/4 cup chopped basil and 6 more sprigs of thyme. there, are you happy now?

voila! i tend to make a triple batch and just freeze whatever i don’t use.

kiss the pre-made salad dressing goodbye

please stop buying that crap in the grocery store. this tastes infinitely better. infinitely! that’s like forever, which means a lot.

it's too bad you have to shake it before you use it...

this is easy, really easy. so easy i don’t even have a true recipe. but i’ll give you the ingredient list and leave the rest up to you.

red wine vinaigrette

mustard (i use whole grain)

1 garlic clove, minced

“italian seasoning”

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

honey

red wine vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

combine ingredients in a jar and shake. done.

it should last about a week in the fridge, unless you use it all on the first day.

see? at least it tastes great.

cheesecakes should be light, not dense

i’ve never been a fan of a thick cheesecake. i think it goes back to my younger days when my mother would buy cheesecakes from the grocery store. god damn they were terrible- dry, bland monstrosities. but one day i saw the light of a cheesecake that was airy and tangy. and it changed my life.

have you ever made a cheesecake? if not, tread lightly. it’s not the most difficult thing you will ever do. but it’s certainly not the easiest. a waterbath is required to protect the cheesecake from overcooking. it is not a quick process. HOURS out of your day are needed.

this recipe (i’ve been told) was adapted from dorie greenspan. i’ve changed it as well. i have no idea what percentage of the original recipe is still here, but i need to give credit where it is due.

best cheesecake ever. and it's tall too!

meyer lemon cheesecake with black berry coulis

crust

280g crushed graham crackers (~2 packages)

84g butter, melted

4 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

filling

2 lb cream cheese, softened (that’s 4 blocks)

370g  sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

4 large eggs, at room temp

680g (1.5lb) sour cream

1/2 cup fresh meyer lemon juice

1 tbsp meyer lemon zest

blackberry coulis recipe below

crust

heat oven to 350F. wrap 2-3 layers of foil around a 9 inch springform pan. mix dry ingredients. add in butter and mix until moistened. pour mixture into the springform pan. press crumb mixture into the bottom and about half-way up the sides of the pan. bake for 10 mintues. let cool.

reduce oven temp to 325F

bring a pot of water to a boil and find a roasting pan that a 9 inch spring form pan will fit inside of.

filling

beat cream cheese until it is fluffy. mix in sugar, salt, and vanilla. add in eggs, one at a time, mixing for one minute between each egg. mix in sour cream. mix in lemon juice and zest. pour batter into pan. place pan into roasting pan. place pan(s) in oven. and add water into the roasting pan. try to bring the water half-way up the sides of the pan.

bake for 1.5 hours. turn off oven and prop door open with the handle of a wooden spoon. let sit in oven for one more hour.

after one hour remove springform pan from the water bath.let cool for at least 4 hours. overnight in the fridge is best.

blackberry coulis

1/2 pint blackberries

200g sugar

~1/2 cup lemon juice

bring all ingredients to a boil. simmer until reduced by about half. remove from heat. then puree.

be careful!!! this is incredibly hot and burns can happpen during transfer. i use my immersion blender and a small saucepan. its works very well. run sauce through a strainer to remove the seeds.

i’ve got the syrup,

but it won’t pour.*

if only i had someone to make waffles for me...

I’ve had this bug to make my own syrup for some time now. I was unable to make my own maple syrup due to lack of a maple tree. However, fruits are in abundance at the store. This makes the process very easy. I used frozen blueberries; fresh works too. And you can use other berries too, like raspberries.

3 cups frozen, thawed/or fresh blueberries.
1 tbsp lemon juice
Zest from 1/2 of a lemon
1/4 cup water
3 cups granulated sugar

Mash the blueberries with a potato masher, or use a food processor. Add the water, lemon juice, and zest. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Pour the mixture into another sauce pan through a double layer of cheese cloth. I took a colander than fit into a sauce pan and then lined it with the cheese cloth. Let the juice run into the pan. Then squeeze the cheese cloth to get the rest of the juice.

Add the sugar to the juice and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute. If you are worried about making candy, use a candy thermometer and bring the mixture to 230-235F (thread stage). Remove from heat.

Let cool and store in a clean container. It should last about one month in the fridge.

*thanks jan