Grilled Fontina and Prosciutto Sandwich

Recipe: Grilled Fontina and Prosciutto Sandwich
Page: 110
Date Cooked: February 20, 2011

The best way to describe this recipe is: Fancy Ham and Cheese. But not only is it a fancy little sandwich, it was pretty delicious as well. And boy oh boy, does Jonathan Waxman love his butter!

Prosciutto, Fontina, French sourdough, and butter

Slices of prosciutto and Fontina were layered on the bread. The top of each sandwich was also lightly buttered.

Layered slices of Fontina and prosciutto

Butter was melted in a skillet and once it began to bubble, the sandwich was added, un-buttered side down, flipped once, and cooked till golden brown on both sides.

From Left to Right: 1.Melting the butter 2.One side being grilled 3.The flip and other side being grilled

Once the cheese was visibly melting, the sandwich was removed, sliced in half, and served with pickles and mustard.

Grilled Fontina and Prosciutto Sandwich

Like I mentioned earlier, this is a fancy ham and cheese. However, I am a huge fan of Fontina cheese - it really has this wonderful earthy taste that pairs incredibly well with the prosciutto (and I'm sure the 45% milk fat content doesn't hurt either). All in all, it was good but not glamorous.

Enjoy!

Garden Salad

Recipe: Garden Salad
Page: 72
Date Cooked: February 14, 2011

This is the fourth Jonathan Waxman salad I have delved into. The previous salad recipes (Warm Squid Salad, Three Tomato Salad, Version 1, Warm Dandelion, Bacon, and Potato Salad) provided inspiration for my day to day cooking may that be a new found appreciation for the kumato, basic vinaigrettes, or even a new green such as dandelion. This recipe was the quintessential basic salad and I wasn't particularly inspired.

Arugula, Boston lettuce, baby frisee, black pepper, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil 

The recipe called for a variety of greens - from which I chose arugula, Boston lettuce, and baby frisee. The lettuce is washed and dried and placed in a bowl. Black pepper is added along with a touch of salt and the lettuce is tossed.

Washed and dried lettuce in bowl

Next, a small amount of balsamic vinegar is added to the greens and then tossed. Then the olive oil is tossed with the greens. You've added enough olive oil once the "salad glistens." And well....That is the end of the recipe.

Garden Salad

The salad tasted fine. But it wasn't anything exceptional by any means. Apparently, according to Jonathan Waxman, the key is to "always add the vinegar first." Why this is the case - I have no clue. I tried to find something about it, but came out of the search with no consensus. I want to assume it has something to do with the chemistry of oil and vinegar. Overall, the greens were good and the salad was just simple.

Enjoy!

Braised Lamb Shoulder with Fried Shallots

Recipe: Braised Lamb Shoulder with Fried Shallots
Page: 186
Date Cooked: February 13, 2011

"Braised Lamb Shoulder with Fried Shallots" is Jonathan Waxman's take on a classic French daube - a stew with meat (traditionally beef), wine, garlic, and herbs. If you ask me, I think braising meat is such a smart way to get a really hearty meal and it's difficult to mess up. Now I must state upfront, that I couldn't get lamb shoulder and had to make a substitution (my first one in this journey) - hence I used lamb leg. The biggest difference is that lamb leg is obviously a bit leaner than shoulder, which I was OK with.

Ingredients: Olive oil, salt, pepper, boneless lamb leg roast, Chianti, white onion, carrot, leek, garlic, jalapeño, kalmata olives, bay leaf, thyme, canned plum tomatoes, shallots, and all-purpose flour

The lamb piece is initially salt and peppered and then seared on all sides with olive oil. Once seared, the lamb is removed from the dish and Chianti is used to deglaze the pot. The lamb is then placed back in the dish and set aside.

From Left to Right: 1. Pre-seared lamb 2. Seared Lamb 3. Lamb with Chianti

Next, the onions, carrots, leeks, garlic, jalapeño, olives, and tomatoes are cut and chopped. All of vegetables along with the bay leaf and thyme were added to the casserole dish, scattered around the lamb. Water was added to the casserole dish as well - just until about the top of the lamb. The dish is then covered and placed in the oven to braise for 4 hours.

Seared lamb with vegetables and herbs

A few minutes before the 4 hours were up - I begin preparing the fried shallots. The shallots were thinly sliced and tossed in some flour. Finally they were fried in batches in hot olive oil. Once they achieved a crispy look, the shallots were removed from the oil and salted.

From Left to Right: 1. Thinly sliced shallots 2. Shallots tossed in flour 3. Frying shallots in olive oil

Finally, the fat was skimmed off the top of the stew and the bay leaf discarded. I was afraid that the lamb wasn't going to be tender enough (it looked as if it was still in it's entirety - see picture below) but surely as Jonathan Waxman makes notes, it broke apart in large chunks with no effort.

After 4 hours of braising in the oven 

A good piece of the lamb, the braising liquid, and some vegetables were spooned into a bowl. Finally, the stew was topped with the fried shallots.

Braised Lamb Leg with Fried Shallots

The stew was yummy. The lamb perfectly tender - it just melted in your mouth. Also, the braising liquid was incredibly flavorful. Moreover, I was somewhat amazed that the vegetables hadn't become a soggy mess. Don't get me wrong they were soft but still maintained remnants of their solid form. The crispy shallots on top provided a nice textural contrast and a little additional salt, which was appreciated. On a personal note, the fried shallots made me reminisce  about my mom's Indian cooking (fried onions are used in a number of Indian dishes).

The one thing I do need to comment on however is Jonathan Waxman's idea of portions. This isn't a novel thing in his recipes thus far, but I feel as it must be mentioned. I actually halved this recipe. However, the original recipe called for a 6 pound boneless lamb shoulder - which was estimated to make 6-8 servings. That's almost a pound of lamb + braising liquid + vegetables per person. A lot of food. I'm pretty sure using an approximately 3 pound boneless lamb leg gave me 6-8 servings. Luckily, I really like the stew because otherwise I'm not sure what I would do with 2 containers of braised lamb leg!

All in all, it was a great recipe and quite simple to make. Everything really cooks in its own juices and flavors and you get to really savor that, all with a touch of Chianti.

Enjoy!

Skirt or Hanger Steak Marinated in Soy, Ginger, and Lime with Red Onion Toasts

Recipe: Skirt or Hanger Steak Marinated in Soy, Ginger, and Lime with Red Onion Toasts
Page: 174
Date Cooked: February 7, 2011

I'm not a huge fan of skirt steak. I don't really know what to do with it other than make fajitas. But Jonathan Waxman's "Skirt Steak Marinated in Soy, Ginger, and Lime with Red Onion Toasts" was quick and tasty.

Skirt steak, ginger, lime, soy sauce, garlic, red wine, shallots, butter, salt, pepper, red onion, and sourdough bread

The ginger, lime juice, soy sauce, and garlic cloves were the marinade ingredients. The mixture was poured over the steaks, covered, and marinated in the fridge for 2 hours. After the two hours, the steak was removed from the marinade and the marinade was reserved.

Left: The marinade
Right: Marinade over steak

The red wine was brought to a boil, chopped shallots were added. The red wine was reduced till there was only about 1/4 cup left. Butter, salt, and pepper were stirred in and the reduction was set aside.

Red wine reduction

Meanwhile, the sliced onion rounds mixed with the reserved marinade were placed to broil until tender and dark brown. The steak was placed on the a pan and placed under the broil just until medium-rare. The bread was toasted under the broiler as well.

Onions with reserved marinade

Finally, the reduction was heated up and half a garlic clove was used to rub the slices of toast. And then it was ready to eat.

Skirt Steak Marinated in Soy, Ginger, and Lime with Red Onion Toasts

The flavors of this dish went quite well together. The onions with the marinade was quite surprising. The onion soaked the flavors of the marinade real nicely and made for a nice addition. Also the use of sourdough bread was the perfect choice. The steak was perfectly cooked as well. The marinade was flavorful and the red wine reduction added a whole new dimension. All in all, the meal was good but not mouth watering amazing. But a good choice for a quick meal. Furthermore, if the marinating portion wasn't included - the time involved was minimal.

Enjoy!

Wild Mushroom and Leek Soup

Recipe: Wild Mushroom and Leek Soup
Page: 61 and 78
Date Cooked: January 23, 2011

Being as it is freezing here in Central PA, making soup sounded like an excellent idea. The "Wild Mushroom and Leek Soup" happens to be the third soup (Butternut Squash and Jonathan Apple Soup and Mussel and Littleneck Clam Chowder) I've made from "A Great American Cook." The ingredients appeared simple and the combination was intriguing. All in all, I was looking forward to the soup.

Ingredients: Mixed mushrooms - crimini, shitake, and oyster, leeks, garlic, onion, olive oil, thyme, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, parsley, white wine, sourdough bread, and rosemary

The recipe required making a stock from the mushroom stems and dark green tops of the leeks. Accordingly, the mushroom were cleaned and stems removed; the leeks were sliced; and both the onion and garlic were minced.

Top Left: Trimmed mushrooms - caps and stems separated
Top Right: Sliced leeks, separated green tops
Bottom Left: Minced onions
Bottom Right: Minced garlic

With some olive oil, the mushroom stems, dark green leek tops, garlic, onion, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper were heated in a large pot. After a few minutes, the parsley, wine, and some water were added. The contents were brought to a simmer for 1 hour, during which foam was consistently skimmed from the top.

From Left to Right: 1. Initial ingredients for stock 2. Addition of wine, water, and parsley 3. Watching to skim foam

While I continued to watch the stock simmer, I went on to make the garlic croutons (page 78). Cubes of sourdough bread were placed in the oven and baked. Meanwhile garlic and rosemary were chopped. The croutons were placed in a bowl and sprinkled with olive oil and rosemary. Finally, the garlic was tossed in.

Garlic Croutons

After the hour, the stock was strained into another saucepan and kept warm. The diced mushrooms caps, leek whites, garlic, and olive oil were added to a Dutch oven. The ingredients were seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked till tender. The stock was then added and the soup simmered for another 30 minutes.

From Left to Right: 1. Mushroom caps, leek white, garlic, and olive oil 2. Tender mushrooms and leeks 3. Soup simmering

Additional, salt and pepper was added after tasting. The soup was then served with the garlic croutons.

Wild Mushroom and Leek Soup

Jonathan Waxman introduces the soup as a "forcefully flavored vegetarian soup" and I would have to disagree.I wanted to like this soup soo badly, I mean I skimmed foam from the stock for 1 hour. I wanted the time to be worth it. But quite honestly, it just fell flat. It had no dimension at all. It tasted fine. Just not good.

The best part of the soup were the croutons, which were quite delicious. Rosemary and garlic are both components that are near to my heart. But only when I got bits of rosemary and garlic with the crunchy texture of the croutons in my spoon (along with the soup) was a I satisfied. I re-read the recipe a couple of times after eating, trying to see if I missed something. I didn't. Unfortunately, I would have to say this soup is my least favorite recipe thus far.

Enjoy!

Beef Carpaccio with Warm Potato Salad

Recipe: Beef Carpaccio with Warm Potato Salad
Page: 42
Date Cooked: January 16, 2011

Carpaccio (raw meat or fish served ultra thing) is a dish I have only had in restaurants. To be quite honest, I've never trusted myself enough to make it on my own. However, this project gave me the impetus to prepare beef carpaccio. Not to mention, since it's raw I suppose there was no real hard cooking to do. Except of course for the hardest part of the entire recipe - the making of mayonnaise.

Ingredients: Sherry vinegar, salt, walnut oil, olive oil, shallots, filet mignon, egg yolks, lemon juice, pepper, small white potatoes, lime, red leaf lettuce, and chives

Jonathan Waxman instructs to make the vinaigrette first so it can stand for 1 hour and develop its flavors. Accordingly, sherry vinegar, salt, walnut oil, and olive oil were all whisked together. Minced shallots were added to the vinaigrette and the bowl was set to the side.

Vinaigrette

Then it was on to the meat. The beef was first cut into 6 portions - as equal as I could do it. A piece of parchment paper was oiled on one side and the meat was placed on this side. Another oiled piece of parchment paper was placed on top of the meat (oil side down). With a heavy rolling pin, I pounded the meat till it was nice and thin. Waxman says to get it to an 8-inch circle. However this was difficult considering my meat didn't come in rounds, but I did the best I could do.

From Left to Right: 1. Meat cut into 6 equal portions 2. One piece placed on oiled parchment paper 3. After pounding with rolling pin

Of course this was done with all six pieces of meat. I felt very "cave woman-esque." Getting my frustration out by pounding pieces of raw meat. After all the pieces had been carpaccio-ed, they were placed in the fridge.

All 6 pieces of beef carpaccio

Next step: Mayonnaise. If you have been reading this journey from the beginning, you are well aware of the battle between myself and mayonnaise making. I now see it in the cookbook and cringe just a little. It seems to be all about chance. I began by whisking egg yolks with lemon juice for 3 solid minutes. I then added olive oil, one teaspoon at a time, while continuing to whisk. And guess what: it actually began to look like mayonnaise! The consistency looked correct and I was super pleased. The only thing different, was that Jonathan Waxman calls for hot water to be whisked to the mayonnaise, which was somewhat surprising and upsetting - because the addition of water really liquefied the mixture. The mayonnaise was then seasoned with salt and pepper.

Left: Whisking away Right: Check out that consistency!

While I was the making the mayonnaise. The potatoes had been peeled, cut into small rounds, and boiled till tender. The cooked potatoes were then added to the mayonnaise and mixed together.

Warm Potato Salad

With all the components ready, it was time to plate. The lettuce was tossed in the vinaigrette and placed on the plate. The potato salad was spooned onto the middle of plate. Finally, the carpaccio came out of the fridge and after peeling one layer of parchment paper, the meat was inverted on the plate. The carpaccio was dressed with vinaigrette, chives, and some lime.

Beef Carpaccio with Warm Potato Salad

This was a meat and potatoes kind of meal and it was really good. Though I say meat and potatoes, it all felt so very light and fresh. I think with a carpaccio, you pay homage to the life you're eating. Truly enjoying the meat and savoring its natural flavors. The warm potato salad was also delicious and went so well with everything. One of my favorite components on the plate was the vinaigrette. This was not the first time I have been impressed with a Waxman vinaigrette (Three Tomato Salad Version 1 Vinaigrette). I don't know if I can adequately explain really how good this vinaigrette was - and the addition of the shallots was perfect. I suppose next time (since there will be a next time) I'll try to get those perfect rounds. But heck perfection is overrated!

Enjoy!

Pizza with Bacon, Scallions, Parmesan, and Tomato

Recipe: Pizza with Bacon, Scallions, Parmesan, and Tomato
Page: 116
Date Cooked: January 14, 2011

Great pizza is a God send and can be very difficult to find. The right crust, the right amount of toppings, and of course the perfect topping combination - you need it all for a great pizza. This was the first time I had attempted to make pizza dough and was worried I would mess it all up (the dough IS one the best parts). Luckily, that wasn't the case.

Ingredients: Unbleached all purpose-flour, honey, olive oil, active dry yeast, salt, bacon, scallions, tomatoes, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, black pepper

Well you can't have a pizza without the base, hence dough preparation was the first step. Some flour, honey, warm water, olive oil, and yeast were added to a bowl and mixed together. This mixture was to sit in a warm place for 1 hour until it doubled in size. Being as it was my first attempt at making pizza dough, I documented this hour carefully.

Pizza dough sponge mixture at 20 minute intervals

After the hour, additional flour was added along with some salt; and the dough was kneaded. Jonathan Waxman makes note that "the dough should be moist, not dry." At this point, I was little worried because the dough appeared to be really moist, but I went with it. The bowl was covered and set aside for 2 hours for another round of doubling.

Left: Dough after kneading
Right: Dough after 2 hours - it doubled!

Once the dough was ready, the oven was set to preheat, and the toppings got some attention.

From Left to Right: Sliced scallions. Diced tomatoes. Diced bacon.

The dough was rolled out on a floured surface to about a 12-inch round. It was then sprinkled with the bacon, scallions, tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. Finally it was topped with some olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

Pizza ready for the oven

While the pizza baked, the smells were simply intoxicating - the dough, the bacon, and the tomatoes wafted throughout my house. Once I saw that the crust was a perfect golden brown, I knew it was ready to eat.

Pizza with Bacon, Scallions, Parmesan, and Tomato

I savored this pizza. It was soo good. The crust was just perfect. Simple but perfect. The flavor combination was also exactly what I never knew I wanted. Bacon is always a good choice. And tomatoes and Parmesan are quite predictable. But the use of scallions over other onions really made the pizza. You got the onion flavor without feeling like you were eating just onions. Every topping complimented the other.

I am now convinced that making pizza from scratch is the way to go. While it may seem like it takes time. Much of that time is spent waiting and the kind of waiting that doesn't require you to really do anything. Another great recipe. Another keeper.

And for all you pizza lovers, here is a close-up of the ingredients. Seeing this is just making me hungry again!

Pizza Close-Up

Enjoy!