Gruyere – Swiss Cheese Fondue with Winter Vegetables
Serves 4 to 6
1 clove garlic, sliced in half
1 1/4 cups dry white wine
1/2 pound gruyere, shredded
1/2 pound swiss, shredded
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 to 2 tbsp. kirsch
Freshly ground nutmeg (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
Bread and roasted vegetables such as broccoli, radishes and potatoes, for dipping
1. Rub the inside of a heavy-bottomed pot with the cut side of the garlic. Set the pan over
medium heat, add the white wine and bring to a simmer.
2. Sprinkle the cheeses with the cornstarch and some black pepper, and add to the pot in two
batches. Stir frequently until the mixture is smooth. When it reaches a gentle bubble, stir in the
kirsch.
3. Serve the fondue from the pot, warming occasionally if needed, or transfer to a fondue pot.
Top with nutmeg and black pepper to taste. Serve with bread and vegetables for dipping.
**we roasted brussel sprouts, fresh radishes and cubed country bread
Wilted Green Salad with Beets, Carrots and Garlic Yogurt
Serves 4
8 baby or 4 small carrots, peeled and trimmed
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 large beet, peeled
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 large bunch curly kale
1 cup plain greek yogurt
2 tablespoons loosely packed chopped fresh mint (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 400º. Toss the carrots with olive oil and salt and roast until al dente (check
them after 10 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, grate the garlic clove. Stir in the yogurt, then, stirring
constantly, gradually add about 1 tablespoon each water and olive oil to thin the mixture (it
should reach the consistency of a thin dip or dressing). Season well with salt.
3. In a separate bowl, grate the raw beets using a handheld slicer. Dress lightly with olive oil,
lemon and salt, tossing to coat.
4. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle generously with olive oil. Add the
kale and let cook, undisturbed, until the bottom is slightly wilted and just starting to brown. Toss
the kale using tongs, and let the uncooked parts wilt and brown slightly. Season with salt and
pepper.
5. Spread some of the garlic-yogurt mixture on the bottom of 4 salad plates, leaving only a small
border. Top with some of the wilted kale. Then garnish each with some of the carrots and beets,
and the mint, if using.
Homemade Pappardelle
Makes about 1 pound
2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup semolina flour
1/2 tsp. fine kosher salt
4 eggs
about 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1. In a food processor, add the flours and the salt and pulse to combine. Add the eggs and the
olive oil. Process just until the mixture is evenly moistened and forms soft crumbs, about 10
seconds. Pinch together the mixture to test its consistency (it should feel moist, but not sticky,
and form a soft ball). Adjust with more flour and oil if needed.
2. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until it feels silky and is an
even shade of yellow with no flour streaks, a few minutes. Shape into a disk and refrigerate 30
minutes before rolling.
3. Cut the dough into quarters. Re-wrap three of the pieces, and working with the fourth, flatten
into a thin oval with a rolling pin (about 1/2- to 1/4-inch-thick). Feed the dough through the
machine at its widest setting, then fold the stretched dough into thirds by bringing the ends
toward the center (like you would fold an envelope). Continue to feed it through the machine,
adjusting to the next narrowest setting each time, until you have a smooth, thin pasta sheet. Lay it
out on a flour-dusted surface and cover it lightly with plastic wrap or a towel while you roll out
the remaining three dough pieces.
4. To cut into pappardelle, cut each pasta sheet in half crosswise. Then cut each sheet into 1-inchwide
ribbons. Cook in a pot of gently boiling, well-salted water.
Braised Beef Ragu with Crimini Mushrooms
Serves 8 to 10
2 to 3 slices bacon, chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
One 3- to 4-pound beef chuck roast
1 pound cremini mushrooms
3 carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup red wine
3 cans whole peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed by hand
1 to 2 cups chicken stock
Thyme leaves
Rosemary leaves
1 bay leaf
Chili flakes
Freshly grated pecorino romano, to garnish
1. In a large pot or dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until the meat is lightly
browned and the fat has rendered. Shift the bacon to one side of the pan, or remove and reserve
using a slotted spoon.
2. Increase the heat to medium-high. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, and add to
the pan (if the pan looks dry, drizzle in a little olive oil); sear the meat on all sides; remove and
set aside. To the pan, add the mushrooms, carrots, celery and onion. Cook, stirring frequently,
until the vegetables have softened slightly and browned in places, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the
tomato paste and cook until darkened slightly and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the red wine,
scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half,
then add the tomatoes with their juices.
3. Transfer the beef back to the pan (and the bacon, if removed), and add 1 cup chicken stock if
needed to thin the consistency of the sauce. Add a few sprigs thyme, 1 sprig rosemary, 1 bay leaf
and a generous sprinkling of chili flakes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle
boil, then reduce to a low simmer, cover and let cook until the meat is fork tender, about 2 hours.
Transfer to a work surface and shred or slice into bite-sized pieces; return the meat to the pot.
Adjust the consistency and seasoning of the sauce with the remaining chicken stock or more salt
and pepper if needed. Serve with pappardelle or another thick pasta noodle, garnished with the
pecorino romano.
Homemade Hot Chocolate
Serves 8
1 gallon milk
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (bars)
Vanilla extract, to taste
Unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
Salt
8 large marshmallows
In a large saucepan, combine the milk and chocolate over medium-low heat. Cook, whisking
occasionally, until the chocolate is fully melted and the consistency is smooth and rich. Add
about 1 tsp. vanilla, or more to taste. Season to taste with a small amount of salt. Thicken the
final consistency as needed by whisking in cocoa powder in 1 tbsp. increments. Serve hot in
mugs, topped with store-bought marshmallows.
Snickerdoodles
Recipe reprinted from The Cookiepedia: Mixing, Baking and Reinventing the Classics (Quirk,
2011)
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
! !
!
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
For rolling:
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Sift the
flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and set it aside as well.
2. Cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed for several minutes until they’re light and
fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
3. Add the flour mixture in two batches, making sure the first half is incorporated before adding
the second. Stop when the second batch is fully combined.
4. Stir together cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Roll 1-inch balls of dough into the mixture. Place
them on the cookie sheets about mix 2 inches apart, or slightly more if you think you’ve had a
heavy hand. Flatten the balls of dough slightly with the palm of your hand.
5. Bake the cookies 9 to 10 minutes, if you like them chewy, or 12 to 13 minutes, if you prefer
crispy. Cool the sheets on wire racks for a few minutes, then transfer the cookies directly onto
the racks to let them finish cooling.
Recipes courtesy of Stacy Adimando for Sunday Suppers