Food is love: Beef Bouguignon

Screen Shot 2013-09-11 at 9.44.13 AM

People who know me know I love these “one pot meals”. They seem to call to me from some long lost time when we all had a single pot on the fire and threw a bit of today’s catch in to help complete a meal.

“Beef with Bourguignon” is simply cooked cubes of seared beef with broth and wine ( I simply use Pinot Noir… But others suggest “Cote du Rhone”, Cabernet Savignon or any handy red) and a few veggies along with typical seasonings that go well with beef.

The process is fairly straightforward . Besides a lot of peeling, there is the slow cooking that tenderizes the beef and blends the flavors!

Screen Shot 2013-09-11 at 9.44.30 AM

Personally, I like to sauté the ingredients beforehand after peeling and sear the beef! So in the tradition of the one pot meal ( think: Stone Soup) here are the basics:

Several pounds of cubed beef. Searing will convert some of the flesh to sugar and toughen the meat, but the long cooking will tenderize it.

French Trinity: diced large onion, sliced carrots and chopped celery.

About four shallots

A couple bunches of green onions sliced

Crushed garlic

( can you tell I love onions?)

Beef stock

sauteed mushrooms

Wine ( equal to beef Stock) enough to submerge what you are cooking!

Potatoes diced

Baby Turnips (under 2″ in diameter) sliced (peal then place on flat spot and slice about 1/4″)

Seasonings: thyme, rosemary, white pepper, black pepper, garlic powder and sage. I add some chopped parsley. Personally, I love the taste of Fenugreek ( spice of the Greeks) and I add this at the end of the process.

In my crockpot this takes about 6 hours on high… The I turn it down to low. I find it wonderfully satisfying!

Bon Appetite !!

Happy Labor Day!

20130902-094011.jpg

Time is the most valuable thing on earth: time to think, time to act, time to extend our fraternal relations, time to become better men, time to become better women, time to become better and more independent citizens.—Samuel Gompers, on the 8 hour work day

20130902-185157.jpg

Happy Birthday, Laura

20130830-120431.jpg

My bride of 41 years is celebrating her 61st birthday! Happy Birthday sweetheart!

Laura is a “veteran” of sorts… Mother of three beautiful daughters, Professor of Psychology, advisor to many – including the Semper Fi Club at Cal Poly. Laura is receiving “advanced training” at Quantico earlier this summer.

Although it would be fitting to serve her MRE’s on her birthday… She will have to endure Beef Tornado, wine and her requested Pumpkin Spice cake covered in an Amarula cream cheese frosting!

Again, Happy Birthday sweetheart!

20130830-173212.jpg