Everyday Gourmet. William Maltese

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      THE TRAVELING GOURMAND SERIES

      1. The Gluten-Free Way: My Way, by William Maltese & Adrienne Z. Milligan

      2. Back of the Boat Gourmet Cooking: Afloat—Pool-Side—Backyard, by Bonnie Clark & William Maltese

      3. William Maltese’s Wine Taster’s Diary: Spokane/Pullman Washington Wine Region, by William Maltese

      4. In Search of the Perfect Pinot G! Australia’s Mornington Peninsula: William Maltese’s Wine Taster’s Guide #2, by A. B. Gayle & William Maltese

      5. Whole Wheat for Food Storage: Recipes for Unground Wheat, by Michael R. Collings & Judith Collings

      6. Even Gourmands Have to Diet: It’s Just Food, People!, by Bonnie Clark and William Maltese

      7. Dinner with Cecile and William: A Cookbook, by Cecile Charles and William Maltese

      8. The Pot Thickens: Recipes from the Kitchens of Writers and Readers, edited by Victor J. Banis

      9. Get-Real Vegan Desserts: Vegan Recipes for the Rest of Us, by Christina-Marie “Sexy Vegan Mama” Wright and William Maltese

      10. Everyday Gourmet: A Memoir, by William Maltese and Bonnie Clark

      COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

      Copyright © 2013 by William Maltese and Bonnie Clark

      Published by Wildside Press LLC

      www.wildsidebooks.com

      DEDICATION

      To Bonnie Clark, without whom I would have been hard-pressed to bring to realization so many of the recipes in this book which, while well-remembered by me, weren’t physically written down at the time.

      And—

      To Bruce Clark, whose input can sometimes be overlooked but never should be.

      INTRODUCTION

      As many who have traveled a good deal, and eaten a good deal, and drunk a good deal, I have a tendency to remember, and remember well, a good deal of those times in my life when I’ve experienced truly memorable dining experiences.

      On such occasions, if the opportunity presented itself, I’ve been known to persuade the host, hostess, or their representatives in their respective kitchens, to part with the recipes for those items on their menus that I’ve particularly enjoyed, whether such culinary blueprints were merely jotted down on the spot, on wine-splotched coasters, or neatly printed out for me by computer and then mailed to me at some later date.

      On many an occasion, however, for whatever the reason (secret family recipe, an improvising chef, too drunk to think straight, etcetera), I’ve found myself having left the scene of an event, savoring the experience of it, but without benefit of any physical recipe in-hand with which to recreate the memory at some later date. Therefore, I’ve found myself, often all on my own, working from memory, when attempting to replicate, in my own kitchen, some much-enjoyed item initially eaten elsewhere.

      Not by way of bragging about my cooking expertise, taste buds, and keen sense of smell, but I have, more often than not, come pretty close to duplicating a good many of those dishes that I’ve set out to duplicate. Not by way of complaining about my lack of cooking expertise, taste buds, and keen sense of smell, but I have, on more occasions than I care to admit, ended up not quite satisfied.

      When writing this book, I have, as in the past, called upon the expertise of my fellow gourmet, gourmand, and co-author, Bonnie Clark, and her husband Bruce, for whatever the necessary tweaking necessary to end up, as nearly as possible, with what I remember eating in the first place. Without their assistance and the skill-set of their cooking expertise, taste buds, and keen senses of smell, there’s no doubt in my mind that this book would have turned out far less satisfactory to me than it has. And for that, I extend to them my deepest heart-felt appreciation.

      IN A STEW AS TO WHAT TO COOK?

      Just because three of my cookbooks, published by Wildside/Borgo Press, now include “gourmet” or “gourmand” in their titles (BACK OF THE BOAT GOURMET COOKING, EVEN GOURMANDS HAVE TO DIET, and EVERYDAY GOURMET: A MEMOIR, all written with Bonnie Clark), don’t be confused into thinking that I’m someone who continually indulges in only high-end dining. In point of fact, my definition of gourmet has always been, and remains, merely “good” food; a gourmand merely someone who enjoys the eating.

      While I do prepare the likes of Beef Wellington, and filet steak, coated with pâté de foie gras and duxelles, all nicely wrapped up for presentation in puff pastry and baked, now I’m merely going to deal with a French peasant stew, despite it’s often intimidating name—boeuf bourguignon. I do so, because I’ve had the misfortune of spending my winter in the Pacific Northwest corner of the United States, where chilly weather has seen me, more often than not, seek consolation in a full-bodied and robust meal that can make me feel all warm inside and momentarily able to forget the bleak weather just outside the door.

      The dish originated in the Burgundy (Bourgogne) region of what is today eastern France, and is prepared with beef braised in a red wine (traditionally red Burgundy); broth, more often than not, flavored with garlic. Often, pearl onions and mushrooms are added toward the end of the cooking.

      Originally, the meat was provided with lardons (strips of fat) but modern beef is usually tender enough, and with enough natural marbling, to exclude this time consuming step; these days, cubed bacon produces the initial cooking fat and for adding at the end.

      Beef Bourguignon (aka French Stew)

      Preheat oven to 325°F

      8 oz bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces

      3 lb stew meat (or beef roast), cut into 1½-inch chunks

      1 tsp salt

      ½ tsp fresh ground pepper

      ¼ c flour

      2 garlic cloves, minced

      3 c Burgundy wine

      1 c beef stock

      1 sprig of fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried leaves)

      4 large carrots cut into 1-inch slices

      1 lb mushrooms, cut in half

      2 TBS butter (or olive oil)

      ½ lb pearl onions, fresh peeled or frozen

      To thicken, if needed:

      2 TBS butter, softened

      2 TBS flour

      In a 6-quart Dutch oven, sauté the bacon over medium low heat, until brown and crisp. Set bacon aside. Discard all but 3 TBS of fat from pan.

      Heat pan over medium high heat. Sprinkle stew meat with salt and pepper and some of the ¼ c flour. Toss lightly. Brown stew meat in the bacon fat in small batches until brown on all sides—do not over crowd. Remove browned stew meat and set aside.

      To the vacated pan, add minced garlic and ALL that remains of the ¼ c flour. Cook for 30 seconds.

      Turn pan to high heat. Deglaze the pan with the Burgundy wine for about 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the stew meat, bacon, stock, and thyme.

      Cover and bake in oven for 2½ hours.

      Add carrots.

      Sauté the mushrooms in about 2 TBS butter (or olive oil), for about 7 minutes, until golden brown. Add mushrooms and pearl onions to pot.

      If sauce needs thickening, use above “thickening” ingredients by—

      Mashing with a fork