Osso Buco

“Thank you, thank you very much. I’m here ’til Thursday. Try the veal.”~Shrek

 

I’ve wasn’t the biggest fan of Veal until I had Osso Buco.  It was about 15 years ago when I was a server at this upscale Italian restaurant in Downtown Denver that I found love for this easy and savory dish.  The restaurant isn’t there anymore, though it did win the ‘Best Pasta in Denver’ award back in the 90′s, according to Westword Magazine.  Sigh.  I loved the food there…

Anyway, seeing as I wasn’t a food lover yet (as I am now), I hadn’t even heard of Osso Buco, or 1/2 the other stuff they had on the menu for that matter, when I started working there.  So needless to say, I had to do some quick studying.  And part of my studies was to try everything on the menu.  Well, you could imagine my glee when they broke that news to us at one of our pre-opening staff meetings.  (I was hired prior to the restaurant opening, so all of us were in the same boat for the most part).

Once I had learned what the main ingredient was for Osso Buco, I wanted no part of it.  I had had veal before, and the taste left me **not happy**.  At all.

But I was told that I just had to sample it, as I had to describe it to our future patrons.  So I did.  And I luuurved it!!  The veal was nothing like I’d had in the past.  Not veal-y, if that makes any sense.  Or at least not a veal-y taste that I’d taste in the past.  I know.  Confusing.

Bottom line, it was great.

This is kind of a recipe that I’d received from a sweet elderly Italian lady that used to work at Saks when I was the general office manager.  She used to work in the alterations department, and one day she had hurt her back, and working in that department only made it worse, so she came to my department and worked for me for a few months.  We got to know each other, and when she found out that I loved to cook, and loved Italian food, she wrote down so many recipes for me!  Oh, I loved her.

I’ve changed it a bit, as there were alot of herbs in there. A great recipe overall, but  overly herby for my taste.  Once I added my changes, my son and I liked it so much more.  Thank you very much.

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

3 lbs veal shank (tell your butcher that you’d like them prepped for osso buco)

1/4 cup a/p flour

1 cup dry white wine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 med onion, chopped small

2 stalks celery, chopped small

2 carrots, cubed small

1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (either canned or fresh)

2 1/2 cups chicken stock + more if needed

3 sprigs fresh thyme

6 sprigs of fresh parsley

1 bay leaf

kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Place the butter/olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.  Blot any moisture from the shanks and season with salt and pepper.  Dust them in the flour and brown the shanks on all sides.  Remove the shanks to a large baking dish in a single layer.  Deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce to about half. In a separate pan over medium heat, add the garlic, onion, celery and carrots with a bit of butter and let cook until softened.

Pour the wine over the shanks. Top the shanks with the vegetables, and the tomatoes. Pour enough chicken stock over the shanks and veggies to come to the top of the shanks but not covered. Place the herbs in the center and on top of the shanks and veggies, as these will be removed before serving (you can also wrap them in cheesecloth, but I find that it’s not necessary).

Cover and cook in a 300 degree oven for 3 1/2 hours. Once done, remove and discard the herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Top with a generous amount of Gremolata before serving.

Gremolata

1/4 cup finely chopped italian parsley

zest from 1 lemon, finely chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

Mix the three ingredients in a small bowl.  Sprinkle on Osso Buco, fish, or other meat dishes.

Also, you can add to sour cream for a tasty dip for veggies!

 

White Lasagna/Seafood Lasagna

“We signal the captain, taking time out against the wall.  He frowns. He groans. His feet hurt. His ulcer rages. He hates his wife. The risotto will take 25 minutes. Lasagna will take even longer.”~Gael Greene

 

 

Have you ever had white lasagna?  Seafood Lasagna?  I know, it’s not like I’m asking about something as exotic as Chitlins but I was recently talking to a friend of mine, and she’d never heard of ‘white lasagna’, ‘seafood lasagna’ or any other type of lasagna that doesn’t include ground meat, italian sausage and red sauce.  Jeez…she’s 40 years old!!  What the hell??  I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her ‘How is this possible!!  How have you not heard of White Lasagna befooooore!!!’  Then I wanted to slap the shi….  Just joking.

The first time I ate a form of ‘white lasagna’ was over 20 years ago when I bought a Stouffers Vegetable Lasagna, and I loved it!!  That’s right!! Don’t hate….  I was young, broke and hungry.  Anyway, over the years I’ve tried different white lasagna recipes, and settled on this one.

It’s super good, and not as heavy as the traditional lasagna.   Enjoy with a nice glass of white wine and side salad.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 lb medium shrimp, chopped (not minced)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 egg

1 3/4 cups grated mozzarella cheese

3 1/2 cups homemade Spinach Parmesan sauce (recipe below)

9 cooked lasagna noodles, follow pkg directions; or 9 fresh lasagna noodles

1 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat the oven to 375°F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add the shrimp, and cook until just pink. Pour off any oil, and to stop the shrimp from cooking, place the mixture into a bowl or onto a plate. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, and mozzarella cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Set aside.

To assemble, spread 1/4 of of the parmesan/spinach sauce over the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch pan. Sprinkle 1/4 of the shrimp mixture over the sauce.  Add 1/4 of the parmesan cheese over the shrimp. Cover the cheese with 3 sheets of pasta, lengthwise.  Cover the pasta with 1/4 of the ricotta mixture. Repeat the layering until all the ingredients are used, finishing with the sauce. Place in the oven and bake until bubbly and golden, about 35-45 minutes.

Spinach Parmesan Sauce

Ingredients

5 tbsp butter

4 cups half & half, divided

2 tbsp corn starch

2 cups parmesan cheese

1/2 lb fresh spinach, cleaned, stemmed, and cut into thin strips

Directions

In a medium sized bowl, add the cornstarch to 2 cups of half & half  and whisk well, and set aside.  In a large saute pan melt the butter.  Add the 2 cups of cream w/o the cornstarch.  Whisk together and warm through, but do not let boil.  Add the cheese and whisk till smooth and melted.  Keep whisking.  Add the other cup of half and half (with the cornstarch).  Stir until thickened and smooth.  Add the spinach mix well.

 

Betsey Johnson Takeover? Ugh…

WTF man??

News broke just minutes ago that Steve Madden, shitty shoe designer extraordinaire, might own Betsey Johnson by 2012.  Please say it isn’t so.

I first became a fan of Betsey Johnson about 15 years ago.  Her whimsical style of design, along with her signature cartwheel at the finale’s of her spring and fall fashion shows won me over.   When your best friend tells you ‘I’m look for something sexy, fun, and flirty.’  The only response that you could possibly give is ‘Let’s head over to Betsey Johnson!’.

Betsey has racked up some major debt.  It’s very sad, because she’s always had such a great eye for designing something that you want, and maybe feel that you need.   But you probably won’t wear it more than a couple times.  How many designers can do that?  No, not all of her designs fall into that category, most are not too crazy… It’s very sad because you really want her to succeed.  She seems so nice.  Cute as a button…kinda.

kinda like a drag suzanne somers

Steve Madden has been my nemesis for I can’t tell you how long.  Don’t get me wrong, over the decades he has had a couple shoes that I wouldn’t mind slipping on my trotters.  But for the most part, his shoes make me think of a club kid on heroin. >>>>

Anywhoo…Steve decided to pony up $48m to take over a loan to Betsey’s company.  And she only has until 2012 to pay it back (tick tock girlfriend).  If not, it’s by by Betsey, or at least her control over her brand.  Steve’s starting to piss me off because he already has his hand in so many different design houses!  Shoes for Madonna (no suprise).  He just bought the handbag company Big Buddah.  And became part owner of Bakers Footwear.  My mom wears Baker shoes!!  She’s gonna look kinda funky walking around in 5 inch platforms, but if Mr Madden has anything to do with it…

Ugh…I almost want to donate $ to Betsey.

Almost.

So there ya go.  All I can say is, go out and buy some Betsey today.  Help her keep the company that she started from the ground up…over 30 years ago!