Lasagna

SAUCE:
2 Tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped (ok, I do more)
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
16 oz tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup water
SEASONINGS:
3 tsp dried basil
2 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp celery seed
pinch of ground red pepper
1 tsp salt
MEATS & VEGS (if desired):
1/2 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1/2 lb pork sausage meat, browned and drained
1 package frozen spinach
1 package sliced mushrooms
2 Tbs butter
BINDING MIXTURE:
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 lbs ricotta cheese
1 Tbs finely chopped parsley
2 Tbs freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more serving
freshly ground black pepper
PLUS:
1 lbs lasagne noodles
1 lbs mozzarella cheese, grated

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over med-hi heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is softened. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste, broth and water - stir until combined. Stir dry seasonings thoroughly into the sauce, then cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Start water to boil lasagna noodles.

While sauce simmers, brown and drain the meats. Run meats briefly through a food processor just until it reaches a coarse pebble texture. If you want to add vegetables to your lasagna, prep them now. Microwave the frozen spinach, according to directions, then wring out as much liquid as possible with paper towls. Brown the mushrooms in butter over med-hi heat. Add the spinach, plus mushrooms and pan juices to the sauce. Add meats and vegetables and simmer sauce another 30 minutes.

While meat sauce simmers, preheat oven to 350, and prepare binding mixture: lightly beat egg in a medium bowl. Add ricotta, parsley, parmesan, pepper and one tsp salt. Stir well until combined, then keep refrigerated until you are ready to assemble the lasagna.

Follow package directions to cook your noodles until al dente - don't overcook. When they are done, drain the hot water off, rinse with cold water, and keep in cold water until ready to assemble lasagna.

To assemble: coat the bottom of a 9x12x2 baking dish with sauce. Cover sauce with noodles, then spread ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles. Coat ricotta with sauce, then layer mozzarella on top. Repeat: noodles, ricotta, sauce, cheese until you end with cheese. Sprinkle top with additional parmesan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the edges of the top layer are beginning to get crispy. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

You can double the sauce recipe and jar half for later use. One lasagna feeds 2 for a week of dinners and lunches.

Clementine

Parking is a pain, but once you step inside Clementine, you might as well be in Paris. It's a lovely little place, where all the staff speaks French and the chef comes to visit the tables, and they send you home with a rose, "merci et bonsoir." Here's what we had:
After placing our order, the chef sent out an amuse bouche of pork and rabbit rillettes on toast. Delish.
For an app, I had the fois gros chaud with toasts, thin apple slices, and a not-too-sweet apple gastrique. I followed the waiter's suggestion for the recommended Sauternes, which was sweet, but the right thing with the fois gras and gastrique.
For dinner, I had pig in pig - bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with shaved brussel sprouts and a chestnut puree. Ben had the filet mignon with a peppercorn sauce, frenched green beans and pommes frites. We ordered two glasses of pinot noir, which was fine with Ben's steak, but was absolutely wrong for the pork - thankfully, at the first hint of a wrinkled nose, the waiter very quickly suggested I try the bordeaux instead, which was exactly right.
For dessert, Ben had the vanilla creme brulee, and I ordered the coffee pot de creme, which also came with a little pot de riz (rice pudding) and a langue du chat. Coffee all the way around and we were done.
The service was excellent without being obsequious. The manager handed me a rose as he held the door for me on our way out, and we were returned to the misty San Francisco streets, fat and happy.

Chez Panisse

Friday, February 6, 2009, had dinner at Chez Panisse with Thomas and am writing it down before I forget all the foodie details. With half-glass wine flight added, the menu was:
Amuse bouche of warm cod (with potato, Tom thinks) on toast
An apéritif: cava with a syrup of kumquats (and lime?) and a dash of brandy
Smoked eel with frisée, Belgian endive, fennel, and apple (and some lightly creamy dressing). Wine was a smooth, flinty white Italian, the details of which Tom will remember better, but was by far our favorite of the night.
Hand-cut pasta with green peas, black trumpet mushrooms, and escarole (pasta was supremely tender, mushroom sauce was bread-moppably good). Wine was another white Italian that reminded us both of chardonnay, not bad, but not our fave.
Grilled Paine Farm squab with balsamic sauce, liver mousse crostini, and warm chicory salad with chanterelles. Wine was an Italian red - again, hoping Tom remembers wine details.
Kirsch-amarena cherry ice cream profiteroles (profiteroles sitting on creme fraiche with chocolate shavings on the side, ringed with sour cherry sauce).

Blackberry & Apple Crisp with Nut Topping

FILLING:
3 Fuji apples - peeled, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
TOPPING:
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup whole almonds and pecans, roughly chopped
3 Tbs light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 Tbs butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350. Oil an 8'x8' glass baking dish. In a bowl, toss apples with blackberries, sugar and 2 Tbs of flour. Scrape filling into baking dish.

In a bowl, toss oats with remaining 1/2 cup of flour, plus nuts, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the butter and rub it in thoroughly. Sprinkle topping over filling and bake for 35 minutes, until filling is bubbling and topping is browned. Let crisp cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Crisp can be made up to 4 hours ahead. Goes great with pork and tomatillo stew. Also from Food & Wine.

Pork and Tomatillo Stew

Hands on: 45 minutes. Total: 1 hour, 20 minutes. 4 servings.
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 3 inch chunks
salt & pepper
2 large celery ribs, finely diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 anaheim chile, seeded and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp mild chile powder
1 Tbs ground cumin
pinch of dried oregano
2 cups chicken stock (or low sodium broth)
1 cup 1/2-inch diced carrots
2 6-oz russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 lb tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into 1-inch dice
hot sauce
cilantro for garnish
tortilla chips for serving

1. In a medium casserole or dutch oven, heat oil. Season pork with salt & pepper and cook over high heat until browned on 2 sides, about 2 minutes per side. Add celery and onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened about 7 minutes. Add the diced chile, garlic, chile powder, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and tomatillos, cover and simmer over low heat until pork is cooked through, about 25 minutes.

2. Transfer pork to plate and shred with 2 forks. Meanwhile, simmer stew over moderate heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir shredded pork into stew and season with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Ladle into bowls, garnish with cilantro and serve with chips.

Stew can be made ahead. Refrigerate overnight and reheat gently. Recipe from Food & Wine.

Judith's Poke Roast

1 rolled pork tenderloin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbl minced garlic
1 Tbl sugar

Add water to dry ingredients to make a watery paste. Coat meat with paste. Roast on rack at 350 degrees until meat thermometer inserted at mid-most point registers done for pork (about one hour).