Baked Ziti

Happy first day of spring! Spring, the season of renewal, of hope, of wonder. The return of the lush green landscape, flowering trees and bushes, and perennials and annuals are just the prelude to what lies ahead. With time already moving much too fast (a perception that comes with age), spring seems to be Mother Nature's reminder for us to take a deep breath, enjoy, and take in only what lies before us, not what lies ahead of us. This could be the year I actually listen to and heed this wisdom as reminders from multiple other sources haven't seem to work. Anything is possible or so some say.

Whenever visiting friends I always like to bring a hostess gift to show my appreciation for their generosity, kindness and friendship. Sometimes these gifts are homemade, sometimes store bought or sometimes a combination of both. On my recent trip to Arizona I decided to do both. For the homemade gift I brought a roasted eggplant parmesan casserole (had it not been able to go through security at the airport I would have been beside myself). The homemade marinara used in the casserole has been my go-to favorite for awhile now. Then I made the marinara for the Baked Ziti. If I had a throw down with these two sauces I am not sure which one would win, it might just be a tie. 

This Baked Ziti has two sauces, a marinara and a béchamel. These sauces along with the fresh mozzarella and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano turn what may seem like on the surface, a simple, no big deal pasta casserole, into one that is over-the-top, insanely delicious. 

There were some nuanced changes made to Bon Appetit's Best Baked Ziti recipe. Instead of using only whole peeled tomatoes, I used a combination of diced and whole peeled (San Marzano) tomatoes. Rather than puree the marinara sauce in the food processor or with an immersion blender, I used a potato masher which had the added benefit of allowing the marinara to retain some of its' texture. Being someone who loves the flavor of garlic, I couldn't help myself and had to use 6 instead of 4 cloves of garlic. In following the recipe as written, I would change the order of making the béchamel and marinara sauces the next time I make it. Instead of making the béchamel first and marinara second, I would reverse that order. More about why later.

Once you start making your own marinara sauce you will never ever again buy it in a jar. Pancetta (Italian bacon), a chopped Spanish onion, minced garlic and Aleppo pepper form the base layer of this sauce. The tomato paste and tomatoes form the second layer and freshly chopped basil is the third and final layer. 

As these ingredients simmer for 25-30 minutes all of these flavors come together to form a rich, deeply flavored marinara sauce.

The béchamel sauce, made with whole milk and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, thickens even more as it cools. To keep it from getting too thick and have it retain its' creaminess when mixed with the pasta and fresh mozzarella, I would recommend it be made after the marinara. As the béchamel cools slightly, the ziti (rigatoni or penne) pasta can be cooked very al dente. 'Very' is one of those words that can means different things to different people and a little hard to describe. But maybe the simplest description is that it is both tender, yet still firm to the bite. The pasta will get to a state of doneness as it it undergoes a second 'cooking' when baked in the oven.

The finished Baked Ziti should have had more streaks of béchamel sauce in it. In mixing all but one cup of the marinara sauce with the pasta mixed with the béchamel in a large bowl, I wasn't able to keep the 'streaks' when I transferred it to a 9"x13" inch casserole dish. Next time I will transfer the pasta without the marinara sauce into the pan and then 'streak' it in. 

The remaining cup of the marinara is dolloped over the top of the casserole. A half-cup (2 ounces) of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is the finishing touch.

The dish is baked in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until the mozzarella cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling (Note: the Bon Appetit recipe indicated this took 15-20 minutes). Instead of using the broiler, I increased the oven temperature to 500 degrees (F) and baked the casserole for an additional 4-5 minutes to brown the cheese and top of the pasta in spots. Allow the dish to sit for five minutes before serving.

If you are looking for a dish to celebrate the beginning of spring or any occasion, to bring across the country (if frozen it should get through security), to make for Sunday dinner, to make for Saturday night dinner, or to make for a friend to brighten their day, consider making this relatively simple, yet elegant Baked Ziti. Served with a salad and great bottle of wine, you have the makings of a memorable meal. To make this dish even heartier, add some cooked Italian sausage or homemade meatballs before baking in the oven or serve them on the side. Buon Appetito!

Recipe
Baked Ziti (Inspired by Bon Appetit's Best Baked Ziti recipe)

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk, slightly warmed
2 1/2 cups (9 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided 
kosher salt/black pepper
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ounce pancetta, finely chopped
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
4 - 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes)
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
28 ounce can of diced San Marzano tomatoes
14 ounce can of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2"pieces
1 pound ziti, rigatoni or penne      

Note: Can use all diced San Marzano tomatoes or all whole San Marzano tomatoes.
Optional: Can add one pound of cooked Italian sausage or homemade meatballs to the casserole before baking.                    

Directions
1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high. Add pancetta, cooking until golden brown (about 2 minutes).
2. Add chopped onion, chopped garlic and Aleppo pepper. Cook, stirring often, until onions have softened and become golden (7-10 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Add tomato paste and cook, continuously stirring until paste slightly darkens (approximately 2 minutes).
3. Add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Crush tomatoes with a potato masher. With heat on simmer, cook, stirring often until flavors have melded (approximately 20-25 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in chopped basil and allow to cool slightly. Set aside. Note: For a smoother sauce, puree in a food processor or with an immersion blender.
4. Heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until foamy. Sprinkle four over, whisking constantly for 1 minute.
5. Gradually whisk in slightly warmed milk. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until béchamel is thickened to the consistency of heavy cream (about 8-10 minutes). Note: Stir often.
6. Remove from heat and add 2 cups of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Stir until cheese has melted. Transfer béchamel to large bowl and set aside.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
8. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until very al dente (5-7 minutes). Pasta will continue to cook in sauce in the oven. Drain pasta.
9. Add pasta and chopped mozzarella to bechamel sauce. Stir to combine. Transfer to a 9"x13" baking dish. 
10. Remove one cup of marinara sauce from pan. Gently stir in remaining marinara sauce into casserole dish, leaving streaks of béchamel sauce.
11. Dollop remaining marinara sauce over dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
12. Bake until mozzarella has melted and sauce is bubbling over the edges. Approximately 30-40 minutes.
13. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees and bake until pasta and cheese are dark brown in spots (approximately 4-5 minutes). Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving. 

Mission San Xavier del Bac (White Dove of the Desert) in Tucson, Arizona

Baked Cinnamon Cake and Chocolate Ganache Doughnuts

"You don't make a photography just with your camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.' (Ansel Adams) While I was away visiting one of my closest friends out in Tucson this past week, another friend posted the comment on my Facebook page 'don't you ever sit still?' In my former life I would have answered that question by saying 'sometimes' when the real answer was 'unfortunately, no'. Now in my current life it feels as if I am having more than my fair share of 'still' moments. Although it probably doesn't always look that way to others. Stillness is a concept I am getting used to (and redefining), however, I am slowly beginning to realize its' value in renewing and reenergizing my spirit, my soul. Whenever I give myself permission to have some 'down time' or whenever my body gets to a place of 'exhaustion', I sometimes actually stop 'thinking about all of the things I could or should be doing', instead just savoring the moment. Being one who has always subscribed to the 'life is short' way of thinking, I have come to believe life is much shorter when you don't do things just for you or when you don't step out of the chaos of life. In my world, the feeling of stillness happens when I am taking a long drive, taking in the landscape with my camera, or reading a book. While there may not be the absence of motion in my concept of stillness, there is silence. The kind of silence that allows my mind to stop racing, to stop thinking of a million different related and unrelated things. Instead, what my mind feels is something very close to the euphoria runners sometimes feel when out on a strenuous run. And like all euphorias, they are those things we consciously and subconsciously seek to experience.

I had every intention of paying homage to St. Patrick's Day with a recipe for a dish one might associate with Irish cooking on the blog this week. Let's suffice to say there is a rather long list of excuses of why this didn't happen. Then I thought maybe I should at least make something 'green' in an effort to evoke the spirit of the 'holiday'. This list of excuses of why this didn't happen is significantly shorter. Experiencing a little bit of (Catholic) guilt over this, I thought the least I could do was bring in a bit of 'green' (there is, after all some Irish blood in my heritage). The best I was able to do was incorporating some vintage and antique green dishes in the posting as well as sprinkle (my go-to favorite) pistachios on the doughnuts. If I went through my long list of excuses you might actually think this effort wasn't just one for the 'nice try, but lame' category.

I had seen Sweet Paul's doughnut recipe while I was traveling last week and immediately knew it was one I had to make sooner rather than later. Baked doughnuts are hard enough to resist. Throw in some chocolate and well, wild horses (or even snakes, like the one St. Patrick allegedly rid Ireland of) couldn't keep me from making them.

These doughnuts are made with cake versus all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, eggs, unsalted butter (melted), buttermilk and honey. Other than bringing the eggs and buttermilk to room temperature, these doughnuts require very little advance planning.

What is not to love about a one bowl, no sifting required batter? Mixing the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until blended, the thick batter is similar to that of a quick bread. After watching a recent Cook's Country show I learned about a 'new to me' tool called a 'dough whisk'. It turned out to be perfect for mixing quick breads and doughnuts!

Whether you make these doughnuts mini or regular size, the doughnut pan is filled 3/4 full (or just slightly below the rim). You can fill the pan using a spoon, but using a pastry bag (or ziplock bag with one corner cut off) makes it much easier  (as well as less messy).

The doughnuts are baked in a 400 degree preheated oven. Baking time ranges from 5 to 8 minutes for the mini doughnuts and 10 to 12 minutes for the regular sized ones. 

Initially I was going to dip the baked doughnuts in a confectionary sugar glaze (colored green, of course), but abandoned that plan in favor of a chocolate ganache glaze. The number of toppings for dipped doughnuts are almost endless. Sprinkles, fresh or toasted coconut, chopped nuts, or mini-chocolate chips are just some of them. For those of you who follow Molly Yeh aka 'the sprinkle queen' you know that sprinkles can transform any baked good into a work of edible art. 

These doughnuts are cake-like dense, yet tender. The look and taste of the doughnuts will change depending on which dip (confectionary sugar or chocolate ganache) as well as which toppings used. They are perfect for a morning or afternoon treat as well as perfect to celebrate holidays and important occasions. With the NCAA basketball tournament starting, you might even want to make a tray of these doughnuts topped in your favorite team's colors. Whether you make them before your team plays or after your team plays (and wins) is up to you. Just make them. Who knows, in just one bite you might even experience a little bit of 'doughnut' euphoria. 

Recipe
Glazed Cinnamon Cake and Chocolate Ganache Doughnuts (inspired by Sweet Paul's Baked Doughnuts with Chocolate)

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tablespoon honey
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Glaze
1 1/2 cups confectionary sugar, sifted
2-4 Tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt
food coloring, optional
Directions: In a small-medium sized bowl, mix together the confectionary sugar, vanilla and milk until smooth and it reaches the desired consistency. Optional: Stir in food coloring of choice.

Chocolate Ganache
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream, heated
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
pinch of sea salt
Directions: Place chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in small-medium bowl. Heat cream until just before the boiling point. Pour heated cream over chocolate. Wait at least one minute before whisking the chocolate and cream until smooth. Whisk in butter and pinch of sea salt until mixture is smooth. Use immediately. If mixture hardens, reheat on low in the microwave or set bowl in a large bowl filled with warm water.

Optional toppings: Sprinkles, coconut, chopped nuts, or mini-chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F). Spray mini-donut pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and melted butter until blended.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring just until combined.
5. Spoon batter into a pastry bag fitted with a round tip.
6. Fill donut molds about 3/4 full (just a little below the rim).
7. Bake 5 to 6 minutes for mini donuts (Note: My baking time ranged between 7 and 8 minutes). Baking time for regular sized donuts is 10-12 minutes. 
8. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer donuts to cooling rack and set aside to cool.
9. For glaze, mix together confectionary sugar, milk, vanilla, salt and food coloring in a medium sized bowl until well blended.
10. Dip the donuts into the glaze. Optional: Sprinkle with topping(s) of choice.

Garden Gates at Tohono Chul and Mission San Xavier del Bac (White Dove of the Dessert) respectively, both in Tucson, AZ

Sea Salted Dark Chocolate and Sunflower Seed Bars

"To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its' undoing." At one time or another, most of us are guilty of putting off a decision choosing instead to stay in that 'thinking about it' place. The longer we stay in that 'thinking' place, the harder it can be to get to the 'doing' place. Over the past several years I have had more than my share of false return to running starts. Each time kicking myself for ever needing to have to 'restart' something that had given me a great deal of pleasure (and a little bit of pain). Not wanting to keep looking in the mirror seeing someone who was 'all thinking, all talk and no action', I decided it was time to focus less on the obstacles and excuses and get my aging, much slower body back to running. This time it would be with the understanding this was NOT going to be another 'restart', but rather it was to be a 'return'. You might not think there is much difference between those two concepts, but there is. One allows for an 'out' while the other signifies a 'commitment'. Had I not made this 'commitment' to myself, I am pretty sure I wouldn't have finished a 'brutal' training run this past weekend (three miles felt like 26.2 miles uphill), let alone survive the run recovery. Whining aside, I had forgotten how good exhaustion and exhilaration feels (as crazy as that sounds). This past weekend's run brought it all back and then some. And it didn't seem to matter that I ran so much slower than I used to.

My post running cravings used to be gummi worms, gummi fish, gummi bears, anything gummi-like. Seems they still are. Following the Saturday group run I had some errands to do. First stop was picking up a few things from the grocery store. And yes, gummi worms were on the list. While standing in line I saw a package of sea salted chocolate covered sunflower seeds. For a moment I thought maybe chocolate and seeds would be a more healthy reward (haven't we all been lulled into believing how some chocolates may actually be good for you?). And then I looked at the price and had a temporary, unusual moment of sticker shock along with a very audible 'yikes'. The chocolates didn't make it into my bag, however, I left thinking 'why didn't I ever think of making the ultimate nutty, healthier version of the Nestle Crunch Bar before?'.

For awhile now I have been melting my chocolate in the microwave versus over simmering water on the stove. However, I have not been tempering the chocolate to ensure it retains that finished glossy shine one seeks to have when the making of or dipping chocolates. David Lebovitz has explained how to temper chocolate using a thermometer while the The Kitchn has described how a home cook can achieve perfectly tempered chocolate without one. You won't go wrong either way, but I went with process not requiring a thermometer. This also meant returning back to melting the chocolate over simmering water.

It was luck on the first try as the one pound of dark chocolate to one cup of roasted sunflower seeds turned out to be the perfect ratio in creating these bars. An additional two tablespoons of the sunflower seeds along with some sea salt were sprinkled over the top were the finishing touch. There is just something about the combination of chocolate, particularly dark or semi-sweet chocolate, and sea salt that works to enhance the overall flavor (of the chocolate).

Before the chocolate and sunflower seed mixture was fully set in the pan, I cut it into bars. To speed up the 'setting up' process I put the pan of pre-cut bars into the refrigerator for about ten minutes. The chilling process made it rather easy to break up the chocolate into bars. Note: If you want a more random look, you could easily forego the pre-cutting process and break it all up after it has chilled.

Seriously these Sea Salted Dark Chocolate and Sunflower Seed Bars were incredibly delicious and 's-crunch-ous'! Who knew that simply standing in line at the grocery store would lead to their creation! I suppose I could and I will rationalize this 'new' discovery was made possible as a result of my return to running. Isn't funny how when you return to the things that made you happy, made you feel good, gave you that skip in your step, and even at times caused you a little bit of angst, you begin to see the world and everything in it just a little bit differently. Think the word for this collection of feelings is bliss.

Recipe

Sea Salted Dark Chocolate and Sunflower Seed Bars

Ingredients

1 pound dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped and divided

1 cup dry roasted sunflower seeds, plus an additional 2 Tablespoons for sprinkling on top

Sea salt for finishing

Directions

1. Line a 10"x14" baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Melt 13 ounces of the chocolate over simmering water.

3. Stir in remaining 3 ounces of the chocolate until mixture is smooth.

4. Gently stir in the dry roasted sunflower seeds.

5. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Smooth top with an offset spatula. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and two tablespoons of sunflower seeds.

6. Allow the chocolate to set for approximately 8-10 minutes or until semi-firm but not completely hardened. Using a long, thin knife, cut into bars or squares. Note: Number of bars or squares will depend on size. My yield was 24 bars. 

7. Chill entire pan of chocolate in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. 

8. Remove pan from the refrigerate and carefully break into bars. Arrange on platter or package in cellophane bags.

Trying to find nature's beauty on another sunny winter day at the Morton Arboretum.

Cheddar Cheese Jalapeño Beer Bread

A souvenir is supposed to be a something small, relatively inexpensive article. These mementos, remembrances, or keepsakes are intended to serve as a reminder of an occasion, event, or place visited. Somewhere along the way the concepts of small and relatively inexpensive got lost on me (as in like the sterling silver purchased on a recent trip to New Orleans). However, on my recent trip to Wisconsin I seemed to have found my way back to what a souvenir was intended to be (this probably had more to do with the fact that most stores and galleries were closed for the winter or had limited weekend hours versus me showing souvenir restraint). But to go on a trip and bring back nothing, how crazy is that? For me that would border on being seriously delusional. So in the spirit of maintaining my own sanity, I managed to pick up a few things. Only this time my souvenirs turned out to not be the keeping kind, but instead the perishable kind.

In addition to the warm, freshly made cheese curds (I didn't know how good these are), I came back with some aged cheddar cheese, cherries, and beer. Why, of all things, beer? Well it seems there are some beers you can only buy in Wisconsin (what's up with that?). Since I sort of have a thing for bringing back regional items not found anywhere and everywhere, I couldn't resist buying a couple of six packs. Either I sensed the end of the world was coming (too many post-apoliptic books and television shows) or I had been invaded by a body snatcher as showing moderation and buying relatively inexpensive souvenirs would not be how most of my friends would describe me. Am now hoping whatever alien has found its' way into my pysche hangs around for awhile. Hopefully much longer than the life of the cheese, cherries and beer.

As someone who is a big fan of Rebecca Rather, a chef and cookbook author, born and raised in Texas, I found myself leaning toward making an ever so slight variation to her beer bread recipe. Beer bread may have an ancient history, but there are parts of the country claiming to have significantly contributed to its' sweet and savory evolution. Texas happens to be one of those places. The idea of adding both aged cheddar cheese and jalapeño pepper to a basic beer bread recipe sounded like a pretty good one. And now having consumed more than my fair share of it, I will go on record and say it was a great idea. Wish I had thought of it!

If you like savory breads, this Cheddar Cheese Jalapeño Beer Bread is for you. Of the many words I would use to describe this bread, addictive would be one of them. And not because there is beer in it, but it is really, really hard to have only one slice.

This is a no yeast needed, no kneading involved, and no long sit and let rise waiting time kind of bread. And it all comes together with a wooden spoon and a large mixing bowl. Quick and easy.

When their seeds are removed, Jalapeño peppers are rather mild as well as add great flavor to pretty much everything they are added to. This Cheddar Cheese Jalapeño Beer Bread is no exception. The amount of minced Jalapeño peppers added to this bread is mostly influenced by personal preference. For this bread I used somewhere between six and seven tablespoons or about 1 1/2 Jalapeño peppers.

I had another recipe in mind when I bought the aged cheddar cheese. But it seemed a shame not to use some of it for this one. And six ounces of shredded cheddar cheese wasn't going to take too much of a dent out of my souvenir stash (okay so I bought alot of cheese).

I could not bring myself to use a bottle of the 'you can only get in Wisconsin' beer for this bread. Maybe next time I told myself, maybe. Besides I had other uses in mind for the beer I traveled hundreds of miles for. In choosing a beer for this recipe, be certain to choose one you enjoy drinking because the beer flavor will come through in the bread. This is not one of those recipes where you have to travel to ends of the earth or hundreds of miles to buy one of it's ingredients. Unless you live in remote part of the country, you can probably find most of them within minutes of your home.

Once the beer is added and slowly stirred into the dry ingredients, cheese and jalapeños mixture, the batter becomes very thick. Stir only until the flour is fully incorporated.

Before scraping the batter into the loaf pan, three tablespoons of the melted butter are poured into it. The remaining four tablespoons of the melted butter are poured over the top of the bread batter. Do not smooth out the top of the batter. You want the bumpiest finish possible. To avoid having any butter spill over into the oven and creating a smokey mess during the baking process, place the loaf pan on a baking sheet. In a preheated 350 degree (F) oven the baking time for this bread ranges from 50 to 60 minutes or until the top crust is both bumpy and a golden brown. My baking time ended up being 55 minutes. The hardest part of making this bread was waiting the 10 minutes before removing from the loaf pan and slicing.

The chilled bottles of the 'souvenir' beer went perfectly with the Cheddar Cheese Jalapeño Beer Bread making me glad I had saved them for 'drinking' use. I would not go so far as to say you will feel 'drunk in love' when you taste this bread. I will only say that your level of intoxication from the aroma of the bread baking in the oven and in eating it might have something to do with your tolerance levels. Regardless of whether they are low or high, this bread will leave you feeling pretty gosh darn good.

Recipe
Cheddar Cheese Jalapeño Beer Bread (inspired by Rebecca Rather's recipe in The Pastry Queen cookbook)

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
6 ounces cheddar cheese, grated (recommend a two-year aged cheddar)
6-7 Tablespoons minced Jalapeño peppers (about 1 1/2 Jalapeños)
12 ounces good quality beer (the Founders All Day IPA or Blue Moon Belgium White)
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided

Directions 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 9"x5" baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. 
3. Mix in the grated cheddar cheese and minced Jalapeño peppers.
4. Pour in beer and stir until combined with a wooden spoon. Do not beat or over mix. 
5. Pour 3 tablespoons of melted butter in bottom of prepared baking pan.
6. Spoon the batter into the pan.
7. Pour the remaining 4 tablespoons butter evenly over top of the batter.
8. Place baking pan on a baking sheet, place in oven and bake for 50-60 minutes (until top of the crust is bumpy and golden brown). Note: My baking time was 55 minutes.
9. Allow to rest in pan 10 minutes before removing.
10. Slice using a serrated knife. 
11. Serve with butter and/or honey.

Note: The Cheddar Cheese Jalapeño Beer Bread is great served all on its' own with beer, but it is also the perfect accompaniment to pulled pork, chili, and grilled steak or chicken.

Icicles on the rocks along the shore of Lake Michigan.

Porchetta-Style Roast Pork

"For the first time I know what it is to eat. I have gained four pounds. I get frantically hungry, and the food I eat gives me lingering pleasure. I never ate before in this deep carnal way...I want to bite into life and to be torn by it." (Anaïs Nin, author) What would life be like if every meal (or at least one meal a day) we ate was one that made both our heads and hearts race? Ones leaving us momentarily speechless so we could just take in the moment. Or making us forget all of those fast-food, frozen entree, junk food, mystery meat, or spaghetti-dinner meals we had ever eaten. Could such a life even be possible? The answer to those questions depends on whether or not you really, truly believe anything is possible. (I believe.) Great food doesn't always have to be labor or time intensive, but great food almost always needs great ingredients (unless you believe you can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear). And with fresh ingredients so readily accessible nowadays, the making of great food is always possible.

Okay, a Pollyanna as I can be sometimes be, let me show a moment of practicality. We may not always have time in our busy lives to turn every meal into a memorable moment. I do get that. Getting up early or working late doesn't always leave us with enough energy to even want to make a mess in the kitchen. The hecticness or stresses of the day can temporarily zap our culinary creativity causing us to even forget how to make creamy scrambled eggs. But most of us have a little more discretionary time on the weekends (that is, if we don't overextend ourselves) to create those 'don't want to leave the table' kind of memorable meals for family and friends. If you are looking for that best use of one's time in the making of one of those meals, make this Porchetta-Style Roast Pork. 

In Italy, porchetta traditionally refers to spit-roasting a deboned and stuffed baby pig seasoned with fennel, garlic, rosemary, and lemon. But the last time I checked no one surprised me by having a wood-burning oven installed in the backyard. However, this rich, moist, flavorful Porchetta-Style Roast Pork has all of the intense flavors without as much work. After one bite of the warm pork along with a bite of the garlic and spice rubbed crust, my friend's husband described the experience as an 'oral orgasm'. I found this to be one of the most simultaneously hilarious and disturbing food reviews I had ever heard. Although truth be told, this also ranks up there as one of the best compliments ever received. For those of you who, like me, have had only gray, on the dry side pork roasts or those over cooked, tough pork chops, maybe its' time to give your taste buds and mouth an incredibly pleasurable experience.

The Porchetta-Style Roast Pork is easy to make, however, it is a two-day process as the pork needs to marinate overnight (24 hours) before it goes into the oven. The grocery store just happened to have pork shoulder on sale this past week (although its' relatively inexpensive when not on sale). The Bon Appetit recipe called for a boneless pork shoulder, however, the bone-in pork shoulders were the ones on sale. Not a problem as I adjusted (increase) the roasting time (which had the added benefit of increasing the amount of aroma time). The marinade or rub for the pork is made with toasted fennel seeds, black peppercorns, Aleppo pepper (or dried crushed red pepper), kosher salt and garlic. The combination of these spices not only creates incredible flavor to the meat and transforms the top of the roast into something most at the table will want to fight over. Be careful to who you give a knife to at the table.

Fennel is one of those highly aromatic, ancient Mediterranean spices. Toasting the fennel seeds makes their flavor stronger and spicier. In a small skillet over medium heat, two tablespoons of fennel are stirred constantly until slightly darker in color and their aroma is released (approximately 4-5 minutes). Once cooled, they are combined with the black peppercorns, (coarse) kosher salt and Aleppo pepper in a food mill or food processor and processed to a medium-fine consistency (but not ground to a fine powder).

After rubbing the pork with the minced garlic, the spice mixture is rubbed into it. After loosely covering the pork with wax paper, refrigerate overnight (24 hours). 

The marinated roast is removed from the refrigerator for about an hour before going into a preheated 450 degree (F) oven. Brush the baking sheet with extra-virgin olive oil and evenly drizzle an additional two tablespoons over the roast. After the pork roasts at 450 degrees (F) for thirty minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. The roast will continue to cook for 3 - 3 1/2 hours (time for 5-6 deboned pork shoulder) or 4 - 4 1/2 hours (time for a bone-in 7 - 8 pound pork shoulder) until it reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees at the thickest part of the roast. At 190 degrees the pork becomes perfectly sliceable, almost pull apart tender. Allow the roast to rest for 15-30 minutes before slicing and serving. See notes below regarding internal temperature of the porchetta.

I don't remember when I learned not all carrots were orange, but they could be yellow or red and equally as sweet when roasted at a high temperature. The roasted orange, yellow, and red carrots complimented the Porchetta-Style Roast Pork perfectly. So would some homemade applesauce or mashed potatoes. Put out some great bottles of white wine and be prepared for everyone to linger around the table for longer than usual. If you have never been a big fan of pork roasts, you definitely will after making this one as the long, slow cooking process makes for an incredibly moist pork roast. Perfect to serve for company or even more perfect to make while you are binge watching your favorite shows (the third season of House of Cards starts this weekend).  

Note: Any leftover pork would make for great pulled-pork sandwiches. Shred the meat before refrigerating.

Recipe
Porchetta-Style Roast Pork (inspired by the recipe shared in the Bon Appetit, June 2010 issue)

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons fennel seeds
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or dried crushed red pepper)
5 1/2 - 6 pound boneless pork shoulder (Boston Butt) or a 7 1/2 - 8 pound pork shoulder bone-in (roasting time will be longer)
6-7 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing the pan

Directions
1. Place fennel seeds in a small skillet. Over medium-high heat stir frequently until slightly darker in color and fragrant (4-5 minutes). Transfer to a spice mill or small food processor.
2. Add kosher salt, peppercorns, and Aleppo pepper. Grind to a medium-fine consistency (not powder).
3. Place pork in a baking pan/dish. Rub minced garlic all over pork. Then coat with spice mixture.
4. Loosely cover rubbed pork with wax paper and refrigerate overnight (approximately 24 hours).
5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F). Remove refrigerated roast and allow to sit out at room temperature for an hour before placing in the oven.
6. Brush a large rimmed baking sheet with extra-virgin olive oil. Place roast, fat side up and rub intact, in the center of the sheet. Drizzle evenly with 2 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.
7. Roast pork for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees (F) and continue to roast until very tender and thermometer reaches 180 degrees (F) (approximately 3 - 3 1/2 hours). Note: If roasting a 7 1/2 pound bone-in pork shoulder baking time could range from 4 - 4/12 hours.
8. Transfer roasted pork to cutting board. Allow to rest 15-30 minutes before slicing.
9. Serve with roasted carrots, applesauce, and/or mashed potatoes.

Notes: (1) The Bon Appetit recipe called for requiring the roast to have an internal temperature of 190 degrees, however, after making this porcetta twice, the roast is sliceable, juicy and perfect with an internal temperature of 180 degrees. (2) To make a gravy, pour and scrape all of the pan juices/bits into a small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup white wine. Mix 2 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour with 1/2 cup of whole milk until smooth. Cook juices/wine over medium heat. Slowly add flour/milk mixture. Stir constantly until mixture is smooth. Add additional wine as necessary to reach preferred consistency. Season only with pepper.

A Winter day in Northern Wisconsin.