Sweet and Spicy Ragu

"Life is not a sprint, it's a marathon." Better than starting the day with a run is waking up seeing some daylight outside. For the past couple of weeks our morning runs have been in the dark causing us to take the path with the hill on it. Or I should say hills, because we have to cross over it twice. If I ran listening to music, Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger" and Eminem's "Lose Yourself" would be two of the songs on my playlist. Heat, humidity, and hills, otherwise known as the reasons causing me to whine trifecta, are also the things only those with glutton for punishment tendencies would actually choose to endure. Come to think of it, maybe next to having competitiveness traits, this is one of the reasons why there is such a strong bond between everyone in my running group. Being amongst these kindred spirits has made my gradual post-injury return to running a little less scary. 

Slow and steady not only wins the proverbial 'life' race, it makes for a rich, deeply flavored ragu. Derived from the word 'ragouter' which means 'to stimulate the appetite', the aroma coming from the making of a ragu might be considered a bit of a tease. However, the alchemy happens when the meat, vegetables, wine, and tomato paste are allowed to cook slowly and when close attention is paid to the browning processes. And yes, I said tomato paste. 

The base of many ragus often begin with onions, celery, and carrots. These 'humble beginnings' are what the French call a mirepoix and the Italians call a soffrito. The slight variation in the base of this ragu is the use of fennel in place of the carrot. Fennel, a fall/winter vegetable, is a species in the carrot family, however, it has a mild anise or licorice flavor. The operative word is mild. The sweetness of the ragu coming from browned tomato taste and sweet Italian sausage, the fennel adds to the complexity of the flavor rather than adding to it. Coarsely chopped in a food processor, the onions, celery, fennel and garlic are sautéed until browned, a process that takes up to 30 minutes. These might be the most important 30 minutes of cooking time to the sauce requiring your attention as the scraped up brown bits of vegetables provides a significant amount of flavor to the ragu.

Some refer to tomato paste as one of the most valuable ingredients in your pantry. It's flavor potential is exponentially increased when the tomato paste is allowed to brown for two to three minutes. When cooked with the already browned vegetables, the sugars in the paste caramelize, causing the resulting sauce to have an even bigger, smoother, sweeter flavor. Once the vegetables and paste have browned, a hearty red wine is added. Remember never use a wine you wouldn't drink (hopefully you have a high bar for good wine). I used a merlot, but you could use a Cabernet. After pouring two cups of wine in the ragu, you should have enough left for a glass to enjoy while you cook. 

Now this is going to be where in the cooking process you might say "What?". The sweet and spice Italian sausage is cooked or rather browned in the developing ragu. The first time I made it I didn't think it was possible for the sausage to brown with so many other ingredients in the pan. But they did. Once you have invested time in browning the vegetables, tomato paste and beef, the ragu only needs your periodic attention once all of the other ingredients have been added. Although the total cooking time for the ragu is close four hours, you don't need stand on your feet or stay chain to the stove for that length of time. However, every so often you need to check on and stir the sauce.

This Sweet and Spicy Ragu is a perfect compliment to any pasta having some substance. Spaghetti, penne, bucatini, ziti, pappardelle, or rigatoni are some of them (an angel hair pasta would not stand up well to this rich, heavy sauce). If you are looking to give your stuffed shells an added boost in flavor make with this ragu versus any other tomato sauce.

A while back I shared this stuffed shell recipe with you (directions provided below). I have to honestly say I like it much, much better made with this Sweet and Spicy Ragu.

In addition to changing out the sauce, I changed how I applied the fresh mozzarella (and omitted the goat cheese). Rather than shredding it, I placed thin slices over the top over the shells. Two thumbs up for change as well. 

Whatever you decide to pair with the Sweet and Spicy Ragu, I hope you make it. Besides it's significantly easier than running in the heat, humidity, or up hills.

Recipe
Sweet and Spicy Ragu (inspired by Anne Burrell's Sweet and Spicy Ragu recipe as shared in her cookbook Cook Like a Rock Star: 125 Recipes, Lessons, and Culinary Secrets)

Ingredients
2 medium sized onions, cut into 1 inch dice
1 small fennel bulb, tops and tough middle stalk removed, cut into 1 inch dice
2 celery ribs, cut into 1 inch dice
3-4 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 cups (16 ounces) tomato paste 
2 cups hearty red wine (recommend Merlot or a Cabernet)
1 pound of sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
2 bay leaves
1 thyme bundle, tied with butcher's twine
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound of cooked pasta or use for Stuffed Shells (copy of prior blog posting below)

Directions
1. Put onions, fennel, celery and garlic in a food processor, pulse to a coarse paste.
2. Coat bottom of a deep, heavy bottomed pan with extra-virgin oil. Add vegetables, season with salt and bring to medium-high heat. Cook vegetables until all liquid has been evaporated and they begin to stick to bottom of pan. Stir occasionally to scrape up brown bits. Vegetables should be cooked until browned. Cooking time approximately 30 minutes.
3. Add tomato paste and stir to combine.Allow paste to brown slightly, stir constantly and cook for 2-3 minutes. 
4. Add wine, stir to combine and scrape any remaining brown bits in the pan. Cook until about half the wine has evaporated, approximately 4-5 minutes.
5. Add both the sweet and spicy sausage, using a spoon to break it up. Cook until meat has browned, approximately 10-15 minutes of cooking time.
6. Add enough water to cover the meat mixture by 1/2 inch. Stir to combine well and add bay leaves and thyme bundle. Bring sauce to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Continue cooking, checking occasionally, for approximately 3 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Remove thyme and bay leaves. Use sauce with cooked pasta or for stuffed shells.

Notes: Sauce can be made a day ahead, covered and stored in the refrigerator.

Stuffed Shells
Ingredients

2 (15 ounce size) containers of whole milk ricotta cheese

1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3 Tablespoons chopped Italian (flat) parsley

3 Tablespoons chopped basil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 large egg yolks

1 box of frozen spinach (thawed and drained)

1 pound box of jumbo shells

1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced or grated

Directions

1. Cook pasta shells in large pot of boiling salted water until slightly tender but still firm (about 7 to 9 minutes).
2. Drain pasta shells and place on an olive oiled baking sheet. Toss shells in olive oil so they don't stick together. Cool slightly.
3. Combine all filling ingredients and set aside.
4. On the bottom of 9 x 12 baking dish, spoon 1 1/4 cups of Sweet and Spicy Ragu on the bottom of pan.
5. Using a pastry bag or tablespoon, fill each of the shells with the filling and place on top of ragu.
6. Top finished stuffed shells with 3 to 4 cups of ragu over the top of the shells.
7. Place slices of or grated mozzarella on top.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until top is lightly browned and filling in shells is cooked through.
9. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Note: The dish can be assembled the day before or earlier in the day. Cover with plastic wrap and keep chilled until ready to cook. If chilled overnight, allow to sit out at least 30 minutes before baking.

Wild life on the Fox River, Geneva, Illinois.

Taco Soup

Whenever I make something for the first time I will ask the person who shall remain nameless 'how is it?'. Of course you are probably thinking there is only right answer to that question. Actually there isn't. But there is, if I am being totally honest, a single word response I pray I will not hear. The word almost always causing me to cringe; make a 'you can't really be saying that face'; or, ask 'are there no other words in your a zillion years ago one point away from a perfect score on the ACT vocabulary?' is 'good'. An adjective that belongs in the same non-committal category of words that include 'nice and fine' or should be added to the list of those four letter 'bad words. Don't get me wrong, not everything that comes out of my kitchen is amazing, outstanding, incredible, to-die-for, over-the-top, last meal worthy, blue-ribbon-esque, unbelievable, best-ever, great, or even 'really, really good'. Sometimes it's a disaster, just okay, or simply just 'good'. However, there are those moments when the culinary stars are aligned and the dish deserves a rating better than 'good'. Those would be the occasions when my face reveals what I am thinking. Which is exactly what happened last week. I heard the word 'good', not 'really good' or 'really, really, really good'. But then after I made a face, and maybe I even whispered something audible, something else happened. We finally came to a really, really good understanding as to what that word meant to both of us. 'Good' has not been permanently banished from ever being spoken (particularly in the food review context) and it continues to remain an option. Because sometimes 'good' really is good enough. Except for when it isn't.

In the past week, I was reminded of the centuries old expression 'you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink'. Almost a year ago to the day, one of my friends had shared her recipe for Taco Soup with me. My 'how good can a soup made mostly with canned vegetables really be' snobbery trumped not trusting the recommendation of this 'I love everything she has ever made' friend. In spite of having savored every morsel of food she has ever served, I had been reluctant to make the soup. Then over the weekend, this 'old horse' sat down at the table where a bowl of the Taco Soup was placed in front of her. And she drank. Not just one bowl, but two. Three days, not three weeks and not three months later I was making this soup. Proving once again that I still have alot to learn.

Having friends over for a weeknight or weekend gathering? Having a chill and Netflix movie night? Having an open house for the holidays? Hosting a luncheon? Making lunch or dinner for family and/or friends? Going up to a cottage or cabin for the weekend? Wanting something to take the chill off of a cold, blustery day? Craving comfort food? Inviting friends over last minute? Feeling in the mood to binge watch a favorite show? Or hey, having neighbors and friends over for Halloween? There are an almost endless number of opportunities for you to make this incredibly easy to make, delicious soup.

From start to finish this soup comes together in about an hour. A lack of time or rather a perceived lack of time should not be used as an excuse to avoid making this Taco Soup. Because making this soup could turn out to be the one of best uses of your time for the week.

As I stood at the butcher's counter in the grocery store, I wondered which ground meat I should use. Ground Chuck (80/20), Ground Round (85/15) or Ground Sirloin (90/10). We all know it's the fat content is what gives ground beef its' wonderful, buttery flavor. Taking into consideration the meat wasn't taking center stage (i.e., needing the highest amount of fat), I ruled out the Ground Chuck. Knowing I wanted the browned meat to have some 'fat' flavor, I nixed using the Ground Sirloin. Which meant by process of elimination, the best option seemed to be the ground round. After that ground meat deliberation came the 'how much to buy' decision. The recipe called for only one pound of ground meat which should have made it a no-brainer decision. Yet I couldn't help but wonder about the soup's taste and texture if it was made with one and one half pounds of ground meat. That answer will come shortly. Keep reading.

The moisture or liquid in the soup comes from the liquid in the canned vegetables and from the can of nacho cheese soup. Nothing is drained.

Once the ground round has been browned, all of the other ingredients are added. Easy, peasy. The soup cooks for approximately 30 minutes on medium-low heat. With this being the amount of time necessary for all of the ingredients to be heated through, you can reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes to further develop the soup's flavor. Stir the soup occasionally to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Don't forget to season with salt and pepper.

The only garnish this Taco Soup really needs are some Fritos Corn Chips. Additional options include grated Cheddar/Monteray Jack cheese and sour cream. If you are making this Taco Soup a 'meal', consider serving with some cornbread (from scratch or your favorite mix) or a heated baguette.

The increase in the amount of ground round made for an even heartier, soul-satisfying soup, kicking up its' deliciousness factor up even further. The addition of the extra half-pound of meat transformed into a cross between a soup and chili. If you prefer a more pure 'soup' feel, use only one pound of the ground round.

This soup will thicken up more if made the night before and chilled. To return it to its' original consistency, add some water. A little at a time until the soup reaches the desired consistency.

"Life is really simple. But we insist on making it complicated." Confucius I am the first to admit to being skeptical about making those 'quick and easy, not made from scratch, with promises of tasting better than homemade' recipes posted daily on social media. Yet, in spite of this skepticism, the Taco Soup was a reminder there are exceptions to all rules or should I say all perceptions. I am kicking myself for waiting a year to make this Taco Soup. Because it is really, really, really, really good. To be certain I avoid any misunderstandings between us, let me just say it's pretty gosh darn delicious. 

Recipe
Taco Soup (an ever so slight adaptation to Randee Malmberg's Taco Soup recipe)

Ingredients
1 - 1 1/2 pounds of ground round (85/15) Note: For a thicker, heartier soup, use 1 1/2 pounds.
1 package of Taco Seasoning
1 can (15.5 ounce) dark kidney beans, undrained
1 can (15.5 ounce) small red (light) beans, undrained
1 can (15 ounce) black beans, undrained
1 can (14.75 ounce) fire roasted whole kernel corn, undrained
1 can (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10.75 ounce) fiesta nacho cheese soup (recommend Campbell's)
Kosher salt and pepper for seasoning

Fritos Corn Chips or tortilla strips, sour cream, freshly grated cheddar/jack cheese, cornbread or warmed baguette.

Directions
1. In a deep, heavy bottom stock pot or dutch oven, brown the ground beef over medium heat.
2. Add all of the remaining ingredients (remember Do Not Drain any of them) and stir to combine. 
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent any sticking to the bottom of the pan. Note: For even deeper flavor, reduce heat to simmer and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Serve with Fritos Corn Chips, sides of sour cream, freshly grated cheddar/jack cheese, cornbread and/or a warmed baguette.
Notes: 
1. Soup can be made the day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat until heated through.
2. For serving soup to a large group, consider doubling ingredients. Transfer cooked soup to a slow cooker and put on warm setting.

Sculptures in the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden.

Brown Butter Pumpkin Spice Cake

"Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there are only so many notes or colors. There are only so many flavors-it's how you combine them that sets you apart." Wolfgang Puck For the past several years someone predicts there will be a canned pumpkin puree shortage. Whether or not this sets off a nationwide canned pumpkin hoarding frenzy is anyone's guess, as there is rarely a news segment showing a stampede of people running through the canned good aisles of the grocery store grabbing what precious few cans remain. Rarely have the shelves in my grocery stores been empty, leaving me to wonder why I continue to believe this yearly hype (gullible should have been my middle name). But it's doubtful an inventory of six cans of pumpkin puree would put me in the hoarding category. 

Once fall arrives I seem to have some kind of internal clock setting off an insatiable craving for the flavor of pumpkin. Pumpkin squares, pumpkin pie, brûléed pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin donuts, and pumpkin cake have been my go-to favorites. Being one of a handful of people in the world not falling into the 'drinks coffee regularly' category, I have yet to jump on the pumpkin spice latte bandwagon to get my pumpkin fix. If the day ever comes when canned pumpkin really does become scare, there might be a barista at Starbucks who will become my new best friend.

The end of October was looming and I had yet to bake any of my favorite pumpkin desserts. Considering how much canned pumpkin puree I had in stock, I needed to get moving. Originally I had planned to make a Pumpkin Spice Cake with Caramel Frosting, an untested recipe I had apparently cut out of a newspaper years ago (if you only knew how many of these newspaper and magazine cut-outs I have accumulated over the years, enough for someone to whisper 'hoarder'). Yet the more I looked at the recipe, there was something about it that wasn't sitting right with me. But I was bound and determined to make a 'new' Pumpkin Spice Cake so I set off on a cake hunting expedition. After going through some cookbooks, newspaper clippings, and old magazines, my eyes and taste buds were drawn to the Brown Butter Pumpkin Layer Cake shared in an old issue of Fine Cooking (it is would be sacrilegious to throw them away). I had the need to have my hunch about the cake confirmed. So I did what many of us do and looked to see if there were any on-line reviews for this cake. And indeed there were. Seeing it had an average rating of four stars was all of the validation I needed. However, even after reading some of the reviews I thought there needed to be a few minor tweaks to the recipe. Like a little more spice and definitely more frosting. 

Let me momentarily gush over this Brown Butter Pumpkin Spice Cake. Seriously, it may be the best two layer pumpkin cake I have ever eaten in my entire life. And I have lived a relatively long life thus far. This cake is dense, yet moist. The adjustment in the amount and types of spices created an incredibly flavorful, spice balanced perfect cake. The frosting was insanely delicious and complimented the cake beautifully (for those of you who are thinking of making your own tweaks to frosting recipe, considering leaving out the brown sugar, you would be making a BIG mistake. Just saying). The texture and taste of candied pecans and pepitas skyrocketed to a new level with the addition of crystallized ginger in the topping is pure heaven. If by any chance you are not deliriously happy after taking one bite of this cake or if you can resist the urge to have a second piece, then maybe you have had one too many pumpkin lattes and your taste buds have been permanently numbed. Okay, that wasn't very nice. Forgive me, but I am not taking it back.

The brown butter is what sets this Pumpkin Spice Cake apart from all others. The original recipe called for the use of cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves and table salt. This modified version added ground nutmeg, increased the amount of cinnamon (from 1 1/2 teaspoons to 2 teaspoons) and used kosher salt. The Fine Cooking recipe gave the option of making the pumpkin puree from scratch, but  honestly there are some things not worth the extra time and effort. Or I have yet to be totally convinced this is one of them. 

The cake batter comes together in a bowl (no mixer required) with the use of both a whisk and spatula. The result is a very thick, luscious batter.

The best way to ensure your prepared nine inch cake pans contain the exact amounts of batter is to use a scale. Not only does this almost guarantee your cakes will go and come out of the oven at the same time, your finished cake (especially if you make a naked version) looks 'bakery' perfect. If you don't have a scale, check the level of the batter using a toothpick.

The cakes bake in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 28-35 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. As a general rule, oven racks should be placed in the middle of the oven and both baking pans should be placed on the same rack.

I glossed over the directions for making the brown sugar cream frosting because, like, how or why would it be different than most other cream cheese frostings? Well it was. I made the frosting using room temperature butter instead of brown butter. But honestly, I loved the flavor, fluffiness, and creaminess of the frosting using just 'room temperature' butter. 

Once the cakes have cooled to room temperature you can frost them. I strongly recommend either increasing by 50% or doubling the amount of frosting, even if you choose to do a naked-like version shown in this post. 

You have two assembly options for this Pumpkin Spice Cake. The first is to arrange all of the topping mixture on the top of the cake (as shown here). The second is to divide the topping mixture, spreading half on the first layer and arranging the other half on the top layer.

If you make this cake the day before serving and if you choose the option of only putting the topping on top of the cake, you can make the topping the day you serve the cake. 

The directions for the cake, frosting, and topping are lengthy. For once, length and difficulty are not synonymous. This is a very easy cake to make. But unlike me, read through the directions before you start baking.

You don't have to wait for a dinner party, a birthday party, a holiday, a wedding, a luncheon, informal gathering, or celebration of any kind to make this cake. In other words, no reason is necessary. Well I take that back. Just in case this 'crying wolf for years' canned pumpkin puree shortage turns out to come to fruition (and you are not one to make your own), you absolutely must be able to taste this cake, this year. Sooner rather than later.

With the foodisphere filled with an over abundance of pumpkin recipes this week, you may find it hard to choose amongst them. Or maybe you already have your favorite sweet or savory pumpkin recipe, one you too have been putting off making for all sorts of reasons. So let me help make that choice easier for you. Choose this one. Call it your destiny. As this Brown Butter Pumpkin Spice Cake is going to be your most favorite, most requested cake without any regard for the season. Lobster rolls and  Brown Butter Pumpkin Spice Cake could be all the rage next summer.

Recipe
Brown Butter Pumpkin Spice Cake (several adaptations to Fine Cooking's Brown Butter Pumpkin Layer Cake, Issue 107)

Serves 8-12, depending on how you slice it

Ingredients
Cake
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (from a 15 ounce can) Note: Measure out the puree as there will be more than 1 1/2 cups of puree.
6 ounces (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
9 ounces (2 cups) all-purpose flour (recommend King Arthur)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup buttermilk

Topping
1 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup pepitas (salted or unsalted) Note: I use salted pepitas.
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger

Frosting (recommend increasing by 50% or doubling)
4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
5 ounces (1 1/4 cups) confectionary sugar, sifted

Directions
Cake
1. Position rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Butter and flour or spray with cooking spray two 9-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, butter and/or spray parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Melt butter in a heavy duty 1 quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter turns a nutty golden-brown (about 4-5 minutes). Pour into a heatproof bowl and let stand until cool, but not set (about 10-15 minutes).
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and set. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and buttermilk until well blended.
5. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the flour mixture until just combined.
6. Gently whisk in the cooled brown butter until completely incorporated. Note: Batter is very thick.
7. Divide batter evenly between the two prepared pas.
8. Bake for 28-35 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks, remove parchment paper and cool completely.

Topping
1. Melt the butter in a heavy duty non-stick 12 inch skillet over medium heat.
2. Add pecans and pepitas. Cook until the pecans brown slightly (about 2 minutes).
3. Sprinkle in brown sugar and salt, stirring until sugar melts and the nuts are glazed (about 2 minutes)
4. Stir in chopped ginger. Remove from heat. Transfer mixture to a piece of parchment paper and allow to cool.

Frosting
1. Using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, cream cheese and brown sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light in color and brown sugar has dissolved (about 2 minutes).
2. Gradually beat in sifted confectionary sugar. Continue beating until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).

Assembly
1. Put on cake layer on cake plate or platter.
2. Spread almost half of the frosting on the layer. Note: Can also use a pastry bag and offset spatula.
3. Place second layer on. Frost top of cake with the same amount of frosting used on the first layer. 
4. Thinly spread remaining frosting on sides of cake.
5. Arrange the topping on the top of the cake and serve.

Notes:
1. Assembled, frosted cake can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Remove from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.
2. Topping can be divided equally between the bottom and top layers or sprinkled completely over the top layer.
3. If completely frosting the cake, double the amount of frosting ingredients. 

Autumn in Rockford, Illinois.