When I shop for dinner, my first stop is always the meat counter, and more specifically the steak section. That doesn’t mean I eat steak every night, but I do look there first. My first choice is usually a rib eye or a New York strip, usually with the bone in. They both have a lot of flavor from the bone and a nice marbling from the fat. Additionally, they are both excellent on the grill. But sometimes I like to treat myself to the richest cut of all, the filet mignon. Flavorful and tender, the filet doesn’t need much more than salt and pepper to make it taste just right, but every once in a while it is refreshing to put a different spin on a classic. One of my favorite flavor pairings with beef is mushrooms, and one mushroom in particular really complements the flavors of a filet, the porcini. Dried porcinis are so versatile that I keep them as a staple in my pantry. For this recipe, I ground them in a spice grinder to make a crust for the steak. I serve this with roasted asparagus topped with Meyer lemon juice, shaved Pecorino Romano, and crumbled hard boiled egg.
Porcini-Encrusted Filet Mignon (Serves 4
4 1/2
inch thick filet mignons
2
tablespoons ground dried porcini mushrooms (in a spice grinder)
2
teaspoons kosher salt
1
teaspoon ground oregano
2
teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
1
teaspoon chipotle pepper
2
teaspoons paprika
1
teaspoon ground ginger
1
tablespoon olive oil
Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Apply dry seasonings evenly to the top side of each steak. Let the steaks sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Cook the steaks seasoned side up for 8 minutes. Turn over and cook 4 more minutes for rare, 5 for medium rare. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes before serving
My mother was French Canadian and grew up in a French Canadian ghetto in Holyoke, Mass., a mill town. In Newark, New Jersey, where we lived, she cooked American dishes and occasionally French Canadian dishes, like tourtiere (meat pie) or chicken fricassee.
From her friends, who were Italian, Jewish, German, and Polish descent, she learned new recipes. I never saw her open a cookbook, buy a cookbook or cut a recipe out of the newspaper. It was all in her head. When she got older, she wrote down some recipes on 3 x 5 cards.
We did have one old cookbook, published by Crisco during the depression. It had two terrific recipes that I made dozens of times growing up: a one-egg cake and a spice cake leavened with baking soda and sour milk.
I’d trade 100 of my cookbooks for that old cookbook.
My father was from Dublin originally, so my mother made certain dishes for him: corned beef and cabbage, lamb stew, scones, and Irish soda bread.
From a very old 3 x 5 card, here is my mother’s Irish Soda Bread recipe.
Irish Soda Bread
(Makes 1 loaf, serves 6)
2
cups flour (all purpose)
1
teaspoon baking soda
1/2
teaspoon salt
2
tablespoons brown sugar
1/2
raisins
2
teaspoons caraway seeds
1
cup buttermilk (plus 1 tablespoon, if necessary)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, and caraway seeds. Stir raisins into the flour mixture. Pour in buttermilk, adding an additional tablespoon, if necessary, and mix into rough ball.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for about 2–3 minutes until the ball is fairly smooth. Form into a round loaf and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cut a deep cross in the top with a sharp knife. (This was supposed to ward off evil spirits.)
Bake 32–35 minutes until the top is well browned. A toothpick will come out clean when inserted into the center.
Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Happy cooking,
GraceAnn
Tools & Toys: Falk Culinair cookware
When I interviewed star chef Tyler Florence, he told me that the most common question he gets from viewers of his Food Network show Tyler’s Ultimate is, “What brand of cookware do you use on the show?” Made by a small, family-run company in Belgium, Falk Culinair was developed decades ago by craftsmen who created a technology for bonding a thin layer of stainless steel to thick red copper to create superb conductivity and thermal efficiency. Like most quality copperware, Falk is pricy, but it is beautiful, sturdy and made to last.
The Book of New
Israeli Food By Janna Gur
Schocken, $35
ISBN 978-0-8052-1224-2
Gur’s book is the best book on Israeli cooking I have seen. I have a few books on the subject, but Gur features soups, salads, simple meals, and recipes that are perfect for Shabbat dinner and the holidays.
Part of my childhood was spent living in a kosher Jewish home, so Jewish food to me is Eastern European.
Many years ago, I proposed a Hanukah recipe article to the old Examiner, only to discover Hanukah wasn’t a big deal anywhere but here in the U.S. Whereas American Jews delight in making latkes (potato pancakes), in Israel, they eat jelly donuts. Amazing!
Israel is a young state but some of its cuisine goes back to biblical times. In modern Israel the food is influenced by the entire Mediterranean. Of course the food traditions are also highly influenced by the Jewish laws of kashrut that shuns certain foods like pork and shellfish and the mixing of meat and dairy.
Here is a quote from Gur’s introduction, which is very revealing:
The law that prohibits work on the Sabbath led to the creation of casseroles that cook on the residual heat lit before the Sabbath. Gefilte fish was devised so fish could be eaten without the need to remove bones — considered work and therefore prohibited on the Sabbath.
Here is a recipe with lots of green to it; good for Passover or St. Paddy’s Day.
Green Passover Soup with Dumplings (serves 8-10)
2
pounds, 4 ounces chicken and turkey parts and bones
2
onions, chopped
1
celery root, diced
3
celery stalks, diced
3
tablespoons oil
1/3
cup dill, chopped
1/3
cup fresh coriander, chopped
1/3
cup parsley, chopped
1
pound, 2 ounces fava beans (GAW note: or substitute Italian green beans)
2
potatoes, diced
2
leeks, white only, sliced
1
level tablespoon turmeric
salt and freshly ground white pepper
The Chicken Knedlach (dumplings)
9
ounces chicken breast, ground
1
cup matzo flour
2
eggs
2
tablespoon oil
2
cloves garlic, crushed
3
tablespoon coriander, chopped
salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/2
chicken stock or water
Brown the bones, onions, celery root and stalks in a saucepan with oil. Add 3 quarts of water, the dill, coriander, and parsley. Bring to a boil, cook for an hour. Strain.
Add the beans, potatoes and leeks to the broth and bring to a boil. Season and cook for 45 minutes until veggies are tender.
Mix the dumpling ingredients and then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Bring the soup to a boil, form small balls and slide into the boiling soup. Turn heat down and cook for 20 minutes
Volume 1 Issue 7 
I’d trade 100 of my cookbooks for that old cookbook. 
When I interviewed star chef 
modern Israel the food is influenced by the entire Mediterranean. Of course the food traditions are also highly influenced by the Jewish laws of kashrut that shuns certain foods like pork and shellfish and the mixing of meat and dairy.
