Beef Shank Ragu with Penne

Beef Shank Ragu with Penne

Well, this has to be some kind of record. Three recipe posts in a row. We're not food bloggers here folks, but it's about life, and guess what? Food takes place at least three times in a normal day. I do give it some thought, and enjoy cooking. Try to be creative and all. Spread the enthusiasm. Hey, even my grandson has gotten into it. He just posted on his blog about my popovers. What a kid!

I would like it if the photo matched the taste, which was awesome. Slow braised, cross-cut beef shanks (a very inexpensive bit of meat) with herbs, vegetables, in wine and stock for two hours. Then, after removing the shanks, pushed everything through a strainer for a wonderful ragu sauce, with the added back bits of meat, to top polenta or pasta. I adapted my recipe from Ms. Glaze's recently posted Braised Beef Shank with Rosemary Polenta. I'm planning a polenta dinner in a few days and didn't want to repeat myself, so used the penne, which accompanied very nicely. I was also out of canned tomatoes, so a jar of marinara sauce from my pantry was a very decent substitute if I do say so. And, I do.

Beef Shank Ragu with Penne

Serves 2

Ingredients
1 3/4's – 2 lbs beef shank (2 slices across the bone, approximately 3"'s thick)
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium carrot peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 cup dry red wine (with extra to add if desired)
3 cups beef stock
1 28oz can of whole peeled tomatoes, or jar prepared marinara sauce
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon sliced fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 lb. penne pasta

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Make incisions into the thick connective tissue that surrounds the leg meat. Tie with kitchen string if you want to keep the meat together. Season beef shanks well with salt and pepper. Heat 2 T olive oil in a large oven proof pot, and sear the shank on all sides. Add the onions, shallots, carrots and continue to sauté until onions are softened.

Pour in the red wine and reduce by half. Add enough beef stock until it just covers the meat, then add all the sauce from the can of the peeled tomatoes and 4 of the tomatoes. Break apart the tomatoes with a spoon. Or just use, as I did a jar of marinara prepared sauce; and toss in your fresh or dried herbs (if using dry, use less).

When the braising liquid is simmering, place in the oven uncovered. Check every half hour and turn the shanks over after 1 hour. If the braising liquid is reducing to quickly you can either add more stock and red wine or place a lid on it. The meat should be covered on the sides at all times.

After about 2 hours the meat should be tender. Remove shanks and keep warm. Put the braising liquid through a strainer pressing hard against all the vegetables with a ladle or wooden spoon. (If you lack the patience for this, just puree in your food processor or blender). Scrape the bottom of the strainer and make sure to add all those puréed vegetables.

Return the resulting sauce to the pot and reduce until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Mine was already thick enough, even though I added stock to help get it through the strainer. Add the shanks back to the pot and keep on low heat while cooking up your pasta.


Since we're just in time for the Second "Festa Italiana", organized annually by Maryann of Finding La Dolce Vita and Marie of Proud Italian Cook, I'm going to submit this. Check it out for all kinds of delicious Italian dishes.

Cookies With a Point

Pointed Cookies

We watched a movie (cartoon) last night, more for the kids, but the adults occasionally looked up from their Blackberry, book, or conversation too. It was Ringo Starr's old film, The Point (and it did have one, ha). So, to go with the theme of our very own, personal event, my granddaughter and I made cookies with a point. Adapting the idea from Ximena's post at Lobstersquad for a single, giant, pizzza type cookie, which you cut into wedges, with yes, a point.

We made oatmeal, chocolate-chip cookies, an old standard, and they were definitely a hit in this new guise. Next time, I believe a shorter cooking time would be even better - perhaps 12-15 min.? These were crispy, yes, but not soft in the middle. I left them in the oven, and went to take a shower ( did wonder about the wisdom of that at the time). Meanwhile, Kealani was watching the timer and the clock, armed with a silicone oven mitt. So, here I am in the shower, washing my hair, and I could smell the cookies nicely baking, then that about done smell, then at the point of going to burn if you don't immediately do something, like right away . I yelled for her to take them out and was unsure if she'd heard me. It's frustrating being in the shower and trying to communicate with the outside world. She had decided there was enough time to go put the chickens in for the night. There was, by the clock and the timer. But, the sense of smell rules in a kitchen. That's the point.

Island Ahi With Spicy Cacao Sauce

This is all about an event thought up by Susan of Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy and Marc of No Recipes (who is hosting this one). Each month a different movie is selected for everyone to watch and be inspired to create a recipe from. This month's movie is Chocolat.

I was going to call my sauce a curry, as I did in an earlier version posted this year, but on second thought, the origins point as well to South America, home of cacao, and the moles of Mexico, where cacao is often an ingredient. A mole is traditionally a very complex assortment of ingredients, time-consuming to prepare. Most Mexican restaurants don't bother, aside from guacamole that is. Although, there are some fairly simple moles in the book of Frida Kahlo's recipes. Perhaps my concoction is an aberration, not Mexican, or Indian or even Eurasian. Though sauce is such a mundane word. Oh well. This recipe, however, has aside from some Indian and Mexican spices - cardamom, chili pepper, avocado leaf and cinnamon; also Asian elements - lemongrass and galangal, which all combined to work with and complement the cacao and ahi.

As in the movie Chocolat, where the confectioner used unusual flavors to surprise and delight her patrons, I was inspired to strive for that result. I not only love chocolate, I am growing the tree to keep us in good supply and love experimenting with its fruit.



I used fresh, locally caught, ahi (tuna) for this and some of the other ingredients are very local as well - from my garden: the cacao nibs, lemongrass, chilies, galangal, macadamia nuts, avocado leaf, lemon, with basil and starfruit to garnish.

Happy Valentines

Chocolate Pretzel and Starfruit Sorbet

Well, there's really no excuse for this frivolity, other than the fact my Valentine's desert was just so special it's got to be important enough to share with the world. Or that minuscule portion of the blogosphere who might happen upon this post. Of course, the sorbet was really too hard for scooping into a nice smooth ball for photo perfection, and I was too impatient to wait, so maybe we'll take another shot at it tonight.

The Chocolate Pretzel recipe was from the very absorbing (meaning I intend to make every single creation in there eventually) Chocolate book by McFadden & France. For the shaping, I changed to less pretzel and more heart. Which incidentally, was probably made more difficult by my using part spelt flour. In fact, my granddaughter was trying to help with them but gave up her attempt. So, I would say, follow the directions.

Chocolate Pretzels

Makes 28
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg white, lightly beaten, for glazing
sugar crystals, for sprinkling

1. Sift the flour, salt and cocoa powder into a bowl. Set aside. Grease two baking sheets.
2. Cream the butter, add sugar & beat til fluffy. Beat in the egg. Stir in the dry ingredients. Gather the dough into a ball and chill for 1 hour.
3. Roll the dough into 28 small balls. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Roll each ball into a rope about 10 inches long. With each rope, form a loop (or heart) with the two ends facing you. Twist the ends and fold back onto the circle, pressing in to make a pretzel shape. Place on the greased cookie sheets.
4. Brush the pretzels with the egg white. Sprinkle sugar crystals over the tops and bake for 10-12 minutes until firm. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

For the starfruit sorbet, just juice enough starfruit (carambola) to give you 3 1/2 cups of juice, stir in the juice of 1 lemon, and 3/4 cup sugar, then freeze in your ice cream maker. I think chocolate cookies combine wonderfully with fruit sorbets of any sort.

Cacao Curry and Processing Pain

Admittedly this looks a bit messy. But, by the time I thought to take a picture, there was not much left. It's ahi (tuna) steamed with onion in banana leaves and topped with my take on a cacao nibs curry.

What starts as stiff joints, pain and numbness in the hands finally takes me to Honolulu for an exam and cortisone shot. On the good side, our trip to the big city included dinner at Indigo, where the son of a friend works. A delightful and inspiring restaurant with various indoor and courtyard eating areas and three bars. Decorated with an eclectic whimsey and strong South East Asian influences, Indigo has almost the feeling of a seraglio (or what I'd imagine anyway). From the unobtrusive street front, you would never guess all this was going on inside. The food, billed as Eurasian cuisine, was terrific as well.

You might have guessed by now that I had fish with a cocoa curry, and yes, also served in a banana leaf. Chef Glenn Chu's creation was delicious, but much more subtle. I decided to try for a distinctly spicy, with overt cacao taste in my version last night. And, that turned out to be a nice contrast to the rather bland ahi.

I feel so blessed, we also had brunch at Sam Choy's and got to try their pastry chef's signature macarons - haupia and papaya. Here I'd just been reading a few food bloggers' takes on macarons, David Lebovitz for one, and had decided I'd not be making anything that complicated. Though, as a later amendment, I found this recipe, which looks yummy and not too very difficult. Wow! Not to mention another high point - next morning at my all time favorite place for breakfast - it's called Orchids, at the Halekulani Hotel. God is kind. There is pain, yes, but some awesome stuff as well. I won't even discuss the shopping.

bright lights, big city

Cacao Curry Recipe

Cacao Nibs Curry

Ingredients
2 tablespoons cacao nibs
2 cardamom pods, opened and seeds removed
1/2 Hawaiian chili pepper (or jalapeno - how hot do you want it?)
2 teaspoons minced raw ginger or galangal
2 teaspoons minced lemongrass (white part)
1/4 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons clarified butter
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup thick coconut milk

Process, or pound the spices in a mortar, fine as you'd like - I left mine a bit crunchy, but next time will probably try a smoother blend.

Heat the butter in a small saucepan til melted, then add the ground spices mixture, coriander and cinnamon. Heat, stirring until fragrant, then add 1/4 cup white wine, reduce for about 15 minutes while your fish (or chicken breasts) cook, add the coconut cream and continue simmering at low heat.  Add the fish and stir to coat.
Note: This recipe has been modified (improved) here to include the coconut cream and white wine, from the photo shown on the original post.

Not Bread

The leaves of the 'Ulu or Breadfruit tree have inspired Hawaiian quiltmakers for nearly 200 years. It is a lovely ornamental tree and the fruit is very useful as well, having long been a staple food in Polynesia.

Since we planted quite a variety of fruit trees on our property - some of them over 25 years ago - I have felt a responsibility to use them in a productive way. Not just as compost falling to the ground beneath the trees. So, this has required a bit of research and experimentation, trial and error sometimes, and, yes fruit still gets wasted, rotting on the ground, driving me crazy. Guilt, guilt, guilt. But, hey, you do what you can.


This breadfruit pudding, called Papaiee, is a wonderful use of the fruit. Kind of a cross between mashed potatoes and a sweet potato casserole in texture, though with the flavor of coconut mixed in. Breadfruit boiled or baked when green is more like boiled potatoes, firmer and also very good. When dead ripe, brown and crusty on the outside, you can make this cassarole. Next time I want to try it with milk or cream, butter and more savory type seasonings for a different take.

Papaiee

1 dead-ripe breadfruit
1/4 cup honey
2 cups rich coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

If you bring in a green breadfruit, let it sit on your counter a few days until it is brown and crusty outside. Cut open and scrape out the soft flesh into a bowl. Mix in the remaining ingredients and stir together well. Pour into a buttered casserole dish and bake at 350 F for one hour. I served mine with oriental style, broiled ahi and a small salad last night.

This recipe was adapted from Euell Gibbons' Beachcomber's Handbook, which I've had around for years. A very useful source for those living in the tropics. Now I want to research breadfruit in Indian cooking, if such a thing exists. If it doesn't, maybe it should. I may innovate something.

Fungal Fascination

Mushrooms are amazing. Actually, their Creator is the truly awesome and amazing One who designed our ecosystem, incorporating such a diversity of insect and fungal life, with everything in balance to protect and preserve life on planet earth. Scientists are today only scratching the surface of understanding how it all works. Insect kinds have been estimated at between 4 to 6 million species and fungi somewhere between 1 and 2 million (many of which are actually DNA variations of fewer kinds).

Sometimes I take pictures of mushrooms in our gardens, and attempt to find them in my identification guide, Mushrooms of Hawaii. At present, we're working on a small shitake cultivation. I've also been dipping into a fascinating book, with the mythical title, Mycelium Running, How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World, by Paul Stamets. He reports that various types of fungi, acting as filters, are able to remediate toxins in the soil and environment, to accumulate them for removal, or to indicate where toxic metals exist. Sort of biological bottom feeders of the earth. They can and are being used intentionally to convert waste sites.


This one was growing underneath the tangerine tree at our office - a large, strangely sponge-like fungi. Bob took a few photos. At home, and based on his emailed picture, I was looking for it in the mushroom book, trying to identify the species. I phoned and asked my granddaughter to go out to take some measurements (she's at the office today). Kealani just called back to inform me that it is the fruit-picker sponge. Yes folks, it must have fallen out whilst someone (Bob) was picking tangerines. Just goes to show you - the instructions to examine also gills, stem, & etc. as well as the cap, have a point. More than face value is involved. Is there a parable in this?

Surfeit of Stars

Surfeit? Yes, the definition being, too great an amount or supply; excess. So, what do I do with my God-given overabundance of starfruits, aka carambolas? Mine aren't really pretty enough for the market, however, they make an awesome wine. I'm also going to try a carambola & lemon marmalade.

For the last several weeks these little stars have been dropping off the tree continuously. I've been picking them up and off the tree, slicing, freezing and filling my limited freezer space, the freezer at our office, my daughter's freezer, and still they're not done. Looks like two batches will be necessary. Six gallons each. Oh, my word (as they say in some parts) .... that's a lot of wine. Maybe I should get a license to sell it?? What do you think? Don't answer that question if you are a teetotaler. Like my husband.

At the very least I'll finally publish my recipe. Though, not at this time, as I'm still tweaking it. The last two batches - '05 & '07 were a bit cloudy. Great taste, but I probably need to add more pectic enzyme and rack it a few more times.