Roasted Bone Marrow

Probably the most delicious and yet simple appetizer ever. I explained bone marrow to someone who's never had it as meat butter, but I can't even begin to describe it's flavor. I'm lucky enough to have a ready source of fresh veal bones at Eataly, and they cut them to order. Maybe it's because I haven't had breakfast yet, but writing this post is literally making me drool...

HOW TO:

Arrange the bones marrow side up in a roasting dish. Bake at 450º for about 18 minutes or until the marrow is cooked, but not completely melted. Meanwhile, roughly chop parsley and thinly slice shallots. Just before serving, toss the two together with capers, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve the bone marrow right out of the oven with the parsley salad, toasted bread, and salt flakes to season. 

Apple Tart

I had intended to make pie, but it ended up on the floor half-finished in a super tragic accident. Luckily, I had some extra apples. So with the unused half of pie crust, I made a simple apple tart.

I've gotten pretty good at making pie crust from scratch. Key tricks: use really good butter. I think this is probably the most important ingredient. High-fat, grass-fed butter is the way to go. 

HOW TO:

Make pate brisee and set aside in the fridge. Skin, core, and thinly slice cooking apples. Toss with lemon zest, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, a little salt, a pinch of cloves, and tinier pinch of nutmeg. Roll out the dough to a round-ish shape. Arrange the apple slices in concentric circles until about an inch or two away from the edge of the pastry. Fold the dough onto the apples, overlapping where necessary. Brush the exposed crust with an egg wash, and bake the tart at 400º for 30-40 minutes or until the crust is browned and the apples are toasty.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

The classic. My take: three types of meat, fresh bread soaked in milk, fresh basil and parsley, grated parmesan, and one egg. The meat was from Eataly, the bread from Eli's, and the milk from Ronnybrook. Locavore galore. Anyway, after I browned the meatballs, I threw them into a basic sauce. I'm talking real basic here, just crushed tomatoes, garlic, and ripped basil. I served the dish with some delicious Chianti, and, I'm happy to say, this was a very successful classic Italian-American dinner.

(I figured I'd start posting bottles I enjoyed with my meal so I can remember them)

HOW TO:

To make the sauce, sauté chopped garlic with olive oil in a large pot. When fragrant and before the garlic begins to brown, pour in at least two jars of crushed tomatoes. Season with fresh ripped basil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. 

For the meatballs, start by tearing out the inside of a loaf of bread - I used half a white boule for two pounds of meat. Soak it in whole milk. Mix together equal amounts of ground pork, beef, and veal and toss with chopped basil, chopped parsley, grated parmesan, one egg, and the slightly squeezed-out bread. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roll out the meatballs in equal sizes - I eyeball them and typically make them to be about an inch and a half in diameter. Brown the meatballs on all sides in a hot pan, and toss them into the sauce. Simmer together for 30 or so minutes and serve with spaghetti.