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Eat: Recipe of the Week: Braciole

There are a hundred Braciole recipes in the naked city. I do not have a favorite yet but I am now determined to try as many as I can to address that. The U?s served this version as part of our "traditional" Italian Christmas Eve dinner this year and it was a wild success. This recipe would probably be enough for 2 as a main course or 4 if served with pasta.

Oh, not sure which food group braciole comes from? (or how to pronounce it? I'm not going to try phonetically, but it rhymes with roll.) Braciole are rolled up slices of beef or veal stuffed with a variety of goodies and baked or slowly simmered in sauce. Who wouldn't love that!

Salute.

- UTalkinToMe?, Senior Food and Wine Editor
------------------------------------
Braciole di Manzo

1 pound boneless beef top round, cut into 4 thin slices each about 1/3 inch thick
4 slices prosciutto
1 thick slice provolone, about 2 oz, cut into 4 equal pieces
2 Tb pine nuts
2 Tb raisins
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup dry red wine
4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or one large can whole italian tomatoes)
1 Tb chopped Italian parsley
3-4 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

One at a time, place each slice of beef between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound gently to flatten to about 1/4 inch thick. Spinkle with salt and pepper and place a slice of prosciutto and a piece of cheese on each one. Sprinkle evenly with pine nuts, raisins and garlic. Roll up the slices, tucking in the ends, then tie the rolls at 1-inch intervals with kitchen string.

In a large frying pan over medium heat warm the olive oil. Add the rolls and cook, turning as needed, until all sides are brown, about 15 min. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 min. Poor in the wine and let cook until most of the liquid evaporates, about 2 min.

Add the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt an pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, turning the rolls occasionally, until the beef is tender when pierced with a knife, about 2 hours. Add water if sauce becomes too dry.

Uncover, add parsley and basil and cook for 2 min. Serve with sauce spooned over the rolls.

Eat: Recipe of the Week

My New Year's resolution? Provide you with weekly inspiration for culinary delight. I know I love an occasional bird-dog on a good recipe and my goal is to hit you once a week with some of my favorites. Mrs. U? and the little U?s are my guinnea pigs and nothing gets posted without their approval.

My first post is an awesome Bourbon Marinade. Great on flank steak or pork tenderloin. Prepare ahead (always a plus) and even freeze (a double-plus!). Best when meat is cooked on the grill. I prefer to use Jack Daniels in this recipe, but pick your favorite.

Salute.

- UTalkinToMe?, Senior Food and Wine Editor

---------------------------------
Bourbon Marinade
¼ cup bourbon
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup Dijon mustard
3 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 Tb worcestershire sauce

Combine ingredients and poor over meat in a zip-lock bag. Marinate for up to 24 hours. Can be frozen with meat. Good on pork tenderloins and flank steak.

The Innovative Japanese:

Japan's internet 'suicide clubs'

Powell For President!!

Discuss.

New Blog dedicated to the Tokyo Trip

Complete with updated pics and an Epilogue with some great Tokyo/Japan links:

Slurping the Soba

Kampei!

Travel Tips: Tahoe

Went to Tahoe last weekend for Labor Dayzz. Been busy, so I'm just getting around to posting. 15 of us rented two houses off Pioneer Street in South Shore (South Lake Tahoe). Hot tubs and home cooked meals after a hard day of playing outside sums up the experience:

Friday night:
Arrive in Reno and drive to Tahoe. Groceries, alchohol then off to the residence. Hot tub was turned on immediately. Drinking soon followed.

Saturday:
Hangovers all around. Aaron makes a killer breakfast consisting of bacon, eggs, warm tortillas and salsa. Off to hike Mt. Tallac (9,750 feet). Not for the faint of exercise, this hike proved to be quite challenging but everyone made it to the top and back down - this is a good link to check out the experience:

Mt. Tallac

More pics at my site:

Tahoe Pics

Later, completely exhausted, Rich and I get steaks from Albertson's and grill 'em up Florentine style. Yeah baby!!

Sunday:
Kayaking on Lake Tahoe. Evening was spent at Caesar's Resort and Casino eating at their suprisingly good Italian restaurant 'Primavera'. I had basil sea bass with red pepper mashed potatoes. AnalogJen and Rich were there as well. Later we played Pai Gow and single deck, $15 min. Blackjack.

Monday:
Checked out of the house at 11am. Went into town to the North Face store and had an awful lunch (mine as well as several others). The drive back to Reno via Route 28 was awesome!!! Same link has pics of the drive:

Tahoe Pics

Late flight back to Phx and everyone's exhausted. Can't wait for the next trip...

Eat: Grilled Leg-o-Lamb

Torn between entertaining out on the deck and linens and fine china in the dining room? I offer this tasty compromise. Grilled leg of lamb with fresh herbs and lemon. U? cooked this up on his birthday last month and served it with a nice '98 Barollo - a birthday gift from Mrs. U?. A killer combination. Would probably also pair up well with a Brunello (try any, please!) or a Petite Sirah (try Bogle, <$10).

The recipe I used is below - straight from www.foodtv.com. Consider finishing with a nice lemon-infused olive oil instead of just lemon. And for god's sake, don't overcook it - buy a meat thermometer!

Salute.

- UTalkinToMe? Senior Food and Wine Editor
------------------------------------
Grilled Leg of Lamb

8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon coarse salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 (7 to 8-pound) leg of lamb, trimmed of all fat, boned, and butterflied by butcher (4 to 4 3/4 pounds boneless)
1 lemon

In a small bowl stir together herb-rub ingredients. Secure loose flaps of meat, by runnning 2 long metal skewers lengthwise and 2 skewers crosswise through the lamb, bunching the meat together.
Put lamb in a large dish and with tip of a sharp small knife held at a 45-degree angle, cut 1/2-inch-deep slits all over lamb, rubbing herb mixture into slits and all over lamb. Marinate lamb at room temperature 1 hour.
Prepare grill.
Lightly pat lamb dry. On a lightly oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals grill lamb about 10 minutes on each side, or until an instant-read thermometer horizontally inserted into thickest part of meat registers 125 degrees F for medium-rare. (Alternatively, roast lamb in a roasting pan in middle of a 425 degrees F oven about 25 minutes.) Transfer lamb to a cutting board. Halve and seed lemon. Squeeze juice over lamb and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 minutes.
Cut lamb into slices and serve with any juices that have accumulated on cutting board.

Life Sucks: Then You Live

Ok. Some background on this rant - I'm getting a divorce ( for all our readers (2) who don't know (1) ).

My coworker, who was married when he was younger and is on his second, tells me I'm in for two years of alcoholism and 'debauchery' (cleaned up a bit for the kids...). Well, looks like the former has started. Can't wait for the latter. I averaged about 2 nights of drinking (2 or more) per month for the last 4 or 5 years up until about April. Now I think I'm at 2 a week if not more. My friend has a boat and we've been going out a lot this summer. It's like spring break every weekend which, I have to say, is pretty fun. More drinking. People from my old job have been doing happy hours every other week. Also lots of fun since we were a real close knit group. Drinking.

I think I'm too smart to become an alcoholic - also too into working out and outdoor activities to really let my health decay. But, you never know. Have to watch it.

On a lighter note - I'd like to give George and Shaling their own blog. I know the cat blog thing has been done but I want to spin it somehow (ha - blogger spell check flags the word 'blog').

Lady Shaling:


Sir George:


off to record some trackzz...

Travel Tips: San Francisco - the City that Keeps on Living

marooned1984: QA re SF
afreshproduction: wha?
marooned1984: oh i was going to ask your advice on a hotel
marooned1984: but i already got one
afreshproduction: yes
afreshproduction: oh
afreshproduction: ok
afreshproduction: which one
marooned1984: called the mosser hotel
marooned1984: 54 fourth street
afreshproduction: whoa
afreshproduction: and?
afreshproduction: 54th and what
marooned1984: 54 fourth street
marooned1984: not 54th street
marooned1984: but now i'm wondering if we should have done a youth hostel
marooned1984: those are super cheap
afreshproduction: ok
afreshproduction: cuz 54th is like way the fuck out there
marooned1984: http://www.themosser.com/
afreshproduction: yeah - so you are right htere
afreshproduction: by Union SQuare
afreshproduction: cool
marooned1984: good
afreshproduction: u have been there before right
marooned1984: my first time to SF
afreshproduction: to SF
afreshproduction: oh really
afreshproduction: how about Fu?
marooned1984: yup
marooned1984: her's too i think
afreshproduction: oh shit
afreshproduction: i'll give you some tips
afreshproduction: you are right by Yerba Buena
afreshproduction: which is cool
afreshproduction: public park area surrounded by Moscone Center, MOMA
afreshproduction: which is cool
afreshproduction: and Market street
marooned1984: ok
afreshproduction: try to go to this Vietnamese restaurant
afreshproduction: 'Slanted Door'
afreshproduction: over on Embarcadero
marooned1984: otay
afreshproduction: you'll need reservations
afreshproduction: make them today
afreshproduction: excellent restaurant
marooned1984: alrite
afreshproduction: one of the best in SF
marooned1984: Slanted Door
afreshproduction: yes sir
marooned1984: i wanna go to chinatown
afreshproduction: http://www.slanteddoor.com/
afreshproduction: yeah chinatown is right by where you're staying
afreshproduction: it's all there
afreshproduction: perfect location
afreshproduction: if the weather's nice
afreshproduction: check out the Embarcadero and Marina
afreshproduction: during the day
afreshproduction: http://www.foodtourist.com/FTGuide/Content/I82.htm
afreshproduction: oh shit - and, a great pizza place
afreshproduction: 'Thomasso's'
marooned1984: hey
marooned1984: perfect
afreshproduction: i think
afreshproduction: near Little Italy
afreshproduction: which is an awesome nightlife spot
marooned1984: ok
afreshproduction: and...my favorite restaurant there
afreshproduction: Italian
afreshproduction: Sodini's
afreshproduction: corner of Grant/Green
afreshproduction: also North Beach area
afreshproduction: i.e. Little Italy
marooned1984: i'll tell 'em Tony sent me
afreshproduction: yeah
afreshproduction: so Tomassos, Sodini's and SLanted Door
afreshproduction: and the Asian food in SF is ridiculous
afreshproduction: best anywhere
afreshproduction: what is your itinerary
afreshproduction: arriving/leaving
marooned1984: saturday 9:30 am
marooned1984: out monday at 5
afreshproduction: arrive sat 9:30 at SFO?
marooned1984: yeah
afreshproduction: kewl
afreshproduction: if you meet a girl named Marcie White
afreshproduction: tell her i said hi
marooned1984: lost love?
afreshproduction: no - old girlfriend
afreshproduction: haven't seen her since K and I live in the Bay Area
afreshproduction: 2001
afreshproduction: you gonna bring your 'gat'
afreshproduction: your Glock and your 9
marooned1984: not me
marooned1984: we've got to let love rule
afreshproduction: yeah
End of marooned1984 buffer: Wed May 19 13:13:25 2004

------------------------------------------------
Start of marooned1984 buffer: Wed May 19 14:28:14 2004
afreshproduction: dude!
afreshproduction: what a coincidence
marooned1984: what
afreshproduction: i just got an email
marooned1984: from the pope?
afreshproduction: from my friend's in SF
marooned1984: oh yeah?
afreshproduction: they are performing this weekend
marooned1984: wow
afreshproduction: good funk band
marooned1984: maybe i should go see them
afreshproduction: shit - it's Friday night
marooned1984: oh - too bad
marooned1984: maybe they can give a private performance
marooned1984: in my hotel room
afreshproduction: yeah sure
marooned1984: that's too bad they are playing on friday
marooned1984: AF pick out a good music show for us to see
marooned1984: this is your mission
marooned1984: should u choose to accept it
afreshproduction: http://www.brunoslive.com/
marooned1984: for Saturday night
afreshproduction: http://www.brunoslive.com/music.htm
afreshproduction: calendar
afreshproduction: Afro Beat
afreshproduction: might be good
afreshproduction: i've seen these guys:
afreshproduction:
http://www.wireonfire.com/brounfellinis/brounfellinishome.html
afreshproduction: if they are playing it's worth checking out
afreshproduction: jaxx
afreshproduction: jazz
End of marooned1984 buffer: Wed May 19 14:28:14 2004