Chenin Blanc Rosemary Country Style Ribs

Tonight we had a very simple, but very tasty dinner.  Boneless pork ribs and artichokes.  One large artichoke each, and a couple of boneless country style ribs.  The marinade was delicious and had a hint of the flavor of Chinese roast pork.  Tom had his artichoke plain and I had homemade "Miracle Whip" for dipping my leaves.

Chenin Blanc Rosemary Country Style Ribs

As we picked up a few items at Safeway, we checked the meat closeouts, just in case.  And there was a nice package of boneless country style ribs at half off.  And they had artichokes, big, tight ones, for $2.  Bingo!  Dinner.  We love to do an artichoke with meat on the side for dinner now & then.  We love artichokes.

We decided to marinate and grill the ribs while the artichokes cooked.  To make sure they’d be tender and tasty we decided to marinate them.  I asked Tom to look in our “wine cellar” and see what white wines we had available.  So the main part of the marinade was Chenin Blanc from Sutter Home (the oldest and cheapest bottle of white wine down in the box in the basement.

Marinade:

            ½ bottle white wine – any white wine you’d drink

4 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 large cloves garlic, sliced thick

¼ rice vinegar

3 Tablespoons soy sauce

Salt & pepper

Place the pork in a zipper bag.  Lay rosemary springs on top of meat.  Add sliced garlic.  Add liquids and salt & pepper.  Carefully press out the air & zip the bag.    “Mush” all ingredients to make sure it’s well blended.  Let marinate an hour, “mushing” from time to time to make sure all the flavors blend.

On the grill, sear the outside, then lower the heat to cook more slowly until done.

 

To make homemade Miracle Whip add rice vinegar or lemon juice, sugar (or substitute) and paprika to mayonnaise.  I like to make just enough at a time for the meal where I'll use it.  Just a tablespoon or two  Start with just a little of the flavorings, mix, taste, adjust, mix and taste.  You'll get the hang of it and it may be just like Miracle Whip or it may be better for you.  I'd suggest 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise, 1/4 teaspoon sugar (or substitute), 1/4 teaspoon rice vinegar or lemon juice and a sprinkle of paprika. 

Ravioli for carnivores and herbivores

One of the people who was expected to be at a potluck we attended last night is a vegetarian.  So, I put my mind to coming up with a tasty vegetarian filling.  But, he didn't show.  I'll razz him about this since I spent twice as much time cooking and assembling ravioli as I would have if he weren't expected.  Luckily, we all enjoyed the vegetarian ravioli, and the meat ones.  One of the people at the potluck, although not a vegetarian, enjoyed the vegetarian version more than the meat version.

One disclaimer I need to put out here - measurements are approximate.  I rarely measure ingredients when I cook.  I "eyeball" what goes into the pot.  I also usually write things down after we've eaten the food.  There's a possibility I've missed something, especially in the "herbivore" version.  A lot went into it and last night I had forgotten to include the all-important Italian seasoning that went into the vegetarian version, same as the meat version.

We enjoyed them so much, and with the KitchenAide mixer (with its attachments) makes the pasta so much easier, I think Mother's Day (less than a week away) will bring one of those cool little tools for making ravioli so I don't need to hand seal each one with a fork.  Just lay out a sheet of pastas, put filling in the depressions, lay on the second sheet of pasta and run the rolling pin across to seal and cut them a dozen at a time.

The recipe is pretty long - 2 pages - because it includes both versions, and a little bit of history ... the link should go to the pdf file.  Please let me know if you have problems - I'm new at doing things this way.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_cpeEnZbviBbl92TENhS3IxRHM/view?usp=sharing

Sourdough Bread Supreme Pizza

This can be done with a conventional crust, but the tangy sourdough adds an extra taste dimension.  We had a partial loaf of sourdough, plus a partial fresher loaf, so it was time for homemade pizza.

The sauce is the key to homemade pizza.  I first started developing this sauce back in the 1960s.  Over the years it’s been tweaked and adjusted.  Preheat oven to 450 (425 if it has convection “Pizza” setting).  Line sheet pan with parchment paper.  I've gotten hooked on parchment paper and for these pizzas you get the bonus of "cheese chips" when the cheese that spills off the edges bubbles, browns & crisps on the parchment paper.  And it peels right up.  And no cleanup, just toss the paper.

The basic sauce ingredients:

1 small can Contadina tomato sauce

1 small can Contadina tomato paste

1 heaping Tablespoon Italian seasoning, crushed to release flavor

Salt & pepper to taste

Dash of cinnamon

4 drops Dad’s Jalapeño sauce

1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Mix all sauce ingredients, set aside for flavors to “marry” while you do the rest of the preparations.  There will be more than enough sauce.  I like to make "torpizzas" with the leftover sauce & cheese.  Spread sauce, toppings & cheese on a flour tortilla and microwave until the cheese melts.  Sometimes you can even get the tortilla crispy, especially if you partially cook it before you add the sauce & toppings.  Nice, quick lunch.

 

Toppings:

½ cup diced summer sausage

¼ cup sliced pimento-stuffed olives (low sodium, if possible)

½ small jar sliced mushrooms

3 mini peppers, sliced thin (color variety if you like – I used red, orange & yellow)

Small amount of very thinly sliced red onion

½ pound shredded Mozzarella cheese

Assembly:

Cut 4-5” sections of sourdough loaf (use the tangiest you can find) into 3 horizontal slices to make a reasonable thickness for the crust.  If necessary, cut a thin slice off the crust of the outermost slices to stabilize.

Spread generously with sauce.  Top with peppers, mushrooms, onion, olives, summer sausage.  Top generously with Mozzarella.  Some of the cheese will fall over the edges – it makes great “cheese chips”, and the parchment paper makes cleanup easy.

Bake 11-13 minutes, until cheese begins to brown.

 
Note:  I have used Contadina brand tomato sauce and paste since I started cooking.  There’s something special about the taste, different than the other major brands and house brands.  I find other brands to be missing something.  You may prefer a different brand, or may not even notice a difference; use whatever brand suits your taste.  In cooking, it doesn’t matter how spectacular a flavor is for someone else – if it doesn’t suit you, it’s not worth cooking.  Learn your preferences.  Brands, varieties, etc.  When brands taste the same, use what’s cheapest or easiest to get; when you can tell a difference, hold out for the one you like.   You’ll enjoy your food more, and so will the people you feed.

Sourdough note: I can't get real San Francisco sourdough bread in Colorado.  The best I can do for tangy flavor is the sourdough from the Safeway stores.  It's a chemical sourdough instead of a true sourdough, but it's got the flavor I crave.  Like all foods, use the bread that works for you.  If you like a milder crust, use any French bread or artisan bread that will give you the flavor that delights you.

Lets Get Started

I've been making up my own recipes for years.  People told me I should write a cookbook.  I'm working on it ... sort of.  I have created over 100 of my own recipes.  I'll use this space to share the ideas I come up with ... I don't always know what's going to be for dinner until I actually serve it.  We taste, agree it's a "keeper" and I write it down so I can do it again some day.

To be honest, I don't often repeat because the creation of a new dish is the biggest cooking fun for me. 

Check back often to see what's new.  I may create one or more dishes a day, then go a week or two doing old standby dishes with nothing to report here.