The last time Christine and Chuck visited, Chuck said something to the effect of, “I’d rather eat anything that someone I know made for me than go to a restaurant any day.”  It made me stop and think a minute and I decided that, almost every time, I would agree with him.  There is something about food that someone chooses to make for you – no matter what it is – that tastes especially satisfying. Luckily, my gracious friends pretty much feel the same way, or at least they make every attempt to appear that way.  Even when a dish comes out badly (overcooked meat or vegetables, a half-risen cake), I’ve had the luck of seeing smiling faces and clean plates.

When I asked the Bun what he wanted for his birthday dinner – mainly, whether he wanted to go out or stay in – he gave me a little look that said, “would you mind cooking for me?”  Of course, I was pleased with his answer.  After deliberating on a menu for a few days, I decided on a bit of inspiration in the form of pork rillettes, which is basically like a meaty, fatty spread you eat on bread.  It is, of course, French.  A French meal, of course!

As I do, and as many of my cooker friends do, I consulted several sources in an effort to find a good, simple recipe for the rillettes, including Julia Child’s cookbooks, Epicurious, and a clever site that is new to me called The Paupered Chef, which is brilliant.  The rest of the menu fell into place from there, knowing that the Bun would want Strawberry Pie for his birthday dessert, and knowing that I wanted to make steak, have a cheese course (simple, domestic Brie) and a salad course (endive with walnuts and an amazing local Amish blue cheese).

In the end, it came together pretty well.  I even made wine pairings, serving Kir Royale with the rillettes, a dry rose with the salad, and a young red with the steak (which I served with boiled potatoes that I sauteed in butter and some simply steamed green beans).

So, for the next birthday, anniversary, or celebration in your life, consider making a meal that you would like to eat yourself and I guarantee your guests will appreciate it.  Multi-course serving is, of course, optional.  =)

Pasketti and Meatballs

There is something about this weather that makes me crave carbs and, specifically pasta.  Maybe my body needs the extra fuel to stay warm through the damp chill of late winter.  Maybe I have been denying myself pasta since the holidays and my belly just says, “okay, you are being ridiculous; make spaghetti now, please.”  Regardless of the impetus, I had to get down to making some sauce and pasta this weekend.

As a born-again omnivore and regular gym-goer, I pretty much eat an animal-based protein at every meal except breakfast.  It may not be the best course of action, health-wise, but I do try my best to keep my choices on the leaner side whenever possible.  Unfortunately, this meal was an exception to the lean meats, as was the previous Bolognese post.  Yikes!  All I can say is, enjoy a few less healthy meals now, while you can, and hit the gym a little more often.  In a couple of months, none of us will be in the mood for heavy pasta and meat dishes.

Regarding meatballs, I am a big proponent of mixing meats so that you get a variety of flavors and textures.  For this particular recipe, I used ground pork and ground beef, but I often use ground turkey, italian sausage, ground lamb, or ground veal.  The rule, I think, is to use at least one bolder flavored meat (like beef, sausage, or lamb) with one that is more mild (like pork, turkey, or veal).  From there, the possibilities are endless.

Though the meat is your base flavor profile, I also think that good seasoning for meatballs is imperative.  I stick to herbs and some parmesan cheese, but you can certainly branch out to more exotic spices (cumin, coriander, fennel) and skip the cheese altogether.  The total mixture is generally much like what you would create for a meatloaf, but with less breadcrumbs and, perhaps, fewer seasonings.  Think of the ground meat as a canvas and the seasonings as your paints; you can do pretty much anything you want!  Evidence of this is an entire article in the January 2010 Bon Appetit devoted to various iterations of meatballs.

This is another recipe where I encourage you to cook with your instincts.  If you are familiar with ingredients, then you know how they will taste in combination, so go for it.  The worst that can happen is a failed round of meatballs and a quick call for takeout.  Fear in the kitchen is unacceptable!

For basic Italian American red sauce, I stick to a pretty simple recipe of tomato, wine, herbs, salt and pepper. Sometimes, the most basic flavors are the most satisfying.

Pasketti and Meatballs.