What a night…what a fabulous, wine filled night (St Clair Mimbres Red to be exact).  The Boy and I had a group of our dearest friends (known affectionately as the Twitterati…no that’s not dorky) over for a potluck dinner last night and let’s just say a good time was had by all.  And unlike most potlucks which invariably involve green bean casseroles, ham loaf and some sort of jello/fruit abomination, this was a potluck of foodies.  Since dinner was over at our house, I offered to make the main course.  And I knew immediately what I wanted to make: Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon (recipe here)!  After making coq au vin, tackling the boeuf bourguignon wasn’t as difficult as I anticipated.  Sure it was rather time consuming, but Julia’s recipe was very straightforward and the results were a hit with the Twitterati.

The boeuf bourguignon was but only a small element of a rather bawdy night.  Some of the other highlights?

These amazing blue cheese and black pepper gougeres made by The Black Dog.

Four crusty, hearty French baguettes from Cowgirl Creamery (along with the best butter I’ve ever tasted), brought by Thrifty DC Cook.

A triple chocolate mousse cake whipped up by Brian that had us all swooning (and me changing into my stretchy pants).

And did I mention the red wine? There were five of us and we managed to polish off two bottles…which may be the reason the conversation turned to some of these gems:

• Peter North and Ron Jeremy’s rather, uhmmmm, unique asset
• This very odd Batman onesie
• This unique salute to a rather troublesome human resource issue
• And of course, kitten mittens

There was a lot more discussed, most of which repeating would violate some FCC laws.  And although a few of our Twitterati comrades were missing (Mazzie, Carmen and JMC), we still managed to laugh until our sides hurt.  Good food, good wine and great friends are always a great combination, don’t you think?

I was lucky enough to get out of work early this afternoon, so I headed over to Penn Quarter Farmers Market.  My co-worker James was along for the ride, as he wanted to pick up a few things for himself.  I had a list of things I wanted, including the new Ricotta Vanigla from Blue Ridge Dairy and blueberries (oh how I love blueberries) for a weekend batch of crepes.  But as often happens whenever I shop hungry, I ended up with a bit more than what was on my list.  And thus this quick, yet delicious pasta dish was created.

Even if I plan on going to a Saturday farmers market, I always make a trip to Penn Quarter on Thursdays after work to pay homage to Red Apron Butchery.  Chef Nathan Anda’s created quite a buzz around his house cured meats and the bacon alone lives up to all the hype.  I could easily shovel it down by the package full and have been known to steal a piece or two from the Boy’s plate (hey, if you’re going to leave bacon unattended in my presence, you suffer the consequences).  And don’t get me started on his hot dogs!  When I saw he had prosciutto last week, I snapped it up without even thinking twice…and wasn’t disappointed.  The prosciutto was a wonderful mixture of salt and pork goodness without any distracting spices to confuse the natural flavors of the cured meat.  So it was no surprise that I was back at the Red Apron tent this week, asking if there was anymore prosciutto.  Nathan pointed to a bin near the cash box, saying they only had 2 packages that week.  Being the greedy, evil child that I am, I bought both packages (and thanked my lucky stars I got there early enough to get them).

I continued on my merry way to pick up the rest of the items on my list but was heartbroken to find out Blue Ridge didn’t have any Ricotta Vanigla.  The vanilla infused ricotta was a fairly new item for Blue Ridge Dairy and I was curious to try it as a crepe filling.  To console myself, I got some crimini mushrooms to go with the prosciutto, along with an onion from Mountain View Farms and a big bulb of fresh garlic from another stand (there is never a sign but I always have a lovely conversation with the lady who runs it).  I made a pit stop at Cowgirl Creamery for a block of their Parmigiano Reggiano and some linguine and then headed home to experiment.

While I was being jerked about on the Metro (gotta love that manual operation) on the way home, the idea of a creamy mushroom sauce came about.  By the time I made it to the house, the entire recipe had been formed and I got to work almost immediately (hunger is a strong motivator…and a bitch until satisfied).  After reading the directions on the back of the Pasta Abruzzese, I opted to follow their suggestion and toss the pasta with cheese before adding the sauce.  When all was said and done (a mere 35 minutes later), I had an amazingly simple but flavorful dinner.  And a nice glass of Sangria to toast my success (it’s a holiday weekend…I can drink on a Thursday night).

Linguine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce and Prosciutto (4 servings)

1-16 ounce package linguine

1 container crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 large clove of garlic, diced

1 small onion, chopped

8 ounces prosciutto, sliced lengthwise (I simply shredded mine with my hands)

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Approximately 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded

Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt it liberally and add the linguine.  While the pasta is cooking, get started on the sauce.  Make sure to stir the pasta periodically to prevent it from burning and clumping up.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat and add the garlic.  Cook for about 2 minutes, or until the garlic takes on a golden hue.  Add the onions and cook until soft before tossing in the mushrooms.  Stirring constantly, allow the mushrooms to reduce and release their juices into the butter.  Start slowly pouring in the heavy cream, adding enough to cover the bottom of the pan.  If you like a thinner sauce, use closer to 1/2 cup of cream.  If you like a thicker sauce, use closer to 1/4 cup of cream.  Continue stirring the sauce, allowing it to thicken slightly.  Once it reaches your desired consistency, remove the sauce from the heat.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Drain the pasta and pour it into a bowl.  Add the grated cheese and toss.  Add the shredded prosciutto in four batches, tossing the pasta after each batch is added.  Add most of the mushroom sauce, reserving a bit to top the pasta.  Toss the pasta once more, making sure the sauce evenly coats everything.  Serve with a small spoonful of the reserved sauce on top (and a grating of the cheese if you wish…which I usually do).

I feel so ashamed…so very, very ashamed. Not because I haven’t posted in four days (please – it’s near winter and lighting is an issue in a basement apartment), but because of what I did to this pot roast. Before you turn to another food blog thinking the roast turned out poorly, let me allay your fears. This was an excellent pot roast…a tender cut of beef marinated in tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, honey, allspice, rosemary and beef stock. My shame lies in the beef stock…and the fact that I used store bought stock. I know, I know…gasp and throw down your wooden spoon in disgust. My shame wouldn’t be so profound had I not had this conversation with my mother last week:

“I’m making the stuffing…with my own vegetable stock,” my mother declared.

“Oh my god! You used the recipe I sent you for the stock?!?!”

“I know! It was so easy and it’s sooo good! I even sent the recipe to Sharon [my sister]”

“Oh, I’m sooo proud! I’m a little veclempt…discuss amongst yourselves [we routinely quote old SNL skits around my house].”

Yes, my mother is making homemade vegetable stock…and I’m using beef stock from a container. I hang my head down in disgrace.

There it is…the offensive store bought beef stock. I could tell you I didn’t have enough time to make a beef stock or the idea to make a pot roast didn’t pop in my head until the last minute. But honestly, I was just being lazy. I needed to make something for dinner for the week, it was Monday night and I really just wanted to go watch How I Met Your Mother. So I threw potatoes, carrots, onions, crimini mushrooms and a chuck roast in my crock pot and tossed whatever seasonings and liquids I had on hand into the mix. The result? My own tasty shame…

Crock Pot Pot Roast

3 to 4 pound boneless chuck roast

32 ounces beef stock (don’t judge)

1-6 ounce can tomato paste

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika

3 teaspoons allspice

2 large sprigs fresh rosemary

3 medium sized carrots, coarsely chopped

1 large onion, sliced

1 to 2 pounds potatoes, diced

1 small container crimini mushrooms

Salt and pepper

Pour the beef stock, balsamic vinegar, honey and tomato paste into the crock pot. Stir it all together, adding the paprika, allspice, salt and pepper to the broth. Toss in half of the vegetables and then place the chuck roast on top. Add the rest of the vegetables and give everything a good stir. Make sure the beef is settled nicely into the liquid and then add the rosemary to the top. Put the crock pot on the lowest setting and cover it with the lid. Let the pot roast cook for 10 hours on low, checking periodically to make sure the pot roast isn’t cooking too fast. Crock pots vary, so within the first few hours make sure the temperature is adequate enough to slowly roast the beef. Serve the finished roast with rice or a simple green salad.

I’ve really been in a bit of a funk lately, which means no inspiration to cook or write. In fact, I have even ordered Chinese take out for dinner…twice! So this post is from a dish I made almost two weeks ago with my fabulous morels. Luckily there are a slew of recipes I made and photographed just in case such a funk hit…yes, I’m a planner…

A few years (and several boyfriends) ago, I went to a great Italian restaurant in North Carolina. I think we were celebrating something but for the life of me I can’t remember what (which pretty much tells you all you need to know about that relationship). What I do remember is this amazing mushroom ravioli I had there and I have always wanted to try to recreate it at home. Since I had these great mushrooms at my disposal, I figured now was as good a time as any to give them a whirl. I opted to use won ton wrappers instead of making a more traditional ravioli dough because I had some left over from a previous dish. But feel free to use the filling any way you see fit!

For the filling:

8 ounces morels (or any other wild mushroom)

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 medium shallot, chopped

2 handfuls of baby spinach

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper

24 won ton wrappers, cut lengthwise

For the sauce:

4 ounces morels

1 tablespoon butter

1 small shallot, diced

Salt and pepper

Place a large pot of water on the stove on medium heat to boil. While waiting for the water, start on the filling. In a large skillet, melt the two tablespoons of butter and add the medium chopped shallot and the 8 ounces of morels. At this point, add the salt and pepper to suit your tastes. Cook until the shallots are translucent and the mushrooms are soft (but not soggy). Add the spinach and cook until it’s wilted. Remove the mixture from the heat and allow to cool.

While waiting for the mushroom mixture to cool, cut the won ton wrappers lengthwise and create a ravioli making station. Place half the wrappers in one stack and the other half in another stack. Pour some water in a small bowl and place it next to the wrappers. Once the mushroom mixture has cooled, transfer it to a bowl and add the breadcrumbs and cheese. Mix everything together thoroughly and then begin the ravioli assembly. Place one wrapper on a clean work surface and add a small dollop of the filling to the center. Dip your finger in the water and brush all four sides of the wrapper with it. Place another wrapper on top of the filling and press down around the edges (the water serves as a bit of glue to hold the two wrappers together). Set aside the completed ravioli and repeat the process until all the raviolis are formed.

Salt the boiling water and then (gingerly) add about 10 raviolis at a time to it. When the raviolis float up to the top, they’re done. Using a slotted spoon, gently fish out the raviolis and place them in a large serving bowl. Repeat this process until all the raviolis are cooked.

For the sauce, melt the butter in a sauce pan and add the mushrooms and shallots. As before, salt and pepper the vegetables to suit your taste. Cook until the shallots are translucent and the mushrooms are soft (just like you did for the filling). This makes an excellent butter sauce that can be placed atop the raviolis!

This was one of my most recent favorite dishes, hands down! I am going to try a variation using shiitake mushrooms and another type of cheese, so stay tuned! I am also sending this over to Ruth at Presto Pasta Nights for the weekly Friday Presto Pasta round up! This is my first time submitting for this but since I adore pasta, I’m sure it won’t be my last!

Hopefully I can kick out of this lazy funk I’ve been in lately. But with so much to do this weekend with the Culturati posse, I’m just glad I have the foresight to store recipes and pictures for just such a cooking inspiration drought!