Caribbean and African flavors are hard to find on the Las Vegas Strip. But diners can visit Libertine Social in Mandalay Bay or Public House in Luxor right now to feast on chef JJ Johnson’s cinnamon-scented braised oxtails with jolof rice, five o’clock black beans and collard greens. And credit for that delicious availability goes to Pepsi and MGM Resorts.
The Pepsi Dig In Restaurant Royalty Residency initiative has brought Johnson’s food to both MGM properties through Nov. 5, after which another nationwide culinary gem will take a tour. Pepsi launched Dig In two years ago to accelerate business and awareness for Black-owned restaurants, and the residency program is a new part of a broader, more than $400 million commitment to advance the racial equality within the company.
Johnson has expanded his famous fast-casual rice bowl concept Fieldtrip from New York, so maybe he could soon find a permanent place in Vegas. In the meantime, Houston rapper Bun B’s Trill Burgers pop-up hits the Strip next, Nov. 6-Dec. 3, and then Nashville’s hip-hop pizzeria Slim & Husky will bring its food to Las Vegas.
“The Pepsi Dig In initiative combined with our company’s renowned culinary program provides the perfect platform to continue to lead with purpose,” said Tony Gladney, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion of MGM Resorts, in a press release.
“By creating exceptional customer experiences with this initiative, we are also giving talented Black-owned restaurants the opportunity to shine on the global stage.”
Other planned residencies include FoodChasers’ Kitchen in January (think shrimp and grits) and Trap Kitchen in February (get ready for a pineapple bowl filled with steak, shrimp, rice and homemade sauces).
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]]>In the made-for-summer food canon, there’s something exceptionally nostalgic about the category of meat on a stick. But today, we’re moving beyond rough corn dogs and talking about pork belly popsicles.
This fun and inventive dish comes from Rye, the restaurant and cocktail bar with locations in Dallas and McKinney. They’re no stranger to unique plates, with menu items like an Icelandic hot dog and bagel lox with smoked salmon and “lactic acid adjusted” mascarpone. But back to lollipops. The pork belly is coated in a dry marinade, topped with bourbon and orange juice, and braised with onions, carrots, celery, and clementines. Once ready, it is served in the shape of a lollipop on a “plate” made of bourbon barrels and nails.
“This was our original item that we created to let guests know from the first course that rye was a different dining experience than they were used to in our area,” says co-owner and creative director Tanner Agar . “The real inspiration was setting the tone for Rye, and pork belly seemed like the best vehicle for that.”
You should try this dish straight from the source once in a while, but if you want to make it at home, Agar says to get the thickest slice of pork belly you can find.
“It’s best to work with a local farmer, if possible, but for the average person, an Asian market or Costco might be your best bet for buying whole pork belly,” he adds. Once cooked, be sure to remove it from the liquid and let it cool completely before cutting it. If it is not fresh when you cut it, Hagar said, it will tear. And nobody wants that.
There is only one good drink left to enjoy with your lollipops. He’s got you covered there too.
“Since it contains bourbon and orange, an Old Fashioned would be a natural pairing for the dish,” he says. “I find it’s always better when I’m cooking with an Old Fashioned in my hand.”
Ingredients
For the dish:
For the pork belly rub:
directions
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Now that we know where to get restaurant loans, let’s learn about the many forms of restaurant financing.
As shown on GADCapital`s website, there are various loan alternatives, so weigh them all and choose the most excellent fit for your company.
Restaurant owners realize how costly equipment can be. New industrial ovens and stovetops are expensive.
It doesn’t matter if you can’t afford to buy new equipment for your restaurant outright. Consider restaurant equipment finance if you need assistance raising funds for your restaurant’s equipment acquisition. This kind of restaurant loan allows you to finance up to 100% of the cost of new equipment.
The equipment also acts as security, so you may get secured restaurant financing without risking your ass.
Working capital loans are the most flexible restaurant lending choice. Working capital loans are short-term loans to keep your restaurant’s finances running smoothly.
Working capital loans are an excellent alternative for restaurant operators that need a small company loan quickly ($250,000 maximum).
Food cost coverage is a significant issue for restaurant operators.
So, if you need funds to buy merchandise for your restaurant, consider inventory financing.
Short-term, medium-term, or business line of credit inventory financing is used to acquire merchandise for your restaurant. Inventory finance is similar to equipment financing: Your inventory serves as collateral.
And as long as you utilize the profits to buy just merchandise and pay on time, that inventory is yours to keep.
All small company owners, particularly restaurant owners, should consider lines of credit.
This flexible financing option approves you for a predetermined amount of dollars that you may use whenever you wish.
You only pay interest on the restaurant money you use from your line of credit, and your credit line is renewed when you pay it back.
A seasonal restaurant might benefit significantly from a working capital line of credit. When you need it, you’ll pull it out of your back pocket, possibly during the busy season or when the company slows down, and you need to meet everyday operations needs.
With GAD Capital and funding possibilities in mind, let’s discuss applying for a restaurant loan.
Whether you apply online or with a person, lenders will need information about your company to verify its validity and financial history. You’ll need to produce proof and answer questions.
The list of business loan criteria can vary depending on the lender, but you can anticipate being asked the following questions:
Most lenders will want to know about your restaurant. Prepare a business plan that includes financial estimates for your restaurant and qualitative development targets.
Why is your restaurant special? Its five-year growth prospects. Your company strategy should address these issues.
Lenders will also inquire about your company’s history. Lenders are wary of new, small businesses, but restaurants are especially so.
You may get a small business loan if you can show that your restaurant has been established for a long and can withstand any problems.
Small company loan applications need a lot of financial documentation.
These include bank statements, profit and loss statements, personal and corporate tax returns, and cash flow forecasts. These papers show that you can manage your restaurant’s finances.
The lender will be sure that you can repay your restaurant loan if you are good at bringing in and retaining cash.
Any restaurant loan application will need your personal and company credit scores.
Your credit score tells lenders how trustworthy you are with the money you borrow.
You will be eligible for the most acceptable restaurant financing if you have excellent credit.
Alternatively, lenders may be reluctant to engage with you if your credit report reveals you have a poor track record of repaying loans on time and in full.
You don’t need perfect credit to get a business loan, but you’ll get better deals if you can show you’re financially responsible.
As you can see, working with a lender and applying for a restaurant loan is a lengthy procedure. So, before you go too far into the application process, ask yourself these questions:
If the response is tomorrow, don’t put off seeking rapid restaurant finance. There are several fast business loans available to assist you in receiving the funding you need for your restaurant.
If you can afford to wait for a business loan and spend more time looking for one, you should.
The company loans that demand the most paperwork and effort tend to be the cheapest.
This can assist you in evaluating whether you need to borrow money for your business.
Knowing why you need financing for your restaurant helps you locate the best credit package for your needs.
Business loan applications take a long time to process unless you engage with short-term lenders that use technology.
Andif you aren’t entirely prepared to start the search and application process, you’re hurting your chances of being approved. Consider how much time you can devote to seeking a business loan and completing a loan application before starting your search.
Although obtaining restaurant loans may be more challenging than getting other business loans, there are still solutions available to entrepreneurs.
As we’ve seen, there are several online and alternative lenders to consider if you can’t get a bank loan.
So, ultimately, you determine what sort of restaurant financing and which lender to choose. You can locate the best financing option for your restaurant if you carefully consider what your business requires and what product would meet those demands.
]]>(April 22, 2022) Falling in love for the first time is very special.
Secret thoughts can only be shared with a dairy. If my family knew that my culinary virginity was about to be lost at such a young age, shame would forever be part of our legacy.
The year is 1972. I am a freshman at Immaculata Preparatory School and have been accepted into the American University Conservatory of Music. Advancing my passion for classical piano would not have been possible without the generosity of Nanny, my dear grandmother.
Every Wednesday, my mother drove me to the university for my lesson. That’s where we befriended the Dickersons. Mr. Dickerson was a Colonel in the Marines and Mrs. Dickerson’s sincerity and grace made her an amazing woman.
Their son, Michael, was an accomplished pianist and a starter on the school’s varsity football team. But above all, this young man with impeccable manners was very cute. Yes, I’m really lucky to study at the American University Conservatory of Music.
Our parents instantly bonded and enjoyed the conversation while Michael and I had our lessons. As I assiduously practiced my scales and arpeggios with sprinkles of diminuendos and crescendos, my thoughts turned to the next studio. I must admit, sprinklings of fantasy filled the air, but youth gave way to shyness and awkwardness.
One evening, Michael called me and invited me to dinner with his parents. Excitement and fear swept through my being as this was going to be my first date. Mom knew my tomboyish ways wouldn’t reach Dickerson’s level of sophistication. So, my mom immediately signed me up for “Mom’s Academy on How to Be a Woman.”
Every night my mom would coach me on proper etiquette. The mother made it very clear not to eat until the host picked up his fork.
Speaking of forks, Mom set the table in a way I’ve never seen. Several spoons, forks and knives were in front of me, and I thought that it only takes a knife and a fork to eat a meal.
She explained that high-end meals require specific serving pieces to accompany certain dishes.
Mother said you always start with the outer service pieces and work your way towards the center. If you forget, take a break and see what others are doing. She also reminded me to make sure to place the napkin on my lap while eating.
In the end, hours of hard training paid off and I was ready for my first date.
When I arrived at the Dickersons, I remembered my guardianship and complimented the host on such a beautiful home. Nervousness invaded my whole body, but thank God I had a purse to hold on to.
As we approached the table, Michael came over and pulled my chair out. Mother hadn’t prepared me for this, but I watched this move on TV several times and felt fully confident.
As I sat down, I wasn’t as close to the table as I would like. I happened to notice that Michael was looking at his father with a peculiar expression. The sheer panic was interrupted by a constant shaking. I couldn’t imagine what Michael was trying to do and hoped I had a few teeth left to enjoy my meal.
Later, I learned that when a gentleman pulls a chair for a lady, you are supposed to lift your back part slightly to facilitate this maneuver. Now I know why Michael had trouble moving my 150 pounds on the table.
Eventually the main course was served and Mrs. Dickerson said, “Hope you like the osso buco.” I had no idea what osso buco was and certainly didn’t try to repeat it. I just said, “Oh yeah, mom serves it all the time.” I prayed to be forgiven for lying.
When my starter was placed in front of me, I instantly became weak. The tender veal shank enveloping the decadent bone marrow made me dizzy. As the savory aromas and sinful pleasures swirled in my mouth, I knew I was instantly in love.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of tasting osso buco, I urge you to try it. That being said, veal shanks are quite expensive. Braised oxtails on mashed turnips are a modern, more affordable take on this Italian favorite. Enjoy!
turnip puree
Turnips are delicious but can taste slightly bitter. Also, their texture is not as creamy as potatoes. Simply prepare the mashed turnips as if you were making mashed potatoes. A ratio of two-thirds turnips and one-third potatoes will give you a creamy turnip mash.
The only difference is that potatoes need a liquid such as milk; turnips are full of juice and do not need this additive. Salt and a touch of sour cream will bring the turnip puree together.
Braised oxtails
2 tablespoons bacon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
6 to 8 oxtails
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, including leaves, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
2 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of red wine
2 cups dry white wine
2 teaspoons each of dried thyme, Provincial herbs, crushed rosemary, black pepper
kosher salt to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons of water
1. Place 1 ½ cups of flour in a pie plate. Coat each oxtail on both sides with flour.
2. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the bacon drippings and olive oil over medium-high heat and sear the oxtails on both sides. Remove the oxtails from the pan and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat to low and loosen any browned bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
4. Add oxtails and remaining ingredients except cornstarch and water and simmer until meat is fork tender, about 2 hours.
5. When the oxtails are cooked, remove them from the pot. Trim excess fat and puree broth using a hand blender. Strain the sauce through a strainer and return it to the pan.
6. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add the porridge to the sauce and stir until the sauce thickens.
7. For plate – place the turnip mash on the plate. Garnish with oxtails and pour the sauce over the turnip puree and meat.
secret ingredient – Love. “Love loves love love.”
–James Joyce
]]>the Dry Braised Salted Fish Recipe in Genshin Impact is one of many different recipes you can obtain and prepare in the game. You can make this meal for its restorative properties, but it is also required to complete a specific world quest. The questions are simply how to get it and where to find it, which we will discuss in this guide. So, let’s dive into it.
To get the Dry Braised Salted Fish recipe in Genshin Impact, you need to go to a specific vendor south of Ritou, which is a town northwest of Narukami Island. We’ll show you exactly where you need to go in the screenshots below. Basically, you can start from the gazebo with portrait canvases and go down the stairs to the south, then turn left. There you will see a food cart with blue decorations and a bowl of ramen on the roof, manned by a merchant called Ryouko. Talk to Ryouko and browse her wares. This is where you can buy the recipe for 1250 Mora. Alternatively, if you just need the dish, you can just buy it outright for 350 Mora per pop.
There you have it, this is how you get the Genshin Impact dry braised salted fish recipe and the dish itself. By the way, the ingredients are a fish and a salt, so it’s not complicated if you want to prepare the meal yourself. As for why you would need the Dry-Braised Saltfish in the first place, it’s because it’s sometimes needed for the Lofty Gourmet world quest. This quest appears randomly in Ritou and revolves around Saigou. You need to talk to this NPC and he will ask you for one of four dishes. It can be tuna sushi, onigiri, egg roll and the salted fish we talked about. If he asks for the latter, go to Ryouko and grab the recipe, or just the dish, whichever suits you best.
]]>The key to developing the deep, rich flavor of these short ribs is in the browning. First, the short ribs themselves are seared to develop a caramelized crust, then the vegetable mixture in turn becomes deeply browned in the pot, and finally, a healthy pile of tomato paste comes in for a browning session. . The result is layers of flavor that infuse each piece of the tender short ribs. Serving this super hearty dish with horseradish-flavoured mashed potatoes helps liven things up and adds a wonderfully creamy complement to the beef. Tangy, spicy and creamy purees for the win!
Technical tip: Taste the water to make sure it is well seasoned. The water should taste like the ocean; it will probably contain more salt than you think. Salting the water enough is the key to a good grinder!
For the short ribs:
1.
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2.
Season each end of the rib generously with salt. Coat a pot large enough to hold all the meat and vegetables with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown well, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Do not overcrowd the pan; cook in batches, if necessary.
3.
While the short ribs are browning, puree all the vegetables and garlic in the food processor until they form a coarse paste. When the short ribs are nicely browned on all sides, remove them from the pan. Drain the fat, coat the bottom of the same pan with fresh oil and add the vegetable purée. Generously season the vegetables with salt and sauté until very dark and a gunk has formed on the bottom of the pan, about 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape off the crud and let it reform. Scrape the crud again and add the tomato paste. Brown the tomato puree for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat if things start to burn. Reduce the mixture by half.
4.
Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups of water or until the water has just covered the meat. Add the bunch of thyme and bay leaves. Cover the dish and put in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water, if necessary. Flip the ribs halfway through cooking. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking to let everything brown and reduce the sauce. Once cooked, the meat should be very tender but not fall apart. Serve with the braising liquid.
For the sour cream and horseradish masher:
1.
Place potatoes in a large, wide pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Season the water with salt. Bring water to a boil and reduce heat to low. Let potatoes cool until tender when pierced with a fork. Probably around 20-25 minutes.
2.
When the potatoes are cooked through, drain the water and shake off the excess water. Return them to the pot they came from.
3.
Heat the cream (it is very important that the cream is hot).
4.
Mash or whisk the potatoes with a hand mixer. Time is of the essence here: potatoes need to be whisked or mashed while they’re hot or they’ll get rubbery. Add 2 knobs of butter and half of the hot cream to the potatoes and mash or beat them into the potatoes. Repeat this operation with the rest of the butter and cream. Beat sour cream and horseradish. Taste to make sure the potatoes are delicious. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
5.
Serve immediately or cover and keep warm in a low oven.
Beans are so underrated. This recipe is like a hug in a bowl. Serve as is or add more liquid to make a soup. Better yet, brush these thick braised beans on a warm pita bread. Believe me!
Possibility of exchange: To reduce preparation time, you can replace canned beans with dried beans. Reduce cooking time to 10 to 15 minutes. You can use any type of broth you prefer, whether it’s vegetable, chicken, or beef. If you don’t have a stock on hand, you can substitute the water.
For the beans:
1.
Cover the beans 2 inches with cold water. Soak overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, drain the soaking liquid and set the beans aside.
2.
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Saute ginger and garlic until very fragrant. Add spices, tomato paste and harissa.
3.
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture becomes thick and dark brown.
4.
Add the beans and cover with the broth. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to simmer.
5
Cook the beans until almost tender, about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of your pan. Add the diced potatoes and finish cooking the beans and potatoes, about 5 more minutes.
To serve:
Mix the chopped parsley and cilantro. Add the harissa paste and olive oil. Mix to combine. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
In a deep sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil and cook the onions and peppers until caramelized. Add the bratwurst to the skillet and pour the beer over it. Bring to a simmer and cover, cook until plump and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. In a nonstick skillet or using a grill, brown the brats to make them crispy on the outside. Serve on toasted buns, topped with the pepper-onion mixture (filter this from the beer) and mustard and kraut, if desired.
In the bowl of a mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk with the paddle attachment until frothy. Add peanut butter chips and chocolate chips and stir to combine. Using a spatula, shape the mixture into a football-shaped oval on a tray. Cover with additional mini chocolate chips and use the white chips to make laces. Serve with pretzels or animal crackers.
Praise the embers.
This method of cooking meat in a humid environment (rather than roasting it in a dry place called an oven) is the perfect porridge for the winter. The best feature of braising is the way it pushes the vacuum out of the house and fills it with such a magnificent aroma. But this is only praise for the embers; there are several others.
With meats, the main advantage of a charcoal is the ability to use less expensive cuts, rich in hard-to-chew connective tissue; the embers break them down into a luxurious, gelatin-rich backdrop to all the aromas of the finished dish. As for stringy vegetables, an embers also soften them.
To highlight the most important and reliable technique behind embers of meat: Brown the meat very well. This causes the Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction that explains the caramelization of proteins and sugars in browned foods of all kinds (cookies, steaks, caramel itself, and roasted vegetables, for example). It is named after the French Louis Camille Maillard who discovered it in the early 1900s.
To do this, make sure you leave enough space between the pieces of meat (typical examples are the beef chuck or the shoulder of lamb) as they brown on the stove before the coals start. The cooks who pile up the pieces of meat are content to steam them. Browning also creates what the French call “to like(The golden bits at the bottom of the post-Maillard pot) which is, as the word suggests, the basis for the rich flavors of the sauce to come as a result of the embers itself.
Deglaze the to like in a pan with a little white or red wine (depending on the heaviness of the meat) or apple cider or tart cherry juice with low sugar content; 1 cup should do. Then when you add the liquid you are going to braise the meat with – preferably broth, although plain water works too – pour just enough to get halfway over the meat.
Do not use wine or juice alone as a braising liquid. Ultimately, due to the evaporative concentration and leaching of flavors from the meat, the sauce might just get too strong and clunky.
The mantra is: deglaze with wine (or juice); braise with broth.
I always thought it was important to cover the meat with the braising liquid, but it doesn’t make sense. In truth, it just diffuses the flavors. Plus, meat (and veg, if you use any) will give off a lot of their own moisture, so flush it out with the liquid.
Overall, choose and use an appropriate pot to ensure successful browning and braising. Good browning requires a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or casserole dish. And a large, well-open pan is better than a pot with high sides, so for the embers itself the meat should rest on the bottom in a single layer, with the braising liquid poured evenly around it.
When you have free time in your kitchen, prepare yourself for both classics garnished bouquets and some spice bouquets. The first are sprigs of thyme and parsley and a bay leaf tied together with kitchen twine. And these are the same ingredients, in a small sachet of gauze, tied around the neck with string, which also includes a few peppercorns and a peeled clove of garlic.
For my garnished bouquets, I like to use a green leek “leaf” as an envelope. Both types of bouquets can be frozen and used as needed. You will need one or the other to flavor the embers while cooking, then remove it for serving.
Lastly, I had also thought that braising vegetables – carrots and onions are common, but turnips, celery, mushrooms and potatoes are also often played – should accompany the meat. But an embers usually last a long time (more than two hours is not uncommon) and can boil vegetables as well as render their flavors bland.
So add the vegetables for about an hour (depending on their size, maybe as little as 45 minutes) before estimating that the embers are going to end. Some of the fresh flavors will stick and that’s a bonus.
Today’s recipe is a riff on a classic Italian treat for pork loin braised in milk (yes, milk). It uses thick pork chops instead of a whole loin. It’s delicious, especially its sauce which can end up tasting like caramel (unsweetened) or Sugar Baby candy.
I want to say.
Makes 6
6 pork chops, 1 inch or thicker
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1-2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
6 garlic cloves, peeled
6 sprigs of fresh sage (or less if the leaves are very large)
Peels of 1 small lemon (with little or no white pith)
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large Dutch oven or enameled cast iron saucepan, over medium-high heat, sear the chops in the olive oil and butter mixture until nicely browned on both sides, seasoning with the salt and ground pepper as you go.
Add the milk and the rest of the ingredients, taking care to prevent the milk from foaming when pouring it. Arrange the garlic, sage and lemon around the chops in the milk.
Bring to a boil on the heat, then cover, lid slightly open, and place in the oven for at least 2 hours, turning the chops twice during cooking, until the chops are tender and the milk has started to curdle. or little liquid remains in the pot. (You can also braise on the stovetop, over very low heat, for about the same amount of time.)
However, if the liquid evaporates before the pork is cooked, add more milk in small amounts as needed to maintain the embers. On the other hand, at the end of cooking, if there is still significant liquid in the pan, remove the chops on a hot plate and try with aluminum foil, and collect the lemon zest and the sage sprigs. Reduce the liquid by scraping the bottom of the pan until the sauce is thickened.
Serve with oiled, herb and seasoned roasted potatoes and steamed or wilted greens flavored with chili flakes and garlic.
Fibrous vegetables, such as leeks or Belgian endives, benefit from a charcoal, just like meats. Extract from “Provence the Beautiful Cookbook” by Richard Olney. Makes 4-6 serving as a side dish.
1 1/2 pound Belgian endive
Salt to taste
1 ounce of raw ham such as prosciutto, cut into matchsticks
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Juice of 1/2 lemon
6 tablespoons heavy whipped cream
Butter an explosion-proof terracotta casserole dish or heavy sauté pan just size to hold the endives. Arrange them in the casserole dish in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt to taste and sprinkle the ham over it. Place the pieces of butter on the endives. Cover tightly and sweat over very low heat, checking occasionally and turning them, until very tender and colored on all sides, 50-60 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and turn the endives to coat them evenly. Pour the cream over the endives, turn the saucepan to gently swirl the contents and serve.
Contact Bill St. John at [email protected]
]]>“I had a revelation, relatively recently, that cabbage is amazing,” says Mary Berg
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made through links on this page.
Our cookbook of the week is Well Seasoned by Mary Berg. Over the next two days, we’ll feature another recipe from the book and an interview with the author.
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To try another recipe from the book, check out: Blue Cheese Pumpkin Gnudi; and 80s chicken.
“I had a revelation, relatively recently, that cabbage is amazing,” says Mary Berg, the Toronto host of Marie makes it easy . “I always thought cabbage was, for lack of a better term, fart… But like Brussels sprouts, also a type of cabbage, it just depends on how you cook it.”
Over the past few years, Berg has become a fan of grilled cabbage in the summer and braised in the colder months. She recommends savoy cabbage in this example of the latter — a slow-cooking method in which a vegetable or meat is seared and then gently cooked in a liquid — but the recipe also works well with napa.
The dish starts on the stove and ends under the broiler to crisp up the filling resembling bread stuffing. When braising, the cabbage softens and becomes sweet rather than sulphurous.
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Berg suggests pairing it with roast meat or sausages, as well as enjoying it on its own. It’s the kind of cozy comfort that would be equally welcome as a holiday side, or as a wintry main course anytime – which is her preference.
“For me, it’s the perfect winter recipe: (it’s) a kind of stew, delicious and there’s a bit of bread chewiness on top. It’s so good,” says Berg.
It’s also relatively quick cooking, she adds, and makes good use of a long-lasting winter vegetable.
“It’s something that’s green and is going to give you that kind of crunch you’re looking for, even when braised,” says Berg. “But it will last. You can buy it and literally not cook it for three weeks and it will still be fine in your fridge.
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1 small savoy cabbage
2 tablespoons of butter
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4–1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
4 thick slices of country, white or whole wheat bread
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
2 tbsp. finely chopped sage, divided
1 lemon, zested and squeezed
4 oz (113 g) soft goat cheese
Stand the cabbage on its root end and cut into 12 wedges through the heart and root. Put aside.
In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds to remove the edge of the garlic, then add the cabbage wedges, season with more salt and pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage begins to become a little golden around the edges, 3 to 4 minutes.
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Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour the broth over the cabbage. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid or aluminum foil and allow the cabbage to braise until the near-core portions are tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Tear the bread into small pieces and add to the bowl, along with 1 tbsp parsley and 1 tsp sage. Season with salt and pepper and mix well to combine.
When cabbage is tender, remove lid, stir in remaining 1 tbsp parsley and 1 tsp sage, along with lemon zest and juice, then top with bread mixture. Sprinkle with goat cheese and place the pan on the middle rack of your oven. Set the oven to broil until the top is golden brown and set, 5 to 6 minutes.
Serve as an accompaniment to any meal or as an accompaniment to roast meat or sausages.
Serves: 4 as a meal or 8 as a side dish
To note: If you don’t have a Dutch oven, use a large pot, then transfer the cooked cabbage to a baking dish to garnish and finish in the oven.
Recipe and photo taken from Well Seasoned by Mary Berg. Copyright 2021 Mary Berg. Photography © 2021 Lauren Vandenbrook. Published by Appetite by Random House, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by agreement with the publisher. All rights reserved.
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