"Friday's Child"

SOMEONES IN THE KITCHEN WITH ALEX

Salmon and Tomato-Mango Salsa

3 cups diced fully ripened tomatoes

2 cups diced fresh mango

1/4 sliced green onions

1 tbs minced jalapeno pepper, seeds removed (optional)

2 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger or one tsp ground ginger

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbs. lime juice

4 center cut salmon filets

Mix all salsa ingredients and let stand for at least 30 minutes.

Grill the salmon filets and serve the salsa on the side.

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When the cold season begins, so does the season for hearty stews. Known as Carbonnade a la Flamande, this Belgian Beef stew is made with dark beer and lots of onions. We found this recipe in Cook's Illustrated magazine, which is filled with great tips and explanations for the aspiring cook. Of note, the editors highly recommend using a dark beer or stout with this recipe, as is typical of European beers. Lighter beers just don't quite cut it with this stew. The recommended beers? Chimay Peres Trappistes Ale-Premiere, Newcastle Brown Ale, and Anchor Steam.

3 1/2 lbs top blade steaks,

1 inch thick, trimmed of gristle and fat and cut into 1-inch pieces. (Can use any chuck roast if blade steaks are not available.)

Table salt and ground black pepper

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 lbs yellow onions (about 3 medium sized), halved and sliced about 1/4 inch thick (about 8 cups)

1 Tbsp tomato paste

2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tsp)

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup low-sodum beef broth

1 1/2 cups (12 oz bottle) dark ale or stout beer

4 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine

2 bay leaves

1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Adjust oven rack to lower middle postion; preheat oven to 300°F. Dry beef thoroughly with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. On the stove top, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large heavy bottomed dutch oven over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke; add 1/3 of the beef to the pot. Cook without moving the pieces until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes; using tongs, turn each piece and continue cooking until second side is well browned, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer browned beef to a separate bowl. Repeat with second third of the beef and an additional 2 teaspoons of oil. (If the drippings in the bottom of the pot are very dark, add half a cup of the chicken or beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits; pour liquid into the bowl with the browned beef and continue.) Repeat again with 2 more teaspoons of oil and the remaining beef. Remove beef from the dutch oven.

2 Add 1 Tbsp oil to dutch oven; reduce heat to medium low. Add the onions, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and tomato paste; cook, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until onions have released some moisture, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour and stir until onions are evenly coated and flour is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in broths, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits; stir in beer, thyme, bay, vinegar, browned beef with any of the accumulated juices, and salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a full simmer, stirring occasionally; cover partially, then place pot in oven. Cook until fork inserted into beef meets little resistance, about 2 hours.

3 Discard thyme and bay. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste and serve. Can serve plain or over egg noodles, rice, or potatoes.

Serves 6.

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My parents took their first trip to Europe this fall, spending a week in the Tuscany region of Italy. They both came back inspired by the Italian cooking they enjoyed and, as a result, the last couple of months we've been pouring over a cookbook of mine, Tuscany The Beautiful Cookbook by Lorenza De'Medici. Dad's first attempt with the "Topini al Sugo Finto", a.k.a. Gnocchi with Fake Sauce (fake because it isn't a true ragu), was delicious, but the gnocchis were very difficult to form. For this second attempt we used 3/4 cups more flour and one whole egg instead of two egg yolks called for by the book. The result was also delicious. Be warned, it is much more filling than it looks!

Sauce Ingredients:

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

2 lbs plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup dry red winesalt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley

Gnocchi Ingredients:

2 lbs whole baking potatoes

1 beaten egg

2 1/4 cups flour

pinch of salt
To prepare the sauce:

1 In a saucepan over low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot and celery and fry gently for 5 minutes.

2 Add the tomatoes and the wine. Stir and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the sauce is thick and the liquid evaporates, about 50 minutes.

To prepare the gnocchi:

1 Steam the potatoes in their skins until tender, about 30 minutes.

2 Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer and into a bowl.

3 Add the flour, egg and a pinch of salt. Mix until you have a nice pliable ball of dough.

4 Prepare a work area and dust it with flour. Take the dough, a piece at a time, and roll it out with your hands until you have rolls about 3/4 inch in diameter.

5 Cut the tubes of dough into pieces about one inch long. With a fork, holding the tines against the work surface, use your finger to press a piece of the dough gently against the fork and roll it slightly. As the gnocchi are made, place them on another lightly floured surface.

6 Bring at least 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in a shallow saucepan. Drop the gnocchi, a few at a time, into the water. As soon as they rise to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon, draining well. Arrange on a warm serving dish. Continue cooking the gnocchi in the same manner.

7 As soon as all the gnocchi are ready, pour the hot sauce over them and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

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Au Gruten!

~Oz