Veal Forestiere

Wow. So a week has flown by and while I believe I've received pretty good marks as an employee, volunteer, book worm, traveler, and friend, I've just about failed when it comes to my chipper, suburban wife role. I have been blissfully undomestic. And I have to admit, there were relaxing moments on the couch when I cherished it. The house didn't get its weekly scrub down, I served waffles and scrambled eggs for dinner on Wednesday night, the milk in the refrigerator just turned sour, and I actually bought salad dressing and topped off Friday night's dinner with it, which promptly produced negative reactions from Peter and I and ended up in the garbage.

I traded in my apron, cutting boards and copper pots for other stuff: later nights at work, a much needed dose of Quinlin and Staley, a quaint Italian bistro in Atlanta, ball parks, Pilsen tacos, and time spent on the couch reading two delectable books in a row.

Whenever my Dad had one of those weeks - where the number of evenings dining out trumped the number of evenings dining in, he would recommit to his kitchen with an elaborate meal. Usually it happened on a Sunday. There would be four, heck, even five courses on the menu. Many times the main course was veal: prepared in his signature schnitzel, Forestiere, Parmesan or Marsala styles. Perhaps sides of mashed potatoes and green beans. A salad to the right of our plate. Bread to the left. And a homemade pie to round out the affair.  It was a glorious feast, filling and inspiring a young chef thoughtfully plotting her future family dinners.

I took my Dad's lead tonight and I recommitted - to grocery runs after work, to careful waltzes from burner to burner in our miniature kitchen, and to filling our House with sweet aromas that lovingly respond to Peter when he says, 'Honey, I'm home.' This evening, I did it with four pieces of veal, Forestiere style. Mashed potatoes and green beans on the side.

Okay, there was no pie. It's Monday night after all. And I'm midway through the trashiest book I could ever imagine - one that I really cannot believe millions and millions of women have read and are currently reading. But my commentary there can wait.

Until then, bon appetit. 

Lo.

Veal Forestiere 

4 pieces veal (between 12 and 16 ounces)
1 egg
1 cup flour
salt, pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup sweet vermouth
1/2 cup veal stock (or you can substitute beef stock)
2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced

In a small bowl, beat egg. In another small bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper. Dip each piece of veal in egg, then flour mixture, set aside.

Melt butter over medium to medium high heat. Brown the veal in the butter, about two minutes per side. Remove. You might need to do this in two batches if the pan isn't big enough.

If needed, add a little more butter to the pan. Saute garlic and shallot for about two minutes. Add vermouth to deglaze the pan. Add chicken stock. Place the veal back in the pan, making sure it's evenly spaced. Top with mushrooms. Cover pan and let simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans.

Food Week

I have decided that from this year forward, the corridor from Valentine's Day to Peter's birthday on the 20th, will officially be Winter Food Week chez nous. (There will also be a Summer Food Week. But more to come on that.)

From a very young age, say birth, meals and their sweet birthday cake finales within a seven-day window of February 16 were a plenty and they were epic. Basically, I used to have three and a half birthday parties on and around the big day. One with my immediate family, usually at one of my two favorite restaurants, Pasta Piatta or Juno Trattoria. One with the extended Barry family at my parents house. One with my friends ... at Ardmore Rolling Rink, in the Factory's computer room, on Hidden Valley ski slopes, at the back booth of Mad Mex, or in the step aerobics room at the River's Club. And the half party, over a cupcake snack with all of my classmates, those invited to my party and those not, a quarter of the class cheering me, the remaining majority talking behind my back, while methodically licking their icing.

A couple nights ago, as we plotted the courses or lack there of for our Valentine's dinner, and as I thought about the rest of the week and its celebratory meals - at the Ranch, at Vie in Western Springs, at Schloss 440, in Chicago, and perhaps over the table behind Vicky's desk at work - I saw an opportunity. While it is no longer appropriate to have three birthday parties for myself, it is appropriate to celebrate two people's age increase, two national holidays, and potentially Mardi Gras all within one week ... aha! While New York celebrates Fashion Week, we will have celebrate Food Week, Brewer and the Bee style.

It kicked off last night - A private dinner off the Small Plates menu: Bacon wrapped stuffed dates, shrimp cocktail, seared beef crostini, mushroom ragout, oysters, and a wintry chopped salad. Served with Chandon Champagne, which tasted just like our wedding. An excellent fifth Valentine's Day accompanied by a Valentine. 

Tonight - the Pre-30th. 

Lo. 

And some recipes from the first night of Food Week.

Wild Mushroom Bruschetta
1/2 pound wild mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon flour
1/2 cup sherry
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon chopped tarragon
Dash of salt 
Crostini (I usually toast baguette slices with a little olive oil and salt)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesano Reggiano

Melt butter in medium saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic and mushrooms, season with salt. Saute until tender, about 7 minutes over medium to medium low heat. Add flour. Stir to incorporate and cook for 1 minute. Add sherry, slowly, stirring to make sure there are no lumps. Let simmer for two minutes until it starts to thicken. Add chicken stock. Simmer for about ten minutes until sauce is thick and rich. Add tarragon and Parmesan cheese.  Serve with Crostini.

Oysters with a Classic Mignonette 
Oysters on the half shell
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon shallots, minced
Juice from half a lemon
Salt, Pepper

In a small bowl, mix vinegar, lemon juice, sugar and shallots together. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve alongside oysters.

Seared Beef Crostini with Spicy Mustard
6 ounce Filet, about 1 inch thick.
Salt, pepper
1 Tablespoon butter
Watercress
Crostini
Mustard bar (mix and match a variety of mustard with beef crostini) - - we liked dijon, mixed with Saracha, Hoisin, and Soy Sauce.

Season Filet with salt and pepper. Melt butter in small saute pan over medium high heat. Add filet. Sear on one side for 2 minutes, flip and do the same on the other side. Remove, thinly slice. It should be pretty rare in the middle. Lay watercress on crostini. Add beef. Top with mustards.