Two Recipes for the Weekend
Plus, a humbling adventure
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I went skiing in Vermont this past weekend. It was my first time in 30 years and my body is still recovering. My knees are inflamed, my forearms stiff and my calves ache. All in all, quite humbling. I make a lot of noise going up and down the stairs. Emotionally, it was an up and down experience as well. I went from almost crying out of frustration, to falling numerous times, and then finally doing two runs without a tumble. Victory! No one told me it would be as challenging mentally as it was physically, but no regrets! People thought I was crazy to try again after such a long time, but I am so glad I did, I’d do it again in a heartbeat, even though I will be hobbling around for the week following…
We stayed with our friends Annabel and John, who ski and snowboard nearly every weekend in the town of Warren, which houses the beautiful Sugarbush resort. They were up and out both days before I sipped my coffee - I am amazed at their stamina.
Should you be in the area, here is where we ate and drank.
Warren, VT
Scrag and Roe: Get the Tuna Tataki and the Dan Dan Noodles
Lawsons Finest: A pint of Sip of Sunshine and Nachos in a cathedral-like setting
Chez Henri: Pâte, fondue! This spot is so magical and frozen in time. I teared up when we walked in.
Warren Store: A quintessential country store. Get the egg sandwich on an English muffin. The coffee was also GREAT.
Castlerock Pub: More Sips of Sunshine and more nachos - I did ski after all.
We also were there for the Super Bowl and in addition to chicken wings and the chili, Chad and John made some killer pizzas. They used the dough recipe from the King Arthur flour bag and it turned out great!
I’m now back home sipping my Brodo, popping Advil, and participating in The Great Granola Exchange. You too can join! In short, you’ll get matched with someone to send a care package of homemade granola to and you have the option to also send granola to a victim of the fires in LA. The lovely
is organizing and it's open to everyone! Other friends participating include , and other talented humans. Please sign up!Given it’s Valentine’s Day (💌) tomorrow and a long weekend with snow in the forecast for the Hudson Valley, I’m sharing two recipes that would work for either scenario. The first is for Citrus-Braised Short Ribs with Herb Salad, it’s delightful. Given it’s peak citrus season, this would be a good one for right now. The other is courtesy of my friend, designer and soon to be cookbook author
! It’s a Peach Tart with Five-Spice Honey - given that it’s certainly not peach season, I would use apples or pears in place of them. Peter’s first cookbook Family Style comes out next month and you should pre-order it now!Please note, that some of these items I include are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission from them at no cost to you! I don’t recommend anything I don’t truly love and it helps keep this newsletter afloat! xx
A few reminder recs:
Juliet Wine: Use Colu20 for 20% off your first order
Atelier Saucier: Use COLU-20 for 20% off your first order
Material Knives: Use KNIFESKILLS for 20% off The Trio of Knives, The Knives + Stand Set, à la carte knives, and The Stand.
Jacobsen’s Disco di Sale: Truly the best way to salt your pasta water properly. I’m addicted!
Duralex Tumblers: Transportive, durable and as good for wine as they are for coffee.
Citrus-Braised Short Ribs with Herb Salad
This recipe looks to somewhat out-of-the-box braising ingredients such as oranges for acidity and gochujang (fermented Korean chili paste) for heat to give it its own unique twist. As with all good braises, layering flavors is key. Here I have chosen to use red onion, fennel, and garlic as my mirepoix, but it’s not going to “break” the recipe if you use a yellow onion, a leek, or don’t have fennel around. The most important part is that you brown your short ribs well, submerge them in liquid, and then leave them alone to do their thing until the meat is falling off the bone. To serve, you can choose to shred the meat or keep the short ribs whole. I top this dish with an herb salad tossed with a touch of rice wine vinegar to give the richness of this dish a bright lift.
INGREDIENTS
For the short ribs:
5 pounds (2.26 kg) bone-in short ribs, about 11/2-inch-thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grapeseed or other high-heat, neutral oil
1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
1 medium fennel bulb, cored, and roughly chopped
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1 cup (240 ml) red wine
1 (14.5-ounce/415 g) can whole San Marzano tomatoes
1 orange, cut into wedges, rinds on
4 cups (960 ml) beef or chicken stock
For the herb salad:
¾ cup (30 g) fresh cilantro leaves
¾ cup (40 g) torn fresh mint leaves
⅓ cup (35 g) thinly sliced green onions (green parts only)
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
¼ cup (60 ml) grapeseed or other neutral oil
Flaky salt, for finishing
Steamed rice or rice noodles for serving
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Season the short ribs well with kosher salt and black pepper. If you can do this the day before and refrigerate the ribs uncovered overnight even better, but regardless, let the ribs sit at room temperature for 45 minutes. You want to sear your meat when it’s room temperature.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed, deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the short ribs and cook until deep golden brown on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes total. Set aside on a plate.
Turn down the heat to medium and add the onion, fennel, and garlic and cook until the vegetables begin to soften and turn golden brown in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the gochujang and stir until the vegetables are evenly coated, about 30 seconds more.
Pour in the wine, bring to a simmer, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the short ribs back to the pan. Add the tomatoes, orange wedges, and stock and bring to
a simmer. Cover and braise in the preheated oven until the meat is falling off the bone, 2 to 2 ½ hours.
Remove the short ribs from the braising liquid and strain it. Return the liquid to the pot and discard the solids. Cook the liquid down over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened and glossy, 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the herb salad: Combine the cilantro, mint, green onions, shallots, vinegar, and grapeseed oil in a bowl and toss to coat. Season with flaky salt and set aside.
Add the short ribs back to the pot and toss to coat them in the sauce. Plate them on a platter and spoon the herb salad on top. Serve over steamed rice or rice noodles
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