beef – The Kitchen Illiterate

Greek Frittata

Frittatas are like the easier version of quiche. Just as much eggy goodness, no need to roll out pie dough. They make for a simple, quick dinner, and are perfect paired with a light green salad. You might be more familiar with the frittata’s role at the brunch table: I assure you, it plays well at any meal. What makes this such a stellar workhorse? You can do anything with a frittata. You can throw in whatever bits and pieces you have floating around in your refrigerator and chances are it will be delicious. Versatility is the name of the game.
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‘Tis the Season for Beef Stew

Last weekend, fall finally arrived in the East Bay. It was grey and rainy, but not, at least to me, gloomy. I was delighted: Fall is my favorite season. California may not show off in fall with bright red and gold leaves, like New England, but it has its own charms. And I, in true homebody fashion, love being cozy and warm in our bright little apartment when the skies turn grey and damp. So I welcomed fall in the best way I know: by cooking up a big pot of beef stew.

Beef stew is the perfect food for fall. You can fill it up with all the lovely root vegetables appearing at the markets, and it requires a nice, long cooking time, while your house fills with amazing smells and cooking warmth. If you want to really warm up the house, you can throw it in the oven, although it turns out just as well cooking on the stove. And while it cooks away, you can curl up on the couch and read or knit or watch a movie, or do whatever you like to do when it’s cold out and you are feeling snug and secure inside. Soon enough, you’ll have a hearty and warm dinner to make your wonderful rainy weekend just about perfect.
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Wine and Dine: Bolognese

I’ve always loved the idea of spending a Sunday afternoon with a bubbling pot of tomatoey ragu sitting on the stove, and last weekend, I finally did it. You can read about my Sunday Supper Bolognese at the Union Bulletin’s Wine and Dine Blog, where I’m now writing a weekly (roughly) column about my cooking adventures.
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Beef Stroganoff

I always thought of beef stroganoff as airline food, or cafeteria food. Something gloppy and lukewarm served in large buffet trays by people in uniforms. But a few years ago my dear friend Crystal requested that I make beef stroganoff for her birthday dinner, and I realized just how wrong I’d been. When done right, beef stroganoff is rich and tangy and elegant and it really makes me want to cook meat more often. Lately I’ve been craving it something fierce, so last night I decided to make it again. And I was practically swooning into my bowl, it was so delicious. If you, too, would like to swoon over dinner, give this a try.
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