Italian roast pork shoulder

This is a great dish to make for company -- it feeds a lot of people you can prep it the night before, and it roasts low and slow all day until you are ready to serve it.  When it's done, the meat just falls off the bone when prodded with a fork, and it's as juicy and flavorful as anything you've ever eaten.

1 pork shoulder (approx 9 pounds, either bone in or boneless is fine, but the bone does impart more flavor to the meat)

Kosher salt

Dried Oregano

Black Pepper

Smashed garlic cloves.

Take your pork shoulder and trim off any big chunks of fat, but don't worry about getting all of it or doing a pretty job of it -- it will all dissolve into the meat during the cooking process.

Make 6-8 slits in each side of the meat and put a smashed garlic clove or two into each of the slits.

Make a mixture that is approximately 1 tablespoon pepper, 3 tablespoons of salt, and 6 tablespoons dried oregano and slather it all over the pork shoulder, patting it into the meat.  If you have an "Italian Mix" of herbs that you want to use instead of the oregano, that's fine too.

Place the meat into a roasting pan, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, put the covered pan into a 250 degree oven and cook for about 3 or 4 hours.  Then uncover the pork and turn your oven up to 300 degrees.   Every 45 minutes or so, baste the pork roast with its juices (they will be plentiful!)  After 3 hours, pull at the shoulder with a fork to confirm that the meat comes off easily.  If it doesn't, cook for another hour or so.

Remove the pork from the oven about 30 minutes before serving and wrap up the shoulder tightly in a couple of layers of aluminum foil.  You can also cover it with a few towels to help keep it nice and warm.

Strain all the juices into a bowl and in about 10 minutes, skim off all the fat and the scum that rises to the top.  

When ready to serve, use large serving forks to pull all the meat off into chunks and place them on your serving platter.  If the meat in the center needs a little nudge with a carving knife, that's fine too.   Then splash all the meat with the pork juices, sprinkle with a little salt if desired, and serve.

I promise you'll earn rave reviews for this.

Homemade French Onion Dip

Let's be honest -- we all LOVE French onion dip made with sour cream and a packet of Lipton onion soup mix.  It's salty, creamy, tangy and plain-old delicious, especially on a potato chip.  But sometimes you want an elevated onion dip and every time I've made this, people have RAVED about it.   It takes a bit of time to put together because you need to caramelize onions, but it's so easy to make.

4 large yellow onions, diced

1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons of salt

2 teaspoons of dried thyme

1 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons of Worchestershire sauce  (if you will be feeding this to vegetarians, you can skip this ingredient as it includes anchovies)

1/3 cup of grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

16 ounces of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Place the diced onions in a saute pan and add the salt, pepper, thyme and olive oil.  Mix thoroughly, cover the pan, and turn the heat onto its lowest setting.   For the next 30 minutes, stir the onions every 10 minutes and keep them covered.  By the end of this 30 minutes, they should be swimming in a lot of liquid.  Now take the cover off and turn the heat up ever so slightly, and stir them every 5 minutes.   The liquid will begin to thicken and evaporate and over the course of the next 30 or so minutes, and the onions will begin to gently turn a light brown as they caramelize.   Once they are all a nice rich golden brown, turn off the burner and let them cool.

Once cooled, add them to the sour cream or Green yogurt, and add the Worchestershire sauce and the grated cheese.  Stir thoroughly and taste for seasoning, adding more of any of the seasonings as desired.

Let it sit for at least a few hours before serving so the flavors can all meld together.

As an optional variation, you could also add 8 ounces of finely diced mushrooms (I like crimini best, but white button or any other variety are fine!) to the onions when they are just about done and cook these down for about 10 minutes until they're very tender.  This adds a nice earthy-flavor to the dip as long as all your guests like mushrooms.

Stuffed Mushrooms

I love a good stuffed mushroom, either as finger food, an appetizer, or even a main course.   They are incredibly versatile and the stuffing can be as varied as your imagination allows.  I'm going to give you a very basic recipe and then suggestions for how you can customize these, but don't be limited by my suggestions.  

16 ounces of good whole mushrooms.   I like Baby Bellas (small portobello mushrooms) because they've got a hearty taste.  But if you like something mellower, feel free to use white button mushrooms.  The important thing is that they have a nice hollow interior to stuff .

1 small onion, diced

3-4 large garlic cloves, minced

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Bread crumbs (any kind will do)

Take your mushrooms and if there's any dirt on them, wipe it off with a damp paper towel.  DO NOT rinse your mushrooms with water because they will absorb too much and it will ruin the texture of your finished product.

Remove all the stems from your mushrooms and mince them up.

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil with a pinch of salt and some pepper until translucent and then add the minced mushroom stems and continue to saute for another 4-5 minutes.  

When the mushroom, onion and garlic mixture is cooked, add in enough bread crumbs to make it all come together.   Roughly 2/3 of a cup.  You can use plain or seasoned, fine or panko.  They're all good.  Toss with enough additional olive oil to bring it all together, and taste your mixture for salt and pepper.  Adjust to your taste.

You can now spoon this mixture into your mushrooms.  Really pack it in there and leave a nice mound on the top.   Put them in a baking dish and roast them in a 450 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.  They're done when the top is golden brown.

Now for the customization -- you can take the basic mixture and add pretty much anything you want.

To keep things vegetarian, add some chopped spinach, shredded carrots and/or zucchini, etc.  Or you could caramelize a few more onions and add them and some thyme to the mixture.

It's always great to add some cheese -- I like parmigiano reggiano or crumbled feta, but again, whatever is your favorite is great!  A good smoked cheese would be delicious too.

Crabmeat or crumbled sausage is also a popular add-in and turns this into a much heartier dish that could serve as a main course.  Indeed, if you've ever been to a real NYC diner, crabmeat stuffed mushrooms are a very popular entree.  

These are just a few suggestions -- the sky is the limit and whatever flavor combos you like can work in this recipe.

Saag Paneer

This is my favorite Indian dish of all.  There's something about the savory, spicy, creamy nature of this dish that is so comforting and enticing.   And surprisingly easy to make!  My version is the amalgam of MANY recipes I've read and I've taken a bit from each of them to come up with my own version.  

16 ounces fresh baby spinach, chopped (I've read many recipes that say it's OK to use frozen spinach.  They are wrong -- I've tried making this dish with frozen spinach and it's such a poor substitute that it's not even worth making.  Trust me.)

3 cloves of garlic

1 shallot

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 tsp. tumeric

1 tbsp. garam masala 

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cardamom

2/3 cup of plain yogurt (not Greek style)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. minced hot pepper (optional)

Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

8 ounces of  (so far, I buy pre-made paneer and am very happy with it, but I gather it's also pretty easy to make and you can google a recipe if you are feeling brave and want to make your own)

Saute the shallot, garlic and ginger (and hot pepper if desired) in olive oil over low heat.   Add a generous pinch of salt to help release the water in the veggies.

Once the veggies become translucent, add all the spices, including pepper, and let them saute for a few minutes so the spices "bloom" and their flavor opens up.

Then add the spinach and fold it into the veggie and spice mixture, sprinkling with a little more salt to help the wilting process.  

Once the spinach has fully wilted, stir in the yogurt, and add bite-sized cubes of paneer to the mixture, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.  (If you would like your dish to be even creamer, feel free to add a splash or two of heavy cream as well)

Taste before serving to see if you need more salt or any additional seasonings, and serve with basmati rice and warm naan.  If you don't have any cilantro averse diners, add some to the top for garnish and flavor, but it's OK without it as well.

This also reheats beautifully the next day.

"Chorizo," beans, and greens stew

I made this for the first time tonight, expecting my meat loving husband to tolerate it but no more than that.  He loved it!  And so did I.  It was warm, hearty, and spicy and it was filling without being too heavy.  This one will definitely go into the monthly rotation for fall and winter months.

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

4 cups of hearty greens, chopped (kale, collard greens, mustard greens, chard, or rapini/broccoli rabe would all be great)

2 cups of cannellini beans (if you use canned beans, rinse them well)

2 links (about 1 pound) of soy chorizo or any other sausage (meat or plant based) that you like

1 tablespoon "Better Than Boullion," or whatever flavor enhancer you like.

2 tablespoons olive oil

A splash or two of red wine vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

1.    Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil, with a pinch or two of salt, and some fresh-cracked black pepper, until translucent.

2.    Remove the sausage from its casings and add to the onion and garlic.  Saute until fully cooked and slightly browned.   If you're using port sausage and there's a lot of fat, you can drain some off before continuing if you'd like.

3.      Add the greens and toss them in the mixture, adding another pinch or two of salt.  Cover and let them cook for a few minutes.

4.    Add the 2 cups of cannellini beans, stir everything together, and cover with water.  Water should be about an inch above all the ingredients.  

5.    Add some more pepper and the boullion or flavor enhancer, but not too much -- there's a already a lot of flavor from the veggies and sausage.

6.  Bring to a low boil, turn the heat to low, cover the lid and lit it simmer for at least a half hour.

7.  Uncover and taste, adding salt and pepper as needed.  At this point, you could turn up the heat a bit and let it cook uncovered to reduce the liquid a bit and make it more like a stew than a soup.  Or, you could serve it still soupy.

8.  Right before serving, add a splash or two of red wine vinegar for just a little tang.

Be sure to have some fresh, crusty bread to soak up all the juices when you're done!

Rice Pudding

My Grandpa and a few of my great uncles used to make the most delicious rice pudding.  It was a favorite treat growing up and whenever I eat it, I always think of them.   As I think of good and comforting food these days, rice pudding was at the top of the list so I got their recipe from my Aunt Sandra and made a big batch this weekend.  You know how some of the foods of your childhood don't stand up to your memories?  Well, this one did -- it is amazing!  And so easy to make. 

In a large pot, bring to a boil:

1/2 gallon of whole milk (DO NOT use reduced fat milk, it just won't work)
1 1/2 cups of water
1 cup of rice
1 pinch of salt

When it starts to boil, turn it to low heat and partially cover th.e pot  Let it simmer for 45 minutes, stirring every few minutes to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom or clumps together, until the rice gets really tender.  It will still be extremely liquid when it's finished cooking.

While the rice is cooking, in a separate bowl, whisk together:

3 eggs
1 cup of sugar
3 tsp. of vanilla extract

Once the rice is done, drizzle the egg/sugar mixture into the rice and milk, whisking vigorously while you pour.   You want pour slowly enough and whisk fast enough to make sure the eggs mix in quickly, before they have time to cook and scramble.  Rather, you want them to integrate into the milk and cooked rice, forming the pudding.

Once it's fully mixed, pour into a large bowl or a pyrex dish.   Stir it a few times as it cools down for about the next 20 minutes to prevent a film from forming on top.  Then sprinkle with cinnamon and refrigerate.

This is great for dessert, but also a fabulous choice for breakfast if you really want to start your day with a nice bowl of comfort.   Enjoy!

Shepherd's Pie

There are few dishes that scream "COMFORT FOOD" more than a good Shepherd's Pie.  What's not to love about seasoned ground meat and veggies, covered in mashed potatoes?  If this meal doesn't soothe your woes, then no food ever will.  

1 pound ground meat or tofu -- beef is most traditional, but I think a ground beef and lamb blend is best.  But you could also use turkey, chicken, tofu or any other meat substitute you like, including chick peas.

4 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 large onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

3 ribs of celery, diced

3/4 cup frozen or fresh peas

Beef, veggie or chicken stock or broth

1 tsp. smoked paprika (if you don't like the smoky flavor, just use sweet paprika)

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. thyme

salt and pepper to taste

 1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp. flour

In a large skillet, brown your meat or tofu, using some of the olive oil so that it doesn't stick to the pan.  When it's done, put it into a bowl and add the Worcestershire sauce so that it soaks in as the protein sits.

Add more olive oil to your pan and saute all your veggies, except for the peas.  Start with the carrots for about 3-4 minutes so they soften up.  Then add all the other veggies and add a couple pinches of salt.  Stir well and cover, keeping the veggies on low heat.  The salt will draw out moisture and the veggies will get really tender.   Stir occasionally, cooking for about 10 minutes.

Then add back in the meat, and also add the peas, paprika and thyme.  Taste the mixture and add some pepper to taste.  

Once you're happy with the flavor, add the flour and stir thoroughly through the mixture and cook it for about 2 minutes.   Then add enough stock or broth to just about cover the mixture, but not quite.

Bring this to a simmer and let it cook uncovered for about 10 minutes so the broth can thicken a bit.   Taste it one more time, adding salt or pepper if needed.

Then ladle it into some sort of oven safe dish or individual ramekins.   Cover it with a generous helping of mashed potatoes, and run a fork through the top of the mashed potatoes so there are lots of ridges.  (Optional -- sprinkle with some of your favorite cheese).

Place it in a 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until the mashed potatoes brown a bit on the top.

When you take this out, it will be hotter than the surface of the sun, so best to let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving.  Even then warn your