S and I have been dating for almost 4.5 years, and we have yet to spend Thanksgiving together. So I thought it was so sweet of him to suggest that on my trip to California this weekend, we throw ourselves a decadent little meal and call it our own Thanksgiving. S is Americano through and through, especially when it comes to food. His taste is a hybrid of down-home meat and potatoes, bearing the brand of his Chicagoan patriarchs, and creamy and fried goodness that is the hallmark of his Carolinian matriarchal line. For international flare, throw in a noodle, a truffle, or some Dijon, but variation is unnecessary to make him as happy as a clam.
Naturally, when S suggested that we have Thanksgiving, I started planning a turkey feast and turned to Ina Garten’s recipe for the perfect roast turkey. I really trust Ina (a.k.a. The Barefoot Contessa), and I have made many of her back-to-basics meals that are at once elegant, simple, and delicious. After having compiled the shopping list, S realized that we didn’t have a few of the necessary items with which to make the meal, thanks to our Santa Monica kitchen that reflects my residing in New York, S’s demanding work schedule, and our reticence to furnish it in anticipation of a major renovation. While oftentimes I have had to bite the bullet in order to get some necessities to make the kitchen functional at all (I am calling cookie sheets, strainers, and ramekins “necessities”), purchasing a roaster just for this meal seemed a little over the top.
So it was back to the drawing board, and then I remembered that my parents had given us a crock pot last year for Christmas. An odd gift to be sure, but I think they won it at a corporate party and, already having one themselves, were looking for someone on whom to unload it. And I am so glad they picked us, for last night’s meal was divine and easier than most things I ever have made.
Braised Beef Short Ribs
(serves 4)
Ingredients
Naturally, when S suggested that we have Thanksgiving, I started planning a turkey feast and turned to Ina Garten’s recipe for the perfect roast turkey. I really trust Ina (a.k.a. The Barefoot Contessa), and I have made many of her back-to-basics meals that are at once elegant, simple, and delicious. After having compiled the shopping list, S realized that we didn’t have a few of the necessary items with which to make the meal, thanks to our Santa Monica kitchen that reflects my residing in New York, S’s demanding work schedule, and our reticence to furnish it in anticipation of a major renovation. While oftentimes I have had to bite the bullet in order to get some necessities to make the kitchen functional at all (I am calling cookie sheets, strainers, and ramekins “necessities”), purchasing a roaster just for this meal seemed a little over the top.
So it was back to the drawing board, and then I remembered that my parents had given us a crock pot last year for Christmas. An odd gift to be sure, but I think they won it at a corporate party and, already having one themselves, were looking for someone on whom to unload it. And I am so glad they picked us, for last night’s meal was divine and easier than most things I ever have made.
Braised Beef Short Ribs
(serves 4)
Ingredients
- 4 short ribs of beef
- 8 peeled baby carrots, 4 roughly chopped, 4 whole
- 8 crimini mushrooms, quartered
- 1 yellow onion, very roughly chopped
- 4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 2 cups of beef cooking stock
- One bottle of good red wine (syrah, cabernet sauvignon, or other “big” wine)
- 8 robust stalks of fresh thyme
- 5 fresh sage leaves
- Salt
- Pepper
Directions
Liberally salt and pepper all sides of the short ribs. In a hot frying pan, sear all sides of the short ribs until they are golden brown, starting with the fat side (to render some moisture into the pan). Add the short ribs to a slow cooker, placing them in the center of the basin. Add all of the vegetables around and between the short ribs, filling in the spaces so that the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout. Tie the sage and thyme together into a bundle with kitchen twine and add them to the slow cooker. Add the liquids to the slow cooker proportionally so that all ingredients are just submerged. Give the mixture a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove bundle of herbs, and serve.
12:30 P.M.
8:30 P.M.
The above recipe is very similar to a dish that my dear chef friend (and culinary partner in crime) served to 10 of her closest friends last fall, after we had spent the day at the Bronx Zoo. I mention that now because she certainly was the inspiration for our “Thanksgiving” menu, and after I had turned on the crock pot, I checked my BlackBerry to discover that she had become engaged the evening before! Coincidence? I think not. Mazel tov, sweetie!
So S and I took the rest of the day and did some shopping and saw the new James Bond movie. It was very entertaining, but A.O. Scott’s review had it right in pointing out that it lacked some of the classic Bond-ness. Most notably, the gadgets have all but disappeared, along with one of the greatest characters of the movie franchise, Q. The elegant side of Bond was not at all present, and for the majority of the film, his escapades were carried out in blood-stained suits and tuxedos (and that poor Aston Martin!). A must-see in theaters, to be sure, but not the Bond of yore, or even of Casino Royale.
When S and I got home, the house smelled incredible, thanks to the woodsy stew in the kitchen. We had a couple scotches and whipped up a variation of Tyler Florence’s mashed potatoes, opened a good Chianti, and paused to think about how lucky we are.
I passed out on the floor of the living room before dessert.
