Matzo Ball Soup

From the recipe archives of a good friend's grandmother, I share with you matzo ball soup (with a Moose Treats twist, as always).  This may not have been a staple in my house growing up, but it certainly is now.

Step 1: Mix together - 

1/2 cup matzo meal

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

2 TBS oil

Step 2: Refrigerate the mixture for 15 minutes

Step 3: Bring a pot of your favorite chicken stock/broth to a simmer on the stove.  The diced carrots and celery are optional, but I like the crunch (now would be a good time to throw vegetation in)

Step 4: Put small spoonfuls of the sticky matzo meal mix into the pot

Step 5: Simmer the soup for 20 minutes, your matzo balls will swell in the liquid

Step 6: Serve and devour

Caramel Apple Cake

Bobbing for apples is a staple for October, so what better way to honor that tradition that with a caramel apple cake that looks like an apple bobbing barrel.

Step 1: Dice your apples and stir in sugar and cinnamon, cook down until tender

Step 2: Spread your melted chocolate onto a no-stick mat

Step 3: On the white chocolate brush on your color - mix a small amount of vodka with a touch of color then brush on to your not quite set chocolate

Step 4: Cut out your leaf shapes with cookie cutters

Step 5: Make your salted-caramel buttercream with butter, milk, salted caramel (homemade is best, store-bought is fine), and powdered sugar

Step 6: Layer your cake (you did remember to make your basic vanilla cake, right?).  Cake, buttercream, apples, repeat

Step 7: Frost the outside of the cake and surround with chocolate covered pretzel rods (you remembered to make those too, yes? - or kit kats also make a nice border), finish with a pretty ribbon

Step 8: Top with some marzipan apples and your chocolate leaves

Happy Birthday Christine!!!

Boeuf Bourguignon

Meat may not be your thing (it certainly isn't mine), but this dish from the cooking archives of Julia Child is something that even the pickiest of eaters can love.

Boeuf Bourguignon (aka: beef stew in red wine with bacon, onions, and mushrooms) with a few Moose Treats twists

Step 1: Assemble your ingredients

3 oz bacon, chopped

1 1/2 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 2 inch cubes

1 carrot, sliced

1 small onion, sliced

10-15 pearl onions, peeled

1 TBS flour

Salt & Pepper

1 1/2 cups red wine - use what you like

1 cup beef stock - chicken or vegetable stock works well too

1/2 TBS tomato paste

1 clove garlic, mashed

1/2 lb mushrooms, quartered and sautéed in butter - I leave these out

1 package Egg noodles, cooked

Step 2: Preheat your oven to 450ºF

Step 3: In a dutch oven, caramelize your pearl onions in olive oil until golden brown and tender. Set aside for later.

Step 4: Render your bacon - once rendered set bacon aside for later

Step 5: Pat your beef dry and put a few pieces at a time in the bacon fat to get a golden crust. You are not looking to cook the beef through, so this won't take too long.

Step 6: Set your caramelized beef aside (I like to use the lid of the dutch oven for this to minimize clean up)

Step 7: Caramelize the onions and carrots in the remaining fat - you can add some olive oil if necessary.

Step 8: Add back your beef, bacon, salt & pepper, and flour.  Toss to coat.  Put in the oven for 4 min, stir, and return to the oven for another 4 min.  At this point turn your oven down to 325ºF.

Step 9: Add in the garlic, tomato paste, wine, and stock.  Bring to a simmer, stir, and cover.

Step 10: Cook covered in the oven for 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender.  Check on the meat occasionally through cooking and add a little more wine if it begins to look dry.  A few minutes before the meat is done, stir in the pearl onions and mushrooms so that they are heated through.

Step 11: Serve over a bed of lightly buttered egg noodles

You certainly don't need to serve this with a fancy bottle of champagne, but it does add a nice touch for an anniversary dinner.

Note: You can change some of the ingredients and volumes of said ingredients to accommodate your diners - personally I leave out the mushrooms and up the amount of carrots with no problems.


Original recipe from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking