Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/382447
Note: Ras el hanout is a spice mix available at spe- cialty markets. WhatYouNeed 2poundsoranges 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cin- namon 1tablespoon orange flower water 2pounds pears 1large onion, minced 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 5or 6strands saffron 3cloves garlic, minced 1cinnamon stick 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 3/4 teaspoon dried ginger 1/2 teaspoon ras el hanout 3/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon pepper 13/4 pounds beef shank, cut into large bite-size pieces 1/2 cup water Directions 1. Cut the zest from the oranges in long strips. Trim away any white pith from the zest, then cut the zest into julienne strips. Blanch the zest strips in boiling water. Drain. 2. Juice the oranges. Drizzle half the juice over the orange zest. Sprinkle with sugar, ground cinnamon and orange flower water. Cook for a few minutes until the strips caramelize. Set aside. 3. Preheat tagine over high heat. Add onions and olive oil; saute until onions so en. 4. Stir in spices and season- ings. Add the meat, then brown on all sides. Add the water, cover and cook for 45 minutes, checking occasion- ally to make sure the water has not evaporated. Add more water, if necessary. 5. Meanwhile, cut the pears in half; peel and core them. Place them in a bowl and add the remaining orange juice. 6. Place the pears around the meat. Cook for another 15minutes. Serve garnished with caramelized zest. Serves 4 — Faim d'Epices, Mar- rakech, Morocco Tagine of beef, pears and candied oranges MARK DUFRENE/BAY AREA NEWS GROUP Tagine of Beef, Pears and Candied Orange, photographed in Walnut Creek. What You Need 1clove garlic 2tablespoons mayonnaise, made from scratch or store-bought 3teaspoons lemon or Meyer lemon juice, divided Pinch of sea salt 2slices thick-cut apple- wood smoked bacon 2cups vegetable oil, for frying 6ounces Brussels sprouts, rinsed and dried, trimmed and cut into halves Directions 1. To make the aioli, crush the garlic using a garlic press or large chef's knife. Combine with mayonnaise and 2teaspoons lemon juice. Season with a pinch of salt. Set aside. 2. Cook bacon until nice and crispy. Remove and blot dry on a paper towel. Cut into thin strips or crumble. 3. Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a deep saucepan to 350degrees. Flash fry Brussels sprouts in hot oil for 30seconds or until the leaves start browning. Carefully remove from oil with slotted spoon; blot off any excess oil with paper towels. Toss the hot sprouts with the bacon strips and remaining lemon juice. — Darius Somary, exec- utive chef, Hotel Sutter SIDEDISH Fried Brussels sprouts with applewood smoked bacon SUSAN TRIPP POLLARD/BAY AREA NEWS GROUP Fried Brussels sprouts with lemon aioli and applewood smoked bacon is prepared by Executive Chef Darius Somary at the Hotel Sutter Restaurant in Sutter Creek. MAIN DISH By Janet Tharpe It's food season all year 'round for us Kitchen Crew gals, but oh how we love when this time of year rolls around and every- one seems to be whipping up new recipes and talk- ing foodie finds! Comfort food is once agin in vogue and words like "ooey" and "gooey" are commonplace. In other words, we're in rec- ipe heaven. One flavor of the season that never fails to evoke a sigh of pleasure is that ooey gooiest of sweets, caramel. Whether drizzled warm atop a favorite pie or sub- merged into a steamy mug of apple cider, caramel adds a hint of fall to everything it touches. In a tasty autumnal dou- ble feature, Roberta Brous- sard deftly combines the richness of caramel with the hearty warmth of pumpkin. "This Pumpkin Flan Cake is a new version of my [original] Chocolate Flan recipe," explains Roberta. "It's made with pumpkin which I thought would be great for the holidays." Well, we've certainly re- served a spot for it on our table! Flan, a traditional caramel custard, can seem intimidating to make at home, but this cake really makes things easy. Layers of caramel, cake batter and pumpkin-infused custard are baked together, and the result is a miraculous amal- gam of deliciousness. And it's darn pretty, too. "I brought it to work to- day and it was gone within a few minutes," smiles Ro- berta. "Everybody loved it!" Another caramel creation that we've been munch- ing lots of lately is Ke- sha Smith's Toffee Crunch Cupcakes! In fact, we like them so much that I've been known to described them as "love to the third power"... because we love the toffee, love the crunch and plain love the cupcake, too! "I am very passionate about cooking," says Kesha, who makes her home in Ba- ton Rouge. "And baking is a perk because I believe every meal deserves an awesome dessert. I created these cup- cakes along with my two teenagers while my hus- band was in Memphis. We wanted him to have some- thing extra to smile about when he returned home!" Those smiles have gone viral. In fact, they've been breaking out everywhere this recipe goes. Kesha's light yellow cupcakes are topped with a deliciously sweet vanilla icing—thanks in part to the crafty ad- dition of vanilla coffee creamer—and then topped with toffee bits and driz- zled with caramel! Abso- lutely creamy dreamy. For another cupcake treat this season, try Darla Hill's County Fair Caramel Apple Cupcakes. These sweet and spicy cakes make me feel like I am wander- ing through a harvest fes- tival! They are the epit- ome of fall... and each bite is pure delight. Oh, and did I mention that they're topped with a thick cara- mel glaze? JANET'S NOTEBOOK Dip into fall flavor with gooey caramel Surprise your guests at your next gameday, movie night or even dinner party with Marvin Beachler's Marv's Meatballs recipe. The chili sauce and pineap- ple turn into such a wonder- ful sauce. Guests will defi- nitely be impressed with these magnificent meat- balls. And, no need to tell them how easy the recipe is. See step-by-step pho- tos of Marvin's recipe plus thousands more from home cooks nationwide at www.justapinch.com/mar- vsmeatballs. You'll also find a meal planner, coupons and chances to win. Enjoy and remember, use just a pinch. "I'm asked to make these often!" - Marvin Beachler, Cathe- dral City, CA (Pop. 51,200) What You Need 4 jars homemade chili sauce, 12 oz. each 1 can crushed pineapple, 20 oz. can, drained 1 can jellied cranberry sauce, 14 oz. c golden brown sugar 60 small frozen meat- balls (beef or turkey, your preference) Directions • Mix all ingredients, ex- cept meatballs, in a large crock pot. • Add frozen meatballs and stir to coat them with sauce. • Cook on low for about five hours. • Stir occasionally (care- fully). The sauce will cara- melize as it cooks. RECIPE Marvin Beachler's marvelous meatballs What You Need 3cups golden and red wa- termelon, diced in 1/2-inch cubes 4ounces feta cheese, in large crumbles 4ounces Kalamata olives, cut in half 1/2 small red onion, sliced into thin matchsticks (about 1/4 cup) Tapatio Vinaigrette (see recipe below) Mild lettuce, such as mache Directions 1. Arrange the watermelon on four plates. Sprinkle cheese, olives and onion over the watermelon. 2. Drizzle each plate with about 1ounce vinaigrette. Garnish with a mild lettuce, such as mache. Tapatio Vinaigrette Makes about 2cups Note: This can also be made using a blender. 1/3 cup plus 2tablespoons Tapatio hot sauce 1/4 cup Champagne vinegar 1tablespoon Dijon mustard 11/2 cups olive oil 1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the hot sauce, vinegar and mustard until well-blended. 2. Stabilize the mixing bowl by wrapping a damp towel around the outside bottom. Whisk the hot sauce mix and add the olive oil slowly, constantly whisking to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate any le over vinaigrette in a covered container. Serves 4 — Volcano Union Inn + Pub Watermelon salad with feta, olives UNION PUB A spicy watermelon salad from the Volcano Union Pub gets its zippiness from a Tapatio vinaigrette. DESSERT FOOD » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, September 17, 2014 » MORE ATFACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B3