Mid-week I found myself meandering though the aisles of the Carmel Public Library looking for that perfect cookbook - - that cookbook containing the recipe for my birthday dinner. I held one book and then another…..and another. Finally, my hands rested on the one - Chez Jacques by Jacques Pepin. I thumbed through the book and found it…the recipe!! Beef Stew in Red Wine Sauce (or boeuf bourguignon). Mmm…. heaven!
Although I can make a beef stew in my sleep, this recipe is somewhat different in its approach and therefore, made the perfect recipe to experiment with on my birthday. Flipping through the book, I found a recipe for a tapenade……NOW we’re talking!! I love nothing more than to eat and drink while I cook. The thought of a pungent tapenade on a crisp warm baguette and a glass of red wine just about put me over the edge!
The beef strew recipe called for 2 pounds of flatiron steak - - a luxury for sure! I typically use a chuck roast or stew meat……but Jacques said flatiron and flatiron it will be. I went to Vine and Table to choose a wine to accompany our dinner. Jacques mentioned for this recipe, one should use the SAME wine to cook with so a good, yet inexpensive, red wine was in order (the recipe called for an entire bottle in the stew). I chose the Rosemount Estate Mudgee Hill of Gold Shiraz for its full body and soft aromatics. Actually, this wine has become a staple at my house lately.
I rushed home to get the house in order before The Man arrived. Walking through the door, my house seemed a little chilly. It had been quite the cold week, so I thought nothing of it. I walked over to the thermostat and turned it up a couple of degrees.
I began peeling baby pearl onions and chopping cremini mushrooms and set out the ingredients for our cooking adventure. Ambiance was in order, so I created an Edith Piaf station on Pandora, lit a few candles and put on my cute apron just in time for The Man’s arrival.
The house was still chilly….I checked the thermostat again - the unit didn’t turn on. Geez Louise….these things always seem to happen at the most inopportune moment. The Man and I went down into the basement to look at the heating unit. Actually, I’m not sure why we went down to look at the heating unit….it just seems like something people do. We took off every removable panel and just stood there…..looking….and looking….as if the unit would suddenly whip back into shape and start working with a stern look (hey, it worked for my kids). He looked at me….I looked at him…..we fiddled with a few switches (hoping the house wouldn’t blow up if we hit the wrong button). What to do??? Where’s MacGyver when you need him?? It’s Friday night at 7:00pm and there is no way I can do without heat in the middle of an Indiana February for an entire weekend. Reinforcements must be called…..
It was time to open the wine and start cooking to take my mind off of the possibility of replacing my entire heating unit. I could just see the dollar bills streaming through the front door……leaving me….sending me to the poor house. Why do these things happen when I am cooking a special dinner?? Smoke alarms, broken disposals, leaky pipes, work emergencies…..all seem to appear the moment I take a cookbook off my shelf!
The Man makes the tapenade in the food processor. It was unbelievably easy! 1 ½ cups pitted Kalmata olives, 2 Tbl capers, 2 cloves (I added 4 or 5) of garlic, 4 or 5 small figs, a small tin of anchovies, some freshly dried marjoram, ground pepper and ¼ cup olive oil. Pulse it all in the food processor and voila! Tapenade! We cut a fresh baguette, spread some goat cheese on it and topped it off with our creation…..delish!! Taking a sip of wine, I realized I was in a Mediterranean Nirvana….pungent flavors combining with smooth, red wine….sigh….
The kitchen fills with a bouquet of sautéed beef, garlic, onion and wine. Our creation was looking good! Edith Piaf provided the ambiance and the stress of the day seemed to melt - at least for a moment. My son came home with a girlfriend….they had it in mind to make chocolate chip cookies. My ambiance-filled kitchen soon bustled with enough creative energy to rival a 5 star restaurant with four people sharing kitchen space, measuring cups, ingredients, and even the oven. The doorbell rings--it was the furnace repair man. I had completely forgotten about the repair man! I invite him in…..offer him a glass of wine and some dinner (he must have thought I had lost my mind)…..and sent him down to fix the problem. Bustle….bustle…..bustle…..a symphony of sound and smell began to play in my kitchen. I take a moment and watch the smiles on the faces of those I love….. seeing the warm interaction….stealing bites of cookie dough in between tastes of beef stew….dancing with my man….and realizing that there is a reason my kitchen is my favorite place in my home.
