Category Archives: Recipes

In anticipation of this weekend’s Delicious Mischief from Venice, here’s a recipe for one of the most famous Venetian dishes – known as Risi e Bisi (Rice and Peas) in the local dialect.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 ounces pancetta, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 1/2 quarts light chicken stock

Two 10-ounce packages frozen peas

1 pound arborio or vialone nano rice

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper 

In a medium enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook over low heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the pancetta and 2 tablespoons of the parsley and cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock, peas and rice and bring to a simmer over moderately high heat. Cover and cook over moderately low heat until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in the 1 cup of Parmesan, the butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the rice and peas into shallow bowls and serve at once, passing more Parmesan at the table. Serves 8.

Here’s one of the best things I tasted during my recent journey through the Florida Keys. The recipe is a favorite at Sundowners on Key Largo, where the Upper Keys start blending into the Everglades.                                                                                   

20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined with the tails removed

2 fresh Florida lobster tails, removed from their shells, and cut into large chunks

½ pound jumbo lump crab meat

2 tomatoes, diced

6 scallions, diced

6-8 fresh Key limes, juiced

4 tablespoons lightly salted butter

5 dashes Tabasco sauce (add more or less to taste)

¼ cup white wine

4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped

1 pound penne pasta

Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste 

In a large pot, begin to boil water for pasta.  In a large sauté pan, add butter, garlic, Key lime juice (to taste), white wine and Tabasco sauce, and stir over medium heat until butter has melted.  Add pasta to boiling water and begin to cook until al dente (see instructions on package, should take approximately 12 minutes). Add lobster tail to butter mixture and sauté for 3 -4 minutes until lobster chunks have begun to turn white.  Add shrimp and tomatoes and sauté until shrimp and lobster are just done.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Do not overcook.  Add jumbo lump crab and scallions, stir gently so as to not break up the jumbo lump crab pieces, and remove from heat.    Strain pasta.  In a large bowl, place hot pasta, and contents of sauté pan.  Toss well and top with parmesan cheese.   Serves 4.

1 pound linguine or fettuccine

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup chopped yellow onions

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup chunky tomato salsa

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 pound crawfish tails

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 cup grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Return to the pot and toss with the olive oil and reserved cooking liquid. Cover to keep warm.

In a large saute pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Essence, salt, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the white wine and cook over high heat until nearly all evaporated. Add the cream, salsa and lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced. Add the crawfish tails and cook, stirring, to warm through. Add the onions and parsley and cook for 1 minute. 

Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat with the sauce. Cook until the pasta is warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add 1/2 cup of the cheese. Turn out into a serving bowl and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Serves 6.

The key to this dish, created by my fictional alter ego Chef Brett Baldwin of Mesquite Restaurant in Marfa, is the use of pulverized tortilla chips where the breadcrumbs typically (but much more boringly) are. And if you’re paying attention, you’ll note that “taco seasoning” would work instead of the itemized spices. I often use taco seasoning in such cases, because it tastes so good, but it’s probably totally uncool to admit it. 

2 pounds ground beef

2 cups pulverized (pulsed in a food processor) tortilla chips

1 onion, finely chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup plus 1 cup chunky tomato salsa

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon ground oregano

Salt and black pepper

1 cup beef stock

1 teaspoon instant roux (or cornstarch dissolved in 1 teaspoon part water) 

In a mixing bowl, combine the beef with the tortilla chips, onion and egg. Stir to incorporate the 1 cup salsa along with the cumin, garlic and onion powders, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer meat mixture to a loaf pan and cook in a preheated 380-degree oven until crispy on top and done, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, heat the beef stock with the remaining salsa in a pan. When it bubbles, add the instant roux or cornstarch, letting the sauce thicken into a light gravy. Reduce heat to a simmer. When meatloaf is cooked, let cool till safe to handle and carefully slice it into servings. Transfer to the gravy. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serves 6-8.

Well, that’s not quite the real name this beef stew picked up in the Old West, but it’s enough to give you the idea. On the trail, this stew was made with meat plus many organs – including something truly gross called the “marrow gut.” Thankfully, this modernized version is a bit sanitized as well. And as any cowboy who actually says “son of a gun” would happily tell you: It’s dang good! 

3 pound boneless beef stew meat, fat trimmed

2 onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup dry red wine

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground red pepper

1 quart regular strength beef broth

12 ounces Shiner Bock beer (1 can or bottle)

2 russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks

4 carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick

2 cup coarsely chopped cabbage

1 cup coarsely chopped celery

2 bay leaves

Salt to taste

Hot sauce to taste 

In a 6-8 quart pan or Dutch oven, combine beef, onions, garlic and Worcestershire. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for 30 minutes. Uncover and stir often until liquid evaporates and its residue turns dark brown. Add wine and stir to release browned bits. Smoothly mix flour, sugar, thyme and peppers with one cup of the broth. Add to beef along with the remaining broth. Add beer, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, celery and bay leaves. Adjust heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and simmer until meat is very tender when pierced. Season with salt. Serves 8-10.

5 slices bacon
¼ cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 lb.), thick ends removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 lb. puff pastry, defrosted if frozen
1 cup soft goat cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten 

Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat a large skillet over medium. Add bacon and cook until lightly crisped, 5 minutes. Remove. Add onion and thyme to skillet and cook until just softened, 2 minutes. Add asparagus and cook until slightly crisp and golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Roll the pastry out onto a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle. Using hands, spread goat cheese evenly over the surface of the pastry, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Layer the asparagus mixture and bacon strips over the cheese. Brush the edges of the pastry with the egg. Bake until golden and puffed, 20 to 25 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6.