red and me

Little Red and I have been slow-cooking up a wintery storm. There's nothing as inviting on a snow-laden afternoon, as the aromatics of a pot simmering in an all-day oven. This is another rustic recipe from my I Know How to Cook, by Ginette Mathiot, and my personal favorite, so far.  The succulent wine sauce was out of this world and the chicken literally fell off the bone.  Mathiot's version required making a portion of it the day before, refrigerating overnight and finishing the next day.  Forget the "next day" business.  Here's my slightly modified version:

Coq Au Vin


3 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup butter scant
3 1/2 pound capon or chicken, cut into pieces
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup cognac
generous 2 cups of red wine
salt and pepper
3 cloves garlic, crushed
6 1/2 oz. button mushrooms
1 large onion, chopped
3 1/2 oz. bacon, diced

Heat the oil and butter in a heavy pan (I used my trusty Hoosier cast iron skillet, a Howard County, Indiana legacy, inherited from my dear aunt). Add the chicken pieces and cook over medium high heat until browned on all sides. In a separate pan, while the chicken is browning, cook the bacon and onion. Remove chicken from pan. Sprinkle in flour and continue to cook, stirring. Remove from heat, pour in cognac and simmer to evaporate. Pour in wine, season with salt and pepper and add garlic. Place chicken pieces, bacon, onions and mushrooms in a Dutch oven. Pour pan sauce over and bake covered for two hours at 300 degrees.

little red

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.

Luciano Pavarotti, My Own Story




Have I mentioned my little red pot?  It's my new favorite kitchen thing. I've had my eye on a lovely Le Creuset cast-iron Dutch oven, for the last several years, but just couldn't rationalize forking over three hundred bucks for a pot.  Just before the holidays, my local Aldi store had Dutch ovens for $39. Can you believe it? My red beauty is just as nice, and I love it even more because it was such a bargain.

I promised a chicken recipe from my new I Know How to Cook by Ginette Mathiot, but I must post this recipe, from the same book, first.  Last year's film Julie and Julia sent everyone scurrying to make this dish, but I would venture to say Julia Child most likely learned to make Beef Bourguignon from Ginette Mathiot. I served this rustic delight with crusty bread for sopping and a glass of Merlot. The slow-cooked beef melts in your mouth and the scent wafts through the house all day. Heaven.

Beef Bourguignon


1 Tbsp oil
3 oz. pearl onions  (I used regular, chopped)
3 1/2 oz. small bacon cubes  (I used sliced, chopped)
1 1/2 pounds stewing beef, cut in pieces
1/4 cup flour, scant
1 1/4 cup any stock, hot  (I used beef broth)
1 1/4 cup red wine
1 bouquet garni  (these are so fun, I used fresh rosemary and sage)
salt and pepper  (I left out the salt, since the stock and bacon added enough)
4 oz. mushrooms, chopped  (I left them whole)


In a heavy pan over medium heat, heat the oil and pay fry the onions and bacon cubes until browned.  Remove, add the meat and brown on all sides.  Sprinkle with flour, stir until browned, then add the hot stock. Add the bacon cubes, onions, wine and bouquet garni and season with salt and pepper.  Simmer gently on low for 2 hours, add mushrooms and cook for 30 more minutes.

Note:  I doubled the recipe, since we love leftovers at the manor.  I baked it all afternoon at 250 degrees in my little red pot, instead of simmering on the stove top.

fritters, popeye style

Now that the holidays are officially over, and I've had my fill of the rich and decadent, I find myself craving green. Somewhere back in my ancestry, a certain Grandfather "Pop" Eye must be lurking.  I adore spinach, but my forearms aren't that big.

The very first recipe I made from my new I Know How to Cook  by Ginette Mathiot was this lovely side dish.  They are vibrant jewel-toned green, crisp and creamy delicious inside. Actually, I would say they were more of a fritter than a croquette. A pinch of flour to the mixture might make them a bit fatter.  I served them as a brunch side dish, but they would be delicious with just about anything.


Spinach Croquettes

1 cup Béchamel sauce (mother of all sauces, a basic white sauce)
1 3/4 pounds cooked, drained and pressed spinach (two 10 oz. bags of fresh to start)
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese, 1/2 cup butter scant

Make the Béchamel sauce. Process the spinach in a food processor until smooth, and mix with the sauce. Add the eggs and cheese. Heat the butter in a skillet. When it is hot, drop spoonfuls of the spinach mixture gently into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until browned.  Serves 6.  Note: make sure you press all the cooking liquid from the spinach.  I twisted it in a clean tea towel.