While James was reading my blog a few weeks ago (as he is my most loyal reader and proofreader), he mentioned that maybe I talk about him too much. So I went back and read some recent posts, and realized that maybe he is right?? So then I actively tried not to do that. I wrote about the food or the ingredients, or why I chose certain recipes, or other friends. But it was impossible not to mention James! Our tastes and preferences have been slowly, subconsciously merging over the past few years, and James’s likes now influence and inspire so much of what I (we) make. In discovering how much James crops up on this blog, though, I’ve come to realize that perhaps I have been underestimating the role that James plays in our kitchen life.

I think that, as a feminist living in a brave new 21st century world, I’m sometimes embarrassed by how much I love cooking and baking, because of the historical connotations. There are definitely times when I feel like a clichéd trope of a wife, bustling around in my apron and timing everything to get dinner on the table just as James comes home. To be clear, I am not disparaging or devaluing in any way any person (male or female) who chooses to focus on the household in place of formal employment, or who chooses to focus on the household as their formal employment. But these days, when the opportunities and identities available to women are more abundant, varied, and exciting than ever, from entrepreneur to movie director to presidential candidate, it’s hard to feel like I’m breaking the glass ceiling when I’m just doing in my own kitchen what women have been doing for centuries in their own kitchens, usually by obligation and very infrequently by choice.

So sometimes I project my discomfort about this particular identity onto James, when he gets home late or doesn’t help enough around dinnertime. I get anxious that James isn’t pulling his weight and we’re reverting back to traditional gender roles. But writing this blog has given me a completely new sense of how much of a presence and support James is, even though he may not be physically chopping up the carrots or stirring the risotto. He’s always interested, and he always takes me rambling on about the correct way to wash produce or the necessity of using up the celery in the fridge very seriously. Even though I do most of the cooking, he holds a number of indispensable supporting roles – as sous chef, dish washer, deputy grocery shopper, feedback provider, moral supporter, and trouble shooter. And for all of that, I’m very grateful. In short, I’m afraid chitter chatter about James is here to stay! Skip to the pictures and recipes if you don’t like the commentary!

Speaking of pictures…

The justification for the above philosophizing is that today’s recipe, cottage pie, is as British as James. You may be confused, and thinking, what is cottage pie?? Well, you may know it as its more common cousin, shepherd’s pie. However, there is actually a difference between the two, and that’s in the meat: shepherd’s pie contains lamb (which makes sense: shepherds… lambs), and cottage pie contains beef! So, what is commonly labeled as shepherd’s pie here in the U.S. is a misnomer – it’s actually cottage pie. Cottage pie is delicious British comfort food, a rich, meaty stew of minced beef, carrots, celery, and onions, stewed with plenty of herbs and spices, and topped with a creamy, cheesy mash of potatoes. It’s so unbelievably good, and freezes wonderfully, which means you can double the recipe and freeze one for later, or gift one to busy friends and neighbors. When our friends Rupa and Dave had a baby, James and I brought them a frozen cottage pie, and felt both very adult, and very suburban, toting over a meat pie.

Cottage pie is fairly straightforward to make, and requires only some basic ingredients and food preparation, but it is rather time intensive – with softening the vegetables, simmering the beef mixture, then baking the final assembled dish, just the total cooking time can take up to an hour and 45 minutes. You also have to prepare two separate components – the beef mixture and the potato mash, which is sort of annoying. Thus, it’s not really appropriate for  the weeknight. James and I usually make it on a slow Sunday, or, we divide the work over two days – we make the beef mixture on Sunday, then make the potato mash and bake it on Monday. This also has the advantage of letting the beef mixture cool entirely and thicken a little, which prevents the potato mash from sinking into the gravy.

Other Notes:

• This recipe is easily scaled up if you want extras, or want to freeze a portion. This recipe below is actually half of the original BBC recipe, which serves a whopping 10 people. Likewise, you can also scale down if you want, although why you would do that, I have no idea – it is so good, and keeps getting better the next day!
• In a hurry, we’ve definitely not simmered the beef mixture for long enough before adding the potato mash on top. If your beef mixture is too soupy, the potato mash will sink into the liquid during baking, as the gravy bubbles up (the potatoes will end up resembling icebergs instead of ice floes). Your pie will still be delicious, but the mash will just be soggier and won’t have as much of that crisp, browned top crust. But don’t worry – the potatoes won’t dissolve into the gravy and turn the whole thing into thick potato soup, as I feared!
• For prettier presentation, or if you’re making this over two days, we assemble the dish in a baking dish, as instructed in the recipe. If we’re just making the whole thing in one day, I often cook the beef mixture in a 5 1/2 quart Dutch oven and assemble the dish directly in the Dutch oven, spooning the potatoes on top of the beef. If you go the latter route, know that due to the slightly smaller surface area supporting the potatoes, the potatoes are also more likely to sink. This is okay, and will still be delicious (see above bullet point).

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Cottage Pie

Source: BBC Good Food

Ingredients

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/3 cup red wine (optional)
• 1 3/4 cups beef stock
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 5-7 thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves

For the Potato Mash:

• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped into large pieces (I used Russets; Yukon Gold will also work well)
• 1/2 cup milk (I used 2%, which I liked; use whole for a richer mash)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 1/2 ounces strong cheddar, grated (or more to taste)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and cook the beef until browned. Once browned (it doesn't have to be fully cooked through), scoop up the beef with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add a little more oil into the pan if it's looking dry, and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook over medium-low heat until soft, about 15-20 mins. Add the garlic, flour and tomato paste, increase the heat to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes more, then return the beef to the pan. Pour in the wine, if using, and boil for 2-3 minutes to reduce it slightly. Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 45 mins. The beef mixture is done when most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce becomes thick, like the consistency of gravy, and coats the meat. Check after about 30 mins: if a lot of liquid remains, increase the heat slightly to help reduce the gravy. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired, then discard the bay leaves and thyme stalks.
• As the beef mixture simmers, make the potato mash. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold salted water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain well, then allow the potatoes to steam-dry for a few minutes. While you're waiting, preheat the oven to 400°F. Mash the potatoes with the milk, butter, about 3/4 of the cheese, and the nutmeg. Taste, and season with salt and pepper if desired.
• Spoon beef mixture into a 12"x8.5" baking dish. Spoon the potato mash on top of the beef to cover. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top (add more cheese, if desired). Bake in the oven at 400°F for 25-30 mins, or until the topping is golden brown and the gravy is bubbling at the sides.

Notes

 

To Freeze:

Assemble the pie with the beef and the potato mash, and cool completely. Once cool, cover well with cling film and freeze. For the best preservation, always freeze the pie on the day that you make it. To eat, defrost in the fridge overnight, then cook as per the recipe. Alternatively, to cook from frozen, heat oven to 350°F, cover with foil and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Increase oven to 400°F, uncover and cook for 20 minutes more, until golden and bubbling.

My dad’s family is originally from Northern China, where wheat is the staple crop and reigns supreme. The food there is dominated by wheat-flour products such as noodles, dumplings, and steamed buns stuffed with salty pork and cabbage or sweet red bean paste. My mom’s family is from the south of China, in Guandong, where rice production is much more prevalent. When I was growing up, my family liked to tease me that I could never decide between noodles or rice, wanting and loving them both, due to my diverse family tree. This is as true now as it was then – there will always, always be carbohydrates in my future.

However, possibly my favorite dish in the world – one that I always request at Chinese restaurants – is beef chow fun, a staple Cantonese dish that combines the best of both worlds: rice flour is made into thick, chewy noodles that are pan-fried with dark, salty soy sauce and tossed with aromatic beef, crisp bean sprouts, and bright scallions. I have always loved this dish – it’s so simple, but so flavorful, a Chinese comfort food that’s greater than the sum of its parts and distinct in its flavor. You’ve probably had beef chow fun before – it’s quite popular, and usually on the menu of any restaurant that serves Cantonese food. But it’s also incredibly easy to make if you can source good rice noodles! There are only a handful of other ingredients, it takes about 30 minutes, and the seasoning is straightforward, relying on soy sauce, sesame oil, and, if you have it, Shaoxing wine. It’s so easy, in fact, that this time, as I was busy gabbing away on the phone to my girlfriends, James made this entire dish himself, following the recipe he found on The Woks of Life! That’s right – these pictures all represent his cooking and his alone – what a good little Asian chef!

When buying rice noodles, fresh noodles are best and tastiest, although dried noodles will also work. Fresh rice noodles can be found at most Asian supermarkets, in the refrigerated section with the fresh wheat noodles and probably next to tofu and bean sprouts. They’ll be labeled as rice noodles, but could also be labeled as “he fen,” “hor fun,” “sha ho fon,” or some variant there of. Sometimes it can be sold as whole sheets instead of noodles – this is the same thing, you’ll just have to cut the sheets yourself into approximately 1/2- to 3/4-inch strips. Chow fun is traditionally made with wide rice noodles, but it’s versatile so feel free to substitute whatever you can find (if you substitute wheat noodles, you’re not really making chow fun anymore, but I do believe it will still taste good, and the name hardly matters!). For dried rice noodles, you might find them at any large supermarket (A Taste of Thai is a brand I see in American markets), but they’ll be in Asian supermarkets as well, with the other dried noodles.

Some other notes:

• Like with many other stir-fried Chinese dishes that are traditionally made with a wok, less is more. As in, less ingredients in the pan at once. Often times these dishes are only made 1 or 2 servings at a time, so as to not crowd the wok and impede free movement of food and good sear. However, if you’ve been following me, you’ll know that one of the largest culinary faux-pas I make is to crowd the pan against everyone’s warning, because I am lazy and want to make as much food as I can with the least amount of time and effort possible. This results in a softer, saucier, wetter dish, as opposed to the drier, charred, chewier noodles you find at restaurants. The weight of all the food in the pan also can cause the noodles to break up into smaller pieces, as you see in the pictures. The flavors, however, will still be delicious, and, for a weeknight meal, this is perfectly ok! If, however, you would like a drier, more seared noodle dish, halve the recipe, or cook it in two batches.
• High heat is important! It will appropriately sear the beef and the noodles, and bring out all of the flavors. If you fear that the noodles are burning, you’re doing it right!
• Consistently tossing the noodles once you’ve added them will keep them from sticking to each other and distribute all the flavors and sauce.
• Shaoxing wine will give the dish a more authentic, complex flavor, but we actually didn’t have any when James made it this time, and it was still delicious.
• This dish is very versatile. The ingredient quantities are all quite flexible – if you want the dish to be meatier, add more meat; if you love noodles as I do, add more noodles, etc.!

We served this with some sauteed pea shoots. Total time to dinner, including sides: about 40 minutes. Easy peasy!

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Beef Chow Fun

Adapted (by James!) from The Woks of Life

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespooon corn starch
• 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil

For the chow fun:

• 1 pound beef skirt, flank, sirloin, or tenderloin
• 2 pounds fresh wide rice noodles, or 1 pound dried wide rice noodles
• 4 tablespoons peanut, vegetable, or canola oil
• 5-7 thin slices ginger
• 1 bunch scallions, split in half vertically and sliced into 3-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry or water)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (can substitute regular soy sauce here, the final color of the dish will just be a lighter brown)
• 1/4 cup regular soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 pound fresh bean sprouts
• Salt and white pepper, to taste

Instructions

• Slice beef against the grain into 1/4-inch strips. Combine the beef strips and all of the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and mix gently, until all of the beef is coated. Let sit for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
• If using fresh rice noodles, take them out from the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature. You'll add fresh noodles directly to the pan with the oil, ginger, and scallions without any pre-cooking.

  If using dried rice noodles, prepare according to package instructions. Different brands may have slightly different instructions, and some may ask you to soak the noodles, boil them, or both. Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions until cooked through, but still a bit chewy inside - the noodles will cook further as you stir fry them with the beef. Rinse rice noodles with cold water and drain. If you're not ready to use them yet, add about 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to the drained noodles and gently toss to combine noodles with a thin coat of oil. This will prevent the noodles from sticking to each other as you stir fry them.
• Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until hot, and add 2 tablespoons oil to coat the pan. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on the outside and slightly pink on the inside, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and scallions and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rice noodles evenly in the pan, and toss immediately with tongs or a large spatula to mix with the oil and aromatics, about 15 seconds. Add the Shaoxing wine, sherry, or water, and toss again to combine.
• Add the beef mixture to the pan, along with the sesame oil, soy sauces, and sugar. Immediately toss again, flipping and turning the noodles to make sure that noodles are evenly coated with the beef and sauce mixture.
• Add the bean sprouts and cook, tossing, until sprouts are just tender. Taste, and add more salt and pepper, if desired. Give everything a final toss, and serve!

Sometimes we eat like toddlers.

Okay. Okay. Now you’re going to yell at me, because fussy meatballs, plus a load of ingredients for a separate sauce, plus maybe another vegetable to get your greens in, is not a weeknight dinner! And… I would have nothing to say back to you. You’re right. Deb from Smitten Kitchen (in case you couldn’t tell, my other fangirl cooking crush in addition to Melissa Clark) has an easier, quicker “Everyday Meatball” recipe, which doesn’t require you to brown the meat and is, in fact, a much likelier candidate for true weeknight dinners. I’ve also made this, and those meatballs are also delicious.

HOWEVER. I love the char you get from browned meat and can’t bear to give it up. So, to compromise, I squish as many meatballs as I can in my skillet, turn up the heat, and fry them for less time. You’ve already seen how I crowd my vegetables; now you know I also crowd my meatballs. The last time I made this, I ended up with 24 meatballs, which, annoyingly, necessitated a third batch of browning to brown a puny 3 meatballs. So next time, I would try to aim for 20-21 meatballs, and squish them all together in my 12-inch skillet to brown in two batches. Anyway, even with three batches, the browning, to me, is worth it for the resulting flavor. I also swap out fresh breadcrumbs for Panko here for ease and convenience. The meatballs are still delicious.

Also, I feel like the other point that I must make in my defense is that this recipe makes a mound of food, like enough for 6-8 servings (24 meatballs, about 3 meatballs per meal = almost 8 meals of meatballs!). James and I (eventually) eat all of it – because meatballs and sauce reheat so well, and I could never tire of carbs, oniony sauce, and tender beefy meatballs even if I have to eat it for four meals throughout the week. Also, I swear that it tastes even better the next day, and the next. So if you feel inspired on a slow Monday (is there ever such a thing?!), or even a Sunday, this humble, filling, hearty dish is for you!

We served this with a side of steamed broccoli, and it took me about 2 hours total, from opening my fridge door to sitting down at the table to eat. And now, wine!

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Meatballs and Spaghetti

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen (where it was adapted from Ina Garten)

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound ground veal (You can substitute another ½ pound pork here, but I find the addition of the veal scrumptious)
• 3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (or a small heap)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 large egg, beaten
• Vegetable oil
• Olive oil

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion (from 1 onion)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup good red wine (I omit this about half the time for less fuss, and the sauce still tastes totally delicious)
• 1 (14-ounce) can pureed tomatoes
• 1 (28-ounce) can chopped or diced tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (or a small heap)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

• 1 pound dried spaghetti, cooked according to package instructions
• Freshly grated parmesan

Instructions

• For the meatballs: Place the ground meats, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, onion powder, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Mix very gently with a fork or your fingers until just combined. You don’t want to overmix the meat (if you look closely, full pieces of ground meat should still be visible), as that will result in dense, tough meatballs and bland flavor. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. I always end up with about 21-24 meatballs, but you can make yours smaller or bigger as you wish.
• Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large skillet (mine was a 12-inch, 3-quart pan and was a bit too small for all of the meatballs and sauce) to a depth of about 1/4-inch. Heat the oil over medium heat. Working in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides, turning carefully with tongs or a fork, taking about 5 minutes per batch. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels to drain. Pour out the excess oil but don’t clean the pan - all of those stuck, charred meat bits will flavor the sauce.
• For the sauce: Heat the olive oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent and softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.
• Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and gently simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. I usually just poke a meatball open and look inside - the meat in the middle should be brown and juices should run clear. Meatballs are also hard to overcook since they’re basically just braising in liquid, which I also like for a weeknight meal.
• Serve: hot on cooked spaghetti and top with more grated Parmesan, if desired.