Before moving to the Dakotas I didn’t know what the words ‘snow storm’ really meant. I had seen snow. As a kid I recall pressing my nose against the cold glass window, watching big wet flakes fall from the sky and dissolve into green grass. My parents were ski instructors. Winter weekend mornings would start dark and early as we pulled on long underwear and tumbled bleary-eyed into the car for a long drive to the mountains. I experienced snow speeding down icy runs and feeling the sting of falling flakes hit my cheeks as I skied past. Yet, despite this, my understanding of snow storms remained limited.

Now, with a mere four Midwest winters under my belt, I think I am getting a clue. I have learned that blizzards come in two forms: Blizzards- where snow pours fiercely down from dark clouds while forty mph winds shriek sideways creating a battle of vertical and horizontal sky. And ground blizzards- where sunlight illuminates the air with glaring precision as strong arctic winds whip snow upwards from the ground creating a world lost in the glowing blur of white. I have learned that snow really can drift up to your roofline, bury your mailbox, and make the bbq disappear on the deck. I have learned to hold my breath, grip the steering wheel tightly, and press the gas pedal in wide-eyed terror as I plow through snow drifts to get out of the driveway. Mr. B says that I’m building character and that winters in the Midwest will ‘toughen me up’. I usually tell him to shove it. There is one last thing that I have learned about snow storms, and if you were around last year you may recall this too. Whenever the winds blow and the snow flies, Mr. B dreams of ice cream.

This time when the craving struck I handed Mr. B the book, and suggested he find something interesting. I glanced over a few minutes later he had his finger on the page and a big grin on his face. “Let’s make tea ice cream!” he said. Intrigued, I agreed and we read through the recipe together, deciding to make a simple riff which required only four ingredients. Blackberry Sage tea, cream, milk, sugar- the ingredients were innocent enough. Yet when steeped together and churned into a cold creamy mix, the result was pure alchemy. Subtle dark notes of dried berry and tea mingled with the sweet cream base while hints of sage added complexity. Like a fine wine, the flavors unfolded in waves across my tongue. It was intoxicating. I declare with utmost sincerity that it was the best ice cream ever to cross my lips. From now on, in blizzards, ground blizzards, or mere snow storms, Mr. B won’t be the only one dreaming of ice cream.

Blackberry Sage Tea Ice Cream (Printable Recipe)

Makes 1 Quart

Adapted from The Perfect Scoop

Note: Blackberry Sage Tea is rather expensive ($11), however the unused tea leaves are (of course) excellent on their own, and will last a long time in your cupboard.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Blackberry Sage Tea

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

Directions:

Place a small pot with lid over medium heat. Warm up the milk, 1 cup of cream, sugar, and tea leaves, until the liquid is steaming but not bubbling. Stir to make sure the sugar is dissolved, turn off the heat, and cover the pot with a lid. Let the mixture steep at room temperature for 1 hour. Place the remaining 1 cup of cream in a medium bowl, with a fine mesh strainer on top. Pour the steeped liquid through the strainer into the bowl with the cream. Discard the tea leaves in the strainer. Stir the liquid mixture until well combined, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then chill for 4 hours or overnight. After the liquid is chilled through, freeze the ice cream according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

As our country struggles to pull out of recession I have become increasingly grateful for the lessons in frugality that my parents taught me as a child. While Mr. B and I are both very lucky to have jobs right now, I have several immediate relatives who are not as fortunate, and I know that life can often change without any notice. This meal is perfect for anyone looking to stretch out the food budget without sacrificing flavor or enjoyment. In fact this pork is so delicious all you’ll need is a margarita and lively music to feel like you’re having a party (which you easily could since it feeds 12 people!).

You may have noticed that we’ve been on a bit of a braising kick lately. For the past several weekends, our cooking has consisted of numerous variations on slow cooked comfort food. I blame this on a combination of crappy weather and a bad case of Spring Fever. Symptoms include an urge to clean closets and frequent requests to “Go somewhere warm” or “Get me out of the house!” Unfortunately the only warm place I’ll be going anytime soon is under my thick comforter. When that is the case, cleaning out the freezer and cooking comfort food may be the best medicine!

Short ribs are always a treat and we had another batch in the freezer so this past weekend they made a repeat appearance. After really enjoying the Short Ribs Braised in Porter Ale with a Maple Rosemary Glaze, Mr. B requested a different approach for this batch- something involving coffee. I browsed around and found a great recipe from Mark Bittman of the New York Times for Short Ribs Braised in Coffee and Chilies. Mark’s self-appointed nickname “The Minimalist” held true in this recipe, which only relies on a few quality ingredients to make the short ribs shine. (Did you know that he was once a cab driver and a traveling salesman? Fascinating.) The smoky flavor of the chilies melded beautifully with a dark roast coffee and placed the focus of the dish straight on the deep beefy flavors of the short ribs.

The best way I can describe the difference between artisanal polenta and the other stuff is that regular polenta is similar to eating cream of wheat, with a uniformly smooth, warm and thick consistency. The Italian polenta was like eating a fine risotto, where a creamy background supports individual grains for a unique and marvelous texture. I think I’m hooked.

In my mind polenta is pretty much the perfect supporting character for a meal of short ribs. With our dinner, it backed up the beefy and spicy flavors while keeping the heat from the chilies under control. Along with a large batch of sauteed Swiss chard you will have a flavorful and comforting dinner, certain to cure even the worst case of Spring fever!

Short Ribs with Coffee and Chilies over Artisan Polenta
Recipe from The New York Times
Serves 4-8

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Oil
4 or 8 small short ribs
Salt and Pepper
1 Large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 dried pasilla chili, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 dried chipotle chili, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup strong coffee.

Directions:
In a heavy pot that can later be covered, drizzle oil. Over medium heat, brown ribs well, adjusting heat as necessary to get a dark crust. Take your time, and season with salt and pepper as they cook. Remove them to a plate and turn heat to low.

In same pot, cook onions, garlic and chilies, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 15 minutes. Add wine and coffee and reduce over high heat by about half. Return ribs to pot, cover, and cook over low heat (or in a 300-degree oven) for 2 to 3 hours. Cook until very tender — beyond when meat falls off the bone — turning every hour or so. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve.

I find lamb shanks exciting. Perfectly portioned for individual plates, characterized by a melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and deep flavor, they are right up there with short-ribs as one of my all time favorite braised meats. Both short-ribs and lamb shanks are hard to come by in our town. Typically, I buy them when I travel a few hours away to civilization and then hoard them in the freezer for a special occasion.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day seemed like enough of an event to break out lamb shanks, plus I was itching to use my red tagine again. Mr. B requested a savory preparation to complement the Gigondas he picked up recently so I browsed around to see what I could find. This recipe for braised lamb shanks with coriander, fennel, and star anise came up on Epicurious and surprisingly had over 30 five star reviews. (Usually there are at least one or two embarassingly bad reviews which say, “I made this recipe and it was only okay because I don’t really like lamb” or “I used chicken thighs and thought the flavors were terrible”.) I took the high rating as a good sign- and boy was it ever!

The ingredient line up

Preparing the Braise

If you want a “lollypop” appearance with the meat bunched up at one end and a nice bone showing, you will need to cut down to the bone in a circle all the way around the narrow end of the lamb shank. This will cut through the connective sinew that holds the meat in place, and let it ball up during the braise. Usually I do this when the meat is raw, but I forgot so I made the cut just after browning the meat instead.

Braised Lamb Shanks with Corriander, Fennel, and Star Anise
Bon Appétit, March 2006
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
4 large lamb shanks (about 5 pounds)

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large white onion, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
10 garlic cloves, peeled
3 celery stalks, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 small leek
3 cups ruby Port
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
4 cups beef broth

6 whole cloves
2 whole star anise*
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Directions:
Mix coriander, fennel, and peppercorns in heavy small skillet. Toast on medium-high heat until aromatic and slightly darker, about 2 minutes. Transfer to spice grinder; process until finely ground. Rub each shank with 1 rounded teaspoon spice blend. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large wide pot over medium-high heat (I used a tagine, but any large dutch oven would work). Add shanks to pot. Cook until brown on all sides, about 20 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to same pot. Add onion and next 4 ingredients; sauté over medium heat until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add remaining spice blend and stir 1 minute. Add Port and simmer until liquid is reduced to 2/3 cup, about 15 minutes. Add both broths; boil until liquid is reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 30 minutes. (This took forever, and I didn’t have enough space in the tagine so I reduced the liquids separately in pots and then added them in. Next time I will reduce the liquids while I am browning the shanks to save time.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Return shanks to pot. Add cloves, star anise, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper. Cover pot with foil, then lid. Place pot in oven and braise lamb until tender, about 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Uncover and cool slightly. Place in refrigerator until cool, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm in 350°F oven for 20 minutes before serving.)

Place 1 lamb shank on each of 4 plates. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce and vegetables over lamb and serve.

*Brown, star-shaped seed pods; available in the spice section of some supermarkets, at Asian markets, and at specialty foods stores.

After making this recipe for Honey Glazed Five Spice Chicken with Leatherwood honey several times, I found myself intrigued by five spice powder. I had never really cooked with it much prior to the chicken recipe, but loved how the spice combination led to a warm, savory, and yet slightly exotic dish. So a few weekends back, Mr. B and I decided to cook up a five spice feast, creating five different dishes all using five spice powder in different ways. The lineup included: