Mushroom Stew

This mushroom stew is very much the vegetarian equivalent of beef bourguignon. Gather whatever medley of mushrooms you can find + a bottle of cheap red wine = delicious dinner. I served it over creamy polenta (found in the Squab glazed with port reduction with creamy polenta recipe)

Risotto with English Peas

As I promised in the original risotto post the possibilities are endless.  And English peas are one of my favorite ingredients – a great way to celebrate spring.

Endive and pear salad with pecans and blue cheese

May be the only upshot of being stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic is the opportunity to cook more at home. We were supposed to have a dinner party last night which didn’t happen but we still decided to dine in style.

Caviar service

We fell in love with caviar in the now defunct San Francisco restaurant Jardiniere. It had the best caviar service, and what we do at home is very much an imitation / homage to Jardiniere. Btw, the best caviar service in town is currently at Spruce.

Butternut squash soup

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Wrap the butternut squash in aluminum foil and place directly on the rack in the oven. Roast for about 1-1.5 hrs. After 1 hr start checking for doneness by stabbing a fork into the squash. When it goes in really easily – then the squash is done. Take out of the oven, and let cool.

Truffle risotto

As I promised in the original risotto post the possibilities are endless.  Truffle risotto is one luxurious and indulgent dish, and risotto is one of the best ways to highlight truffles. This recipe was developed by my friends at Truffle Shuffle, and they have a wonderful video of the whole process on their web site. 

Chicken with black truffle sauce

Winter is truffle season, and  this dish is a celebration of truffles. They can turn a mundane ingredient such as chicken into something special and festive.