Family Dinners Make My Day

We love a good family dinner around here. The preparation and final product are as important as the conversation around what we're having and what went on in school that day.  We may eat dinner at our house at our kitchen table, or in front of a show we’re  catching up on. Either way, our family meal starts the moment I start cooking.

Growing up, we'd eat dinner together as a family every night of the week. Some meals were more elaborate than others, but there was always a full table with all seven of us around it. We'd take turns cooking the main dish, since both of our parents worked. For Gran Fran, my mom, it was a new dawn, as a working mother of five, she had to depend on us to pitch in to get the dinner on the table. In her childhood, the nonnas (her grandmas) would spend the day going to market and getting the dinner made.

If there was a roast beef in the oven, baked potatoes with an x cut into them to release the steam would be put right on the oven rack.  GranFran would make Lasagna  ahead of time, on Sunday, to be reheated as needed. In my book, reheated lasagna was better than when it was fresh out of the oven. On quick dinner nights, Gran Fran would come home and make us an egg and potato frittata. There was always a vegetable of some sort, broccoli stands out as something that was on our plates a lot, as well as green beans.

We eat at our house a few times a week and at my sister's house once or twice a week. The rest of the time my daughter is with her dad. Dinner at my sister and brother-in-law's house is great. They are both awesome cooks and wonderful and generous hosts. Isabella tells my sister Nicole (I like to call her Nikki, but she does not like that nickname, so I'm trying to be respectful here) that she loves coming to their house for the company, but mostly because she just loves the food they make for her. It's a rare night when you'll find just one main dish. There is always plenty to choose from and lots of good conversation, highlighted by Isabella and her two cousins' conversations about their days.

The kids all go to school together so there is a lot to talk about: which kid got a pink slip, who hit whom on the playground, what event was coming up next at school. I feel very lucky that we live just ten minutes away from my sister and her family. Our family dinners really make the week that much better. When I know we're going over, I usually bring a nice bottle of wine for the grown-ups, something for the table, and sometimes wacky stuff like coconut water direct from a coconut with the shell on , a whole punched in the top and a straw stuck in. I've often wondered if they know exactly how much it means to both of us to be included in their family on such a regular, unquestioning basis. I do love spending time with my brother-in-law (Fran Q) especially when it comes to making food. He has an innate talent for preparing delicious meals out of just about anything, and is even great at desserts

My immediate family now consists of me and my thirteen year old daughter. Meals are still a big deal, just like when I was little, albeit with way fewer people. Dinner is a time for me and my daughter to catch up.  We keep the computer in the kitchen so that we can be together after school while I cook and Isabella does her homework. She and I discuss ingredients, choose our favorite dishes, and I start cooking. No matter how tired I am from working all day (and blogging all night), mealtime is a tradition. I will not give up. It's our time to connect and relish each other’s company.

I Love My Electric Knife

I made two roasts recently (roast pork and roast beef). In the midst of preparation, I came across an America's Test Kitchen review of electric knives. It had been a long time since mine had seen the light of day. I was glad for the timely reminder to get my out of the cabinet.

I'm so happy I did. Check out these slices of meat. They were thinner and more even than I could've managed with my carving knife alone.

Joe (my dad) used to be in charge of the electric knife. I've mentioned before that Gran Fran is anti-sharp anything, and that she doesn't like gizmos or gadgets in her kitchen. The only electronic appliance I ever see her use is her Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Even her coffee is made with a filter set on top of her mug. Needless to say, there was often a lot of drama around Joe using the electric knife. Gran Fran would clear the room of all children and hold her hand to her mouth, cringing all the while Joe was cutting up whatever nice roast they had made for dinner.

Fast forward to present day SF. I called Gran Fran in NY to get her advice on the cooking temperature for the roast beef and mentioned I'd be using my electric knife to slice the roast. After an audible gasp, Gran Fran told me to call her after I had finished slicing the roast so she knew I'd made it out with all of my fingers and limbs intact.

Guess what...I made it out alive, all limbs and digits still adhered to my body, with a perfectly sliced roast on my table.

Joe Claro, King of the Roast Beef

Joe Claro makes a mean roast beef. That's my Dad, in case you didn't recall that from some of my other posts.

His method is simple just use some salt, pepper and roast the meat until cooked to your liking.

Everyday after school one of us five kids would get dinner started. Gran Fran would call us from her office (which was an actual office with a door and a ceiling, not a cube) and give us instructions. She talked at the lowest possible whisper, so we could barely hear when she said "Put the roast beef in for 1 hour. Make sure to put lots of salt on it." Trying to decipher her instructions took some time, and it often made me feel like we were involved in some kind of espionage instead of just dinner making.

Joe, on the other hand, always wanted to make sure that we knew the proper grammatical reason whether, when the roast was finished cooking, it was done or finished. I had to ask him to go back in time and outline his preference for the use of done or finished when referring to meat. We got in all kinds of trouble when we were kids. So, here's his definition (though he finally admits that maybe he's the only one who cares).

I am finished (with what I was doing). I have completed the activity I set out to complete.

The activity is done. It has been successfully completed.

I am (or you are, or she is) done should be used only when a person is the victim of cannibals, a tanning machine, or a hairdresser. Hence, the reference to roast beef.

On the other hand, if you check reliable usage sources,  you'll find that most otherwise respectable people no longer think this time-honored distinction is valid. This is one definite sign of the decline of Western civilization as we know it.

Let that be a lesson to you, young lady.

Now onto my all time favorite Joe-ism:  where does the inflection go when talking about roast beef?

The roast beef mispronunciation is a little harder to defend, but I'm ever willing to take on the extraordinary challenge.

In normal American English speech, a two-word noun-adjective phrase will almost always be pronounced with the stress on the noun. Nouns, after all, are far more meaningful than adjectives, which serve only to describe (or modify, in traditional grammatical jargon) the really important half of the phrase.

Of course, there are phrases in which we will on purpose emphasize the adjective, such as, "I wanted the GREEN beret, not the RED one." But that kind of pronunciation is by definition out of the ordinary, which is why we would usually exaggerate the emphasis.

So, unless you're talking about ROAST beef as opposed to BRAISED beef, emphasizing the adjective is careless, improper, and in some localities morally questionable.

And let that also be a lesson to you.

I am the grammarian about whom your mother warned you.

And so, goes my reminiscense of all things ROAST beef with Fran and Joe.

Roast Beef a la Joe

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 pound chuck roast
• Kosher or rock salt to coat the whole piece of meat
• Ground black pepper to coat the whole piece of meat

Method:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Thoroughly dry the chuck roast.
• Roll the roast in the salt and pepper, making sure to make a nice even coating, if possible.
• Roast for fifteen minutes.
• Reduce heat to 375 degrees and roast for an additional 40 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let rest for fifteen minutes.
• Grab your handy electric knife and cut into thin slices.

The Comforts of Home

OK, I have sent Ms. Iz back to school already, and am now posting my summer vacation musings. So very sorry for the long absence, but I am back, so please enjoy!!"It's Summer Vacation!!!!"

You get to say this just after the last bell of the last day of school rings. And, I prefer to scream if at the top of my lungs, in public, to the dismay of my daughter, Iz. But, it starts off the summer with a bang.

Just after school ends, it is likely you will find me and Iz on an early morning flight to NY for an extended stay. This year, it has been two weeks long. With the number of cousins, aunts, uncles and the famous Gran Fran and Joe to visit, we can use as much time as possible here.

Oh, and let's not forget about the meals. I believe I ate enough over the last two weeks to comfortably miss a month's worth of food. Not only did Gran Fran and Joe outdo themselves with copious amounts of food and drink on offer at any time of the day or night, but my siblings did as well.

Each house offered up it's own special dish, each excellent in it's own way. So, my friends, here is an ode to my many family members and friends who made with the love and the food while we were in NYC and gave us a trip to remember.

The highlight at Gran Fran's house was the Linguini with Clam Sauce. I have made this countless times, but it never, ever, turns out like Gran Fran's. She manages to get the sweetness of the clams to come through alongside a little bit of spice and tangy flavor of the Anise flavored liquor. I recall this being a favorite birthday meal while growing up, and such a comfort food to me. Delicious!!

That's not to say that Joe didn't also deliver the goods. Take, for exmple, his Tuna or Egg Salad, and you will never need to buy pre-made again. I recall eating either of these after school on Peperidge Farms White Sandwich Bread. There is a kick from the cayenne that is offset by the mellowness of the celery. I have yet to find a better or equal salad of this nature. But, these days I tend to eat it over salad greens (I have already discussed the carb intake, in direct relation to keeping my girlish figure at my age...need I say more?).

Bacon, which always factors heavily into my vacation breakfast rotation was another standout on this trip home. Iz, who should just be rena,ed "Little Miss. Bacon", was in Pig Heaven (yes, pun intended, thank you very much). Gran Fran offered up bacon everyday, which Miss Iz gladly accepted.

Not only was our bacon always cooked perfectly, but it was also cooked with no mess and no fuss. The secret?? Cook it in the oven at a fairly high heat for a bit longer than it would take on the stovetop. I have tried his new-fangeled idea, and oh the joys of bacon -tastic flavor without the slippery floor/stovetop/walls to deal with.

It's a dawning of a new bacon era around my house!

Last, but most certainly not least, The Roast Beef. Joe mqde this for us one evening, under the tutelage of Gran Fran (via phone from her office), though I believe he can make this one without the phone calls. Talk about juicy, flavorful meat. Oy! It was just divine. I donùt have much more to say on this, except that you must make it, and come to the table with an empty stomach so you can be sure to eat as much as possible. And, I would say some nice horshradish mayo would be the only addition I would make to Joe's recipe.

I could go on and on here, but that might tap me of recipes for posts to come (OK, thqt is highly unlikely), but this is enough to give you the flavor of our summer vacation.

You can never get enough of your old-time childhood favorites, and with Gran Fran and Joe around, I will never have to!

Tuna Salad or Egg Salad a la Joe:

• Celery, two stalks, cut into small pieces
• Scallion, two, cut into small pieces
• 12 oz can of Tuna, washed and drained or 8 boiled Eggs
• 2 Tbsps Mayonnaise
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper

Combine Tuna with Celery and Scallions, mash it with a fork, add salt, pepper, cayenne. Mix in about two tablespoons of mayo, and then determine how much more you need as you mix.

For Egg Salad Variation:

1. Put the 8 eggs into cold water, bring to a boil, then set the timer for five minutes.
2. When that time is up, turn off the heat, leave the pot where it is and set timer for 10 minutes. Then run the eggs under cold water for several minutes.
3. Slice them (I use an egg slicer), add them to the celery and scallions, mash them with a potato masher, add the seasoning, and slowly mix in mayo until you're satisfied.

Roast Beef a la Joe:

serves 4 to 6 people

• 3.5 pounds of eye round beef
• Kosher or Coarse Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method:

1. Dry the eye-round with paper-towels.
2. Slather with salt and pepper.
3. Cook on a rack to allow drippings for gravy.
4. Although recipes call for 20 minutes a pound, I cook it not for 1:10, but for 1:35.

Amazing Bacon Cooked in the Oven:

serves 4 as a side dish

1 Lb Bacon (best quality that you can find)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Spread bacon out on a rack set in a sheet pan with sides.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or so.

Linguine with Clam Sauce

serves 4 people

• 1 pound thin linguine
• 2 1/2 pounds baby clams
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 tablespoons anisette
• 1/4 cup dry vermouth or other dry white wine
• 3 cloves garlic, quartered
• Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup finely minced parsley

1. Set pasta water up to boil. Sprinkle with not too much salt; clams are salty. 2. Clean clams thoroughly under cold running water; scrub with brush 3. Warm the olive oil gently with the garlic, until garlic turns golden 4. Over medium heat, carefully add liquors 5. When alcohol evaporates, add clams and turn heat high and put a lid on pan. 6.Clams should cook in less than 5 minutes. 7. Add pasta and a dollop of pasta water. Stir over medium heat to combine. Add parsely; serve.