Pork Tonkotsu Broth

A bowl of Pork Tonkotsu Broth with ramen, eggs, greens, pork and green onions

Using Your Noodle
Ramen is having a moment. It’s been in the moment for quite some time. But, it seems like there are more and more ramen shops popping up. Going for ramen is what the hip kids are doing, I guess. Last year my daughter was all about meeting up with her friends to get Boba. This year it’s all about ramen.

Full disclosure, I like ramen, but I prefer an udon or pho to ramen. That does not mean, however, that I don’t reach into my pantry every once in a while and grab a packet of ramen for lunch.

Gone are the days of college-style ramen. No more hot water and using just the seasoning packet that contains a year’s worth of sodium in one serving. More often than not, I use the noodles but make the rest up on my own.

One search on the internet will tell you that I am not alone in my ramen makeovers. Eggs are an immensely popular add as are fresh green onions. Some people add peanut butter for that peanut sauce effect. Dried and fresh mushrooms are great. Kimchi is a good one as is Chinese sausage. The key, no matter what you put into your ramen, udon, or pho, is the broth.

Let’s be real, if you are looking for first-rate ramen your best bet is to go somewhere and order it because the best ramen places have taken the time to make good broth. This means hours of simmering bones and aromatics to achieve a rich and flavorful base for the ramen.

Most people don’t have the time to do it themselves or just don’t want to hassle with it. I get it. But, because I am weird this way and wanted to challenge myself, I decided a couple of weeks ago to take the time one Saturday and make enough Pork Tonkotsu Broth to freeze and have on hand for whenever I need it. Here’s what I discovered.

The Tonkotsu Broth I made was great. The flavor was spot on. Was it that much better than what I would get from takeout? No. Is it nice to have some in the freezer for later when you have an emergency ramen craving? Absolutely. Would I make it again? Maybe.

It is a time-consuming all-day thing that I would encourage you to try on a weekend when the weather outside is frightful and it’s looking like a movie marathon is in your future. Instead of feeling like you did nothing all day, at the end, you would have dinner!

Pork Tonkotsu Broth Recipe
Yields approximately 8 cups Read more…

Garlicky Turkish Lamb Shank Stew

Garlicky Turkish Lamb Shank Stew bubbling on the stovetop

Stewing in Comfort
This is the time of year when I have visions of something savory bubbling on the stove or slow cooking in the crockpot ready to warm me up when I walk through the door at the end of the day. I am particularly partial to anything that makes use of dried beans, some variety of meat shank, and has a rich gravy-like broth. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

The shank possibilities are endless, from beef to ham. All of them are tasty. Although, if I am thinking beans and shanks, I generally choose lamb shanks. This recipe for Lamb Shanks Osso Bucco is a definite favorite of mine, and I make it regularly.

However, when on a search for something a little different, I came across this recipe for Garlicky Turkish Lamb Shank Stew. I was intrigued by the addition of pepperoncini which should add some nice acid and flavor to what can normally be a rather rich dish. Not to mention the Aleppo pepper for some zip…

Not only does this recipe fall into the weekend project category, but this recipe also makes quite a lot. So, feel free to half it or freeze some for an easy home-cooked meal another night.

If you cannot find Aleppo pepper, you can substitute a blend of two parts sweet paprika with one part cayenne…

Garlicky Turkish Lamb Shank Stew with White Beans
Adapted from Real Stew by Clifford A. Wright
Yields 8 to 10 servings Read more…

Chicken Marsala

Dish of Chicken Marsala with mushrooms over penne pasta

Chicken Marsala Two Ways
I have a new favorite pasta. Normally, I swing back and forth between tomato-based pasta dishes and olive oil or garlicky ones. Last night I took one of my favorite recipes for chicken marsala and turned it into a really good mushroomy bowl of pasta.

There is some magic that occurs when you mix mushrooms, butter, and wine. The flavor just can’t be beat. This is why chicken marsala, (or veal if you want to go traditional) is such a good dish. It seems so fancy—but really, it is simply good comfort food.

The recipe below is the marsala recipe I use when I want to do it straight. (I did add garlic to it). Last night, instead of pounding the chicken breasts into cutlets, I cut them into chunks and browned them before moving on to the rest of the instructions as written. I still added my garlic to the pan with the prosciutto and I may or may not have added just a bit more butter than was asked for.

When everything was all done, I spooned the marsala, sauce and all, over some lightly buttered pasta. It was a flavor bomb of umami awesomeness and a perfect start to the new month. Next time I make this I might try to double the amount of liquid and toss everything together.

Definitely try to get a decent bottle of Marsala wine. It will make all the difference.

Chicken Marsala Recipe
Adapted from Tyler Florence and the Food Network
Yields 4 servings

Here is our adapted version of the original recipe (with garlic!). You can also try it over pasta with the variation at the bottom of the recipe. Read more…

Cornish Pasties

Cornish Pasties on a wooden cutting board

Tasty Pasty
Back when I was in high school (or like my kids like to say, when dinosaurs roamed the earth) I had a history teacher that I loved. For some reason that I can no longer remember—but was most likely a lesson on the Gold Rush and the miners that immigrated from all over the world—one afternoon we found ourselves making Cornish Pasties in class.

I am a fan of anything in a flaky crust. And, the savory meat and potatoes pasties were an instant hit. I like them because they are the epitome of comfort food. And, also because they can save you from a night of cooking if you have extras in the freezer. Bonus points for portability.

For some reason, I have seen recipes for Cornish Pasties popping up all over my social media feeds. Maybe it’s the change of the season or maybe it’s a coincidence. But, needless to say, I have had pasty on the brain.

Here is the recipe I use for pasties. The traditional recipe calls for the use of a swede, which is the British term for a rutabaga. My inner petulant child refuses to use rutabaga so I will substitute parsnips or carrots or just up the amount of potato and onion. The recipe calls for rolling these out to rounds of about 7 to 8 inches. Personally, I like to make them a little smaller. Closer to 5 or 6 inches. That way, if I am super hungry, I can eat two.

News flash, I eat two a lot…

I opt for a crust with both butter and shortening. While I like all butter crusts in general, with this I prefer the combo. Try it both ways to see which you prefer.

Amy’s Cornish Pasties Recipe
Yields 4 large or 6 small pasties Read more…