I have a confession to make. I am a hoarder.

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1 1 of 5 1/3/ :24 AM Having trouble viewing this ? Click here Volume 3 Issue 1 January 4, 2013 If you suspect that the lid on your roaster or Dutch oven isn't tight enough to hold the condensation in, cover the roaster with foil before putting the lid on. Try the Le Creuset Dutch Oven for your braising adventures. The Le Creuset outlet in Silverthorne can save you a bundle on these best-of-breed Dutch ovens. I have a confession to make. I am a hoarder. I hoard recipes. I print from websites, tear from magazines, collect, stack, file, and keep forever, recipes that excite me when I read them. I have multiple copies of the same Mary Fabrikant recipe, printed again when I can't quickly find the original (or the second or third printing), and five slightly different recipes for similar versions of Provencal Braised Lamb Shanks with Red Wine and Thyme. I have recipe archives, dating back to recipes culled from my 1985 Gourmet magazines. Looking at those old magazine pages it seems that cooking styles have sure changed in the last 27 years! Or have they? In the last two years I have come to the realization that while cooking fashions change, cooking itself does not. I do need those recipes to inspire me to try flavor or fusions I haven't thought of, and to remind me of old favorites I've forgotten, but I don't need them to cook. The actual cooking techniques have not varied, nor will they in the coming 27 years. Why? The basic tenets of cooking don't change, because the chemical changes of foods when exposed to heat (i.e. cooking) don't change. So, once I understood this, did cooking become more boring, because there was nothing new to discover? On the contrary. It became even more interesting. I was able to spend my time concentrating on those techniques

2 ow and Slow: Secrets of Braising January 4, 2013 Newsletter of 5 1/3/ :24 AM The Locavore Empire of Anya Fernald Beef Shank Sauce Over Polenta What People Are Saying... "Mary is an excellent caterer with an eye for detail and a great sense of creativity." (beautifully caramelized sautés, silky sauces superbly seasoned, fork-tender meats that really do fall apart), rather than refer to a recipe 15 times in the course of cooking. In this season of comfort foods I want you to have that same understanding of chemical change in braising, the technique that produces, in my opinion, the ultimate winter comfort foods. I've got a brisket recipe, and one of the above-mentioned Lamb Shank recipes for you, which both illustrate the same points about braising in slightly different ways. Once you know WHY you're being instructed by a recipe to do things a certain way, you can let the recipes go and cook without them. You're going to love these soft, silky, rich-tasting dishes! ~ Steve W. "Mary is a really talented culinary expert. She brings an earthy sensibility to her work. Her dishes are beautifully prepared with care, and it really showed." ~Heather L. Follow Us! Need help with this week's recipe(s)? Get advice and tips from Mary about this week's recipe by mary@laviecatering.com. Visit La Vie's Website Produce the Ultimate Comfort Food with Braising Braising produces the ultimate in comfort food - butter-soft beef, chicken and lamb and accompanying vegetables. Serve these meats over noodles, soft polenta, or alongside mashed potatoes, and it's cold-weather heaven. Similar to stewing, braising uses less liquid and is frequently done in the oven rather than on the stovetop. For a concise definition of braising, and why it's the perfect cooking method for some cuts of meat, we head to Wikipedia (bolded text is my own addition): "Braising is a combination cooking method using both moist and dry heat; typically the food is first seared at a high temperature and then finished in a heavy covered pot (like a Dutch oven) with a variable amount of liquid, resulting in a particular flavor. Braising of meat is often referred to as pot roasting, though some authors make a distinction between the two methods based on whether additional liquid is added.

3 3 of 5 1/3/ :24 AM "Braising relies on heat, time, and moisture to break down the tough connective tissue collagen in meat, making it an ideal way to cook tougher cuts. Many classic braised dishes such as coq au vin are highly evolved methods of cooking tough and otherwise unpalatable foods. Pressure cooking and slow cooking (e.g., crockpots) are forms of braising. "Most braises follow the same basic steps. The food to be braised (meat, poultry, but also vegetables or mushrooms) is first seared to brown its surface and enhance its flavor (through a process known as the Maillard reaction). If the food will not produce enough liquid of its own, a small amount of cooking liquid that often includes an acidic element, such as tomatoes, beer, or wine, is added to the pot, often with stock. Classically a braise is done with a relatively whole cut of meat, and the braising liquid will come 2/3 of the way up the side of the product in the pot. The dish is cooked covered at a very low simmer until the meat is fork tender. (I cook my brisket overnight, for 6-7 hours at 250 degrees.) Often the cooking liquid is finished to create a sauce or gravy. "Sometimes foods with high water content (particularly vegetables) can be cooked in their own juices and no extra liquid is required. "A successful braise intermingles the flavors of the foods being cooked and the cooking liquid. This cooking method dissolves collagen from the meat into gelatin, to enrich and add body to the liquid. Braising is economical, as it allows the use of tough and inexpensive cuts, and efficient, as it often employs a single pot to cook an entire meal." Let's get clear about those unnamed "tough and inexpensive" cuts of meat. I call them "working muscles". They're the ones the animal uses to walk around and do work...in the case of beef, the Shank, the Brisket, the Plate and the Chuck from the front half of the cow, and the Round from the rear half. Take a look at this chart, which clearly shows those major cuts, as well as breaking them down into the various roasts and steaks that come from these "working" areas. (Ah...I hear you ask, "What about the cuts of beef like the Rib and the Loin that are just along for the ride? What do we do with those?". Those, my dear reader, are the cuts you use with short, higher-heat cooking methods like grilling. They are already tender to begin with, as they have not done been exercised at all, and

4 4 of 5 1/3/ :24 AM don't require the tenderizing low-and-slow method of braising.) Recipe: Braised Lamb Shanks with Garlic and Rosemary This recipe is written for the slow cooker, but could just as easily be done in a Dutch oven. If you choose the oven method, follow the second set of preparation instructions. The flavors in this dish improve overnight, so the lamb can easily be made the day before and reheated in the sauce before serving. INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 cup dry red wine 2 heaping tablespoons whole grain mustard 2 t. kosher or coarse sea salt 1 t. freshly ground black pepper 2 T. olive oil 2 large yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped 2 fennel bulbs, stems and fronds removed, julienned 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices 15 gloves garlic, peeled and minced 5-6 pounds lamb shanks, not trimmed of fat (1) 15 oz can diced tomatoes 3 sprigs fresh rosemary Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon DIRECTIONS (slow cooker): 1. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 c. red wine, mustard, salt, and pepper and place in the insert of the slow cooker. 2. Heat 2 T. oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Sear lamb shanks on all sides until well-browned. Remove and add to slow cooker insert. Click here to view and print the entire recipe. MORE RECIPES... Click on the links below to view and print these delicious recipes! Hameem Italian Style Braised Roast

5 5 of 5 1/3/ :24 AM This year host the SUPER BOWL PARTY ever! Pick up our Authentic Salsa Trio (including our Best Ever Cranberry Salsa), Parmesan Flans, Cranberry Cashew Crusted Goat Log, Cutie Pies (Lemon Chess, Chocolate and Pecan), Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake, Chili and all the Fixin's......and more! 10% off your entire order when booked by January 12, Call Mary at Please call us at to discuss your catering needs. WANT TO USE THIS INFORMATION IN YOUR E-ZINE OR OTHER PUBLICATION? Please do! As long as you don't change any of the content, you attribute the information to us, and put a link to our website when you use it, we'd be happy for you to use it! ~~~ You are receiving this newsletter because you have a prior relationship with me or with others at La Vie Catering. Please accept my apologies if it was sent to you in error. Simply click the SafeUnsubscribe link at the bottom of this and you will be removed from our list permanently. Your privacy is important to us. We will never ever rent, sell, or share, your information with anybody. We promise. Copyright 2012 La Vie Catering. All Rights Reserved. Forward This was sent to mary@canteencatering.com by mary@laviecatering.com Update Profile/ Address Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe Privacy Policy. La Vie Catering 260 S. Locust St. Denver CO 80224