vanilla semifreddo

for mother's day this year, we took the mom to Lucques for lunch. the meal was a delight as always and we finished it off with the semifreddo w/ acacia honey & berries. it was so good we were really close to licking the plate clean!

semifreddo a la Lucques...

if you're familiar with Suzanne Goin's cookbook, Sunday Suppers at Lucques, you know that she has her recipes categorized by season and then organized in menus. each menu offers a starter, 2 choices for a main w/ sides and a dessert. while i was looking up the Green Rice recipe the other day, i was pleasantly suprised to find her semifreddo recipe as part of the same menu.

semifreddo, an italian word, literally means "partially frozen." the whipped eggs make it light and the whipped cream prevents it from freezing completely. this semi-frozen dessert is like a frozen creamy custard. basically, it's like crazy bananas good!! it's a great alternative to making homemade ice cream if you don't have an ice cream maker.

mise en place

vanilla semifreddo
adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques
serves 6-8
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of vanilla powder or 1/2 vanilla bean
3 eggs separated

lightly oil a 9" loaf pan (or any mold of your choice) and line it with plastic wrap. try to smooth it out as much as you can and let the excess plastic drape over the sides.

whip the cream until stiff peaks form. cover and chill while you prepare the other parts.

whip together the egg yolks, vanilla powder (or seeds if using a bean), vanilla extract and half of the sugar, until the mixture is thick, pale and doubled in volume and set aside.

whip the egg whites until frothy. slowly add the remaining sugar and whip until stiff peaks form.

fold the whipped cream into the yolk mixture. once they are well combined, gently fold in the whipped egg whites, a third at a time. you want to do this as gently as possible yet as quick as possible until the mixture is all well combined.

pour the mixture into the mold and tap the pan on the counter 3 times to ensure the mixture is settled and even. place a pieces of plastic wrap over the pan, touching the mixture and smooth it out.

freeze for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. here's where your patience comes into play.

when its ready, it will be frozen yet soft enough to easily yield to a knife.
of course, you can just take a spoon and dig in...

...or invert the semifreddo onto a platter, slice it up and serve drizzled with honey and fresh berries!

bon appétit~!

braised beef short ribs

when i think of braised short ribs, i think of Lucques. it's perhaps my most favorite restaurant in LA. the staff is attentive and friendly. the ambiance is cozy and unpretentious. and the food...the food is spectacular, especially the short ribs. suzanne goin is a culinary genius and it's evident in her seasonal menus. when i learned that her braised short ribs recipe was in her book, Sunday Suppers at Lucques, i knew i had to have and make it myself to enjoy at home.

this dish is so rich and comforting, it's the perfect meal for a cold winter night. however, it's so delicious, you'll be making it all year round.

beef short ribs are wonderfully fat and flavorful which makes them perfect for braising. a long, slow cooking breaks down the connective tissue, leaving the meat so fork-tender, it literally, melts off the bone.

mise en place

**i'm posting the recipe exactly the way i made it which is slightly different from suzanne goin's. if you want her full recipe, buy her book! :) also, i highly suggest making this dish the day before you serve it because as with most braises and stews, it tastes even better the next day.

braised beef short ribs
adapted from sunday suppers at lucques
serves 4 (generously) - 6
6 beef short ribs (3-bone center cut)
fleur de sel & freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
6 cloves garlic
4 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 cups hearty red wine
6 cups beef broth
4 sprigs flat leaf parsley

sauteed swiss chard (recipe below)
your favorite mashed potato/potato puree recipe

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

generously season short ribs with fleur de sel and pepper. place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15-20 mins, until the ribs have taken on a dark brown crust. (**i prefer to roast them in the oven instead of searing them in a skillet because well, it's easier and leaves me with much less of a mess.) remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325.

in a large dutch oven or pot, heat the olive oil. add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme sprigs and bay leaves. cook 6-8 minutes, unitl the vegetables just begin to caramelize. add the balsamic vinegar and wine. turn the heat up to high, and reduce the liquid by half.

add the beef stock and bring to a boil. add the short ribs. the stock mixture should almost cover the ribs. tuck the parsley sprigs in and around the meat. cover tightly with aluminum foil and a tight-fitting lid if you have one. braise in the oven for about 3 hours.

to check the meat for doneness, pierce a short rib with a paring knife. when the meat is done, it will yield easily to a knife. taste a piece if you are not sure.

**if you do this a day before, this is where you can stop. let the pot cool and refrigerate overnight. the fat will solidify on top, making it easy to remove. remove the fat and bring it to a gentle simmer and continue w/ the recipe.

let the ribs rest 10 minutes in their juices, and then remove them from the pot.

strain the broth, pressing down on the vegetables with a ladle to extract all the juices. discard the solids. (if you didn't make it the day before and haven't removed the fat, skim the fat after straining.)

reduce the sauce over medium-high heat until slightly thickened. taste for seasoning. note: i did not need to add any extra salt. add the short ribs back to the sauce and keep warm until ready to serve. serve with swiss chard (recipe below) and mashed potatoes.

swiss chard is a leafy green vegetable, similar to spinach except that it has thick stems. the stems range from white, yellow to red, as mine were. make sure to clean the chard well and remove the leaves from the stems. discard the stems.

sautéed swiss chard
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 bunches swiss chard
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash of freshly cracked pepper
splash of water

tear the swiss chard into large pieces. in a large skillet or sautée pan, heat the olive oil. add half the swiss chard, and cook a minute or two, stirring the greens in the oil to help them wilt. add a splash of water and the second half of greens. season w/ salt and pepper. cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequetly, until the greens are tender.

plate the short ribs with the swiss chard and potatoes and a lot of the sauce!

bon appétit~!