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is a nice cool 55 degree morning: the perfect kind of weather for this Asturian classic of chicken braised A braised pot of perfectly golden chicken, potatoes, ham, and peas, braised in hard cider. Braised Chicken in Hard Cider 6 chicken thighs Onion, diced 3 garlic cloves, minced ¼ lb serrano ham,

I had started these wine-braised short ribs at my house, and then finished them for about an hour or So, while I didn’t make a Sunday Sauce, I stuck with my typical go-to: #Braise Jesus Wine-braised Short If making the cheesy polenta (recipe below), start preparing it with about 30 minutes left in the braise

However, the region she was raised in actually used to be Italian territory. Braised Pork Chops with Savoy Cabbage adapted from Lidia’s Italy, Lidia Bastianich 1 large head of savoy

Lucanian Braised Chicken 2 tbsp evoo 6 chicken thighs Large onion, diced medium 2-3 small dried Calabrian

Today’s stage offering is a lovely, hearty and aromatic Beef Braised in Barolo. The beef, slowly braised in Barolo wine and with some vegetables, is truly rich, and soft but still toothsome Beef Braised in Barolo adapted from, Lidia’s Italy, Lidia Bastianich ~3 lb chuck roast Extra-virgin olive

It’s a nice, rustic, country braise of chicken in aromatics.

Wine-braised Lamb Stew If, like me, you can only find bone-in shoulder, you’ll need to purchase roughly

This being the month of Christmas, a holiday celebrated among 160 of the 195 countries that make up this planet, I’ve decided to do a monthly installment of how various countries around the world celebrate this special holiday in their kitchens and feature their signature holiday meals. Some may be sides, some may be mains, maybe a dessert or two, some may be a festive drink, or even a complete dinner. Only time will tell by which country my girls have randomly pulled out of Santa’s hat. Click here to see all of my “Christmas In…” series from years’ past. I wrap up this series on a cold day where most of the east coast is expecting some wintry weather. In fact this storm path is nearly as long the entire eastern coastline of the US. What better way to thwart the nasty weather, than simmering a pot of deliciousness…and of course, eating it up, too! But, if like me, the incessant cloudy weather has you down and not feeling like cooking all day, this dish comes together fairly quickly. It just tastes like you’ve been cooking it all day. I hope you enjoyed this annual series and I know you’re going to just love this deeply flavored chicken curry from Zimbabwe. Happy holidays to all! Zimbabwean Chicken Curry ¼ cup vegetable oil 1 cinnamon stick 2 green cardamom pods 1 tsp cumin seeds Onion, chopped fine 1 tbsp of minced fresh ginger 6 garlic cloves, minced ½ tsp each of turmeric, coriander, and chili powder ⅔ cup puréed tomato 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs 1 ⅓ cup chicken stock Bay leaf 1 tsp garam masala Roughly chopped fresh cilantro for serving Add the oil to a pot and heat over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to ripple, add in the cinnamon, cardamom, and cumin and toast until fragrant, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add in the onion, with a pinch of salt, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened and adjusting the heat down as necessary. Toss in the ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander, and chili powder and stir to combine until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato purée, seasoning it with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Meanwhile, chop-up the chicken meat and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Once the sauce has cooked down, add the chicken to the pot, return the heat to medium-high, and cook for 3-5 minutes until the chicken is no longer visibly pink. Add in the stock and bay leaf, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat to a rolling boil. Then, cover and lower the heat and simmer for 35 minutes. After 20 minutes, add the garam masala and continue to simmer, uncovered, allowing the liquid to reduce. Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick and serve over rice with some cilantro. ______________________________ Copyright 2024, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.

While the pork braises, heat some vegetable oil in a pot over medium-high heat.

It’s probably the first real braise I ever did. Italian-style Braised Lamb Shanks with Parmesan Polenta 4 lamb shanks Onion, diced Fennel bulb, cored

Hey everyone, it's been a while...4 months to be exact! I've been busy with work and life and trying to repair a snowblower that I seem to neglect year after year. To be fair, I haven't needed to use it for 3 years. But, because I never properly winterized it, I can't use it with this foot of snow we received today...and it's going to snow more tonight. So, I completely understand that not everyone has time and the need to simplify a recipe. While this is very simple, it still does take time. But, you don't need all of the ingredients from my prior post . What's best is that I can enjoy my leftover Guinness...after I shovel! Easy Guinness Beef Stew 3-4 lbs boneless beef chuck roast (or pre-cut stew meat from your butcher/grocer) Vegetable oil 2 yellow onions, diced fine 1 tbsp tomato paste 2 garlic cloves, minced ¼ cup AP flour 1.5 cups each of chicken and beef broth 1.25 cups of Guinness Draught (divided) 1.5 tbsp dark brown sugar 3 sprigs of fresh thyme 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into ½” rounds Fistfull of parsley leaves, minced Trim your beef and cut into rough 2” chunks. Season with Kosher salt and black pepper. Add 2 tbsp of oil to a large dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to ripple, brown the beef for about 8-10 minutes, stirring only 2 times.  Meanwhile, place the oven rack in the lower third and preheat the oven to 325. Once the meat has browned, remove it with a slotted spoon to a plate and reserve. Add another tablespoon of oil and add in the onions with a sprinkle of salt and some black pepper. Cook until browned.  Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and stir until fragrant and paste loosens, about 2 mins.  Sprinkle on the flour, and cook for another minute or so, stirring constantly.  Add in the broth, ¾ cup of the beer, and brown sugar.  Whisk to combine, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 mins, stirring occasionally.  Add the beef, and any drippings, back into the pot along with the thyme. Stir well and let it come to a full simmer. Then, transfer the pot (uncovered) to the oven and bake for 90 minutes, stirring halfway through.  After 90 minutes, stir in the carrots.  Cover and cook for 45-60 minutes, stirring halfway through. Once cooked, remove the thyme sprigs, stir in the parsley, and serve over mashed potatoes. ______________________________ Copyright 2025, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.

2023 Giro d’Italia - Stage 7: Capua to Gran Sasso d’Italia The riders are back up into Abruzzo region, where the race started on Saturday, but far gone is the warm, sunny Amalfi coast. Today, the cyclists will finish on a snow-capped mountain! There will be more of that to come when they’re up in the hinterlands of the country next week, but we get a little preview today. On their way along the Abruzzo plains, where lentils are cultivated, they also passed through Navelli Plateau, also known as the “Kingdom of Saffron!” Given both of the delicious culinary items, a meal could not be easier to imagine than these delicious lentils, cooked slowly in an extremely delicious saffron broth. Lentils in Saffron Stock 1.75 cups green lentils Olive oil Onion, peeled and halved 1.5 oz hunk of premium slab bacon, sliced into ¼” batons ¼ cup dry white wine 2 heavy pinches of saffron threads ~4 cups of warm chicken stock Soak the lentils in water for 6-8 hours. Pour a few tablespoons of oil into a large stainless skillet, set over medium heat, and brown the ham and onion. Once everything is sizzling, add in the drained lentils, stirring and toasting for a few minutes. Stir in the wine, cooking until nearly evaporated. Meanwhile, add the saffron to a gravy ladle or large spoon and place over a medium flame, toasting the saffron and bringing it to life. This will take a minute or two and you don’t want to burn it, so shuffle the threads halfway through. Bring the saffron to your nose and if it smells delicious and floral, you are good-to-go! Stir the saffron into the lentil mixture, then pour in enough stock to cover the lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until tender, about 45 minutes, adding more stock or water, if necessary. Remove the onions from the pan, taste for any seasoning needs and serve immediately. ______________________________ Copyright 2023, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.