Vegan here, thanks for the invite! I look forward to adapting this incredibly rich and comforting recipe in some way and I will think of you gratefully when I do!
There are quite a few recipes online for beans bourguignon. One calls for tempeh, another for barley. I like the looks of this one. The pearl onions would be a nice addition to any of them. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/mushroom-bean-bourguignon/
Anna, I just read that a vegan winery in Prince Edward County (Ontario) is serving plant-based charcuterie boards and "faux" gras. On a cosmic note, I just shared a list of 50 things to do for my 50th birthday. "Stop collecting recipes that fuel unrealistic fantasies. For example: Filipino spring rolls, gingerbread-crusted bacon, Mexican chilaquiles, jerk jackfruit roti." And here you are, She's Gone Chilaquiles!
The magic door of this essay transported be back to second grade, when Mrs. Smallwood calmed our bodies after recess by reading aloud Five Children and It, and James and the Giant Peach. And then to junior high, when I discovered you're never too old to go to Narnia. And high school, where, working in the library, I found Jacqueline Jackson's Turn Not Pale, Beloved Snail, a guidebook to a writing life with frequent references to The Phantom Tollbooth. Thanks for having me to your party.
My favourite cooking experience is an annual event held with my Italian friends. Two weeks ago, as we do every September, we gathered to take advantage of the season’s bounty. We talked and laughed as we turned bushels of sun-kissed tomatoes into a beautiful sauce that tastes like it was made by Mother Nature herself. Afterward, we had a pasta dinner (using our sauce, of course!) and toasted another successful year of 'sauce production'. The best part is I have dozens of Mason jars of our gorgeous sauce to use throughout the year.
Beef cheeks. I don't know that I've ever seen them at my neighborhood butcher, but I'm going to ask. Jacob's Meat Market is a third-generation neighborhood butcher and the first day I shopped there the butcher asked me what I thought of "Erin Rogers" and I had no idea who she was. Close enough to Green Bay, my opinion on Aaron Rodgers, the Packers quarterback, mattered. The butcher makes and sells their own Swedish potato sausage. Chef's kiss.
You betcha. Grandma Swenson used to make her own Swedish sausage. I watched as a kid. She'd use her own meat grinder and tell me it was all about the cut of meat. So I think you're on to something important with the beef cheeks for this recipe. Did I mention I drooled when reading this?
Are those the sausages called "potatiskorv?" A local butcher of Swedish ancestry used to make them at Christmas time and always gave us some frozen for enjoying later.
Jill, I get my Swedish sausage from Ingebretsen’s. I’m glad that I live close by! I have the kind of potato ricer you mention. It’s great. But my dad had one of those cone-shaped ones that stood on a tripod on the counter. You pushed the potatoes through with a big pointed wooden pestle. He made the lefse. My brother ended up with it, curse him. But my brother makes the lefse, so I guess it’s fair.
Rona! Beef cheeks, crimini mushrooms, and a clever way to do pearl onions. And the Parmesan rind. Now I know what to do with mine: keep them in the freezer. Did I mention that I’m coming to dinner at your house next Sunday? Thank you so, so much for inviting me! 🙏💕
Mary, the Parmesan rinds add flavor to all kinds of things. And I should tell you out-of-towners always get invited to dinner. I am otherwise lazy about hosting guests in what I laughingly call the real world.
Your recipe had my mouth watering but I have to confess I'd never heard of beef cheeks. And, another confession, my husband and I gave up beef several years ago, partly due to health concerns, partly to planetary concerns. However, I will also admit to waking from a dream, feeling teary I might add, of being at my long passed mother's house for Sunday dinner and I swear I could smell the roast beef.
I was also late to the party but that's to be expected too. If I can make a request---I'd like to see a post (and photo) of where you really simmer and cook. Your desk or nook or kitchen island---wherever you stop the clock and crank out the wonderful.
Thanks, Rona. I just granted Kim her one-week pre-trip allowance of covering the island in stuff for our upcoming trip. So, it's not photogenic at the moment but we are both hyper about that normally. I want to see where you write! Despite having a proper desk and surrounds, I am always here at the dining table (not dining room as we are open concept) so I can take everything in, inside and out.
The conflict between everything and creativity, obligations and cooking, is so very daunting! Thank you for the lovely post and the recipe. I picked up the supplies for white bean chili today. I love soup and chili season!
I cannot believe it has been eleven months since you joined substack. Your dinner party sounds divine. My contribution would need to be a stove-top confection as I have been without an oven for sixteen months. Just can't get around to shopping for a new one. My daughter wants us to go induction; I don't know if I'm up to acquiring new skills, so my husband and I work at perfecting stovetop cooking. No decision required at this time. :)
I just learned from a friend that if you have a pacemaker, induction stovetops pose a risk. Something I'd never thought about! She always pulls out a hot plate and electric skillet when her mother visits (and cooks, how convenient!).
Well, Rona, first, we have nearly identical sofas, but to the serious business, I come with appetite and heightened gustatory appreciation, but I'm only somewhat above rudimentary in my refined cooking skills -- that recipe in its range and specificity might as well be the formula charting escape velocity from the earth's atmosphere for me -- so you'll have to let us know when you jar or can it. Looks yummy, though!
Oh Beef Bourguinon. The first time I made it was in Mexico. It was our BFF's birthday, and though we had him over every Monday eve for dinner--our night off--we also, of course, had to have him over for his birthday. I magnanimously told him, "I'll cook whatever you want, Roberto!" It was the Beef-B. Oh, dear, it simply took me forever to cook it--and now in reviewing your recipe, I have no reason why it seemed such a chore. But it truly was. I slaved over it (maybe it was those onions--tough to find in MX). All the other ingredients and processes seem normal. But it was a humdinger of a moment for me. It turned out fine, we ate a bit late as I recall. He loved it, and sheepishly asked, was if it was hard to make. I denied it of course, but being our BFF, he knew he had crossed a bridge too far ): Paul, my husband usually did the Mon. night dinners, always good old reliables. The offbeat was left to me. But we truly loved Roberto (RIP) as he was such a gentleman, connoisseur, epitome of kindness, MX mentor extraordinaire, and raconteur that we thought nothing of making him his heart's desire. Plus he was French on his father's side, and think he was hankering for a little 'je ne sai quoi."
Well, it actually does take forever on top of the stove or in the oven, even if you're using a regular stewing cut. And you have to make sure it's simmering gently. Lots of babysitting. A lovely offering to a special friend.
The first and last time I served Beef bourguignon was 50 years when I was a young wife /mother living in Virginia Beach. I loved having dinner parties at that time of my life and always experimented on my family first. My children, now adults, still shudder when they think back to the days of Lobster Bisque. That was too much for them and their father was a stickler on finishing everything on your plate and for that reason, the memory remains strong. :) I always love how your words stir up old memories for me.
I make a mean lemon square and fabulous key lime pie. May I come to the party, pleeeeeze?
It wouldn’t be a party without you, and your citrus theme makes my mouth pucker with anticipation.
Woohoo! xoxo
Vegan here, thanks for the invite! I look forward to adapting this incredibly rich and comforting recipe in some way and I will think of you gratefully when I do!
There are quite a few recipes online for beans bourguignon. One calls for tempeh, another for barley. I like the looks of this one. The pearl onions would be a nice addition to any of them. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/mushroom-bean-bourguignon/
I'm a vegan too, most of the time. But today I'll take the beef. Old seventies saying... If yer gonna go, go all out : )
Anna, I just read that a vegan winery in Prince Edward County (Ontario) is serving plant-based charcuterie boards and "faux" gras. On a cosmic note, I just shared a list of 50 things to do for my 50th birthday. "Stop collecting recipes that fuel unrealistic fantasies. For example: Filipino spring rolls, gingerbread-crusted bacon, Mexican chilaquiles, jerk jackfruit roti." And here you are, She's Gone Chilaquiles!
The magic door of this essay transported be back to second grade, when Mrs. Smallwood calmed our bodies after recess by reading aloud Five Children and It, and James and the Giant Peach. And then to junior high, when I discovered you're never too old to go to Narnia. And high school, where, working in the library, I found Jacqueline Jackson's Turn Not Pale, Beloved Snail, a guidebook to a writing life with frequent references to The Phantom Tollbooth. Thanks for having me to your party.
Bookish conversation enlivens any party, don’t you think? I don’t know Turn Not Pale, Beloved Snail, but the title makes me a believer.
My favourite cooking experience is an annual event held with my Italian friends. Two weeks ago, as we do every September, we gathered to take advantage of the season’s bounty. We talked and laughed as we turned bushels of sun-kissed tomatoes into a beautiful sauce that tastes like it was made by Mother Nature herself. Afterward, we had a pasta dinner (using our sauce, of course!) and toasted another successful year of 'sauce production'. The best part is I have dozens of Mason jars of our gorgeous sauce to use throughout the year.
Oh, I’m envious. That luscious tomato-y sauce, but also the fun of making it with friends. Many hands make light work, as the saying goes.
Beef cheeks. I don't know that I've ever seen them at my neighborhood butcher, but I'm going to ask. Jacob's Meat Market is a third-generation neighborhood butcher and the first day I shopped there the butcher asked me what I thought of "Erin Rogers" and I had no idea who she was. Close enough to Green Bay, my opinion on Aaron Rodgers, the Packers quarterback, mattered. The butcher makes and sells their own Swedish potato sausage. Chef's kiss.
This butcher sounds like one of the good ones. I bet if you ask, he can get them for you. I'm a fan of housemade sausage and like the sound of his.
You betcha. Grandma Swenson used to make her own Swedish sausage. I watched as a kid. She'd use her own meat grinder and tell me it was all about the cut of meat. So I think you're on to something important with the beef cheeks for this recipe. Did I mention I drooled when reading this?
An eater after my own heart! Did Grandma Swenson use filler? The cheap ones are full of it, reminding me of sloppy writing.
Are those the sausages called "potatiskorv?" A local butcher of Swedish ancestry used to make them at Christmas time and always gave us some frozen for enjoying later.
Swedish sausage has no filler, but the meat is mixed with potato. I still have her potato ricer. Handy gadget; like an oversized garlic press.
Jill, I get my Swedish sausage from Ingebretsen’s. I’m glad that I live close by! I have the kind of potato ricer you mention. It’s great. But my dad had one of those cone-shaped ones that stood on a tripod on the counter. You pushed the potatoes through with a big pointed wooden pestle. He made the lefse. My brother ended up with it, curse him. But my brother makes the lefse, so I guess it’s fair.
Rona! Beef cheeks, crimini mushrooms, and a clever way to do pearl onions. And the Parmesan rind. Now I know what to do with mine: keep them in the freezer. Did I mention that I’m coming to dinner at your house next Sunday? Thank you so, so much for inviting me! 🙏💕
Mary, the Parmesan rinds add flavor to all kinds of things. And I should tell you out-of-towners always get invited to dinner. I am otherwise lazy about hosting guests in what I laughingly call the real world.
I am so hungry NOW.
Bingo on the dual duty of the potato ricer for the lefse. I've seen those larger contraptions. I'm bringing my appetite!
Thank you for this beef recipe. I plan to make it this week. 😘
Oh, good! It’s a keeper.
Your recipe had my mouth watering but I have to confess I'd never heard of beef cheeks. And, another confession, my husband and I gave up beef several years ago, partly due to health concerns, partly to planetary concerns. However, I will also admit to waking from a dream, feeling teary I might add, of being at my long passed mother's house for Sunday dinner and I swear I could smell the roast beef.
Judy, very few have heard of beef cheeks, and I completely understand why many are not eating beef in any form. But oh, the flavor and aroma!
I can imagine! No Beyond meat can ever replicate it.
Rona, I loved the bouquet garni-esque intro that deepened the mood and flavours of your bourguignon. Thank you for the invite and the visuals (I'd like to sit for a few minutes and look through your handsome coffee table stacks). Now I'm wondering about the soundtrack---what would suit the convo and free pour of Chilean cab? This recipe is one I'd leave to the experts (you) and I had better bring something for Casey. Maybe a lemon ice pop cooling toy? https://www.petvalu.ca/product/gf-pet-lemon-ice-pop-cooling-toy/SCM09750?skuid=Y1215&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxsm3BhDrARIsAMtVz6O-oQBIi7t5V-uzzxwdm2XuvJ6W4d4A3-gfedFEuM4yJeP0r-jhxiQaAnKrEALw_wcB
Glad you got into the spirit, Jules. I thought you would.
I was also late to the party but that's to be expected too. If I can make a request---I'd like to see a post (and photo) of where you really simmer and cook. Your desk or nook or kitchen island---wherever you stop the clock and crank out the wonderful.
I do wish Substack allowed photos in comments. Btw, my kitchen, unlike yours, is not at all photogenic.
Thanks, Rona. I just granted Kim her one-week pre-trip allowance of covering the island in stuff for our upcoming trip. So, it's not photogenic at the moment but we are both hyper about that normally. I want to see where you write! Despite having a proper desk and surrounds, I am always here at the dining table (not dining room as we are open concept) so I can take everything in, inside and out.
HALF MAGIC! How I loved that book. ❤️
I recently reread it. Still great fun.
The conflict between everything and creativity, obligations and cooking, is so very daunting! Thank you for the lovely post and the recipe. I picked up the supplies for white bean chili today. I love soup and chili season!
Around here, it’s always chili season and I make it quite a few ways.
Hi Rona. Thanks for the gorgeous recipes. My mouth is watering.
I hope it makes you happy.
What a feast! What a host! What a wonderful gathering you’ve created! And oh my god, that looks delicious.
And how about that dessert smorgasbord from the giests?
I cannot believe it has been eleven months since you joined substack. Your dinner party sounds divine. My contribution would need to be a stove-top confection as I have been without an oven for sixteen months. Just can't get around to shopping for a new one. My daughter wants us to go induction; I don't know if I'm up to acquiring new skills, so my husband and I work at perfecting stovetop cooking. No decision required at this time. :)
Just bring yourself! I couldn’t stand to be without an oven for a month, let alone 16. Induction gets my vote.
I just learned from a friend that if you have a pacemaker, induction stovetops pose a risk. Something I'd never thought about! She always pulls out a hot plate and electric skillet when her mother visits (and cooks, how convenient!).
I had no idea.
Well, Rona, first, we have nearly identical sofas, but to the serious business, I come with appetite and heightened gustatory appreciation, but I'm only somewhat above rudimentary in my refined cooking skills -- that recipe in its range and specificity might as well be the formula charting escape velocity from the earth's atmosphere for me -- so you'll have to let us know when you jar or can it. Looks yummy, though!
Jay, if you’re ever in Toronto, you can sit on my sofa and it will be just like home while I plate your beef cheeks.
It's been decades since I was in Toronto. There's a lure! :)
Oh Beef Bourguinon. The first time I made it was in Mexico. It was our BFF's birthday, and though we had him over every Monday eve for dinner--our night off--we also, of course, had to have him over for his birthday. I magnanimously told him, "I'll cook whatever you want, Roberto!" It was the Beef-B. Oh, dear, it simply took me forever to cook it--and now in reviewing your recipe, I have no reason why it seemed such a chore. But it truly was. I slaved over it (maybe it was those onions--tough to find in MX). All the other ingredients and processes seem normal. But it was a humdinger of a moment for me. It turned out fine, we ate a bit late as I recall. He loved it, and sheepishly asked, was if it was hard to make. I denied it of course, but being our BFF, he knew he had crossed a bridge too far ): Paul, my husband usually did the Mon. night dinners, always good old reliables. The offbeat was left to me. But we truly loved Roberto (RIP) as he was such a gentleman, connoisseur, epitome of kindness, MX mentor extraordinaire, and raconteur that we thought nothing of making him his heart's desire. Plus he was French on his father's side, and think he was hankering for a little 'je ne sai quoi."
Well, it actually does take forever on top of the stove or in the oven, even if you're using a regular stewing cut. And you have to make sure it's simmering gently. Lots of babysitting. A lovely offering to a special friend.
The first and last time I served Beef bourguignon was 50 years when I was a young wife /mother living in Virginia Beach. I loved having dinner parties at that time of my life and always experimented on my family first. My children, now adults, still shudder when they think back to the days of Lobster Bisque. That was too much for them and their father was a stickler on finishing everything on your plate and for that reason, the memory remains strong. :) I always love how your words stir up old memories for me.
Maybe it’s time to cook another bourguignon, Vi. Glad to awaken flavorful memories.
Absolutely! I'll try this recipe and get back to you. I think time is critical and waiting another 50 years is highly improbable! :)