The Most Beautiful Beef Borscht

A few weeks ago, we were down in the Australian Alps and had a late lunch with kids and friends at Crackenback Cottage. It was freezing cold, and we all arrived starving and a bit knackered. Any parent will tell you that hunger and exhaustion never brings out the best in children, but the restaurant was warm, they had a big maze outside that kept the kids occupied and we all settled in for a lovely afternoon. On the menu was borscht. As a good Aussie girl, I love beetroot in a way that probably mystifies the rest of the world, so there was no question that I would both order and enjoy this soup. But even that predisposition does not explain how much I loved this soup - it was really fabulous. We asked the waitress to ask the chef if there was any possible way that we could have the recipe. Usually I would never be so cheeky as to ask, but it was that good. The chef replied via the waitress that the recipe came from "Snowflakes and Schnapps" by Jane Lawson.

I had looked briefly at this new cookbook in the shops, but had (stupidly) dismissed it because I thought that we don't get enough cold weather here to justify it. But, on this particular day my luck was in and I got given the book as a present (thankyou!). This is one of those cookbooks that is so pretty, with a gorgeous embossed cover and great handfeel to the paper, it could spend its life sitting on a coffee table looking completely glamourous but never being used. That would be a terrible waste of some wonderful recipes.

The borscht is one of those slow cooked meals that brings to mind the maxim that "all good things take time". My butcher was out of beef short ribs, so I used osso bucco instead, a switch that didn't make any difference to the final soup. I also subbed white cabbage in for red - the beetroot juice means you would never know. The beets and the meat mixture both need two hours to cook separately before being combined. By this stage, the beets are so soft they can be peeled using a knife and fork to lift / cut off the skin. I then grated them in my food processor, rather than deal with random splotches of beetroot juice all over my kitchen from hand grating. The end result is delicious, and I still have two or three tupperwares of the soup in my freezer. Perfect winter sustenance!

I am sending this one over to Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sunday round-up. Head over there on Sunday for a bowl of something good.

Borscht With Horseradish Cream
from "Snowflakes and Schnapps" by Jane Lawson
serves 6-8
600g beetroot
1 tbl olive oil
1kg beef short ribs
1 large brown onion chopped
1 large carrot finely chopped
2 tsps carraway seeds
4 garlic cloves finely chopped 1 tsp ground allspice plus 1/4 tsp extra
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried porcini mushrooms, crumbled
3 litres beef stock
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
1/2 small red cabbage, shredded
1 tbl cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tsp soft brown sugar
1 large handful chopped dill
Horseradish cream
125g sour cream
1 tbl freshly grated horseradish or bottled horseradish

Wash beetroot well, then place in a large saucepan and cover generously with water. Bring to the boil and cook for two hours or until the beetroot are tender through to the centre. Cool the beeroot in the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Cook the beef short ribs in batches until browned all over, then remove to a plate. Add the onion, carrot and carraway seeds to the pot andcook over medium heat until the onion is golden. Add the garlic, 1 tsp allspiceand the bayleaf and cook for 30 seconds. Return the beef to the pan and mix in the mushrooms, stock, tomatoes, cabbage and vinegar. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. Turn off the heat, remove the ribs and allow to cool slightly before shredding the beef and discarding the bones, and returning the beef to the pot.

Remove the beetroot from the cooking liquid, saving it. Peel the beetroot (either wearing gloves or with a knife and fork), then grate (a food processor may be useful here). Pour the cooking liquid through a sieve lined with paper towel to collect any little gritty bits, into the beef pot. Add the beetroot, stir and bring to the boil. Add sugar, extra allspice and sprinkle with dill. Season to taste.

Combine sourcream and horseradish, then serve a dollop on each bowl of soup.

Beef Bourguignon for Julie and Julia

When I worked in TV, the rule of thumb at production meetings was that three examples of something proved it was a trend and therefore a story (one was a fluke, two was a coincidence, but three was a trend). On the basis of this extremely scientific and journalistically thorough (you reckon?) method, I am going to claim a trend in food and cooking saving people from midlife crises. So far in the last year or so, I have read a pile of books that all revolve around a similar theme: bored / sad / lonely person dives into new experiences with food / cooking and emerges happy / healthy / stronger and often in love.



And now this topic is making it to the big screen with the film adaptation of "Julie and Julia". While I haven't seen the movie yet, it is based on the blog by Julie Powell, where she spends a year working through the 500+ recipes in Julia Child's "Mastering The Art of French Cooking". The book is very charming and the movie should stay that way, since it is directed by Nora Ephron. Nora wrote one of my favourite foodie novels ("Heartburn"), a thinly veiled memoir allegedly about the collapse of her marriage to Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame, as well as directing a long line of romantic comedies.


To celebrate the release of the movie, this recipe for Beef Bourguignon was published in the most recent Food Network magazine, and comes from a French restaurant that was a location in the Julie and Julia movie. While I wish I could have travelled to NY to enjoy the beef in situ, it was warm and hearty and delicious for a cold Sydney night. Bon appetit!

Beef Bourguignon
adapted from Food Network

6 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
1.25 kg stewing beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium carrots, diced
2 medium onions, diced
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic
1 sprig fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 10cm piece celery stalk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup brandy
2 cups burgundy, cotes du rhone or other dry red wine
2 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup pearl onions, peeled
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup quartered button mushrooms

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Heat a 6-to-8-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add the bacon and cook until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon to a large plate, leaving the drippings in the pot. Pat the beef dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Add the beef to the pot in a single layer (do this in batches); sear for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown all over. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the plate with the bacon.

Add the carrots and onions to the pot and cook until softened and slightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, make a "bouquet garni": Tie the thyme, bay leaf, garlic, parsley and celery together with twine (nestle the garlic in the celery stalk).
Return the bacon and beef to the pot. Add the flour and stir for a few minutes until the meat is coated. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the brandy and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the red wine; cook until reduced by half again, about 10 more minutes. Add the stock and bouquet garni; bring to a low boil. Stir gently, then cover and transfer to the oven; cook until the meat is tender and cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the pearl onions and cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and 1/4 cup water; cook until the water evaporates and the onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms; cook until slightly softened and golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; set the skillet aside.
Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon. Let the sauce sit for a few minutes, then skim off the fat and discard. Return the meat to the pot. Add the pearl onions and mushrooms; heat through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley. (For better flavor, make the dish a day ahead.)

Old-Fashioned Shepherd's Pie: One for the Kids (and the Big Kids)

Shepherd's pie is one of those recipes that has stood the test of time. I make it for my children, just as my mother made it for me, and I'm pretty sure her mother made it for her as well. There is nothing fancy or trendy or impressive about it, but it is comfort food par excellence. In my opinion, the smell of it cooking works at the same level as a hug or a call from an old friend. A lovely reassurance that regardless of how lousy your week has been, or how bad the Easter weather is or how disappointing your holiday was, some things remain right in the world.

Shepherd's pie is equally popular with the children and the adults in our family. Only my husband, scarred from years of boarding house shepherd's pie with powdered mash on top, took a while to come around to eating it again, but even he enjoys it now too. I like to make shepherd's pie as a one dish meal, so our vegetables for the night are incorporated into the mix. This means that every time I make this recipe, it changes slightly depending on what I have on hand that I want to add. Corn, carrot and peas all work well - and only the carrot needs any pre-cooking (unless you like yours very underdone).

A Large Shepherd's Pie

2 tbls olive oil

1 kg mince (I generally use beef, but feel free to use whatever you prefer)

1 onion, diced

150g bacon, diced

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup BBQ sauce (you could substitute tomato sauce)

1 tbl tomato paste

1/2 cup corn

1/2 cup peas

1/2 cup diced carrots

5 potatoes

milk and butter for the mash

Preheat oven to 180C. Heat oil in a large pan, then add onion and cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add bacon and continue to cook until the bacon starts to render its fat (another couple of minutes). Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add mince and continue to cook until it is browned. Stir in BBQ sauce and tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper. Taste the mixture, and add more sauce or tomato paste if required. Stir in vegetables and warm them through, then tip meat mixture into a large baking dish.

Meanwhile, boil potatoes until they are tender, then mash with milk and butter according to your taste. (I usually use 1/4 - 1/2 cup milk and 1-2 tbls of butter). Spread the mashed potato over the mince mixture. Swirl the tines of a fork through the mash to create a pretty textured top, then put into the oven for 1/2 hour. If top is not golden, put the pie under the grill for a minute to brown - do NOT walk away while you are doing this or you risk burnt pie - the potato toasts very quickly.

Beef - Skewered and Stuffed for Cook The Books

In my dreams, I have always imagined running a bookshop cafe. After all, what could be better than combining a love of food and reading? There used to be a cafe like this near where I lived in my early 20s, and even walking past it made me happy. It was tiny with a very eclectic collection of books, mostly fiction and art books I think, and a charming cafe with great sandwiches and little cakes. It also had stern signs telling you to pay for the books before going to the cafe to read them - too many greasy fingers on expensive art books perhaps! Sadly the cafe disappeared more than 15 years ago, and now the closest we get is a Gloria Jeans outlet inside a Borders bookshop - not the concept in my imagination at all.

So you can understand that when I read about the new Cook The Books club starting, I had to join in. The first book chosen was "La Cucina" by Lily Prior. This is a very light romp of a book, full of unlikely plot twists, love, passion and most importantly, lingering descriptions of the food that Rosa, our hero makes, especially for her lover L'Inglese. I didn't love the book, but I must confess that I read it with one eye on what I would make for this challenge. Ultimately, I decided on braciolettine, the meal prepared at the emotional peak of the novel. Rosa goes to the house where her lover is staying (in my mind it is Cary Grant's grandmother's house in An Affair To Remember). She can't find him, so she goes into the kitchen and puts together a beautiful meal of beef thinly sliced, stuffed and baked. I don't want to spoil your fun, so to find out what happens next, you'll have to read the book!

I really loved this and would make it again, maybe as a starter for a dinner party. Definitely use the hot salami - it gives the stuffing a real lift. Scrumptious.

Instead of following a recipe, I decided to cook it as it is done in the book, so here is Rosa's recipe via Lily Prior and me...

Braciolettine

1 fillet of beef, very chilled (put in freezer for it to start to freeze)

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup parmesan

2 tbl raisins, plumped up in a little hot water for 10 minutes, then drained

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 tomato, chopped

50g hot salami, sliced thinly

50g pecorino, cubed

Tomato passata, to serve

My fillet was quite long so I cut it in three. I then sliced it as thinly as I could horizontally. Very cold meat makes this easier, so either chill or slightly freeze our beef first. You want to finish up with thin slices of beef about 10cm x 15cm.

Gently fry onion in a little olive oil until it is translucent. Remove from the heat, stir in the bread crumbs, parmesan, raisins, pine nuts and tomato. Season to taste.

Take a slice of beef, lay a small slice of salami on top and then add a tablespoon of the onion mixture and a cube of pecorino. Roll up the beef, and secure it with two skewers. Keep adding more beef rolls to the same skewers until they are full (my skewers took about 6 rolls), then start more skewers if you need to.

Lay on an oven tray, brush with oil, and bake at 180C for 30 minutes. I served it with some tomato passata as a sauce.

New Basics Meatloaf - For A Financially Black Week

As global financial markets splutter around the world, a glance back at history tells you that this is historically the worst week of the year. The crash of 1987 began on October 19th, (aka Black Monday), while the crash of 1929 began on October 24, with the worst day of trading on October 29th, (aka Black Tuesday). And the question for us all this week is whether the world economies can pass through this historically "black" week without any further catastrophes. Today everything looks OK, but the picture is changing so quickly at present. Fingers crossed there are no more disasters waiting for us. In any event, this is not a week for caviar and champagne, but a week for reigning in the family budget and rediscovering meatloaf.



As profoundly unfashionable as this will sound, I like meatloaf, both hot and cold, even in a sandwich with chutney. It is the sort of meal, where the leftovers are every bit as good as the original dish. This meatloaf recipe comes from "The New Basics" cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins and they attribute it to a restaurant in Venice California called 72 Market Street. It was apparently named the "ultimate meatloaf" by Vogue magazine (although I find it hard to imagine the models tucking in). Like all good meatloaf should be, it is hearty and wholesome, with lots of vegetables and spices adding flavour. It is also easy to make, although you will give your knife and chopping board a bit of a workout.

Market Street Meatloaf
adapted from "The New Basics" by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins

3 tbls unsalted butter
1 large brown onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions, white and 8cm of green, chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
1/2 red capsicum, chopped
2 tsps minced garlic
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup tomato sauce (ketchup)
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup pouring cream
1 kg beef mince
400g sausage meat (you can squeeze it out of sausages if it is unavailable!)
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375C. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the onions, green onions, carrots, celery, capsicum and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the moisture from the vegetables has evaporated, 10 minutes. Set aside to cool; then refrigerate, covered, until chilled, at least 1 hour.

Combine cayenne, cumin, nutmeg and eggs in a mixing bowl, plus salt and pepper to taste, and beat well. Add the tomato sauce, milk and cream. Blend well. Add the mince, sausage and bread crumbs to the eggs. Then add the vegetables, and mix thoroughly with your hands, kneading for about 5 minutes.

Line a loaf tin with cling wrap. Fill the tin with the mixture, pressing down firmly so your meatloaf becomes loaf shaped, then invert the tin into a baking dish, discarding the cling wrap. Put the baking dish into a larger pan, and fill the large pan with boiling water, until the water reaches halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Place the pan in the oven, being very careful not to spill hot water on yourself. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the water bath, and let the meatloaf rest for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Spaghetti Meatballs For A Cosy Night In

Perhaps more than any other meal, I associate spaghetti meatballs with the movies, specifically The Godfather Part 1. The youngest son of Don Corleone, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) is slowly become more and more enmeshed in the mob, and caporegime Peter Clemenza, in a scene dripping with symbolism, invites Michael to learn how to make meatball sauce. In a nifty shorthand recipe, Clemenza says to him "Heh, come over here, kid, learn something. You never know, you might have to cook for 20 guys someday. You see, you start out with a little bit of oil. Then you fry some garlic. Then you throw in some tomatoes, tomato paste, you fry it; ya make sure it doesn't stick. You get it to a boil; you shove in all your sausage and your meatballs; heh…? And a little bit o' wine. An' a little bit o' sugar, and that's my trick." And it is that easy.

Meatball spaghetti is great comfort food. Tasty, soft, and popular even with the children, I have been making this recipe for close to 20 years. From time to time, I have experimented with other recipes, including one that tricked up the meatballs with pine nuts. But in the end, I think that for this dish at least, simple is way better than fussy. My meatballs aren't any more complicated than Clemenza's, in fact the basic recipe is the same, although I skip the sugar and the tomato paste. And the guns.

Spaghetti Con Polpettine

adapted from "The Top 100 Pasta Sauces" by Diane Seed

For four

2 cloves garlic

400g minced beef

2 small slices white bread, crusts removed

1 tbl parsley

1/2 cup grated fresh parmesan plus more to serve

2 eggs

flour

2 tbl olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 wineglass white wine

400g tinned tomatoes, pureed

1/4 cup stock

Put the garlic and mince in a food processor and whiz until well-combined and the garlic is chopped, then add the bread, parsley and cheese. Whiz again until well-combined. Season to taste. Roll the mince into small balls about the size of a walnut, then roll the balls in a little flour, shaking off excess.

Heat the oil, add the onion until it is soft and translucent. Add the meatballs and cook over a low heat until they are browned on all sides. Shaking the pan regularly will help. Add the wine, bring it to the boil and reduce by half, then add the tomatoes and stock. Cover and cook over a medium low heat for an hour, stirring from time to time. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to your packet directions. Serve sauce over cooked spaghetti with extra parmesan to taste.

Jamie Oliver and Prosciutto-Wrapped Beef Fillet

I was tele-rouletting through the channels the other night when I came across Jamie Oliver doing some one-on-one coaching for a woman who was having some of her girlfriends over for lunch. He helped her design the menu, took her shopping for the produce and then gave her his number so she could phone with any queries as she made the meal. Then, inevitably, he turned up for dessert and flirting. I know Curtis Stone does much the same sort of thing in the US. How do I make this happen to me? Why are there are no TV chefs wandering around my local supermarket when I am looking confused and trying yet again to answer the eternal question*? I need help as much as the next person! Pick me! Pick me!



The sad reality is that the closest I am going to get to Jamie designing a menu for me, is cooking the meal that he made for the lady on his show. And it did look good, and it did seem easy. Unfortunately I was too caught up in my wonderings about TV chefs to pay attention to what he did with the beef, which then forced me to buy the cookbook in question ("Return of the Naked Chef " by Jamie Oliver). He's smart that Jamie Oliver, or at least smarter than me, it would appear. And I can tell you now, that whether or not you have Jamie Oliver in your kitchen or not, this is a simple recipe that looks quite dramatic presented whole to the table, and tastes good too. And if you know Jamie Oliver, would you mind sending him round?



* In case you were wondering, the eternal question is not "what is the meaning of life?", it is "what will I cook the family for dinner?"

Roasted Fillet of Beef Rolled In Herbs and Mushrooms and Wrapped In Prosciutto
adapted from "The Return of the Naked Chef" by Jamie Oliver

12 slices prosciutto

3 cloves garlic

200g mushrooms sauteed in olive oil with one clove garlic until cooked

900g fillet of beef, whole

Fresh chopped rosemary and thyme to taste

2 glasses red wine

Preheat your oven and baking sheet to 230C. Lay prosciutto out on a sheet of baking paper, each slice overlapping slightly, so that you have what looks like a giant sheet of prosciutto with no gaps in it. Spread the mushrooms along the length of the prosciutto. Season the beef fillet and roll it in herbs. Lay the seasoned beef on the prosciutto and, using the baking paper, roll up the meat in the prosciutto. Once rolled, discard the paper and tie the prosciutto on firmly with kitchen string (in about four spots will do).

Put the beef on the pre-heated baking sheet with a couple of cloves of garlic, and cook for 30 mins (medium rare). Halfway through, add red wine to the tray. When the meat is done, allow it to rest for 5 mins. Tip any juices that are released by the beef, back into the tray, mix juices together and serve as a jus over the sliced beef fillet. Serve with greens and mashed potato.

Sukiyaki - The Simple way

Sometimes, late in the day, I just don't feel like doing anything more than grilling a chop...which would be fine, if I hadn't already committed myself to something a little more exotic. Like Saturday, when I suggested sukiyaki for dinner, because I was feeling inspired in the mid-morning. My family loves anything that involves noodles and asian flavours, so it seemed like a good idea. At least until I ran out of puff mid-afternoon, and decided that anything needing a sauce and two pans was too hard (yes I know, v. lazy). However, long faces + mother guilt = making the sukiyaki. No regrets - it was easy, fast and yummy. A definite recommendation for anyone wanting a noodle meal for the whole family. (And sorry the pic isn't better, I was stirring a bit enthusiastically for the noodles!)

The recipe derives from Jill Dupleix's Beef Sukiyaki recipe from her book "Simple Food". Jill is an Australian chef / writer who was The Times Cook in London from 2000-2006, and now freelances and writes cookbooks. I like Jill's recipes, and not just because the quote from her on the back of this book says "I love to cook but not when I could be eating or drinking." Incidentally, in future, I will follow dearest husband's advice re advertising in advance what I will be cooking for the family - "just under-promise, and over-deliver".

Beef Sukiyaki

adapted from "Simple Food" by Jill Dupleix

200g rice noodles

4 spring onions

1 onion, peeled

400g beef fillet

250 ml water

10g instant dashi powder (aka bonito powder - try an Asian supermarket)

3 tbl soy sauce

3 tbls mirin

1 tbl sugar

2 tbl peanut oil

200g green beans, blanched

Pour boiling water over the noodles to cover them and let them stand for 3 minutes to soften. Chop spring onions and onion and slice beef as thinly as possible.

Combine water, dashi powder, soy sauce and mirin in a pot over medium heat. Add sugar and stir gently until dissolved. Rinse the soaked noodles in cold water and leave to drain in a colander.

Heat half the oil and cook all onions until soft (in a wok if you have one, or a large pan). Scrape into sauce pot. Heat the remaining oil and sear the beef slices for about 30 seconds on each side until just cooked, but still pink inside. Remove from heat. Tip sauce, noodles and beans into the wok and simmer for a minute or two. Toss through the beef and serve into warmed bowls or a warmed platter.

I Want The Sizzle and The Steak!!

While I love to eat spicy food, serving it up as a family meal can sometimes be a little fraught. There is often a list of ingredients that is longer than some short stories, a lot of hard work with a mortar and pestle and then a bleat from the youngest: "it's too spicy". Insert rolling of eyes from both mother and daughter.

Enter Kylie Kwong with the solution. This dish (from "Heart and Soul" by Kylie Kwong) is fantastic, a great balance between tasty enough and mild enough to please the various palates around the table. The ingredients are all easily accessible via large supermarkets (or Asian grocers if you have one nearby). Apart from the marinading time, the cooking is quick, so if you can organise yourself to marinade the meat the day before, you can whip this up in no time after a long day.

Sizzling Beef

adapted from "Heart and Soul" by Kylie Kwong

3 tbls shao hsing rice wine (substitute dry sherry if you can't find it)

2 tbls Chinese BBQ sauce

3 tbls peanut oil

1 tsp white sugar

1 1/2 tbls mushroom soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

400g beef fillet cut into 1.5cm thick slices (as this does not cook for long, it is worth getting good quality)

2 small white onions, peeled

6 cm knob ginger finely sliced

4 garlic cloves crushed

1 tsp kecap manis (a sweet thick soy)

Sichuan pepper and salt

1/4 cup lemon juice

Place 2 tbls wine, BBQ sauce, 1 tbl peanut oil, sugar, 2 tsps mushroom soy and 1/4 tsp sesame oil in a large bowl. Add beef, and mix thoroughly so it is coated completely. Cover and refrigerate for two hours.

Cut onions into 2cm wedges, and then separate the layers. Heat remaining peanut oil in a hot wok until the surface starts to shimmer (don't let it get to smoking). Add onion, ginger and garlic and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the beef slices and marinade to the wok, spreading them out so they all sear on one side (ie do not stir fry). After about one minute, or once they are browned, turn them over and sear the other side for another minute. Add remaining wine, kecap manis, soy sauce and sesame oil, and stir fry for one minute, or until the beef is just tender and the flavours are balanced. You can also throw in some green vegetables (maybe beans / snow peas) at this point if you like. Just par cook them first in a little water for a minute or two in the microwave so they are not too crisp.

Arrange beef on a platter sprinkled with Sichuan pepper and salt, and a little extra soy and sesame oil if you like (I forgot and it didn't need it). Serve immediately with some lemon juice, which you can sprinkle to taste.

Beef Casserole for a Cold Night

Sydney has been unseasonably cold this week, with maximums of 14C and worse. While I know that the rest of the world must look at this and laugh, Sydney is almost uniquely unprepared for weather like this. Houses are designed to catch draughts and stay cool, and big open plan rooms are sometimes hard to heat. To make matters worse, the shops are already stocking what they call "first summer"; nothing makes me feel colder than looking at little cotton tees in July.

So, it is weather like this that makes me want to stay home, do the crossword and put something in the oven for a few hours. I am convinced that a casserole helps warm the room as well as providing dinner, or maybe I have just been seduced by the fabulous smell that drifts from my kitchen when I leave something cooking for a couple of hours...

This recipe comes from Belinda Jeffrey's 100 Favourite Recipes. It is what I consider to be a lovely old-fashioned tasty casserole; the sort my mother used to make at this time of year. It serves 4-6 depending on your appetite, so I usually have a nice box of it to freeze, and it does freeze well. It is also very easy to reheat, if you are the type to cook on a Sunday afternoon for the following week. Hope this makes you nice and warm!

Beef, Mushroom and Red Wine Casserole
adapted from Belinda Jeffrey's 100 Favourite Recipes
2 tbls olive oil
350 g slab of bacon cut into small chunks, rind reserved
1.5kg blade or chuck steak cut into 5cm cubes
1 large onion, finely diced
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 1/2 tbls plain flour
2 tbls brandy
2 cups red wine (Belinda suggests Shiraz)
1 bay leaf
2 tsps fresh thyme
2 1/2 cups chicken or veal stock
olive oil
18 spring or pickling onions
250g button mushrooms

Preheat the oven to 180C. Heat the oil in a casserole pot, then add the bacon and fry gently until it is pale golden. Remove from the pot and put aside.

Increase the heat and add some of the beef chunks. Fry the beef in batches until it is browned all over. Remove beef from the pot and put aside. Reduce the heat a little and add onion and garlic (and a little more olive oil if you need it). Cook these for a few minutes until they start to smell fantastic and the onion is becoming translucent. Next, sprinkle on the flour and cook it, stirring constantly, for another couple of minutes.

Return the beef to the casserole pot, and toss it with onion, garlic and flour. Pour in the brandy and red wine, and give it all a good stir. Scrape up any of the nice brown bits from the bottom of the pan for extra flavour. Add the bacon chunks, rind, bay leaf, thyme and a grinding of black pepper to taste. Pour in enough stock to cover the meat, then press a piece of baking paper onto the surface. (This will keep the pieces of meat at the top of the casserole nice and moist; they can get a bit dry and tough otherwise.) Cover the dish tightly, then put it in the oven and cook it for two hours.

After 1 1/2 hours, heat a little oil in a frying pan, and saute the onions until they are golden, then set aside and saute the mushrooms. Stir onions and mushrooms into the casserole, then return it to the oven for another 15 minutes or so. When the casserole is ready remove from the oven and scoop out the bacon rind and the bay leaf. Garnish with a little parsley, and serve with potatoes and salad.

++ Instead of serving with potatoes on the side, I like to cook potatoes and then add to the casserole with the onions and mushrooms. I love the way they sop up the juices!