Baking a better life

Check out our other blog, Zayante Zeal, which chronicles our adventures in combining our lives (at last!) in our new kitchen (and house on a few acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains):

Red wine-braised beef shanks with mushrooms

Vegetable oil	3 tablespoons
Beef shanks, 1-inch thick	4 (3 pounds)
Paprika	2 ½ tablespoons
Salt	2 tablespoons
Garlic powder	1 tablespoon
Black pepper, freshly ground	1 tablespoon
Onion powder	1 tablespoon
Cayenne	1 tablespoon
Oregano, dried	1 tablespoon
Thyme, dried	1 tablespoon
Onions, large, finely chopped	2
Celery ribs, finely chopped	2
Carrots, large, finely chopped	2
Mushrooms, button, stems trimmed	½ pound
Garlic cloves, minced	8
Bay leaves	3
Thyme sprigs	8
Rosemary sprigs	2
Wine, red, dry	2 ½ cups
Tomato paste	3 tablespoons
Tomatoes, crushed	15 ounces
Beef stock	2 cups
Basil, fresh, chopped	¼ cup
Parsley, fresh, chopped	¼ cup
Red pepper, crushed	¼ teaspoon
Salt	1 ½ teaspoons
Black pepper, freshly ground	¼ teaspoon

1. Combine paprika, salt, garlic powder, pepper, onion powder, cayenne, oregano, and thyme.
2. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over high heat until very hot.
3. Season shanks on both sides with the seasoning mixture; transfer to Dutch oven, and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
4. Transfer shanks to a plate, and set aside.
5. Add onion, celery, carrots, and mushrooms to the Dutch oven, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and are beginning to caramelize, about 7 minutes.
6. Add garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary, and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Add wine, and stir well with a wooden spoon, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any bits.
8. Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, beef stock, basil, parsley, red pepper, salt, and black pepper, and stir well to combine.
9. Return shanks to the Dutch oven, and bring sauce to a boil.
10. Cover Dutch oven, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for 5 hours, stirring occasionally, or until shanks are tender.
11. Taste, and adjust with seasonings, if necessary.

Recipe by Emeril Lagasse.

volitional viands

"Pink pork won't kill you according to the USDA" by The_Stir.

Pot-roasted pork with root vegetables and apples

Butter	2 tablespoons
Bacon, finely chopped	5 stripes
Onions, quartered	2
Carrots, coarsely chopped	3
Parsnips, coarsely chopped	3
Garlic cloves, smashed	6
Pork leg or shoulder roast	2 pounds
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground
Apple juice or cider	2 cups
Apples, peeled, cored, coarsely chopped	2

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add bacon, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until well browned.
4. Remove bacon from the skillet with a slotted spoon, and transfer it to a baking dish large enough to hold the roast, with room to spare.
5. Place onions, carrots, parsnips, and garlic into the skillet with the remaining butter and bacon grease, and cook for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring frequently, or until well browned.
6. Remove the vegetables from the skillet with a slotted spoon, and transfer to the baking dish, stirring to mix with the bacon.
7. Remove the twine from the pork, and season it generously with salt and pepper.
8. Place the pork in the same skillet, raise heat to high, and cook, adding more butter if necessary, for 4 to 6 minutes, turning frequently, until browned on all sides.
9. Transfer the pork to the baking dish.
10. Deglaze the skillet with the apple juice, letting it boil for 3 to 4 minutes to reduce slightly.
11. Place the apples in the baking dish around the pork.
12. Drizzle the reduced apple juice over the top.
13. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes.
14. Reduce heat to 275°F, cover the dish, and roast for about 1 hour more, or until the meat is tender.
15. Remove the meat from the dish, let sit for 5 minutes, and then carve.

Recipe from The Country Cooking of Ireland by Colman Andrews.

Grandma Miller's pies