Ingredients

For 8 servings:
- 1 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 sprig fresh parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 10 whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds cubed beef chuck roast
- 4 Tablespoon of Olive oil
- 1/4 pound bacon, cubed
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the wine, cognac, onions, carrots, parsley, bay leaf, garlic, peppercorns and salt. Mix well and add the cubed beef. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
2. The next day, strain the meat from the vegetables and marinade; reserve marinade. Dry meat with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large tall pot over medium high heat. Add the meat and saute for 10 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Transfer meat to a separate medium bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. In the same pot, add the bacon and saute until lightly browned. Transfer the bacon to the bowl with the meat. Drain the pot and return it to the heat. Pour a cup of marinade into the pot to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom to loosen up all the little bits. Return this liquid to the reserved marinade.
4. Heat some olive oil in the pot. Add the onion and carrot from the marinade, along with the additional onion that you’ve chopped, and saute for 5 minutes, or until tender. Transfer this mixture to the bowl with the meat and bacon, again using a slotted spoon, and return pot to the heat. Add the flour to the pot, combining with the oil and stir until well mixed and brown, about 2 minutes.
5. Now add the tomato paste, garlic, beef broth, reserved marinade and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and whisk to remove any flour lumps.
6. Now pour the meat and vegetable mixture into the pot and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low heat, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. About 15 minutes before meat is done baking, melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. When meat is done, add the mushrooms to the meat mixture, stir well and let sit for about 15 minutes.

You can reheat the stew if you don’t finish in one sitting. It only gets better over time.

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1. Pear Almond Torte

For the Torte:
- 1/3 cup, plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup Almond Paste
- 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 eggs
- 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

For Topping:
- 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
- 1 teaspoon water

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Generously grease a 10-inch cake or tart pan with butter and sprinkle on 1 Tablespoon of the sugar. Set aside.

Over medium-high heat, bring water, sugar, and lemon juice to boil in large saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add pears. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes or until the pears are very tender, stirring occasionally. Cool pears in syrup. (This can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate.)

Mix the almond paste and 1/3 cup of the sugar. Add the butter and mix until completely incorporated.
Beat in the eggs. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, mixing until just combined.
Pour the batter into the pan, spreading evenly with a spatula.

Stem pears and cut each in half lengthwise; scoop out cores. Cut each half into thin slices. Arrange the pears, in a circular pattern covering the entire surface of the batter, slightly overlapping. Place smaller slices in the center.

Bake until the batter puffs up, the edges are golden brown and a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 – 35 minutes.

In a small saucepan combine the apricot preserves and water and heat until it becomes translucent and loose. Brush the apricot glaze over the entire top of the pear tart.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Adapted from Mixed Salad Annie recipe.

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1. Tarte Tatin
2. Bœuf Bourguignon
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Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cup of flour (250g)
• 1/2 cup of butter for the crust (125g)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 egg yolk
• some water
• 2/3 cup of butter for the caramel (150g)
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar (170g)
• 8 to 10 apples (Gala apples are the best)

Instructions

1. Prepare the pie crust by mixing flour, butter, salt, yolk, and water. Mix with your hands until you get a nice ball. I don’t recommend using a food processor. The pie crust taste better when made by hand. The processed dough is more chewy.
2. In a deep round cake pan, place the butter and sugar.
3. Place the pan on the stove.
4. With a wooden spatula, mix butter and sugar. Do not leave the stove unattended.
5. Make a brown caramel. Make sure that it does not get black as it would give a bitter taste to the pie.
6. Peel, core and cut apples into quarters.
7. Arrange the apple quarters on the cooled caramel.
8. If there are some remaining apples, cut into smaller pieces and arrange on top.
9. Cover the apples with the dough (1/8 inch or 4 mm thick), with a diameter slightly greater than the pan.
10. Fold the dough edges inside the pan.
11. Bake in hot oven (375F or 190C) until the crust is golden brown. The crust is almost done when you can see the caramel rising around it
12. After cooking, cover the pan with a larger dish and unmould the tarte tatin while it is still hot.

Bon appétit!

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1. Springform pans are evil
2. Crèmes Brûlées
3. Pear Almond Torte

I was really impressed by this country unknown to me even though it is only one hour away by car from where I grew up. I had to live in Canada before getting an opportunity to visit Madrid. Life is strange…

We drank a lot of Sangria and I had to find a recipe as soon as we landed back in Calgary.

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I have ordered my USB Wine right after watching this video and I sincerely hope you are going to do the same. For 9.95 euros, it is a bargain!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRL1SeTJ1rk

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Couples rotates every month and you never dine with the same persons twice for the duration of the program. I was impressed by all well travelled all the individuals at the table were. We talked about Egypt, Germany, Tanzania, Russia, Poland, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, France, Panama, and many others country that I don’t recall.

I was tasked with the dessert and not wanting to repeat my springform pan experience, I decided to got with another burnt dessert. Here is the recipe for your enjoyment.

For four servings:

• 1½ cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1 tea spoon of pure vanilla extract
• ½ tea spoon of orange extract
• 4 egg yolks
• ¼ cup of granulated sugar
• ¼ cup of brown sugar

1. Bring the whipping cream, vanilla extract, and orange extract to a boil. Let it rest
2. Beat the egg yolks with the granulated sugar
3. Pour the whipping cream into the egg yolks and mix well
4. Pour the custard in four individual dishes
5. Put the individual dishes in a pan and pour water between the dishes so they barely float in the pan
6. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes at 350F until custard is set
7. Let rest at room temperature for four hours
8. Sprinkle with brown sugar and broil (using the oven) for a couple of minutes. Make sure you keep you eyes while it broils or you going to burn more than the cream! In my case, I keep the fire extinguisher at hand but this may not be necessary in your case.

Serve cold.

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1. Tarte Tatin
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Anyway, in addition of the Bœuf Bourguignon, and the Gratin Dauphinois, I decided to cook two Tartes Tatin.

Having sold most of our pans in a garage sale last month, I went to buy some new ones on Saturday afternoon but since I was not sure which one to use and given my tardiness and available choices, I picked two very nice springform pans.

I started to melt sugar and butter on the stove and noticed a small leak at the bottom of the pan. This was not a big deal, the stove is actually easy to clean.

I peeled and sliced twenty apples and stacked them in the pans. I then covered the pans with fresh made crust and shove them in the oven at 400F.

There was more caramel leaking at the bottom and some smoke. This was not a big deal. the oven is actually easy to clean.

The smoke detector went off in the foyer. This was not a big deal, the fire alarm is connected to the burglar alarm and it was not a big deal to silence it on the wall panel.

Six o’clock arrives and one of my guest calls to tell me he is in the neighborhood looking for the house.

I hear sirens in the distance. This was not a big deal, must be some firefighters late for tea.

It turned out that the fire alarm is in fact monitored and the alarm company called the fire department. My guests arrived on one end of the street while the three fire trucks (a full box in their jargon) arrived at the other end of the street. Everybody stopped at our house and for some reasons, our guests were hesitant to come in.

The two firefighters were not so hesitant and they kindly checked that everything was ok before going on their merry way.

Our kind landlord was surprised to receive a phone call from the Alarm Agency.

No tarte tatin that evening but we had a nice chocolate cake brought by one of the guest and I need to buy the proper pans. Springform pans are evil…

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