The (Second) Really Big Cook-Off Announcement

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I know, I know, you thought I had forgotten. Forgotten to announce The (Second) Really Big Cook-Off! But I haven't my little kohlrabis I just got distracted and was waiting for the right recipe to inspire me. In a way, it's lucky I did, because wow did I land on a beauty.

It took awhile but the spark did come. You see, what with hurricane relief efforts, my new (pending) gig (more on that later) and the anniversary of 9/11, I tragically forgot all about the Ms. Divine-Sunshine, my apple-pie sweet friend from Bean-Town had celebrated a birthday earlier this month. So I lamented, I chagrinned (can you do that?) and I felt guilt, until, in a flash of insight brought on by her tenure at Daniel (a NYC temple of food, pantheon of cuisine and overall kitchen hell-hole that up and coming cooks like to have on their resumes) I went to their site and decided to have this months recipe be in her honor. (And to overnight a faboo belated-birthday gift, of course)

It's a tasty (lets hope) concoction, that is swank and fab (as she is), yet homey and comforting (as she is too) and a perfect autumn dish. (Or any time of year actually) Since it is most likely not going to be the most glamourous dish, I will be adding (this month only!) a small prize for the person who submits the best shot along with their entry. (Judged by me and anyone else who wants to throw in their two cents)

So, with no further ado...this months recipe for The (Second) Really Big Cook-Off will be BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH A CELERY DUO. (It's the anti IMBB for sure. And sorry to any vegetarians out there who may not want to join in although if you are feeling crafty, you certainly could use seitan...and I must point out that minus the flour for dredging, the whole thing is gluten free and low carb...) I know it looks long and complicated, but overall Im sure its a cinch, so are you up to the challenge??

To recap:

You have seven days to complete this recipe (if you choose to) and post your experience on your site. The due date will be SEPTEMBER 30th.

When you are done, go ahead and email me a link to your recipe at TheReallyBigCookOff@yahoo.com. Include your name, site, link and any notes you want

As for the recipe itself: (These are just suggestions)
Gussy it up, tone it down, or keep it exactly as it was.
What substitutions did you make and why?
Did you regionalize it? (I live in LA, so it may need some sprouts, or a blessing from my yogi...)
Tell us what you liked about it and what you didn't.
Let us know how hard or easy it was and if you would make it again.
Include the cost of the ingredients if you like.
How long did it take?
Have you ever eaten at Daniel? Did you order this?
Tell us EVERYTHING. Don't be shy.

The round up will be posted on OCTOBER 5th. So check back here and see how everyone fared!

Thanks so much for participating everyone! I hope you will have fun! (Oh, and this recipe was originally enough for eight, I cut it in half)

So here it is.......................reprinted with no permission what-so-ever....................

The Short Ribs:

1 bottle dry red wine
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 short ribs, trimmed of excess fat
Salt
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
Flour for dredging
5 cloves garlic, peeled
4 large shallots, peeled, trimmed, split, rinsed, and dried
1 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch lengths
1 stalk celery, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch lengths
1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, coarsely chopped, washed, and dried
3 sprigs Italian parsley
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 quarts unsalted Beef Stock or store-bought low-sodium beef broth
Freshly ground white pepper

1. Pour the wine into a large saucepan set over medium heat. When the wine is hot, carefully set it aflame, let the flames die out, then increase the heat so that the wine boils; allow it to boil until it cooks down by half. Remove from the heat.

2. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Warm the oil in a Dutch oven or large casserole over medium-high heat. Season the ribs all over with salt and crushed pepper. Dust half the ribs with about 1 tablespoon flour and then, when the oil is hot, slip the ribs into the pot and sear 4 to 5 minutes on a side, until the ribs are well browned. Transfer the browned ribs to a plate, dust the remaining ribs with flour, and sear in the same manner. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot, lower the heat under the pot to medium, and toss in the vegetables and herbs. Brown the vegetables lightly, for 5 to 7 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to blend.

4. Add the reduced wine, browned ribs and stock to the pot. Bring to the boil, cover the pot closely, and slide it into the oven to braise 2 1/2 hours, or until the ribs are tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork. Every 30 minutes or so, lift the lid and skim and discard whatever fat may have bubbled up to the surface. (If time allows make the recipe up to this point, cool and chill the ribs and stock in the pan, and, on the next day, scrape off the fat. Rewarm before continuing.)

5. Carefully (the tender meat falls apart easily) transfer the meat to a heated serving platter with raised rims and keep warm. Boil the pan liquids until they thicken and reduce to approximately 1 quart. Season with salt and pepper and pass through a fine-mesh strainer; discard the solids. (The ribs and sauce can be made a few days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Reheat gently, basting frequently, on top of the stove or in a 350 degrees F oven.)

The Celery Duo: The Celery Root

1/2 quart whole milk
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1 pound celery root, peeled and cut into 4 pieces
1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut in half
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

1. Put the milk, 2 cups water, the coarse salt, celery root and potatoes in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat and cook at a simmer until the vegetables can be easily pierced with the point of a knife, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the vegetables and return them to the pan.

2. Put the pot back over low heat and toss the vegetables around in the pot just enough to cook off their excess moisture; transfer the vegetables to the work bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and process--taking care not to overwork the mixture--just until the purée is smooth and creamy. (Alternativly, you could puree this in a blender, with a food mill, or just mash by hand) Season with salt and pepper. Keep the purée warm in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. (The purée can be made up to 6 hours ahead. Cool it, cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap against the purée, and refrigerate. When you¹re ready to serve, rewarm the purée in the top of a double boiler over simmering water.)

The Celery Duo: The Celery

1 bunch celery
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, peeled, trimmed, and quartered
1 turnip, peeled, trimmed, and quartered
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 cups unsalted Chicken Stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth

1. Trim the bottom of each head of celery - but make certain the stalks remain together - then, measure 4 to 5 inches up from the bottom and cut the celery top off at that point (you¹ll be using the bottom part). Remove and discard the 3 or 4 tough outer stalks. Run a vegetable peeler over the exterior of the outer celery stalks to remove the stringy part of the vegetable, then cut each bunch of celery lengthwise into quarters. Keep close at hand.

2. Warm the oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, turnips and celery quarters, season with salt and pepper, and cook, without coloring the vegetables, 3 minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Adjust the heat so that the stock simmers steadily and cook the vegetables for about 25 minutes, or until they can be pierced easily with the point of a knife. When the vegetables are tender, the liquid should be just about gone, so that you should have tender vegetables lightly glazed with the stock. Remove and discard the carrots and turnips and serve the celery immediately. (If it¹s more convenient, you can make the celery up to 6 hours ahead, chill it and then rewarm it gently at serving time.)

To Serve:
Pour the sauce over the meat. Serve the celery duo on the same platter - the celery root purée can go under the ribs, the braised celery over them.

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Daniel 60 E. 65th St. NY 10021

There’s “true joie de vivre in the air” at Daniel Boulud’s East Side flagship, a “crème de la crème” experience where the “sumptuous” New French cooking (rated No. 3 in this year’s Survey) is the “stuff of dreams”, the wine list “vast”, the service “flawless” and the flower-festooned room “opulent to say the least”; in sum, it’s the “ultimate special-occasion restaurant”, and as for the price, it’s “still cheaper than a midsize car.” (Average dinner check $102.00) - Zagats

What do you think we should make next month?

I know, I know, all of a sudden there is a contest from Gourmet magazine called "Cook the Cover" and they are offering a trip to NYC as their prize...but really now, that's so impersonal! And besides, isn't NY just a touch overrated? ;-)

Beef Short Ribs at the Whole Foods on Fairfax and Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood were $5.00 a pound today. 2 ribs weighed one pound.