The Lederman Kitchen

Although summer was pretty much non-existent here in Dublin, we definitely feel autumn settling in quickly.  The mornings are getting colder and the days shorter. Scarfs and gloves are becoming a necessary and like any day in Ireland, an umbrella is always at arms reach. Sunday, Brian decided to make Irish Beef and Guinness Stew, with soda bread.  It was delicious and a perfect way to warm up on a chilly evening.  Today the forecast was a high of 49°F, so leftovers were welcomed tonight. Irish Beef & Guinness Stew with soda bread. Ingredients: ~15 peral onions, peeled 2 carrots, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 1 parsnip, chopped 1.5 cups potatoes, chopped 1 pound stewing beef 16oz can of Guinness 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 14oz can diced tomatoes 1 cup of beef stock 2 bay leaves Fresh thyme salt and pepper olive oil First prepare all the veggies. Carrots, celery, onions and parsnip - all ready to go Add carrots, celery,...

One afternoon, about a month ago, Brian rode his bike up to the center to grab some ingredients from the Asian Market for something he was making.  When we returned, I knew something was up by the goofy grin on his face.  Turns out, he bought a bamboo steamer.  This I can get behind.  Steaming is a pretty healthy way of cooking.  Plus Brian loves Dim Sum and I love Thai Sticky Rice both prepared in a steamer (I realize that sticky rice is not necessarily considered healthy). We finally got around to trying it out last Sunday, and it was worth the wait.  Brian threw together a mouth watering Chinese dinner for us, Shimp & Pork Steamed Dumplings, Black Bean Chicken and Fried Rice. How good does that look? Here is the steamer - with freshly steamed Dim Sum The Dim Sum is actually pretty easy to make.  It's a little time consuming assembling them, so in between taking photos, I helped make a few and tied all the chives. Pork & ...

If you are making pulled pork, invite some friends over.  It's impossible not to make a lot.  Michelle has been asking me to try my hand at this for a while, so I finally decided to give it a shot.  It's definitely not an everyday meal but is perfect for Sunday night and a group of friends.   I paired our pulled pork sandos with creamy coleslaw, baked beans, and homemade potato chips.  Crazy delicious... I read a few recipes that called for a 5-7 lb pork roast (shoulder or Boston butt).  Mine was only 2.5 lbs and we had dinner for 4 and a ridiculous amount of leftovers.   You'll need a few hours to roast this bad boy and: 1 pork roast (again, mine was 2.5 lbs but you can go bigger if you have a big crowd) 3 tablespoons of paprika 1 tablespoon of garlic powder 1 tablespoon of brown sugar 1 tablespoon of dry mustard 2 tablespoons of kosher salt Hamburger buns For the coleslaw: 1/2 cup mayo 1/4 cup sour ...

It's been cold here in the City.  After a long holiday weekend in Portland with the in laws, I didn't feel like fussing over a big dinner.  Beef stew was a great one pot option.  It's comfort food at it's finest and perfect for a cold winter day. For some serious stew, enough for 4 people: 2 lbs of steak (I used stew meat, it's readily available at the butcher counter this time of year) 2 onions I also used cippolini onions, but they're optional. Just peal and leave whole, they get super soft and sweet. 5 carrots (about 1 lb) 1lb of fingerling potatoes 1 lb of crimini mushrooms 1 bottle of red wine 3 cloves of garlic 2 cups (or more) of stock -  Beef is traditional, but I had homemade turkey stock on hand that I used. 2 tablespoons of flour 4 tablespoons of butter  1 tablespoon of thyme Olive oil Salt and Pepper This is a great Sunday dinner.  It's simple to make, but like most soups or braises, it just takes a wh...