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,...

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...

Seriously, don't knock it 'til you try it.  Steak tartare is delicious.  If you are looking for a good version in the City, Garibaldi's is spot on.  I hear the one at Wayfare Tavern is pretty tasty as well.   I like to order tartare in restaurants but I never thought of making it at home until recently.  Thanks to an  episode of Chuck's Day Off I turned a corner and decided that it makes sense to try it at home.  I was blown away at how delicious and simple it was to make.  Similar to mussels , I will have a hard time paying top dollar for this dish when I eat out now.  For the less adventurous you can always give the steak a light sear, but please resist the urge. I made this while the wife was away so I just made a half recipe which was a lot.  The recipe below is good appetizer for 4, or maybe a nice lunch for 2. For delicious steak tartare: 1 good baguette 1 lb of steak (NY strip, filet, and tenderlo...

I have only made short ribs once before.  It was the day before Easter, 2010 and it was the first time that my parents met the in laws.  The meal was delicious and everyone got along.  The only down side was that I ended up clogging the sink.  It was a complete disaster.  We literally used every dish in our house and had company coming over the next morning for brunch.   The late night trip to Wallgreen's for Draino did not fix anything.  Thankfully the plumber was able to come the next morning to replace our garbage disposal and half the pipes under the sink.   This time around I was able to cook short ribs without any disasters.  They were paired with creamy polenta and baked Brussels sprouts.  It may not look pretty in the picture below, but was definitely tasty.   For a delicious Sunday dinner (enough for 4) you will need:  4 bone in short ribs 2 onions 3 carrots 3 celery stalks 6 sp...