Happy Halloween and Goulash Madness!

Want to go mad? Try finding an "authentic" recipe for Goulash! Goulash, which is considered to be a national dish of Hungary, can take many forms, depending on which region of Europe it is made. Goulash is not the hamburger helper-like ground beef/macaroni/tomato bastardization peddled by cafeteria ladies across the US. From what I can tell, Hungarian goulash is a beef (or veal or pork) soup, made with equal parts onions and meat, seasoned with garlic, paprika, caraway, and sometimes additional vegetables, like turnips, parsnips, potatoes, and peppers. Goulash is traditionally served with steamed dumplings or tiny egg noodles called csipetke (like German spaetzle), which are pinched off (csip means pinch) and added to the simmering soup. Traditionalists consider tomatoes a faux pas, as well as using flour to thicken the soup.

Goulash, or "guylas" meaning "herdsman," originated with the cowboys of the region. Comparable to what chili is to Texas cowboys. It's also important to note that paprika was not an original ingredient in the dish, as paprika was not introduced to the region until the 16th century. Let's add a little bit more confusion, enter "porkolt." Porkolt is a meat stew that also has it's origins in Hungary. Porkolt is a stew, not soup, made with meat, vegetables but not potatoes, and seasoned with the ever important paprika. In fact, most goulash recipes that I have tried (which is a lot!) are actually the rich porkolt stew. In addition, I've also read that goulash is soup made with leftover porkolt!?! Oh, and then there are "paprikas" (aka., Paprikash) which are made with meat, paprika, and thickened with sour cream. Feeling a little mad, yet?

Anyway, with Halloween almost here, I can't think of a better meal to ward off the sugar comas my kids are soon to induce, than a nice rich bowl of hearty goulash! This recipe is adapted from Wolfgang Puck's recipe for Beef Goulash. I found his version to produce a more complex and appealing flavor, from caramelized onions to the addition of a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Changes I made were to brown the meat first, reduce the amount of caraway as it is quite strong (note: caraway and cumin are not the same thing, nor do they taste similar), upped the amount of paprika, added a dash of cayenne pepper, and opted to serve it with buttered egg noodles rather than spaetzle, to make it a little more streamlined. Although this delicious recipe is more accurately a cross between goulash and porkolt, the name "goul-ash" is just more fun to say and perfect for All Hallows' Eve!

Beef Goulash

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 pounds beef chuck, cut into approximately 2" cubes, seasoned with salt and pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 cups onions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon sugar

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted and ground (don't leave them whole!), optional

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (can also use red wine vinegar instead)

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced (if you don't have fresh, use 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)

1 bay leaf

4 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

Sour cream, for serving

1/2 pound cooked and butter egg noodles, to serve

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When shimmery, add the beef cubes in batches, as to not overcrowd the pan, and brown on each side, adding more oil if necessary. (This step is very important to ensure a nice beefy flavor.) Set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add the onions and sugar. Stir until the onions are caramelized, about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and caraway. Cook for 1 minute. Deglaze with the vinegar and add the tomato paste, paprika, cayenne, marjoram, thyme, bay leaf, stock, reserved beef cubes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and place in the oven until the meat is very tender, about 2-2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. If the mixture looks too soupy, remove the cover the last 30 minutes in the oven.

When tender, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in some of the parsley, reserving some for garnish. Serve over egg noodles with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of parsley. 

For more Halloween recipes, check out:


Chocolate Orange Cupcakes with Limoncello Frosting


Witch Hat Cookies


Soul Cakes


Aztec Chocolate Skulls


Superb Squash Soup with the Best Parmesan Croutons

Roosters and Truffles

The last time I visited my daughter in Florence, we took a wine tour through Tuscany and Siena. Our tour guide told us why the black rooster is the symbol of Tuscany and Chianti wine. During the Middle Ages, Tuscany and Siena had to settle a land dispute between the two cities. The two cities decided to each send a knight to ride until they met, which would became the border. The start time for each knight was to wait for a rooster to crow. However, clever Tuscans chose to starve their black rooster, resulting in the rooster crowing far earlier than that of the well fed Siena rooster. The result was that the Tuscan knight rode out far earlier than the Siena knight. The knights met within 12 km from Siena, giving Tuscany most of the Chianti region.

After a lovely yet long day, we arrived back to Florence starving! We stumbled into Osteria Giglio d'oro to enjoy some pasta and Chianti. I ordered the mushroom ravioli with truffle cream sauce. So delicious! In fact, this is a common option in many Florentine establishments, such as Trattoria Za Za. Haha! (IYKYK) When I got home I did a quick search and found this astonishingly easy recipe from Food52 for Ravioli with Truffle Cream Sauce! The recipe calls for salsa tartufada. In America, you may find it called truffle sauce. Also, I prefer tartufada made with some mushrooms, as some versions use some black olives. So read the label. Also, I prefer this recipe with mushroom ravioli. Mangia!

Ravioli with Truffle Cream Sauce

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 Tablespoon salsa tartufada (truffle sauce)

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano 

8 fresh ravioli (I prefer mushroom ravioli and use 10 for two people.)

Directions:

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the cream and tartufada. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the Parmigiano and stir.

Meanwhile, cook ravioli according to package recommendations. When done, add to the sauce with 1-2 tablespoons pasta water. Simmer one more minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on plates.

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

I love visiting Tuscany! It truly is a magical land that sings to your soul. One of my lucky daughters lived in Florence for two years! I am sure she would be happy to stay there forever!

In those two years, I studied everything about the cuisine to soothe my loneliness. Very simple farm to table faire. So when I came across this recipe for "Creamy Tuscan Chicken," I was intrigued. This recipe is not a Tuscan recipe, rather an Italian-American creation inspired by Olive Garden and Catherine de' Medici. Catherine, from Florence, married King Henry II  in 1547. When she moved to France, she brought her chefs with her and her love of spinach. However, that is just speculation.

This delicious recipe is a weekday staple in my house due to the convenience of one pan cooking. I have successfully halved this recipe, and I am sure it could even be doubled for a larger crowd. You would have to use two pans though. Serve it with a salad, Chianti, and a warm baguette for a cozy dinner. Mangia! 

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, gently pounded to approximately the same thickness

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 Tablespoon butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

3 cups baby spinach, stems removed

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:

In a skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper and oregano. Cook until golden and no longer pink, approximately 5 minutes a side. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Melt the butter in the skillet. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, approximately 1 minute. Add the cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook until beginning to burst. Add the spinach and cook until wilted.

Add the cream and parmesan and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet and cook until heated through, 5-7 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.