blogfromafar

Grass-fed beef is the secret to the sauce. While some critics prefer the taste of “traditional” grain-finished beef (a tradition that did not begin until after WWII, incidentally), the fuller flavor of grass-fed beef is perfect for the rich Bolognese pictured above. We served it with Pappardelle pasta, rather than the traditional Tagliatelle and loved the smooth creamy ribbons that wrapped ’round the beef. (Both pastas are available at Flavors From Afar). Pair it with our favorite Cabarnet Sauvignon from Umbria, Chiorri, and the night is on!

Gary adapted his sauce from this Mario Batali recipe, substituting 1 pound of Rusty’s Grass-Fed beef for the 1 pound of veal that Mario calls for. Next time we’ll try Rusty’s Italian Sausage, also made with grass-fed beef, for a twist. If you would like to try some of Rusty’s ground beef or sausage, give us a call; we’ve got some on hand!

Your next, best trip to Italy could well be to the province of Vercelli, a part of the Piemonte region that snuggles up to the Swiss border, then loops southward to take in the rice flats. As surely as the cypress trees stitching across the rolling hills define Tuscany, the Alpine peaks set the stage for this province, always visible to the north, like upside-down clouds on the horizon.

I visited the rice flats of Vercelli a few years ago, fascinated by the unique agriculture and rice-centric cuisine there (click here for posts). The arrival this month of a trade delegation from Vercelli provided a perfect opportunity to learn more about those mountains in the distance. (more…)

We had this “sauce” for grilled steak on our first trip to Luca’s home for lunch. Luca’s our favorite ceramicist in Deruta (click here to see his goods) and like most Italians, can whip up quick and scrumptious meals in no time. This sauce is so simple and good: here’s what you do. Mix the following ingredients together before lighting the grill: (more…)

There’s new life in the Krabill cucina! Bright, shiny green glistening outside the kitchen window. We’re sad about losing our dog Bogey, and somehow this helps.

We’ve got herbs! Build our own little garden, planted basil, rosemary, English and lemon thyme, tarragon, dill (against all advice), savory, and sage with room for chives. Hope we don’t decimate the little guys in our eagerness to get going! Recipes, ideas anyone? What about organic fertilizing – what works for you?

We’ll keep you posted! And, coming soon: time to make Limoncello with organic lemons!

Those of us who live north of the tectonic divide that is, for some, LBJ Freeway, or even Northwest Highway for some, appreciate local eateries that don’t sport a corporate logo or run commercials that interrupt our TiVo viewing at night. As is true everywhere these days, restaurants come and go, lightng up darkened retail space with color and hope, only to slink away too soon.

Delaney’s Irish Pub has been around for awhile. Gary tried the Shepherd’s Pie awhile back to no great delight, so we’d driven by without stopping. A neighbor told us to try the burger, so we did. Strange logic of the suburbs: in town, I’d turn my nose up at an Irish pub where the specialty was a burger, but here, north of Highway 121, the rules are different. (more…)

Suffice it to say that I love our local farmer’s market. I knew our suburban outpost had “arrived” when we got our own Starbucks, but I truly loved it when our own farmer’s market came to town. I love getting up a little early on Saturday morning, wandering around our cute historic district, running into neighbors and church friends. I love the energy, the earnestness of the vendors.

But I get confused. Apples, asparagus, even bananas from Texas? Let alone at this time of year. My eyes, flashing back and forth between vistas of local lettuces, wildflowers, a folk guitarist, just kept returning, with a sick fascination, to those rows of summer squash, pineapples, and red potatoes. (more…)