I have the perfect knock your socks off “Rustic Bolognese Sauce” recipe in honor of Columbus Day

Foodies, conquistadors & lovers of farmers markets, lend me your ears! There’s another holiday coming up in just 2 ½ weeks…are you doing anything special for Columbus Day? As most of my readers probably know (but the arm chair historian in me likes to point out), Columbus Day is an Italian-American heritage celebration that occurs the second week of October, every year since the 1800s. San Francisco was the first place to turn this bellissimo event into all-day parades and great food, until the holiday achieved statewide appeal in 1907 and Colorado made it a big ta’do.

Whether you’re in the Rockies or heart of Dixie, it’s time to get out your calendars and make note: October 10, 2010, a Sunday, and eve of Columbus Day on 10/11 this year, is the perfect excuse to host a family weekend dinner, using all the fixings you can procure at Italian-American heritage events in your community.

But you don’t have to hail from that part of Europe to enjoy. Do you have any Canadian friends? Columbus Day just happens to coincide with their Thanksgiving, and it’s a big National Holiday for Spain, too—so if you have any dear amigos, get out the tapas, a.k.a. “appys” and treat them all!

In addition to the various, special farmers markets that weekend, there are Columbus Day inspired store giveaways and special promotions/discounts (think espresso machines!) at Italian Markets across the land; I found one in my own Lauderdale neck of the woods (at Doris’) last year, and hope they do something similar for 2010.

You might also have some fun shopping collectible plates that bring out the explorer in all your Sunday dinner guests. Since I KNOW my foodie fans are all about the weekend Farmers Markets, I encourage them to peruse these ingredients and pick up the makings for this FABULOUS Italian sauce that can be the star of your family lasagna or angel hair. To make my Rustic Bolognese Sauce that originated in a Northern Italian city of the same name, you need: a great big yellow onion, bunch of pretty green celery, at least two carrots, 4 wonderfully stinky cloves of garlic, thyme, oregano and a bottle of red…if they got it.

Then it’s off to the butcher (or Italian Market where free espresso machines may be in short supply : )!!!) for the meat that goes into this beyond savory age-old Italian sauce; while traditionally its ingredients were confined to beef, pancetta, choice veggies, white wine, tomato paste and cream, Italian chefs have been known to literally “sweeten the pot” with a little rabbit, pork sausage and sometimes goose liver! My recipe advocates chuck, brisket or good ol’ savory ground round, and just as the Italian foodies love to do, I highly recommend leaving your sauce on simmer for as long as you possibly can—no less than two hours. Of course, a complete ingredient list, plus foodie friendly instructions are available by clicking here.

Pranzo feliz—Happy dining!

Rustic Bolognese Sauce

Browning the veggies and beef for this rich, rustic sauce is key to developing its flavor. Simmering, while reducing the sauce, concentrates the flavor. Spending time to make the sauce today yields several meals later on.

Yield: 4 (2-cup) packages
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: Simmer sauce for 2 hours or longer

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced, about 1 ½ cups
2 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed and diced, about 1 cup
3 medium celery ribs, diced, about 1 cup
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced, about 1 tablespoon
3 pounds ground beef (chuck, brisket or ground round)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
2 cups tomato paste
3 cups red wine
1 quart home made beef broth, or low sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Pour the olive oil into a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the beef to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the beef is browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes more. Pour in the red wine and simmer until the wine reduces by half, about 8 to 10 minutes more.

Pour in enough stock to cover the beef. Add the thyme and oregano. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the sauce. Continue simmering the sauce for two hours. Add additional beef stock to the sauce as it evaporates. The idea is to create a rich depth of flavor by reducing and then adding stock.

Cool the sauce to room temperature. Divide into several airtight containers, mark with the date, and store in the freezer for up to two months.

To heat the sauce, thaw the package in the refrigerator, or in a sink with chilled water. Slowly reheat the sauce in a pot over medium heat.

Host a Happier Halloween With the Ultimate Party Plan!

Dear Fellow Foodies,

With October 31st just around the dark and spooky corner, it’s definitely time to pre-plan your strategy for Halloween night—perhaps the most ideal day in the entire year to hold an Open House. Why? Well, er…I’m not exactly physic, but I do believe this holiday brings many a guest with a sweet tooth to your front door : )!! There’s really no trick to the delicious treats on this party menu—better yet, the weary parents of trick-or-treaters will positively adore the respite your offering of warm, creamy soups bring on a cold pre-winter’s night—and if that doesn’t warm them up, your spicy cornbread will. I’m betting even the little skeletons coming to your door find something that sticks to their ribs!

Now…I apologize if you have hosting chops already, but just in case that department in your brain needs its cobwebs cleared, I’ve provided some notes on how far in advance you need to prepare each of the items on this menu, how to showcase them on your buffet table, and other tricks of the trade…just insert my party-loving cackle here!

My Halloween Menu…Isn’t it a Scream?

Bibbed Lettuce Bowls with Chopped Bacon, Tomatoes and Blue Cheese
Old-fashioned Mushroom Soup
Apple Cheddar Muffins
Creamy Tomato Soup
Spicy Cornbread with Sun-Dried Tomato and Jalapeno
Sweet Potato Cake with Orange Glaze

Menu notes:
About the Salad: If you generally get a huge Halloween crowd, save yourself some hassle and eliminate the lettuce bowls—simply tear the lettuce and add it to your other salad ingredients; arrange & toss salad just 30 minutes before guests start to arrive.
About the Soups: Halloween falls on a Sunday this year; make the soups on Saturday, cover them and refrigerate. Make sure your buffet table is graced with plenty of mugs and soupspoons!
About the cake: Bake it, frost it. Cover and refrigerate it on Saturday night
About the cornbread and muffins: these guys can wait until an hour or two before the first guests are expected to trickle in…after all, you want them to smell good things to eat as they approach your front door…!

Table décor tip that channels Martha’s spirit:

Carve a Pumpkin with a purpose; sure they make wonderful candlelight play over your goodies when they’re lit up as jack-o-lanterns, but pumpkins are also WONDERFUL soup terrines—just hollow them out and fill them up; remember not to discard the pumpkin’s lid, as keeping it on between servings ensures a warmer soup!

How You’ll Spend Halloween…from waking in the morning, to cleaning up afterward in the wee hours of November 1st…

On Halloween morning, set up your buffet table as close to the front door as possible and get to work preparing your salad ingredients.

On Halloween Eve, when you expect to hear your doorbell ring and the adorable trill of “Trick-or-Treat” begin any minute, set candy in a bowl and don your costume.

Bon Appetite, everyone! Rumor has it your parties get rave reviews…even if "boos" are allowed this time of year!!

Sweet Potato Cake with Orange Glaze

Servings: 12 to 18
Preparation Time: 45 minutes, plus baking

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup butter (1 stick) room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup heavy whipping cream

Zest of 1 medium orange (about 2 tablespoons)
2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice of 3 medium oranges (about ¾ cup)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the sweet potatoes in boiling water and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain well and mash.

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon in a bowl.

Use an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugars. Add the eggs one at a time. Stir in the mashed sweet potatoes and vanilla. Add the flour and cream in 3 additions, alternating 1/3 flour mixture, ½ cream mixture until just blended.

Pour the batter into the Bundt pan coated with vegetable oil spray and dusted with flour. Bake for 50 or 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the cake to a rack placed on top of sheets of waxed paper.

Whisk together the orange zest and confectioners’ sugar. Whisk in the orange juice and vanilla.

Use a skewer to poke holes in the cake. Pour the glaze over the cake, repeating with the glaze that runs off onto the waxed paper.

Spicy Cornbread with Sun-Dried Tomato and Jalapeno

Servings 10 to 12
Preparation time: 15 minutes plus baking

¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
6 tablespoons butter, melted
¾ cup milk
3 large eggs, beaten
1 (7 ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and finely chopped
2 medium jalapeno peppers, seeded an diced (about 4 tablespoons)

Place the flour, baking powder, salt and chili powder into a large bowl. Whisk in the cornmeal.

Whisk in the butter, milk and eggs until just combined. Fold in the tomatoes and peppers.

Place the batter into a loaf pan coated in vegetable oil spray. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Creamy Tomato Soup

Servings: 10 to 12
Preparation time: 60 minutes

¾ cup butter (1 ½ sticks)
4 medium celery ribs, thinly sliced (about 1 ½ cups)
1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 large carrots, cut into pieces (about ½ cup)
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 bay leaves
2 quarts chicken stock
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
3 cups whipping cream
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon curry powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Cook the celery, onion and carrots in the butter until soft, about 12 minutes. Stir the flour into the vegetables.

Stir in the tomatoes, sugar, bay leaves and chicken stock. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves from the soup.

Use an immersion blender (or food processor) to puree the soup. Stir in the basil, cream, paprika and curry. Simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Apple Cheddar Muffins

Yields: 12 muffins
Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus baking

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¾ cup milk
2 large eggs
¼ cup butter (1/2 stick), melted
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/8 inch dice (about 1 cup)
¾ cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and sugar in a bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together the milk and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the butter. Stir the flour mixture into the milk mixture until just combined. Fold in the diced apples and cheese.

Place the batter into a 12-cup muffin tin coated in vegetable oil spray. Bake for 30 minutes or until the tops are golden and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.