Sac Foodies

Call me crazy, but I love winter storms. We just don’t get enough rain around here, so when we do it provides this cook with the perfect opportunity to take out my Dutch Oven and simmer something for hours on the stove. The aroma makes my house a home, and I’m happy serving my boys something that their great, great, great Italian Nonnie would have prepared for her family.

When it comes to food from the Mediterranean, my favorite expert is Joyce Goldstein. Joyce is someone I heartily admire. She’s a brilliant woman who can give a lecture on just about any topic regarding food, run a ground-breaking famous restaurant in San Francisco, write cookbooks, teach cooking classes, and still manage to be supremely involved with her children and grandchildren. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend a tasting in her home when she was a spokesperson for one of my clients, and it was one of those food experiences you never forget. I particularly liked her office that looks like the library of an academician, filled with well-worn cookbooks and food reference tomes from around the world.

My mom and I went to one of Joyce’s classes at Draeger’s specialty foods store in San Mateo when Joyce’s beautiful cookbook, Italian Slow and Savory, came out. The class was held several years ago, so I don’t remember all of the recipes she prepared, but one I will never forget was Chickpea Soup with Pork Ribs. My mouth still waters thinking about it.

Sadly, this particular cookbook of Joyce’s is just out of print. It’s one of my favorites in my large collection. If you spot it in a bookstore, nab it! You won’t be sorry.
To sample some of her magic with food, try making Joyce’s Ragú alla Bolognese (Meat Sauce from Bologna) on the next blustery day when you have time to let the flavors simmer. Joyce says that “This dish is ideal and comforting on a cold and miserable day. It’s also delicious at any time when one needs a substantial and satisfying pasta dish.” This recipe is definitely one of my “go to” standards. I hope you’ll add it to your repertoire!

Ragú alla Bolognese*

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
½ pound boneless beef chuck or brisket, chopped
½ pound boneless pork shoulder, chopped
2 ounces prosciutto, chopped
2 ounces pancetta, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste diluted in ½ cup water
¼ cup tomato purée (optional)
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup meat stock, or as needed
1 cup milk (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR SERVING
1 pound fresh tagliatelle (fettuccine) or pappardelle, cooked
Unsalted butter (optional) and Parmesan cheese

In a large sauté pan, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, and onion and sauté until softened and lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Add the beef, pork, prosciutto, and pancetta and sauté, stirring often, until the meats lose their redness, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, tomato purée (if using), and wine and cook until the wine is absorbed into the meats, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the 1 cup stock and the milk (if using), cover, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and simmer gently for about 2 ½ hours. Check from time to time to see if more liquid is needed, adding more stock if necessary to prevent scorching. At this point, you should have a rich, concentrated sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss the sauce with the pasta. Top each serving with a pat of butter, if desired, and some grated Parmesan.

Suggested Wine: Joyce recommends serving Sangiovese di Romagna with this dish. She says that good producers are Castelluccio, Tre Monti, Fattoria Zerbina, and Fattoria Paradiso. If you cannot find these, opt for a Nebbiolo, Barbera d’Alba, or Merlot.

*Recipe and photo from Italian Slow and Savory by Joyce Goldstein, Chronicle Books copyright 2004. Used with permission from the publisher.

By Amy Kull