I have now made this dish three times in the last couple months.  I originally, set out to find a better lamb shank recipe than just doing the same braised, red wine reduction that I do for short ribs.  As usual, I did my fair share of cross referencing and found two interesting recipes.  One from Chocolate and Zucchini and one from Epicurious, which is actually from a restaurant in Chicago, Bistro 110.

Following is an adaptation of these two recipes. I omitted the potentially messy red wine overnight marinade and the vegetable potato stew feel in the second recipe was replaced with serving the shanks with a creamy polenta and a reduction sauce.

The dish was such a success at girls’ night that I made if for my brother in SF and then for a group of friends at my place for an impromptu Sunday evening supper.  The one in the photos was the most recent, which I topped with raw, fresh English peas from the Hollywood Farmers’ Market for a nice crunchy, fresh texture.

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Everyone knows what a microwave is but what’s a microroaster?  Bluebottle Coffee Co. is an artisanal microroaster founded by a freelance musician from Oakland, CA.and it is quite the “mircrorage”.  Finally a backlash to the mass produced, bulk roasted and somewhat burnt coffee beans that have furthered our addiction to the centuries old stimulant.  The name itself comes from the first coffee shop in vienna in the 17th century. 

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Famished from not having eaten anything but Mcdonald’s french fries at LAX 7 hours prior (yes, i have no shame-  airports and roadtrips are great excuses for fast food,) we didn’t want to spoil our appetites for our much anticipated meal at chez panisse in a couple hours.  

What a perfect time to have some ice cream.  I have been hearing about bi-rite creamery’s amazing sea salt caramel flavored ice cream.  This may be the best ice cream shop i have ever eaten at.  No exaggeration.  i’ve had ice cream around the world, italian gelatos in rome, italian ice in france, gelato in paris, ice cream at scoops in LA, gelato from pazzo gelato, etc etc.  None compare to bi-rite creamery. 

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I used to hate french toast.  i still do - unless it’s made from brioche; stale, fresh, or previously frozen.  It all works, as long as you cut it about 1″ thick.  Brioche is an eggy somewhat sweet bread, yellow in color and oh so rich.

The most affordable brioche loaf i have found is at Trader Joe’s.  You can get about 10 slices out of it for 4 bucks.  Unless it’s for a party, what i usually do is get a couple loaves and freeze it right away.  With a sharp knife u can slice it when it’s frozen.  No need to defrost the loaf so just cut what you need and toss it back in an an airtight bag for the next time you have a hankering. It lasts about 2 months (possibly longer) in the freezer.

A local bakery in Atwater Village, LA Bread and Bakery, makes a great brioche loaf but it’s $18 and has to be pre-ordered.  It might as well be a brick of gold considering it’s about 4x the cost of a loaf at TJ’s.

The recipe that follow is for about 8 slices, give or take.  Serves 4-6.

Cut it in half if you are just making it for 2 people.

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I find a huge importance in eating well.  It’s one of the simplest pleasures we can have on a daily basis, without a huge effort.  WF’s definition of eating well doesn’t mean salad and steamed vegetables. Au contraire-it’s about finding the right balance that works for you.  Eating foie gras everyday wouldn’t be a good thing as much as i would love to. Two days in a row is even pushing it, not to say i haven’t done it before.

All year round, a variety of foods and greens are available to us at local farmers markets and grocery stores.  Much of this is taken for granted, especially when we live in a city with such abundance.  Ironically, most people i know eat lunch at their desk in front of a computer and get takeout for dinner.  We spend an average of 50+ hours a week working to pay rent or mortgage on a home we don’t use to its fullest extent, i.e. the fully-equipped kitchen that doesn’t do more than make coffee and toast.  cooking at home can be easy and healthy, but don’t get us wrong-  this is not a health magazine.  WF loves butter and ice cream and real sugar but strongly believes in eating as few processed items as possible. 

I tend to cook in a haphazard style.  I don’t follow recipes super closely and i always excerise my right to improvisation.  I’ve been accused of being a secret chef.  People ask me for recipes of things they’ve eaten in my home and most times i don’t have one.  Or i’ve modifed the hell out of something. Or combined two recipes i have found online.  Anyways, i will attempt to record some of these dishes and be as accurate as possible.  I am only referring to savory foods.  sweets, baked goods, and pastries require much more precision.  there’s still room for experimenting but measuring accurately is important.  Most kitchen geeks can be divided into 2 camps, those who like to bake and those who like to cook savory items.

I’m a home cook that enjoys experimenting and entertaining, sometimes all at once.  when it comes to good food and the kind of life i aspire to live, i am constantly on the look out for new ideas and inspiration.  I take care of myself, whether it be working out, indulging in designer shoes, or eating gelato.