Spaghetti and Venison Meatballs With Marinara Sauce

December 30, 2016 by Aurel Pop in Main Dish

Hello lovely readers! Aurel here again. Sorry I ignored you for the last couple of months, but I was working on my other passion project: pop-up dinners. I’m happy to be back developing recipes, photographing food, and writing again though. My editor and good friend is back too, cleaning up and making sense out of my writing. I don’t know if I have ever mentioned her on here, but she’s the reason why my writing has improved so significantly and actually makes sense rather than being a collection of ideas scattered on paper. Anyhow, welcome back Amy!

I’ve been working on my own version of an Italian favorite: spaghetti and meatballs. I’ve had this recipe perfected for quite some time but never gotten around to photo-documenting it until now.

Spaghetti and meatballs is a dish that you can’t possibly go wrong with, whether you’re cooking for your significant other, your family, or your friends. It’s really not all that hard to make, but you have to do it right. The key is to use fresh ingredients for everything: pasta, sauce, and meatballs. If you really need to cut corners (and we all do sometimes), do it with the pasta. I use store-bought pasta 6 out of 10 times myself. No biggie! But, for god’s sake, please don’t buy the premade marinara sauce. It takes longer to make homemade marinara, but you can make a big batch at once and then freeze it. You will taste the difference; it’s not just a myth!

I truly believe that spaghetti and meatballs is one of the most accessible dishes to new home cooks. Everybody loves it: kids, adults, elderly, men, women, and even dogs. Last time I made meatballs, I accidentally dropped one, and my dog Popsi devoured it within a second. I’ll put that one down as a strong sign of approval.

Anyway, I can’t emphasize enough how glad I am to be back. I’m looking forward to sharing my cooking adventures with you in 2017. I plan to kick off the New Year by sharing stories about my recent pop-up dinners.

Happy New Year Y’all!

SPAGHETTI AND VENISON MEATBALLS WITH MARINARA SAUCE

Yields about 25 meatballs and 5 cups of sauce
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 90 minutes
Inactive time: 75 minutes

Ingredients

Marinara sauce

3 Tbsp. olive oil
½ cup finely chopped shallots (about 3 medium-sized shallots)
½ cup chopped celery (about 3-4 celery stalks)
½ cup chopped carrots (about 2 medium-sized carrots)
½ cup dry red wine
1 ½ Tbsp. finely chopped garlic (about 3-4 garlic cloves)
2 28oz. cans whole San Marzano tomatoes
½ cup vegetable broth
2 inches Parmesan rind
4 anchovy filets (jarred/canned)
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves (about 12-15 leaves)

Meatballs

1 lb. ground venison
1 lb. ground beef chuck (preferably 70/30)
1 medium-sized shallot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 egg
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (or pecorino romano)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Spaghetti (for homemade pasta see recipe here)

1 lb. spaghetti
2 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F (200C) degrees.
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. When the oil easily slides across the pan, add shallots, celery, and carrots (called soffritto in Italy and mirepoix in France). Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning the vegetables.
Pour red wine and let the alcohol evaporate -- this is called deglazing. Toss in garlic, stir, and cook for another 3 minutes.
Add San Marzano tomatoes, broth, Parmesan rind, anchovies, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to make sure that everything is well mixed.
Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let the sauce gently simmer (it will bubble very slowly) for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine all meatball ingredients. Mix them all together using your hands.
Shape the venison mixture into small balls (golf ball-sized), and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove meatballs from the oven and transfer to a plate. Add juice from meatballs to the marinara sauce.
Remove the lid from the sauce, add basil, and simmer uncovered for an additional 30-40 minutes. Then add the meatballs to the sauce, and stir well. You’re almost done!
In a large pan, bring generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the spaghetti for 8-10 minutes or until al dente (follow the instructions on the spaghetti box or bag if unsure). Drain the pasta, reserving one cup of starchy water.
Heat one tablespoon of butter in a large pan over high heat. When the butter is melted, add the water and spaghetti. Toss and add a few ladles of marinara sauce and meatballs. Mix until the pasta is evenly coated.
Serve hot with grated parmesan and chopped parsley or basil on top.

Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

March 24, 2016 by Aurel Pop in Appetizer

Another week calls for another recipe! It’s been a while since I posted an appetizer on gourmetcubicle, so I thought it would be a good idea to have one while I take a break to enjoy my well-deserved vacation. I will be traveling to Chile, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m thrilled about trying their food and drinks, learning about their habits and traditions, and meeting amazing people on the road.

I didn’t truly think or plan this trip until a few days prior to departure, which left me in panic mode. I like to think of myself as someone who works best under pressure, but that isn’t always the case. I always book my flights ahead of time, but that’s about it—I leave accommodation and research to when I’m there. I like the spontaneity of talking to newfound friends on the road and finding out what’s worth seeing and doing. It works for me, but it can be quite stressful if you’re not used to it. It’s definitely not for everyone.

I usually start feeling the thrill of traveling only a few days before it happens. That’s when I become the annoying person who tells everyone about my upcoming trip: friends, coworkers, neighbors, cashiers at Central Market, and now you, too, my dear reader. By the time you read this, I’ll be backpacking through Torres Del Paine in the breathtaking southern Chilean Patagonia. I’ll be hiking for about a week, and while I’m out there, I’ll be cooking instant ramen noodles, soups and pasta on my camping stove, enjoying cups of hot tea and mountain sunrises from my cozy tent.

I’ll also be spending a week up north on the coast. My dear friend Camilla, who I met during a backpacking trip in Peru a few years ago, put me in touch with some local artists who are going to host me and introduce me to the local art and food scene. One of them, Juan Pablo, was kind enough to invite me to have lunch with his family. His mother will cook a few Chilean specialties. He even offered to teach me a few recipes, so keep an eye on my Instagram and blog because the Cooking with Friends series may have a new post soon.

As I was preparing for this trip, I decided to eat everything that is perishable. I wasn’t really in the mood for anything that required too much work, so when I saw tomatoes bruschetta, came to my mind instantly. There are many variations of bruschetta and differing opinions on which is the original/authentic/traditional recipe. Many people automatically associate bruschetta with tomatoes and basil, but it can also be topped with roasted garlic, beans, cured meats, mozzarella, vegetables, or even olives. All bruschetta, regardless of toppings, consists of four basic ingredients: roasted crusty bread, fresh garlic, fine olive oil, and sea salt. This bread is roasted (or bruscare, in Italian) over coals, thus the name bruschetta.

Bruschetta con Pomodoro, or tomato bruschetta, is the most common way of preparing this simple and delicious appetizer, and it happens to be my favorite variety. Enjoy!

BASIL AND TOMATO BRUSCHETTA

Serves 6-8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Inactive time: 15 minute

Ingredients

5 Roma tomatoes, deseeded and roughly diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (about 1 Tbsp.)
15-20 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped (about 1/3 cup)
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (preferably from Modena)
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4-5 slices of stale bread cut into ¾ inch thick slices (preferably Tuscan, Ciabatta, Pagnotta or other crusty bread)
1 clove whole garlic
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
coarse sea salt, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F(200C) degrees.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt, pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Toss until all ingredients are well combined. Sprinkle with parmesan and stir again. Taste and adjust seasoning. (Tomatoes love salt, so you may need to add more!)
Allow the tomato mixture to rest for about 15-20 minutes in the refrigerator.
In the meantime, place bread slices on a baking sheet. Toast them in the oven for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip on the other side, and toast them for another minute or so. Remove them from the oven.
Rub freshly toasted bread with garlic and sprinkle with olive oil. Spread a tablespoon or so of tomato mixture. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt to taste. Enjoy!

Spiced Tomato and Plum Jam

October 29, 2015 by Aurel Pop in Condiment

Getting back into the groove at work after a great vacation is always tough, and the day before getting back to work in my books is the most horrible day of the year. I dread the last day of vacation when I have to think about the thousands of emails that are waiting in my inbox, all the work that built up while I was gone, and all the changes that happened in that short time I was away. It almost feels like the moment when you wake up after a dream that filled you with happiness and positivity only to realize that you're not laying in the sand, on a nice beach, waiting for a cocktail in a giant exotic fruit and some nice seafood to be served, but rather you're in bed with your alarm forcing you to get up and ready to do what you've been doing for the last few years of your adult life- work.

Whoever says he or she enjoys going to work on a Monday, especially if it's right after vacation, is either crazy or the luckiest person alive. It may seem like I dislike work, but I actually don't. I've worked very hard my entire life to get where I'm at right now. Coming from a small Romanian town from a working class family, never allowed me the luxury of not working, or working without giving 100%.

Seeing new places, having the freedom of waking up whenever you please, your mom or grandma cooking your favorite dishes just like they did when you were a kid is something so special that no job in this world can offer. Hanging out with the parents you haven't seen in so long, catching up with old friends that you haven't talked to in years, sharing your best memories and experiences with loved ones are all essential in my life. They are priceless. No money in this world is able to buy those emotions, that happiness. This vacation was just like that and it fed my soul.

Fall is slowly creeping up on us. The cold nights are about to arrive when all you want to do is sit on the couch wrapped up in a fluffy blanket and watch Netflix with a delicious bowl of hearty comfort food while also sipping on a big ol' mug of mulled wine. Fall is beautiful.

In Romania, fall is the season when everyone prepares for the winter. People stock their pantry with preserves, jams, compotes and pickles. My parents were very proud to show me and Roni their freezer stacked with vegetables that my dad grew in my grandma's garden. Ziplocks full with eggplant, peppers, green beans, peas and fruits like cherries and plums are arranged in order in their freezer. The pantry is also at capacity with jars of pickled beans, cabbage, cucumbers, zacusca, peach compote, strawberry and raspberry preserves and bottles of tomato juice. Roni asked me to take a picture of their pantry but unfortunately I forgot to.

If you're a fan of seasonal vegetables you may be interested in preserving some that are easy to preserve like green beans, eggplant and tomatoes. Preserving is a lot easier than it sounds. I was fortunate to see my parents and grandparents doing it ever since I was a kid. Every year in fall the freezer would get packed. This year they harvested over 400 pounds of tomatoes, 100 pounds of peppers, 150 pounds of green beans and lot of eggplant from their garden. They had to give away more than half of the tomatoes, yet still ended up with over 60 liters of tomato juice (called bullion in Romanian), jars of pickled green tomatoes (called gogonele) and a couple of shelves of eggplant and peppers.

The idea for this tomato jam came to mind when I was trying to find a good condiment for the venison burgers I made for Roni's brother and dad. I wanted something sweet and fruity to go well with the game meat. I decided to combine the tomatoes with some plums I found on sale. The result was fantastic with a good balance between the sweetness of the tomatoes and the tartness of the plums. I also had the jam as part of a charcuterie plate served with crackers and a few smoked cheeses. It was absolutely delightful. Give it a shot!

Spiced Tomato and Plum Jam

Yields about 2-3 cups
Prep time: 20 minutes
Inactive time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 dried guajillo pepper
1 1/2 lbs Roma tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 lb red plums, pitted and roughly chopped
1 serrano pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1/2 inch ginger, crushed and finely chopped
1 stick cinnamon
1 bay leaf
2-3 whole cloves
2 cardamom pods
5-6 basil leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
2 TBS fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon juiced)
4 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Fill a small sauce pan half way through with water. Add the guajillo peppers and bring to a boil over high heat.
Remove from heat, cover and set aside. Let the peppers soak for 10-15 minutes, or until you finish preparing the other ingredients.
In a large sauce pan add the rest of the ingredients and the guajillo peppers and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often to keep it away from burning.
When it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for about an hour and a half or so, or until it reaches a thick, sticky and jam like consistency*. Stir occasionally.
Cool and refrigerate until ready to use. Serve as an appetizer with crackers and cheese or as a condiment for burgers and sandwiches.

Notes

* Make sure the heat is low enough so you avoid burning the jam.
The consistency is going to be a bit on the chunky side. If you like ketchup like consistency put the jam in a food processor and pulse until it becomes smooth.
If you'd like to preserve the jam, don't let it cool down. As soon as the jam is ready, remove from heat and using a big spoon or ladle transfer the jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving about 1/4-inch headspace. Stir the jam in the jar with a spatula to get rid of any air pockets that built up. Clean the rims of the jars, cover with lids, and screw bands on. Place jars in a pot filled with about 2-3 inches of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot with a lid or a couple of wet towels and boil for about 15 minutes. Next, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes.