Weekend Break: Chefs’ comfort foods | Lifetime

Food stuff, glorious foodstuff! The North Coastline and Lengthy Seaside Peninsula are blessed with fantastic chefs, each and every of whom has a distinct type. A several have been gracious sufficient to share their most loved convenience foods.

Michael Lalewicz, chef and co-owner of The Depot Cafe in Seaview, Washington

“Comfort meals? It has to be pasta,” Lalewicz explained. “I do adore a roasted chicken also, but pasta is so warm and creamy and rich. And for me simplicity is every thing — something that is comforting and straightforward to make with advanced flavors from basic substances done well.”

Lalewicz selected just one of my private favorites, bringing up a fond memory from a stop by to The Depot, when I was sitting aspect by facet to a few whose crab mac experienced just arrived on their table. The aroma wafting my way and the glimpse of it … very well, they should have observed the expression on my confront.

As my “Oysters ‘Scargot” arrived I could see very similar envious glances at my plate. Pause. Then, pretty much simultaneously, we ended up inquiring every single other if we’d like to share. No hesitation. Yes! And my very first taste of that swoony crab mac. Even if these forms of interactions with strangers are on keep for a when, at least we can have for ourselves Lalewicz’s heady, indulgent crab mac to-go.

The Depot Dungeness Crab Mac

(Serves two as an entrée or 4 as an appetizer.)

Components:

2 cups Cavatappi or elbow pasta noodles

2 tablespoons refreshing garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons light olive oil, not extra virgin

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoons refreshing squeezed lemon juice

½ cup white wine

3 cups major product

5 ounces fresh Dungeness crab

4 ounces provolone cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons Parmesan Reggiano, grated

3 tablespoons Panko breadcrumbs, toasted

1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped

Planning:

Boil superior high-quality pasta for about 5 minutes. Do not rinse pasta.

At the exact same time, put chopped garlic, black pepper, olive oil and unsalted butter in substantial sauté pan on significant heat. Cook dinner until eventually butter is melted. Include freshly squeezed lemon juice and white wine to mixture and minimize till liquid is just about long gone. Include large product and the cooked drained pasta while continue to incredibly hot. Deliver product and pasta mixture to a boil and minimize warmth. Then include fresh Dungeness crab and shredded provolone cheese. Simmer for two minutes.

Lalewicz serves the crab mac in a big bowl, sprinkled with grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese and crunchy toasted Panko breadcrumbs. He indicates a light-weight, medium-bodied, crisp white wine this kind of as Barnard Griffin’s Fume Blanc from Columbia Valley, Washington to pair with his rich dish.

Andy Catalano, well prepared food items supervisor at Astoria Co+op

Catalano is busy managing us with no muss, no fuss solutions which includes soups, salads, sandwiches, yummy “world bowls,” intriguing “heat & eat” globally-impressed meals, and a new item: cassoulet, an fragrant, abundant, meaty casserole stew with beans.

“I made the decision to make cassoulet, which I experienced hardly ever produced before, since this time of year is all about consolation foods, particularly in a yr that has been all about comfort food items,” Catalano claimed. “In small, this is the dish I want to consume in entrance of a roaring fire with my wool slippers on, so I desired to share it with the neighborhood.”

“Cassoulets are mainly a white bean stew. We did two versions, meat and a vegan. The much more or a lot less common meat adaptation is produced with duck legs that we confited in house and our residence made pork sausage, but the vegan selection was a considerable challenge. I’m glad to have taken that on however, making use of tempeh sausage and housemade seitan, a meat substitute designed from wheat gluten. The flavors are repeated in the sausage mixture, the seitan blend, the duck get rid of, breadcrumbs, and the tempeh crumbles.

“As much as a recipe goes,” Catalano continued, “for me cooking is all about responding to what is close to you and what feels appropriate. To that stop, I’m foregoing specific amounts and utilizing a rough guideline.”

Beans

White beans (historically Tarbais, but cannellini, terrific northern, or navy beans are fine). After soaking in water right away and draining very well, add the beans to a pot of hen or vegetable stock, with aromatics such as new sage, rosemary, garlic, onion, and black peppercorns.

Carry to a simmer, lessen to incredibly small warmth, skimming and discarding any foam that develops. Period with salt (liquid should really style a bit around-salted). Cook more than minimal warmth, stirring at times, right until beans are absolutely tender but not mush (approximately two several hours). Eliminate from heat, and cool the beans in their liquid at place temperature, then refrigerate (a critical step that will make these beans very flavorful).

Meat and assembly

In a forged iron pan above medium-high heat, sear sausage and confited duck leg(s) until deeply browned on outdoors (it’s Alright if sausage isn’t absolutely cooked at this issue). Slice sausage then mix into the cooked beans. Transfer the bean combination to a casserole dish and nestle duck leg into beans, so the pores and skin is just exposed. Protect liberally with seasoned toasted breadcrumbs (sautéed beforehand in duck excess fat or olive oil), then protect and bake at 375 levels Fahrenheit until interior temp reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, (about 45 minutes). Clear away go over and keep on baking until finally breadcrumbs are crunchy on prime, (about 10 minutes).

Get rid of from oven and allow great at minimum 10 minutes ahead of diving in.

Geoff Gunn, chef de cuisine at Bridgewater Bistro

“I really am a convenience foods form of man,” Gunn claimed. “Whether it be the supreme grilled cheese with refreshing tomatoes and basil or the correctly braised lamb or wild boar with foraged mushrooms and truffles, I really like deep inviting flavors. My favorite these days is the outdated normal, coq au vin. My edition is a little bit unconventional and requires time and endurance. This is a terrific recipe for family gatherings and will serve 10 or so.”

Bridgewater Bistro Coq Au Vin

10 kilos rooster hindquarters (thighs and legs)

3 heads of fennel, thinly sliced

2 yellow onions thinly sliced

1/4 cup fennel seeds

1 tablespoon black pepper, ground

3 tablespoons kosher salt

6 bay leaves

1 cup full garlic cloves

1/4 cup dry oregano

1 tablespoon de la vera dulce (sweet smoked paprika)

2 tablespoons porcini mushroom powder

2 bottles of first rate pink wine

5 lbs significant top quality wild mushrooms

Spot the hen and all the substances, apart from for the mushrooms, together in a quite massive container. Include the hen and enable it marinate for at minimum 24 hours.

Take out the chicken from the marinade liquid and sear the hen at a incredibly substantial heat to get a nice crust on it. Insert the marinade and make particular all of the hen components are submerged. Deal with and prepare dinner for 2.5 several hours at 325 levels Fahrenheit, or right until the rooster is fork tender.

Once tender, remove the chicken and put what has now develop into the braising liquid in a blender or foodstuff processor and blend until finally sleek. Return the blended liquid to a pan and change on medium warmth to decrease the sauce. When the liquid is reduced by one particular-third, add the mushrooms and cook dinner right until tender. When the mushrooms are carried out, pour sauce over the cooked chicken, and your favorite starch and vegetables.

For me, it’s normally pleasurable to read through recipes and processes, but perhaps not so entertaining to assemble. Just a reminder then, that most location restaurants are open for acquire-out, cooks doing the job diligently to hold us delighted with new (or preferred) culinary delights.

Bon appétit!