Buttermilk Syrup

1/2 c buttermilk

1 cube butter

1 c sugar

1/2 tsp soda

1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter, buttermilk, and sugar in medium sauce pan. Stir to prevent burning and sticking. Add soda, then vanilla. Serve warm.

Braised Beef- Boneless Ribs

courtesy of America's Test Kitchen

3 1/2 lbs boneless short ribs

Kosher salt and Pepper

2 TBSP oil

2 large onions, chopped

1 TBSP tomato paste

6 cloves garlic

2 c red wine (I used 1/2 apple juice and 1/2 beef broth)

1 c beef broth

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces

4 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

1/4 c cold water

1/2 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin

• 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Pat beef dry with paper towels and season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until smoking. Add half of beef and cook, without moving, until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn beef and continue to cook on second side until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes longer, reducing heat if fat begins to smoke. Transfer beef to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and meat.
• 2. Reduce heat to medium, add onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. (If onions begin to darken too quickly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water to pan.) Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it browns on sides and bottom of pan, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high, add wine and simmer, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, until reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes. Add broth, carrots, thyme, and bay leaf. Add beef and any accumulated juices to pot; cover and bring to simmer. Transfer pot to oven and cook, using tongs to turn meat twice during cooking, until fork slips easily in and out of meat, 2 to 2½ hours.
• 3. Place water in small bowl and sprinkle gelatin on top; let stand at least 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer meat and carrots to serving platter and tent with foil. Strain cooking liquid through fine-mesh strainer into fat separator or bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Allow liquid to settle about 5 minutes and strain off fat. Return cooking liquid to Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until reduced to 1 cup, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin mixture; season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over meat and serve.

Chow Mein- Chinese Cuisine

8 oz chinese egg noodle

6 oz meat (chicken, pork or beef)

1 TBSP oyster sauce

1/2 c chinese chicken broth (I used normal broth)

2 TBSP soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp sugar

3 TBSP coil

2 tsp garlic, minced

3 heads bok choy

1 1/2 c bean sprouts

3 green onions, washed, cut into 1 inch pieces on bias

Combine uncooked meat and oyster sauce in a bowl, let it stand for 10 minutes.

Make sauce by combining chicken broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar ina small bowl and whisk together well.

Stir fry in hot wok, the oil then the meat and garlic until browned. About 2 minutes.

Add the noodles and the sauce. Toss well. Add the rest of the veggies and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Enjoy! GREAT with Broccoli Beef. Oh, almost forgot. It takes even better when you squeeze lime juice on the top!

Broccoli Beef- Chinese Cuisine

1 TBSP soy sauce

1 TBSP chinese rice wine or vinegar

2 tsp corn starch

3/4 lb tri-tip steak, cut on bias against grain, thin slices

2 TBSP oyster flavored sauce

1 TBSP soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

2 TBSP oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

8 oz broccolini, trimmed

3/4 c beef broth

Make the marinade by combining soy sauce, rice wine/vinegar, and cornstarch in a bowl. Add the beef and stir to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Make the sauce by combining the oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil in a bowl.

Place a wok over high heat until hot. Add the oil and garlic, swirl to coat the sides. Add the beef and stir fry. Add the sauce and cook for 1 minute, remove the beef and set it aside.

Add the broccolini and the beef broth to the wok. Cook for about 3 minutes. Broccolini should be crisp yet tender. Add the beef back in, warm, and serve.

Cheesecake

Recipe courtesy Lyndi Fuller

CRUST

1 1/2 c graham crackers, crushed

1/4 c sugar

1/2 c melted butter

Mix in a bowl with a fork. Generously butter a 9 inch spring form pan. Pour crumb mixture into pan. Gently pat into the bottom of pan. You can use more crumb mixture if you want it to go up the sides. Bake for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and cool.

FILLING

1/2 tsp salt

3 80z packages of cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 c white sugar

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

Blend sugar into cream cheese. Add salt and beat until fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time and beat for a few minutes between eggs. Add vanilla and beat. Pour into cooled crust. Put spring form pan on cookie sheet (this prevents it leaking into your oven!!). Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes. Turn off oven and leave door open. Let it cool in the oven with door open.

Keep cake in fridge over night for best results. Serve chilled.