Birthday Celebration

Last Wednesday, the 14th, was Adam's birthday. Since it was on our usual Wednesday night dinner with our neighbor, Scott, we decided to cook in and do it up. We were watching our Sunday morning cooking shows, as is our weekend ritual, and saw Ina Garten making a feast of filets with a roquefort sauce, sauteed mushrooms, and onions rings. Adam's eyes lit up and he declared, "I want that!" So, that is exactly the meal we had for his special day. To adapt the meal for me, I simply had a grilled portobella mushroom instead of the steak. We also added grilled asparagus for a little something green. I don't think Adam could have been happier.


Steakhouse Steaks Recipe (Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, "Steaks and Sides")

2 (10-oz.) filet mignon
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 Tbs. fleur de sel
1 Tbs. coarsely cracked black peppercorns
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature, optional
Roquefort Chive Sauce, recipe follows

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Heat a large, well-seasoned cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and brush them lightly with vegetable oil. Combine the fleur de sel and cracked pepper on a plate and roll the steaks in the mixture, pressing lightly to evenly coat all sides.

4. When the skillet is ready, add the steaks and sear them evenly on all sides for about 2 minutes per side, for a total of 10 minutes.

5. Top each steak with a tablespoon of butter, if using, and place the skillet in the oven. Cook the steaks until they reach 120 degrees F for rare or 125 degrees F for medium-rare on an instant-read thermometer. (To test the steaks, insert the thermometer sideways to be sure you're actually testing the middle of the steak.)

6. Remove the steaks to a serving platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Serve hot with Roquefort Chive Sauce on the side.

Roquefort Chive Sauce

We used fresh sage instead of the chives, because we already had sage in the fridge. The flavors worked quite well; so if you don't have chives on hand, don't be afraid to try another fresh herb.

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 oz. French Roquefort cheese, crumbled (4 ounces with rind)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs. chopped fresh chives

1. Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook at a low boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has become thick and creamy, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the cheese, salt, pepper and chives and whisk rapidly until the cheese melts.

Sauteed Wild Mushrooms (Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, "Steaks and Sides")

We followed the recipe for the most part except that I didn't use quite as much olive oil or butter. The shallots and garlic gave the mushrooms enough flavor that not all of the fat is necessary.

2 lbs. mixed wild mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake, porcini, and portobello
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 cup chopped shallots (4 large)
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. chopped garlic (6 cloves)
1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

1. Brush the caps of each mushroom with a clean sponge. Remove and discard the stems. Slice the small mushrooms thickly and cut the large ones in a large dice.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large (11 - inch) Dutch oven or saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Add the butter, mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, until they are tender and begin to release their juices, stirring often. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Toss in the parsley, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.

Cornmeal-Fried Onion Rings (Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, "Steaks and Sides")

These are some of the best onion rings I have ever tasted. They are salty and crispy; everything you would want from an onion ring.

2 large Spanish onions (or 3 yellow onions)
2 cups buttermilk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (medium) yellow cornmeal
1 quart vegetable oil

1. Peel the onions, slice them 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick, and separate them into rings. Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the onion rings, toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. (The onion rings can sit in the buttermilk for a few hours.) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

2. When you're ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

3. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large pot or Dutch oven. (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.) Working in batches, lift some onions out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don't crowd them! Place the finished onion rings on the baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batch. Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the warm oven until all the onions are fried. They will remain crisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.