Saturday Lugar's. Sunday Funday. I love President's!

Saturday was The Last Supper for DINKS Anessa and Mike, before they leave DINK world and join parent world. Anessa is due March 15th, so this was go big or go home... which is why we chose Peter Lugar's in Brooklyn. You can't go bigger (or better) than a Lugar's steak dinner. It's been a good year or 2 since my last trip out to BK to eat a juicy Lugar's steak. We left the ordering up to Joe, as he is a pro and requires no menu. If you've ever been to Lugar's, you know this is preferred by the waiters. No BS, just eat hard, and get the hell out. 

The Last Supper

Joe ordered the usual appetizers- tomato and onion, shrimp cocktail, slab bacon, and a lamb chop for everyone.

The famous steak sauce

Shrimp, tomato, and the slab bacon before I got a hold of it. Its not pretty but its the best piece pig ever.

Steak for 6 please.

The steak was great, the lamb chop was the best chop I've ever had. But the best part of the meal for the ladies may have actually been the dessert. Somehow you have to leave room for the sundae and the chocolate mousse cake, with a side of SCHLAG. German whipped cream so thick your spoon stands up in it. 

Laura peering behind the sundae with excitement

After our gorging, we went home, slept like babies, and had meat dreams... those dreams are the really wacked out that you have when you eat a ton of food at a late hour- at least that's we we're calling them. Joe's dream- having an extra cramped apartment and having to crawl to get in the door (quite obvious subconscious talk), or mine- taking random people's shoes to a shoe cobbler that was located inside a nurses office, or Jeff being locked in a car while the Cape Cod house (see previous New Years with the DINKS post)  being raided for contraband. Thank you Lugar's for providing the late entertainment.

Fast forward to Sunday. Laura, Jeff, Joe and I decide to start the day with a boozy brunch at one of my favorite staple-brunch places in the city, Essex on the Lower East Side. http://www.essexnyc.com/
$3 Mimosas, Bloody's or Screwdrivers, along with the 3 free that come with your meal. The day never ends up being productive after this place, EXCEPT for this particular Sunday Funday. After leaving the bar, making sure to get our last $3 drink, we walked to Union Square, stopping on the way to use the bathroom at another bar and grabbing another 2 rounds. 

Knickerbocker pit stop

After the pit stop we joined Jeff in his hunt for a shiny new guitar and had some fun in the guitar shop while we were at it. 

Jeff tryin em out

Me, trying to look cool after a few

Jeff finally found what he needed and we proceeded to the next pit stop, Lillie's. One of my favorite bars in Union Square- actually may be the only bar I like in Union Square. www.lilliesnyc.com

It was here that we decided to cook a family-style Italian dinner together. Jeff and Laura were indeed staying an extra night! After a trip to the grocery store, we decided on the below recipes and went to work shortly after resting at home. Both came out wonderful! Forgot to take pics of the finished products- it was a long day ok?!!

Makin pasta- gluten free!

Short Rib Ragu with Pappardelle and Pecorino Romano

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 1/2 to 4 pounds short ribs, each about 2-inches long, cut flanken style, across the ribs
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 4 small carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 medium shallots, diced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup ruby port (I omitted this and just used more wine)
• 2 cups red wine, such as cabernet
• 1/2 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
• 3 1/2 cups homemade beef stock
• 1 pound pappardelle or other long, flat pasta
• Chopped parsley
• Grated Pecorino Romano, for garnish

Directions

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

Place a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil, and heat until it is almost smoking. Season short ribs generously with salt and pepper. Working in batches if necessary, add short ribs to the hot oil. 
Cook ribs until browned on both sides. Remove ribs from casserole, and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the herbs: Place bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, and parsley in the center of a square of cheesecloth (I used kitchen twine and just tied the herbs together, sans cloth). Bring edges together, and tie with kitchen string. Set aside.

Add carrots, celery, onion, and shallots to oil in the casserole, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and golden, about 10 minutes.

Add flour and tomato paste, and stir to combine. Add ruby port (we just used red wine here); stir with wooden spoon until all browned bits have been scraped from the pan and the bottom of the casserole is clean. Add red wine, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Add garlic, beef stock, and the reserved herb bouquet.

Return browned ribs to the casserole. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the casserole, and place it in the oven. Cook until ribs are very tender, about 3 hours.

Remove the cooked ribs from the casserole. Set the casserole on the stove top over medium heat, and simmer to thicken sauce just slightly. As soon as the short ribs are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones, and shred into small pieces. Degrease the sauce and discard the herbs. Return shredded meat to casserole, and simmer to reduce sauce by about half.

Cook until pasta is al dente. Drain pasta, and serve with ragu, sprinkle with the parsley. Serve with freshly grated cheese.

Ricotta and Mint Ravioli in a Sage Brown Butter Sauce
For the pasta dough (sparing you the gluten free version here):
3/4 cup semolina flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 extra-large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt
For the ravioli filling:
1 pound whole milk ricotta (or homemade; see recipe section)
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 small bunch of fresh mint, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
Pepper
For the sauce:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh sage
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
˜
Make the pasta dough:
Joe and I do this by hand, the old fashion way, and roll it out into sheets. We have a ravioli tray to cut the pasta sheets
Place the semolina and all-purpose flour in the bowl of a food processor.  Whisk eggs and olive oil together and pour into food processor bowl. Add salt. Pulse until coarsely combined.  If dough appears too wet, add a tad more flour and pulse again. If it is too dry, add up to 1 tablespoon of water and process until it forms a moist ball.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough by hand until a smooth ball is formed. The dough should be elastic and a little bit sticky.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Make the ravioli filling:
Mix the ricotta, beaten egg and parmesan cheese in a medium sized bowl.  Mix in the chopped fresh mint. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Assemble ravioli:
Again this can be done by hand- rolling out the dough into long wide strips. then cutting raviolis or using a ravioli cutter specifically. But here are the detailed instructions from http://ouritaliantable.wordpress.com
If using a pasta machine, place the rollers at the widest opening. Cut the dough into four equal pieces. As you work with one piece, keep the other pieces covered so they do not dry out.
Working with the first piece of dough, flatten the dough and pass it through the pasta machine.  Fold the dough in thirds, crosswise, and run it through the machine again.

Making the ravioli

Repeat this procedure a third time until the dough is smooth.  Set the pasta machine to the next smaller opening and run through the machine.
Continue in this fashion, using the next smaller opening each time, until the last or next to the last opening is reached.  Dust with flour as needed but be careful not to use too much flour.
Cut the band of dough into two equal lengths.  Spoon mounds of filling, roughly 1 teaspoon, onto the strip of dough, spaced about 1/2 inch apart. Paint the exposed areas of the dough lightly with water. Place the second sheet of dough on top and shape the ravioli with your fingers. Press on the air around the filling to help seal the edges. Cut the ravioli apart with a ravioli cutter or stamp.
Place ravioli on semolina-dusted cookie tray until ready to cook.
Prepare sauce:
Heat butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat until foaming subsides and the butter starts to turn brown. Stir in the strips of sage and cook until the sage is crisp and butter is a nice golden brown color.  Season with salt and pepper.
Cook the ravioli in a large pot of salted boiling water until the pasta is al dente – about 5-7 minutes.  Carefully transfer the ravioli with a slotted spoon to a colander to drain. Gently slide the ravioli into the sage butter and cook over moderate-low heat, stirring very gently, for about 1 minute.
Dust with freshly grated parmesan cheese and enjoy……..