Elegance on the East Side

Yesterday was Valentine's Day. You couldn't see the sidewalks because the rose bouquets were flowing out to the curb. I buy my own flowers, and I already had an eclectic mix of roses, tulips and daffodils. We don't exchange cards, nor go out to dinner. Here's what we did last night.

I decided to make my husband's favorite dish in the world, osso buco. He orders it in restaurants when it's on the menu. I've never cooked it before.

This veal shank with marrow bone in the middle varies widely in price in my neighborhood, from $7.99 to $15,99 per lb. Since the meat is stewed, why pay more? I was a little more than proud of myself when except for the meat and fresh parsley, I had the rest of the gazillion ingredients.

Since I didn't get home from the supermarket (Fairway, if you want to know) until after 3:30, I was a little stressed about time management. Like a madwoman, I quickly gathered all the ingredients and set to work, chopping, sauteing, deglazing, et cetera. You have to cook this baby for a long time, so I was free to do other things, like make side dishes. I prepped the garlic mashed potatoes and the zucchini with carrots, and then passed out until my husband came home around 7:30.

I actually lit candles, which threatened to topple each time we both cut into our succulent veal.
We opened a bottle of Barolo (Villadoria Serralunga d'Alba 2007). Chez Patricia was a great success. The best part was that my husband did the dishes at some point, after snoozing in his chair.

In case you want to try this at home (it's time-consuming, not difficult), you can find it in The Gourmet Cookbook. You'll find simpler versions on-line. Bon appetit!