Comments on: In praise of braising

By: Molly

Molly — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 22:21:00 +0000

Erielle, braising is one of the few reasons, in my humble opinion, to look forward to winter again. But in the meantime, give that Le Creuset a stroke every now and then, and know that you’ll be together again soon…

By: Erielle

Erielle — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 14:48:00 +0000

Hooray for braising! The exorbitant amount I spent on my beautiful red Le Creuset Dutch Oven is completely and totally worth it. And now that’s summer and not prime braising season, I miss it dearly.

By: Molly

Molly — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 01:17:00 +0000

Shauna, my dear, speaking of braising, you seem to be a master in the making. For our next cook-fest, how about your braised lamb shank AND some braised leeks? I’m so pushy, I know. And Cathy, thanks so much for getting back to me with the name of that cookie! My mother has that Maida Heatter cookbook, actually. Something tells me I might be able to sneak it off her bookshelf and into my suitcase when I’m in Oklahoma for Thanksgiving next week…

By: Cathy

Cathy — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 11:52:00 +0000

Hi Molly – I’ve had them in biscotti like you – just delicious! I was thinking they were in this other cookie, but now I remember that was anise seed. They’re the Tijuana Fiesta cookies from the Maida Heatter Cookie book.PS – I bought a couple of fennel bulbs, so braised fennel is in my (near) future!

By: Shauna

Shauna — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 01:41:00 +0000

Molly: You see, I go away to LA for the weekend, and I miss so much! This braised fennel sounds gorgeous. You and I share an affinity for Zuni Cafe foods. Add another one to the list. And this autumn and winter is when I've finally learned how to braise. I'm going to try this soon. Now, I wonder how braised leeks would be....So good to see you back, my dear.

By: Molly

Molly — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 23:37:00 +0000

Awww, foodiechickie, thank you. I am indeed slowly on my way...Tanvi, you are most certainly welcome. This is a great entree into fennel, if I do say so myself, and I hope you agree.Tana, I should have known you'd be a fellow braising fan. Speaking of which, your "Braisin' Hussy" gear is pretty damn cute! Thanks for the heads-up...Zarah Maria, that's right: he bit into it like an apple. It was about two years ago, and though my memories are a bit blurry, I seem to recall that he also was popping some pretty funky-smelling homeopathic pills. Hmm. I've told Brandon about the fennel bit, and he didn't seem to think it was too strange--maybe it's his hippie upbringing? Whatever. I'm glad to see that you find it as bizarre as I did! And as for the parmesan, excellent thinking, my dear. I'll remember it for next time.Your "funky" vodka risotto sounds very intriguing, aficionado, and I'll bet fennel <>would<> be delicious with it! And as for your blog, thanks for letting me know. I look forward to giving it a read...Melissa, well, I suppose Manuel <>does<> have to have some faults. All we can do is pray, my dear, and keep braising.Cathy, I'll be curious to hear what you think. I can't imagine that you wouldn't be won over, but well, I'm obviously biased. But as for fennel seeds, do you have a cookie recipe you might recommend? I've had fennel seeds in biscotti and loved it, so I'm open to suggestions...Derrick, I'm not at all surprised to hear that you're well-versed in the arts of braising. And ceviche-style fennel? I'll take a bowlful, please.Kayenne, I can't say that we eat much pigeon over here--many people see them as dirty ("rats with wings") and would likely be averse to eating them--and I unfortunately haven't ever seen this intriguing "black chicken." I'd love to hear more about it...Pearl, you're welcome.Keiko, thank you! And yes, I'm slowly improving. Eating lots of vegetables, drinking water, sleeping wondrously soundly. Slowly, but surely...And Amy, I had forgotten about that pizza! You are to be commended for facing down your fear of fennel. Should you choose to forge ahead and braise some, yes, vegetable broth will be just fine. As a matter of fact, when I first made this recipe, I was still a pseudo vegetarian, so I used vegetable broth too. And as for serving suggestions, serve it as you would any other vegetable side dish. I've got my fingers crossed...

By: amylou

amylou — Sun, 13 Nov 2005 12:19:00 +0000

A former fennel-hater myself, I’m slowly starting to like the stuff (ordering that fennel pizza this summer was a rather bold move for me, you know…). Now I think I’m ready to give this a go. Could vegetable broth be substituted successfully? Any serving suggestions?

By: keiko

keiko — Sat, 12 Nov 2005 21:23:00 +0000

Molly, it looks beautiful! I love cooking fennel this way, although I like using it in salad as well… I hope you are feeling better now, look after yourself!

By: Pearl

Pearl — Sat, 12 Nov 2005 18:28:00 +0000

I’ll have to give fennel another go. Thanks.

By: kayenne

kayenne — Sat, 12 Nov 2005 17:26:00 +0000

hey… do u get pigeons or black chicken there much? i got a good recipe to warm up the tummy. usually eaten by those who had just given birth, but hey, it’s good for winter. ;P