The Bee Post

Hands down - my favorite meal. Unless you put it up against Indian. Then I have to take Indian. Ive tried making Indian dishes at home, just not the same. Such a let down.  So, the first of our family’s two pasta “sauces” - also our traditional Christmas day meal. (Biscuits and gravy in the morning (hello abbey), spaghetti sauce in the afternoon)  We alternate yearly between my mother’s meatsauce and Harry’s fathers sauce and meatballs.  Everyone has there own way of making eggplant. I use vegetable oil for frying, eggs and Italian breadcrumbs. Simple, no fuss. Always comes out nice and crispy!  The Sauce  1 1/2 pounds ground beef  1 large sweet onion chopped 1 green pepper chopped 6 cans mushrooms drained 1 package Lipton onion soup mix 2 large cans tomato sauce 4 cans stewed tomatoes (drained) Bunch of chopped or sliced garlic Heaping spoonful of Oregano, parsley, basil and 3 bay leaves 1 can tomato paste Brown hamburg and onion. Adding garlic in. Add the rest of the above.  Stir, ad

A bit of a back story. We have a restaurant nearby called the black forest café. it’s in Amherst New Hampshire and has just the most amazing brisket ever.  So one day long ago, I thought to myself - I should just make brisket myself. How difficult can it be?  Well that’s $100 dollars  that I’ll never get back. I bought all these root vegetables etc. and it was just inedible. 2nd worst home cooked meal of my life.  The best way to describe it was trying to eat a saddle that someone’s naked ass sat on for 100 years soaked in Vinegar.  Fast forward a few hundred years or so,  and we are now living in Milford and I happen to say to my gorgeous neighbor something about the black forest café and brisket. She (Sue) says - oh my gosh I have a perfect recipe for you. “You can’t mess it up” (she says) Believe me. I was hesitant, but she insisted.  Honestly. I can’t believe how absolutely simple and amazingly wonderful this brisket is. We’ve made it at least every other month for the past year. D

We all love it but Abbey loves it the most. (Or so she says) - weekends that she would come home from college, she always asked to have it ready when she comes through the door. It’s is delicious. Hearty, creamy and full of flavor. Always a little sad to see the pot empty.  My friend Kathy and my sister Melanie now make this soup also. You can usually find Kathy making it most often in the dead of winter, especially on snow days. Melanie more so in the fall. I love it with a grilled cheese sandwich. But then again, I love anything with a grilled cheese sandwich.  As a sidenote. I think what takes this soup from singing to sanging is a little extra butter and cream. The original recipe I believe called for evaporated milk and very little butter, and that just won't work for me.  1 large sweet onion 2 cups chopped carrots 1 1/2 cups chopped celery  2 to 4 potatoes 2 extra large cans of Chicken broth 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme (or more) 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary (or more) Chicken - (

Emily's most requested fall dish. Served with fresh buttered bread, heavenly! ....it's not my beloved pho, or Indian, but it's still magical. I like a lot of heat, and this broth lends itself perfectly to it. 2 teaspoons paprika  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  3/4 teaspoon salt  1/2 teaspoon ground ginger  1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper  (or a shit ton) 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper  1 (1-pound) beef shoulder roast or petite tender roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes  1 tablespoon olive oil  4 shallots,  quartered 4 garlic cloves,  chopped 1/2 cup  chicken broth  1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained  3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 pound)  1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 or 2  habanero's (optional) Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add beef; toss well to coat. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef and shallots; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, s

Most definitely one of my least favorite things to make, but also one of the most appreciated. Don’t even attempt this if you have anything else to do because you literally have to stay by the stove all day. The two reductions are very time consuming and towards the last hours of simmering, can very easily dry out. Then it’s ruined. Trust me! It demands to be closely watched. Adding small bits of water at a time. But. It’s really good. Afterwards, it always seems to be worth it.    1   tablespoon vegetable oil 3   tablespoons butter plus 1 tablespoon for tossing the pasta ½   cup chopped onion ⅔   cup chopped celery ⅔   cup chopped carrot ¾   pound ground beef chuck (or you can use 1 part pork to 2 parts beef)   Salt   Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill 1   cup whole milk   Whole nutmeg 1   cup dry white wine 1 ½   cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice Put the oil, butter and chopped onion in the pot and turn the heat on to medium. Cook and stir the

Oddly, for not being much of a baker, I surprisingly love making this apple cake. There is something comfortable about it. I think it's using the springform pan that makes me  feel all giddy. I’ve included two photos as I often substitute the apples for pears and almonds. Both are delicious. Very moist and Scrumptiously delicious!  Apple Cake 3/4 cup flour 3 / 4  teaspoon   baking powder pinch  salt 4   large apples (if you can, choose four different kinds) 2   large eggs 3 / 4  cup   sugar 3  tablespoons  dark rum 1 / 2  teaspoon  pure vanilla extract 1 / 2  cup  (115g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled preheat the oven to 350°F.  Generously butter an 8-inch  springform pan and put it on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.  Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in small bowl. Peel the apples, cut them in halves and remove the cores. Cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks.  In a bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until they’re foamy. Pour in the sug