comfort zone

Everyone sits at their designated seats during our family style dinner.  After grace is said, our diverse discussions start.  My husband loves to discuss abstracts that often involve scientific jargon. For instance, he explains the pathways responsible for maintenance of genomic integrity in cells.  No matter how many times I've heard it before, I just cannot understand what he is talking about. My best chance to contribute to the conversation is when I set the hot steaming dish of food. That's when everyone stops talking.  To my heart's delight, they would all exclaim, "wow" in unison. Only then is the conversation shifted. 

 "Mmm... smells so good; have you blogged about this, Mom?"

 My eldest daughter then starts sharing the dishes that she has been making in her apartment, like quinoa or ravioli from scratch. Sometimes, she also talks on and on about Epicureanism and Greek Philosophy or international law and human rights. My second daughter and I would look at each other and, being the mischievous gals we are, we would roll our eyes together.

Next, I try to shift the discussion to my second daughter and what's going on with her life in UCLA.  She brushes it aside saying that she's doing pretty well and she would love not to talk about school while she's on vacation. She would rather talk about movies and music instead, she says. Meanwhile, my eldest daughter has begun teasing my youngest son about his girlfriend and about which school he would choose this coming Spring, as he hears back from his college applications. Then more taunting ensues as both of my girls would bump heads with each other regarding which school was better: Berkeley (where my eldest goes) or UCLA. 

The scenario is typical for our family dinners when we are complete. But now that my second daughter has gone back to school and my oldest daughter's luggage is all packed up, these days will have to wait until the next school break.

I have to ask myself every time we say goodbye, "what is in the luggage that triggers this melancholic feeling?"  Maybe it's because the luggage makes me realize that wherever they may go in the future, as they are prepared to engage with their peers in discussions confidently, they bring with them memories from home. I know that while they will never lose sight of their own passions, they also will listen to what other people can bring to the table.

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Tuscan Pot Roast with Carmelized Onions and Home Fries

(adapted from Real Simple)

This dish is one of our "comfort" food throughout all these years.  I always make them when my girls come home.  It always hit the spot, they say. This is always in my menu too when entertaining guests.  It's easy! All you have to do is put it in a pot and it cooks by itself.  It will allow you to have some time with the family and/or if you've  company coming, will give you more time to attend to other party details.

Ingredients:

3 lb chuck roast

1 tbsp olive oil

3/4 c red wine

3 carrots sliced

3 stalks celery

5 medium onions, diced

1 can tomato paste

1/4 Worcestershire sauce 

5 cups beef stock (less sodium)

flour

Directions:

Dab the beef with Worcestershire sauce and pepper.  Drench it with flour.  Shake off excess flour.  

On a dutch oven, add olive oil and brown all sides of the beef.  Remove beef when done and set aside.

Using the same pot, saute the onions until translucent. Add celery and carrots.  Deglaze the pot with the red wine. Make sure to get all those brown bits around and from the bottom of the pot.  Add the beef stock.  Submerge the beef cook it on high until it starts to boil then adjust the flame into low. Cook it until beef is tender.  It usually takes 2 hours to do so. Reduce the sauce until it's thick. Let the beef sit before slicing them.  

Some cook their pot roast in the oven, but I always do mine on stove top.  

Now let's work on the garnishing.

Get some potatoes. Wash them and prick some holes into it. Microwave them for 5 minutes.  Let it cool.  Slice them and brown its sides.  

Slice some onions and caramelize it on a pan.  Now garnish your pot roast just the way you like it.. Enjoy!

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