Lamb Pro-Am Finals

Sunday was the big day - the Lamb Pro-Am Finals! It was the first tasting-style event where my goal wasn't to make sure I hit every booth I could. Instead, I arrived early, met with Chef Jay Silva of Bambara, who walked me through the changes he had made to my dish, and then it was time to serve.

Since my original dish was a roast leg of lamb, Chef Silva had to change things around to make it something that could be served to 150 people in small servings. He created smaller roasts by cutting up the lamb, thus enabling each dish to get a perfect slice of meat and rice. He also used the rice mixture and some ground lamb to create little arancini, adding lots of crispiness to the dish. Pumpkin puree and a red wine reduction pulled the dish together. I was very pleased with his changes and how the final dish turned out. In fact, I'd be very happy to receive this dish in a restaurant. Or just a dish full of the arancini.

Sadly, we didn't win (although our dish was my favorite of the day - what, you think I wouldn't be bias?!). Robin of Doves and Figs and her partner Michael Scelfo of Russell House Tavern took home the prize.

I had a wonderful time participating in this event, completely unlike anything I'd ever done before. Hopefully there will be more Lamb Pro-Ams in the future, and we'll get to see more wonderful and creative lamb dishes. Many, many thanks to BostonChefs.com and to the American Lamb Board for setting all of this up - they both throw great parties, so keep an eye out for more from them both. In fact, BostonChefs Flavors of Fall is next week - it's a great way to see how restaurants respond to the change in seasons.

Moving on in the Lamb Pro-Am

Well, it's official! My pumpkin rice-stuffed lamb roast and I are moving on in the American Lamb Pro-Am! I have been teamed up with Chef Jay Silva of Bambara, and hopefully we'll have a bit of a home team advantage, because the Pro-Am event will be held at the Hotel Marlowe in Cambridge, where Bambara is located.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here. That includes samples from the four Pro-Am teams, plus all kinds of beer, wine, and cocktails and other tasty treats. Attendees also get to vote on their favorite dish, so of course I want my readers to come and vote for me ;) If it's anything like the other American Lamb events I've been to, it is well worth buying a ticket.

Hope to see you there!

Vote in the Lamb Pro-Am

I have heard so many nice things about my pumpkin, rice, and lamb dish, I really appreciate all of them. I'm glad I can share my family's story and recipe with everyone.

But now's the time I need you to do a little something for me. Head over to the Lamb Pro-Am site and give me a vote! I'm at the bottom of the list, right above the big "Cast Vote" button. You can't miss me.

How the voting works: Out of the ten fabulous blogs participating, the four with the top votes will move on to the live competition. Those four will be paired with local chefs Michael Scelfo (of Russell House Tavern), Jay Silva (of Bambara), Mark Orfaly (of Pigalle), and Jason Cheek (of KO Prime). They will cook with their chef and present their dish at the Lamb Pro-Am event on November 6th. You can buy tickets here, or enter to win a pair on the voting page.

Of course, there are some absolutely mouth-watering dishes in competition with me. So while I want you to vote for my pumpkin rice-stuffed lamb roast, take some time and visit the other competitors too. Everyone did a wonderful job adapting the competition to highlight their style of cooking.

The Lamb Burger from Boston Burger Blog - I love the use of pomegranate seeds on top!

Guinness Braised Lamb Poutine from the Small Boston Kitchen - Sweet potatoes + lamb = delicious

Three Peppers Lamb from Jacqueline Church - Don't look at me strangely when I say I wanted to lick the picture of her dish.

Autumn American Lamb Supper from Doves and Figs - The only other roast-for-roast-sake in the competition, and dear god, lamb fat cornbread!

Roast Lamb Tacos from Two Recipes - the zesty Mexican-inspired marinade for the meat sounds wonderful!

Moroccan Style Lamb Chapati from Just Add Cheese - More pumpkin, but in an entirely different format.

Lamb Potstickers from Umommy - Not one but TWO fantastic kinds of lamb dumplings.

Guatemalan Lamb Tacos from the Gringo Chapin - He humbly talks about street food, but I've never seen street food look that good.

Pumpkin Rice-Stuffed Lamb Roast

When Armenians say meat, they really mean lamb, and I can hardly think of a gathering of Armenians beyond my immediate family that hasn’t include at least one type of lamb dish. So when I was invited to participate in the inaugural Lamb Pro-Am, sponsored by the American Lamb Board and BostonChefs, I knew I would make an Armenian-inspired dish almost as quickly as I knew I would participate.

I was surprised at how fast I came up with a recipe for this challenge. We (me and 9 other Boston-area bloggers) were tasked with cooking a boneless leg, which ruled out any stew-like dish because there are better cuts for that. Immediately I thought of shish kebab – skewers of lamb (usually leg), marinated and grilled. But it was too simple (not to mention that Fall seems to have finally settled upon us with drizzly day after drizzly day). And then I remembered an often-talked-about dish that my grandmother used to make, and I KNEW.

My father’s mother passed away when I was very young, so I never got to experience her cooking, although my life has been filled with stories about her ruling over her kitchen. I spent a weekend this past summer with my horkur (Armenian for aunt, more specifically father’s sister), and after we baked treats that she remembered from her childhood, she gave me a copy of a cookbook she had written, which included many of her mother’s recipes.

One recipe jumped out at me. It consists of rice and pumpkin and onion and raisins, and that’s pretty much it. I had wanted to try it since hearing about it years before, and I knew that my other grandmother had made a similar dish, so it couldn’t be bad if both sides of my family had their own versions. But instead of just serving the pumpkin rice alongside the lamb, I decided to fill the lamb with it.

The rice was surprisingly quick and easy to put together. The only hardship is the chopping of the pumpkin and the onions. I know 3 onions sounds like a lot, but light a candle and get chopping – you really do need 3 onions. Trust me. And because I was planning on putting the rice inside the lamb, I diced the pumpkin up into small cubes; if you serve it just as a side dish, you can cut bigger cubes. Use any kind of pumpkin or winter squash you’d like (I used my favorite, buttercup squash). This can be made a day ahead if need be.

Pumpkin Rice

¼ cup olive oil

3 onions, minced

¾ cup rice

½ cup raisins

2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp sugar

2 cups water

2-pound squash, inside cleaned out, and diced

In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, stirring often. Add rice, raisins, salt, and sugar, and stir to combine. Push mixture to one side of pan and lay down about a quarter of the diced pumpkin; move rice over the pumpkin and lay down another quarter on the other half of the pan. Even the rice out, then top with the remaining pumpkin. Add water, cover, and reduce heat to low. Let cook until rice and pumpkin are cooked through and tender, about half an hour. Stir together before using or serving.

Now, I’m no butcher. Butchers are trained and know what they’re doing with a cut of meat. Me, I just kind of hack at meat until it looks good enough. I lamely attempted to butterfly my leg of lamb, making sure to cut out the silverskin to ensure a tender roast. I definitely could have done a better job, but I also didn’t ruin the meat (whew!). If you give this recipe a shot (and don’t know what you’re doing, much like me), ask your butcher to butterfly the leg for you. You’ll be much happier.

Once the leg is butterflied, lay it meat side up (fat side down), sprinkle with a little salt, and lay some of the rice mixture evenly over it. There will be plenty of rice left – save it to serve with the meat later. Roll the meat up, trying not to squeeze out all the filling as you go, and tie it together to keep its shape (I found this video helpful, although it was more of a two-person job for me). Place it fat side up in a roasting pan and cook in a 350° oven until a thermometer inserted into the meat (make sure you avoid the rice filling!) reads 150°. Remove from oven, cover with foil, and let stand 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving. Reheat the rest of the rice to serve alongside – the pumpkin will mush a bit as you stir, making it appear more orange than it had before. The rice inside is a bit meaty and has imparted much of its sweetness to the meat, while the rest of the rice has a more pronounced pumpkin flavor, so it almost seems like two different rice dishes.

The rice got plenty of approval from my parents, who said it tasted just like they remembered, and the three of us devoured more lamb than we thought possible. Hopefully my grandmother would have approved as well.

Many thanks to the American Lamb Board and Boston Chefs, who provided me with this wonderful cut of meat. Please take a moment to vote for me here - the top four bloggers move on to the next round!

Lamb Jam Masters in New York

Last February, I was beyond thrilled to be a judge at the 2011 Lamb Jam in Boston. In fact, I found myself talking about Chef Jason Santos' winning dish to anyone who would listen for weeks on end. Little did I know that I would see him compete at the Lamb Jam Masters months later.

But as I was planning a weekend trip to New York with my parents (yes, we saw two shows, and we visited more museums than I could count), I realized that the Lamb Jam Masters was being held in New York that same weekend. Kismet, right? How could we not attend? The three of us ended up meeting my cousin who lives in NYC for a leisurely afternoon of stuffing our faces with lamb and drinking more wine, cider, and bourbon than we should (and yet we still went out for rice pudding after). (In planning the day, I made the stupid mistake of asking my cousin if she liked lamb. Hello? We're Armenian. Lamb runs through our veins.)

My family was, quite naturally, rooting for Chef Santos (late of Gargoyles on the Square, now of Blue Inc) to win. I told him before the event that I had come from Boston to see him bring the trophy home. He presented his poached lamb shank with black truffle, cauliflower espuma, bee pollen, and fried garlic (above) with aplomb (it was still my favorite dish, despite the local ties). It's just such a different dish than the others presented (and frankly from most lamb dishes out there) that it stood apart from the others. I guess too far apart for the others in attendance - Santos left without a prize.

The other also-ran was Chef John Chritchley of Urbana in Washington, DC. His dish of slow-cooked lamb leg with preserved lemon over a bed of white polenta was missing something for me that I just couldn't place (maybe I had had too many bourbon and Coke slushies by then?).

The People's Choice award went to Chef Mark Bodinet of Copperleaf Restaurant in Seattle. He made a lamb shoulder confit with creamy parnips and a huckleberry sauce, and this dish was my second favorite of the day. I couldn't get over how tender the meat was, and I just loved the sauce.

Finally, the award of Lamb Jam Master went to Chef Adam Mali of MarketBar in San Francisco. He served up a braised lamb shank with cannelini beans and a lavender-mint gremolata. The gremolata was my favorite part of the dish, but then, I always love floral notes in my food. The meat was perfectly cooked and tender, but I found the white beans fine and the accompanying broth unnecessary.

(See pictures of all the dishes and more here.)

And while those four dishes were the stars of the afternoon, there was a lot more going on. Dickson's Farmstand offered up lamb sausage and pastrami (for which my cousin probably went back for fourths or fifths) as well as a kick-ass butchery demo. Pera Mediterranean Brasserie served up lamb kebabs wrapped in lavash (the idea for which I'm sure my mother is going to steal for future dinner parties). The Meatball Shop had fantastic lamb meatballs with pesto and a corn salad (using the last of the season's corn) that I absolutely adored. Little Cakes made adorable lamb cake pops for everyone (although my father thought the pop part was kind of gross and just tore off the outside for the cake inside - I didn't tell him it was gluten-free). There was lots of wine and beer to be had as well, but since I don't drink beer and wine just makes me sleepy, I stayed away. Luckily, there was plenty of cider from Foggy Ridge Cider (my new favorite!) and bourbon from Jefferson's to keep me happy. Overall, even though Boston didn't bring home the crown, the Lamb Jam Masters was a great event. Thanks to the American Lamb Board for putting together yet another amazing event!

Full Disclosure note: My ticket to the event was given to me for free by the American Lamb Board. My parents paid for theirs, though.

Lamb-Stuffed Eggplants

As autumn arrives full-force here in Boston, I'm left with lots of fresh produce AND a desire for heartier dishes. I've had lots of trouble with most of my garden this year, but eggplants and parsley are pretty much the two things I have plenty of (what a good Armenian girl I am!). It seemed like the perfect time to get cooking with them.

I've been growing Fairytale eggplant this year, which are adorable purple and white speckled fruits about the size of my thumb (below). They cook up very tender and have way fewer seeds than traditional eggplants. They're also the perfect size for cooking in smaller amounts or, in this case, making individual portions. I love them so much, I've pretty much decided that I will always grow these. If you can't find fairytale eggplants, try any long and thin eggplants (you can cut them in half to form more individual-sized portions).

Lamb-Stuffed Eggplants

10-12 fairytale eggplants
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground lamb
cayenne pepper
cinnamon
nutmeg
about 15 cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
2 Tbsp minced fresh mint
3 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
zest of half a lemon
salt and pepper

Cut each eggplant in half and scoop out the insides, leaving about a 1/4 inch wall. Place scooped-out eggplants in a bowl of salted water to prevent browning. Chop up the insides of the eggplant, discarding any areas that are mostly seeds, and set aside.

In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent. Add lamb and chopped eggplant, and cook until lamb is well browned, breaking up any big pieces as you go. Remove from heat and drain off excess fat. Add cayenne, cinnamon, and nutmeg to taste (go easy on the nutmeg). Stir in tomatoes, mint, parsley, and lemon zest. Salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Remove eggplant halves, one by one, from water, and fill the cavity in the center with lamb mixture. If you press the mixture in with a spoon, you can mound it up a bit. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with remaining eggplant. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until eggplants are easily pierced with a fork.

2nd Annual Lamb Jam

When I heard that last year's wonderful Lamb Jam event was going to be repeated, I started spreading the news. My parents haven't stopped talking about how much they enjoyed the event last year. Sponsored by the American Lamb Board and BostonChefs.com, the event pits some of the top restaurants in Boston against each other in a battle for lamb domination.

When I reached out to my press contact about getting a ticket, I was surprised and happy when she offered me a judging spot instead. I arrived early and joined my fellow judges for what ended up to be a rigorous tasting schedule. Each dish was presented to us without a hint of who created it, and we judged on presentation, creativity, and taste. There seemed to be a general consensus on things down at my end of the table, but I was surprised at some of the eventual winners. Restaurants had picked their cut of meat - leg, loin, shank, or shoulder - and we picked a winner for each category, as well as a "best in show."

Winners
People's Choice: Oleana
Leg: Citizen Public House
Loin: Gargoyles on the Square
Shank: The Fireplace
Shoulder: Garden at the Cellar
Best in Show: Gargoyles on the Square

All of the entries (in the order of our tasting):

• 606 Congress - Pulled Lamb Shank Agnolotti with Balsamic Brown Butter and Chocolate Gremolata (picture)
• Bondir - Chilled Braised Shank set in Clarified Broth with Parsley and Carrots, Pistachio Vinaigrette and Salad (picture)
• The Fireplace - Braised Lamb Shank with Sheep Milk Cream over Winter Squash Stew and Cheesy Cornmeal Porridge (picture)
• Henrietta's Table - BBQ Beer Braised Lamb Shank with Charlie Baer's Money Beans and Stone Ground Grits (picture)
• Tomasso Trattoria - Braised Lamb Shank Ravioli with Marscapone Cheese (picture)
• Garden at the Cellar - Lamb Sausage Ssam with Nuoc Cham, Kimchi Slaw, and Crispy Garlic (picture)
• Red Lion Inn - Porcini Braised Lamb Shoulder with Berkshire Blue Hominy and Equinox Farm Kale (picture)
• Rialto - Lamb Scotch Eggs with Winter Salad, Lamb Bacon Lardons, and Truffle Vinaigrette (picture)
  
• Oleana - Lamb Cammama - Spiced Lamb Shoulder with Onions, Moroccan Dates, Almond Bread, Carrot Salad, Blood Orange, and Cilantro (picture)
• Bistro du Midi - Cumin and Garlic Sous Vide Lamb Loin with Braised Lamb Neck Ravioli, Baby Carrot, Pine Nuts, and Lamb Jus (picture)
  
• Gourmet Caterers - Sumac Dusted Lamb Loin with Crispy Chickpea Cake and Preserved Orange Tomato Chutney (picture)
• Sel de la Terre - Shepherds Pie Napoleon - Maple Smoked Lamb Loin, Pea and Carrot Pastry, Pommes Dauphin, with Carrot Gelee and Pea Foam (picture)
• Gargoyles on the Square - Poached Lamb Loin with Black Truffle, Cauliflower Espuma, Bee Pollen, and Fried Garlic (picture above)
• Aura - Roasted Leg of Lamb with Merguez Sausage Cassoulet, Bruleed Eggplant, and Yogurt (picture)
• Citizen Public House - Jerky 3 Ways: Whiskey Smoked, Honey Ginger, Rosemary Sea Salt (picture)
• Pain D'Avignon - Lamb Leg Frankfurter cooked in Rapscallion Honey Beer with Lamb Bacon Sauerkraut and Rapscallion Honey Mustard on Lamb Fat Griddled Brioche Bun (picture)
• Russell House Tavern - House-made Merguez Sausage Slider with Warm Smoked Lamb Belly Vinaigrette, Minted Pickles, and Harissa Ginger Aioli (picture)

Full Disclosure note: My ticket to the event was given to me for free by the American Lamb Board.

Starting the Year Off Right

One of the best Christmas presents I received this year came completely out of the blue. I have somehow managed to get myself into the good graces of the American Lamb Board, and just before Christmas, a huge packaged showed up on my doorstep. Inside, safely wrapped in a duffel-sized cooler bag, was a beautiful crown roast of lamb - something I've heard of, but I don't think I had ever seen in person. My parents immediately claimed it for our family New Year's Day dinner, and it was packed into the freezer to await its date with the oven.

On the big day, I decided to go with the recipe that had been sent along with the meat (well, mostly - we left out the roasted veggies that the recipe places in the center of the roast). It involved two whole heads of garlic, panko breadcrumbs, and fresh rosemary and thyme. I absolutely loved how it turned out, and I would probably make this coating for other cuts of lamb as well. The only problem I had was that it had to cook much longer than the recipe said, mostly, I think, because I never managed to get the lamb into a circular shape, leaving not enough room in the middle for the hot air to circulate.

Of course, I wanted a side dish that was equally spectacular to go with such a great piece of meat. I turned to an idea that I had been wanting to try for ages - smashed potatoes. If you search for a recipe with that name, though, more often than not you'll end up with a recipe for mashed potatoes. Not the same thing at all. Instead, I cobbled together a few ideas to end up with what are, to me, the ideal potatoes. I would eat these every day, no joke. They're crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, and topped with plenty of salt (rosemary is optional, but I think it helps). I even tried the same technique with little cipollini onions, and although they didn't crisp up, the flavor was a hit - sweet and unctuous. In fact, the softness of the onions served as a nice contrast to the crispiness of the potatoes. (You can see the onions on the tray better in this picture.)


Festive Lamb Crown Roast (from American Lamb)
2 heads of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons chopped herbs (rosemary, basil and thyme) I just used rosemary and thyme
1 American Lamb crown roast, cap removed from ribs
Salt and coarse ground pepper

Cut 1/2 inch off the tops of the garlic. Place in small metal pan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Roast in 375°F oven for 1 hour. Cool and squeeze soft garlic cloves into small bowl. Mash with remaining 1 tablespoon oil; set aside.

In small skillet, melt butter and add bread crumbs. Stir and cook until browned. Pour into bowl and mix in herbs. Place roast in roasting pan. Rub garlic mixture over outside of roast. Generously season lamb with salt and pepper. Pat on bread crumb mixture. Roast at 375°F for about 45 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Remove roast from oven, cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Carve and serve 2 to 3 chops per serving.

Smashed Potatoes (or, the only potato recipe you'll need from here on out)
*This also works well with cipollini onions - just cook in the same way as the potatoes.*
small potatoes (1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter)
olive oil
kosher salt
chopped rosemary (optional)

Place potatoes in a small pot and cover with water (at least 1 inch over the potatoes). Add a good pinch of salt and bring water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until you can pierce a potato with a fork but there's still a little resistance (too soft and the next step won't go too well). Drain potatoes and let cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 450°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil across the whole baking sheet. Place a potato on the sheet and slowly flatten it with the bottom of a ramekin or a large flat-bottomed glass; repeat with the rest of the potatoes. Drizzle more olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt and rosemary. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until desired crispiness is achieved.

Full Disclosure note: The lamb was sent to me for free by the American Lamb Board.

Spanakopita Burgers with Tzatziki

It began with yet another email. Fans of Lamb, the promotional arm of the American Lamb Board, was offering to send me more lamb as part of a burger contest they are holding. (I don't have a video camera, so I won't be entering, but you can here!) I had just made tons of manti using ground lamb and was anxious to try other ways to use it.

For some reason, I couldn't get a Greek theme out of my head for these burgers. I really wanted to pair it with tzatziki, and my mind kept bringing up spanakopita too. Luckily, all those ingredients go very well together, and the spanakopita burger was born.

I'm very happy with these burgers. The lamb adds a different flavor than beef, but there are enough other ingredients that it never tastes gamey, like ground lamb sometimes can after a while. My friend found the amount of feta I used a little overwhelming, but I didn't agree - if you're not a big fan of feta, you can cut back on the amount. The addition of so much spinach and cheese is also a great way to stretch the meat a little bit further.

Spanakopita Lamb Burgers
1 lb ground lamb
1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3-4 ounces of feta, crumbled
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands until everything is well combined. Shape into 4 patties and refrigerate until ready to cook. Grill (or use an indoor panini press like we did) for 4-5 minutes per side. Serve on a bun of your choice with a large helping of tzatziki.

Tzatziki
1 English cucumber (long cucumber wrapped in plastic)
2 cups Greek-style yogurt (I used fat-free, but use whatever you like)
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
1/2 bunch dill, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper

Grate cucumber. Line a colander with paper towels and add cucumber. Sprinkle on some salt and let stand in the sink for 1-2 hours. Squeeze cucumber as dry as possible and add to a mixing bowl. Add yogurt, garlic, dill, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and mix until well combined. Add more lemon and salt and pepper if needed. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before use to let the flavors meld.

Manti, or Armenian Dumplings

Manti is one of those Armenian dishes that I had only a couple times in my childhood, and while I liked it, it was never something I was eager to have again. I think it may be because the traditional way to serve it, the little dumplings floating in a pool of chicken broth, is rather bland and mushy. In college, I experimented with a number of Armenian recipes, and through a whim, found out that I quite like manti, as long is it isn't served in its traditional way.

Manti is an Armenian dumpling, little balls of ground lamb wrapped in a dough to form a tiny little canoe. The meat peeks out on one side, giving you a hint of what's to come. They're great as a meal, a side dish, or just a snack. Just don't give it to me in chicken broth.

When I first started making these, I made my own dough, rolling it out very thin and painstakingly cutting it into little squares. The dough baked up a little thicker and drier than I liked. I used to freeze the baked mantis and toast them in the toaster oven for a little snack - they reminded me a lot of the frozen mini eggrolls my mother used to buy for me from the supermarket when I was a kid.

A few years later, though, my mother had the idea to use premade dough to make the process go quicker. We had already used refrigerated eggroll wrappers to make sou boreg, another Armenian dish with paper-thin noodles, so we thought it might be worth a try with the manti instead.

Lo and behold, the shortcut manti worked! It's quite different than the kind I used to make - I think I got used to the thick and dry dough - but these seem more like what manti should really be.

Manti is easy to make, but incredibly time consuming. Get a friend to help so it will go faster (you'll have someone to share the whole pan with when you're done, too!). I like to eat them straight out of the oven, but my mother still likes the chicken broth, so I've included that as well. You can freeze these after the initial baking if you'd like (make two trays and freeze one - then you won't have to do the work again later), although they reheat better with the chicken broth.

Manti
1/2 package egg roll wrappers
1 pound ground lamb
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1 tsp allspice
1/2 - 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
salt and pepper
small bowl of water
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth (optional)

Mix lamb, onion, parsley, and spices together. If you're unsure if it is spiced enough, you can fry up a little bit in a pan to get a taste. Cut each egg roll wrapper into 9 equal square pieces. Roll a pinch of the meat mixture into a ball and place in the center of a piece of dough (pictured above). With your finger, wet along two opposite sides of the dough and pinch together, forming a canoe shape with an open top. (Does this make sense to anyone but me? The wet edge with press against itself, not against the other wet edge.)

Place manti tightly together in a greased glass baking dish, open side up. When you have filled the dish, bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned (we're not much for setting timers around here, just cooking "until it's done").

For chicken broth preparation, cook as instructed above, then pour chicken broth over manti, cover with tin foil, and bake for another 15-20 minutes.

Lamb Takedown!

If you've ever been to a concert at the Middle East, you're familiar with the process: line up in the restaurant, hand over your cash or ticket, get a wrist band (or not), then head down the stairs into the basement. What you're probably not used to, though, is the smell of lamb and spices hanging in the air.

At the Lamb Takedown, however, the smell of cooking meat was exactly what was to be expected. The evening featured 18 local amateur chefs who all proved that they had more-than-amateur skills with a huge variety of recipes. The plate above represents only about a quarter of the offerings, so clearly, only small bites of all the dishes was enough to fill me up.

For me, there were a few stand-out hits, a couple of misses, and some that were just not my style. I put my vote towards the lamb meatball, stuffed with a piece of feta cheese, cooked in a North African tomato sauce, and topped with tumeric yogurt, candied orange peel, and parsley. That meatball was all kinds of wonderful (and I'm not usually a big fan of meatballs), and the candied orange peel really made the dish stand out. I also loved the Moroccan braised shoulder with apricot couscous, the five-spice pulled lamb with pickled fennel and carrots (I could have eaten those pickles all night), the smoked leg served in a pita with summer fruit compote, and the perfectly-seasoned pulled lamb taco.

At the end of the night, there were awards to hand out. All the chefs gathered on stage, and Matt Timms, the evening's host, asked them to introduce themselves to the crowd, and then the prizes (including some much-coveted Le Creuset cookware) were awarded.

One of the judges, Adam Ragusea of WBUR, made a fun video - definitely worth a watch if you couldn't be there last night.

The winners of the evening (stolen from the Takedown's site):

People’s Choice

• 1st - Aleks Strub: Lamb Bolognese with Rosemary Gnocchi
• 2nd - Justin Manjourides: 5-Spice Pulled Lamb with Pickled Fennel and Carrots
• 3rd - Matt O’Shea : Hammered Shanks- Cajun Spiced Lamb Shanks braised in Abita Turbodog with jambalaya.

Judge’s Selections

• 1st - Justin Manjourides: 5-Spice Pulled Lamb with Pickled Fennel and Carrots
• 2nd - Aleks Strub: Lammb Bolognese with Rosemary Gnocchi
• 3rd - Jamie Saltsman: Smoked Leg with hand-picked fruit compote

Judge’s Honorable Mentions:

• Aaron Foster: Lamb Ruben
• Alex Rosenzweig: Georgian Style Barbecue

Upcoming Lamb Events

There are always so many exciting food events going on in Boston, but there are two coming up soon that I'm particularly excited about. It seems I have lamb on the brain - and I'm not the only one.

Like I mentioned, February is Lamb Lover's Month, and the American Lamb Board is celebrating in style. They are helping host two exciting events here in Boston (as well as other events around the country). The events are similar, and yet quite different. I'm looking forward to both - will you be attending?

The Lamb Takedown - Sunday, February 28th will feature more lamb than you can imagine at the Middle East in Cambridge. Twenty amateur chefs (although, I'm sure, amateur only so far as they don't run a restaurant) will each have 15 pounds of meat to transform into amazing creations. Of course, with your $15 ticket, you get the chance to sample them all and vote for your favorite. Who doesn't love such delicious voting? Also, apparently there will be "lamb swag" for everyone. Maybe lamb stickers? You can buy your tickets here or at the Middle East.

The Lamb Jam - A week later, on March 7th, it's time for the professionals to give the same concept a shot. Fifteen of the cities best chefs will be putting their spin on lamb. Just seeing the names on the list - like Dante de Magistris, Will Gilson, and Michael Leviton - is making me hungry already. Oh, and did I mention beer pairings? Ten different breweries will be on hand with some tasty brews, and a winery will be on hand as well. Tickets for the event at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square can be purchased here.

Lamb Lover's Month

Did you know that February is Lamb Lover's Month? I didn't either, but it's a delicious way to spend a whole month.

A few weeks ago, I got an email titled "Lamb Gift." I thought it must be a joke from a friend (one of my many nicknames is Lamb), or at the very least, spam. On closer inspection, though, it was clear that it was an invitation to play around with some lamb recipes. Fast-forward a few weeks to a big box on my doorstep. Inside were 8 fat lamb chops from the American Lamb Board and tons of inspiration (including the amazing stickers above, which I may be enjoying more than the lamb itself).

I'm not usually a chop girl - there's bone to cut around, and it's a lot of work to get all the meat off. These chops, though, were tender and flavorful and made me think twice about buying chops in the future. I'm still more of a boneless leg fan, but if I'm just cooking for one, chops are a good way to go. And frankly, the last few times I've bought lamb, it's been from New Zealand and been just fine, but this American lamb was way tastier (and also from roughly 8000 miles closer to my home).

In the Boston area? Make sure to check out the Lamb Takedown on February 28th - 20 chefs will create tasty lamb dishes, and you can try them all! Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with.

With eight chops, I had some room to play around. I ended up making two very different marinades, letting them sit for about 5 hours to soak up the flavors since the chops were small. These marinades would be just as delicious on a boneless leg of lamb, but for that, I would double the recipe and marinade overnight.

I'm not sure which recipe I liked more - the apple rosemary mustard marinade is something more typical for lamb, whereas the apricot soy is a bolder flavor, and Asian-inspired flavors aren't common with lamb. Either way, I'm looking forward to making these both again.

Apple Rosemary Mustard Lamb (above)
1 Tbsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup spicy Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
4 lamb chops

Whisk together dry mustard, ground cloves, and apple cider vinegar and let stand 15 minutes. Add thawed apple juice concentrate, mustard, rosemary, garlic, olive oil, honey, and salt, and mix until well combined. Pour marinade into a large zip-top bag and add lamb chops. Let rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Grill or pan-fry lamb for about 3-4 minutes on each side, then cover with tin foil and rest for a few minutes before serving.

Apricot Soy Lamb
1 cup apricot jelly or jam
3/4 cup soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
4 lamb chops

Combine jelly, soy sauce, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Pour marinade into a large zip-top bag and add lamb chops. Let rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Grill or pan-fry lamb for about 3-4 minutes on each side, then cover with tin foil and rest for a few minutes before serving.

Blogger Dinner at Sandrine's

Prior to starting this blog, there were many foods and cuisines that I rarely ate. French was definitely one of them, and for no particular reason. I went to France a couple of times when I was a teen, but I mostly subsisted on crepes, baguettes with ham and cheese, and poorly-prepared hotel salmon - oh, and whatever (and I do mean whatever) wine was nearby. I've expanded my French repertoire since then, and I'm always happy to try another restaurant.

So when I received an email from Chris Lyons of Lyons Communications about a blogger's dinner at Sandrine's in Harvard Square, I knew this would be an excellent chance to experience the real deal. Chef Raymond Ost is a Maître de Cuisiniers (Master Chef of France); the group's mission includes "to preserve and spread the French culinary arts," so I know I got a good representation of French cuisine. Sandrine's doesn't just do a more generalized French cuisine, however; Chef Ost focuses on the food of Alsace, so many of the foods (and wines) we tried were specialties of the region.

This was also a great chance to meet some of my fellow bloggers, all of whom I've been reading for a while now. Along with Chris, I got to enjoy the company of Richard from The Passionate Foodie, Jacqueline from The Leather District Gourmet, Adele from The Basil Queen, and Megan from MenuPages. We sat for three hours, talking not only about what we were eating, but also what we have eaten and what we'd like to eat - just my kind of company :)

We started with two Flammekueches (one was traditional, with bacon and caramelized onions, and the other featured mushrooms and Swiss cheese). With a crispy, brick-oven-cooked crust and just the right amount of toppings, these were fantastic. They're a great bar food or a perfect way to start a nice long meal.

While most of the table moved on to the foie gras for their appetizers, I went with the endive and roquette (arugula) salad, with black grapes, goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, and a champagne vinaigrette. The mixture of bitter and sweet, fresh and tangy, crisp and soft, all made for an incredibly well-composed salad. This is definitely not just a bunch of ingredients thrown together in a bowl. Each bite was a different combination of flavors, and it never got old. I'd probably eat more salads if they were all like this.

For the main course, we had lots of great options, and I had a hard time making a decision. The Alsatian Choucroute Garnie is the house speciality , but I'm not always wild about sausages, and the Lobster Risotto sounded right up my alley. I ended up going with the Rack of Lamb, however, since I rarely cook meat at home, and rack of lamb is something I tend to leave to the professionals. I'm so glad I made that choice, too, because the lamb was intensely satisfying. The meat itself was cooked perfectly (not that you can tell in that picture), with a crispy Herbes de Provence crust and a warm but medium-rare middle. The accompanying roasted potatoes and butternut squash were what everyone hopes for from roasted veggies - a good mix of crispy edges and creamy interior (I probably could have just eaten another serving of the squash for dessert, in fact).

But I didn't, because they brought out this behemoth for us. The platter took up most of the table, and we managed to stuff ourselves silly by trying each of the fabulous desserts. My favorite was the kugelhopf, which puts most Boston-area molten chocolate cakes to shame. But really, they were all good - even the banana sorbet and the pear meringue (neither of which I would ever order). The six of us did a disturbingly good job of cleaning this plate - another reason to love eating with foodies is that they're not shy about going back for another bite!

So overall, I highly enjoyed my time at Sandrine's. At it's mid-range price point, it would be a great place to go for a nice night out with friends, but really, I'm already dreaming of sitting at the bar for some wine, a flammekueche, and a kugelhopf. See, my knowledge of French foods really was expanded!!