Working up an Appetite

Jack and I spent a long weekend in Bend, Oregon recently. Our friends Tiffany and Ryan have access to a timeshare close to Mount Bachelor and they invited us to enjoy the snow with them. Ryan guided us up Tumalo Mountain on Friday on a shoe shoeing adventure. There was more straight up to the route than I had bargained for, but the view from the top was well worth it.

Saturday was for snowboarding. Now, I was raised in Michigan, we had plenty of snow, but the slopes do not compare to what the West has to offer. So, I stayed at the timeshare to relax and...cook! I wanted to serve the snowboarders something savory and delicious after their long day on the mountain. I had the latest issue of Cooking Light with me and I noticed this recipe on the last page: Cabernet-Braised Beef Short Ribs. The 3 1/2 hours in the oven appealed to me because I wanted to spend this day to myself making a nice meal and taking it easy. The slow and low way of cooking is a favorite technique because you can't help but end up with tender pieces of meat when you're done. Also, you can never go wrong with a recipe that calls for wine; once that bottle has made its contribution to the recipe, what remains is fair game.

I had never worked with short ribs before and was surprised to see how much they plumped up as they cooked. I served the ribs on a bed of egg noodles and we had asparagus with melted butter as a side. Asparagus is Jack's favorite vegetable and I am happy to see that it is coming back in season again--I love it too. I forgot to take pictures as I was cooking, so Tiffany was kind enough to model what was left.

For dessert I tried something that I've been meaning to make for a long time: an apple galette. This is a simple, rustic tart that is easy to make. I absolutely loved the smell of cooking apple slices in melted butter, that experience rates a close second to the view from Tumalo Mountain. Mmmm.