Leftovers: Party of One

Every so often, you throw together a dish with the bits and pieces pulled from your fridge and you create something dinner-party worthy.

Last night was one of those nights. And, go figure, I was all alone.  

I peered in the fridge, with no plan or preconceived notions, and pulled out all the leftovers: a bit of leftover farfalle, some prosciutto, a small chunk of seared filet mignon and mixed wild mushrooms with shallot and garlic. Not a bad start.

First, I thinly sliced another shallot and sauteed it in olive oil a large skillet with a clove of minced garlic until lightly browned. Next, I added the cold pasta and cooked it for a few minutes. Tossed in a slice of chopped prosciutto, then the wild mushroom and shallot mixture and cooked for a few minutes. Finally, I cubed the filet, tossed it in and heated it until barely warm. Then, I deglazed with a bit of chicken stock (or wine if you like) to bring up all of the lovely browned bits, and serve. Fifteen minutes later, I sat to a satisfying, savory meal.

The salty prosciutto mingles with the succulent beef morsels, the woodsy, earthy mushrooms and the sweet shallot to create a luscious, comforting fall dish. Yet, it's fleeting... a meal I could attempt to recreate over and over, yet never duplicate. Such is the paradox of leftovers - much maligned, yet full of flavor waiting to be unleashed.

Kitchen Secret: Shallots

My cooking improved immensely after I started using shallots. In my opinion, shallots are the forgotten Allium, and it's a shame, because they add wonderful depth and sophistication to just about any savory dish.

These small, purple orbs cook more quickly than onions, and are sweeter and milder. The flavor is reminiscent of onion and garlic, but more delicate and urbane. They're used often in French cuisine, but are popular in Asian cuisine as well.

The writings of David Lebowitz, former Chez Panisse pastry chef and author of "The Sweet Life in Paris" inspired me to start using shallots regularly, and I'm forever grateful.

Plus, Alliums such as shallots, onions and garlic are healthful as well as delicious. You can find them in any grocery or independent market, and local shallots are available at Michigan farmers markets right now.

I slice them thinly and saute for soups, stews, pastas and vegetable dishes -- almost anywhere you'd normally use onion. You can also quick-fry them and top all manner of dishes with crispy shallots, a lovely gourmet touch.

If you've not used shallots in your cooking, I encourage you to give them a try.

Sunday Supper

We usually eat Sunday supper with my family. This weekend, for a variety of reasons, we found ourselves alone on Sunday evening, opening up a whole new world of culinary opportunity.

Frankly, we were tempted to order pizza. Busy weekend and all. But I needed to hit the corner food market for a few items, and saw some beautiful rib-eye steaks on special. A few minutes later, I had a plan.

Steak is rarely part of our repertoire but it felt right on a crisp, sunny spring evening.

Sunday Supper Menu:

Grilled rib-eyes

Roasted local asparagus with extra virgin olive oil, parmesan shavings and lemon zest

Roasted baby sweet potatoes

Roasted cipollini onions

Sautéed portabellas and shittake mushrooms with shallot and local garlic

I dusted it all with a bit of fresh rosemary. We split one steak and saved the other for sandwiches or a salad later this week. Quick, easy and satisfying.