June 19, 2013
Chocolate, the ultimate passion
Written by Joy Paoletti and Judy Vig
Monday, 03 May 2010 17:20
The sun is starting to rise, and I can feel its warmth through the window of the kitchen door.
“Wow, where are all the fingerprints? Someone must have cleaned it before they went to bed.” What a great way to start Mother’s Day,” I say to myself. “Somebody actually helped do something.”
The scent of the lilacs Judy brought over yesterday fill the kitchen as I think about the plans for the day. As I sip my hot black coffee my mind starts to wander, and my eyes fill up with tears.
I remember the lilacs at our grandparents’ house — such wonderful memories. I’m missing them terribly, especially today. “Happy Mother’s Day, Nana. We miss you.”
Very soon Mom will arrive along with the rest of the family. The noises coming from upstairs remind me that my quiet time is over, and it is time to get busy preparing our meal.
My favorite memories are the times we all gather around a table, share a story and a laugh.
“La familia,” Papa would say, “there is just nothing better.”
The recipe Judy and I have selected for you is surprisingly easy and has a very different ingredient — chocolate. For Mom and I, chocolate is our ultimate passion. I hope she will enjoy it as much as I did preparing it.
Peppered crusted beef tenderloin
with chocolate port sauce
2 tenderloin steaks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cracked white pepper
Coarse sea salt to taste
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/4 cup port wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup beef stock
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 ounce bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
Brush steaks all over with one tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle sea salt and pepper on both sides of tenderloins. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to skillet and turn heat to medium high; pan should be very hot. Add steaks and cook (3 to 4 minutes per side, based on your preference for doneness).
Remove tenderloins from skillet and keep warm. In the same skillet, stir in minced shallot; cook for one minute. Pour in the port and balsamic vinegar. Simmer until the port reduces to the consistency of chocolate syrup, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add stock and rosemary, and return to simmer. Whisk in chocolate until melted and slightly thickened. Lastly, whisk in 2 tablespoons of cold butter. Re-season to taste. Enjoy!
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