SHOW & RECIPE FOR JULY 14

We’re broadcasting this week from Boston, cradle of the Independence our nation just celebrated.

SITTING BY THE FIREPLACE
We spent a full school year in Boston in 1970-71, and there really wasn’t much worth eating – especially if your preferences run to the spicier sides of Tex-Mex and Louisiana cooking. Now, however, Boston is a first-rate and diverse dining destination. We get a status report from Jim Solomon, whose restaurant called The Fireplace in the Kennedys’ old neighborhood of Brookline serves up some of the best food we’ve anywhere lately.

A TOUR OF LITTLE ITALY
Little Italy is what the place is, but in Boston the locals call it the North End. Of course, the neighborhood goes back hundreds of years and started out British like every other neighborhood. But at some point, the place got poor and verging on seedy, and that meant it was perfect for immigrants. The Irish arrived first, but then the Italians took over for keeps. We take a walking food tour of the North End. Join us for a pastry and an espresso.

BACK TO THE FARM
Chef Peter Davis of Henrietta’s Table doesn’t kid himself – the rocky soil and icy climate of New England isn’t exactly the Garden of Eden when it comes to food products. Yet New England does some things incredibly well, starting with the seafood David likes to catch up near Gloucester himself and seasonal produce like corn and tomatoes as exquisite in flavor as it is shortlived. Davis talks about cooking the local and seasonal way in a region where that philosophy needs all the help it can get.

This Week’s Delicious Mischief Recipe…
STEAK AU POIVRE

6 well trimmed sirloin steaks, about 1 inch thick (8 oz each)
1 tablespoon salt
5 tablespoons wholes black pepper, coarsely crushed
3 tablespoons clarified butter
¾ cup cognac
1 ½ cup beef broth, fresh or canned
2 bay leaves
¼ stick butter, chilled and cut into ½ inch cubes
¼ cup heavy cream.
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved with two tablespoon cold water

Season the steaks generously with salt. One side at a time sprinkles each steak with the crushed black peppercorns, pushing them firmly into the meat with your hands. In a 12-inch cast iron or heavy-duty skillet, heat the clarified butter over high heat. Place the steaks in the pan (3 at the time) and sauté them 4 minutes on each side, or until they are done to your taste. Transfer the steaks to a heated platter and set them aside while preparing the sauce. Remove the pan from the stove, add the cognac, let warm for a minute, then ignite with a match. Pour in the beef broth, bay leaves and cream. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, whisk in the cornstarch and blend well. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the chilled butter bits one at a time. Strain the sauce with sieve over the steaks, and serve at once. Serves 6.