Puppies and Pasta

My puppy, and pasta coated in Mario Batali's Ragu Bolognese - two comforts that helped me get through another week of drama with a certain man acting like an immature boy. Trapper and I are pounding the pavement in Coronado in search of our own little cottage or bungalow so we can get moved, lick our wounds and start anew. Single again at 50...oh boy! I think I'll stay away from Match.com this time ;-)

Ragu Bolognese is a ragu made of layers and layers of flavors. Ragu Bolognese is made differently by every single grandmother, or mother, or daughter, or son who learns about it. It is delicious and it is absolutely the building block of some of the greatest dishes in all of Emilia–Romagna. - Mario Batali

I spent Sunday in the kitchen, preparing a double batch of Mario's ragu bolognese and a carrot cake for Mom's birthday. Both turned out fabulous, if I do say so myself. There are a few versions of Mario's bolognese out there, on Food Network.com, Epicurious.com, and a YouTube via a Wine Spectator video of Mario himself in the kitchen. The versions vary slightly in the quantities of ingredients and cooking times/methods. Pancetta is used in place of ground beef in the Food Network version I followed, but it's a little more expensive to go that route, especially when making a double batch requiring 2 lbs of ground veal and 1/2 lb. pancetta. The Epicurious version is closest to Mario's version on the video, but varies in some of the the cooking times/methods.

Mario Batali's Ragu Bolognese

Mario demonstrates preparation of his Ragu Bolognese in this Wine Spectator video on YouTube. I've summarized the steps below, but it's very helpful to watch, especially to see how brown he allows the meat to become before adding the tomato paste. I would have never taken it to this level without watching this first.

Video Notes: 
This isn't a sauce to make if you're in a hurry if you want to make it the correct way. The recipe begins with the use of lipids, a combination of extra virgin olive oil and butter, which will give the sauce a velvety texture. The next layer is the mirepoix (carrot, celery, onion and garlic). You want to sweat the vegetables without allowing them to brown or discolor (if they discolor, you should throw them out and start over). Next is the meat - a combination of veal, pork and ground beef. The meat is cooked for quite some time, over a slightly lower heat, to render off all the fat and allow the meat to brown. After about 45 minutes, you will be able to hear a crackling noise in the pan telling you the meat is no longer braising or boiling. At that point, using a wooden spoon, move around all those brown, sticky bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, which add another layer of flavor. Next, add the tomato paste. This is probably the single most important cooking step - allowing the tomato paste to cook with the meat slowly, for about 30 minutes, allowing it to caramelize and intensify the sweetness of the tomato flavor. The bottom of the pan will be slightly scorched, but that's what you want. The addition of the milk at this point will act as a deglaze. It will take about 45 minutes for the milk to totally evaporate. Following evaporation of the milk, add a relatively dry white wine and reduce until evaporated and the alcohol has cooked off. At this point, turn the heat down to low and cover the pan so the liquid doesn't cook off and the sauce doesn't become too thick. After about an hour, taste the ragu for seasoning.

Mario Batali's Ragu Bolognese

Slightly adapted from Wine Spectator video, Food Network and Epicurious

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

3 medium carrots, finely diced

1 medium onion, diced

3 ribs celery, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, sliced

3/4 pound veal, ground

3/4 pound pork, ground

3/4 pound beef, ground (ground chuck)

6 ounces tomato paste

1 cup milk

1 cup dry white wine

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cooked pasta

Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating

Preparation:

In a 6 to 8-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrot and garlic and sweat over medium heat until the vegetables are translucent and soft, but not browned, about 15 minutes. Add the veal, pork, and beef and stir into the vegetables. Lower the heat slightly and cook, Continue cooking, stirring occasionally to keep the meat from sticking together, until well-browned and all the fat has cooked off, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add the tomato paste, stir to incorporate, and cook slowly for about 30 minutes. Add the milk, stir and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan, and allow to simmer another 45 minutes. Add the wine, simmer about 10 minutes until reduced, decrease the heat to low, cover, and simmer for another hour. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from the heat.

When ready to serve, transfer the pasta directly out of the boiling water into the saucepan with the appropriate amount of the hot ragu bolognese, and toss so that the pasta is evenly coated. Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Tagliatelle alla Bolognese - Mom's Birthday Dinner on her balcony

Leftover sauce can be frozen for 2 months.

Strozzapreti alla Bolognese - Leftover bolognese with a handful of pasta a few nights later

My other comfort - Trapper at 9 months

Trapper with Mr. Platypus

Reviving Traditions with Mario Batali's Porcini-Rubbed Prime Rib Roast

The Chew, starring Mario Batali, Michael Symon, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly and Daphne Oz, celebrates and explores life through food -- from cooking and home entertaining to food trends, restaurants, holidays and more. It is broadcast live, weekdays, from New York City. In California, it airs at noon, so I've only been able to catch it a few times.

My mom happened to see the "Christmas Spectacular" episode, and told me about Mario Batali's Prime Rib Roast. Our Christmas Eve traditional dinner used to be prime rib, but we've celebrated at friends' homes the past several years. On Christmas morning, we realized we didn't have a plan for dinner. Mom reminded me again of Mario's Porcini-Rubbed 3-Rib Roast. I watched the video clip from The Chew, and couldn't get to the store fast enough! Thankfully, the butcher was able to accommodate our last-minute request, and I already had the ingredients for the rub. I came home, prepared the rub, slathered it all over the roast, and e-mailed a teaser photo to mom. 

Mario describes prime rib as America's greatest gift to the world - our beef is something special and we should celebrate it as the true centerpiece of the holiday table.  In Mario's recipe, the porcini mushroom powder makes the rub rich and delicious, equal parts of salt and sugar help create the wonderful caramelized crust, and the red pepper flakes provide a bit of spice.

The standing rib roast emerged from the oven smelling heavenly, with a beautiful, caramelized, spicy porcini-peppery crust, and perfectly pink throughout. Thank you, Mario, for reviving our Christmas tradition.

Mario Batali's Porcini-Rubbed Three-Bone Rib Roast
From The Chew, Christmas Spectacular Episode

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
¼ cup Porcini mushroom powder*
5 garlic cloves (minced)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
5-6 pound 3-rib standing rib roast (preferably cut from the loin or small-end)

*If you can’t find Porcini mushroom powder, simply grind dried Porcini mushrooms (about 3/4 ounces) in a coffee or spice grinder until they are powder.

Grind dried Porcini Mushrooms in a Coffee or Spice Grinder for powder

The ingredients for an amazing rub

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, mushroom powder, garlic, and olive oil. Stir well to form a thick paste.

Mix it up, and slather it on!

Rub the paste all over the roast, coating it evenly.

Now that's a nice piece of meat!

Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours (ours only managed about 5 hours). Remove the roast from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and let it stand at room temperature for about an hour before roasting.

Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan, rib side down and fat side up, and insert a meat thermometer in a thick part. Roast for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and continue to cook until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 125 degrees F (our 5 1/4 lb. roast took about another hour).  Remove the roast from the oven and allow to rest for 30 minutes before carving. During resting, the meat will continue to cook and will reach a final temperature of 135 degrees F (medium-rare).

Let it rest 30 minutes to allow the juices to distribute and the meat to finish cooking 

Using a long, sharp slicing knife or chef’s knife, cut the meat from the rib bones in one piece, following the contour of the bones.  Slice the meat across the grain into whatever thickness you prefer. 

See this Fine Cooking article, How to Buy and Carve a Prime Rib Roast.

Today, we thinly sliced the leftovers for sandwiches, with Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, and horseradish-mayo, and Dooley spent the afternoon happily feasting on prime rib bones.

Take the Cannoli...to Alec's Rat Pack Party!

We overindulged on good times this past weekend, with Alec’s Rat Pack birthday party on Saturday and Concert in the Park (Roman cuisine) on Sunday. Baby Bellagio was the place to be seen Saturday evening in a little black dress, classic fedora and dapper suit, Marilyn Monroe-style wig and white halter dress...or all of the above. Yes, after a glass of red wine, martini, or Jack Daniels gentleman’s drink, clothing and accessories were freely exchanged for the photo session. Nina draped the breakfast nook with cheesy Italian drapes, turned on a fan for added drama, and cranked up the Sinatra tunes.  John and I provided the lights, camera, and cannoli.

This was my third or fourth time making cannoli, and I wish I could say it gets easier each time. Obtaining the right dough consistency, rolling out the dough, and removing the shells from the cannoli forms after frying can all be a bit tricky, but well worth the effort!

Cannoli de Ricotta
Adapted from Mario Batali
Makes about 24 mini cannoli

Ingredients

Shells:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
12 tablespoons (approximate) Limoncillo or Grand Marnier (I used a combination of both)

Filling:
2 quarts canola oil, for frying
2 pounds sheep or cow's milk ricotta, drained 1 hour in a cheesecloth-lined conical sieve
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod
Zest of 2 oranges, plus a bit more for garnish is desired
2 cup tiny chocolate chips (1 cup for filling and one cup for final assembly)
1 egg white, lightly beaten (for sealing cannoli dough before frying)
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

In a food processor, pulse together the flour, cinnamon, sugar, and cocoa powder. ;Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the Limoncillo, a tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough just starts to clump together. Dump the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, wrap it up, and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta, sugar, vanilla, orange zest and 1 cup of the chocolate chips until well-mixed. Spoon into a pastry bag with an open tip and place in the refrigerator.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 8 pieces. Roll one piece onto a flat surface with a rolling pin to a 1/16-inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut 4-inch circles from the dough. Using the rolling pin, roll each circle into an oval and wrap each oval lengthwise around a metal cannoli form, sealing the edges with egg whites (seal well to prevent it opening during frying, and don't get any egg white on the cannoli form or it will make the dough stick to the form and you'll break the shell trying to remove it). Flare the edges slightly open with fingers (Note: I used my pasta roller attachment to roll the dough, with good results).

In a 3 1/2-quart pot, heat the canola oil to 350 degrees F.

Gently drop the cannoli shells, a few at a time, into the hot oil and fry until dark golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and allow to drain on paper towels. When the cannoli are cool enough to touch, twist the molds away from the shells (it helps to tap the end of the tube on the counter a few times before gently twisting the shells off). The shells may be made one day in advance and allowed to rest, unfilled and uncovered.

Just before serving, fill the cannoli shells with ricotta cream, dip the ends in the reserved chocolate chips, garnish the ends with a little orange zest if desires, and dust with powdered sugar.

A Taste of Sicily - Ricotta Cappuccino Cannoli

...An extraordinary Italian dessert composed of delicate, crisp, tube-shaped pastry shells infused with Marsala, filled with sweet, creamy ricotta cheese, embracing miniature chocolate morsels and candied orange peel, and dusted ever so softly with powdered sugar. Close your eyes, envision yourself at a picturesque Italian café, and indulge your craving...

The November 2009 Daring Bakers' Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker, recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

Cannoli originated in Sicily and are an essential part of Sicilian cuisine. Cannoli were historically prepared as a treat during Carnevale season, possibly as a fertility symbol.  They consist of tube-shaped shells of fried pastry dough, filled with a sweet, creamy filling usually containing ricotta cheese (or alternatively, but less traditionally, sweetened Mascarpone) blended with some combination of vanilla, chocolate, pistachio, Marsala wine, or other flavorings. Some chefs add chocolate chips. Sometimes, cannoli can be found with the shells dipped in chocolate, in addition to being stuffed with filling.

The following is the recipe Lisa Michele provided for the Challenge.

Cannoli Shells

2 cups (250 grams/16 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (28 grams/1 ounce) sugar
1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.06 ounces) unsweetened baking cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon (1.15 grams/0.04 ounces) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (approx. 3 grams/0.11 ounces) salt
3 tablespoons (42 grams/1.5 ounces) vegetable or olive oil (I used unsalted butter) 
1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.18 ounces) white wine vinegar
Approximately 1/2 cup (approx. 59 grams/approx. 4 fluid ounces/approx. 125 ml) sweet Marsala or any white or red wine you have on hand (I used Marsala)

1 large egg, separated (you will need the egg white but not the yolk)
Vegetable or any neutral oil for frying – about 2 quarts (8 cups/approx. 2 litres)

Garnish:  1/2 cup (approx. 62 grams/2 ounces) toasted, chopped pistachio nuts, mini chocolate chips/grated chocolate and/or candied or plain zests; Confectioners' sugar for dusting over cannoli

Cannoli Filling

2 lbs (approx. 3.5 cups/approx. 1 kg/32 ounces) ricotta cheese, drained
1 2/3 cups cups (160 grams/6 ounces) confectioner’s sugar, (more or less, depending on how sweet you want it), sifted
1/2 teaspoon (1.15 grams/0.04 ounces) ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon (4 grams/0.15 ounces) pure vanilla extract or the beans from one vanilla bean
3 tablespoons (approx. 28 grams/approx. 1 ounce) finely chopped good quality chocolate of your choice
2 tablespoons (12 grams/0.42 ounces) of finely chopped, candied orange peel, or the grated zest of one small to medium orange
3 tablespoons (23 grams/0.81 ounce) toasted, finely chopped pistachios

Directions for Shells:

1.  In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the oil, vinegar, and enough of the wine to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and well blended, about 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refridgerator from 2 hours to overnight.

2.  Cut the dough into two pieces. Keep the remaining dough covered while you work. Lightly flour a large cutting or pastry board and roll the dough until super thin, about 1/16 to 1/8” thick (An area of about 13 inches by 18 inches should give you that). Cut out 3 to 5-inch circles (3-inch – small/medium; 4-inch – medium/large; 5-inch;- large. Your choice). Roll the cut out circle into an oval, rolling it larger and thinner if it’s shrunk a little.

3.  Oil the outside of the cannoli tubes (You only have to do this once, as the oil from the deep fry will keep them well oiled). Roll a dough oval from the long side (If square, position like a diamond, and place tube/form on the corner closest to you, then roll) around each tube/form and dab a little egg white on the dough where the edges overlap. (Avoid getting egg white on the tube, or the pastry will stick to it.) Press well to seal. Set aside to let the egg white seal dry a little.

4.  In a deep heavy saucepan, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 3 inches, or if using an electric deep-fryer, follow the manufacturer's directions. Heat the oil to 375°F (190 °C) on a deep fry thermometer, or until a small piece of the dough or bread cube placed in the oil sizzles and browns in 1 minute. Have ready a tray or sheet pan lined with paper towels or paper bags.

5.  Carefully lower a few of the cannoli tubes into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Fry the shells until golden, about 2 minutes, turning them so that they brown evenly.

6. Lift a cannoli tube with a wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, out of the oil. Using tongs, grasp the cannoli tube at one end. Very carefully remove the cannoli tube with the open sides straight up and down so that the oil flows back into the pan. Place the tube on paper towels or bags to drain. Repeat with the remaining tubes. While they are still hot, grasp the tubes with a potholder and pull the cannoli shells off the tubes with a pair of tongs, or with your hand protected by an oven mitt or towel. Let the shells cool completely on the paper towels. Place shells on cooling rack until ready to fill.

7.  Repeat making and frying the shells with the remaining dough. If you are reusing the cannoli tubes, let them cool before wrapping them in the dough.

Directions for the Filling:

1.  Line a strainer with cheesecloth. Place the ricotta in the strainer over a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Weight it down, and let the ricotta drain in the refrigerator for several hours to overnight.

2. In a bowl with electric mixer, or food processor, beat ricotta until smooth and creamy. Add confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla, and blend until smooth. Transfer to another bowl and fold in chocolate, zest and nuts. Chill until firm. The filling can be made up to 24 hours in advance.  Store the filling in a pastry bag, or in a covered bowl, in the refrigerator, until ready to fill the shells.

Assembling the Cannoli:

1.  Just prior to serving, fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain or star tip, or a ziplock bag, with the ricotta cream. If using a ziplock bag, cut about 1/2 inch off one corner. Insert the tip in the cannoli shell and squeeze gently until the shell is half filled. Turn the shell and fill the other side.

2.  Press or dip cannoli in chopped pistachios, grated chocolate/mini chocolate chips, candied fruit or zest into the cream at each end. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and/or a drizzle of melted chocolate if desired.

I recommend watching Maria Batali's video series prior to making cannoli for the first time.  I've also made Mario's Cannoli de Ricotta recipe (posted here), with excellent recults.

Making Cannoli Dough, by Mario Batali
Forming and Frying Cannoli Shells, by Mario Batali
Filling Cannoli, by Mario Batali

I adapted Giada De Laurentiss' Ricotta Cappuccino recipe for my filling.  The texture is smooth and creamy and the hint of espresso is wonderful.

Ricotta Cappuccino
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
2 (12 oz) containers ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch cocoa powder

Directions
Place the sugar in a food processor. Cut the vanilla bean open lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and place them in the food processor with the sugar. Run the machine to make vanilla sugar.

Place the ricotta and espresso powder in the food processor. Blend for about 30 seconds. Stop the machine to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Add cinnamon and cocoa powder.  Blend for another 30 seconds. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag and pipe into prepared cannoli shells.  Drizzle cannoli with melted chocolate (I melted a Dark Chocolate-Orange bar)

I'll leave you with this poem I came across...

How to eat a Cannoli
by Ray Brown

Cannoli won second place
for the dessert with the worst eating design
second only to a hot dipped, thin-coated,
chocolate covered soft vanilla ice cream cone
on an August summer’s day.

I understand why
they have to see through both ends of the shell
when filling it up -
but why would anyone design a dessert
which, when you bite on one end,
you lose 25% of the equivalent of the dessert out the other?

Now a Hot Dog.
There’s a functional cylindrical type food.
The dog tucked cozily in the bun.
When you chew on one end you do not loose
mustard, relish and onions out the other.
Compare that to a Big Mac.
Bite at any one point and you have drippings drama
around all of the edges.

The cannoli’s problem would be almost tolerable
if you were losing just mayonnaise, ketchup or mustard
or that messy combination of goo that
soothes your hamburger taste buds.
But cannoli filling is Italian health food
the whole cow’s milk ricotta cheese
dark milk chocolate chips
(and whatever else is in there)
the sweet nectar of life.

I ate dinner once with an American
who thought he’d solve the problem with a knife and a fork
attempting to daintily cut through the shell
in order to pick up pieces.
Cutting through a cannoli shell!
“gat outa here”!

If they wanted you to break the shells apart
they would have crushed them up for you
and sprinkled them on top of the filling
and served them to you with a plastic spoon
in one of those paper cups for pansies.

There is only one way to eat cannoli.
Bite on one end
and as far as the other end goes -
“fuhgeddaboudit…”

Daring Cooks' October Challenge: Vietnamese Phở bò tái

The October 2009 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was brought to us by Jaden of the blog Steamy Kitchen. The recipes are from her new cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.

We had the option of preparing Jaden's quick version of Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Pho, using store-bought stock or, for us who were particularly daring, the longer version of Chicken or Beef Pho from Jaden's Steamy Kitchen.  The full recipes and instructions for Jaden's Chicken Pho can be found here, and her Beef Pho, here.

I chose to be particularly daring and prepared the longer version of Vietnamese Beef Pho, using Buffalo filet mignon.

As an added incentive this month, Jaden and The Daring Kitchen teamed up to host a photography contest for the Best Looking Pho Photo, and the Best Creative Wonton Dessert.  Winners will receive a copy of Jaden's cookbook.  Jaden will chose her eight favorite photos and post them to her blog on November 15th. Daring Kitchen members and Jaden’s blog readers will then vote for the winners. Voting will commence on November 15 and will end at midnight (EST) on November 21st. Winners will be announced on Jaden’s Steamy Kitchen blog on November 26th.  Unfortunately, Jaden's book tour was extended and she decided to "forego" allowing her readers to vote for the winning Pho and Wonton and chose them herself.  It's a bit disappointing when the rules are changed after the fact.

I had a hard time deciding between the photo above, and the one below.  I went with the one below (apparently, it wasn't a good choice.  Tastespotting and Foodgawker both rejected it based on "unflattering composition" and "narrow depth of field").

Before I get to my Pho preparation photos, I have a confession.  Before reading about this Challenge, I was a Pho-gin.  Therefore, I thought it would be prudent to dine at a local Vietnamese restaurant and engage in a little Pho-Play.  The OB Noodle House & Sake Bar, in Ocean Beach, had good reviews and an extensive offering of 19 variations of Pho.

I'm not quite sure how to describe this place, or some of the people who were dining there that evening.  Let's just say it wasn't my scene.  However, it was a new dining experience with interesting people-watching, and I left with a better understanding of this month's Challenge recipe.  OB Noodle House's Rare Beef Pho was good, but probably scarred my first experience by the over-abundance of cilantro...not one of my favorite herbs.

I was much happier with Jaden's recipe, served with all the condiments on the side so you can use what you like.  For my Rare Buffalo Pho, I offered Thai basil, cilantro, sliced fresh chili peppers, bean sprouts, red onion, mushrooms, lime wedges, Sriracha chili sauce, and Hoisin sauce.
 

The homemade beef stock absorbs its rich flavor from charred /roasted onions and ginger, spices, beef bones, fish stock, sugar, salt, and water.

Charred/Roasted onions and ginger

I toasted the spices (cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, star anise, cardamom pods, and whole cloves) and made a little mesh bag out of cheesecloth.

I used some nice beef bones, which Dooley and Diver thoroughly enjoyed after I removed them from the stock.

The stock takes about three hours, including a brief parboil of the bones to boil off some of the fat and scum

After parboiling the bones, and then rinsing off the bones and the pan, you boil a fresh pot of water and return the bones and the remaining ingredients to the water.

In order to achieve a clear broth, you must periodically skim the scum and strain the stock at the end.  This photo won't be winning any beauty contests, but that scum's gotta go.  I strained the broth through a napkin and fine sieve.

 
I went an extra step and refrigerated the stock overnight. I then strained it a second time and brought it back to a boil just before I was ready to serve.
 
Here is my beauteous buffalo filet.  If you freeze the filet for about 15 minutes, it's much easier to slice thinly, across the grain.
 

 
It's important to have your condiment platter prepared, and your filet sliced, before cooking the rice noodles.  For serving, place some cooked noodles in serving bowls, cover with hot broth, and add the sliced filet.  The broth will cook the raw filet in a few minutes and you can then add your desired accompaniments.
 

I was very pleased with my first Pho attempt, and it most certainly wrapped noodles around the OB Noodle House Pho!  Thank you, Jaden, for expanding my culinary horizons!

Now, are you ready for dessert?  The second part of the Daring Cooks' Challenge was to create our own version of dessert wontons. The challenge was about being creative with filling and form, and then photographing the result for the photo contest.

I used the ricotta filling from Mario Batali's Cannoli de Ricotta and BABBO's White Wine-Poached Pears.

I formed cone-shaped wontons by brushing wonton wrappers with butter on both sides and then wrapping them around paper cones made with stock paper and stapled.

I baked the wonton cones at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned, and slipped them off the paper cones.  Just before serving, I filled a pastry bag with the ricotta filling and piped it into the cone.  I topped the ricotta with a few spoonfuls of chopped, wine-poached pears and piped a little star of ricotta on the top.  Originally, I envisioned a few pear slices, fanned out, emerging from my Lily-shaped wontons, but the pears weren't firm enough to cooperate.  However, my bouquet looked elegant arranged in a martini glass.

I played with a few more ways to present these for serving....in shot glasses

 

And drizzled with some of the reduced wine syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar and cinnamon

 
If you like cannoli, I do strongly recommend Mario Batali's Cannoli de Ricotta, which I made a while back, here.

That concludes my October Daring Cooks' Challenge creations!
 
Be sure to visit Jaden at Steamy Kitchen and try one of her versions for Vietnamese Pho, or some of her other fabulous recipes.  If you would like to participate in the voting for the most beautiful Pho photo and most creative Dessert Wonton, cast your vote on Steamy Kitchen from November 15 to November 21. 
 
Finally, please stop by the Daring Kitchen, and the Daring Cooks' blogroll, to peruse the fabulous array of Pho and Wontons from all of the Daring Cooks' kitchens! 
 
Now, I must get back to our Wizard of Oz gingerbread creation!