Fine Dining at Home - Osso Buco

So I was wandering around my neighborhood grocery store and came upon a "special today" for veal shanks. Now I don't usually buy veal, but this deal could not be ignored. There were only 3 packages sitting on the refrigerated shelf for only $3.99/lb! After careful inspection, I determined that the rock bottom price was not due to the meat being spoiled or anything bad like that so I snatched up two packages and resolved to finally try a recipe for osso buco, a dish I had, up until now, regarded only as "fine dining" fare. Well that notion could not have been farther from the truth. After making my way through the recipe, it seemed to me that osso buco is simply a glorified beef stew with very little difference in preparation technique.

For the recipe, I chose to go with Giada De Laurentiis' osso buco recipe based on the 5 star reviews. I was pretty happy with this dish. It wasn't difficult to make and the resulting tender morsels of veal were flavorful and satisfying. I think this makes a great dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free entree that would be excellent for guests or if you just want to treat yourself to something different from the usual routine.

RECIPE for Osso Buco by Giada De Laurentiis

Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Ok, for all you dark chocolate lovers out there, this is the cookie for you. It's very dark and very chocolatey with just a touch of oatmeal. And most importantly, it's dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free! Very easy to make and very yummy to eat. I took the advice of some of the recipe reviewers and rolled my cookies in sugar before I baked them, however, I think they would also do quite well without this added touch.

RECIPE for Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies from Bon Appetit

Recipe Notes:

• To make this dairy-free, substitute non-dairy margarine (I recommend Earth Balance) for the butter.
  
• Refrigerate the dough about 1/2 hour or more before baking to prevent too much spreading.