Workday Gourmet

This is a simplified (& speed up) version of a classic Chinese dish.
Shank is an economy cut of beef full of tendon, which contains large amount of collagen. It is super tough when quick-seared, but melts apart when slow cooked. Cooked down tendon adds richness and body to a stew, despite being surprisingly low fat and high protein. This budget cut is very flavorful when cooked with some patience. They usually take 90 minutes ~ 2 hours stove top, but a pressure cooker can get it done in ~35 minutes.

Ingredients:

marinade: 
1/4 cup soy paste
1 tbsp of brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground star anise
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground numbing pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp crushed ginger
1/4 tsp crushed garlic

2lb beef shank, lightly salted on all sides
4~6 cups water, add enough for braising liquid to cover the beef

add to braising liquid:
4 orange peels (about that of 1/4 medium orange)
3 bay leaves
2 whole hot chili peppers

notes:
*jarred crushed ginger and garlic are perfect …

It's cherry season again! Everything about the plant from the blossoms to the fruits makes humanity write poems mourning fleeting youth and short-lived good times. Hope you're seizing the season this year! Binge on them while you can!

Fresh cherries always feel too good for me to throw into a turnover or syrupy pie, where they'll end up tasting a lot like frozen. If I'm baking cherries it needed to be recipe that somewhat preserves the texture and makes fresh fruits shine. This is my version of slightly lighter-than-traditional frangipane, to help you celebrate the summer harvest. If you don't have cherries, any stone fruit (such as peach or plum) will work just as well.

Ingredients: (enough for two shallow 9-inch tart)

For the crust:
1 stick cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg

For the filling:
1 stick softened butter
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 flour
2 eggs
1 cup fresh cherries


Instruction:

Start with the crust: Cut butt…