Chocolate on Pasta & a Rustic Pear Tart

Adapted from Giada's Short Ribs recipe, I made a beef stew that sort of resembled a beef bourguignon. Think of it as a really good recipe for fancy beef stew. My sister made this a couple of years ago and after looking through my recipe collection, I decided to make this for Alan. It was amazingly good! I followed Giada's recipe, but instead of short ribs, I used chuck roast, added some bell peppers in the mix, and used fresh fettuccine instead of tagliatelle. Towards the end, I added thinly sliced baby portabellos. I used whatever red wine I had in the pantry which happen to be Two Buck Chuck's Merlot. I topped the pasta with some finely shaved dark chocolate and it was AMAZING! Savory, meaty, umami goodness. I think next time, I will try to make this in the crock pot. If it's not a baking recipe, I never measure when it comes to cooking. I merely use recipes as 'guidelines.' This recipe is really forgiving. I probably can add a lot more stuff to the stew if I wanted and it will still turn out fantastic. Side note: I did have to skim a lot of fat from the stew.

For dessert, I made a rustic cranberry-pear tart that was featured in February's 2010 Bon Appetit issue. It's a really easy and fast dessert to make! It was a huge hit with Alan's belly.

What a great Saturday dinner.