Sunday Dinner

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

kosher salt
3 lbs. boiling potatoes (I just used russet)
1/2 cup whole milk (I used 1%)
1/4 lb. butter
3/4 - 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 tsp freshly bround black pepper

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water and 2 Tbs salt to a boil. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2 inch cubes. Add them to the boiling water and bring the water back to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 - 15 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.
Meanwhile, heat the whole milk and butter in a small saucepan, making sure it doesn't boil. Set aside until the potatoes are done. As soon as the potatoes are tender, drain them in a colander. Use a food mill or a potatoe masher to mask the potatoes and as soon as they are mashed, stir in the hot milk-and-butter mixture with a rubber spatula. Add enough buttermil to make the potatoes cramy. (DO not heat buttermilk- it will curdle.) Add 2 teaspoons of salt and the pepper, or more to taste, and serve hot. To keep the potatoes warm, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water for up to 30 minutes. YOu can add a little extra hot milk to keep them creamy.

Roast (Cole's famous recipe. Cole is my dad.)

Tri-tip roast (if you can find one, which I couldn't. I asked the butcher for something similar and he gave me a sirloin roast that worked out great. He had to package it for me separately. It's a cut of meat that they slice and sell as steaks, but they can sell it to you as a roast and you just pay the price per pound that they charge for the steaks.)

Seasoning (my dad uses Emeril's steak rub. I used McCormick's Montreal Steak seasoning because that's all I had on hand.)

Season outside of roast with the seasoning and place on a baking sheet. Broil for about 15 minutes. Turn the heat down and roast beef until the internal temperature is 135 (if you like medium rare) and then take the roast out of the oven and tent with foil. Let meat rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

Serve with horseradish cream if desired. My parents always served it this way and I love it. Whip some heavy cream and mix in a few Tbs. of horseradish! It tastes delicious!


Green Beans with Honey Cashew Sauce

1 lb. fresh green beans

3 Tbs butter
1/2 cup coarsely chopped salted cashews
2 Tbs honey

Steam green beans until tender, drain and set aside in saucepan. In small skillet, saute cashews in butter over low heat for 5 minutes. Add honey and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Pour sauce over beans and toss until coated.