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Ask An OC Expert: Best Fall Family Dishes

butternut squash soup 610
(Credit: shutterstock)

Bring the fun and spontaneous dishes to the next family gathering with these dishes recommended by local chef Jamie Gwen. Inspire the family to come back to the kitchen table more often with dishes that range from comfort foods to creamy textures that are great for fall foods. Bring back the love of memorable dinners with the family with Gwen's recommendation in these five dishes as some of the best fall dishes this year.

Chef Jamie Gwen
Talk Radio 790 AM
www.chefjamie.com

As a four-time cookbook author, celebrity chef and certified sommelier, Chef Jamie Gwen has brought colorful conversation about food with her syndicated radio show on 790 KABC. It was her claim to fame on the Food Network's Cutthroat Kitchen that introduced Gwen's comfort food to the public and, more importantly, her ability to bring back the ease of cooking seasonally. She recently served as a judge on Fox's Master Chef with Gordon Ramsey, Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich. She was featured on The Talk, Emeril Live and Martha Stewart, and don't forget she has her recent cookbook available as an ebook, "Good Food For Good Times 2." There is nothing better than the taste of comfort food in the fall, and here are the five recommendations for the family by Chef Jamie.

Spaghetti Carbonara
(Credit: shutterstock)

The Best Spaghetti Carbonara

  • 8 strips of applewood-smoked bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1/2 medium sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1 pound of spaghetti, cooked al dente
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • Zest of 1/4 of a lemon
  • Freshly chopped parsley

Directions:

  1. Cook the bacon in a deep, heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until the fat begins to render — about 3 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden, and the bacon is just crisp, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and boil until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Drain the spaghetti in a colander and add it to bacon mixture, then toss with tongs over moderate heat until coated. Add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water, if desired, to cook the pasta for a minute longer. Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg mixture, tossing to combine. The residual heat will cook the eggs, but be sure to work quickly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. If the sauce is too thick, thin it out with a little bit of the reserved pasta water.
  3. Season liberally with freshly cracked black pepper and taste for salt, since depending on the kind of pork used, it may not need any more. Add the lemon zest and parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.
  4. Recipes vary, though all agree that cheese (pecorino, parmesan, or a combination), egg yolks (or whole eggs), some sort of cured, fatty pork and black pepper, are essential basics. The pork is cooked until crisp, then the hot pasta is added to the pan to finish cooking. A mixture of eggs, cheese, and often butter or olive oil are combined with the hot pasta, away from the heat, to avoid making scrambled eggs with noodles!
Curl Up With Butternut Squash Soup
(credit: Thinkstock)

Roast Butternut Squash And Apple Soup

  • One 2-pound butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, washed and chopped finely
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 4 cups low-salt chicken broth
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • Sour cream, apple slices & fried leeks, for garnish

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a large glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place the squash cut side down in the prepared dish.
  2. Pierce each squash half several times with a sharp knife. Bake until the squash is tender, about 45 minutes. Using a large spoon, scrape the flesh into a mixing bowl and discard the peel.
  3. In a soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and leek and sauté over medium heat until tender. Add the garlic, diced apple and nutmeg and sauté 2 minutes more.
  4. Add the roasted squash and broth and stir to combine. Simmer the mixture for 20 minutes to meld the flavors, then discard bay leaf. In a blender, purée the mixture in batches, adding in the cream cheese to blend thoroughly. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Serve the soup hot or cold, topped with sour cream, a thin apple slice and crispy fried leeks.
pork chops
(Credit: shutterstock)

Pork Chops With Caramelized Pears, Shallots & Thyme

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
  • 4 bone-in thick-cut pork chops
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

  1. To make the brine, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk to dissolve the sugar and salt. Add the pork chops and allow them to brine for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the chops and sear both sides, turning once, until well browned, about 6 minutes total. Remove the pork chops to an ovenproof dish and place the chops in the oven to cook through. Roast until the pork chops are cooked through and register 140°F in the thickest part of the meat with an instant-read thermometer. Cooking time will be about 6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chops, and how cold they were at the start of cooking.
  3. To make the sauce, add the shallots and pears to the pan and sauté over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the maple syrup and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 minute to reduce the sauce. Scatter the thyme leaves in the pan and return the pork chops to the pan to glaze them with the sauce.

Related: Best Bars With A Patio In Orange County

short ribs
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Short Ribs Braised In Red Wine

  • 1 bottle of dry red wine (Cabernet or Syrah or a rich red)
  • 4 pounds beef short ribs
  • 10 shallots, trimmed & halved 
  • 4 carrots, peeled & cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 sweet yellow onions, cut into large dice
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 4 to 6 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut in quarters
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1/4 cup Port
  • 3 bay leaves, 2 sprigs thyme or rosemary, 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, a few sprigs parsley; all put into cheesecloth and tied with a string

Directions:

  1. Center a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375ºF.
  2. Pour the wine into a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Simmer until the wine is reduced to about 1 cup. While the wine is reducing, pat the short ribs dry using paper towels and season the ribs well with salt and pepper.
  3. The most important step here is the initial browning of the short ribs. Do not shorten it or the final dish will not be as intensely flavored or colored! Heat a high sided, heavy bottomed pot over moderately high heat until hot. Brown the short ribs well on all sides, cooking them in 2 batches so as not to crowd the pot. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate. 
  4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots, carrots and onions and sauté for five minutes, stirring often. Add the short ribs back to the pot, then add the reduced wine, mustard, tomatoes, chicken and beef broth, Port and the herb sachet. Bring the mixture to a full simmer, cover the pot tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and place the pot in the oven to braise for 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender and is literally falling off the bones. You can make the recipe to this point, cool and chill the ribs and broth in the pan overnight; scrape off the fat the next day, reheat and serve.
  5. To serve, reheat gently, basting frequently, on top of the stove and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
pumpkin braed
(Credit: shutterstock)

Fall Harvest Pumpkin Bread

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda 
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder 
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 
  • Pinch of Sea Salt 
  • 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree 
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar 
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled 
  • 2 large eggs 
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
  • 1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped 
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan.
  3. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add the dry mixture and mix until just combined.
  4. Fold in the pecans and cranberries. Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan and bake in the oven until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 1 hour.
  5. Cool completely on a wire rack before removing the bread from the loaf pan.

Related: 3 Non-Cook Dinners For A Hot Summer Night

Elle Toussi is a freelance journalist covering all things Southern California. She has traveled to the Middle East in 2013 and 2014 covering the Syrian refugee situation in Jordan. That experience inspired her to become the founder of InOneMinute.org which uses the power of mobile technology and philanthropy to meet specific needs of women around the world. Her previous work can also be found on Examiner.com and AXS.com.
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