So much irony going on here. Not only did I make this way back in October, when a good old-fashioned Chicago winter is just snickering and rubbings its claws, but now, well into February, it appears that we are having one of the most toothless and benign winters I can remember (and I’m almost 30!).

But they’ll be back. We have many more Januarys ahead when sub-zero winds will push back at us like a persistent bully and Aprils that have way too much February in them.  And we’ll have this stew to get us through.

It’s delish. Stephanie’s fingerprints are all over this in the form of — you guessed it — apples, as well as pineapple, pear, apple cider, balsamic vinegar and fish sauce (don’t worry if you’re squeamy about fish sauce; with 1/4 cup for 8 servings of stew it only adds depth and flavor, not fishiness). I especially love the pineapple which Stephanie tells us has enzymes that help break down the connective tissue in the meat. And that, my friends, is what gives you fork-tender stew meat.

The recipe is right here, courtesy of the Chicago Sun-Times, and on page 90 of Girl in the Kitchen.

Sometimes I think Stephanie Izard’s culinary manifesto can be summed up with one word: apples.  She loves loves loves apples and uses them promiscuously.  This book should come with an apple tree.

Why?  My best guess is that apples are 1. pretty reliably good and available year-round. 2. Apples are acidic and their role in many of these dishes is because of that property. 3. Apples, when cooked for longer periods of time, are a little like mushrooms in that they tend to lose some of their apple-ness and take on the flavors of other ingredients.  There’s also no denying that Stephanie loves a sweet note in her savory dishes.

In this recipe you not only have a Maple Apple garnish, but there are apples in the Osso Buco as well.  (I don’t think the maple apple garnish adds much here and I would skip it next time. You know it kills me to eat less maple syrup for any reason but sometimes expediency wins out even for me.)

This is a good-not-great version of Osso Buco and the non-traditional apples, maple syrup and Thai chiles bring new but compatible flavors to the dish.  The mashed potatoes are fine but absolutely standard.

Veal Osso Buco with Mashed New Potatoes and Maple Apples is on page 194 of Girl in the Kitchen.

I love Stephanie because Stephanie loves croutons.  She seems to agree that one of the primary reasons a person should eat salad is for the croutons (or the cheese, avocados, dried fruit, nuts, creamy dressing, take your pick). 

How do I know she loves them?  Because she puts them in everything and has come up with several techniques for making them, each one more decadent and delicious than the last.  Here the the cubed ciabatta is tossed with melted butter, thyme, and garlic then baked. 

Delicious as this salad is, it’s a little more time consuming that its title suggests.  In addition to making the croutons the vinaigrette is not a mere whisking of oil and vinegar with some seasoning thrown in.  Oh no.  You make an apple puree out of apples, apples cider, cider vinegar, and maple syrup which you then must liquefy this in a blender.

Totally worth it though.  And you know what?  I didn’t think I liked radishes but, as it turns out, I like them just fine when they’re sliced very thin on a mandoline.  And draped over croutons.

A slightly more streamlined version of this recipe is on Stephanie’s site right here.

It’s also on page 98 of Girl in the Kitchen.